No abstract available.
Electrocardiography* ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation*

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized noninferiority trial. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether the union rate of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage filled with a mixture of hydroxyapatite (HA) and demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is inferior to that of a mixture of beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and HA. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: There have been no clinical trials investigating the outcomes of a mixture of HA and DBM in a PEEK cage in ACDF. METHODS: Eighty-five eligible patients were randomly assigned to group B (n=43), in which a PEEK cage with a mixture of HA and DBM was used, or group C (n=42), in which a PEEK cage with a mixture of HA and beta-TCP was used. The primary study endpoint was the fusion rate, which was assessed with dynamic radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans. Secondary endpoints included pain intensity using a visual analogue scale, functional outcome using a neck disability index score, laboratory tests of inflammatory profiles, and the infection rate. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients (38 in group B and 39 in group C) were included in the final analysis. One year postoperatively, bone fusion was achieved in 87% of group B patients and 87% of group C patients on dynamic radiographs, and 87% of group B patients and 72% of group C patients on CT scans (p=1.00 and 0.16, respectively). There were also no between-groups differences with respect to the secondary endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: A HA/DBM mixture inside a PEEK cage can provide noninferior outcomes compared to a HA/TCP mixture in ACDF.
Bone Matrix* ; Diskectomy* ; Durapatite ; Humans ; Hydroxyapatites ; Neck ; Prospective Studies* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Direct carotid cavernous fistula (CCF), which is an abnormal communication between the intracavernous carotid artery and the cavernous sinus, is a very rare condition that is generally associated with head trauma, intracavernous aneurysms, and certain connective-tissue diseases. The case of a patient with an infarction in the anterior choroidal artery territory is described herein. Cerebral angiography was performed during consecutive workups to investigate the discrepancy between the magnetic resonance angiography data. An unexpected direct CCF of the ipsilateral side of the infarction was found. It is possible that the CCF had influenced the development of the infarction in the anterior choroidal artery territory.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Carotid Arteries ; Cavernous Sinus ; Caves ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cerebral Infarction ; Choroid ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Fistula ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Direct carotid cavernous fistula (CCF), which is an abnormal communication between the intracavernous carotid artery and the cavernous sinus, is a very rare condition that is generally associated with head trauma, intracavernous aneurysms, and certain connective-tissue diseases. The case of a patient with an infarction in the anterior choroidal artery territory is described herein. Cerebral angiography was performed during consecutive workups to investigate the discrepancy between the magnetic resonance angiography data. An unexpected direct CCF of the ipsilateral side of the infarction was found. It is possible that the CCF had influenced the development of the infarction in the anterior choroidal artery territory.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Carotid Arteries ; Cavernous Sinus ; Caves ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cerebral Infarction ; Choroid ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Fistula ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Background: and Purpose: Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is an underdiagnosed condition in children, and its assessment tools have focused on older children. We aimed to develop a parental questionnaire for cerebral visual impairment (PQCVI) for screening CVI in young children. Methods: The PQCVI comprised 23 questions based on a modified version of Houliston and Dutton’s questionnaire for older children. The PQCVI with neurocognitive function tests was applied to 201 child–parent pairs with typically developing children younger than 72 months (age 32.4±20.1 months, mean±standard deviation). The children were classified into six age groups. The normative data, cutoff scores, and internal reliability were assessed and item analysis was performed. We referred to the total score for all questions as the cerebral visual function (CVF) score. Results: The normative data showed that the CVF score and the scores corresponding to ventral-stream and dorsal-stream visual functions plausibly increased with age. The scores rapidly reached 90% of their maximum values up to the age of 36 months, after which they increased slowly. Cronbach’s alpha for all questions across all age groups was 0.97, showing excellent consistency. The item difficulty and item discrimination coefficients showed that the questions were generally adequate for this age stage. Conclusions The PQCVI items produced reliable responses in children younger than 72 months. The rapid increase in scores before the age of 3 years supports the importance of early identification of CVI. Following additional clinical verification, the PQCVI may be useful for CVI screening.

Background: and Purpose: Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is an underdiagnosed condition in children, and its assessment tools have focused on older children. We aimed to develop a parental questionnaire for cerebral visual impairment (PQCVI) for screening CVI in young children. Methods: The PQCVI comprised 23 questions based on a modified version of Houliston and Dutton’s questionnaire for older children. The PQCVI with neurocognitive function tests was applied to 201 child–parent pairs with typically developing children younger than 72 months (age 32.4±20.1 months, mean±standard deviation). The children were classified into six age groups. The normative data, cutoff scores, and internal reliability were assessed and item analysis was performed. We referred to the total score for all questions as the cerebral visual function (CVF) score. Results: The normative data showed that the CVF score and the scores corresponding to ventral-stream and dorsal-stream visual functions plausibly increased with age. The scores rapidly reached 90% of their maximum values up to the age of 36 months, after which they increased slowly. Cronbach’s alpha for all questions across all age groups was 0.97, showing excellent consistency. The item difficulty and item discrimination coefficients showed that the questions were generally adequate for this age stage. Conclusions The PQCVI items produced reliable responses in children younger than 72 months. The rapid increase in scores before the age of 3 years supports the importance of early identification of CVI. Following additional clinical verification, the PQCVI may be useful for CVI screening.

The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases has been regularly developing guidelines for adult immunization since 2007. In 2023, the guidelines for the following seven vaccines were revised: influenza, herpes zoster, pneumococcal, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal, and rabies vaccines. For the influenza vaccine, a recommendation for enhanced vaccines for the elderly was added. For the herpes zoster vaccine, a recommendation for the recombinant zoster vaccine was added. For the pneumococcal vaccine, the current status of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and 20-valent PCV was described. For the Tdap vaccine, the possibility of using Tdap instead of tetanus-diphtheria vaccine was described. For the HPV vaccine, the expansion of the eligible age for vaccination was described. For the meningococcal vaccine, a recommendation for the meningococcal B vaccine was added. For the rabies vaccine, the number of pre-exposure prophylaxis doses was changed. This manuscript documents the summary and rationale of the revisions for the seven vaccines. For the vaccines not mentioned in this manuscript, the recommendations in the 3rd edition of the Vaccinations for Adults textbook shall remain in effect.