Il Gyu Yun

Hydrothorax from intrathoracic migration of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter

BACKGROUND The intrathoracic complications of the ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt are very rare. We report an unusual case of VP shunt complication with intrathoracic migration, associated with pleural effusion in a 55-year-old man. METHODS We reviewed the seven cases reported in the literature and the mechanism of shunt-tip migration and preventive measures are presented. RESULTS The patient was successfully managed with revision. The catheter was retrieved and replaced in the peritoneal cavity. CONCLUSIONS With VP shunting, it is important to keep in mind the possibility of peritoneal shunt-tip migration into the chest. To prevent this kind of complication, we stressed precise location of a subcutaneous tunneling device above the ribs during subcutaneous passage.

Rapid Expansion of Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage

We report a series of 10 patients who had a rapid expansion of a hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH). It occurred in approximately 3% of 320 patients who sought treatment for HICH during the past 2 years. The site of hemorrhage was the putamen in 6 patients and the thalamus in 4 patients. Neurological deterioration occurred in a mean time of 40 hours after the onset of symptoms (range, 5.5-109 h). Fifty percent of all patients deteriorated within 24 hours. Persistent hypertension was recorded in all patients. Repeat computed tomography showed an increase of hematoma volume that was twice as large in thalamic hemorrhage and about three times as large in putaminal hemorrhage. Six patients died, whereas 3 survived with severe disability and 1 survived with moderate disability. This study indicates that continued or subsequent bleeding can occur in HICH. If those lesions are not detected early and microsurgically evacuated, they are almost always fatal. Early stereotactic evacuation with urokinase irrigation is considered more dangerous than open craniotomy by microsurgical techniques. We stress the need for attention to this problem during the acute phase of HICH.

Postoperative Course and Recurrence of Chronic Subdural Hematoma

OBJECTIVE Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is known to have a significant recurrence rate. There are different criteria defining the recurrence of CSDH. We evaluated the postoperative course of CSDH and tried to propose the reasonable criteria of recurrence. METHODS We retrospectively examined the medical records and pre- and postoperative CT scans of 149 consecutive patients who underwent surgery from January 2005 to December 2009. Diagnosis was confirmed by CT scanning or MRI. The postoperative courses were either resolved or recurrent. The resolved CSDH was one of the three types; early resolution, delayed resolution, or late resolution. The recurrent CSDH was one of the four types; recurrence without resolution, early recurrence after resolution, late recurrence after resolution, or recurrent-and-resolved type. RESULTS The CSDH was resolved within 30 days after surgery in 58 (39%) patients, between 1 to 3 months in 62 (42%), and after 3 months in 11 (7%) patients. The CSDH was recurred in 18 (12%) patients. Late resolution or recurrence was more common in the aged. The recurrent hematoma was seen on the same side in 11 patients, on the different side in 7 patients. Recurrence was significantly more common in the thick hematomas. CONCLUSION For a working criteria of the recurrence of CSDH, we propose the early recurrence as return of symptoms or reaccumulation of the hematoma after a surgery within 3 months regardless of the location, amount or repeated operations. The late recurrence can be defined as reappearance or enlargement of a liquefied hematoma within the cranial cavity surrounded by the membranes or persistent CSDH beyond 3 months after surgery.

Neuroepithelial cyst of the lateral ventricle: Clinical features and treatment

This report concerns eight patients with noncolloid neuroepithelial cyst of the lateral ventricle, including four surgical and four conservative cases. Of the surgical patients, two had headache, one had orbital pain, and one had seizures. In the conservative group there were no symptoms due to the cysts and no changes in computed tomography scan during follow-up for an average of 1.4 years. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in five cases and showed a cyst with an intensity similar to cerebrospinal fluid, while a cyst membrane was also detected in three cases. Our findings suggest that (1) the majority of symptomatic neuroepithelial cysts in the lateral ventricle are located in the trigone; (2) the cause of symptoms suggestive of obstruction, such as headache, is an isolated ventricle that demonstrates dilatation of the inferior horn on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging; (3) the operative indication is obstructive symptoms; and (4) cyst-peritoneal shunt is an effective procedure.