Risk Factors of Late Post-traumatic Seizure

OBJECTIVE: The goal of our study was to identify and evaluate risk factors for late post-traumatic seizure. METHODS: This study is a retrospective clinical analysis of 52cases of late post-traumatic seizures among 1472 head injury patients treated in our institute from July 1986 to June 1996 and at least followed up over 2 years after head injury. RESULTS: 1) The incidence of late post-traumatic seizure was 3.5% of patients treated for head injury. 2) The factors affecting the incidence of late post-traumatic seizure were initial low Glasgow coma scale(3-8), subdural hematoma, depressed skull fracture(p<0.05). 3) Skull fracture located in temporal area showed higher incidence of late post-traumatic seizure(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The risk factors for post-traumatic seizure are subdural hematoma, initial low Glasgow coma scale, depressed skull fracture and temporal bone fracture. Both newer antiepileptic drugs and therapies aimed at prevening the brain damage that underlies the development of seizures need to be studied to find an effective way of preventing late post-traumatic seizure through prospective study.

Correlation of changes of intracranial pressure and clinical manifestations in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage / 영남의대학술지

Recently, many authors have reported about the relationship of the volumes of hemorrhage in the brain parenchyma, hemorrhagic sites, optimal operation time, and the effects of mannitol and steroid on control of ICP to clinical manifestations. Many attempts to measure ICP in hydrocephalus, brain tumor, and head injury have been reported. But the measurements of intracranial pressure in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage are rare. Intracranial pressure was monitored prospectively in 30 patients who had stereotaxic surgery for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. The results are as follows. 1. Intracranial pressure was increased in high PaCO₂. 2. There were no correlation in ICP, rebleeding and ADL ad discharge (P>0.05). 3. ICP was the most high level in 72 hours after operation. 4. There was 63.2% decrease in ICP after irrigation with 6000 IU urokinase in the site of hemorrhage. 5. There was no correlation between the numbers of natural drainage and ADL at discharge (P>0.05). 6. The higher the initial GCS, the higher the postoperative GCS.

Clinical Analysis of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation

Clinical and cerebral angiographic findings were reviews retrospectively in thirty-seven patients with intracranial artero-venous malformation(AVM). The results were as follow. Many opatients who were in reproductive age had visited due to seiure(27%) and its angiographic findings were mixed Type(80%). Bleeding was predominant in the patients who had small sized nidus than medium or large one, and deep draining vein than superficial one. Medium sized AVM was located mainly in the anatomically deep portion(71%) and drained to deep portion also(71%). Associated aneurysm was more prevalent in deep seated or large sized AVM. Low grade AVM according to Spetzler's grading system showed good results of treatment. Postoperative hemorrhage or sizure were frequently found in patients who had superfically located AVM.

Astrocytoma in the Bilateral Thalamus: A Case Report / 영남의대학술지

Astrocytoma in the thalamus in not so frequent in incidence (1%). Moreover, bilateral thalamic tumor is rare. Certain tumors of the thalamus are considered resectable but most of thalamic tumors are thought to be untouchable. Bilateral thalamic astrocytoma with hydrocephalus was diagnosed by stereotactic biopsy and ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation was done with result of improvement. We report a case of astrocytoma in the bilateral thalamus with literature review.