Kyung Rae Cho

Deep brain stimulation in a dentatorubral-pallidoluyisian atrophy patient with myoclonic dystonia.

We describe a patient with myoclonic dystonia caused by dentatorubral-pallidoluyisian atrophy (DRPLA), which was successfully controlled with bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPi). DRPLA is a rare disease which can progressively cause a loss or degeneration of neurons in the globus pallidus, dentate nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, and red nucleus. This observation is another example of secondary dystonia which can be controlled by GPi-DBS in carefully selected patients.

Mid-term Clinical Outcomes of Stand-alone Posterior Interbody Fusion with Rectangular Cages: A 4-year-minimum Follow-up

Objective We sought to determine minimum 4 years of clinical outcomes including fusion rate, revision rate and complications of patients who underwent placement of rectangular stand-alone cages. Methods Thirty-three cases of degenerative spine that had been followed for at least 4-years were reviewed retrospectively. Cages were inserted at L4-L5 level or L5-S1 in 27 or in 6 cases respectively. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Odoms criteria, fusion rate, intervertebral disc height and lumbar lordosis were determined pre- and post-operatively on standing x-rays. Amount of intra- and postoperative blood loss, total volume transfused, duration of surgery and perioperative complications were also evaluated. Results The mean VAS score of back pain and sciatica were improved from 8.0 and 7.0 points to 3.4 and 2.4 during 1 years follow-up visit and the scores was raised gradually. Also, during the follow-up, 94% of patients showed excellent or good outcomes by the Odoms criteria. Intervertebral disc height was increased from 8.2±1.4mm to 9.2±1.9mm at the first year of follow-up, however, found to be decreased and stabilized to 8.3±1.8mm after 2 years. The fusion rate was approximately 91% after 4 year postoperative. The segmental angle of lordosis was increased significantly by two years but it was not maintained after four years. A statistically insignificant change in total lumbar lordosis was also observed. Three patients (9%) had experienced perioperative complications. Conclusion The use of rectangular stand-alone cages for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) resulted in a various degree of subsidence and demonstrate very low complication rate, high functional stability and improved clinical outcomes in patients with degenerative lumbar disc disease.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia secondary to benign lesions

Investigate the clinical outcomes of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) in patients with benign intracranial lesions and accompanying trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

Outcome of gamma knife thalamotomy in patients with an intractable tremor.

Objective Tremor is a common movement disorder that interferes with daily living. Since the medication for tremor has some limitations, surgical intervention is needed in many patients. In certain patients who cannot undergo aggressive surgical intervention, Gamma Knife thalamotomy (GKT) is a safe and effective alternative. Methods From June 2012 to August 2013, 7 patients with an intractable tremor underwent GKT. Four of these 7 patients had medical comorbidities, and 3 patients refused to undergo traditional surgery. Each patient was evaluated with the modified Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor rating scale (TRS) along with analysis of handwriting samples. All of the patients underwent GKT with a maximal dose of 130 Gy to the left ventralis intermedius (VIM) nucleus of the thalamus. Follow-up brain MRI was performed after 3 to 8 months of GKT, and evaluation with the TRS was also performed. Results Six patients showed objective improvement in the TRS score. Excluding one patient who demonstrated tremor progression, there was 28.9% improvement in the TRS score. However, five patients showed subjective improvement in their symptoms. On comparing the TRS scores between follow-up periods of more and less than 4 months, the follow-up TRS score at more than 4 months of GKT was significantly improved compared to that at less than 4 months of GKT. Follow-up MRI showed radiosurgical changes in 5 patients. Conclusion GKT with a maximal dose of 130 Gy to the VIM is a safe procedure that can replace other surgical procedures.

Bromocriptine therapy for the treatment of invasive prolactinoma: the single institute experience.

Objective The objective of this study was to describe and characterize the clinical course of treatment for invasive prolactinoma patients using bromocriptine. Methods The study group included 23 patients who were treated with bromocriptine for their invasive prolactinomas. Clinical histories, serum prolactin level and pituitary hormone assessments, tumor diameter and signal intensity on sella magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), visual field exams and the dosage of medications were reviewed for each patient. Results During 30 months (median, range 6-99) of follow-up period, 19 patients treated with bromocriptine alone achieved biochemical remission. Four patients changed the medication to cabergoline due to the adverse effects or observed resistance of bromocriptine treatment. All of five patients who had visual symptoms improved after the course of medication. Four surgically treated patients were not able to discontinue medication because they could not maintain biochemical remission state without medication. Multivariate analysis showed that decreased enhancement on the initial followed MRI after medication and longer follow-up periods were associated with higher radiologic response. Conclusion We reassure that the dopamine agonist is safe and effective for the treatment of invasive pituitary adenomas. Meanwhile, surgery has a limited role on biochemical remission. Decreased enhancement on the initial follow-up MRI after medication may reflect the treatment response. Further study is required to validate the role of MRI or other factors on the actual prognosis.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Cancer Metastasized to the Ocular Choroid

Objective Choroidal metastases (CMs) are the most common intraocular tumor. Management is mainly radiation therapy with goals of pain control and visual improvement. However, many radiation-related complications are reported. Since gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) for CM was first reported in 1995, few cases have been reported. We report 7 cases of CMs treated with GKS. Methods From April 2011 to November 2014, 7 patients with CM underwent GKS. Their median age at treatment was 64 years (range, 51–71 years). Four males and three females were treated. Lung cancer was the most common primary pathology, followed by renal cell carcinoma and stomach cancer. Four patients had multiple cerebral lesions and were treated simultaneously for choroidal lesions. The median marginal dose of 20 Gy (range, 15–25 Gy) was administered at the 50% isodose line. Results Median follow-up period after GKS was 8 months (range, 2–38.3 months). Four patients expired due to underlying malignancy progression. Except for two patients who were not followed with magnetic resonance image after GKS, all patients showed size reduction in the treated lesions, but a new choroidal lesion appeared in one patient and one recurred. Six of seven patients reported subjectively improved visual symptoms. Visual acuity improved in 2 patients, and 2 were stable upon objective examination. One patient showed no improvement in visual acuity, but ocular pain was relieved; another patient showed improved vision and tumor remission, but visual deterioration recurred. Conclusion GKS was shown to be safe and effective and should be considered for CM treatment.

Bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation is an effective and safe treatment option for the older patients with Parkinson’s disease

OBJECTIVES We aimed to provide evidence that subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective and safe treatment option for older patients with Parkinsons disease (PD). PATIENTS AND METHODS Bilateral STN DBS was performed in 55 patients with PD from 2012 to 2016 at Samsung Medical Center. We divided them into two groups based on the age at DBS: younger group (<65 years, n = 38) and older group (≥65 years, n = 17). For evaluating effectiveness, we compared pre- and post-DBS Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part 3 and 4 scores and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) between the two groups. Additionally, surgery-related complications in each group were assessed. RESULTS The mean age of the younger group was 56.7 ± 5.7 and that of the older group was 68.5 ± 2.9. More female patients underwent STN DBS in the younger group, but there were no differences in baseline characteristics. In terms of effectiveness, UPDRS part 3 and 4 scores and LEDD significantly improved 6 months after DBS in both groups. In terms of safety, 1 complication was observed in the younger group (2.6%), while 2 complications, including 1 subject with intracerebral hemorrhage, were observed in the older group (11.8%, p = 0.225). CONCLUSION Based on our results, STN DBS can be applied in well-selected older patients with PD as well as in younger patients. However, despite the lack of statistical significance, more attention should be paid on surgical complications in the older group.