ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hyperhomocysteinemia as a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease is well known. Our aim of this study was to demonstrate positive association between elevated homocysteine levels and cerebrovascular diseases in Koreans. METHODS: With a case-control design, 186 stroke (infarction 134, hemorrhage 52) patients, diagnosed by brain CT or MRI and 359 control patients were evaluated. We used multiple logistic regression analyses conditioned on the matching variables (sex, age, hypertension, DM, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia) and calculated odds ratio and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Multivariated adjusted odds ratios (OR) for cerebrovascular diseases associated with hypertension compared with normal blood pressure were 2.45 (95% CI, 1.16 to 5.15) in prehypertension and 3.33 (95% CI, 1.56 to 7.10) in stage 1 hypertension and 3.77 (95% CI, 1.32 to 10.74) in stage 2 hypertension. OR for cerebrovascular diseases associated with hyperhomocysteinemia compared with or =17 micromol/L. CONCLUSION: Not only hypertension but also hyperhomocysteinemia was a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases in Koreans.
Subject(s)
Humans , Asian People , Blood Pressure , Brain , Case-Control Studies , Hemorrhage , Homocysteine , Hyperhomocysteinemia , Hyperlipidemias , Hypertension , Logistic Models , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Odds Ratio , Prehypertension , Risk Factors , Smoke , Smoking , StrokeABSTRACT
We report a case of spinal subdural abscess spreading from a epidural abscess. A 70-year-old man was hospitalized for a mild fever, chill and severe back pain. Neurological examination on admission revealed back pain with numbness, sensory deficiency on left lower extremity and without bowel or bladder dysfunction. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) showed pyogenic spondylitis on L1, 2, 3 with epidural abscess. A patient was treated by empiric antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks. Six weeks later, follow-up MRI showed that the pyogenic spondylitis with epidural abscess had decreased, but a cylinder like subdural abscess after arachnoiditis. After surgery, the majority of the initial symptoms were relieved except a mild both lower extremities numbness.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Abscess , Arachnoid , Arachnoiditis , Back Pain , Epidural Abscess , Fever , Follow-Up Studies , Hypesthesia , Lower Extremity , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neurologic Examination , Spondylitis , Urinary BladderABSTRACT
Acute intraabdominal aortic obstruction ends in progressive fatal course or severe permanent disability unless it is diagnosed and treated promptly. However, the incidence of such disease is very rare, so there is very little chance for a neurosurgeon to encounter a patient with acute intraabdominal aortic obstruction. The authors present a case of 62-year-old man with severe low back pain and acute paraplegia caused by acute intraabdominal aortic obstruction.
Subject(s)
Humans , Middle Aged , Incidence , Low Back Pain , ParaplegiaABSTRACT
No abstract available.