Experience of Meningovascular Syphilis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Patient

Since the start of the antibiotic era, syphilis has become rare. However, in recent times, it has tended to be prevalent concomitantly with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and coinfection in North America and Europe. Now, such cases are expected to increase in elsewhere including Korea. A 40-year-old male patient visited hospital complaining of a headache for about one month. Brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, showed leptomeninged enhancing mass with edema an right porisylvian region, which was suspected to be glioma. Patient underwent a blood test and was diagnosed with syphilis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Partial cortical and subcortical resection were performed after small craniotomy. The dura was thick, adhered to the brain cortex, and was accompanied by hyperemic change of the cortex. The pathologic diagnosis was meningovascular syphilis (MS) in HIV infection. After the operation, the patient was treated with aqueous penicillin G. Thereafter, he had no neurological deficit except intermittent headache. At first, this case was suspected to be glioma, but it was eventually diagnosed as MS in HIV coinfection. At this point the case was judged to be worth reporting.

Significance of Aspect Ratio as Predictor of Intracranial Aneurysm Rupture / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The size of intracranial aneurysm has been well known as a risk factor of aneurysmal rupture. The aneurysmal shape affects risk of rupture differently even though the size is similar. Aspect ratio corresponds well with morphologic variability. In this study we investigated the significance of aspect ratio as a predictor of intracranial aneurysm rupture. METHODS: The authors reviewed the retrospectively the medical records of consecutive patients with ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms who underwent cerebral angiography from January 2001 to December 2005. A total of 156 patients underwent cerebral angiography and 171 aneurysms were detected. One hundred forty ruptured and 31 unruptured aneurysms were included. We measured aspect ratio which aneurysmal dome distance and neck width on angiographic images. To compare the difference of size and aspect ratio between ruptured and unrupteured aneurysms, we performed statistical analysis of aspect ratio to obtain the odds ratio(OR) for risk of rupture. RESULTS: The mean aspect ratio was 2.33+/-0.96 for ruptured aneurysms, compared with 1.71+/-0.55 for unruptured aneurysms. The difference of the aspect ratios between ruptured and unruptured groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). The odds ratio of rupture was 6.3 fold greater when the aspect ratio was larger than 2.66 compared with an aspect ratio less than 1.54. CONCLUSION: We suggest that aspect ratio is a significant independent predictor for aneurysmal rupture. The rupture risk was increased significantly when aspect ratio increased.

Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Patients Undergoing Dialysis Therapy / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The management of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in the patients with chronic renal failure is frequently influenced by factors such as coagulopathy, electrolyte imbalance, hemodialysis and malnutrition. This study aimed at evaluating the aggravating factors in the patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and who also underwent dialysis therapy. METHODS: Eight patients with chronic renal failure and who suffered from intracerebral hemorrhage were investigated. The clinical features, the location and amount of the hematomas, the treatment methods and the hemodialysis patterns were compared. RESULTS: The locations of hematoma were the subcortex (3 cases), putamen (2 cases), thalamus (2 csaes), and intraventricle (1 case), respectively. The types of dialysis were hemodialysis (6 cases), peritoneal dialysis (1 case), and a continuous form of renal replacement therapy (1 case). The average GCS was 8.4 (range: 5-14). All the patients underwent surgical treatment, which were EVD (3 cases), streotactic hematoma aspiration (2 cases), and decompressive craniectomy with hematoma removal (3 cases). The clinical outcomes were good recovery (1 case), moderate disability (1 case), a vegetative state (1 case) and death (5 cases). For the cases of death, the factors for aggravating the outcome were brain swelling (1 case), rebleeding (2 cases), aspiration pneumonia (1 case), and uncontrolled bleeding during the operation (1 case). The poor outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage in the dialysis failure patients were caused by poor consciousness during bleeding, (ED note: this word ictus seems to makes no sense here.) and a high risk of rebleeding and brain edema due to anticoagulant and dialysis. CONCLUSION: We suggest that consideration of the patients' medical problems and an adequate environment for dialysis should be taken into account to achieve favorable patient outcomes.