BACKGROUND: Although nerve conduction study (NCS) is the method most frequently used to confirm clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), ultrasonographic (US) measurement can give additional information to confirm the diagnosis and also exclude other conditions of nearby soft tissues. However, whether or not the degree of swelling of median nerve (MN) reflects clinical severity has not been proven before. This study is aimed to investigate the further clinical usefulness of US in assessing CTS severity. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients (248 hands) with electrophysiologically confirmed CTS were evaluated. Clinical severity was examined by Historic and Objective (Hi-Ob) scale. Padua scale was used for the severity of electrophysiological impairment. For US study, cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve was measured at the proximal inlet of the carpal tunnel and graded. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients were female (75%) and median disease duration was 19 weeks. There was a good correlation between electrophysiological impairment and CSA of median nerve (correlation coefficient=0.442, p<0.001), and CSA was graded as US severity scale by electrophysiological severity of patients. A statistically significant correlation was found among US severity scale of the MN at wrist, clinical severity scale (correlation coefficient=0.397, p<0.001), and electrophysiological severity scale (correlation coefficient=0.371, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This observation suggests MN swelling in CTS may reflect in itself the degree of nerve damage as expressed by the clinical picture. US measurement could also give additional information about severity of MN involvement above the diagnosis of CTS.
Bays ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Neural Conduction ; Wrist

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can lead to various neurologic outcomes in patients with hypoxicischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This study investigated the usefulness of clinical markers and electroencephalography (EEG) in predicting the neurologic prognosis of HIE after CPR. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical findings of 51 patients with HIE, including the medical history, the duration from the onset of symptoms to the recovery of spontaneous circulation, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) scores, and presence of seizure or status epilepticus. Patients were divided into three outcomes groups: death, persistent vegetative state, and recovering alertness and awareness. Digital EEG and visual and quantitative analyses were performed in each patient. For quantitative EEG (qEEG) analysis, we defined and compared the distance in the spatial band-power patterns and phase coherence patterns between healthy normal subjects and each patient. RESULTS: Patients with HIE showed a high mortality rate (54.9%, 28/51), and their neurologic prognosis was significantly related to the initial GCS and FOUR scores. In the qEEG analysis, patients' groups showed a prominent delta frequency band, and the healthy normal group presented a marked alpha predominance. As the severity decreased, the similarity in the spatial band-power pattern and functional connectivity pattern between normal subjects and patients increased. CONCLUSIONS: Low initial GCS and FOUR scores could be predictive of a poor neurologic prognosis in patients with HIE, and qEEG analysis might be a useful predictor of their neurologic outcomes.
Biomarkers ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Electroencephalography ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Persistent Vegetative State ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus

BACKGROUND: Epileptic seizures can be associated with changes in autonomic functions. This study evaluated heart rate (HR) changes at the transition from the preictal to the ictal state in patients with epileptic seizures, and investigated whether peri-ictal HR changes can help to predict electroencephalography (EEG) seizures prior to their onset. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 94 seizures in 33 patients who underwent video-EEG monitoring with scalp EEG and electrocardiography. The existence and initial timing of HR changes relative to the onset of EEG seizures were determined by analyzing consecutive RR-interval changes in 10-minute recordings. We evaluated the correlation between the peri-ictal HR changes and the type of localization-related epilepsy. RESULTS: Peri-ictal HR changes were documented in 70.2% (66/94) of all seizures, of which 62 were tachycardia (66.0%) and 4 were bradycardia (4.3%). Peri-ictal tachycardia occurred significantly with seizures as an ictal manifestation, more often in seizures with a right hemispheric onset than in those with a left hemispheric onset (77.4% vs. 50%, p=0.016). Peri-ictal HR changes were observed much earlier in seizures of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) than in those of extratemporal lobe epilepsy (-54.4 s vs. -6.7 s, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Peri-ictal HR changes were observed in 70.2% of seizures, 94% of which were tachycardia. These changes could be helpful in predicting seizure onset, especially in mesial TLE.
Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Scalp ; Seizures ; Tachycardia

Balo's concentric sclerosis (BCS) is considered a rare variant of multiple sclerosis, which often mimics an intracranial neoplasm or abscess. We report the case of a 21-year-old woman presenting with BCS while undergoing treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. Initial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were similar to those for cerebral tuberculoma, multiple metastases, or abscesses. However, the pathognomonic concentric sclerosis characteristic of BCS was seen on MRI. The antemortem confirmatory diagnosis of BCS was made by follow-up MRI and a brain biopsy. It is suggested that BCS should be included in the differential diagnosis of cerebral tuberculoma, especially in developing countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis.
Abscess ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diffuse Cerebral Sclerosis of Schilder* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prevalence ; Sclerosis ; Tuberculoma* ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) is a major problem in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is related to increased caregiver burden.The present study evaluated whether there are any components of initial dementia evaluation that could predict ADL decline in years follow-up. METHODS: The 32 subjects underwent more than two consecutive neuropsychological evaluation and maintained anti-dementia medication from the Ewha Dementia Cohort. The first clinical, neuropsychological test results, medial temporal atrophy rating and white matter ratings were correlated with the final ADL scores. The subjects were further divided into ADL-preserved and declined groups for the comparison depending on final ADL scores. RESULTS: The annual decline of the Korean Mini-mental status examination (K-MMSE) score was 1.5+/-1.2 and of the Seoul-instrumental ADL score was 6.1+/-4.6. The Factors correlated with the ADL at baseline were the clinical dementia rating, K-MMSE, memory function score and the total neuropsychological test score, left medial temporal lobe atrophy rating, and the neuropsychiatric total score. Only the neuropsychological component including total test, frontal and visuospatial function scores were statistically different between the two groups in the baseline evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The result of our preliminary study emphasize the other study results that the initial cognitive and dementia status are the strong predictive factors not only for the initial ADL dysfunction but also for the ADL decline in years followed-up dementia cohort.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Atrophy ; Caregivers ; Cohort Studies ; Dementia* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Memory ; Methods ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Temporal Lobe

Parasomnia overlap disorder is characterized by coexisting rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder and non-REM parasomnia. We report herein an 8-year-old boy with REM sleep behavior disorder, sleep talking, and confusional arousal. Polysomnography revealed REM sleep without atonia, and arousal disorder. Neurological examination revealed bilateral ptosis, lateral gaze palsy, facial palsy, vertical nystagmus, and dysmetria. A pontine glioblastoma was found on brain magnetic resonance imaging, which could have been responsible for his neurologic deficit and sleep problem.
Arousal ; Brain ; Cerebellar Ataxia ; Child ; Facial Paralysis ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Paralysis ; Parasomnias ; Polysomnography ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ; Sleep Arousal Disorders ; Sleep, REM ; Sleep-Wake Transition Disorders

Overdenture using dental implants could improve the problems of conventional complete denture function which are pain during mastication, insufficient retention and stability. Locator attachment used widely for implant-retained overdenture has advantages that it needs the smallest vertical space and also its nylon male cap allows personalized retention for each case. However its retention force decreases rapidly with function rather than the bar and ball attachment. So, implant fixture should be positioned as parallel as possible.
Dental Implants ; Denture, Complete ; Denture, Overlay* ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible* ; Mastication ; Nylons

Objectives: We investigated the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on tuberculosis (TB) management in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used nationwide ROK TB notification data (98,346 cases) from 2017 to 2020. The median time from the onset of TB symptoms to treatment initiation and the compliance rates with the required timing for notification and individual case investigations were measured and compared across periods and regions affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Results: TB diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic was delayed. The median time to TB treatment initiation (25 days) in 2020 increased by 3 days compared to that of the previous 3 years (22 days) (p<0.0001). In the outbreak in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi province during August, the time to TB diagnosis was 4 days longer than in the previous 3 years (p=0.0303). In the outbreak in Daegu and Gyeongbuk province from February to March 2020, the compliance rate with the required timing for individual case investigations was 2.2%p points lower than in other areas in 2020 (p=0.0148). For public health centers, the rate was 13%p lower than in other areas (80.3% vs. 93.3%, p=0.0003). Conclusion TB diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the ROK were delayed nationwide, especially for patients notified by public-private mix TB control hospitals. TB individual case investigations were delayed in regional COVID-19 outbreak areas (Daegu and Gyeongbuk province), especially in public health centers. Developing strategies to address this issue will be helpful for sustainable TB management during future outbreaks.

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) of the thyroid is the most common endocrine malignancy. High prevalence of an activating point mutation of BRAF gene, BRAFV600E, has been reported in PTC. We assessed the efficiency of peptide nucleic acid clamp real-time polymerase chain reaction (PNAcqPCR) for the detection of BRAFV600E mutation in PTC in comparison with direct sequencing (DS). METHODS: A total of 265 thyroid lesions including 200 PTCs, 5 follicular carcinomas, 60 benign lesions and 10 normal thyroid tissues were tested for BRAFV600E mutation by PNAcqPCR and DS. RESULTS: The sensitivity and accuracy of the PNAcqPCR method were both higher than those of DS for the detection of the BRAFV600E mutation. In clinical samples, 89% of PTCs harbored the BRAFV600E mutation, whereas 5 follicular carcinomas, 50 benign lesions and 10 normal thyroid tissues lacked the mutation. The mutation was associated with aggressive clinical behaviors as extrathyroid invasion (p=0.015), lymph node metastasis (p=0.002) and multiple tumor numbers (p=0.016) with statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The PNAcqPCR method is efficiently applicable for the detection of the BRAFV600E mutation in PTCs in a clinical setting.
Carcinoma ; Factor IX ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peptide Nucleic Acids ; Point Mutation ; Prevalence ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

The bone remodeling process in response to orthodontic forces requires the activity of osteoclasts to allow teeth to move in the direction of the force applied. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) is essential for this process although its cellular source in response to orthodontic forces has not been determined. Orthodontic tooth movement is considered to be an aseptic inflammatory process that is stimulated by leukocytes including T and B lymphocytes which are presumed to stimulate bone resorption. We determined whether periodontal ligament and bone lining cells were an essential source of RANKL by tamoxifen induced deletion of RANKL in which Cre recombinase was driven by a 3.2 kb reporter element of the Col1α1 gene in experimental mice (Col1α1.CreER.RANKL) and compared results with littermate controls (Col1α1.CreER.RANKL). By examination of Col1α1.CreER.ROSA26 reporter mice we showed tissue specificity of tamoxifen induced Cre recombinase predominantly in the periodontal ligament and bone lining cells. Surprisingly we found that most of the orthodontic tooth movement and formation of osteoclasts was blocked in the experimental mice, which also had a reduced periodontal ligament space. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time that RANKL produced by periodontal ligament and bone lining cells provide the major driving force for tooth movement and osteoclastogenesis in response to orthodontic forces.
Animals ; Bone Remodeling ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Osteoclasts ; physiology ; Periodontal Ligament ; metabolism ; RANK Ligand ; metabolism ; Tamoxifen ; pharmacology ; Tooth Movement Techniques