Sung Jh

Posteroventral pallidotomy in medically intractable postapoplectic monochorea: case report

BACKGROUND Posteroventral pallidotomy is a widely accepted surgical procedure for treating medically intractable Parkinsons disease and Levo-dopa induced dyskinesia. In the surgical treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders, generalized dystonia has recently become a favorable indication of posteroventral pallidotomy. However, a commonly recognized surgical procedure for treating choreiform movement disorders has not yet been established. Here we present an unusual experience of a posteroventral pallidotomy performed to treat a medically intractable monochorea caused by a vascular insult on the basal ganglia. METHODS A 63-year-old female presented with choreiform movement of the left upper limb that she had suffered for 5 months. She was found to have a hemorrhagic infarction in the right putaminal area. No other abnormal lesions were shown by magnetic resonance imaging except for a widening of the right cerebellopontine cistern because of an acoustic neurinoma removed 5 years previously. Despite medication with a dopamine antagonist, choreiform movement of the left limb had not improved, and the patient complained of rigidity and slowness of ambulation owing to the side effects of the medicine. A right posteroventral pallidotomy was performed with macrostimulation for a physiologic confirmation of the globus pallidus internus (GPi), which is the conventional target for Parkinsons disease. After coagulating the GPi target, the choreiform movement of the contralateral upper limb was completely abolished. RESULTS The postoperative course was uneventful and no recurrence of chorea was observed over a follow-up period of 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Stereotactic surgery for hyperkinetic movement disorders is not as common a procedure as that used for treating Parkinsons disease. Furthermore, there have been few reports of pallidal surgery for treating the chorea caused by an ischemic insult. However, on the basis of the current concept that varying types of hyperkinetic disorders may have a common pathophysiological mechanism, a posteroventral pallidotomy may be an alternative surgical procedure for treating medically intractable postapoplectic chorea like in an occasion of dystonia.

Delayed occurrence of intracranial supratentorial chondroma following compound depressed skull fracture.

SummaryWe describe an exceptional case of a frontal convexity chondroma arising at the site of a compound depressed skull fracture operated on 12 years earlier. We conclude that intracranial chondroma should be included in the differential diagnosis of a calcified mass for the patients who had had a compound, depressed skull fracture along the suture line, especially in cases of dural laceration by the fragmented bone.

Bilateral Persistent Primitive Trigeminal Arteries Associated with Trigeminal Neuralgia

Persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses (PCVBA) include the primitive trigeminal artery (PTA), the primitive otic artery (POA), the primitive hypoglossal artery and proatlantal arteries (ProAs). The PTA is the most commonly seen of these accounting for approximately 80–85% of PCVBAs. The PTA which connects the internal carotid artery (ICA) to the basilar artery (BA) may occasionally connect to the superior or posterior inferior cerebellar arteries without interposition to the BA. It is then referred to as a persistent trigeminal artery variant (PTAV), an anomalous carotid-cerebellar anastomosis. Bilateral occurrence of PTA is extremely rare. During vertebral artery (VA) development the anterior radicular artery of segment C1 from the proatlantal artery of Padget evolves into the intradural component of the VA (V4 segment) plus a short extradural segment (distal V3 segment). Agenesis of a single anterior radicular artery of ProA results in the absence of one distal VA associated with an unremarkable contralateral VA and the BA. Absence or hypoplasia of the terminal portion of one VA is a commonly observed anatomic variant. However, absence of the terminal portions of both VAs is exceptional. A rare case of bilateral PTAs is presented with unilateral PTA and a contralateral PTAV causing trigeminal neuralgia. Furthermore, the bilateral PTAs were associated with the absence of the proximal portion of the BA in addition to the bilateral lack of a distal VA. This finding comes as a logical consequence of the developmental anatomy of the vertebrobasilar junction and is consistent with the assumed congenital nature of the anatomic variant.Persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses (PCVBA) include the primitive trigeminal artery (PTA), the primitive otic artery (POA), the primitive hypoglossal artery and proatlantal arteries (ProAs). The PTA is the most commonly seen of these accounting for approximately 80–85% of PCVBAs. The PTA which connects the internal carotid artery (ICA) to the basilar artery (BA) may occasionally connect to the superior or posterior inferior cerebellar arteries without interposition to the BA. It is then referred to as a persistent trigeminal artery variant (PTAV), an anomalous carotid-cerebellar anastomosis. Bilateral occurrence of PTA is extremely rare. During vertebral artery (VA) development the anterior radicular artery of segment C1 from the proatlantal artery of Padget evolves into the intradural component of the VA (V4 segment) plus a short extradural segment (distal V3 segment). Agenesis of a single anterior radicular artery of ProA results in the absence of one distal VA associated with an unremarkable contralateral VA and the BA. Absence or hypoplasia of the terminal portion of one VA is a commonly observed anatomic variant. However, absence of the terminal portions of both VAs is exceptional. A rare case of bilateral PTAs is presented with unilateral PTA and a contralateral PTAV causing trigeminal neuralgia. Furthermore, the bilateral PTAs were associated with the absence of the proximal portion of the BA in addition to the bilateral lack of a distal VA. This finding comes as a logical consequence of the developmental anatomy of the vertebrobasilar junction and is consistent with the assumed congenital nature of the anatomic variant.

Neurolysis for Megalgia Paresthetica

Objective Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a syndrome of pain and/or dysesthesia in the anterolateral thigh that is caused by an entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) at its pelvic exit. Despite early accounts of MP, there is still no consensus concerning the effectiveness of neurolysis or transaction treatments in the long-term relief for medically refractory patients with MP. We retrospectively analyzed available long-term results of LFCN neurolysis for medically refractory MP in an effort to clarify this issue. Methods During the last 7 years, 11 patients who had neurolysis for MP were enrolled in this study. Nerve entrapment was confirmed preoperatively by electrophysiological studies or a positive response to local anesthetic injection. Decompression of the LFCN was performed at the level of the iliac fascia, inguinal ligament, and fascia of the thigh distally. The outcome of surgery was assessed 8 weeks after the procedure followed at regular intervals if symptoms persisted. Results Twelve decompression procedures were performed in 11 patients over a 7-year period. The average duration of symptoms was 8.5 months (range, 4-15 months). The average follow-up period was 33 months (range, 12-60 months). Complete and partial symptom improvement were noted in nine (81.8%) and two (18.2%) cases, respectively. No recurrence was reported. Conclusion Neurolysis of the LFCN can provide adequate pain relief with minimal complications for medically refractory MP. To achieve a good outcome in neurolysis for MP, an accurate diagnosis with careful examination and repeated blocks of the LFCN, along with electrodiagnosis seems to be essential. Possible variation in the course of the LFCN and thorough decompression along the course of the LFCN should be kept in mind in planning decompression surgery for MP.

Painful tic convulsif caused by an arteriovenous malformation.

Painful tic convulsif (PTC) is a term to describe the coexistence of trigeminal neuralgia and ipsilateral hemifacial spasm, and about four dozen cases have been reported in the literature. With respect to PTC caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), to our knowledge, only two cases have been documented and their angiographic findings were not described. We present here the rare case of PTC attributed to an AVM in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and review the relevant literature.