A Case of Third Ventricular Cysticercosis

Cerebral cysticercosis is relatively common disease in Korea. But cysts in the ventricular system are rare form. In the ventricular system, they occur most frequently in the 4th ventricle, more rarely in the lateral and 3rd ventricle. We have recently experienced a case of cerebral cysticercosis which involved the 3rd ventricle. A sixty-year old man was admitted because of generalized seizure attack followed by drowsy mentation. On admission, there were no specific localizing and lateralizing neurological abnormalities except bilateral, mild degree optic papilledema. Brain CT scan after intraventricular metrizamide administration disclose a cystic mass in the third ventricle. And the serum ELISA test was positive(patient's titer : 0.31, normal : below 0.18). Anterior transcallosal approach was performed and cystic mass was removed from the third ventricle. Pathological diagnosis of the specimen was cysticercosis. Following surgery, the patient's symptom cleared up and papilledema disappeared gradually.

The Effect of Vasodilators on the Cerebral Vasospasm Induced by Experimntal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

This paper notes the effect of vasodilators on the cerebral vasospasm induced by experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage. Artificial subarachnoid hemorrhage produced by dual injection of non-heparinized autologous blood into the cisterna magna in rabbits with 72 hours interval gave rise to considerable narrowing or spasm of the basilar artery and its branches demonstrated by cerebral angiography. SAH was induced in 12 rabbits by injecting 1.3mL/kg or autologous fresh arterial blood into the cisterna magna, followed by suspending the rabbits in a head-down position at 30 degree for 1 hour in order to accumulate blood around the basilar artery. The animals were divided into 4 groups; a group receiving nifedipine, a group receiving aminophylline, a group receiving papaverine, a group receiving trifluoperazine HCl. Angiographically vertebrobasilar arterial spasm was demonstrated 3 days after the 2nd autologous blood injection into the cisterna magna. Radiographically visible spasm was resistant to the vasodilating drugs. Rabbits were sacrificed by the overdose injection of sodium phenobarbital at the end of experiment.

Multiple Intracranial Aneurysms Associated with Polycystic Disease: A Case Report

We have experienced a rare case of multiple intracranial aneurysms associated with polycystic kidney and polycystic liver, which were incidental findings after minor leakage. A 57-year-old female was admitted with the chief complaint of severe headache under the impression of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of the intracranial aneurysm(which were appeared as the right middle cerebral artery and A-com aneurysm). The brain CT scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage in the right sylvian fissure and the right temporal lobe. On physical examination, 2FB hard irregular palpable mass was noted on the right costal margin. On neurological examination, her neck was mildly stiff and other signs were within normal limit. We checked abdominal sonography, abdominal CT scan and carotid angiography preoperatively, and reviewed the literature about polycystic disease associated with intracranial aneurysm and discussed about it.

Traumatic Aneurysms of the Pericallosal Artery: Report of Two Cases

Two cases of the traumatic aneurysms of the pericallosal artery that occurred after closed head injury are reported. The mental deterioration, urinary in continence and crural-predominent hemiparesis are attributable to the delayed intracranial hemorrhage after rupture of the traumatic aneurysms of the pericallosal artery. As soon as the diagnosis has been confirmed by the cerebral angiography, surgical treatment is recommended to reduce the high mortality and morbidity and the procedure as in the congenital aneurysm.