Tomonori Tamaki

Blood patch therapy for spontaneous intracranial hypotension: safe performance after epidurography in an unconscious patient.

IMPLICATIONS Epidurography was useful for identifying the epidural space and determining the likely spread of an epidural blood patch in an unconscious patient with spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

Cardiopulmonary haemodynamic changes after severe head injury

Haemodynamic studies were performed by pulmonary artery catheter in 15 patients with severe head injury. To our knowledge, few data are available about the detailed haemodynamic changes after head injury using pulmonary artery catheter. All patients were assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale, computed tomography and intracranial pressure monitoring. We divided the patients into hypotensive and normotensive groups. All patients showed a high pulmonary vascular resistance and a high pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, probably due to pulmonary vasoconstriction. In the hypotensive group, the two major changes were a marked decrease of the cardiac index and a slight increase of systemic vascular resistance. The low cardiac index was the result of heart failure secondary to myocardial dysfunction. In contrast, the normotensive group was characterized by a high systemic vascular resistance that was induced by generalized vasoconstriction. Increased intracranial pressure is initially associated with an increase of the cardiac index and systemic vascular resistance, so patients with severe head injury also suffer from profound circulatory disturbance.

Intracranial malignant meningioma with abdominal metastases associated with hypoglycemic shock : a case report

A thirty-year-old male with an intracranial malignant meningioma, first diagnosed 9 years ago, with three recurrences was admitted with a hypoglycemic shock. The blood glucose level was 17 mg/dl, requiring treatment with high doses of intravenous and oral dextrose for improvement. A large metastatic tumor in the liver was noted. All hormones and peptides influencing blood glucose levels were in their normal levels. Chemo-embolization and injection of anti-cancer drugs was employed in the management of the metastatic tumor. Positron emission tomography was performed to measure the glucose metabolism of the abdominal tumor and it indicated that glucose consumption within the tumor was much elevated than the surrounding abdominal organs. Hypoglycemia secondary to primary hepatoma or islet-cell cancer has been frequently described, but a complication of metastatic meningioma is an exceedingly rare event. Elevated glucose consumption within the tumor might be addressed as one of the reasons for hypoglycemia, not due to the elevated serum levels of insulin or IGF, but due to the closely related blood glucose level.

Use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in empyema after cranioplasty

External decompression can be an effective treatment for acute intracranial hypertension, but the cranial defect must be repaired. The most serious complication of cranioplasty is late infection. Confusing an empyema that occurs after cranioplasty with a fluid collection (haematoma or liquor) can have catastrophic consequences, such as the development of cerebritis. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose empyema after cranioplasty. DW MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were studied in six patients with surgically verified empyema after cranioplasty. The findings were compared with those in five patients who had surgically verified haematoma or liquorrhoea. In the patients with empyema, the lesion was hyperintense, whereas the fluid collections (haematoma and liquorrhoea) were visualized as hypointense lesions. The ADC maps showed that empyema had a significantly lower intensity than the fluid collections (haematoma or liquorrhoea). DW MRI can be used to identify empyema after cranioplasty and can help to differentiate it from other fluid collections. Hence, this is a useful additional imaging modality for the diagnosis of empyema after cranioplasty.

Distal Cervical Carotid Artery Dissection after Carotid Endarterectomy: A Complication of Indwelling Shunt

The technical factors and surgical methods employed in carotid endarterectomy are controversial. In particular, whether or not to use an indwelling arterial shunt during carotid endarterectomy remains a source of conflict. We describe a rare case in which uncomplicated carotid endarterectomy was followed by distal internal carotid artery dissection and suggest that this devastating complication was due to intimal damage produced by the use of an indwelling arterial shunt.

Occlusion of Internal Carotid Artery in Kimura's Disease

We describe a unique case of Kimuras disease in which cerebral infarction was caused by occlusion of the right internal carotid artery. A 25-year-old man with Kimuras disease was admitted to our hospital because of left hemiparesis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed infarction in the right frontal and temporal lobes. Cerebral angiography demonstrated right internal carotid artery occlusion affecting the C1 segment, with moyamoya-like collateral vessels arising from the right opthalamic artery. Kimuras disease is a chronic disease characterized by the clinical triad of slowly enlarging subcutaneous masses with lymphoid hyperplasia in the head and neck. It often occurs in young Asian men. In our patient, the pathogenesis of internal carotid artery occlusion was unknown. There have only been a few case reports in which occlusion of the internal carotid artery was associated with autoimmune disease, and no previous cases of internal carotid occlusion associated with Kimuras disease have been reported. We suspected that occlusion of this patients internal carotid artery may be caused by the autoimmune mechanism that underlies Kimuras disease.

Indwelling Drains Are Not Necessary for Patients Undergoing One-level Anterior Cervical Fixation Surgery

BACKGROUND Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has become a common procedure for cervical spine surgeries, since it is safe and effective in most patients. However, some patients develop life-threatening problems such as respiratory obstruction arising from rare postoperative hematoma and edema, although intraoperative bleeding caused by the connective tissue splitting procedure or bleeding caused by postoperative insertion of a suction tube has rarely been reported. Investigation of the requirement for indwelling drains in patients who undergo cervical spine surgery is necessary because of the pain, anxiety, and discomfort caused despite the use of high-quality materials. METHODS Enrolled in the study were 43 patients who underwent one-level anterior cervical fixation surgery, including 23 (randomly selected) who received an indwelling drain (group A, mean age: 57.78±14.46 years, range: 39-82 years, male/female: 13/10), and 20 who received no indwelling drain (group B, mean age: 57.00±13.99 years, range: 29-81 years, male/female: 12/8). Intraoperative bleeding amounts, lateral views of plain cervical spine radiographs, prevertebral space (PVS) changes on plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT) images, wound inspections, and pain assessments on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) were compared between groups. In addition, a history of risk factors for bleeding, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cerebrovascular diseases which require antiplatelet therapy, was determined. Hepatic failure was observed in none of the patients. RESULTS Postoperative CT images obtained the day following surgery showed no densities indicating the presence of postoperative hematoma in any of the 43 patients. The maximum amount of intraoperative bleeding was 10 mL, with no significant difference between groups. No patients reported an obvious pain level on NRS, but the pain was significantly milder in group B (A: 1.326±0.911, B: 0.555±0.556, p=0.0037). The postoperative PVS increment on plain radiographs was comparable between groups (A: 1.778±0.992, B: 1.730±0.966, p=0.8728). DISCUSSION Given the negligible intraoperative and postoperative bleeding observed in both groups, and the lack of difference in PVS increments between the groups, our results suggested that indwelling drains are not required for patients undergoing typical anterior cervical fixation surgery. However, it is important to take care of major vessels such as the superior and inferior thyroid arteries and the external jugular vein as well as the prevertebral venous plexus during surgery.

Technical Arrangement of the Williams-Isu Method for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Anterior cervical fixation with autologous bone transplantation-without the need for harvesting bone from other sites, such as the ilium-was developed by Williams and modified by Isu et al. In recent intervertebral fusion procedures, after harvesting the cuboid bone from vertebral bodies, a hydroxyapatite block is placed between two harvested vertebral bones in the same way as in the sandwich method for intervertebral fixation. According to previous studies, this procedure has the following disadvantages: (i) as the corrective force for cervical kyphosis is insufficient, it could not be adapted for patients with preoperative kyphosis; (ii) special devices, including a microsurgical saw, are required for harvesting vertebral bones. In our modified method, we used a conventional high-speed drill instead of a microsurgical saw. Nevertheless, the results show that the operated spine can be stabilized to a greater extent by decreasing the height of the grafted bone, and this might help in reducing postoperative kyphosis.

Vernet's syndrome after carotid endarterectomy.

Unilateral paresis of cranial nerves IX to XI is defined as Vernets syndrome. We retrospectively assessed cranial nerve symptoms from the clinical records of 143 carotid endarterectomy patients. A flexible nasolaryngoscope was used to examine vocal fold movements in 73 patients. If vocal fold paresis (VFP) was confirmed, the patient also underwent magnifying laryngoscopy (for correct diagnosis of injury to the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves). It was found from clinical records that 8 patients (6%) were confirmed to have cranial nerve symptoms corresponding to Vernets syndrome; 7 patients (9 %) had VFP on nasolaryngoscopy. In 2 patients, magnifying laryngoscopy confirmed ipsilateral VFP, pharyngeal paresis, pharyngeal wall hypesthesia, and ipsilateral pharyngeal wall swelling. These 2 patients also had symptoms of injury to the accessory nerve. Damage to cranial nerves IX to XI probably occurred in the parapharyngeal space, based on the existence of posterior pharyngeal wall edema or swelling after carotid endarterectomy.

Changes of the plasma ketone body level and arterial ketone body ratio at the onset of mild aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiologic changes of ketone bodies in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We tested the hypothesis that the plasma ketone bodies are associated with the vasoconstrictor and lipolysis effect of circulating catecholamine. Methods: Twenty-four patients with mild aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and 18 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. We collected arterial blood samples immediately after admission and 30 days later to measure the levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Result: At the onset of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, the plasma ketone body (3-hydroxybutyrate + acetoacetate) level and the epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were significantly elevated, but the arterial ketone body ratio (acetoacetate/3-hydroxybutyrate) was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. There was a negative correlation between the plasma ketone body level and the arterial ketone body ratio. There was a positive correlation between the plasma ketone body level and epinephrine level. Thirty days after admission, the ketone body, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels, as well as the arterial ketone body ratio, showed no significant differences between the patients and controls. Conclusion: At the onset of mild aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, the plasma ketone body level was significantly increased, while the arterial ketone body ratio was significantly decreased.