• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.300-304
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• 2007

Objective : We report experiences and clinical outcomes of 61 cases with spinal canal meningiomas from January 1970 through January 2005. Methods : Thirty-eight patients were enrolled with follow-up duration of more than one year after surgery. There were 7 male and 31 female patients. The mean age was 52 years (range, 19 to 80 years). All patients underwent microsurgical resection using a posterior approach. Results : Twenty-nine (79.4%) cases experienced clinical improvement after surgery. The extent of tumor resection at the first operation was Simpson Grade I in 10 patients, Grade II in 17, Grade III in 4, Grade IV in 6, and unknown in one. We did not experience recurrent cases with Simpson grade I, II, or III resection. There were 6 recurrent cases, consisting of 5 cases with an extent of Simpson grade IV and one with an unknown extent. The mean duration of recurrence was 100 months after surgery. Radiation therapy was administered as a surgical adjunct in four patients (10.5%). Two cases were recurrent lesions that could not be completely resected. The other two cases were malignant meningiomas. No immediate postoperative death occurred in the patient group. Conclusion : We experienced no recurrent cases of intraspinal meningiomas once gross total resection has been achieved, regardless of the control of the dural origin. Surgeons do not have to take the risk of causing complication to the control dural origin after achieving gross total resectioning of spinal canal meningioma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.42-49
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• 2015

Objective : The cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) is a biomechanically and anatomically complex region that has traditionally posed problems for surgical access. In this retrospective study, we describe our clinical experiences of the treatment of metastatic spinal tumors at the CTJ and the results. Methods : From June 2006 to December 2011, 23 patients who underwent surgery for spinal tumors involving the CTJ were enrolled in our study. All of the patients were operated on through the posterior approach, and extent of resection was classified as radical, debulking, and simple neural decompression. Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) was also considered. Visual analog scale score for pain assessment and Medical Research Council (MRC) grade for motor weakness were used, while pre- and post-operative performance status was evaluated using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Results : Almost all of the patients were operated using palliative surgical methods (91.3%, 21/23). Ten complications following surgery occurred and revision was performed in four patients. Of the 23 patients of this study, 22 showed significant pain relief according to their visual analogue scale scores. Concerning the aspect of neurological and functional recovery, mean MRC grade and ECOG score was significantly improved after surgery (p<0.05). In terms of survival, radiation therapy had a significant role. Median overall survival was 124 days after surgery, and the adjuvant-RT group (median 214 days) had longer survival times than prior-RT (63 days) group. Conclusion : Although surgical procedure in CTJ may be difficult, we expect good clinical results by adopting a palliative posterior surgical method with appropriate preoperative preparation and postoperative treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.434-440
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• 2011

Objective : The goals of surgical intervention for metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) are prolonging survival and improving quality of life. Non-ambulatory paraplegic patients, either at presentation or after treatment, have a much shorter life expectancy than ambulatory patients. We therefore analyzed prognostic factors for survival and postoperative ambulation in patients surgically treated for MSCC. Methods : We assessed 103 patients with surgically treated MSCC who presented with lower extremity weakness between January 2001 and December 2008. Factors prognostic for overall survival (OS) and postoperative ambulation, including surgical method, age, sex, primary tumor site, metastatic spinal site, surgical levels, Tokuhashi score, and treatment with chemo- or radiation therapy, were analyzed retrospectively. Results : Median OS was significantly longer in the postoperatively ambulatory group [11.0 months; 95% confidence interval (CI), 9.29-12.71 months] than in the non-ambulatory group (5.0 months; 95% CI, 1.80-8.20 months) ($p$=0.035). When we compared median OS in patients with high (9-11) and low (0-8) Tokuhashi scores, they were significantly longer in the former (15.0 months; 95% CI, 9.29-20.71 months vs. 9.0 months; 95% CI, 7.48-10.52 months; $p$=0.003). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative ambulation with or without aid [odds ratio (OR) 5.35; 95% CI 1.57-18.17; $p$=0.007] and hip flexion power greater than grade III (OR 6.23; 95% CI, 1.29-7.35; $p$=0.038) were prognostic of postoperative ambulation. Conclusion : We found that postoperative ambulation and preoperative high Tokuhashi score were significantly associated with longer patient survival. In addition, preoperative hip flexion power greater than grade III was critical for postoperative ambulation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.323-329
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• 2014

Objective : Vertebral body replacement following corpectomy in thoracic or lumbar spine is performed with titanium mesh cage (TMC) containing any grafts. Radiological changes often occur on follow-up. This study investigated the relationship between the radiological stability and clinical symptoms. Methods : The subjects of this study were 28 patients who underwent corpectomy on the thoracic or lumbar spine. Their medical records and radiological data were retrospectively analyzed. There were 23 cases of tumor, 2 cases of trauma, and 3 cases of infection. During operation, spinal reconstruction was done with TMC and additional screw fixation. We measured TMC settlement in sagittal plane and spinal angular change in coronal and sagittal plane at postoperative one month and last follow-up. Pain score was also checked. We investigated the correlation between radiologic change and pain status. Whether factors, such as the kind of graft material, surgical approach, and fusion can affect the radiological stability or not was analyzed as well. Results : Mean follow-up was 23.6 months. During follow-up, $2.08{\pm}1.65^{\circ}$ and $6.96{\pm}2.08^{\circ}$ of angular change was observed in coronal and sagittal plane, respectively. A mean of cage settlement was $4.02{\pm}2.83mm$. Pain aggravation was observed in 4 cases. However, no significant relationship was found between spinal angular change and pain status (p=0.518, 0.458). Cage settlement was seen not to be related with pain status, either (p=0.644). No factors were found to affect the radiological stability. Conclusion : TMC settlement and spinal angular change were often observed in reconstructed spine. However, these changes did not always cause postoperative axial pain.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 1996

Purpose : Primary sphenoid carcinoma is rare. It accounts for $0.3\%$ of all primary paranasal sinus malignancies. Because of the rarity of sphenoid carcinoma, large series of patients with outcome and survival statistics are currently unavailable. So we followed up the 1 case of sphenoid sinus carcinoma treated in our hospital and reported the course of the disease. Case report : In a review of case reports and small series of patients, 2-rear survival was $7\%$. Our case is alive at 29 months after diagnosis of sphenoid sinus carcinoma. Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is an unusual complication of cancer. In our case rapidly progressive paraparesis and urinary retention developed at 25 months after diagnosis of sphenoid sinus carcinoma. MRI of the thoracic spines showed the intramedullary spinal cord tumor mass at T3 and 74 level with accompanying syringomyelia. Here we report a case of ISCM associated with syringomyelia which has developed after primary sphenoid sinus carcinoma with a review of literature about the clinical behavior and treatment of this lesion.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup2
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• pp.322-327
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• 2001

Objectives : There are many kinds of method to evaluate neural decompression during operation. They are direct visual and manual inspection, intraoperative ultrasound, endoscope, intraoperative computed tomography and intraoperative myelography. We used intraoperative myelography to evaluate the proper decompression of neural elements during the decompressive surgery. Methods : We injected 10-20cc of nonionic water-soluble contrast materials through direct puncture site of exposed dura during operation or lower lumbar level or lumbar drain inserted preoperatively. 12 patients were included in this study. They were 7 patients of centrally herniated lumbar disc disease, 1 patient of multiple lumbar spinal stenosis, 2 patients of thoracic extradural tumor and 2 cervical fracture & dislocations. Results : 5 of 12 patients showed remained neural compression through intraoperative myelography, so they were operated further through other approach. Myelographic dye is heavier than CSF, so the dependent side of subarachnoid space was visualized only. In one case, CSF leakage through hemovac was detected, but it was treated only bed rest for 5 days after hemovac removal. Conclusion :Intraoperative myelography is an effective method to evaluate neural decompression during spinal surgery. This technique is easy and familiar to us, neurosurgeons.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.290-294
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• 2013

Stereotactic Radiosurgery require high accuracy and precision of patient positioning and target localization. We evaluate the real time positioning accuracy of isocenter using optic guided patient positioning system, ExacTrac (BrainLab, Germany), during spinal radiosurgery procedure. The system is based on real time detect multiple body markers attached on the selected patient skin landmarks. And a custom designed patient positioning verification tool (PPVT) was used to check the patient alignment and correct the patient repositioning before radiosurgery. In this study, We investigate the selected 8 metastatic spinal tumor cases. All type of tumors commonly closed to thoracic spinal code. To evaluate the isocenter positioning, real time patient alignment and positioning monitoring was carried out for comparing the current 3-dimensional position of markers with those of an initial reference positions. For a selected patient case, we have check the isocenter positioning per every 20 millisecond for 45 seconds during spinal radiosurgery. In this study, real time average isocenter positioning translation were $0.07{\pm}0.17$ mm, $0.11{\pm}0.18$ mm, $0.13{\pm}0.26$ mm, and $0.20{\pm}0.37$ mm in the x (lateral), y (longitudinal), z (vertical) directions and mean spatial error, respectively. And body rotations were $0.14{\pm}0.07^{\circ}$, $0.11{\pm}0.07^{\circ}$, $0.03{\pm}0.04^{\circ}$ in longitudinal, lateral, table directions and mean body rotation $0.20{\pm}0.11^{\circ}$, respectively. In this study, the maximum mean deviation of real time isocenter positioning translation during spinal radiosurgery was acceptable accuracy clinically.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.228-231
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• 2005

We describe a rare case of 52-year-old woman with lumbar schwannoma associated with hydrocephalus. In our case, the signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension were not resolved even after the complete removal of the lumbar schwannoma. We also reviewed the literature on the association of hydrocephalus with spinal cord tumor.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.67-69
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• 2005

Spinal intradural cysticercosis is a rare manifestation of neurocysticercosis that may present as an isolated lesion. We report a case of sacral intradural cysticercosis misdiagnosed as a metastasis through cerebrospinal fluid seeding in a 48-year-old patient who underwent ependymoma surgery 3 months ago. We performed S1-2 laminectomy with the total removal of intradural lesion. The cysticercosis was confirmed histologically. The patient was given albendazole with corticosteroid.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.164-166
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• 2014

Ganglioglioma is an infrequent tumor of the central nervous system (CNS); mostly supratentorial region. But, they can occur anywhere in the central nervous system such as brainstem, cerebellopontine angle (CPA), thalamus, optic nerve and spinal cord. Although it occurs rarely, ganglioglioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of a posterior fossa mass because early recognition is important for treatment and patient counseling.