The authors present the one case of a 22-year-old man admitted with intermittent quadriparesis and respiratory difficulty. On investigation, atlantoaxial instability and upper cervical cord compression due to abnormal soft tissue were revealed. We have performed transoral decompression and biopsy, and then posterior transarticular facet screw fixation with interspinous wiring and fusion. We could obtain immediate and long-term postoperative stability with Philadelphia collar only. The pathologic examination reveald connective soft tissue hypertrophy due to chronic mechanical irritation.
Biopsy ; Decompression* ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Quadriplegia ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of the change in medial rectus resection amount caused by traction with muscle hooks on surgical results in exotropia. METHODS: In this prospective study 38 exotropia patients underwent unilateral lateral rectus recession-medial rectus resection (R & R). After isolation of the medial rectus muscle, the length of the muscle was measured with a muscle hook, and the portion to be resected was marked using gentian violet stain with calipers. After the medial rectus was retracted with two muscle hooks in either direction, its length was measured again with the calipers. Group 1 includes the patients with the planned resection amount changed to a more 0.5-1.0 mm when the rectus muscle was retracted, while group 2 did not change with the second muscle hook. The surgical results were compared between the 2 groups at postoperative 6 months. RESULTS: Mean resection amount was changed from 5.07 +/- 0.76 mm to 5.36 +/- 0.73 mm after pulling the second muscle hook. Sixteen patients (42.1%) were included in group 1 and 22 patients (57.9%) in group 2. There was no significant statistical difference in mean preoperative and postoperative deviated angle between the two groups. Success rates defined as the ocular alignment within +/- 10 PD in the primary position at postoperative 6 months were 75.0% in group 1 and 86.3% in group 2, which is not stastistically different (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Medial rectus resection amounts can be changed with the muscle traction with two muscle hooks, which induced the planned amount of resection less than first measured resection amount. However, there was little influence on surgical outcomes from the change occurred to a maximum 1 mm in resection measurement due to traction with two muscle hooks.
Exotropia ; Gentian Violet ; Humans ; Muscles ; Prospective Studies ; Strabismus ; Traction

PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in muscle length when retracting the extraocular rectus muscle with muscle hooks during strabismus surgery. METHODS: Forty-four rectus muscles of 42 patients consecutively resected in two hospitals (A, B) were included in this study. After isolation of the rectus muscle, the length of the muscle was recorded and the portion to be resected was marked using gentian violet stain on the tip of calipers. After the rectus muscle was retracted with two muscle hooks in either direction, its length was measured again with the calipers. RESULTS: The length of the rectus muscle was not changed by retraction in 25 of 44 muscles (56.8%). The length of the muscle was changed by 0.5 mm in 13 muscles (29.5%) and by 1mm in six muscles (13.6%). Changes of rectus muscle length over 0.5 mm were observed in 15 of 27 muscles of patients treated at hospital A (55.5%) and four of 17 muscles of patients treated at hospital B (23.5%). The results for the two hospitals were significantly different (p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Small errors in measurement can occur when muscle resections are performed during strabismus surgery. Institutional or clinician related factors may explain variations in error rates between hospitals.
Gentian Violet ; Humans ; Muscles ; Strabismus ; Traction

This study analyzed 88 patients who sustained a cervical spine injury during the past 4 years(Jan, 1993-May, 1996) in whom had 33 anterior, 21 posterior interventions were underwent and 34 remaining patients recieved conservative treatment with halovest. In 45 cases of upper cervical injuries, 16 operations were done. Among these, anterior approach was used in 3 patients and posterior approach in 13 patients. In 43 cases of lower cervical injuries, 39 operations were done. The anterior approach was used in 30 patients, posterior approach in 9 patients, and bilateral approached in remaing 4 cases. For patients with a predominent posterior ligamentous or osteoligamentous lesion, we selected anterior approach, when closed reduction was possible. Whenever the facet joint remained interlocked, a posterior approach was chosen. This report does not mentioned priority of anterior procedure at any case. Although clinical experience does not support the experimental data, we examined the reliability of anterior approach with use of internal fixation.
Humans ; Ligaments ; Spine* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Atlato-axial instability is a serious condition that often requires operation. Atlanto-axial subluxation may cause severe symptoms; and threaten the intergrity of the spinal cord, leading to quadriplegia or sudden death. A techique of combining C1-C2 posterior screw fixation with a supplemental bone wire fusion has been advocated for the management of atlantoaxial instability. It was used in 9 patients with this disorder. Patients ages ranged from 20 years to 52 years; follow-up period ranged from 3 to 16 months with a mean of 9.8 months. All nine patients gained immediate rigid fixation of C1,2 with this technique. Of these 9 patients, instability occurred due to trauma in seven, os odotoideum in one and os odontoideum with trauma in another one. One patient was presented with nonunion and C1,2 instability after a Halovest applications a result of type II odontoid fracture. All 9 patients were placed in a philedelphia collar for 12weeks and all achieved solid fusion. Posterior atlantoaxial facet screw fixation provides immediate multidirectional rigid fixation of C1,2 and is mechanically superior to siring or clamp fixation. This technique maximizes success without the need for a supplemental rigid external orthosis.
Bone Wires ; Death, Sudden ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Orthotic Devices ; Quadriplegia ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Fusion ; Transplants*

The following is the authors' case report of a 24-year-old man with solitary osteochondroma on the C1 posteior arch. The patient experienced an acute onset of cervical cord compression symptome after rotation injury. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging and cervical computed tomography reveald extensive extradural cervical spinal cord compression. As a result surgical removal of osteochondroma was performed. Osteochondroma is a rare cause of spinal pathology and neurological dysfunction. The above case of cervical osteochondroma with spinal cord compression is reported and the patholgical, clinical and radiological features are discussed with brief review of the literature.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osteochondroma* ; Pathology ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Young Adult

We managed a 27-year-old woman, who suffered from a type II odontoid fracture, with a halo-vest. After 12 weeks, we confirmed bony fusion on cervical spine CT and managed her with a neck collar. During the OPD follow up, we checked the cervical spine film every 1 month. After two and half months, displaced odontoid process was noted on routine cervical film, and a bony gap was found at the previous fracture wite on cervical spine CT. There is only one report in the literlature describing a nonunion after radiographically confirmed healing of a type II odontoid fracture. We report this case in order to emphasize the importance of scheduled follow up examination and evaluate precipitating factors of delayed nonunion of odontoid fracture.
Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neck ; Odontoid Process ; Precipitating Factors ; Spine

PURPOSE: Organophosphate insecticide poisoning is common in Korea, but there is no definitive guideline for determining the severity of the poisoning and the predictive factors. Therefore, we evaluated the organophosphate poisoned patients and we divided them into two groups, the survivors and the dead, and the results might be useful for treating organophosphate poisoning patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 68 organophosphate poisoned patients who visited the Chosun University Hospital Emergency Medical Center during a 24-month period from January, 2007 to December, 2008. We made a work sheet of the patients' characteristics and the collected data was analyzed and we compared this data between the survivor group and the dead patient group. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the survivor group and the dead patient group for the mean age, the alcohol intake state and the typically expressed signs. The dead patients had lower blood pressure, tachycardia and a lower Glasgo Coma Score (GCS) score than the survivor group. On the arterial blood gas analysis, the dead patients had more severe acidemia and they had lower saturations. Increased serum amylase levels were found in the dead patients. The survivors' initial and follow up serum pseudocholinesterase activity (after 6~8 days) was significantly higher than that of the dead group. The total amount of atropine injected to patient was less in the survivors than that in the dead patients. CONCLUSION: Old age and expressing the typical intoxication signs, a lower GCS score and blood pressure, showing acidosis on the gas analysis and low serum cholinesterase activity may be useful as poor prognostic indicators for patients with organophosphate poisoning. We suggest that physicians must pay careful attention to the signs and prognostic factors of organophosphate insecticide poisoned patients.
Acidosis ; Amylases ; Atropine ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Cholinesterases ; Coma ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Organophosphate Poisoning ; Pseudocholinesterase ; Retrospective Studies ; Survivors ; Tachycardia

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare disease characterized by fibroinflammatory tissue in the periaortic or periiliac retroperitoneum, where it frequently encases ureters. There is emerging evidence that a subset of this disease is part of a spectrum of multisystemic autoimmune diseases collectively referred to as “immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease”. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 27 idiopathic RPF patients and identified a subset as IgG4-related RPF, which we categorized according to recently published comprehensive diagnostic criteria. We compared clinical and laboratory characteristics and response to treatment between the two groups. RESULTS: Of 27 total patients, 16 (59.3%) were diagnosed as having IgG4-related RPF, and these were predominantly male. They were also significantly older and more likely to have other organ involvement, hydronephrosis, and postrenal acute kidney injury (AKI) compared to those with idiopathic RPF. However, there was no difference in response rate to systemic steroid treatment. CONCLUSION: IgG4-related RPF accounts for a substantial portion of RPF cases previously identified as “idiopathic RPF” in Korea. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of IgG4-related RPF are similar to those of idiopathic RPF except for a striking male predominance, older age, and higher incidence of postrenal AKI in IgG4-related RPF. More comprehensive, prospective studies are needed to clearly distinguish IgG4-related RPF from idiopathic RPF based on clinical manifestation and to further assess treatment response and long-term prognosis.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Immunoglobulins ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Rare Diseases ; Retroperitoneal Fibrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Strikes, Employee ; Ureter