Congenital absence of the gallbladder is a rare anomaly and an interesting subject. The overall incidence of gallbladder agenesis is said to approximately 0.035% to 0.065%. It is extremely difficult to make the correct diagnosis of gallbladder agenesis preoperatively in symptomatic patients because its clinical and radiological features are like those of cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, or choledocholithiasis in patients with anatomically normal biliary tracts. Gallbladder agenesis is suspected when the surgeon or the pathologist has failed to identify the gallbladder in its usual position but ectopic location or necrosis of the gallbladder from any causes should be ruled out. Recently, two cases of gallbladder agenesis were encountered in adult patients. We summarize our experience and give a brief review of the literature.
Adult ; Biliary Tract ; Cholecystitis ; Choledocholithiasis ; Cholelithiasis ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Necrosis

This study was retrospectively undertaken to evaluate clinical manifestations, electroencephalographic findings, response to antiepileptic drugs and prognosis of 80 benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECT) patients seen between 1967 and 1993 and followed up for more than 2 years. The age of onset ranges from 3 to 15 years. In 93 percent of patients, seizures appeared between 4 to 12 year-old, with peak of 5 year-old. The main manifestations of partial seizure were hemifacial spasm (53%) and oropharygeal signs (52%) with hypersalivation, abnormal sensation of mouth, gutteral sounds, swallowing difficulty and feeling of suffocation. The types of seizure consist of partial seizure(66%) and partial seizure with secondary generalization (34%). Distributions of seizure attack were nocturnal sleep (83%), diurnal sleep state(4%) and waking state (13%). The typical EEG findings were slow diaphasic high voltage centrotemporal spikes with unilateral (94%) and bilateral foci(6%) with normal background. In addition to typical EEG findings, there were associated with multifocal independent sharp-waves (8.9%) and generalized sharp-wave discharges (7.8%). BCECT patients were well controlled by antiepileptic drugs and had good prognosis. During the follow-up period (2-17years), we observed that all patient were well adapted to school and society. Seizures did not occur after adolescent period.
Adolescent ; Age of Onset ; Anticonvulsants ; Asphyxia ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Deglutition ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Rolandic* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Generalization (Psychology) ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Humans ; Mouth ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Sensation ; Sialorrhea

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of acute withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs in epileptic patients during continuous BEG monitoring. One hundred sixty-five withdrawals in 134 patients who were candidates for epileptic surgery were included for this study. Clinical features and frequency of seizure were observed after drug withdrawal with daily monitoring of serum drug level. The phases after withdrawal of antiepileptics were divided into phase of therapeutic drug level, phase of falling drug level, and phase of subtherapeutic or undetectable(zero) drug level. There were significant increase in frequency of seizure and seizure of secondary generalization after acute withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs. Number of seizure during the period of drugs withdrawals was not correlated with onset age of epilepsy, duration of epilepsy, duration of medication, and number of administrated antiepiteptic drugs. The number of frequency of seizure before drug withdrawal was correlated with the number of frequency of withdrawal seizure. The number of seizure frequency after carbamazepine withdrawal was significantly higher during the phase of subtherapeutic or zero drug level, and not during phase of rapid falling antiepileptic drug level.
Age of Onset ; Anticonvulsants* ; Carbamazepine ; Epilepsy ; Generalization (Psychology) ; Humans ; Seizures*

Spinal fixation using pedicle screws has recently been the focus of increased attention, but the adequate size of pedicle screw and maximum percentage fill as related to the pedicle diameter and are not well known. The objects of this study were to determine the ideal ratio among pedicle, drill and screw diameter, and to determine the maximum percentage fill of the screw without significant decrease of pull-out strength. The materials used for the experiments were 376 thoracic pedicles obtained from the 38 young pigs, and the diameters of pedicles ranged from 3.0 to 8.5mm. After 40% to 100% drilling as compared to pedicle diameter, screws were inserted carefully, and measurements were taken of the outer pedicle changes and pull-out strengths, and adequate drill and screw sizes as related to the diameters of given pedicles were determined. It was found that pull-out strength was the strongest after 60% drill, and the larger the drill diameter, the smaller the holding power, and the larger the screw diameter, the greater the holding power. Maximum pull-out strength was seen at 80-90% fill with 60% drill. After sequentially drilling each pedicle with increasingly larger drill bits, larger screws could be inserted with pedicle changes such as expansion, cutout, split fracture, and comminuted fracture. after larger drilling up to 100%, pedicle screws with diameters smaller than 115% of measured pedicle diameters could be safly inserted without fracture and significant decrease of pull-out strength. It is concluded that effective percentages of drill and screw diameters to the pedicle diameter are 60% and 80-90% respectively, and pedicle screw up to 115% of measured pedicle diameter can be safely inserted into pedicle without significant decrease of pull-out strength. It is thought that fresh pedicle has elasticity and larger screw can be inserted to the pedicle with strong holding after larger drilling.
Elasticity ; Fractures, Comminuted ; Pedicle Screws ; Swine

This study was conducted to get normal data of derrnatomal somatosensory evoked potentials (DSEP) from the lumbosacral dermatome and to evaluate the efficacy of DSEP in the diagnosis of lumbosacral radiculopathy. We examined scalp-recorded DSEP from stimulation of L4. L5 and Sl derrnatomes. DSEP was tested on 26 healthy adult volunteers (11 men and 15 women), age ranging from 22 to 66 years and 12 patients (7 men and 5 women) with lumbosacral radiculopathies. Norrnal values of P latenc! Of DSEP from stimulation of L4. L5 and S1 derrnatomes were 41.3+24.9 msec. 46.4+3.30 msec and 46.8+3.04 msec and the interside differences of the P, latency uere 1.57+1.06 msec, 1.06+0.93 msec and 1.38+0.89 msec, respectively. The latencies of DSEP were significantly influenced by age and height. But the amplitudes were not. In the seven of the twelve patients with lumbosacral radiculopathies the DSEP findings concurred with clinical, CT and/or MRI findings. In 5 cases DSEP gave different information, indicating no abnormality in three patients, more extended radiculopathy in one, and more reduced radiculopathy in one, compared with clinical and radiological findings. Above observations suggest that DSEP test is a simple. Noninvasive. Economic and useful alternative test for the diagnosis of lumboscral radiculopathy.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiculopathy* ; Volunteers

Aortic pseudoaneurysms are rare. When aortic pseudoaneurysms are detected, they demand timely surgical intervention because they trend to increase in size and cause complications. We experienced a rare case of a chronic traumatic pseudoaneurysm located at the distal descending aorta associated with chest pain during trans-urethral resection of the prostate under spinal anesthesia. Diagnostic testing led to appropriate management.
Anesthesia, Spinal ; Aneurysm, False* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Chest Pain* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Prostate* ; Thorax*

No abstract available.
Acid-Base Equilibrium* ; Acidosis*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Atherectomy*

A 66 year old male with a suprarenal pheochromocytoma on the left side was treated preoperatively with oral phenoxybenzamine 20 mg, b. i. d. for 2 weeks. The night before surgery, phenobarbital 100 mg & diazepam 5 mg were given orally. One hour before induction, diazepam 10 mg i. m. was given. Preinduction BP was 210/140 and HR was 130/min. After diazepam 20 mg i. v, BP lowered to 200/130 and HR lowered to 126/min. With commencement of sodium nitroprusside i. v. dripping, a BP of 160/100 and HR of 118 were maintained. Following Thiopental sodium 250 mg i. v., mask induction was started with N2O-O2-Enflurane and pancuronium 4 mg i. v., after 5 minutes, a #8.5 tube was intubated and pindolol 0.16 mg was injected to prevent tachycardia. We maintained a tolerable BP and pulse by repeatedly adding a bolus i. v. injection of phenoxybenzamine 1 to 2 mg during tumor manipulation and removal. No arrhythmia was noted throughout the procedure, except tachycardia. After removal of the tumor, with rapid blood transfusion and fluid infusion plus dopamine i. v. dripping, a tolerable BP and pulse was maintained.
Aged ; Anesthesia* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Transfusion ; Diazepam ; Dopamine ; Enflurane* ; Humans ; Male ; Masks ; Nitroprusside ; Pancuronium ; Phenobarbital ; Phenoxybenzamine ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Pindolol ; Tachycardia ; Thiopental

Although compressed gas (CO2) blowers have been used safely to aid accurate grafting during off-pump coronary bypass surgery, hemodynamic collapse due to gas embolism into the right coronary artery may occur. Supportive measures to facilitate gas clearance by increasing the coronary perfusion pressure have been reported to be successful in restoring hemodynamic stability. However, right ventricular dysfunction and atrioventricular nodal ischemia may hinder effective systemic delivery of the vasoactive medications, even when performing resuscitative measures such as direct cardiac massage. We herein report a case of cardiac arrest that was caused by a right coronary gas embolism and that could not be restored by cardiac resuscitation. When supportive measures fail, direct aortic injection of epinephrine to increase the coronary perfusion pressure can be attempted before initiating cardiopulmonary bypass, and this approach may be life-saving in situations that limit systemic drug delivery from the venous side despite the performance of direct cardiac massage.
Aorta ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; Coronary Vessels ; Embolism* ; Embolism, Air ; Epinephrine* ; Heart Arrest* ; Heart Massage ; Hemodynamics ; Ischemia ; Perfusion ; Resuscitation* ; Transplants ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right