No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Hemoglobinuria*

Several reports on burst fractures of the thoracolumbar spine have noted that the neural canal encroachment caused by bone in the canal did not correlate with the neurologic status of the patient. But in the thoracolumbar spine the average percent compromise was significantly higher in those patients with complete and incomplete lesions, compared with those patients with no neural deficits. In this study, we evaluated 38 patients with unstable thoracolumbar fractures, operated from March 1989 to February 1993 to know the amount of neural canal compromise, demonstrated on computed tomography scans with neurologic status, level of injury and type of fractures. Among them 22 patients had neurologic deficit and 16 did not neurologic deficit. The results were as follows; 1. 19(76%) of 22 patients with disruption of the posterior spinal elements had neurologic defictis. 2. In the group with neurologic deficits, the stenotic ratio was 44% at the epiconus level, 55% at the conus medullaris, level and 63% at the cauda equna level. 3. The average A-P diameter of the bony fragments retropulsed into the spinal canal was 4.5mm at the epiconus level, 5.2mm at the conus medullaris level and 6.0mm at the cauda equina level. 4. Unstable bursting fracture and fracture dislocation showed higher incidence of neurologic injury and percentage of spinal stenotic ratio than those of flexion distraction and wedge compression fracture. In conclusion, the higher the level of the injured vertebrae, the smaller the size of the retropulsed fragment needed compromise the neural tissues. We suggest that it is necessary to get enough decompression for restoration of spinal canal and recovery of neurological function and computed tomography was more sensitive than any other modality in detection the reduction of the retropulsed bony fragment into spinal canal.
Cauda Equina ; Decompression ; Dislocations ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neural Tube ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive*

BACKGROUND: Rocuronium, a new nondepolarizing muscle relaxant, has been reported to develop a rapid onset of action and may be suitable as a component of a rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia. Therefore we have compared rocuronium with pancuronium and vecuronium about the onset time, intubation time, and tracheal intubating conditions. METHOD: Thirty patients were divided into three groups, who were receiving intravenously pancuronium 0.14 mg/kg, vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg respectively for tracheal intubation during induction of anesthesia. The onset time(Time from drug administration to zero count of PTC) and intubation time were checked using train of four responses of the adductor pollicis muscle after ulnar nerve stimulation(2 Hz, 40mA) every 10 seconds. The intubation conditions were recorded by a "blinded" assessor as excellent, good, fair or not possible. RESULT: The onset time of pancuronium, vecuronium and rocuronium was, 125.0+/-10.0, 256.0+/-18.4 and 90.0+/-22.1 sec. respectivly. The time of intubation was 94.0+/-12.6, 95.3+/-7.9, and 77.0+/-10.6sec.(pancuronium,vecuronium & rocuronium respectively). The onset time of rocuronium was significantly faster than the other two nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. The tracheal intubation with rocuronium was possible earlier than pancuronium or vecuronium but no statistical significance was observed and the condition of intubation was excellent compare to others in all ten patients. CONCLUSION: Rocuronium may have advantages over existing non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents with faster rate of development of neuromuscular block with excellent intubation condition after administraction of a dose 0.6 mg/kg(ED 95 x 2).
Anesthesia ; Humans ; Intubation ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Pancuronium ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vecuronium Bromide

BACKGROUND: Rocuronium, a new nondepolarizing muscle relaxant, has been reported to develop a rapid onset of action and may be suitable as a component of a rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia. Therefore we have compared rocuronium with pancuronium and vecuronium about the onset time, intubation time, and tracheal intubating conditions. METHOD: Thirty patients were divided into three groups, who were receiving intravenously pancuronium 0.14 mg/kg, vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg respectively for tracheal intubation during induction of anesthesia. The onset time(Time from drug administration to zero count of PTC) and intubation time were checked using train of four responses of the adductor pollicis muscle after ulnar nerve stimulation(2 Hz, 40mA) every 10 seconds. The intubation conditions were recorded by a "blinded" assessor as excellent, good, fair or not possible. RESULT: The onset time of pancuronium, vecuronium and rocuronium was, 125.0+/-10.0, 256.0+/-18.4 and 90.0+/-22.1 sec. respectivly. The time of intubation was 94.0+/-12.6, 95.3+/-7.9, and 77.0+/-10.6sec.(pancuronium,vecuronium & rocuronium respectively). The onset time of rocuronium was significantly faster than the other two nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. The tracheal intubation with rocuronium was possible earlier than pancuronium or vecuronium but no statistical significance was observed and the condition of intubation was excellent compare to others in all ten patients. CONCLUSION: Rocuronium may have advantages over existing non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents with faster rate of development of neuromuscular block with excellent intubation condition after administraction of a dose 0.6 mg/kg(ED 95 x 2).
Anesthesia ; Humans ; Intubation ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Pancuronium ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vecuronium Bromide

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow Transplantation* ; Bone Marrow* ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Recurrence*

No abstract available.
Biomarkers* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute*

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an autoimmune vasculitic disorder of unknown origin. Systemic GCA causing cerebral infarction due to intracranial arteritis is rare. Early diagnosis and anti-inflammatory treatment of the GCA are necessary to prevent systemic involvement. A 66-year-old woman presented with dysarthria and left hemiparesis. A brain MRI showed ischemic lesions in the right temporoparietal area. We report a pathological case of GCA with clinical and neuroradiological evidence of cerebral infarction.
Aged ; Arteritis ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Dysarthria ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Giant Cell Arteritis* ; Giant Cells* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paresis ; Pathology

The occurrences of thyrotoxicosis in patients with myasthenia gravis have been reported before the knowledge of the pathogenesis of the two disease. Thytotoxicosis is known to occur in 3 to 6 percent of patients with myasthenia gravis and myasthenia gravis occurs in only a fraction of 1 percent of the thyrotoxic populatian. Myasthenia gravis is currently considered as a systemic autoimmune disorder of acetylcholine receptor and often presented with other autoimmune diseases such as SLE, Rheumatoid arthritis. We experienced a 18-year-old woman who presented with graves disease and isolated ocular myasthenia gravis. Chest CT didnot reveal enlarged thymus. The usual treatement of myasthenia gravis associated with thymtoxicosis consists of medical control of the thyrotoxicosis, then thymectomy and later subtotal thyroidectomy. Her ptosis and thyrotoxicosis have improved after the medicatian of anticholinesterase and propylthiourecil. A case of ocular myasthenia gravis with Gravesdisease was experienced, so we reported the case with a brief review of literature.
Acetylcholine ; Adolescent ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Female ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Thymectomy ; Thymus Gland ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotoxicosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: We performed the surgery using titanium double cylindrical cage for anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion in various degenerative cervical diseases. We compared the clinical results and radiologic results in cervical anterior disectomy. Method: From October 2007 to October 2008, 19 patients diagnosed with degenerative disease underwent anterior cervical disectomy and interbody fusion. The postsurgical clinical results were analyzed retrospectively by classifying them into four levels based on Odom's criteria(excellent, good, fair, and poor) after a more than 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS: In all cases, a single segment was involved, and surgery was performed for 19 segments. The C5-C6 inter-vertebral disc was the most commonly affected(9 cases). The clinical outcome was excellent, good, and fair in 5(26.3 %), 10(52.6%), and 4(21.0%) cases, respectively. An excellent or good outcome was considered as a successful result, showing an approximately 78.9% cure rate. No patient had aggravated symptoms compared with their preoperative status. CONCLUSION: Relatively satisfactory clinical and radiographic results were obtained with double cylindrical cages. The surgical method is relatively simple, allows good synostosis, and prevents many complications associated with autografting. It is also less traumatic to the spinal cord during cage insertion. Therefore, double cylindrical cages are generally more recommended for treating cervical spondylosis accompanied with flat cages.
Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Spondylosis ; Synostosis ; Titanium ; Transplantation, Autologous