title: Acute brain reaction to DBS electrodes after deep brain stimulation: chronological observation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As increasing numbers of deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures are performed, rare abnormal findings on postoperative images that are not attributable to well-known complications are reported. Between 2005 and 2012, we encountered several symptomatic patients with transient abnormal low-attenuation lesions on postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. The aim of this study was to clarify this rare phenomenon using chronological observations and to suggest a feasible mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this period, seven (3.2 %) patients displayed transient increased low-attenuation signals, circumferentially surrounding the DBS electrodes and extending into the subcortical white matter. All these patients suffered from unexpected but transient neurological symptoms during the postoperative period. The abnormal low-attenuation lesions only disappeared completely a considerable time after the clinical symptoms had disappeared, without treatment in most patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report here our chronological observations of acute brain reactions after DBS procedures, which we believe are neither infectious nor vascular, but are possibly caused by the mechanical breakdown of the blood-brain barrier by microelectrode recordings or by anchored DBS electrodes. These lesions are thought to constitute a self-limiting disorder requiring no further treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 110-744, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Ha
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: In Kyeong
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Eun
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hui-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Gwanhee
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ehm
authors.forename: Han-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Gyu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Paek
authors.forename: Beom S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Jeon
mesh_terms: D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000628:therapy