Plasmacytoma is a lymphoid neoplasm with the histological, immunological, and functional features of an immunoglobulin- secreting B cell proliferation. Intestinal involvement may be a manifestation of a diffuse multiple myeloma or less commonly, a primary tumor. Gastric plasmacytomas occur more frequently than intestinal plasmacytomas. We experienced a woman who had a primary extramedullary plasmacytoma that originated in the sigmoid colon. She had suffered from abdominal pain and diarrhea for 4 months and underwent a colonoscopy examination. A colonoscopic biopsy revealed it to be ulcerative colitis, and she underwent a total colectomy as a result. However, the permanent biopsy finding was a plasmacytoma. We review the clinical manifestations, as well as the radiological and histopathological findings of a plasmacytoma.
Abdominal Pain ; Biopsy ; Cell Proliferation ; Colectomy ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon, Sigmoid* ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; Plasmacytoma*

The Harris line (HL), caused by bone-growth arrest and manifesting on X-rays as a radiopaque transverse line in the metaphysis of the long bones, is an indicator reflecting stress conditions such as disease or malnutrition. HL frequency has been assumed to differ between pre-modern and modern societies, as reflective of increased caloric intake and overall nutritional improvements attendant on industrialization. To determine if such a change occurred in Korea, in the present study we compared the respective HL statuses in medieval Joseon and modern Korean population samples. HLs were found in 39.4% (28/71) of the Joseon Koreans. Whereas only 27.5% (11/40) of the males showed an HL, fully 54.8% (17/31) of the females exhibited it. Notably, HLs were observed in only 16.4% (35/213) of the modern Koreans; more remarkably still, the HL rate was almost the same between the sexes, 16.7% (20/120) for the males and 16.1% (15/93) for the females. The HL frequency was much higher in the Joseon Koreans than in their modern counterparts, reflecting the improvement of nutritional status that had been achieved in the course of South Korea's modernization. This HL-frequency decrease was much more obvious in the female populations. The higher HL frequency among the Joseon females might reflect the relatively poor nutritional condition of females in pre-modern Korean society.
Energy Intake ; Female ; Humans* ; Korea* ; Male ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status ; Republic of Korea ; Skeleton* ; Social Change ; Tibia

The Organ Injury Scaling Committee of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma recently published a consensus classification of hepatic and splenic injuries. The hepatic and splenic injury scales, based on parenchymal laceration and intrahepatic hematoma include grade 1 to 6 and grade 1 to 5 respectively, representing the least to most severe injury. Forty-eight patients with hepatic and splenic injury were evaluated by abdominal CT from January 1995 to May 1996 and we compared abdominal CT grading with operative grading. Four CT grades did not correlate with operative finding. CT grading showed a sensitivity of 80%, specificity 80% in regard to operative grading. We conclude that 1) CT is an accurate technique to determine the extent of hepatic and splenic injury. 2) CT grading of hepatic and splenic trauma has a high correlation with operative grading.
Classification ; Consensus ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Liver ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has become an effective therapeutic modality for treating pediatric tachyarrhythmias. Using conventional RFCA catheters, ablation of parahisian accessory pathways may be difficult and have high risk for heart block. We reviewed the efficacy and complications of the RFCA in children and adolescent with arrhythmias including parahisian accessory pathways. METHODS: We studied 48 patients (aged 2 years to 20 years) who had undergone RFCA from August 2003 to March 2007. We reviewed clinical findings, electrophysiologic studies, RFCA data, complications, and follow-up results of the patients. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 13.1 years. Numbers and types of arrhythmias (age, acute success rate) were as follows: 19 WPW syndrome including 5 parahisian accessory pathways (13.74.6 yr, 18/19), 11 atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia with concealed bypass tract (12.35.0 yr, 10/11), 13 atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (12.64.4 yr, 13/13), 4 atrial flutter (13.07.4 yr, 3/4), and 1 ventricular tachycardia (20 yr, 1/1). Associated cardiac structural lesion was not detected in 48 patients. The recurrence rate was 6.5%, and the final success rate was 93.8%. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RFCA is a highly effective treatment method in children and adolescent with tachyarrhythmia.
Adolescent* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Flutter ; Catheter Ablation* ; Catheters ; Child* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Tachycardia* ; Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

PURPOSE: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has become an effective therapeutic modality for treating pediatric tachyarrhythmias. Using conventional RFCA catheters, ablation of parahisian accessory pathways may be difficult and have high risk for heart block. We reviewed the efficacy and complications of the RFCA in children and adolescent with arrhythmias including parahisian accessory pathways. METHODS: We studied 48 patients (aged 2 years to 20 years) who had undergone RFCA from August 2003 to March 2007. We reviewed clinical findings, electrophysiologic studies, RFCA data, complications, and follow-up results of the patients. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 13.1 years. Numbers and types of arrhythmias (age, acute success rate) were as follows: 19 WPW syndrome including 5 parahisian accessory pathways (13.74.6 yr, 18/19), 11 atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia with concealed bypass tract (12.35.0 yr, 10/11), 13 atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (12.64.4 yr, 13/13), 4 atrial flutter (13.07.4 yr, 3/4), and 1 ventricular tachycardia (20 yr, 1/1). Associated cardiac structural lesion was not detected in 48 patients. The recurrence rate was 6.5%, and the final success rate was 93.8%. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RFCA is a highly effective treatment method in children and adolescent with tachyarrhythmia.
Adolescent* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Flutter ; Catheter Ablation* ; Catheters ; Child* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Tachycardia* ; Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Appendicular schwannoma is a rare tumor originating from Schwann's cells in the Auerbach plexus. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult because the clinical features are nonspecific, and it is mostly found accidentally via a radiologic image as a tumor, mimicking malignancy. We report a case of an appendicular schwannoma coexisting with an adenocarcinoma in the lung. A laparoscopic appendectomy was done with a clear resection margin, and the immunohistochemical staining showed positive S-100 protein, which confirmed the schwannoma. The patient also underwent a left upper lobectomy of the lung. The patient has been free of recurrence for the 6 months since the operation. The laparoscopic approach could be available for treatment of an appendicular schwannoma, thus avoiding an unnecessary laparotomy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Appendectomy ; Appendix ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Lung ; Myenteric Plexus ; Neurilemmoma ; Recurrence ; S100 Proteins

The interlocking nail is used as a valuable method in treating humerus shaft fracture because of the merit, including relatively simple procedure, one of the most stable fixation methods, and allowing early ROM excericise and low complication. Fourteen pateints with humerus shaft fractures were treated using interlocking nail at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Paik Hospital from Jan.1993 to Oct.1994. l. Among the 14 pateints, average age was 34.8 years and 9 cases were male and the most common cause of injury was traffic accident. 2. Associated injury including 3 cases of ipsilateral scapular fracture, I case of ipsilateral clavicle fracture, and 1 case of brachial plexus injury, and 1 case of radial nerve injury. 3. The mean duration of the radiologic bone union was 8.6 weeks. 4. There was no serious post operative complication such as non-union, infection, bending or rotational deformity at fracture site, impingement syndrome, metal failure of the nail or interlocking screws. 5. To prevent the impingement syndrom and rotator cuff injury, we countersinked the proximal end of the nail into the humeral head and minimized skin incision.
Accidents, Traffic ; Brachial Plexus ; Clavicle ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Humeral Head ; Humerus ; Male ; Methods ; Radial Nerve ; Rotator Cuff ; Skin ; Tibia

BACKGROUND: To help medical students learn anatomy effectively in limited hours, a regional anatomy book enhancing students' memorization was developed.METHODS: Only anatomical terms essential for basic cadaver dissection are included along with schematic figures which enable memorization of complicated anatomical structures. Learning comics and comic strips that depict anatomy mnemonics and jokes were appended and sentences were written to be comfortably readable. The electronic book titled “Visually Memorable Regional Anatomy” has been distributed without payment or registration. With the help of 246 volunteer students from three Korean medical schools, the book's learning effects were evaluated.RESULTS: These students' book reading led to increase in their anatomy scores, including written examination scores and tag examination scores. It was an encouraging result that almost 20% of students spontaneously read the book no matter who presented their lecture or examination. A webpage version of the book was visited by thousands of users.CONCLUSION: The book with unique features may suggest a new perspective in the field of anatomy learning. After having acquaintance with essential structures from reading the book, students are able to and willing to study more from other resources.
Anatomy, Regional ; Books, Illustrated ; Cadaver ; Education ; Humans ; Internet ; Learning ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical ; Volunteers

We report on migration of the K-wire, which is used in fixation of a distal clavicular fracture, to the spinal canal. A 39-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with pain in his right shoulder. He had undergone surgery for a right distal clavicular fracture (in another hospital) ten years ago. Plain radiographs showed an old right distal clavicle fracture fixed with three K-wires. One of the three K-wires had broken, and the broken K-wire had migrated to the spinal canal. Fortunately, the patient exhibited no neurological symptoms, however, there was a possibility of fatal complications, such as spinal cord injury. Therefore, we recommend close follow-up for patients who undergo repair of a distal clavicular fracture is fixed using a K-wire, with use of x-ray until the K-wire has been removed.
Clavicle ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Shoulder ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord Injuries

We evaluated the conditions required for sutures tied to a post for tibial fixation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Harvested porcine tendon was used as a graft material and nonabsorbable suture was used for sutures. Samples were tested for ultimate tensile load and elongation according to thread numbers, knot numbers, suture techniques and stitch numbers. As thread numbers were increased, ultimate tensile load was increased and elongation was decreased. However, more than 4 strands of threads provided the sufficient ultimate tensile load more than 454 N of normal ACL for daily activities. As knot numbers were increased, ultimate tensile load was increased, but elongation was decreased. In terms of failure mode, unraveling occurred 100% in 3 and 4 knots, 81.2% in 5 knots, 54.5% in 6 knots, and 0% in 7 knots. Suture techniques and stitch numbers didn't significantly affect the ultimate tensile load and the elongation. For sutures tied to a post for tibial fixation in ACL reconstruction, more than 4 threads, more than 7 knots, and more than 4 stitches provide adequate ultimate tensile load and elongation.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction* ; Knee ; Suture Techniques* ; Sutures* ; Tendons* ; Transplants