BACKGROUND: Proximal humerus fracture is considered to be the third most common fracture for patients aged 65 years or older. Conservative treatment has been known to treat most of humerus fracture. However, fractures with severe displacement or dislocation may require surgical treatment. Intramedullary fibular allograft with a locking plate is frequently used in patients accompanying medial metaphyseal disruption. In this study, author intends to evaluate clinical and imaging results based on patients who underwent surgical treatment using fibular allograft with a locking plate. METHODS: This study is conducted prospectively at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, targeting patients who previously underwent surgical treatment using open reduction and intramedullary fibular allograft with a locking plate between 2011 and 2015. A total of 26 patients were evaluated on the following: postoperational clinical assessment measuring Constant score, American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. Postoperational imaging assessments are evaluated via measuring the neck-shaft angle. The study subject were Neer classification type 3, 4 proximal humerus fracture cases with disrupted medial hinge and having cortical comminution in the region of the surgical neck. RESULTS: The average period of progression was 22.5 months, and the average age of patients was 72.6 years. At the final follow-up, the average Constant, average ASES, and average DASH scores were 80.1, 78.5, and 20.6 respectively. The average neck-shaft angle was 127.5°. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, fibular allograft augmentation with a locking plate showed satisfying results in both clinical and imaging studies.

Endoluminal reconstruction of an intracranial aneurysm using flow-diverting devices, such as the pipeline embolization device (PED), is a new treatment modality with good clinical outcomes. The device was originally indicated for challenging cases, such as wide-necked large or giant aneurysms, and is gaining popularity as a reliable treatment for nearly all intracranial aneurysms. The overall complication rate of flow-diverting devices use is 17.0%, including occlusion of side-branching or perforating arteries, rerupture of the aneurysm, in-stent thrombosis, and, rarely, stent migration. We report a rare complication of the PED: delayed migration of the PED after successful stent implantation during treatment of an unruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm, which resulted in rupture of the aneurysm. Further, we discuss technical steps that can be taken to prevent this potential complication.

Thromboembolism is one of the major complications during coil embolization of an aneurysm, which usually causes familiar neurological deficits, such as, weakness, aphasia, etc. We report a rare complication by thromboembolism after coil embolization causing hemiballism. A 69-year-old female presented with unruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysm and was treated by coil embolization. After the procedure, the patient showed global aphasia and right hemiparesis, and there were small multiple, scattered infarctions on the left middle cerebral artery territory. The neurologic deficit subsided after five days, but hemballism occurred thereafter. There was no other medical history to explain the hemiballism. The patient was treated with clonazepam and antiepileptics and the hemiballism subsided at postoperative day 20. We report a case of rare complication, hemiballism, during coil embolization.

Eleven patients with uric acid nephrolithiasis(Five with uric acid stones alone and six with both uric acid and calcium stone) underwent long-term treatment(0.5 to 3.75 years, mean of 2.33 years) with potassium citrate(30 to 80 mEq/day. usually 60mEq/day). Urinary pH increased from low(5.0-6.0) to normal(6.5-7.0) during treatment. Urinary content of uric acid which was 584+/-150 mg, day. slightly increased to 595+/-163 mg/day following treatment. Serum content of uric acid which was 6.45+/-0.9 mg%, slightly decreased to 6.1+/-0.8 mg%. The protein matrix was round in all 11 cases. And 4 types of nucleus were found. which were ca. oxalate, ca. phosphate, dried blood and suture material During the period' (Jan. 1987-Mar. 1990) of preventive management(enough fluid intake. restiction of animal protein and Polycitra-K), no new stones were found.
Animals ; Calcium ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Nephrolithiasis* ; Potassium Citrate* ; Potassium* ; Sutures ; Uric Acid*

PURPOSE: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is rare and has a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients diagnosed with ATC expected to undergo curative thyroidectomy, with the goal of finding differences between patients surviving > or =6 months and <6 months. METHODS: From 1981 to 2010, 24 patients underwent thyroidectomy due to ATC. Among those patients, 12 suspected of distant metastasis preoperatively were excluded. The remaining 12 patients were analyzed by retrospective review of electronic medical records. RESULTS: Median age was 55 years, and the male to female ratio was 1:5. All patients presented with neck mass at initial diagnosis. Five patients lived <6 months and seven patients lived > or =6 months after operation. In patients surviving > or =6 months, all lesions were <5 cm and all patients underwent total thyroidectomy. In patients surviving <6 months, two of the four lesions were >5 cm, and two of the five patients underwent less than total thyroidectomy (P = 0.287 and 0.152, respectively). All patients with lesion size <5 cm underwent total thyroidectomy and showed a shorter median operation time (P = 0.182 and 0.033, respectively). CONCLUSION: ATC showed female predominance. Patients initially presented with neck mass, and median age was 55 years. In patients with ATC who are expected to undergo curative thyroidectomy, surgery should actively be considered as primary therapy for patient survival when the size is <5 cm.
Electronics ; Electrons ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVE: Transfemoral catheter angiography (TFCA) is a basic procedure in neurovascular surgery with increasing importance in surgical and non-invasive treatments. Unfortunately, resident neurosurgeons have relatively few opportunities to perform TFCA in most institutions. We report a method developed in our hospital for training resident neurosurgeons to perform TFCA and evaluate the efficacy of this training. METHODS: From May 2011 to September 2011, a total of 112 consecutive patients underwent TFCA by one resident neurosurgeon supervised by two neuroendovascular specialists. Patients who underwent elective diagnostic procedures were included in this study. Patients who underwent endovascular treatment were excluded. Demographic data, indications for TFCA, side of approach, number of selected arteries, and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: This study included 64 males and 48 females with a mean age of 51.6 (12-81) years. All procedures were performed in the angiography suite. Common indications for procedures were as follows: stroke-induced symptoms in 61 patients (54.5%), Moyamoya disease and arteriovenous malformation in 13 patients (11.6%), and unruptured intracranial aneurysm in eight patients (7.1%). Right and left femoral puncture was performed in 98.2% and 1.8% of patients, respectively. A total of 465 selective angiographies were performed without complications. Angiographic examination was performed on 4.15 vessels per patient. CONCLUSION: TFCA can be performed safely by resident neurosurgeons based on anatomical study and a meticulous protocol under the careful supervision of neuroendovascular specialists.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Catheters ; Cerebral Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Male ; Moyamoya Disease ; Organization and Administration ; Punctures ; Specialization

OBJECTIVE: To present the profiles of spinal cord tumors that can be removed through a unilateral hemilaminectomy and to demonstrate its usefulness for benign spinal cord tumors that significantly occupy the spinal canal. METHODS: From June 2004 to October 2010, 25 spinal cord tumors were approached with unilateral hemilaminectomy. We calculated the cross-sectional occupying ratio (CSOR) of tumor to spinal canal before and after the operations. RESULTS: The locations of the tumors were intradural extramedullary in 20 cases, extradural in 2, and intramedullary in 3. The levels of the tumors were lumbar in 12, thoracic 9, and cervical 4. In all cases, the tumor was removed grossly and totally without damaging spinal cord or roots. The mean height and width of the lesions we195re 17.64 mm (3-47.5) and 12.62 mm (4-32.7), respectively. The mean CSOR was 69.40% (range, 27.8-96.9%). Postoperative neurological status showed improvement in all patients except one whose neurologic deficit remained unchanged. Postoperative spinal stability was preserved during the follow-up period (mean, 21.5 months) in all cases. Tumor recurrence did not develop during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Unilateral hemilaminectomy combined with microsurgical technique provides sufficient space for the removal of diverse spinal cord tumors. The basic profiles of the spinal cord tumors which can be removed through the unilateral hemilaminectomy demonstrate its role for the surgery of the benign spinal cord tumors in various sizes.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Microsurgery ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Recurrence ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms*

A clinical analysis was done for 141 patients with parotid tumors who had been admitted to and treated at the Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital over a period of 15 years from January 1981 to December 1995. Of these 141 cases, there were 123 cases of benign tumors and 18 cases of malignant tumors. The results were as follows ; 1) Sex distribution revealed a preponderance of females with a ratio of 1.4 : 1. When only malignant tumors were considered, males were predominant with a ratio of 1.6 : 1. 2) Benign tumors were prevalent in the 3rd & the 4th decades while malignant tumors were prevalent in the 4th & the 5th decades. 3) The chief complaint was a palpable mass in all the cases and facial nerve palsy was accompanied with 22% of malignant cases. 4) The mean size of the mass was 3.5 cm in diameter. 5) The mean duration of illness was 4.9 years with a duration of 1 year being seen in 28% of the benign tumor cases and in 44% of the malignant tumor cases. 6) The most commonly performed operative procedures were a superficial lobectomy(56%) for benign tumors and a total parotidectomy(67%) for malignant cases. And 76% of all benign tumors and 89% of all malignant tumors were treated with a superficial lobectomy or a more extensive operation. 7) According to the histopathological findings, benign tumors were present in 123 cases(87%) and malignant tumors in 18 cases(13%). The most common benign tumor was pleomorphic adenoma(80%) and the most common malignant tumor was mucoepidermoid carcinoma(50%). 8) In the 5 recurrent cases, previous operations were enucleation(4 cases) and biopsy only(1 case). 9) The postoperative complications developed in 51 cases(36%), including 33 cases(23%) of facial nerve palsy and 9 cases(6%) of Frey's syndrome. Facial palsy was permanent in 7 cases(5%). 10) Of the 94 follow-up cases, recurrences developed in 6 cases(7%) of benign tumors and 6 cases (50%) of malignant tumors.
Biopsy ; Facial Nerve ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Paralysis ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Seoul ; Sex Distribution ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Sweating, Gustatory

PURPOSE: There are no specific clinical and histopathologic characteristics of malignant pheochromocytoma and the optimal treatment modality has not been established yet. We analyzed the clinical and histopathologic features of malignant pheochromocytoma and treatment results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of 10 patients with malignant pheochromocytoma diagnosed at Seoul National University Hospital from March 1987 to June 1998. RESULTS: Nine of 10 (90%) patients had functional tumors. The biochemical laboratory findings showed elevated 24-hour urine VMA level in nine patients available. The median size of the tumors was 11x11 cm. Six of 10 (60%) patients were initially diagnosed as malignant tumors because of direct invasions to adjacent tissues or distant metastases. On the other hand, remaining 4 patients were initially diagnosed as benign, but the distant metastases developed metachronously after resection of the primary lesion. The median duration between the initial operation and the detection of metastases was 57 months (range: 47~72 months) in these patients. The liver was the most common site of metastases (60%). With regards to the histopathological features, most of the tumors (87.5%) showed capsulation, necrosis and hemorrhage. The findings of lymphatic invasion, angio-invasion, and mitosis were found in 62.5% of the cases. All but 2 patients were initially treated with radical operation for the primary lesions. The disease recurrences or metastases occurred in 7 out of 10 patients. Of these, 4 patients were treated with chemotherapy or interferon- a after recurrences. Overall, the median survival for all patients was 82 months (range: 37~143 months). Two patients is alive and only one patient is alive without recurrence. CONCLUSION: The careful follow-up for at least 5 years and the aggressive multi-disciplinary therapy may be needed for the diagnosis and the management of malignant pheochromocytoma.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver ; Mitosis ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Recurrence ; Seoul

PURPOSE: Axillary node involvement is the single most important prognostic variable in patients with breast cancer. If axillary lymph node status of breast cancer patients could be accurately predicted from basic clinical information and from characteristics of their primary tumors, many patients could be spared axillary lymph node dissection. With the availability of numerous histologic prognosticators and new immunochemical prognostic indicators, it is reasonable to reconsider the necessity of axillary node dissection for lesions more advanced than duct carcinoma in situ. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six hundred fifty-six patients with Tl invasive breast cancer were evaluated. All the patients underwent axillary dissection, and the pathologic status of the nodes was known. The parameters of the primary tumor in this study were age, size, family history, tumor palpability, nuclear and histological grade, hormone receptor status, lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI), and various tumor markers (bc1-2, cathepsinD, c-erbB2, E-cadherin, p53). RESULTS: Approximately 31% of the 656 patients with Tl breast carcinoma had axillary node metastasis. Four factors were identified as significant predictors of node metastasis: age 35 or less (p=0.01), lymphatic vessel invasion (p < 0.01), tumor palpability (p=0.02), and tumor size (p<0.01). However, independent predictors of lymph node metastasis in the multivariate logistic regression analyses were tumor size (p=0.04) and LVI (p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Characteristics of the primary tumor can help assess the risk for axillary lymph node metastases in Tl breast cancer. Selected patients who have 1cm or less without lymphatic vessel invasion are considered to be at minimal risk of axillary node metastasis and might be spared routine axillary dissection.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cadherins ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Biomarkers, Tumor