Patients with spinal cord injury are prone to the development of bladder calculi. Although bladder stones can by managed effectively, predictive and preventive measures remain a significant challenge for clinicians. We reviewed the medical records of the bladder stone formation group (81 patients) and the control group (153 patients) in the course of follow-up check after spinal cord injury. We analysed the risk factors of the Bladder stone formation including neurologic level and extent (completeness) of injury. method of bladder drainage management, presence of pyuria, specific organisms infecting the urinary tract, urine pH, residual and 24-hour urine volume, serum and 24-hour urine Ca, P, urio acid levels, renal function (BUN/cr./Ccr), and frequency of bladder irrigation. In Was found that most of the patients developing bladder calculi had neurologically complete lesions, indwelling catheters (suprapubic or urethral), large amount of residual urine, high urine pH, pyuria and bacteriuria.
Bacteriuria ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Medical Records ; Pyuria ; Risk Factors* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Bladder Calculi* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Tract

BACKGROUND: Aspiration pneumonia remains a serious result associated with general anesthesia. Therefore, we studied the effectiveness of preanesthetic ranitidine in increasing gastric pH to prevent aspiration pneumonia. METHODS: Eighty patients scheduled for elective surgery were randomly divided into four groups with twenty patients in each group. Patients in control group were not given preanesthetic ranitidine; patients in group I received 300 mg of ranitidine orally at night before surgery, patients in group II received 150 mg of ranitidine orally both the night before surgery and one hour before surgery respecvtively and patients in group III recieved 150mg of ranitidine orally one hour before surgery. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the mean gastric pH of preanesthesia and 1 hour after anesthetic induction increased significantly in the group I, II, III (P<0.0001). There was significant increased gastric pH in the group II compared with group I and III. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that ranitidine markedly increase the gastric pH. So, we recommend that patients receiving general anesthesia would be taken Hz-antagonist such as ranitidine preoperatively.
Anesthesia, General ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration* ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Premedication ; Ranitidine*

We performed a retrospective analysis of the results of surgical treatment of sixteen patient with comminuted fracture of the distal femur from September 1993 to August 1995 and evaluated the efficacy of the angled blade plate as one of the fixation devices used. The fractures were limited to C2 and C3 fracture classifed according to the AO classification. After an average follow-up of 13 months (range, 9 to 24 months), all of the fractures had healed. Postoperatively, the arc of flexion was limited between 90degrees and 125degrees in eight, normal arc in five, and severely restricted arc of joint motion was present unexceptionally in three patients with deep infection. In angular deformity, average 5.8degrees of valgus and 2.4degrees posterior angulation were showed. The functional results by Sanders-Swiontkowski-Rosen-Helfet rating system were showed excellent in 3, good in 7, fair in 3, and poor in 3 cases. The overall results were seen to be excellent to good in ten cases (62.5%) but in twelve patients using the angled blade plate, excellent to good results were showed 10 patients (83.3%). We attribute the favorable results in our series to restoration of the articular surface through the modified extensile approach, sufficient stable fixation using the angled blade plate with conforming to the concept of bridge plate, routinely performing the bone graft for medial buttress and bone healing, and early mobilization of the extremity.
Classification ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Early Ambulation ; Extremities ; Femur* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Comminuted ; Humans ; Joints ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants

STUDY DESIGN: A review of all presentations at the Korean Society of Spine Surgery(KSSS) congress from 2001 to 2005. OBJECTIVES: To determine the presentation to publication rate in peer-reviewed journals of abstracts presented at the KSSS congress and evaluate the consistency between the presented abstract and published full-text counterpart. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The rate of publication for presentation at international meetings has been determined but there has been no study for the KSSS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study reviewed all podium presentations of the past KSSS Spring and Fall meetings from 2001 to 2005. A computer search for each abstract was performed. The final published journal, time to publication and publication rate were evaluated according to subspecialty. The published full-text article was compared with the original abstract and evaluated for consistency with respect to the author, material and method, and result. RESULTS: A total of 288 free-papers were identified, of which 167 of them were published as full-text articles. The mean time to publication was 12.15 months. The publication rates according to the subspecialty were basic 67%, lumbar 68%, cervical 64%, deformity 50%, trauma 53%, minimal 14% and others 51%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The presentation to publication rate of the Korean society of spine surgery podium presentations was lower than other international meetings but the articles showed a high consistency rate.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Publications ; Spine

PURPOSE: This study examined the value and indications of repeated MRI in degenerative lumbar diseases under conservative management by comparing the primary MR and repeated MR images with respect to the symptomatic and radiological changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with degenerative lumbar disease under conservative management underwent repeat MRI. Five MRI findings, including disc, foramen, facet joint, nerve root, and ligamentum flavum, were used to examine the difference between the initial and repeat MRI. The severity was graded using a four-point scale for each item. The patients were divided into 3 groups in order to compare the radiological changes and symptomatic changes, as follows; Group I no change from the initial symptoms (38 cases), Group II aggravation of the initial pain (18 cases), and Group III aggravation of the initial neurology or the development of a new neurology (14 cases). RESULTS: The mean scores of each item the disc, foramen, facet joint, nerve root and ligamentum flavum increased from 1.76, 1.31-1.79, 1.71, and 1.47, respectively, to 1.90, 1.47, 1.80, 1.79, and 1.53, respectively. Group III showed the greatest proportion of cases with an increasing grading score (78%, 11 cases) only the disc was significant. CONCLUSION: Repeat MRI in degenerative lumbar disease under conservative management was found to be valuable only in cases with aggravated neurological symptoms, and was not relevant in cases with persistent symptoms or aggravated pain alone.
Humans ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Neurology ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Twenty-eight cases of initial psoriasis were studied with histochemical methods in an attempt to obtain changes of acid mucopolysaccharides and mast cells. Early psoriatic lesions (pin head sized) and clinically uninvolved skin at distances of 2-4cm from the psoriatic lesions were excised respectively. The results are as follows; 1. Dermal changes were more prominent than the epidermal changes in almost all specimens in early psoriatic lesions. The main features of the dermal changes were perivascular inflammatory infiltrate which were consisted mainly of lymphoid cells. 2. Inflammatory infiltrate in the region of epidermal a.lteration and papillary edema is par ticulary striking. R. Among the 26 cases, the amount of acid mucopalysaccharides of initial lesion was lesser in 14 cases, greater in 4 cases and same in 8 cases as compared with clinically normal skin. 4. The number of mast cells of initial psoriatic lesion as compared with clinically normal skin was increased(p<0. 01).
Dermis* ; Edema ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Head ; Lymphocytes ; Mast Cells* ; Psoriasis* ; Skin ; Strikes, Employee

There have been accumulating evidences that dyslipidemia is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improvement in lipid profile can reduce the incidence of CVD. Guidelines for management of dyslipidemia have been developed by major organizations in several contries including the United States. In Korea, a guideline was also published by the Korean Society of Lipidology and Atherosclerosis. However, This guideline was not based on evidences in Korea, but was made by a consensus of experts using a pre-developed guideline as a reference. For clinical application for Korean of guidelines developed in different nations, the disease epidemiology and medical environment in Korea should be considered. In this article, we reviewed whether guidelines for management of dyslipidemia are applicable in Korean context.
Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Consensus ; Dyslipidemias ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Incidence ; Korea ; Risk Factors ; United States

Rhino-orbito-cerebral muconnycosis is an uncommon fatal fringal infection, almost exclusively seen in diabetic or other itnmunocompromised patients. Recurrent transient ischemic attacks(TIAs) as initial presenting sign of rhino-orbito-cerebral mycormycosis has not been reported to our knowledge. We report a patient with muconnycosis unusually presenting with recurrent TIAs, followed by central retinal artery occlusion, multiple cranial nerve palsies, and then cerebral infarction in the territory of middle cerebral artery.
Cerebral Infarction ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Humans ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Mucormycosis* ; Retinal Artery Occlusion

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem* ; Humans*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the usefulness of each diagnostic tool by comparing physical examination, MRI, and EMG findings with operative findings in multilevel cervical radiculopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six (n=36) multilevel cervical radiculopathy patients with a total of 180 levels were included in this study. The findings of preoperative diagnostic tests, including physical examination, EMG and MRI, were analyzed for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value by comparing with the operative findings, which was regarded as the gold standard. Correlation between each diagnostic tools were also analyzed. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of each item in sensory deficiency were 37%, 86%, 60%, and 72%, motor weakness 62%, 88%, 78%, and 78%, EMG 47%, 87%, 70%, and 71%, and MRI 91%, 86%, 81%, and 93% respectively. Each element showed statistically significant correlation with each diagnostic modality. Correlation between the operative findings and MRI was highest, at 0.766. CONCLUSION: MRI was the most useful diagnostic modality in multi-level cervical radiculopathy. EMG showed relatively low sensitivity and should be considered in conjunction with its clinical application.
Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Radiculopathy ; Sensitivity and Specificity