Microsurgical Excision of Symptomatic Sacral Perineurial Cyst with Sacral Recapping Laminectomy : A Case Report in Technical Aspects

Perineurial cysts (Tarlov cysts) are lesions of the nerve root that are often observed in the sacral area. There is debate about whether symptomatic perineurial cysts should be treated surgically. We presented three patients with symptomatic perineurial cyst who were treated surgically, and introduced sacral recapping laminectomy. Patients complained of low back pain and hypesthesia on lower extremities. We performed operations with sacral recapping technique for all three. The outcome measure was baseline visual analogue score and post operative follow up magnetic resonance images. All patients were completely relieved of symptoms after operation. Although not sufficient to address controversies, this small case series introduces successful use of a particular surgical technique to treat sacral perineural cyst, with resolution of most symptoms and no sequelae.

Risk Factors of New Adjacent Compression Fracture after Percutaneous Vertebroplasty: Effectiveness of Bisphosphonate in Osteoporotic or Osteopenic Elderly Patients / 대한신경손상학회지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence of new compression and to analyze factors that influence the fractures in adjacent levels after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). METHODS: This retrospective study examined 206 patients who had undergone PVP for single level osteoporotic or osteopenic compression fractures during the last seven years in our department. After PVP, the patients were observed for at least over one year, and 29 patients showed new additional compression fractures in adjacent levels. One hundred seventy seven patients who did not show additional compression fractures were analyzed as the control group. Statistical comparisons were performed between the groups, in terms of age, gender, bone mineral density, whether bisphosphonate (BPP) was treated, preoperative kyphosis, preoperative wedge angle, change in wedge angle, amount of bone cement, existence of intradiscal bone cement leakage, and initial fracture levels. RESULTS: The statistically significant factors that influence new compression fractures in adjacent levels after PVP were as follows: being female, initial thoracolumbar junction fracture, preoperative large kyphotic, preoperative large wedge angle, change in wedge angle, administration of BPP in osteopenia group, and intradiscal cement leakage. CONCLUSION: This study identified many factors that influence newly developed compression fractures in adjacent levels after PVP. Interestingly, the administration of BPP in osteopenia group had positive influence on new fractures in this study. Therefore, we recommend early administration of BPP to patients with osteopenia.

Student's Response to Current Lecture Evaluation Method in One Medical School / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: The evaluation of a lecture by students is one of the good way to improve a lecture. In one medical school, we started one-year-integrated-lecture curriculum for sophomore. And we evaluated lectures using formal lecture evaluation sheet after completion of each integrated lectures. The results were fed back to lecturers. But lecturers were indifferent to the results. So we performed this study to evaluate the current lecture evaluation method. METHODS: Answering patterns of evaluation sheets were reviewed. 50 students entitled to integrated lectures were given structured questions. 44 of them recovered. And randomly selected 10 students were interviewed. RESULTS: Analysis of evaluation sheets showed that some students checked the items just for fun. More than half of the students answered that they did not check the questions seriously. Reasons why the evaluation of lectures were not going well were; students were not trained to evaluate something; evaluation sheet was not designed to evaluate individual lecturer; listed items were too many in number and inappropriate; some students were suspicious about the impact of evaluation of lectures. In addition to this, it was revealed that students thought the timing of evaluation of lecture was important, too. CONCLUSION: Indifference of lecturers to the results is one form of resistance to the evaluation of lectures by students. To make evaluation of lectures effective, numbers and contents of evaluation items must be selected carefully, students need to be trained, and adequate evaluation timing should be determined with frequent feed backs.