PURPOSE: Misdiagnosis is frequent in femoral hernia as inguinal hernia. The aims of this study were to examine the diagnostic concordance and to define the factors having influence on the correct diagnosis of femoral hernia. METHODS: Thirty-two patients who underwent femoral hernia operations were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age of the study subjects was 65.8+/-15.5 (36~97) and the female to male ratio was 5.4:1. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 19.8 kg/m2 (14.6~26.9 kg/m2). Twelve patients (37.5%) showed pre- and post-operative diagnostic concordance and 20 patients (62.5%) did not. Among the 20 misdiagnosed cases, 16 cases were misdiagnosed as inguinal hernia, 2 cases as lipoma, and 1 case as lymphadenopathy. The factors related to the correct diagnosis of femoral hernias were associated with groin mass (96.9%, 31/32: 23 painless and 8 painful), size fluctuation of mass (cyclic wax and wane pattern) (84.4%, 27/32), long duration of mass (over 1 month) (75.0%, 24/32), femoral venous compression CT findings (63.6%, 14/22), and positive ultrasonographic findings (42.1%, 8/19). Emergency operation was done in 12 cases (37.5%). Incarceration was found in 23 cases (71.9%) and most of the incarcerated organs were omental fat (11 cases) and small bowel (10 cases). Bowel resection was done in 4 cases and 2 patients combined inguinal hernia. CONCLUSION: Through the careful taking of medical history and physical examination, physicians can achieve the correct diagnosis and can also decrease the frequency of emergency operations and their related complications.
Body Mass Index ; Diagnostic Errors ; Emergencies ; Female ; Groin ; Hernia, Femoral ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Lipoma ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Physical Examination

OBJECTIVE: Treatment for symptomatic lumbar stenosis is usually surgical decompression and additional global fusion is recommended for patients with segmental instability. The aim of this article is to evaluate that degeneration degree of the disc and facet joint could be the indicator of judgment for segmental instability. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 84 patients who underwent surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. Patients in Group 1(30 patients) with radiological instability underwent decompression with global fusion, patients in Group 2(54 patients) without radiological instability underwent decompression with global fusion or decompression only according to the existence and nonexistence of clinical instability. Magnetic resonance images were used to assess the disc degeneration from Grade I(normal) to Grade V(advanced) and the facet joints degeneration from Grade 0(normal) to Grade 3(advanced). All patients were checked with the simple X-ray stress view and evaluated. RESULTS: Severity of the disc degeneration had no significant association with the segmental instability, and no correlation with the facet joint degeneration. Severity of facet joint degeneration had significant correlation with the radiological instability. The segmental instability was increased with increasing severity of facet joint degeneration, especially tran slation. There was a significant association between facet joint degeneration and clinical instability. The facet joint degeneration was increased in patients with clinical instability. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the facet joint degeneration may be the useful indicator of judgment for segmental instability
Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Decompression, Surgical ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Judgment ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis ; Zygapophyseal Joint

The authors report two cases of giant cell tumor in the lumbar spine. Giant cell tumor in the spine is histologically malignant tumor and recurrence is often even after the surgical excision. Two case of spinal giant cell tumor received total excision of the tumor with wide fixation. We have been following up and observing the two cases of patients with surgically treated giant cell tumor. From the two cases of experience, we could not find any recurrence of the tumor after operation and got the good clinical result with anterior and posterior fixation.
Giant Cell Tumors ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Spine*

"The prenatal diagnosis of spine bifida include the combined use of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) screening and fetal sonography. Sonographically, spina bifida is characterized by direct signs of the visualization of the spinal defect, and indirect signs of the cranial markers : the lemon sign, the banana sign, and ventriculomegaly. These ultrasonographic signs are more accurate in defining the cranial malformations associated with spina bifida than evaluation of the spine. Recently, three cases of spina bifida which was diagnosed as ""splaying"" of the posterior ossification centers, meningomyelocele sac at the lumbosacral area, lemon sign, banana sign and ventriculomegaly by ultrasonography at 21+2 gestational weeks in a 32 years old nullipara, at 21+2 gestational weeks in a 26 years old nullipara, at 23+6 gestational weeks in a 26 years old multipara were experienced at our department. We present this cases with a brief review of literatures"
Adult ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Meningomyelocele ; Musa ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Spinal Dysraphism* ; Spine ; Ultrasonography

Reports of bowing and pseudarthrosis of the humerus and clavicle are rare. Most patients with congenital pseudoarthrosis of the clavicle involving the right side and midportion of clavicle tended to heal better than congenital pseudoarthrosis of the tibia. We experienced a patient who had special features in terms of location, pseudoarthrosis pattern, and neurofibromatosis, and report on this case here.
Clavicle* ; Humans ; Humerus ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Pseudarthrosis* ; Tibia

We report a case of a ventral foramen magnum meningioma in a 73-year-old woman presenting with swallowing difficulty, posterior neck pain, gaiting difficulty, progressive motor and sensory deficits in all extemities, and intrinsic muscle atrophy in both hands. Magnetic resonace imaging revealed a huge mass, 4x4x4.5cm in size, located in anterior foramen magnum. We removed the mass by partial condylectomy via far lateral transcondylar approach without neurological deficit and postoperative craniovertebral instability.
Aged ; Deglutition ; Female ; Foramen Magnum* ; Gait ; Hand ; Humans ; Meningioma* ; Muscular Atrophy ; Neck Pain

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical feature and the results of the treatment of Lisfranc joint fracture/dislocation with limited open reduction, pin fixation and Ilizarov external fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2001 to May 2003, six patients with Lisfranc fracture/dislocation were treated. The average periods of follow-up was 23 months. After limited open reduction on the second tarso-metatarsal joint, we performed pin fixation of the above joint. On the other Lisfranc joint fracture/dislocation, closed reduction and the application of Ilizarov external fixator was done. This rigid system produced the early partial weight bearing and joint motion of the injured foot and ankle joint. The parameters used were radiographic evaluation, patient's clinical assesment and the AOFAS midfoot score. RESULTS: We used the Myerson's criterier to evaluate the radiographic result. All cases could be achieved more than nearly anatomical reduction. Three cases of excellent and 3 cases of good result could be obtained in the evaluation of the patient's clinical assesment. The average AOFAS midfoot score was 87.2 (76~95) points. CONCLUSION: The treatment using Ilizarov external fixation on Lisfranc joint fracture/dislocation can be another useful method.
Ankle Joint ; Dislocations* ; Equidae ; External Fixators ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Joints* ; Weight-Bearing

OBJECTIVE: Although there is no consensus on the ideal treatment of the craniocervical instability, biomechanical stabilization and bone fusion can be induced through occipito-cervical fusion (OCF). The authors conducted this study to evaluate efficacy of OCF, as well as to explore methods in reducing complications. METHODS: A total of 16 cases with craniocervical instability underwent OCF since the year 2002. The mean age of the patients was 51.5 years with a mean follow-up period of 34.9 months. The subjects were compared using lateral X-ray taken before the operation, after the operation, and during last follow-up. The Nurick score was used to assess neurological function pre and postoperatively. RESULTS: All patients showed improvements in myelopathic symptoms after the operation. The mean preoperative Nurick score was 3.1. At the end of follow-up after surgery, the mean Nurick score was 2.0. After surgery, most patients' posterior occipito-cervical angle entered the normal range as the pre operation angle decresed from 121 to 114 degree. There were three cases with complications, such as, vertebral artery injury, occipital screw failure and wound infection. In two cases with cerebral palsy, occipital screw failures occurred. But, reoperation was performed in one case. CONCLUSION: OCF is an effective method in treating craniocervical instability. However, the complication rate can be quite high when performing OCF in patients with cerebral palsy, rheumatoid arthritis. Much precaution should be taken when performing this procedure on high risk patients.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Atlanto-Occipital Joint ; Cerebral Palsy ; Consensus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications ; Reference Values ; Reoperation ; Vertebral Artery ; Wound Infection

The common arterial trunk is a congenital cardiovascular malformation in which one arterial trunk gives origin to the aortic arch, pulmonary and coronary arteries. Other cardiovascular malformations are often associated, such as ventricular septal defect, aortic arch interruption, patent arterial duct and so on. During the early period of life, the persistence of the increased pulmonary arteriolar resistance results in cyanosis. As the pulmonary vascular resistance decreases, the cyanosis disappears but signs of congestive heart failure become the main problems. We report five cases of common arterial trunk that was confirmed by autopsy at Chungnam National University Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, and Yonsei University Severance Hospital between 1983 and 1995. The ages of these patients at autopsy were 8-28 days and four of them were male. Pulmonary arteries arose as a pulmonary trunk in two cases but three cases showed two arteries arising separately from the posterior wall of the common trunk. The type of ventricular septal defect was juxtatruncal in every case. All five cases had three leaflet truncal valves but three cases showed dysplasia of the leaflets. Interruption of aortic arch was associated in two cases. The cause of death was renal failure in two cases, cardiac failure after corrective surgery in two cases, and pulmonary edema and failure in one case.

Globally, cancer research has been considered one of the most important field of biomedical researches. Recently, in Korea, there are increasing concerns about cancer research and the development of national cancer control programme. For the efficient investment in cancer research at the national level, strategic approach is needed based on the nationwide information about current status of research. However even the basic data on cancer research have not been systematically collected, and are not available when necessary. The aim of this study is to assess current status of cancer research. For this purpose, this study applied two round Delphi method in which fifteen experts in cancer research fields participated. They rated each items on the initial list at the first round, and modified their responses at the second round. Panels responded that pathogenesis of cancer, research and development of cancer drug, and oncogene, etc. are the most urgent and important research fields. They assessed national level of cancer research as being 49.6% of the world highest level. Coefficient of variation tended to be lowered with the iteration. Predictive stability was evaluated to be lower in items of urgency than in items of importance and research level. Although this study shares the same limitations in the selection of the experts with many other Delphi studies, it provides a primary data that would be required to plan the national strategy of the cancer research.
Delphi Technique ; Forecasting ; Investments ; Korea ; Oncogenes ; Technology Assessment, Biomedical