PURPOSE: Liver transplantation (LT) is regarded as an important management option for fulminant hepatitis (FH), which is associated with considerable mortality under conservative management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of children with FH according to management. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients presented with FH from January 1994 until April 1999. The children were grouped according to the treatment. Group A was classified for supportive treatment only and group B for supportive treatment plus LT. Children were considered as candidates for LT if the level of factor V decreased to below 20% of normal or the patient's condition deteriorated despite intensive care during the initial 48 hours. Underlying disease, duration after jaundice, grade of encephalopathy, laboratory findings, treatment and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The study group comprised 7 females and 8 males aged from 8 months to 15 years old (median age of 4 years). The causes of FH were Wilson disease (4 cases), Epstein-Barr virus infection (1 case), drug (1 case) and idiopathic (9 cases). There were 5 children in group A and 10 in group B, and there were no significant differences in age, sex ratio, underlying diseases, grade of hepatic encephalopathy and laboratory findings between the two groups. One out of 5 in group A and 9 out of 10 in group B survived. But all the children in group A who met the criteria for LT and received only supportive care died. One out of 10 in group B died because of grade IVa hepatic encephalopathy which advanced to brainstem herniation. CONCLUSION: This study showed that patients who were managed with supportive care only, although LT was indicated, died and that 9 out of 10 who received LT survived. Therefore, we suggest LT should be considered in the management of FH.
Adolescent ; Brain Stem ; Child* ; Factor V ; Female ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Jaundice ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Sex Ratio

Spinal cysticercosis is a very uncommon manifestation of neurocysticercosis which is caused by the larvae of Taenia solium. However, it can develop as a primary infection through blood stream or direct larval migration. It can result in high recurrence and severe neurologic morbidity if not treated appropriately. We report the case of a 43-year-old woman who presented with severe lower back pain and left leg radiating pain in recent 2 weeks. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) of lumbar spine demonstrated extruded disc at the L5-S1 level combined with intradural extramedullary cystic lesion. We performed the open lumbar microdiscectomy (OLM) at L5-S1 on the left with total excision of cystic mass. After surgery, the patient showed an improvement of previous symptoms. Diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination as intradural extramedullary cysticercosis. We discuss clinical features, diagnostic screening, and treatment options of spinal cysticercosis.
Adult ; Cysticercosis ; Female ; Humans ; Larva ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Screening ; Neurocysticercosis ; Recurrence ; Rivers ; Spine ; Taenia solium

BACKGROUND: The disposable patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) devices are convenient for portability and management. An ideal PCA can be developed as an electronic device with various functions of safety and control. Recently, Accumate 1000(R) was developed as an electronic pump in Korea, and has passed the relevant laboratory criteria of safety and efficacy. We conducted a clinical study on the safety and efficacy when the device is applied to patients. METHODS: Fentanyl 1,500microgram, ketorolac 180 mg, and ondansetron 8 mg were used for PCA. Continuous infusion rate, bolus dose, and lockout time were set at 1 ml/h, 1 ml, and 15 min, respectively. Fifty patients were monitored for 48 h. The safety of Accumate 1000(R) was evaluated by backflow and siphonage, auto-clamp function, and lockout time intraoperatively. The efficacy was evaluated by the accuracy of bolus and total infused dose, and the satisfaction rates of patients and users. RESULTS: Backflow and siphonage did not occur, and the auto-clamp function was excellent. There was no bolus infusion during lockout time, and the bolus dose was infused accurately after lockout time. For the accuracy of the total infused dose, the mean and median value of performance error between the infused and target doses were -0.55%, and -0.29%, respectively. Noise, button sense, and convenience of cable were rated as satisfactory by 90%, 78%, and 84%, of patients respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The safety and efficacy of Accumate 1000(R) were established by clinical trial. We can provide patients with the more precise and optimal analgesia. The history of drug infusion can be used as research data.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Ketorolac ; Korea ; Noise ; Ondansetron ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis

BACKGROUND: The interest of patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries has been increased since 1960. From the year 1973, the syndrome representing these characteristics has been classified as syndrome X. Treadmill test and exercise TI-201 SPECT are important in the diagnosis of syndrome X. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical value of exercise TI-201 SPECT and the difference of clinical characteristics between exercise TI-201 SPECT positive(Group A) and negative (Group B) in patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram. METHODS: Twenty seven patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram underwent echocardiogram and exercise TI-201 SPECT. Patients received 2 mCi of thallium intravenously during exercise, redistribution images were performed 4 hour later and second dose of 1 mCi of thallium was injected at rest immediately thereafter. These three sets of image(stress, redistribution and reinjection) were analyzed. RESULTS: 1) 12 of 16 patients in Group A, none of 11 patients were positive on exercise treadmill test(p<0.005). 2) The incidence of systemic hypertension in Group A was significant greater than Group B(p<0.05). 3) The left ventricular end diastolic pressure was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The exercise TI-201 SPECT is a useful method to evaluate the patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram and the reversible perfusion defects on the exercise TI-201 SPECT might be related to systemic hypertension and elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure.
Blood Pressure ; Chest Pain* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Perfusion ; Thallium ; Thorax* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cervical midline-splitting French-door laminoplasty with a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) plate. The authors retrospectively analyzed the results of patients with cervical laminoplasty miniplate (MAXPACER(R)) without bone grafts in multilevel cervical stenosis. METHODS: Fifteen patients (13 males and 2 females, mean age 50.0 years (range 35-72)) with multilevel cervical stenosis (ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and cervical spondylotic myelopathy) underwent a combined surgery of midline-splitting French-door laminoplasty with or without mini plate. All 15 patients were followed for at least 12 months (mean follow-up 13.3 months) after surgery, and a retrospective review of the clinical, radiological and surgical data was conducted. RESULTS: The radiographic results showed a significant increase over the postoperative period in anterior-posterior diameter (9.4+/-2.2 cm to 16.2+/-1.1 cm), open angles in cervical lamina (46.5+/-16.0degrees to 77.2+/-13.1degrees), and sectional volume of cervical central canal (100.5+/-0.7 cm2 to 146.5+/-4.9 cm2) (p<0.001). The sagittal alignment of the cervical spine was well preserved (31.7+/-10.0degrees to 31.2+/-7.6degrees, p=0.877) during the follow-up period. The clinical results were successful, and there were no significant intraoperative complications except for screw displacement in two cases. The mini plate constructs did not fail during the 12 month follow-up period, and the decompression was maintained. CONCLUSION: Despite the small cohort and short follow-up duration, the present study demonstrated that combined cervical expansive laminoplasty using the mini plate is an effective treatment for multilevel cervical stenosis.
Cohort Studies ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Ether* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Spondylosis* ; Transplants

The authors have experienced two cases of general anesthesia for patients of congenital esophageal atresia with tracheo-esophageal fistula. Of great importance in anesthetic management is preventing pulmonary complications before or during operation as well as post-operation. Survival rates mostly depend upon the early diagnosis and abscence of pulmonary complications which are the most common cause of high death rates. Meticulous care of the patients to keep on airway, clearing of bronchial secreations, maintaining normal body temperature and humidity are very important in management of anesthesia. To avoid gastric distension, careful inflation of the lungs during opened chest has been recommended. Also intermittent positive pressure ventilation during the repair may be required.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Body Temperature ; Early Diagnosis ; Esophageal Atresia ; Esophageal Fistula* ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Humidity ; Inflation, Economic ; Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation ; Lung ; Mortality ; Survival Rate ; Thorax

The purpose of this report is to present the results of clinical observations on the surgical treatment of 26 patients (16 male, 10 female) with intractable pain during the period from May, 1960 to April, 1972 at the Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital. Age at the time of operation raged from 27 to 69 years. Duration of the pain from the onset to surgery was less than one year in most of the cases. The most common causes of the pain were the pelvic malignancies, lung cancer, and metastatic spine tumors in the order. In 20 cases of anterolateral cordotomies, the main complications were urinary retention, ipsilateral motor weakness, and decubitus. The high cervical cordotomy produced high analgesic level and less dropping of established analgesic level postoperatively. Posterior rhizotomy for intercostal neuralgia and a case of thoracic commissurotomy for intramedullary tumor were of gratifying result. The higher the pain located, the longer the pain existed, the operation was less likely to relieve the pain. High cervical cordotomy seems to be superior to high thoracic cordotomy even in the pain of leg, when it is considered in the respect of the high analgesic level, the lack of "island" of pain, and technical easiness.
Cordotomy ; Humans ; Leg ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Neuralgia ; Neurosurgery ; Pain, Intractable* ; Rage ; Rhizotomy ; Seoul ; Spine ; Urinary Retention

PURPOSE: To minimize hypertrophic scar, contraction and color mismatch on 2nd degree burn wound, the choosing of dressing method is one of the major considerations. We report the result which is performed treatment using cultured allogenic keratinocyte (Kaloderm(R)) for 2nd degree burn patients who did not want to operation. METHODS: From February 2010 to April 2011, we treated 12 patients who suffered from 2nd degree burn using cultured allogenic keratinocyte (Kaloderm(R)). We followed up the degree of epithelization and scar formation. Average follow-up time was 7.8 months (2~16 months). RESULTS: Almost wound was healed without any complication. Epithelization of wound look an average 12.9 days after Kaloderm(R) application. We conducted split-thickness skin graft in 2 patients additionally. There were no severe hypertrophic scar, contraction and color mismatch. CONCLUSION: Using cultured allogenic keratinocyte (Kaloderm(R)) for 2nd degree burn patients is simple, effective method. It can be one of alternative treatments for 2nd degree burn patients.
Bandages ; Burns ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Contracts ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Skin ; Transplants

Repair of nasal septal perforation is a challenging problem to surgeons. Many surgical techniques which were reported through many literatures did not show high success rate constantly. The aim of this study was to examine the surgical technique of sandwich graft using inferior turbinate mucoperiosteal free graft and ear cartilage via open rhinoplasty approach. MATERIAL & METHODS: From May 2008 to December 2010, 7 patients who were suffered from nasal septal perforation underwent sandwich graft using ear cartilage and inferior turbinate mucoperiosteal free graft via open rhinoplasty approach. RESULTS: Mean age was 45+/-10.1 years (28~60 years old). We followed up 7 patients for 2 months after the surgery. Six of the 7 patients had a complete closure and one patient achieved incomplete closure. One patient who had incomplete closure was treated by primary closure again. CONCLUSIONS: Sandwich graft of inferior turbinate mucoperiosteal free graft and ear cartilage via open rhinoplasty approach showed high success rate and relatively easy surgical technique.
Ear ; Ear Cartilage ; Humans ; Nasal Septal Perforation ; Rhinoplasty ; Transplants ; Turbinates

BACKGROUND: The whistle deformity is one of the common sequelae of secondary cleft lip deformities. Santos reported using a crossed-denuded flap for primary cleft lip repair to prevent a vermilion notching. The authors modified this technique to correct the whistle deformity, calling their version the cross-muscle flap. METHODS: From May 2005 to January 2011, 14 secondary unilateral cleft lip patients were treated. All suffered from a whistle deformity, which is characterized by the deficiency of the central tubercle, notching in the upper lip, and bulging on the lateral segment. The mean age of the patients was 13.8 years and the mean follow-up period was 21.8 weeks. After elevation from the lateral vermilion and medial tubercle, two muscle flaps were crossed and turned over. The authors measured the three vertical heights and compared the two height ratios before and after surgery for evaluation of the postoperative results. RESULTS: None of the patients had any notable complications and the whistle deformity was corrected in all cases. The vertical height ratios at the midline on the upper lip and the affected Cupid's bow point were increased (P<0.05). The motion of the upper lip was acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: A cross muscle flap is simple and it leaves a minimal scar on the lip. We were able to reconstruct the whistle deformity in secondary unilateral cleft lip patients with a single state procedure using a cross-muscle flap.
Cicatrix ; Cleft Lip ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lip ; Muscles ; Singing ; Surgical Flaps