Intracranial hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of patients suffering from fulminant hepatic failure. The etiology of this intracranial hypertension is not fully determined, and is probably multi...Intracranial hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of patients suffering from fulminant hepatic failure. The etiology of this intracranial hypertension is not fully determined, and is probably multifactorial, combining a cytotoxic brain edema due to the astrocytic accumulation of glutamine, and an increase in cerebral blood volume and cerebral blood flow, in part due to inflammation, to glutamine and to toxic products of the diseased liver. Validated methods to control intracranial hypertension in fulminant hepatic failure patients mainly include mannitol, hypertonic saline, indomethacin, thiopental, and hyperventilation. However all these measures are often not sufficient in absence of liver transplantation, the only curative treatment of intracranial hypertension in fulminant hepatic failure to date. Induced moderate hypothermia seems very promising in this setting, but has to be validated by a controlled, randomized study. Artificial liver support systems have been under investigation for many decades. The bioartiflcial liver, based on both detoxification and swine liver cells, has shown some efficacy on reduction of intracranial pressure but did not show survival benefit in a controlled, randomized study. The Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System has shown some efficacy in decreasing intracranial pressure in an animal model of liver failure, but has still to be evaluated in a phase Ⅲ trial.展开更多
OBJECTIVE To analyze and discuss about the clinicalcharacteristics, pathological types, surgical modalities andtechniques, and postoperative complications in children withtumor of posterior cranial fossa .METHODS Retr...OBJECTIVE To analyze and discuss about the clinicalcharacteristics, pathological types, surgical modalities andtechniques, and postoperative complications in children withtumor of posterior cranial fossa .METHODS Retrospective study was conducted on 102 cases ofpediatric tumor of posterior cranial fossa, admitted and treated inour hospital during the period of January 1996 to January 2007.All patients underwent microscopic surgical treatment. Fifty-eight were male and 44 cases were female. The age ranged from 9months to 14 years old, with an average of 6.1 ± 0.5 of age. CranialCT or MRI examination was conducted before and after thesurgery on all patients.RESULTS The primary manifestations for this group of patientswere increased intracranial pressure and/or ataxia. Postoperativepathological diagnoses showed: 46 cases of medulloblastoma, 43cases of astrocytoma, 11 cases of ependymoma (including 1 caseof degenerative ependymoma), 1 case of dermoid cyst, and 1 caseof teratoma. In this group of the patients, radical surgery wasused in 68 cases and subtotal surgical removal used in 31 cases,while surgical removal of large section was performed on 3 cases.There were no deaths from surgery reported. Ninety-one casesshowed significant symptomatic improvement when comparedwith preoperative conditions, while 11 cases showed either noimprovement or more severely affected afterward. For 6 cases,postoperative ventriculoperitoneal shunt was performed within7 days to 2 months after the surgery. Sixty-three patients gainedfollow-up for 3 to 60 months in duration. Thirty-nine patientsregained normal life and were able to learn well, while there were7 patients who could not live normally on their own. During thefollow-up period, there were 17 cases of recurrence and 7 casesof death. In 23 cases of medulloblastoma in children with age of3 years old or above, 2 cases who underwent surgical removal ofintracranial ependymoma received small dosage of postoperativeX-ray radiotherapy on the the brain and spinal cord. Nine casesof medulloblastoma in children under age of 3 and 17 cases ofastrocytoma diagnosed after the surgery received chemotherapyof Carmustine.CONCLUSION Medulloblastomas and astrocytomas werethe most common types of pediatric tumor of posterior cranialfossa, right followed by ependymoma, and dermoid cysts andteratomas were rare. Early correct diagnosis, proper selection ofappropriate surgical modality and the surgical margin, propertreatment of postoperative complications, and the selecting rightradiotherapy or chemotherapy were the key factors in influencingthe prognostic outcome of children with tumor of posterior cranialfossa.展开更多
Objective: To study the effects of mild hypothermia therapy on severe brain-injured patients whose intracranial pressure (ICP) could be maintained below 25 mm Hg.Methods: Forty severe brain-injured patients with ICP b...Objective: To study the effects of mild hypothermia therapy on severe brain-injured patients whose intracranial pressure (ICP) could be maintained below 25 mm Hg.Methods: Forty severe brain-injured patients with ICP below 25 mm Hg were divided randomly into one treatment group (n=20, mild hypothermia therapy) and one control group (n=20, normothermia therapy) to observe the changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acids (glutamate and glycine) and cytokines (interleukin-1β and interleukin-6). Results: There were no significant differences in the daily changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acid and cytokines between two groups. The outcome of two groups had no significant differences. Conclusions: Mild hypothermia has no additional beneficial effects on severe brain-injured patients compared with normothermia therapy if ICP can be maintained below 25 mm Hg by using conventional therapy.展开更多
Objective: To evaluate the result of diagnosis and treatment of intracranial hematoma and multiple injuries caused by road traffic accidents. Methods: Twenty-eight patients, aged from 1 to 14 years, receiving cranioto...Objective: To evaluate the result of diagnosis and treatment of intracranial hematoma and multiple injuries caused by road traffic accidents. Methods: Twenty-eight patients, aged from 1 to 14 years, receiving craniotomy and other surgical treatments were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Among the 28 cases, 23 cured with the recovery rate of (82.3)%, 2 had a sequel of moderate disability, and 3 died from severe brain injury, hemorrhagic shock, and other visceral complications. The clinical sympotoms and signs were severe and perplexing. The major characters included: severe head injury, usually combined by multiple injuries, and easy of access to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Conclusions: The occurrence of infection is high after traffic accidents as a result of depression of humoral and cellular immunity, long-term bed rest, and fractures of limbs. Hence, on the basis of maintaining vital signs, the management of primary wound is essential to reduce infection and underlying death. In addition to the management of brain injury, concurrent injuries should also be highlighted so as to reach a good result for their patients.展开更多
文摘Intracranial hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of patients suffering from fulminant hepatic failure. The etiology of this intracranial hypertension is not fully determined, and is probably multifactorial, combining a cytotoxic brain edema due to the astrocytic accumulation of glutamine, and an increase in cerebral blood volume and cerebral blood flow, in part due to inflammation, to glutamine and to toxic products of the diseased liver. Validated methods to control intracranial hypertension in fulminant hepatic failure patients mainly include mannitol, hypertonic saline, indomethacin, thiopental, and hyperventilation. However all these measures are often not sufficient in absence of liver transplantation, the only curative treatment of intracranial hypertension in fulminant hepatic failure to date. Induced moderate hypothermia seems very promising in this setting, but has to be validated by a controlled, randomized study. Artificial liver support systems have been under investigation for many decades. The bioartiflcial liver, based on both detoxification and swine liver cells, has shown some efficacy on reduction of intracranial pressure but did not show survival benefit in a controlled, randomized study. The Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System has shown some efficacy in decreasing intracranial pressure in an animal model of liver failure, but has still to be evaluated in a phase Ⅲ trial.
文摘OBJECTIVE To analyze and discuss about the clinicalcharacteristics, pathological types, surgical modalities andtechniques, and postoperative complications in children withtumor of posterior cranial fossa .METHODS Retrospective study was conducted on 102 cases ofpediatric tumor of posterior cranial fossa, admitted and treated inour hospital during the period of January 1996 to January 2007.All patients underwent microscopic surgical treatment. Fifty-eight were male and 44 cases were female. The age ranged from 9months to 14 years old, with an average of 6.1 ± 0.5 of age. CranialCT or MRI examination was conducted before and after thesurgery on all patients.RESULTS The primary manifestations for this group of patientswere increased intracranial pressure and/or ataxia. Postoperativepathological diagnoses showed: 46 cases of medulloblastoma, 43cases of astrocytoma, 11 cases of ependymoma (including 1 caseof degenerative ependymoma), 1 case of dermoid cyst, and 1 caseof teratoma. In this group of the patients, radical surgery wasused in 68 cases and subtotal surgical removal used in 31 cases,while surgical removal of large section was performed on 3 cases.There were no deaths from surgery reported. Ninety-one casesshowed significant symptomatic improvement when comparedwith preoperative conditions, while 11 cases showed either noimprovement or more severely affected afterward. For 6 cases,postoperative ventriculoperitoneal shunt was performed within7 days to 2 months after the surgery. Sixty-three patients gainedfollow-up for 3 to 60 months in duration. Thirty-nine patientsregained normal life and were able to learn well, while there were7 patients who could not live normally on their own. During thefollow-up period, there were 17 cases of recurrence and 7 casesof death. In 23 cases of medulloblastoma in children with age of3 years old or above, 2 cases who underwent surgical removal ofintracranial ependymoma received small dosage of postoperativeX-ray radiotherapy on the the brain and spinal cord. Nine casesof medulloblastoma in children under age of 3 and 17 cases ofastrocytoma diagnosed after the surgery received chemotherapyof Carmustine.CONCLUSION Medulloblastomas and astrocytomas werethe most common types of pediatric tumor of posterior cranialfossa, right followed by ependymoma, and dermoid cysts andteratomas were rare. Early correct diagnosis, proper selection ofappropriate surgical modality and the surgical margin, propertreatment of postoperative complications, and the selecting rightradiotherapy or chemotherapy were the key factors in influencingthe prognostic outcome of children with tumor of posterior cranialfossa.
文摘Objective: To study the effects of mild hypothermia therapy on severe brain-injured patients whose intracranial pressure (ICP) could be maintained below 25 mm Hg.Methods: Forty severe brain-injured patients with ICP below 25 mm Hg were divided randomly into one treatment group (n=20, mild hypothermia therapy) and one control group (n=20, normothermia therapy) to observe the changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acids (glutamate and glycine) and cytokines (interleukin-1β and interleukin-6). Results: There were no significant differences in the daily changes of the concentration of excitatory amino acid and cytokines between two groups. The outcome of two groups had no significant differences. Conclusions: Mild hypothermia has no additional beneficial effects on severe brain-injured patients compared with normothermia therapy if ICP can be maintained below 25 mm Hg by using conventional therapy.
文摘Objective: To evaluate the result of diagnosis and treatment of intracranial hematoma and multiple injuries caused by road traffic accidents. Methods: Twenty-eight patients, aged from 1 to 14 years, receiving craniotomy and other surgical treatments were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Among the 28 cases, 23 cured with the recovery rate of (82.3)%, 2 had a sequel of moderate disability, and 3 died from severe brain injury, hemorrhagic shock, and other visceral complications. The clinical sympotoms and signs were severe and perplexing. The major characters included: severe head injury, usually combined by multiple injuries, and easy of access to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Conclusions: The occurrence of infection is high after traffic accidents as a result of depression of humoral and cellular immunity, long-term bed rest, and fractures of limbs. Hence, on the basis of maintaining vital signs, the management of primary wound is essential to reduce infection and underlying death. In addition to the management of brain injury, concurrent injuries should also be highlighted so as to reach a good result for their patients.