Transient synovitis of the hip in children is a non-specific inflammatory and self-limited condition. It is also the most common cause of painful hip in children under ten years of age. Despite of the benign prognosis, there are many difficulties in distinguishing it from other diseases of the hip joint. It remains a common diagnostic problem for clinician because the clinical symptoms, physical findings, and conventional radiography is not pathognomonic of the condition. The authors paid attention to the increase of effusion in the affected hip and studied the value of the hip ultrasonography in 24 cases of transient synovitis from August 1985 to July 1987. The results are summerized as follows : 1. The ratio of male to female was 7 to 1, average age was 7.9 yrs, average hospitalization period was 4.5 days. 2. In simple X-ray studies, no bony change was detectable except for soft tissue signs in 68% of the cases. 3. Capsule-to-bone distance in sagittal ultrasonographic section revealed abnormal increase in 87.5% of the affected hip. 4. Average capsule-to-bone distance of affected hip joint was 7.50 mm, while that of the normal hip was 4.26 mm. 5. As shown in the above studies, ultrasonography can be considered good noninvasive technique in detection and follow-up of hip effusion. So, it is thought to be a valuable method in the diagnosis of transient synovitis of the hip in children.
Child ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip Joint ; Hip ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Prognosis ; Radiography ; Synovitis ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Gabapentin is widely used for the relief of neuropathic pain. But, there is no study of gabapentin in relation to traumatic neuropathic pain. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of gabapentin for the various clinical symptoms of traumatic neuropathic pain MATERIALS AND METHODS: 50 patients with traumatic nerve injury were assigned to receive gabapentin, titrated to 900 mg/day over 9 days, followed by further increases to a maximum of 2400 mg/day. Continuous pain, paroxysmal pain, allodynia and thermal evoked pain were measured in mean daily pain scores, based on the 11-point Likert scale. The primary efficacy parameter was compared from the baseline to the final study week. RESULTS: Over the 4.5 week study, this pain score decreased by 2.6 points in the continuous pain, 3.6 points in the paroxysmal pain, 3.1 points in the allodynia, and 2.5 points in the thermal evoked pain. The percentage of patients with over 50% improvement in pain scores was 33% in the continuous pain, 67% in the paroxysmal pain, 53% in the allodynia and 36% in the thermal evoked pain. There was no significant correlation between the effect of gabapentin and the time difference of the onset of symptoms and start of medication. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that gabapentin reduced neuropathic pain in patients with traumatic peripheral nerve injury. Among the various characteristics of neuropathic pain, the reduction of paroxysmal pain and allodynia was greatest.
Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Neuralgia* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Intramuscular lipomas are benign adipose tumors of the soft tissues that may resemble liposarcomas because of their size, deep location, and occasionally infiltrative growth. An awareness of their existence is fundamental to treating them correctly, and their differential diagnosis from liposarcoma is essential. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful diagnostic tool to differentiate benign adipose tumors from liposarcoma. Marginal excision and biopsy are required for the definite diagnosis and the treatment of symptomatic intramuscular lipomas. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report in South Korea regarding the treatment of an intramuscular giant lipoma of the ankle.

Postoperative pain is one of the most common reasons for delayed discharge and can impede the recovery of joint motion and rehabilitation. Recently, an ultrasound-guided nerve block was shown to be the most effective method to control postoperative pain. Under ultrasound guidance, orthopedic surgeons can safely perform the nerve block procedure. This review discusses th

Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent malignant tumor in the United States and fourth most frequent tumor in Korea. Surgery has been used as a primary treatment modality but reported overall survivals after curative resection were from 20% to 50%. Local recurrence is the most common failure in the treatment of locally advanced colorectal cancer. Once recurrence has developed, surgery has rarely the role and the five year survival of locally advanced rectal cancer is less than 5%, this indicated that significant improvement of local conrol could be achieved. We performed 6 cases of IORT for locally advanced colorectal cancer which is he first experience in Korea. Patient's eligibility, treatment applicator, electron energy, dose distribution on the surface and depth within the treatment field and detailed skills are discussed. We hope that our IORT protocol can reduce local failure and increase the long term survival significantly.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Hope ; Korea ; Radiotherapy* ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; United States

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the cross-sectional area (CSA) and the moment arm length (MAL) of the paraspinal muscles in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients compared to the matched control patients, which is through contribution to the stability of the back. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied a comprised of 25 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis on L4/5 patients and a controlled group with 42 chronic lower back pain patients. In both groups, we measured body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). On the standing lateral radiographs, we measured the total lumbar lordosis, and segmental lumbar lorodosis using Cobb's methods. We measured the degree of slippage by Meyerding classification. The CSA of erector spinae (CSA) and CSA of psoas were measured at the L4/5 level by using the MRI. The statistical analysis were performed to know the relationship between the CSA and the MAL of erector spinae, and the BMI. Multifidus and erector spinae atrophy were evaluated at the L4/5 level and the degree of fatty atrophy was estimated using three grades : mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: The patient group and the controlled group BMI (kg/m2) were 25.27+/-3.8 and 24.47+/-3.24. In patient group, Meyerding classification grade I was 92%. Total lumbar lordosis and each segmental lordosis were measured mean angle 44.54degrees(24.9degrees~70.4degrees), and each 9.23degrees(L3/4), 10.27degrees(L4/5), 18.81degrees(L5/S1). Pearson's rho indicated a positive association between the CSA and BMI (rho=0.603, p= 0.001), between the CSA of psoas and BMI (rho=0.445, p=0.026), and between the CSA and MAL (rho=0.627, p=0.001) in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients. In terms of the CSA versus MAL, there was a positive association in the both groups (rho=0.627, p=0.001, MAL=0.0008 CSA+/-5.293 in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group; rho=0.812, p=0.000, MAL=0.001 CSA+/-5.245 in the control group with using linear regression analysis). Independent t-test revealed that both groups had statistically different mean values (p=0.038) in terms of the CSA. Proportion of fat deposits in the multifidus and erector spinae muscle at the L3/4 level were all mild grades. CONCLUSION: The patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis had atrophied erector spinal muscles, which means harmful because of the poor compensation for the lower back load and poor assists to the lumbar stability. This suggests that the biomechanical factor of the muscles influence to the lumbar disability.
Animals ; Arm ; Atrophy ; Body Mass Index ; Compensation and Redress ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Muscles ; Spondylolisthesis

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) along with post-operative syndrome in the lumbar spine shows confusing and duplicated symptoms, and this makes it difficult to make a clear differential diagnosis. Therefore, the patient with post-operative syndrome in the lumbar spine suffers losses of time and money, and the surgeon who diagnoses and treats post-operative syndrome in the lumbar spine also agonize from the patient's losses. It is necessary to provide these patients with a multidisciplinary approach to their disease and symptoms. We diagnosed herniation of an intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine (L4/5) and we performed discetomy twice in different hospitals. However, the symptoms did not improve, so we re-operated and performed discetomy along with monosegmental fixation using pedicular screws and interbody cages. There was improvement of pre-operation symptoms, but neurogenic symptoms occurred and then progressed after the surgery. Therefore, we report here on the case of CRPS that was diagnosed with the exclusion of the causes of post-operative syndrome in the lumbar spine, and the patient was finally effectively treated with spinal cord stimulation. Although differentiating post-operative syndrome in the lumbar spine from CRPS is difficult, we recommend suspecting CRPS as the cause of post-operative syndrome in the lumbar spine and taking CRPS as the main interest in order to diagnose and treat CRPS more effectively and accurately.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Felodipine ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Spinal Cord Stimulation ; Spine

When the endotracheal tube is removed, blood pressure elevates and heart rate increases. In order to evaluate the hemodynamic changes after removal of a new developed device-laryngeal mask airway, we measured the change of the systolic & diastolic blood pressure and heart rate of 120 patients undergoing general anesthesia. The results were elevation of blood pressure and heart rate after extubation or removal on both groups immediately. But the degree of changes were 18.7+/-1.6% in the endotracheal tube groups and 12.3+/-1.4% in the laryngeal mask airway groups in systolic blood pressure respectively. Therefore the degree of changes of the laryngeal mask airway groups was significantly small (p<0.05). The comparison of the change of diastolic blood pressure was not significant. The degree of the change in heart rate was 19.6+/-2.8% in the endotracheal tube groups and 9.2+/-2.2% in the laryngeal mask airway groups. Therefore the degree of the ehange in blood pressure and heart rate of the laryngeal mask airway groups was significantly small (p<0.05).
Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure* ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Masks

The aims of this study were to verify the hypoxia-reoxygenation injury of primary cultured Kupffer cells and the effect of propofol against the hypoxia-reoxygenation injury through quantitating lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.The sequential treatments with hypoxia and reoxygenation induced significant increasement of LDH release (P.0.01) and decresement of SOD activity(P.0.05) in primary cultured Kupffer cell. The level of LDH release and SOD activity after sequential treatments with hypoxia and reoxygenation were restored to the control level by the propofol treatment in the concentration of 0.5 and 5 microgram/mL. Propofol in concentration of 50 microgram/mL induced significant increasement of LDH release (P.0.01) on both normal culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation culture of the Kupffer cell. As hypoxia and reoxygenation procedures and propofol treatment were concurrently added to the cultured Kupffer cell, propofol treatment in the concentration of 50 microgram/mL decreased significantly the SOD activity (P.0.01). In conclusion, propofol in this hypoxia-reoxygenation model could provide a valuable clue for the study of liver transplantation and of propofol.
Anoxia ; Kupffer Cells ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver Transplantation ; Propofol* ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Femur* ; Humans