A Rare Occurrence of Primarily Extranodal Spinal Epidural Lymphoma With Spinal Cord Compression and Invasion to the Thoracic Cavity

A 41-year-old man suffered from progressive radiculomyelopathy caused by spinal epidural mass primarily encasing the spinal cord at the cervicothoracic vertebrae that extended into the thoracic cavity through the neural foramen. An urgent decompressive laminectomy and epidural tumor resection were performed to prevent neurological deterioration and effective spinal cord decompression. The histopathologic diagnosis was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. As first-line treatment for stage II extranodal lymphoma, he received 6 cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab/cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, Oncovin, and prednisone) chemotherapy. Consequently, follow-up positron-emission tomography CT and MR images demonstrated a complete metabolic response (Deauville score 1). This rare occurrence of primarily extranodal spinal epidural lymphoma with limited disease will be presented in a literature review.

Flow diversion via telescoping stent with Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support Junior for treatment of ruptured dissecting aneurysm located at proximal posterior inferior cerebellar artery

Dissecting aneurysm involving the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are challenging because of its nature and anatomic relationship to medulla and lower cranial nerve. We introduce a case of ruptured dissecting aneurysm located at the proximal PICA treated with telescoping stents for flow diversion and dissection healing. A 49 years old female visited to the emergency room for ruptured dissecting aneurysm at right proximal PICA. Telescoping stent was deployed along the right vertebral artery to PICA covering the dissecting aneurysm bleb using two Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support Jr (LVIS Jr) stents. Three months follow up angiography revealed a disappearance of aneurysm bleb and healing of dissection by parent artery remodeling. Telescoping stent with LVIS Jr may be an effective treatment for dissecting aneurysm with small diameter (<2 mm) parent artery. Convenient navigation and targeted telescoping stent for minimizing metal coverage at perforating arteries are an advantage for this method.

Flow diversion via telescoping stent with Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support Junior for treatment of ruptured dissecting aneurysm located at proximal posterior inferior cerebellar artery

Dissecting aneurysm involving the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are challenging because of its nature and anatomic relationship to medulla and lower cranial nerve. We introduce a case of ruptured dissecting aneurysm located at the proximal PICA treated with telescoping stents for flow diversion and dissection healing. A 49 years old female visited to the emergency room for ruptured dissecting aneurysm at right proximal PICA. Telescoping stent was deployed along the right vertebral artery to PICA covering the dissecting aneurysm bleb using two Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support Jr (LVIS Jr) stents. Three months follow up angiography revealed a disappearance of aneurysm bleb and healing of dissection by parent artery remodeling. Telescoping stent with LVIS Jr may be an effective treatment for dissecting aneurysm with small diameter (<2 mm) parent artery. Convenient navigation and targeted telescoping stent for minimizing metal coverage at perforating arteries are an advantage for this method.

Is the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score Accurate and Reliable in Predicting Vertebral Compression Fractures for Spinal Metastasis? A Systematic Review and Qualitative Analysis

Spinal metastases can present with varying degrees of mechanical instability. The Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) was developed as a tool to assess spinal neoplastic-related instability while helping to guide referrals among oncology specialists. Some previous papers suggested that the SINS was accurate and reliable, while others disagreed with this opinion. We performed a systematic review regarding the SINS to evaluate its accuracy and precision in predicting vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). The 21 included studies investigated a total of 2118 patients. Thirteen studies dealt with the accuracy of SINS to predict postradiotherapy VCFs, and eight dealt with the precision. Among 13 studies, 11 agreed that the SINS categories showed statistically significant accuracy in predicting VCF. Among eight studies, body collapse was effective for predicting VCFs in six studies, and alignment and bone lesion in two studies. Location has no statistical significance in predicting VCFs in any of the eight studies. The precision of SINS categories was substantial to excellent in six of eight studies. Among the six components of the SINS, the majority of the included studies reported that location showed near perfect agreement; body collapse, alignment, and posterolateral involvement showed moderate agreement; and bone lesion showed fair agreement. Bone lesion showed significant accuracy in predicting VCFs in half of eight studies, but displayed fair reliability in five of seven studies. Although location was indicated as having near perfect reliability, the component showed no accuracy for predicting VCFs in any of the studies and deleting or modifying the item needs to be considered. The SINS system may be accurate and reliable in predicting the occurrence of postradiotherapy VCFs for spinal metastasis. Some components seem to be substantially weak and need to be revised.

Evaluation of Cumulative and Conditional Antibiotic Release from Vancomycin-Embedded Fibrin Sealant and Its Antibacterial Activity : An In Vitro Study

Objective@#: Fibrin sealants have been used for hemostasis, sealant for cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and adhesive barrier in neurosurgery. Further, as its clinical use and role of an effective drug delivery vehicle have been proposed. This study was performed to measure antibacterial activity and continuous local antibiotic release from different concentrations of vancomycin-impregnated fibrin sealant in vitro. @*Methods@#: Antibacterial activity was investigated by disk diffusion test by measuring the diameter of the growth inhibition zone of bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ATCC29213) from vancomycin-embedded fibrin sealant disc diluted at five different concentrations (C1–C5; 8.33, 4.167, 0.83, 0.083, and 0.0083 mg/disc, respectively). Continuous and conditioned release of vancomycin concentration (for 2 weeks and for 5 days, respectively) were also measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. To mimic the physiologic wound conditions with in vitro, conditioned vancomycin release in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) was measured and replaced PBS for five consecutive days, half a day or completely daily. @*Results@#: In the disk diffusion test, the mean diameters of bacterial inhibition zone were 2.54±0.07 cm, 2.61±0.12 cm, and 2.13±0.15 cm (C1, C2, and C3 respectively) but 1.67±0.06 cm and 1.23±0.15 cm in C4 and C5, respectively. Continuous elution test elicited the peak release of vancomycin from the fibrin sealant at 48 hours, with continued release until 2 weeks. However, conditioned vancomycin release decreased to half or more on day 2, however, the sustainable release was measured over the therapeutic dose (10–20 μg/mL) for 5 days and 4 days in assays of half and total exchange of PBS. @*Conclusion@#: This study suggests that fibrin sealant can provide an efficient vehicle for antibiotic drug release in a wide range of neurosurgical procedures and the safe and effective therapeutic dose will be at the concentration embedded of 4.167 mg/disc or more of vancomycin.

A Nationwide Study of Surgery in a Newly Diagnosed Spine Metastasis Population

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this nationwide study was to analyze the current state of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic spine tumors according to surgical methods.METHODS: Data was extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Surgery was categorized into three methods : fusion, decompression, and vertebroplasty. Data included patient age, sex, health insurance type, and co-morbidities. Survival rates of metastatic spine tumor patients according to each surgical method were evaluated.RESULTS: Among 1677 patients who had an operation, 823 patients were treated by fusion, 141 patients underwent decompression, and 713 patients were treated by vertebroplasty. The three most prevalent primary tumor sites were the lung, breast, and liver & biliary. On the other hand, the three most prevalent primary tumor sites of patients who underwent surgery were the lung, liver & biliary, and the prostate. The median survival periods for each surgical method in the metastatic spine tumor patients were 228 days for those who underwent surgery, 249 days for decompression, and 154 days for vertebroplasty. Age, sex, and comorbidities significantly affected survival rate.CONCLUSION: For every primary tumor site, decompression was the least common surgical method during the study period. Although the three surgical methods did not significantly affect the survival period, patients with a poor prognosis tended to undergo vertebroplasty.

A Nationwide Study of Surgery in a Newly Diagnosed Spine Metastasis Population

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this nationwide study was to analyze the current state of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic spine tumors according to surgical methods. METHODS: Data was extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Surgery was categorized into three methods : fusion, decompression, and vertebroplasty. Data included patient age, sex, health insurance type, and co-morbidities. Survival rates of metastatic spine tumor patients according to each surgical method were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 1677 patients who had an operation, 823 patients were treated by fusion, 141 patients underwent decompression, and 713 patients were treated by vertebroplasty. The three most prevalent primary tumor sites were the lung, breast, and liver & biliary. On the other hand, the three most prevalent primary tumor sites of patients who underwent surgery were the lung, liver & biliary, and the prostate. The median survival periods for each surgical method in the metastatic spine tumor patients were 228 days for those who underwent surgery, 249 days for decompression, and 154 days for vertebroplasty. Age, sex, and comorbidities significantly affected survival rate. CONCLUSION: For every primary tumor site, decompression was the least common surgical method during the study period. Although the three surgical methods did not significantly affect the survival period, patients with a poor prognosis tended to undergo vertebroplasty.

The Prevalence and Characterization of Cerebral Microbleeds in Young People Having Intracerebral Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are known as the neuroimaging markers of risk in stroke and dementia. Many studies on CMBs in elderly patients with hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke have been reported; however, reports on CMBs in young populations with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 272 patients aged 18–54 years presented to our hospital with ICH between December 2009 and August 2017. Among these, CMB presence, count, and topography with respect to ICH were evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gradient echo images (GREs). We also evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of CMBs. RESULTS: Among 272 patients, only 66 underwent GRE T2-weighted MRI. CMBs were detected in 40 patients (61%), with 29 (73%) being of the multifocal type. Among the 219 CMBs, 150 (68.5%) were of the deep type and 69 (31.5%) of the lobar type. CMB prevalence was higher in men. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, history of hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.048; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14–14.32; p = 0.030), and male sex (aOR, 4.233; 95% CI, 1.09–16.48; p = 0.037) were independently associated with CMBs. CONCLUSION: In young patients who presented with spontaneous ICH, CMBs were highly prevalent in 61% of patients and strongly associated with history of hypertension and male sex.

A Nation-Wide Epidemiological Study of Newly Diagnosed Primary Spine Tumor in the Adult Korean Population, 2009–2011

OBJECTIVE: This 2009–2011 nation-wide study of adult Koreans was aimed to provide characteristics, medical utilization states, and survival rates for newly diagnosed patients with primary nonmalignant and malignant spine tumors. METHODS: Data for patients with primary spine tumors were selected from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. The data included their age, sex, health insurance type, co-morbidities, medical cost, and hospital stay duration. Hospital stay duration and medical costs per person occurring in one calendar year were used. In addition, survival rates of patients with primary malignant spine tumors were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence rate of a primary spine tumor increased with age, and the year of diagnosis (p≤0.0001). Average annual medical costs ranged from 1627 USD (pelvis & sacrum & coccyx tumors) to 6601 USD (spinal cord tumor) for primary nonmalignant spine tumor and from 12137 USD (spinal meningomas) to 20825 USD (pelvis & sacrum & coccyx tumors) for a primary malignant spine tumor. Overall survival rates for those with a primary malignant spine tumor were 87.0%, 75.3%, and 70.6% at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The Cox regression model results showed that male sex, medicare insurance were significantly positive factors affecting survival after a diagnosis of primary malignant spine tumor. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a detailed view of the characteristics, medical utilization states, and survival rates of patients newly diagnosed with primary spine tumors in Korea.

Delayed Burr Hole Surgery in Patients with Acute Subdural Hematoma: Clinical Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of delayed burr hole surgery in relation to the reduction of postoperative subdural hematoma (SDH) volume in patients with acute SDH. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with acute SDH who received delayed burr hole surgery at our institute. Age, sex, Glasgow coma scale, maximal SDH thickness, volume of SDH, midline shifts, hounsfield unit (HU), and medical history of anticoagulant agent usage were recorded. Outcome measures were delayed operation day, reduction of SDH volume after operation, and the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) score at discharge. The patients were divided two groups according to the post-operative reduction of volume of SDH (≥50%, group A; <50%, group B). We also analyzed variables and differences between two groups. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were available for this analysis. The mean delayed of surgery was 13.9±7.5 days. Maximal thickness of SDH was changed from 10.0±3.5 mm to 12.2±3.7 mm. Volume of SDH was changed from 38.7±28.0 mL to 42.6±29.6 mL. Midline shifts were changed from 5.8±3.3 mm to 6.6±3.3 mm. HU were changed from 66.4±11.2 to 53.2±20.6. Post-operative reduction of SDH volume was 52.1±21.1%. Eleven patients (61%) had a discharge GOS score of 1 (good recovery). Ten patients (56%) were enrolled in group A. Midline shifting was greater in group A than in group B (7.4±3.3 vs. 3.0±2.4 mm; p<0.02). The delay of surgery was shorter for group A than group B (9.2±2.3 vs. 19.8±7.7 days; p<0.0008). CONCLUSION: Among well selected patients, delayed burr hole surgery in patients with acute SDH may be effective for reduction of SDH volume. Further studies will be necessary to establish the effectiveness and safety of delayed burr hole surgery in patients with acute SDH.

Radiosurgery Compared with External Radiation Therapy as a Primary Treatment in Spine Metastasis from Hepatocellular Carcinoma : A Multicenter, Matched-Pair Study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this multicenter, matched-pair study was to compare the outcomes of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and conventional external radiation therapy (RT) when used as a primary treatment in spine metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: From 2005 to 2012, 28 patients underwent SRS as the primary treatment in spine metastasis from HCC. Based on sex, age, number of spine metastasis, Child-Pugh classification, interval from original tumor to spine metastasis, and year of treatment, 28 patients who underwent RT were paired. Outcomes of interest were pain relief, progression free survival, toxicities, and further treatment. RESULTS: The perioperative visual analog scale (VAS) decrease was larger in SRS group than in RT group, but the difference was not significant (3.7 vs. 2.8, p=0.13). When pain medication was adjusted, the number of patients with complete (n=6 vs.3) or partial (n=12 vs.13) relief was larger in SRS group than in RT group; however, the difference was not significant (p=0.83). There was no significant difference in progression free survival (p=0.48). In SRS group, 32.1% of patients had 1 or more toxicities whereas the percentage in RT group was 63.0%, a significant difference (p=0.04). Six SRS patients and 7 RT patients received further intervention at the treated segment. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiological outcome were not significantly different between the two treatments. Toxicities, however, were more prevalent in the RT group.

Twelve Contiguous Spinous Process Fracture of Cervico-Thoracic Spine

The clay-shoveler's fracture is an isolated avulsion fracture of the lower cervical or upper thoracic spinous process. Among them, multiple spinous process fractures are very rare. We present 34-year-old male patient who have multiple spinous process fractures with twelve contiguous levels of cervico-thoracic spine (from C4 to T8) after motorcycle accident. This case is multiple isolated spinous process fractures with good clinical outcome.

The Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment of Cervical Radicular Pain Patients

OBJECTIVE: Cervical radicular pain is defined as pain arising in the arm caused by irritation of a cervical spinal nerve or its roots. Although many treatment modalities are described in the literature, the available evidence for efficacy is not sufficient to allow definitive conclusions. The goal of this study was to establish the benefits and prognostic factors of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) on the adjacent cervical dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cervical radicular pain patients. METHODS: A retrospective study of PRF treatment of patients with cervical radicular pain was carried out. Two times diagnostic block of cervical DRG were performed before PRF. PRF was applied for 2 minutes at a setting of 2 Hz and 45 V by two times on the same targets, with the end point being an electrode tip temperature 42degrees C. Numerical rating scale (NRS) score was evaluated post-treatment 2 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months, which were compared with pretreatment value. A successful outcome was defined that NRS change was improved more than 50% at 6 months. RESULTS: The mean age was 54 years. The success rate was 68%(15/22) after six months of follow-up. PRF induced complications were not observed. Between success and failure group, we do not find any positive outcome prognostic factor. Interestingly, PRF treatment on foraminal stenosis is better outcome than herniated cervical disc. CONCLUSION: PRF on adjacent cervical DRG is effective and safe treatment option for cervical radicular pain patients. However, more long-term follow up and larger patients are needed to establish effectiveness PRF treatment on cervical radicular pain patients.

Analysis of Risk Factors and Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid Morbidity in the Treatment of Spinal Dysraphism

OBJECTIVE: Spinal dysraphism defects span wide spectrum. Wound dehiscence is a common postoperative complication, and is a challenge in the current management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and wound healing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risks of CSF-related morbidity in the surgical treatment of spinal dysraphism. METHODS: Ten patients with spinal dysraphism were included in this retrospective study. The median age of the cohort was 4.8 months. To assess the risk of CSF morbidity, we measured the skin lesion area and the percentage of the skin lesion area relative to the back surface for each patient. We then analyzed the relationship between morbidity and the measured skin lesion area or related factors. RESULTS: The overall median skin lesion area was 36.2 cm2 (n=10). The percentage of the skin lesion area relative to the back surface ranged from 0.6% to 18.1%. During surgical reconstruction, 4 patients required subsequent operations to repair CSF morbidity. The comparison of the mean area of skin lesions between the CSF morbidity group and the non-CSF morbidity group was statistically significant (average volume skin lesion of 64.4+/-32.5 cm2 versus 27.7+/-27.8 cm2, p<0.05). CSF morbidity tended to occur either when the skin lesion area was up to 44.2 cm2 or there was preexisting fibrosis before revision with an accompanying broad-based dural defect. CONCLUSION: Measuring the lesion area, including the skin, dura, and related surgical parameters, offers useful information for predicting wound challenges and selecting appropriate reconstructive surgery methods.

Treatment Outcome of Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysms in the Elderly / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the results of surgical and endovascular treatments in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients older than 70 years. METHODS: This study included 18 patients, more than 70 years of age, treated for ruptured cerebral aneurysms between April 2004 and March 2009. In most cases, patients underwent the early obliteration procedure for each aneurysm, and we compared the clinical results according to the obliteration method (clipping or coiling). We assessed neurological outcomes at 6 months post-procedure according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS): favorable (mRS score > 2) or unfavorable (mRS score > 2). RESULTS: Of the 18 patients, 12 (66.6%) underwent obliteration of the aneurysm sac via microvascular clipping patients, and 6 (33.3%) underwent endovascular coiling. At 6 months post-procedure, the clinical outcomes were favorable in 6 patients (33.3%), 5 (41.7%) who received microvascular clipping and 1 (16.7%) who underwent endovascular coiling. Unfavorable outcome was not statistically associated with poor initial clinical state, poor Fisher grade, occurrence of stroke, or hydrocephalus, although we frequently noted these variables in the unfavorable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, aneurysm obliteration method (microvascular clipping vs. endovascular coiling) did not seem to significantly affect clinical outcomes. A poor initial clinical state, poor Fisher grade, occurrence of stroke, and hydrocephalus seemed to be associated with poor clinical outcomes.

Clinical Analysis of Novalis Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases

OBJECTIVE: The authors analyzed the effectiveness and therapeutic response of Novalis shaped beam radiosurgery for metastatic brain tumors, and the prognostic factors which influenced the outcome. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 106 patients who underwent 159 treatments for 640 metastatic brain lesions between January 2000 and April 2008. The pathologies of the primary tumor were mainly lung (45.3%), breast (18.2%) and GI tract (13.2%). We classified the patients using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) and then analyzed the survival and prognostic factors according to the Kaplan Meier method and univariate analysis. RESULTS: The overall median actuarial survival rate was 7.3 months from the time of first radiosurgery treatment while 1 and 2 year actuarial survival estimates were 31% and 14.4%, respectively. Median actuarial survival rates for RPA classes I, II, and III were 31.3 months, 7.5 months and 1.7 months, respectively. Patients' life spans, higher Karnofsky performance scores and age correlated closely with RPA classes. However, sex and the number of lesions were not found to be significantly associated with length of survival. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that Novalis radiosurgery can be a good treatment option for treatment of the patients with brain metastases.

Clinical analysis of decompressive craniectomy and lobectomy in patients with malignant cerebral infarction / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The use of decompressive craniectomy for treating massive cerebral infarction is attracting much attention because conventional medical treatment is associated with high mortality. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the surgical treatment results and prognostic factors for patients suffering with malignant cerebral infarction. METHODS: We analyzed 9 consecutive patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy with or without temporal lobectomy after malignant cerebral infarction from 2000 to 2008. We reviewed the medical records, the radiological finding and the pre-operative clinical assessment using the Glasgow Coma scale (GCS). The postoperative functional outcome was assessed as the Barthel-Index (BI) and the modified Rankin scale (mRS). RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 3.5:1. The mean age was 50 years (range: 36-68). Eight patients (89%) showed involvement of the entire middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory and the concomitant anterior cerebral artery (ACA) or posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territory. The preoperative mean GCS was 8.3 (range: 5-12) and the mean time to surgery after the onset of symptoms was 47.7 hours (range: 4-168 hours). All the patients underwent decompressive craniectomy and duroplasty. Among them, four patients (45%) underwent temporal lobectomy. The mean followup period was 7.3 months (range: 1-26 months) and five patients died within this period. CONCLUSION: Decompressive craniectomy with or without lobectomy for patients with malignant cerebral infarction decreases the mortality rate and it improves the functional outcome. In the survived group, comparison of the two surgical modalities didn't show any statistically significant difference. However, the decompressive craniectomy with lobectomy group demonstrated a high survival rate (75%). Future studies are needed to investigate the proper treatment modalities for malignant cerebral infarction.

Radiosurgery for Spinal Lesions

Spinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) has become an important treatment modality for a broad range of spinal tumors and spinal vascular lesions. Recent clinical acceptance and awareness of the usefulness of spinal radiosurgery has escalated with the development of modern radiosurgical technology. Image-guided navigation systems incorporating non-invasive fiducial tracking and virtual simulation planning systems have made spinal radiosurgery increasingly effective and expanded the range of clinical applications for which it can be effectively used. Additional improvements such as Intensity Modulation and Micro-Multileaf Collimation that allow the accurate modulating and shaping of the radiation beam have also contributed greatly to the ability of clinicians to treat irregular and critically located lesions with greatly reduced collateral risk. Spinal Radiosurgery for spinal tumors can achieve similar clinical results to cranial stereotactic radiosurgery for brain tumors in terms of achieving local tumor control and improving quality of life and survival rates. Stereotactic radiosurgery, which has long been used for the treatment of intracranial lesions, is now recognized to be a viable option for treating spinal tumors and spinal vascular lesions.

Clinical Analysis of Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Spinal Surgery in the Thoracic or Thoracolumbar Spinal Pathologies

OBJECTIVE: Thoracoscopic spinal surgery provides minimally invasive approaches for effective vertebral decompression and reconstruction of the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine, while surgery related morbidity can be significantly lowered. This study analyzes clinical results of thoracoscopic spinal surgery performed at our institute. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients underwent video-assisted thoracosopic surgery (VATS) to treat various thoracic and thoracolumbar pathologies from April 2000 to July 2006. The lesions consisted of spinal trauma (13 cases), thoracic disc herniation (4 cases), tuberculous spondylitis (1 case), post-operative thoracolumbar kyphosis (1 case) and thoracic tumor (1 case). The level of operation included upper thoracic lesions (3 cases), midthoracic lesions (6 cases) and thoracolumbar lesions (11 cases). We classified the procedure into three groups: stand-alone thoracoscopic discectomy (3 cases), thoracoscopic fusion (11 cases) and video assisted mini-thoracotomy (6 cases). RESULTS: Analysis on the Frankel performance scale in spinal trauma patients (13 cases), showed a total of 7 patients who had neurological impairment preoperatively : Grade D (2 cases), Grade C (2 cases), Grade B (1 case), and Grade A (2 cases). Four patients were neurologically improved postoperatively, two patients were improved from C to E, one improved from grade D to E and one improved from grade B to grade D. The preoperative Cobb's and kyphotic angle were measured in spinal trauma patients and were 18.9+/-4.4 degrees and 18.8+/-4.6 degrees, respectively. Postoperatively, the angles showed statistically significant improvement, 15.1+/-3.7 degrees and 11.3+/-2.4 degrees, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Although VATS requires a steep learning curve, it is an effective and minimally invasive procedure which provides biomechanical stability in terms of anterior column decompression and reconstruction for anterior load bearing, and preservation of intercostal muscles and diaphragm.

Novalis Radiosurgery of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma in Elderly Patients: Preliminary Results

OBJECTIVE: Primary central nervous system lymphoma(PCNSL) is a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising in the central nervous system. Combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy is the standard treatment for PCNSL. However, treatment induced neurotoxicity is a major problem especially in elderly patients. METHODS: From May 2001 to April 2004, elderly five patients with PCNSL confirmed via pathological examination were underwent Novalis radiosurgery in authors' institution, who were investigated retrospectively. Of these patients, 2 were male and 3 were female, with a mean age 68 years old (range 65~73). The number of lesions was 1 in 2 patients, 2 in 2, and 3 in 1. The mean follow up period was 12.6 months (range 8~16). RESULTS: Clinical symptoms and signs in all patients markedly improved within 1 weeks after Novalis radiosurgery. The Karnofsky performance status score was also improved from a pre-radiosurgery average of 68 to a post-radiosurgery one of 82. All of treated lesions showed a partial or complete regression of the original mass. There have been no complication following Novalis radiosurgery. CONCLUSION: The preliminary results of our experience indicate that radiosurgery with Novalis provides a safe and effective therapeutic alternative treatment of PCNSL in elderly patients.