Diagnostic impact of monitoring transcranial motor-evoked potentials to prevent ischemic complications during endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms

Neurosurgical Review - The present study aimed to determine the incidence of intraprocedural motor-evoked potential (MEP) changes and to correlate them with intraprocedural ischemic complications...     

Endolymphatic space size in patients with Meniere’s disease and healthy controls

Conclusions: The incident ratios of cochlear and/or vestibular endolymphatic hydrops (EH) were significantly higher in the affected ears of patients with Meniere’s disease (MD) than in the ears of healthy controls. There were no significant differences between controls and the contralateral ears of MDs. Objectives: The aim was to compare the incidence ratios of EH between unilateral/bilateral MD and controls using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with intravenous gadolinium. Methods: A total of 41 patients were diagnosed with MD: 32 with unilateral MD (uMD) and nine with bilateral MD (bMD). Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled as controls. The patients underwent 3T MRI 4?h after intravenous injection of gadolinium. Results: Cochlear EH was present in 3.3% of 30 ears of 15 controls, 6.3% of 32 contralateral (contra) ears of 32 uMDs, 62.5% of 32 affected ears of 32 uMDs, and 55.6% of 18 affected ears of nine bMDs. Vestibular EH was observed in 6.7% of control ears, 3.1% of contra-uMD ears, 65.6% of affected uMD ears, and in 55.6% of affected bMD ears. Either cochlear or vestibular EH was present in 10.0% of control ears, 6.3% of contra-uMD ears, 81.3% of affected uMD ears, and 44.4% of affected bMD ears.     

Sclerotherapy for Simple Cysts with Use of Ethanolamine Oleate: Preliminary Experience

We evaluated the efficacy of ethanolamine oleate (EO) as a sclerosing agent for a symptomatic hepatic or renal cyst. Seven patients with symptomatic hepatic (n = 3) or renal cysts (n = 4) were treated by sclerotherapy with EO. The cyst size in the greater diameter ranged from 6 to 13 cm. The cyst was punctured under ultrasound guidance, and after all of the cyst’s content was aspirated, an iodized contrast agent was injected to check the absence of communication between the cyst and biliary tree, urinary tract, or vessels. Then, the solution of ethanolamine oleate–iopamidol mixture (EOI) of 10% of the volume of the cyst’s content was injected via catheter. After 30 min, the injected EOI was aspirated completely before catheter removal. A follow-up computed tomography scan was performed at 1 and 3 months after treatment. The volume of the cyst and its reduction rate was calculated. In addition, symptoms and complications were assessed. The volume of the cyst ranged from 64 to 636 ml (mean: 328 ml) before treatment. Three months after treatment, it ranged from 2 to 50 ml (mean: 15ml) and the reduction rate of the cyst’s volume was more than 90% on average. Symptoms caused by the cyst disappeared in all cases and no major complication was encountered. Although two patients had a low-grade fever after sclerotherapy, it was easily controlled. It is suggested that the sclerotherapy with EO might be a safe, effective, well-tolerated treatment for symptomatic hepatic or renal cysts.     

De novo basilar top aneurysm in an elderly patient treated with Guglielmi detachable coils

Ruptured de novo aneurysms, compared with the usual subarachnoid hemorrhage, commonly occur in younger patients and are extremely rare in elderly patients. We discuss their etiology and report the case of a ruptured de novo aneurysm in a 77-year-old woman.     

Catheter position for adequate intra-arterial chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: evaluation with CT during arterial injection of contrast material

PURPOSE: To identify the drug infusion vessel for use in obtaining the best drug distribution in arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 16 cases of advanced pancreatic cancer (pancreatic head, n = 12; pancreatic body and/or tail, n = 4), computed tomography during arterial injection of contrast material was performed at the time of angiography. The sites of catheter placement were celiac artery, superior mesenteric artery, and their branches, such as gastroduodenal artery, inferior pancreatico-duodenal artery, or dorsal pancreatic artery. RESULTS: In the cases of pancreatic head cancer, all except one with hepatomesenteric vascular variation were supplied by the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery (dual supply). In the cases of pancreatic body and/or tail cancer, two were supplied by celiac artery alone and two showed dual supply. In the cases of pancreatic head cancer, when the areas supplied by the main trunk were compared with those supplied by its branches, three of nine cases on the celiac artery side and four cases on the superior mesenteric artery side showed that the areas were not consistent, with a partial defect observed in the areas supplied by branches of the superior mesenteric artery. In the cases of pancreatic body and/or tail cancer, on both sides, one of two cases was not consistent. CONCLUSIONS: To achieve optimal drug distribution in arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, drug infusion via both the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery is required in the majority of cases. In many cases, optimal drug distribution is not attainable with drug infusion via a branch; therefore, drug infusion should be administered via the main trunk.     

A survey on attitudes and practice concerning International Health

OBJECTIVE: A survey was conducted to help understanding of the attitudes and practice of Japanese medical students concerning "International Health". MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand seven hundred and ninety six students from eleven medical schools responded in the questionnaire study. One thousand and ninety seven were males and 699 were females with average ages of 22 and 21 years, respectively. RESULTS: 32.3% of the students answered that they have/had an interest in "International Health". About half of the students answered that they wanted to have a lecture on "International Health" and they also had a willingness to engage in activities for "International Health" someday. Further, 4% of the students had experience of participation in activities related to "International Health". Female students showed that they have a stronger willingness to take part in the "International Health activities" than males. CONCLUSION: Human resources that can work in the field of international cooperation are required because ODA from Japan has ranked first in the world for nine years in succession. However, the willingness to participate in "International Health activities" among students decreased conversely with their years of learning in medical school. This result might be a basic material when we look at the education toward "International Health" in the medical school.     

Radiologic placement of side-hole catheter with tip fixation for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the technical outcome of radiologic catheter placement with use of a side-hole catheter with distal fixation for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1993 and September 1999, 426 patients were referred to our department to undergo intraarterial infusion chemotherapy for unresectable malignant liver tumors. A subclavian artery was exposed under local anesthesia and a catheter was inserted. After inserting the tip of the side-hole catheter into the gastroduodenal artery, splenic artery, or peripheral branch of the hepatic artery, the catheter tip was fixed to the vessel with use of coils and a mixture of n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and iodized oil. The proximal end of the catheter was connected to an implanted port, and the port system was embedded subcutaneously. RESULTS: Placement was successful in 425 of 426 patients (99.8%) in a mean time of 76 minutes. Catheter dislodgement was noted in 12 patients (2.8%). Cumulative patency rates of the hepatic artery calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method for the entire group were 91.0%, 81.4%, and 58.1% at 6 months and 1 and 2 years, respectively. Complications related to catheter placement were observed in nine cases and included dysfunction of the implanted system (n = 3), significant bleeding around the implanted port (n = 2), improper infusion of NBCA and iodized oil (n = 2), and cerebral infarction (n = 2). CONCLUSION: Radiologic catheter placement via a subclavian artery with side-hole catheter placement with distal fixation for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy is a highly successful procedure with a reduced risk of catheter dislodgment and arterial occlusion.