BACKGROUND: Esmolol is a short acting sympathetic beta receptor antagonist, and it was successfully applied to induced hypotension. Esmolol lowers blood pressure by decreasing cardiac output, and does not cause vasodilation. This property of esmolol may help to decrease bleeding during induced hypotension. In this study, we tried to elucidate the effect of esmolol on induced hypotension for total hip arthroplasty. METHOD: Twenty patients receiving total hip arthroplasty were randomly divided to two groups. Esmolol group (10 patients) received esmolol as a hypotensive agent, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) group (10 patients) received SNP as a hypotensive agent. We measured arterial blood gas analysis, vital sign, amounts of bleeding, amounts of transfusion and administered fluid, and various laboratory findings. RESULTS: Induced hypotension was successfully performed in either esmolol and SNP group. Heart rate increased by SNP, and decreased by esmolol. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in amounts of bleeding, amounts of transfusion or administered fluid, and laboratory findings. Arterial oxygen tension was relatively constant in esmolol group, but decreased in SNP group. CONCLUSION: Esmolol can be used as a single hypotensive agent during induced hypotension without significant side effects during total hip arthroplasty.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Heart Rate ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypotension* ; Nitroprusside* ; Oxygen ; Sodium* ; Vasodilation ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: The present study assessed the diagnostic significance of digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) in determining the inflammatory state of patients with nonspecific orbital inflammation. METHODS: The present study included 11 patients diagnosed with nonspecific orbital inflammation between December 2009 and March 2011 and who were followed-up for more than 6 months. All patients were all diagnosed based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance image (MRI) and tissue biopsy. The grade of eyelid swelling was classified as 5 and severe compared with the temperature of location. The temperature of the upper eyelid, caruncle, medial conjunctiva, lateral conjunctiva, lower eyelid, cornea and lateral orbit were measured with DITI. RESULTS: When comparing the normal eye with the diseased eye in patients with nonspecific orbital inflammation, the temperature of the upper eyelid and cornea were statistically significant (p = 0.003, p = 0.038, respectively, Mann-Whitney test). The correlation between the grade of eyelid swelling and the temperature of location was most highly related in the temperature of the upper eyelid (Spearman's correlation coefficient, r = 0.55, p = 0.008) and cornea (Spearman's correlation coefficient, r = 0.45, p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: DITI may aid in evaluating the inflammatory state of nonspecific orbital inflammation. In particular, the temperature of the upper eyelid and cornea can be very useful indicator. Future studies, including larger study population are necessary in order to confirm DITI as a diagnostic tool which can assess the results of medical treatment by comparing temperature before and after treatment.
Biopsy ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Eye ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Orbit

Splenosis is the autotransplantation of fragmented splenic tissue that occurs as a result of traumatic splenic rupture or a routine splenectomy. Generally, splenic implants are numerous and located within the peritoneal cavity; peritoneum, omentum and abdominal viscera, and occasionally on extra-abdominal surfaces. Splenic implants are rarely clinically significant and are incidental found during an abdominal operation, but occasionally mimics primary or metastatic tumors, as seen on radiological studies. Herein, the case of a patient in whom multiple abdominal masses were identified as splenosis, but the initial radiographic finding was that of carcinomatosis peritonei.
Autografts ; Carcinoma* ; Humans ; Omentum ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritoneum ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Rupture ; Splenosis* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Viscera

A choriocarcinoma is a rapidly invasive, widely metastatic, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-producing neoplasm, which are usually intrauterine and gestational. A primary gastric choriocarcinoma is very rare, and its pathogenesis is still uncertain. A 56-year old man presented with gastrointestinal bleeding and a gastric mass, clinically suspicious of a gastric adenocarcinoma. Thus, a radical subtotal gastrectomy and lymph node dissection, with a reconstruction, was performed. The resected specimen was found to be a Borrmann type I tumor, and a histological examination showed it to be a primary gastric choriocarcinoma, with an associated adenocarcinoma and a syncytiotrophoblast, which was immunostained by human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The serum HCG level, on the 7th postoperative day, was found to be 2, 775 mIU/ml. Chemotherapy was administered two months after surgery, as the patient refused chemotherapy during the immediate post operative period. At that time, the tumor rapidly recurred and disseminated to the liver. The patient died three months after the initial diagnosis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymph Node Excision ; Pregnancy ; Trophoblasts

A choriocarcinoma is a rapidly invasive, widely metastatic, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-producing neoplasm, which are usually intrauterine and gestational. A primary gastric choriocarcinoma is very rare, and its pathogenesis is still uncertain. A 56-year old man presented with gastrointestinal bleeding and a gastric mass, clinically suspicious of a gastric adenocarcinoma. Thus, a radical subtotal gastrectomy and lymph node dissection, with a reconstruction, was performed. The resected specimen was found to be a Borrmann type I tumor, and a histological examination showed it to be a primary gastric choriocarcinoma, with an associated adenocarcinoma and a syncytiotrophoblast, which was immunostained by human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The serum HCG level, on the 7th postoperative day, was found to be 2, 775 mIU/ml. Chemotherapy was administered two months after surgery, as the patient refused chemotherapy during the immediate post operative period. At that time, the tumor rapidly recurred and disseminated to the liver. The patient died three months after the initial diagnosis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymph Node Excision ; Pregnancy ; Trophoblasts

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of repeated sodium polynucleotide (Conjuran Ⓡ ) treatments in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: The study was conducted by retrospectively examining 45 patients who repeated the treatment course of 5 injections of Conjuran Ⓡ twice within 6 months. For each course, pain reduction by the change of 100-mm Weight-Bearing-Pain Visual-Analog-Scale was compared with before administration until 6 months after administration. Improvement by Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Patient Global Impression (PGI) were also investigated, as well as adverse reactions. Results: Pain analysis after administration of Conjuran Ⓡ confirmed that VAS decreased by 51.6% until 6 months (p＜0.001), and after that the effect was lost and was repeat for the 2 nd course. In the 2 nd , VAS continued to decrease by 58.7% compared to before the 1 st course (p＜0.001). Analysis of CGI, 88.9% of patients improved after the 1 st and 84.4% of patients improved after the 2 nd . In the PGI results, symptoms improved in 86.7% of patients after the 1 st and 82.2% after the 2 nd . No significant adverse event was reported. Conclusion The safety and efficacy results of patients receiving Conjuran Ⓡ for 2 nd treatment courses were similar to those for 1 st treatment course. In addition, the effect lasts for up to 6 months after administration, and the pain reduction effect is lost thereafter, so it is recommended to apply it at 6-month intervals if additional treatment is needed. Conjuran Ⓡ is an intra-articular injection that is effective in reducing knee pain and can be used repeatedly without adverse reactions.

BACKGROUNDAlthough surgeons may expect difficulties in performing gastrectomy on patients with high body mass index (BMI), it is not always the case, especially regarding patient gender. The aim of this study was to evaluate gender as a predictive factor of surgical outcomes related to obesity, as defined by the World Health Organization for the Asia-Pacific region.

METHODSData of short-term surgical outcomes were obtained from 243 patients following open curative distal subtotal gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma. Patients were classified into two groups by gender, and were further classified by BMI into group A (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) and group B (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)). The operation time, extent of surgical bleeding, the number of resected lymph nodes, postoperative hospital stay, serum amylase levels, white blood cell count and postoperative complications were accessed for each group.

RESULTSWithin male patients, the operation time tended to be longer in group A, albeit without statistical significance (P = 0.075). However, the extent of surgical bleeding was significantly larger in group A (P = 0.002). Within female patients, there were no such differences. When comparisons were made between male and female patients in group A, the operation time was significantly longer in male patients (P = 0.019). The extent of bleeding tended to be larger in males, albeit without statistical significance (P = 0.065). No such differences were seen when comparisons were made between male and female patients in group B.

CONCLUSIONSDisparity in surgical outcomes between male and female patients does exist, particularly in patients with high BMI. Gender adjustment of BMI must be performed when predicting surgical outcomes.

Aged ; Asia ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; complications ; Sex Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of current surface conditioning methods on the bond strength of a resin composite luting cement bonded to ceramic surfaces and to identify the optimum cement type. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sixty zirconia ceramic specimens(10 per group) with EVEREST milling machine and 60 tooth block were made. The zirconia ceramic surface was divided into two groups according to surface treatment: (1) airborne abrasion with 110micrometeraluminum oxide particles; (2) Rocatec system, tribochemical silica coating. The zirconia ceramic specimens were cemented to tooth block using resin cements. The tested resin cements were Rely X ARC, Panavia F and Superbond C and B. Each specimen was mounted in a jig of the universal testing machine for shear strength. The results were subjected to 2-way ANOVA and Post hoc tests was performed using Tukey, Scheffe, and Bonferroni test. RESULTS: The mean value of shear bond strength(MPa) were as follows: RelyXARC(+Al2O3),5.35+/-1.69; RelyXARC(+Rocatec),8.50+/-2.13; PanaviaF(+Al2O3),9.58+/-1.13; PanaviaF(+Rocatec),12.98+/-1.71; Superbond C and B(+Al2O3),8.27+/-2.04; Superbond C and B(+Rocatec),14.46+/-2.39. There was a significant increase in the shear bond strength when the ceramic surface was subjected to the tribochemical treatment(Rocatec 3M) in all cement groups(P<0.05). Bonding strengths of cements applied to samples treated with Al2O3 were compared; Rely X ARC showed the lowest values, whereas Panavia F cement showed higher value than that of Superbond C and B group with no statistical significance. When the bond strength of cements with Rocatec treatment was compared, Rely X ARC showed lowest values. Overall, it was apparent that tribochemical treated Super-Bond possessed higher mean bond strength.(14.46MPa; P<0.05) than that of Panavia F cement group with no significance. CONCLUSIONS: Silica coating followed silanization(Rocatec treatment) increase the bond strength between resin cement and zirconia ceramic. Panavia F containing phosphate monomer and Superbond C and B comprised of 4-META tend to bond chemically with zirconia ceramic, thus demonstrating higher bond strength compared to BisGMA resin cement. Superbond C and B has shown to have highest value of bonding strength to zirconia ceramic after Rocatec treatment compared to other cement.
Ceramics* ; Resin Cements* ; Shear Strength ; Silicon Dioxide ; Tooth

Background: A 35-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room with sudden dyspnea that developed one day prior. The initial Chest X-ray showed multiple bullous changes at the right middle and lower lung field and long standing fibrotic tuberculous changes at the right upper lung field. The left lung field was totally collapesed by an fibrotic old tuberculous lesion. In spite of supportive medical care with oxygen therapy after admission, the radiographic lesions were no significant change but the respiratory distress had worsend. The patient suffered respiratory failure and receive mechanical ventilatory support. The HRCT showed a localized tension pneumothorax mimicking multiple giant bullae at the right lower lung field. Immediately after a closed thoracostomy with a 32 French chest tube and air drainage, her vital signs and dyspnea were gradually improved. The patient was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation after 5 days of mechanical ventilatory support. The patient had receive talc pleurodesis through a chest tube to prevent the recurrence of the life-threatening localized pneumothorax. The patient was discharged without recurrence of the pneumothorax.
Adult ; Chest Tubes ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Oxygen ; Pleurodesis ; Pneumothorax* ; Recurrence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Talc ; Thoracostomy ; Thorax ; Vital Signs