Cardiac herniation is a rare catastrophic complication of intrapericardial pneumonectomy. Untreated it is invariably fatal. Left pneumonectomy for removal of huge angiomatosis tumor in left lung was performed in a 44 year-old male patient. At the end of operation, the patient had cardiovascular collapse due to cardiac herniation. Repaired pericardial suture was teared and the heart was herniated in the left thorax. The hernated heart was edematous caused by compression and incarceration of the cardiac muscle by the edge of the pericardial rent. The heart was introduced into the pericardial sac and the defect was closed with large Goretex patch; however the patient ' s brain had sever hypoxic damage. This paper reports a case of cardiac herniation following left intrapericardial pneumonectomy.
Adult ; Angiomatosis ; Brain ; Heart ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Myocardium ; Pneumonectomy* ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Sutures ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines of advanced trauma life support recommend open thoracotomy when pericardiocentesis reveals bloody pericardial effusion in patients with blunt chest trauma. However, open thoracotomy may not be always required for treating patients alive until arriving emergency department, because rapid accumulation of the blood into pericardial space results in immediate death at scene. We report our experiences of treating traumatic pericardial effusion, and discuss the therapeutic modality in patients with traumatic pericardial effusion. METHODS: The study consisted of 37 patients(20 males and 17 females with the mean age 42) sustaining traumatic pericardial effusion. The patients were divided according to treatment modality into 3 groups(group I : patients receiving conservative management, group II : patients treated with pericardiocentesis, group III : patients required emergency thoracotomy). We compared clinical presentations, hemodynamic profiles and echocardiographic findings among three groups. RESULTS: Cardiac tamponade was present in 14 of 37 patients. Pericardiocentesis was performed in 13 patients, and open thoracotomy in 4 patients. Pericardiocentesis was curative in 9 patients. Thoracotomy was performed in only 3(24%) of 13 patients required pericardiocentesis. 3(75%) of 4 patients having moderate or severe pericardial effusion from penetrating injury were required open thoracotomy. CONCLUSION: In selected patients who have traumatic pericardial effusion by blunt chest injury, pericardiocentesis may be curative, and thoracotomy may not be inquired as long as bleeding via indwelling pericardial catheter is not sustained after pericardiocentesis.
Advanced Trauma Life Support Care ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Pericardiocentesis ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Myasthenia gravis is a rare autoimmune disease involving acetylcholine receptor and its autoantibody on neuromuscular junction. The methods of treatment are medical treatment and surgical thymectomy. In this paper we analyzed the result of thymectomy and the factors affecting the postoperative symptom improvement. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study obtained medical records of 37 patients who received the thymectomy for myasthenia gravis from March 1986 to December 1998. RESULT: Out of 37 cases, 21 cases(57%) showed improvement, of which 8 cases (50%) in the group of thymoma(n=16), and 13 cases (62%) in the group of thymic hyperplasia(n=21) showed the improvement of symptoms. Postoperative complications were respiratory insufficiency due to aggravation of symptoms after operation, including tracheal intubation for ventilator support in 9 cases, pneumonia in 3 cases, pneumothorax in 2 cases and left vocal cord palsy in 1 case. There was one postoperative mortality. The relation between postoperative improvement and sex(P=0.3222), age(P=0.7642), thymic pathologic variants,(P=0.4335) and classification of thymoma(P=0.20) showed no statistically significant correlation. However, the lower grade of preoperative symptoms can predict the lower grade of postoperative symptoms significantly(P=0.0032). Follow up study to 36 postoperative survivors was performed in October 2002 based on the out-patient records and call with patients. Out of 36 cases, 33 cases(91.7%) could be investigated and 3 cases could not. Mean follow up period was 83.2 months. Out of 33 cases, 25 cases(75.8%) showed symptomatic improvement, of which 8 cases(53.3%) in the group of thymoma(n=15) and 17 cases(94.4%) in the group of thymic hyperplasia(n=18) showed the improvement of symptoms. CONCLUSION: In myasthenia gravis, thymectomy showed the good improvement, and more important factor affecting the improvement of symptoms was the grdae of preoperative symptoms. Also midterm and long term follow up results showed good symptomatic improvement.
Acetylcholine ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Classification ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intubation ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neuromuscular Junction ; Outpatients ; Pneumonia ; Pneumothorax ; Postoperative Complications ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Survivors ; Thymectomy ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Vocal Cord Paralysis

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma arising in soft tissue of mediastinum is a very rare tumor. This paper reports an extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma occuring in the posterior mediastinum.
Chondrosarcoma ; Chondrosarcoma, Mesenchymal* ; Mediastinum*

A 38-year old man was admitted to our hospital due to a 5x6 cm sized pulsating mass in the right neck. He suffered from intermittent neck pain and hoarseness for two months due to the rapidly growing mass. The radiological examinations revealed an aneurysm of the right common carotid artery near the bifurcation, and it was compressing the internal and external carotid arteries. Endarterectomy of the right internal carotid artery, aneurysmectomy of the right common carotid artery and graft interposition were done, while the cerebral circulation was maintained by an internal shunt. Intraoperative injury to the nerve tissue around the aneurysm was avoided. He was discharged on the postoperative 7th day without any complications.
Aneurysm ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Artery, External ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Endarterectomy ; Hoarseness ; Neck ; Neck Pain ; Nerve Tissue ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Complete release of the transverse carpal ligament(TCL) is accepted as the standard treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS). However, loss of grip and pinch power are reported in some patients after complete release of the TCL. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of complete versus partial carpal tunnel release by using the inching technique. METHODS: Nineteen patients(a total of 27 hands) who each had a confirmed diagnosis of CTS were selected from September 2002 to February 2003. The cases were divided into three groups(mild, moderate and severe) based on preoperative electrodiagnostic studies. The patients with partial carpal tunnel syndrome were classified into the mild or moderate groups, while patients with complete carpal tunnel syndrome were classified into the moderate or severe groups. Patient oriented data (functional and symptomatic) were collected and electrophysiologic studies were undertaken preoperatively and postoperatively(on the 2nd week, 1st month, 3rd month and 6th month after surgery). RESULTS: In this study, the mild and moderate groups showed both good functional and symptomatic results and improvements in electrophysiologic studies. CONCLUSION: Carpal tunnel syndrome patients classified into mild or moderate groups based on nerve conduction studies, and whose precise compression sites were pinpointed using the inching technique, can be treated by partial carpal tunnel release.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Ligaments* ; Neural Conduction

BACKGROUND: In the resection of lung cancer, pneumonectomy occupied 20~35% of all resections, and significantly high operative mortality is reported in right pneumonectomy (10~25%). The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of morbidity, operative mortality and factors affecting operative mortality after pneumonectomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study recruited the database which performed pneumonectomy for lung cancer in Korea Cancer Center Hospital from Aug 1987 to Apr 2002. RESULT: Total of 386 pneumonectomies were performed in that period. Sidedness were left in 238, right in 148; and the procedures were standard resection in 207, and extended resection in 179. Morbidity occurred in 115 cases (29.8%, 115/386). Mortality occurred in 12 cases (3.1%, 12 in 386). This mortality rate was similar to that of lobectomy (2.1%, 13 in 613) during the same period. Morbidity consisted of 42 hoarseness, 17 (9) pneumonia and ARDS, 8 empyema, 5 (1) broncho-pleural fistula, 5 reoperation for bleeding, 5 (1) arrhythmia, 1 (1) pulmonary edema, and 25 others (The number in the parenthesis is the number of mortality case for that morbidity). Several factors affecting the operative mortality were evaluated. At first, extended procedure (3.3%, 6 in 179) affected the operative mortality similar to the standard procedure (2.9%, 6 in 207)(p=0.812). Second, the rate of operative mortality in an elderly group over 60 years (5.5%, 10 in 182) was significantly higher than the younger group under 60 years (1%, 2 in 204)(p=0.016). Third, sidedness of resection affects to operative mortality. Right pneumonectomy (6.8%, 10 in 148) showed higher operative mortality than that of left pneumonectomy (0.8%, 2 in 238)(p=0.002). The group over 60 years showed higher incidence of respiratory morbidity (11.0%, 20 in 182) than that of the group under 60 years (3.4%, 7 in 204)(p=0.005). Right pneumonectomy also showed significantly higher incidence (11.5%, 17 in 148) than that of left pneumonectomy (4.2%, 10 in 238)(p=0.008). CONCLUSION: Age and sidedness of pneumonectomy were the risk factors of operative mortality and respiratory complications. Therefore, careful selection of patients and more attention perioperatively were demanded in right pneumonectomy. However, because the operative mortality is acceptable, pneumonectomy could be done safely if the pneumonectomy is necessary for curative resection of lung cancer.
Aged ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Empyema ; Fistula ; Hemorrhage ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mortality ; Pneumonectomy* ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Edema ; Reoperation ; Risk Factors*

The management of the third molar tooth in mandibular angle fracture is still controversial. Retrospective analysis of 197 cases of mandibular angle fractures associated with third molar tooth was undertaken. Selective prophylactic extraction of the third molar teeth were undertaken in 66 cases. The third molar teeth were retained in 131 fractures. The indication of extraction of the third molar teeth in mandibular angle fracture were as follows: 1) interfering with reduction of the fracture; 2) excessive mobility; 3) exposure of tooth root due to distraction of the fracture; 4) fractured teeth; 5) severely carious tooth 6) infected supporting structure. There were no significant differences between the complication rate in the "tooth removed" group and "tooth retained" group. Complications were minimal. Therefore proper management of the third molar tooth in mandibular angle fracture will minimize complication.
Molar, Third* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tooth Root ; Tooth*

Burkholderia cepacia is a Gram-negative aerobic bacillus known to cause opportunistic infections in the immune-compromised hosts. This microorganism is strongly virulent and causes a necrotising invasive infection that may lead to death. As B. cepacia is highly resistant to various antimicrobials, combination antimicrobial therapy must be used instead of monotherapy. We report a successful treatment of lung abscess that was naturally caused by B. cepacia in a healthy child, through combination antimicrobial therapy of meropenem and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and operative management.
Bacillus ; Burkholderia cepacia* ; Burkholderia* ; Child* ; Humans ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Opportunistic Infections

Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy or pachydermoperiostosis is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by digital clubbing, pachydermia and periostosis. Its precise incidence and prevalence is still unknown due to the lack of controlled data. It occurs without any underlying causes and usually has a chronic course. Life expectancy may be of normal standards, but many patients develop multiple functional and cosmetic complications. So, it is important to diagnose this disease at an early stage and to treat the symptomat for the quality of life. We report a case of primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in a 68-year-old male with clinical features such as digital clubbing and pachydermia, radiographic findings of acroosteolysis and periosteal new bone formation.
Acro-Osteolysis ; Aged ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Expectancy ; Male ; Osteoarthropathy, Primary Hypertrophic ; Quality of Life