Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a rare, but potentially life-threatening adverse event associated with the use of neuroleptic agents. We describe the case of a 47-year-old schizophrenic woman who was treated with clozapine for years. The patient developed acute renal failure with pulmonary edema, and underwent mechanical ventilation and hemodialysis.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Clozapine* ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome* ; Pulmonary Edema ; Renal Dialysis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Rhabdomyolysis

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to understand the differences in masseter muscle (MM) between the shifted and non-shifted sides in facial asymmetry patients, and the changes shown by MM after mandibular surgery. METHODS: Pre- and post-operative CT scans were performed on 12 Class III patients with facial asymmetry who were treated by intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy and 10 subjects with normal occlusion. Using the V-works 4.0 program (Cybermed, Seoul, Korea), 3-dimensional images of the mandible, and MM were reconstructed, and evaluated. RESULTS: In the asymmetry group, the MM angle between the shifted and non-shifted sides was only significantly different (p < 0.05). Compared with normal occlusion, the asymmetry group showed a significantly smaller volume and maximum cross-sectional area in both sides of MM (p < 0.05). After mandibular surgery, the angle of MM (p < 0.01) and differences in angle between the shifted and non-shifted sides of MM (p < 0.05) were significantly decreased. The thickness in the maximum cross-sectional area was significantly increased (p < 0.01). After surgery, MM in facial asymmetry patients was similarly changed to those in the normal occlusion group except for widths. CONCLUSIONS: MM in facial asymmetry was definitely different from those in normal occlusion. However, this study suggests that MM changed symmetrically in conjunction with the mandible after proper mandibular surgery.
Facial Asymmetry ; Humans ; Mandible ; Masseter Muscle ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: 'Partial deafness' characterized by normal or slightly impaired hearing in the low frequency band and nearly total deafness in the high frequency range, is difficult to assess with conventional behavioral tests in infants and young children. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the usefulness of objective hearing tests, such as auditory brainstem response (ABR) and auditory steady state response (ASSR) in evaluating patients with partial deafness. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred thirty three patients who underwent ASSR in Ajou University Hospital from January 2008 to January 2013 were enrolled to this study. Correlations between ASSR, ABR and pure tone audiometry (PTA) thresholds were analyzed. RESULTS: ASSR thresholds of 133 patients were highly correlated with both ABR and PTA thresholds in majority of the tested frequencies. Partial deafness was detected in 9 out of 133 patients, based on the results of PTA and ASSR. ASSR thresholds of patients with partial deafness were significantly correlated with PTA thresholds in all frequencies, with especially high correlation found at 1 and 4 kHz. However, there was no significant correlation between ASSR and ABR thresholds. ABR thresholds of partial deafness patients were measured at 65 dB in one patient, 70-90 dB in 3 patients, and no response at 90 dB in 5 patients, respectively. In 8 (6%) out of 124 patients, ABR thresholds were measurable with profound hearing loss and residual hearing was observed at low frequencies. CONCLUSION: ASSR is useful for predicting residual hearing at low frequencies of infants and young children for whom assessment of hearing is difficult using conventional behavioral tests.
Audiometry ; Child ; Deafness* ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Tests* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Infant ; Mass Screening*

No abstract available.
Encephalitis, Viral* ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis*

Background: Infection is the second leading cause of death in patients undergoing long-term dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is associated with an increased risk of infection-related hospitalization (IRH) when compared with hemodialysis. In this study, we investigated the influence of IRH on clinical outcomes in incident PD patients. Methods: In total, 583 incident PD patients were selected from the Clinical Research Center Registry for End-Stage Renal Disease, a nationwide multicenter prospective observational cohort study in Korea. Incident PD patients who had been hospitalized for infection-related diseases were defined as the IRH group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and the secondary outcome was technical failure. The median follow-up period was 29 months. Results: Seventy-three PD patients (12.5%) were categorized in the IRH group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus was a significant independent predictor for IRH (odds ratio, 2.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 5.29; P = 0.007). The most common causes of IRH were peritonitis (63.0%) and respiratory tract infection (9.6%). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed that IRH was a significant independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.51; 95% CI, 1.12 to 5.62; P = 0.026) and for the technical failure of PD (HR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.90 to 5.51; P < 0.001). Conclusion Our data showed that after initiation of PD, IRH was significantly associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality and technical failure.

Background: Infection is the second leading cause of death in patients undergoing long-term dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is associated with an increased risk of infection-related hospitalization (IRH) when compared with hemodialysis. In this study, we investigated the influence of IRH on clinical outcomes in incident PD patients. Methods: In total, 583 incident PD patients were selected from the Clinical Research Center Registry for End-Stage Renal Disease, a nationwide multicenter prospective observational cohort study in Korea. Incident PD patients who had been hospitalized for infection-related diseases were defined as the IRH group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and the secondary outcome was technical failure. The median follow-up period was 29 months. Results: Seventy-three PD patients (12.5%) were categorized in the IRH group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus was a significant independent predictor for IRH (odds ratio, 2.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 5.29; P = 0.007). The most common causes of IRH were peritonitis (63.0%) and respiratory tract infection (9.6%). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed that IRH was a significant independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.51; 95% CI, 1.12 to 5.62; P = 0.026) and for the technical failure of PD (HR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.90 to 5.51; P < 0.001). Conclusion Our data showed that after initiation of PD, IRH was significantly associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality and technical failure.

BACKGROUND: The reconstruction of eyelid defects is extremely complex because both functional and aesthetic aspects should be considered. Numerous techniques for reconstruction are available for repairing eyelid defects, depending on the size, location, and extent of the defect. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness and cosmetic consequences of various reconstruction techniques for eyelid defects after Mohs micrographic surgery. METHODS: Twenty patients who received a diagnosis of skin cancer of the eyelids from November 2005 to August 2009 were analyzed. Among them, 15 patients were treated with a local flap to reconstruct the defective eyelids, and the remaining patients were treated with primary closure. The medical records and photographs were reviewed by two independent physicians, and postoperative results were evaluated. RESULTS: Eyelid defects were reconstructed with various surgical techniques, such as primary closure, transposition flap, subcutaneous island pedicle flap, advancement flap, rotation flap, Tenzel flap, and hard palate mucous membrane graft. The cosmetic results were satisfactory, and 16 of 20 (80%) patients showed good to excellent results. However, one patient developed a sclera show and another patient showed tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: Many reconstruction techniques can be used for eyelid defects. An optimal choice would be one that is based on the extent, depth, and location of the defect; skin condition and wishes of the patient; and the surgeon's experience. Furthermore, it is important to have an understanding of the anatomy of the eyelid, the basic principles of the reconstruction techniques, and the merits and drawbacks of each technique.
Diagnosis ; Eyelids* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mohs Surgery* ; Mucous Membrane ; Palate, Hard ; Recurrence ; Sclera ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms* ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To determine the utility of HRCT in the diagnosis of chronic airflow obstruction and to correlate the morphologic abnormalities revealed by this modality with functional impairment in patients with chronic air-flow obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study involved 80 patients with chronic airflow obstruction who underwent HRCT and a pulmonary function test. Final clinical diagnosis in these patients was determined by a chest physician on the basis of clinical features, bronchoscopy, pulmonary function test, and HRCT. In order to diagnose and determine the extent of areas of decreased attenuation revealed by HRCT (the CT score), the find-ings of HRCT were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists, who reached a consensus. Clinical and HRCT diagnoses were then compared, and the rate of agreement between them was calculated. The relation-ship between the extent of areas of decreased attenuation revealed by HRCT and by FEV1/FVC was evaluated using Correl 's account and Student 's unpaired t-test. RESULTS: The agreement rate between clinical and HRCT diagnoses was 77.5% (62/80). The rates for bronchiec-tasis (88.9%, 24/27), emphysema (93.9%, 31/33), and bronchiolitis obliterans (100%, 6/6) were considerably higher than those for chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma. The correlation rate between CT score and FEV1/FVC was significant in bronchiectasis (p<0.05; r: -0.76) and bronchiolitis obliterans (p<0.01; r:-0.66), but not in cases involving emphysema, bronchial asthma, or chronic bronchitis (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: HRCT is valuable in the diagnosis and prediction of physiologic impairment in patients with bronchiectasis and bronchiolitis obliterans, but has limited value in those with emphysema, chronic bronchitis or asthma.
Asthma ; Bronchiectasis ; Bronchiolitis Obliterans ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Bronchoscopy ; Consensus ; Diagnosis* ; Emphysema ; Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Respiratory Function Tests* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax

Angiomyolipoma is a rare, benign, mesenchymal hamartomatous neoplasm consisting of a mixture of adipose tissue, smooth muscle cells, and anomalous blood vessels. The kidney is a common origin site, but extrarenal angiomyolipoma has been reported. Simultaneous involvement of the kidney and regional lymph nodes is uncommon, and may be confused with a metastatic malignant lymph node. Lymph node involvement in angiomyolipoma represents a multifocal invasion of the tumor, rather than metastatic disease. Tumor markers usually associate with malignancy but they have sometimes been detected in benign conditions. We report a case of bilateral renal angiomyolipoma with tuberous sclerosis simultaneously involving regional lymph nodes confused with metastatic malignant lymph node enlargement due to associated elevation of serum tumor markers.
Adipose Tissue ; Angiomyolipoma ; Blood Vessels ; Kidney ; Lymph Nodes ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; Biomarkers, Tumor

Liver cancer is more complex to treat compared to cancers in other organs, since liver function should be considered. In addition, only a few patients can be applied curative treatment due to advanced stage at diagnosis. Therefore, early stage detection is important and has been increased through screening and surveillance programs using image modalities recently. However, it is still difficult to diagnose small or hypovascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) even using advanced image modalties. In particular, hypovascular HCCs do not show arterial contrast enhancement which is a typical finding of HCC on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Those also account for a considerable portion of early HCC. We present 54 yearsold man who had recurrent hypervascular and hypovascular nodules on three phase CT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. The nodules were removed by surgical resection and confirmed as combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma and well differentiated HCC respectively.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mass Screening