The timing of aneurysm surgery has been a topic of major neurosurgical controversy.

Aneurysmal rebleeding is the most cataclysmic and disabling event following initial subarachnoid hemorrhage. Thus, early surgical obliteration of aneurysm eliminates the potential for rebleeding during the highest risk period.

The results of operation for the twenty-three patients who had admitted to neurosurgical departments, Mokdong hospital and undergone surgery within the 24-72 hours after initial rupture of these aneurysms from October, 1993 to August, 1996, were reviewed.

Twenty-three patients underwent craniotomy for clipping and intracranial clot evacuation, and postoperative hypertensive, hypervolemic, and hemodilution therapy. The outcome was excellent in 10(43%), good in 3(13%), poor in 5(22%) and death in 5(22%). The mean age was 57.7 and the ratio of male to female was 13:10. The outcome according to Hunt-Hess(H-H) grade was followings. H-H grade 1 was 2(%) and all excellent outcome, H-H grade 2 24(61%) and the outcome were excellent in 8(35%), good in 1(4%), poor in 2(9%), death in 3(13%), H-H grade 3 was 6(26%) and good in 2(9%), poor in 2(9%), death in 2(9%), and H-H grade 4 was 1(4%) and the outcome was poor in 1(4%). The outcome according to grading system of Fisher was followings. Grade 2 was 6(26%), and the outcome was excellent in 5(22%) and death in 1(4%). The grade 3 was 14(61%) and excellent in 5(22%), good in 2(9%), poor in 3(13%), and death in 1(4%). The grade 4 was 3(31%) and good in (4%) and poor in 2(9%). The variations in anterior communicating complex were followings. The both A₁ equal in 6(26%), left A₁ dominancy was 1(4%), right A₁ atresia was 13(57%) and left atresia was 3(13%).

The most favorable outcomes and lowest mortality rate were patients of H-H grade 1 group. The surgical results of alert patients with early surgery should even further improve as compared to delay surgery. However, patients who present in poor medical condition at the time of operation were still indicated delay surgery.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the MR findings of intramedullary tumors and review the literatures for evaluating of characteristic findings of each intramedullary tumors.

We experienced eight intramedullary tumors from March 1993 to February 1995, including four astrocytomas two ependymoma, one hemangioblastoma, and one cavernoma. MR images were get by 1.5T GE Signa and analized retrospectively.

Intramedullary tumor was demonstrated by MR images in eight patients. They were five men and three women ranging in age from 3 to 56 years and complained both motor and sensory changes and symptom duration was between 6 months and 3 years. Ependymoma showed diffuse homogenous enhancing mass at the level of thoracic cord(T2-3) and thoracolumbar level(T11-L2) without cystic change, One had hemorrhage within the mass and massive leptomeningeal metastasis at all spinal cord and brain. Among astrocystomas, one case at the cervical cord unusually revealed hemorrhage in the mass and regional large syrinx. The other one occured at the conus medullaris portion and showed well-defined mass and intratumoral cystic change. We also experienced rare intramedullary hemangioblastoma, which demonstrated typical signal voided vascular structures revealed homogenous enhancing mass. A very rare intramedullary cavernoma at the level of cervical cord showed typical dark signal hemosiderin rim and variable staged hemorrhage in the mass.

Although, MR imaging appearance of intramedullary tumors is nonspecific, and it is often impossible to differentiate with certainty between the various possible tumors, especially ependymomas and astrucystomas. However, MR findings of hemangioblastoma and cavernoma are specific and possible to diagnose. MR imaging is the unquestioned technique of choice in demonstrating and differentiating the intramedullary tumors.

To evaluate the CT findings of ossicular disruption and fracture utilizing high resolution computed tomography(HRCT) of the temporal bone.

The authors retrospectively reviewed the HRCT scans of 11 patients with ossicular injuries between January 1998 and June 2002 using films in 8 patients, PACS in 3 patients. The type of ossicular injuries, temporal bone fracture, and associated adjacent injuries were evaluated.

Among the 11 patients of ossicular injuries, there were 10 cases of incudomalleal disruption, 4 cases of incudostapedial disruption, and 1 case of fracture of malleus, fracture of incus, disruption of long and lenticular process of incus, nonvisualization of processes of incus. The temporal bone fractures were longitudinal in 7 cases, transverse in l case. Other injuries were fracture of the carotid canal, caroticocavemous fistula, fracture of sphenoid and occipital bones.

Incudomalleal disruption was the most frequent tupe of ossicular injuries and associated temporal bone fracture was longitudinal type. HRCT using PACS was useful in evaluation of ossicular injuries than films.

To evaluate pathologic findings of fibrocystic disease correlated with sonographic findings in the patients with solid lesion on ultrasonography.

Total 63 pathologically proven fibrocystic disease in 57 patients are retrospectively evaluated. On ultrasonography, the lesions were divided into solid and non-solid mass-like lesions. We analyzed the margin and echogenicity of solid mass-like lesions that were correlated with pathologic findings and also statistically analyzed Chi-square and Fisher's exact test.

Ultrasonogram of fibrocystic disease showed solid mass-like lesion in 73% and non solid mass-like lesion in 27%. Among the solid lesions, well-defined margin revealed in 72%, ill-defined margin in 28% and hypoechoic in 59%, isoechoic 41%. On the pathologic analysis, the solid and the non-solid mass-like lesion showed respectively : fibrous stroma in 56.5% and 53%, fibroadenomatous change in 50% and 12%, mixed stroma in 41% and 35.3%, cystic change in 37% and 70.6%, ductectasia in 28% and 58.8%, lobular hyperplasia in 26% and 12%, ductal hyperplasia 13% and 5.9%, and adenosis in 8.7% and 0%. The solid lesions showed more fibroadenomatous change and the difference between there was statistically significant(p=0.008).

The solid mass-like lesion, which represented as a well-defined isoechoic benign mass on ultrasonogram was more common than as expected, and this was due to the fibroadenomaous change on histopathology.