Tehran University Medical Journal

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To improve visual disturbance, optic nerve decompression can be performed via transcranial or tran-sphenoidal approaches. Although the surgical exposure in transcranial approach is favourable, yet the optic nerve's presence in the field may make it vulnerable to damage. Of fighty patients with different types of pituitary adenomas, 35 cases with medium-sized (1-3 cm) tumors have been studied in a randomized clinical trial during a three year period, to compare the applicability of these approaches. While short hospital stay with better visual outcome was observed in fifteen trans-sphenoidal cases, in comparison to 20 trans-cranial cases, however the preoperative visual status and underlying disorders were similar in both groups. Decompressing the optic apparatus, trans-sphenoidally, seems beneficial, where there are no contraindications for the procedure in medium-sized pituitary adenomas

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Background: This investigation was conducted in order to study angiographic findings in patients with cerebral aneurysm.

Materials and Methods: The study conducted on 136 cases of ruptured cerebral aneurysms between 1995-2000 confirmed by means of 4-vessel cerebral angiography to get an insight to racial, geographic and environmental factors predisposing to the occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage and aneurysm formation. Results: The data analysis revealed the following

Results: 58% of the population comprised of male and 42% female with a mean age of 46 years. 89% of the aneurysms were found in the anterior circulation and 11% occurred in the posterior cerebral circulation. The most common site in both the sexes was the anterior communicating artery. 9.6% of the patients displayed two separate aneurysms. 5.2% of the aneurysms were found to be giant aneurysms and 3% of the patients had fusiform aneurysms.

Conclusion: The low average age, a predilection in male population and the prevalence of aneurysms at carotid and middle cerebral artery bifurcation and the distal branches of anterior cerebral artery and a higher incidence of anterior communicating artery in women were the findings observed in this study.

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Background: Hypomagnesemia is commonly encountered in patients with a wide variety of diseases including subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), cardiovascular emergencies, head trauma, migraine attacks, seizure and preeclampsia. It seems to be associated with a poor clinical outcome. This study considers the prevalence and temporal distribution of hypomagnesemia after aneurysmal SAH and its correlation with the severity of SAH, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) as well as the neurological outcome after a period of three months.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2008, 60 patients were admitted to the emergency ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital with acute SAH. Serum magnesium levels were measured during the first 72 hours, days 4-7, and second and third weeks after SAH. The three-month outcome was assessed according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Clinical SAH grading was performed according to the criteria of the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) and the patients were allocated to "Good" (GOS = 4, 5) and "Poor" (GOS= 1-3) outcome groups. The prevalence of hypomagnesemia was assessed in both patient groups. Fisher exact test was used to analyze data.

Results: Hypomagnesemia occurred in 22% of patients during the first 72 hours after SAH. It was associated with more prevalent DCI (p<0.05), whereas low serum magnesium levels during days 4-7 17% of patients) and the second week (22% of patients) after SAH were correlated with poor clinical outcome (p<0.05). No correlation was found between first 72 hour-hypomagnesemia and poor clinical outcome at three months.

Conclusion: Hypomagnesemia occurs after aneurysmal SAH and it may predict the occurrence of DCI, while low serum magnesium levels during days 4-7 and within the second week of event predict poor clinical outcome at three months. Treatment of this electrolyte disturbance may have a favourable effect on the clinical outcome of patients with aneurysmal SAH.