STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the outcomes of degenerative lumbar spine surgery in patients undergoing hemodialysis due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Patients who undergo hemodialysis due to chronic renal disease tend to exhibit accelerated changes in bone quality, deterioration of spinal stenosis, and accompanying neurological degeneration. The surgical treatment of chronic spinal diseases is also becoming more necessary with the increased lifespan of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and radiographs of patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis who were followed-up for more than 1 year after posterior lumbar spinal surgery. We evaluated clinical, laboratory, and radiologic variables. For a comparative analysis, patients were classified into subgroups according to age (65 years old), duration of hemodialysis (10 years), and type of surgery (simple decompression or fusion). RESULTS: We included 21 patients (5 men, 16 women) with a mean age of 66.2 years (range, 48-87 years). The mean duration of hemodialysis and follow-up was 18.9 years and 43 months, respectively. Decompressions with fusion were performed in 11 patients and simple decompressions in the other 10. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) of leg pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) significantly improved after surgery at time of the last follow-up; meanwhile, the mean VAS score for lower back pain did not show a statistically significant improvement. The postoperative ODI was correlated with age (correlation coefficient=0.71, p=0.006). In patients less than 65 years old, the ODI improvement was greater (p=0.035) than in those 65 years of age or older. There was no significant difference in the clinical outcomes according to the duration of hemodialysis. Complications were observed in 11 patients (52.4%, 7 in fusion and 4 in simple decompression), of which 2 cases were infections, and reoperations were performed in 5 patients. The union rate of the fusion cases at the 1-year follow-up was 81.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate spine surgery improved radicular pain and the ODI in patients with degenerative lumbar disease undergoing hemodialysis. However, postoperative complications were frequent and the improvement of clinical outcomes was minimal, especially in patients over 65 years of age and in those who underwent fusion. Therefore, the surgical treatment of patients with chronic renal disease undergoing hemodialysis requires adequate consideration of age and the duration of hemodialysis.
Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Medical Records ; Postoperative Complications ; Renal Dialysis* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Diseases ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine* ; Visual Analog Scale

To investigate diagnostic value of Thallium 201(T1-201) thymid scan in differentiating malignant nodule from benign, 135 patients with thyroid nodule were evaluated with Tl-201 thyroid scan, fine needle aspiration(FNA), clinical characteristics and laboratory data. Each had histological diagnosis after thyroidectomy. Tl-201 scan had a sensitivity of 67.3% and a specificity of 66.3% and FNA had sermitivity of 46.9% and specificity of 100% in predicting malignancy. As the size of thyroid nodule and age of patient incteases, diagnostic value of 11-201 thyroid scan was improved. In the thyroid nodules larger then 3cm, sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value were 100%, 70% and 100%, reqectively. By cornbining Tl-201 throid scan and FNA, sensitivity had 91.8%. From the data we conclude that Tl-201 thyroid scan is valuable with adjuvant diagnostic method in differentiating malignant fmm benign thyroid nodule and treatment planning.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Methods ; Needles ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thallium ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVES: Korea was an endemic area for lymphatic filariasis (LF), caused by the nematode parasite Brugia malayi, until the 1970s. The World Health Organization recognized Korea as LF-free in June 2008. However, it is necessary to confirm that patients that have had LF in the past still test negative, to prevent the re-emergence of LF in Korea. METHODS: We followed up a total of 83 patients who had been diagnosed with LF between 2002 and 2010 in endemic LF areas. RESULTS: Fifty-two of the 83 subjects were negative for LF, whereas 31 subjects had re-located to a different city or province, were dead, or were unaccounted for. Most subjects with negative test results still exhibited edema in the legs or the arms, and some complained of redness and swelling in the legs or ankle joints. However, we found that these symptoms were due to diseases other than LF. CONCLUSION: In this follow-up study, we did not find any evidence indicating the potential re-emergence of LF in Korea.
Ankle Joint ; Arm ; Brugia malayi ; Edema ; Elephantiasis, Filarial* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leg ; Parasites ; World Health Organization