No abstract available.
Animals ; Constitution and Bylaws* ; Mice* ; Oocytes*

Acupuncture appears to be a clinically effective treatment for acute and chronic pain. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to evaluate the role that acupuncture plays in pain suppression; however, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the side effects of the acupuncture procedure. This case report describes a suspected postdural puncture headache following acupuncture for lower back pain. Considering the high opening pressure, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and the patient's history of acupuncture in the lower back area, our diagnosis was iatrogenic postdural puncture headache. Full relief of the headache was achieved after administration of an epidural blood patch.
Acupuncture ; Blood Patch, Epidural ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure ; Chronic Pain ; Headache ; Low Back Pain ; Needles ; Post-Dural Puncture Headache

No abstract available.
Amino Acids* ; Blastocyst* ; Embryonic Structures*

Endoscopic thyroidectomy has been increasingly used because it is minimally invasive, provides better cosmetic results as well as less, post-operative pain. However, the technique is associated with complications that, include subcutaneous emphysema, hypercarbia and pneumothorax. We treated a 45 year-old female patient who had subcutaneous emphysema, hypercarbia and increased peak inspiratory airway pressure due to carbon dioxide administered during the endoscopic thyroidectomy. After the above problems occurred, we increased the minute ventilation with 100% O2. The operation was over after about one hundred twenty minutes and ventilation was adequate so that arterial blood gas findings returned to the normal range in the recovery room. The patient was treated conservatively with oxygen and recovered completely at the time of discharge from the Hospital
Carbon Dioxide ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Pneumothorax ; Recovery Room ; Reference Values ; Subcutaneous Emphysema* ; Thyroidectomy* ; Ventilation

URPOSE: To evalvate the role of double-phase spiral CT for T staging of gastric cancers with radiologic-pathologic correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Double-phase spiral CT images of 44 patients of gastriccancers proved by pathologic examination were retrospectively evaluated. We retrospectively classified spiral CTimages of gastric cancers ; classification was from S 0 to S 4 and was based on the degree of change in three multilayered patterns shown in normal gastric wall and whether or not tumor cells had invaded perigastric fattissue. Pathologic classification was based on the T staging of TNM classification for gastric cancers, and wethen correlated these results. RESULTS: In group S1, all of three cases(100%) were proved to be T1 and in groupS2, five(45.5%) of 11 cases were T2. Of five cases with S3 CT findings, three(60%) were proved to be T3s andtwo(40%) were T2. Of 22 cases with S4 CT findings, 19(86.4%) were T3p. Overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 60.3%, 88. 5%, and 86.9%, respectively. In 35 (79.5%) of the total of 44 cases, the lesions were more enhanced on venous than on arterial phase. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of double-phase spiral CT for T staging of gastric cancers was 86.9%, and in contrast to previous results for conventional or dynamic CT, this level of accuracy was thought to be relatively high. In conclusion, double-phase spiral CT images of gastric cancers were helpful in the diagnosis of T staging.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

BACKGROUND: The C7-T1 interspinous space is commonly chosen for cervical epidural blockade, usually regarding the vertebral prominence as C7. But determining the vertebral prominence itself is confusing and unreliable because of individual variances. For this reason, we decided to look into the accuracy of estimating segmental level from palpating the surface anatomy. METHODS: 1. When the neck was flexed in the sitting position, cervical spinous processes were palpated and the first and most prominent spinous processes were marked. 2. In the same position, the estimated location of the C7 vertebral spinous process was marked, counting cephalads from the lower end of scapular (known to be at the T7 level, customarily). 3. By using the radiologic imaging method, actual cervical vertebral levels were confirmed and the results were compared with the vertebral spinous processes palpated and marked by the above methods. RESULTS: The first prominent spinous process was most commonly the C6 spinous process in both male and female subjects. The most prominent spinous processes palpated were C7 in males and C6 in females in the largest number of subjects. Estimates from the lower end of the scapular were correct in only 47.2% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Because of considerable individual variances, estimates from the surface references can be incorrect in many circumstances, and radiologic imaging methods are suggested for the correct determination of the cervical vertebral levels.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Palpation*

BACKGROUND: The C7-T1 interspinous space is commonly chosen for cervical epidural blockade, usually regarding the vertebral prominence as C7. But determining the vertebral prominence itself is confusing and unreliable because of individual variances. For this reason, we decided to look into the accuracy of estimating segmental level from palpating the surface anatomy. METHODS: 1. When the neck was flexed in the sitting position, cervical spinous processes were palpated and the first and most prominent spinous processes were marked. 2. In the same position, the estimated location of the C7 vertebral spinous process was marked, counting cephalads from the lower end of scapular (known to be at the T7 level, customarily). 3. By using the radiologic imaging method, actual cervical vertebral levels were confirmed and the results were compared with the vertebral spinous processes palpated and marked by the above methods. RESULTS: The first prominent spinous process was most commonly the C6 spinous process in both male and female subjects. The most prominent spinous processes palpated were C7 in males and C6 in females in the largest number of subjects. Estimates from the lower end of the scapular were correct in only 47.2% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Because of considerable individual variances, estimates from the surface references can be incorrect in many circumstances, and radiologic imaging methods are suggested for the correct determination of the cervical vertebral levels.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Palpation*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the film thicknesses of several resin cements as a function of time after mixing and to examine the effect of working time on the film thicknesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The film thickness (microm) of 4 resin cements (n=10), 1 composite resin (Panavia F 2.0), 3 self-adhesive resin (Clearfil SA luting, Zirconite, RelyX U200) cements was measured at 20-second intervals after mixing of the cements up to 200 seconds under a load of 50 N. Linear regression was fitted to verify the effect of working time on the film thickness of each cement. Data were compared to the working time recommended by manufacturers using Wilcoxon test (alpha=.05). RESULTS: All of the materials showed a positive linear correlation between the film thickness and working time. There was no statistically significant difference between the working time based on our results and the values recommended by the manufacturers even though there was a discrepancy between those two values. CONCLUSION: The film thickness of resin cements could increase with the increase of working time. Working time to meet the ISO standard of 50-microm maximum film thickness could be different from the manufacturer's recommended value.
Linear Models ; Resin Cements ; Resins, Synthetic*

Intracranial arachnoid cyst are becoming a more frequent finding as a result of the increased use of cranial computed tomography. But the best treatment of arachnoid cysts remains the subject of controversy. We report 46 cases of patients with arachnoid cyst. Thirty nine cases(84.7%) had supratentorial locations. The cases of 22 patients with mild symptoms and small cysts were treated with conservative management only. Surgical treatment was performed on 24 patients with severe or uncontrolled symptoms and large sized cysts. Surgery consisted of craniotomy and cyst excision with communication to basal cistern. Surgical results and long-term outcomes were good. However there was a one operative death due to acute subdural hematoma. It is, therefore conclued that surgical excision of arachnoid cyst with communication to basal cistern is one of the more effective methods of alternative treatment. And further studies of the natural history of conservative cases should be undertaken for a futher understanding.
Arachnoid Cysts ; Arachnoid* ; Craniotomy ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute ; Humans ; Natural History

Aneurysms of the vertebral artery are relatively uncommon. Diagnois and treatment of such condition aneurysm has a potentially higher degree of technical difficulty. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features and therapentic outcomes of 12 consecutive patients with vertebral aneurysms that we have encountered during the last 11 years. Most of these aneurysms occured in females (9 of 12). Eight patients presented as classic subarachnoid hemorrhage, three were diagnosed incidentally, and the other one patient had fusiform aneurysm presented with mass effect. Among the 12, there were 7 saccular aneurysms, 2 fusiform aneurysms, and 3 dissecting aneurysms. Eight of these were located at the origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA), two were at the junction of the vertebral and basilar arteries, and two were at the distal portion of PICA. Direct neck clipping was performed in 8 patients and proximal ligation of the vertebral artery was done in 4 patients due to the impossibility of direct neck clipping. Eleven of them experienced no major morbidity. However, one patient with fusiform aneurysm treated by vertebral artery clipping developed right cerebellar hemispheric infarction. Unfortunately this patient died 10 months after surgery due to lung abscess related to Behcet's disease.
Aneurysm* ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Basilar Artery ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ligation ; Lung Abscess ; Neck ; Pica ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery