Cardiology ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; blood ; diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Troponin ; blood

The survey on branchial anomalies was conducted by Korean Association of Pediatric Surgeons. A total of 173 cases were reported, which were managed by 36 members and cooperators during the three years from January 1, 1993 through December 31, 1995. The following results were obtained by retrospective analysis of the 173 cases of branchial anomalies. The presenting symptoms were cervical mass in 101 cases, pit with or without discharge in 71, cervical abscess in 47 and respiratory difficulty in 3. The average age of the patients with cervical abscess was 52 months. Seventy(79%) of 89 patients with branchial anomalies and a cystic mass had their first clinical manifestations by 1 year of age, while 40(51%) of 78 patients with only a branchial cyst had their first clinical manifestation in first year of life. Radiologic studies were carried out in 77 patients(43%). The preferred diagnostic modalities were ultrasonography(47 patients), simple neck radiogram(l9) and CT scan(17). Preoperative diagnosis was correctly made in 156(91%) of 173 patients. Seventeen patients were incorrectly diagnosed as thyroglossal duct cyst in 5 patients, cystic hygroma in 4, dermoid cyst in 3, and lymphadenopathy in 3. There were no remarkable difference in sex and laterality of presentation but bilateral lesions were found in 9(5%) patients and unusual locations of the anomalies were the manubrium, left subclavicular area, median cervial area, preauricular and parotid area. There were 78(45%) patients with cyst, 52(30%) patients with sinus, 35(20%) patients with fistula and 8(5%) patient with skin tag. Embryological classification was possible in only 64(37%) patients. The 2nd branchial anomaly was present in 50 (78%), the 1st branchial anomaly in 10(18%), and the 3rd or 4th branchial anomaly in 4(6%). Histopathological study of the lining epithelium(N=134) is recorded that 45% were lined with squamous epithelium, 17% with respiratory epithelium, 6% with. squamous and respiratory epithelium, 14% with inflammatory change. Lymphoid tissue was common(62%) in the wall of the lesions. Twelve(7%) of 158 patients had postoperative complications including wound complication, recurrence and facial nerve palsy.
Abscess ; Branchioma ; Child ; Classification ; Dermoid Cyst ; Diagnosis ; Epithelium ; Facial Nerve ; Fistula ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymphangioma, Cystic ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Manubrium ; Neck ; Paralysis ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Mucosa ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Surgeons ; Thyroglossal Cyst ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: In patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated by surgery and radioactive iodine ablation, serum thyroglobulin(Tg) and 131I whole body scan(WBS) are recognized as being the best cooperative indicators for detection of recurrence or metastasis. However, in some cases, 131I WBS shows no specific lesions despite elevated serum Tg. Therefore, 18-Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography(PET) has emerged as a useful method for the detection of 131I WBS negative thyroid cancers. The aims of the present study are to evaluate the clinical usefulness of this technique in detection and to compare the results with 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy(MIBI) in cases of final results being confirmed by histologic diagnosis and other imaging methods. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis amon 131I WBS negative recurred papillary thyroid carcinoma patients(male: female ratio=9:22, median age=42 yr). FDG PET was performed in 28 patients and MIBI 28 patients, 25 of whom were common to both groups. All patients had histologically proven recurrence/metastasis and negative 131I WBS results but persistently elevated serum Tg levels. In each case overall clinical evaluations were performed including histology, cytology, thyroglobulin level, other imaging methods, posttherapy 131I WBS and subsequent clinical course, to allow comparison with the results of FDG PET. RESULTS: In 19 cases of patients with negative 131I WBS, proven recurrence/metastasis lesions were detected in FDG PET. Compared with MIBI, FDG PET was found to be superior in 8 cases(including 2 patients with distant metastases). No FDG-negative/MIBI-positive tumor was observed. One FDG PET negative and MIBI negative case was proven 3 months later to be metastatic cervical lymph nodes, Sensitivities were 94.7% in the FDG PET group and 52.6% in MIBI. Diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET was superior to that of MIBI(93% vs. 62%, respectively, p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed the clinical usefulness of FDG PET for detection of 131I negative differentiated thyroid cancers and suggested the value of FDG PET as an initial diagnostic step, rather than MIBI, in these cases.
Diagnosis ; Electrons ; Female ; Humans ; Iodine ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

Lumbar decompressive laminectomy is a standard treatment for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, but in some cases, can lead to iatrogenic spondylolysis and delayed segmental instability. Iatrogenic spondylolysis occurs in most cases in pars interarticularis, but rare cases have also been reported, pediculolysis in pedicle and laminolysis in lamina. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) is known to have a low risk of developing these iatrogenic spondylolyses, and unilateral biportal endoscopy is the MIS that has been drawing attention. We present a case of a 72-year-old female who was diagnosed with L4-5 unstable non-isthmic spondylolisthesis and severe right central disc extrusion 10 weeks after UBE assisted unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) at the consecutive segments of L3-4 and L4-5. Pre-operative imaging studies revealed severe central stenosis without spondylolisthesis at L3-L4 and L4- L5 along with L4-L5 facet tropism. She was managed by anterior lumbar interbody fusion and cement augmented pedicle screw fixation, which resulted in the complete resolution of her clinical and neurologic symptoms.