A retrospective analysis of 108 patients who had undergone transurethral prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia between January 1988 and December 1992 was performed to evaluate risk factors influencing intraoperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Of 108 patients complications occurred in 32 cases, with the morbidity rate of 29.6% but no death occurred. The most common postoperative complication was bleeding in 9 cases(8.3%) followed by incontinence in 7 cases(6.5%), capsular perforation in 4 cases(3.7%), failure to void in 4 cases(3.7%) and urethral stricture in 4 cases(3.7%). Risk factors which increased the morbidity of transurethral prostatectomy were age greater than 75 years and the presence of associated medical disease(p<0.05) but a resection time of more than 90 minutes, weight of resected tissue more than 30 gram and amounts of irrigating solution of more than 20 L did not increase the postoperative morbidity significantly. In conclusion, meticulous preoperative and postoperative cares are necessary because poor general condition increase the postoperative complications and long-term, prospective randomized studies are required to evaluate risk factors influencing postoperative morbidity after transurethral prostatectomy.
Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Urethral Stricture

Retrocaval ureter is a rare congenital anomaly. We experienced a case of retrocaval ureter with double inferior vena cava and with intermittent right flank pain in 54 years old female. We performed IVU, RGP, Venacavogram, MRI, and diuretic DTPA renal scan. MRI is the best single study to delineate the anatomy clearly and noninvasively. She was treated with conservative treatment.
Female ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Pentetic Acid ; Retrocaval Ureter* ; Vena Cava, Inferior*

The incidence of ectpic pregnancy has increased rapidly over the past decade. Currently, the complications of this disorder make it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. In the late 1980s, reports of successful use of methotrexate (MTX) as a non surgical treatment for ectopic pregnancy (EP) also began to appear in the literature. With MTX emerging as a possible alternative management of selected women with an EP, an analysis of its comparative costs is now needed. We examined retrospectively the costs associated with management of EP in our hospital. We selected 30 women with EPand divided them into two groups of MTX treated group (n= l0) and surgically treated group (n=20). There were no statistically significant differences in the doctors fee, room, charge and cost of laboratory and radiologic examination between two groups. But We found significant reduction in cost with regard to pharmacy, injection, procedure and operation of MTX treated group compared to surgically treated group (p<0.05). Consequently the use of MTX for EP should still be considered investigational; we recognize and agree that the evolution of this remedial option should be based primarily on its ability to decrease morbidity and mortality rather than on its ability to reduce costs. If medical treatment proves to be effective, the potential cost savings demonstrated in this report will become an important influential factor on selecting alternative remedy.
Cost Savings ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maternal Mortality ; Methotrexate ; Mortality ; Pharmacy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Retrospective Studies

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To identify the implementation of self-exercise therapy and analyze the effects of exercise therapy after lumbar discectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studied 47 patients who underwent partial lumbar discectomy and laminectomy from January, 2009 to December, 2009. They were instructed on 16 kinds of exercise therapy in total from postoperative 1day to postoperative 6weeks. Group A (n=25), whose frequency of outpatient clinic visit is above the average, and Group B (n=22), whose frequency of visit is relatively low;, below 5 times. We tested the visual analog scale (VAS scale) of back, Oswestry disability index and the strength of the two groups before surgery and at postoperative 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The degree of pain was significantly different (26.6+/-9.4 and 53.5+/-18.6) between group A and group B at postoperative 6 months. Function of daily life and strength test were significantly different (6.6+/-4.8 and 11.3+/-4.0 at group A, 3.6+/-0.9 and 3.0+/-1.1 at group B) between the two groups at postoperative 12 months. The characteristics of low compliance patients are low accessibility to the hospital and lack of knowledge on the importance of exercise according to the degree of pain. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that postoperative exercise program has significant effects on the pain, the function of daily life. It also increases flexibility and strengthens the muscle of patients with high compliance of outpatient clinic visit. The factors influencing the results are the age of patients, the willingness to exercise, and the environment in which each patient lives/resides.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Compliance ; Diskectomy* ; Exercise Therapy ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Muscles* ; Pliability ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Analog Scale

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in order to evaluate effect and efficiency of selective spinal nerve root block for neuropathic pain patients with lower leg radiating pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 113 patients were evaluated and follow-up periods were a minimum of 12 months. They were divided into two groups: group A included 41 patients with neuropathic pain and group B included 72 patients with simple lower leg radiating pain. RESULTS: Fourteen (34.1%) patients in group A and 45 (62.5%) patients in group B had favorable results for selective spinal nerve block (p<0.05). Visual analog scale (VAS) was improved from 7.57 to 5.23 at 12 months in group A and from 7.11 to 3.49 at 12 months in group B. CONCLUSION: The initial treatment period for group A was significantly later than in group B. For patients with neuropathic pain and radiculopathy, early assessment was recommended and early selective spinal nerve block could be a good treatment option for neuropathic pain patients.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg ; Neuralgia* ; Radiculopathy* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves ; Visual Analog Scale

No abstract available.

A spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a rare disease that accompanies severe axial pain in the spine with various levels of paralysis depending on the location of the hematoma. A SSEH is mainly caused by a coagulating disorder or anticoagulants medication, while certain cases relate this disease with spinal inflammatory conditions. The early diagnosis of a SSEH is important for its treatment. Most cases with neurologic symptoms can be treated with a immediate laminectomy and decompression. If the neurologic symptoms improves within 12 hours, a conservative treatment is effective, however few cases have been reported. We encountered a 59 years old male without a prior medical history suffering from severe back pain and paraplegia due to a SSEH at thoracic vertebrae. The patient was successfully treated conservatively. We report this case with a review of the relevant literature.
Anticoagulants ; Back Pain ; Decompression ; Early Diagnosis ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paralysis ; Paraplegia ; Rare Diseases ; Spine ; Thoracic Vertebrae

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of Half-Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo (HASTE) imaging of the brain, and to compare the results with those of the Turbo Spin Echo (TSE) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TSE and HASTE sequences were retrospectively compared in 31 patients (19 men and 12 women) with cerebral lesions seen on TSE MR images. The related diagnoses were neoplasm (n=4), hematoma (n=5), cerebromalacia (n=4), infarct or ischemia (n=17), and granuloma (n=1). Qualitative analysis involved the independent review by two radiologists of TSE and HASTE images with regard to overall image quality, conspicuity of the lesion, delineation of the gray-white matter, conspicuity of the basal ganglia, degree of flow and ghost artifacts. All parameters were graded 1-4 (1=poor, 4=excellent), and for quantitative analysis, lesion-white matter, gray-white matter, and putamen-white matter contrast to noise ratios (CNR) were measured. RESULTS: During qualitative analysis, all lesions seen on a TSE image were detected on the corresponding HASTE image, but with regard to overall image quality, conspicuity of the lesion, delineation of gray-white matter, and conspicuity of the basal ganglia, HASTE imaging was inferior to that of TSE ; on TSE, these parameters were scored 4.0, 4.0, 3.7, and 3.7 respectively, and on HASTE, the corresponding figures were 2.9, 3.0, 1.5, and 1.9 (p<0.05). For ghost and flow artifacts, no significant differences were demonstrated (p>0.05). Quantitative assessment showed that lesion-white matter CNR was not significantly different between the two techniques (p>0.05). Gray-white matter and putamen-white matter CNRs were 100.4+/-81.8 and 92.6+/-84.6 on TSE and 45.8+/-39.2 and 42.7+/-40.6 on HASTE, respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: With regard to image quality, delineation of lesion and anatomic details, HASTE imaging is inferior to that of TSE, and this indicates that for routine brain imaging, HASTE cannot replace TSE. In view of its fast acquisition time, however, HASTE might sometimes be a useful alternative to TSE.
Artifacts ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain* ; Diagnosis ; Encephalomalacia ; Granuloma ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Neuroimaging ; Noise ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study is performed in order to compare T2* weighted magnetic resonance(T2*W MR) image to computerized tomography(CT) and conventional magnetic resonance(MR) image for the detection of minute traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage. METHODS: A series of 40 patients with head trauma underwent CT and MR image including T2*W MR sequnence. The authors compared T2*W MR image to CT and conventional MR image in the diagnosis of traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage. RESULTS: Thirty five of 40 patients(88%) were revealed the hemorrhagic foci in the T2*W MR image, whereas 30 patients(75%) were revealed in the conventional MR image, 18 patients(45%) in the CT. Therefore it is concluded that T2*W MR image is more sensitive than CT or conventional MR image in the diagnosis of minute traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with head trauma. CONCLUSION: If headache is persisted in the head trauma patients with negative CT and MR image finding, We recommend T2*W MR image.
Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diagnosis* ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans