Seventy cases of moderate to severe hallux valgus deformities were operated by proximal metatarsal chevron osteotomy combined with modified McBride procedures from September 1994 to September 1996. The hallux valgus angle improved from an average of 35.1 degrees to 12.1 degrees postoperatively. The first intermetatarsal angle improved from an average of 15.4 degrees to 7.9 degrees. The position of sesamoids was normalized and the metatarsal bone shortened minimally. Union occurred in 6 weeks. Subjectively, pain was relieved in 95% of the patients, while walking and standing abilities improved in 90%. The shoewear improved in only 60% of the patients, showing less satisfactory results compared to other factors. In terms of complications, two recurrences occured but were treated without repeat surgery. Two malunions and four superficial wound infections occurred. In conclusion, proximal chevron metatarsal osteotomy combined with modified McBride procedures is a reliable operation as regards stability, technical ease, low complications and satisfactory results for moderate to severe Hallux valgus deformities.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Hallux Valgus* ; Hallux* ; Humans ; Metatarsal Bones* ; Osteotomy* ; Recurrence ; Reoperation ; Walking ; Wound Infection

The possible causes of Brown-Sequard Syndrome (BSS) have been frequently observed with spinal trauma and extramedullary spinal tumors, but the cervical disc herniation to cause BSS is rare. The authors present five cases of patients who were diagnosed with BSS resulting from cervical disc herniation, and the results of the literature in view of their distinctive symptoms and clinical outcomes. Postoperatively, the patients showed complete or almost complete recovery from their motor and sensory deficits. On the basis of our cases, it is important to diagnose it early by cervical magnetic resonance imaging, especially in the absence of the typical symptoms of cervical disc herniation or other obvious etiology of extremity numbness. Immediate surgical treatment is also essential for a favorable functional neurological recovery.
Brown-Sequard Syndrome ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

BACKGROUND: Multiple alloimmunization is the production of two or more alloantibodies by an individual. These antibodies are significant because they can present major problems in compatibility testing. The goal of this study was to determine the properties of concurrent blood group (BG) antibodies in Korea. METHODS: The transfusion records of 540 patients from Dong-A University Hospital were reviewed to identify alloimmunized individuals. The records spanned a time period from September 2002 to March 2010. The data regarding transfusions and the clinical characteristics of those patients making concurrent antibodies were gathered. RESULTS: Concurrent blood group antibodies were found in 23.9% (45/188) of alloimmunized patients, constituting 40.7% (100/246) of all antibodies. The most common alloantibody pair were anti-E/-c and anti-C/-e. The mean transfused RBC units, mean interval, and mean transfusion frequencies before detection of two or more antibodies were 2.4 units, 92 days, and 2.4 times, respectively. The majority of alloantibody pairs appeared and were undetectable at the same time. Among 45 patients (mean age 55.9 years, range 32 to 82 years), twenty-six (57.8%) were female and the remaining nineteen were male. Non-hematological malignancy accounted for a major share (26.7%) in the underlying disease. CONCLUSION: Antibody concurrence varied by BG antigenic specificity. Rh antibodies, in particular anti-E with anti-c appeared to be highly linked. Unlike in Western countries, anti-K was less common in Korea and so the pairs involving this antibody were scarce. More prospective investigations are needed to delineate the immunologic phenomenon of multiple alloimmunization.
Antibodies ; Epitopes ; Female ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening

PURPOSE: To compare the sedation outcome according to the dose of per os chloral hydrate in children who underwent laceration repair in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This retrospective study was performed to the children who underwent sedation using chloral hydrate for laceration repair in the ED from January 2015 through November 2015. A total of 370 children aged younger than 6 years underwent the sedation. We compared the induction time, duration of sedation, and ED length of stay (EDLOS) between the single dose (50 mg/kg) and additional dose (plus 25 mg/kg) groups. RESULTS: Of 370 children, 335 (90.5%) were sedated successfully, 284 (76.8%) were sedated with initial dose (the single dose group), and 51 (13.8%) were sedated with additional dose (the additional dose group). The induction time and EDLOS were longer in the additional dose group (induction time: 31.0 ± 17.2 minutes vs. 96.2 ± 25.4 minutes, P < 0.001; EDLOS: 137.2 ± 35.5 minutes vs. 193.0 ± 36.0 minutes, P < 0.001). The duration of sedation showed no difference between the 2 groups (44.4 ± 24.0 minutes vs. 42.0 ± 20.8 minutes; P = 0.500). No one had serious adverse reactions. CONCLUSION: Additional dose of chloral hydrate can increase the induction time and EDLOS without increasing the duration of sedation and causing serious adverse reactions. This information may improve the efficiency of ED workflow when shared with parents of the children.
Child* ; Chloral Hydrate* ; Conscious Sedation ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Lacerations* ; Length of Stay ; Parents ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To compare the usefulness of test bolus examination in three-dimensional contrast enhanced MR angiography of the carotid artery with that of the fixed delay time method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty consecutive patients (mean age, 60.1 years) in whom carotid arterial disease was suspected and who were examined during a 17-month period were divided into two equal groups. For group A, a fixed delay time of 5 secs was used, while for group B, the delay time of the test bolus examination was calculated from the signal intensity versus time curve of the carotid artery, obtained after the test injection of 1 ml contrast material into the right brachal vein. Overall image quality, discrimination between the arterial and the venous phase, and the contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR) of the carotid artery were compared between the two groups. Overall image quality was classified as excellent, good, moderate or poor, and discrimination between the two phases was graded IV-I according to the degree of jugular venous enhancement. RESULTS: In group A, overall image quality of the carotid artery was classified as excellent or good in 13 (43.3%)and 9 (30.0%) cases, respectively, while in group B the corresponding figures were 23 (76.7%) and 5 (16.7%). The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (p<0.05). In terms of discrimination between the arterial and venous phase, 20 (66.7%) of the 30 cases in group A were assigned grade IV or III, while 28 (93.3%) of the 30 in group B were assigned these same grades (p<0.05). The CNR of the carotid artery was higher in group B(67.1 +/-16.1) than in group A(27.3 +/-17.8), with statistical significance(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: For examination of the carotid artery, contrast enhanced MR angiography using a test bolus is su-perior to the fixed delay time method.
Angiography* ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Veins

PURPOSE: The pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. However, studies on very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are rare. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI on VLBW infants. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated singleton VLBW infants born at the CHA Gangnam Medical Center from 2006 to 2016. The neonates were classified into three groups according to the maternal pre-pregnancy BMI: underweight ( < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (≥18.5 to < 23 kg/m2), and overweight or obese (≥23 kg/m2). Clinical characteristics and morbidities of mothers and infants were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 181 infants belonging to underweight (16.6%), normal weight (58.6%), and overweight or obese (24.8%) groups were enrolled. The pre-pregnancy BMI had a significant negative correlation with gestational age (r=−0.198, P=0.001) and a significant positive correlation with the z-score of the birth weight (r=0.078, P=0.001) and body length (r=0.067, P=0.008). The number of extremely preterm infants was significantly higher in the overweight or obese group. The proportion of risk of small for gestational age infants was higher in the underweight group (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.958; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.113 to 7.864), whereas that of infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity was higher in the overweight or obese group (adjusted OR, 9.546; 95% CI, 1.230 to 74.109). CONCLUSION: In our population of VLBW infants, the pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with gestational age, intrauterine growth, and adverse neonatal outcomes. Therefore, proper weight control before pregnancy is important.
Birth Weight ; Body Mass Index* ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Mothers ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Pregnancy ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Retrospective Studies ; Thinness

5). Higher body mass index (BMI) percentile, waist circumference, hematocrit, insulin resistance, and lower insulin sensitivity index were significantly positively correlated with the grade of fatty liver. NAFLD activity score, amount of steatosis, and fibrosis significantly worsened as the fatty liver grade increased. Higher BMI, lower insulin sensitivity index, and boy were significantly positively correlated with the fatty pancreas grade.CONCLUSION: Altogether, ultrasonographic severity of fatty liver shows good correlation with that of clinical parameters and hepatic pathology.]]>
Academies and Institutes ; Biopsy ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Liver ; Male ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Pancreas ; Parents ; Pathology ; Prevalence ; Ultrasonography ; Waist Circumference ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: We investigated whether a renal size discrepancy on a renal sonogram (US) in children with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) was correlated with the presence of cortical defects on their dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan. METHODS: We examined 911 children who were admitted consecutively to our hospital with their first episode of febrile UTI from March 2001 to September 2014. All enrolled children underwent a US and DMSA scan during admission. According to the US findings, including the renal size discrepancy, data were compared between children with positive and negative DMSA scan results. A positive DMSA scan result was defined as reduced or absent tracer localization and indistinct margins that did not deform the renal contour. RESULTS: Mean renal lengths of the right and left kidneys were larger in children with positive DMSA scan results than in children with negative DMSA scan results (63.2±11.3 mm vs. 58.4±7.8 mm, P<0.001; 64.9±11.2 mm vs. 59.9±7.9 mm, P<0.001; respectively). A significant difference was observed in both renal lengths between children with positive and negative DMSA scan results (4.6±3.8 mm vs. 3.3±2.6 mm, P<0.001). A multiple logistic regression analysis, revealed that a small kidney, cortical thinning, and a renal length discrepancy on US findings were significant factors for predicting the presence of cortical defects on an acute DMSA scan [P=0.028, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.054–2.547; P=0.004, 95% CI 1.354–4.810; P<0.001, 95% CI 1.077–1.190, respectively]. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, a renal size discrepancy on US findings in children with their first episode of febrile UTI was a helpful tool for predicting the presence of cortical defects on an acute DMSA scan.
Child ; Humans ; Kidney ; Logistic Models ; Pyelonephritis ; Succimer ; Urinary Tract Infections

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a ligand of CD44, accumulates in some types of tumors and is responsible for tumor progression. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NRF2) regulates cytoprotective genes and drug transporters, which promotes therapy resistance in tumors. Previously, we showed that high levels of CD44 are associated with NRF2 activation in cancer stem like-cells. Herein, we demonstrate that HA production was increased in doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer MCF7 cells (MCF7-DR) via the upregulation of HA synthase-2 (HAS2). HA incubation increased NRF2, aldo-keto reductase 1C1 (AKR1C1), and multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) levels. Silencing of HAS2 or CD44 suppressed NRF2 signaling in MCF7-DR, which was accompanied by increased doxorubicin sensitivity. The treatment with a HAS2 inhibitor, 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), decreased NRF2, AKR1C1, and MDR1 levels in MCF7-DR. Subsequently, 4-MU treatment inhibited sphere formation and doxorubicin resistance in MCF7-DR. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis across 32 types of tumors indicates the amplification of HAS2 gene is a common genetic alteration and is negatively correlated with the overall survival rate. In addition, high HAS2 mRNA levels are associated with increased NRF2 signaling and poor clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. Collectively, these indicate that HAS2 elevation contributes to chemoresistance and sphere formation capacity of drug-resistant MCF7 cells by activating CD44/ NRF2 signaling, suggesting a potential benefit of HAS2 inhibition.

Background: and PurposeIn 2021, lung cancer in school food workers was first recognized as an occupational cancer. The classification of the carcinogenicity of cooking fumes by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was based on Chinese epidemiological data. This study aimed to determine the hazard levels of school cooking fumes in Korea. Materials and Methods: Based on public school cafeterias in one area, 25 locations were selected for the survey according to the number per school type, ventilation states, and environmental pre-assessments of cafeterias. Two inside cooking areas using a heat source and one outside cooking area were selected as control measurement points. Measurements of CO, CO2, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), including benzene, formaldehyde, and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1, respectively), were taken. The concentrations and patterns of each substance in the kitchens were compared with the outdoor air quality.ResultKnown carcinogens, such as the concentrations of PAHs, formaldehyde, TVOC (benzene), and particulate matter in school cooking fumes, were all detected at similar or slightly higher levels than those found outside. Additionally, substances were detected at relatively low concentrations compared to the Chinese cooking fumes reported in the literature. However, the short-term exposure to high concentrations of CO (or composite exposure with CO2) and PM2.5 in this study were shown. Conclusion The school cooking fumes in South Korea was a relatively less harmful than Chinese cooking fumes, however short-term, high exposure of toxic substances can cause a critical health effect.