BACKGROUND: To assess the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following shoulder surgery and to evaluate the role of postoperative duplex ultrasonography. METHODS: The study comprised a total of 224 patients who underwent shoulder surgery, including 180 shoulder arthroscopic surgeries, 28 shoulder arthroplasties, and 16 plate fixations for proximal humerus fracture between January 2014 and December 2014. The mean age of patients was 59.0 years, and there were 81 men and 143 women. Clinical data, including body mass index, blood tests, metabolic work-up for liver and renal function, previous, and present medical history, were evaluated. Duplex ultrasonography in the operative arm was performed on 2 to 4 days after surgery. RESULTS: The overall incidence of VTE following shoulder surgery was 0.45% (1/224). One patient with open reduction and plate fixation for proximal humerus fracture had asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis that showed complete remission after anticoagulant medication during a 2-month period. Four patients had asymptomatic superficial cephalic vein thrombosis and complete remission without any treatment. There was no case of pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of VTE following shoulder surgery was extremely low in Asians. Duplex ultrasonography may be not considered a routine follow-up of shoulder surgery and can be selectively performed in high-risk or symptomatic patients for VTE.
Arm ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroscopy ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Humerus ; Incidence* ; Liver ; Male ; Pilot Projects* ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Shoulder* ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography ; Veins ; Venous Thromboembolism* ; Venous Thrombosis

No abstract available.
Animals ; Female ; Horns* ; Humans ; Uterus*

No abstract available.
Polycystic Kidney Diseases* ; Ultrasonography*

Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli is an inflammatory disease caused by calcium hydroxyapatite crystal deposition in the longus colli tendon of the prevertebral space. It is also known as retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis or prevertebral tendinitis. The typical imaging characteristics of this entity are calcifications on the superior insertion of the longus colli tendons at the C1-2 level and fluid collection in the retropharyngeal space. However, we introduce a case of acute longus colli tendinitis without definite calcification deposition on image findings.
Durapatite ; Tendinopathy* ; Tendons

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to develop an accurate, convenient, and easy microplate system for the identification of enterococcal species from clinical specimens. METHODS: The microplate identification method was composed of twelve biochemical tests and identification programs. The tests comprised in microplate were initially screened by a two-tube method, NaCl-esculin hydrolysis and pyrrolidonyl-beta-naphthylamide test; arginine dihydrolase, acid production from mannitol, sorbitol, sucrose, arabinose, raffinose, methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, and ribose in the microplate; and pigment production and hemolytic pattern in blood agar plate. The performance of the microplate for identifying enterococci to the species level was evaluated in comparison with conventional reference tests and commercial kits. RESULTS: Among the 111 clinical isolates of Enterococcus species, the microplate system correctly identified 100% to genus level, and 91.0% to species level. All of E. casseliflavus, E. durans, and E. hirae were correctly identified by the microplate. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for identification of Enterococcus species were as follows: 100% and 96.7% in E. faecium, 93.5% and 100% in E. faecalis, 100% and 97.2% in E. raffinosus, and 33.3% and 98.1% in both E. avium and E. gallinarum. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the microplate method offers a simple, cost-effective, rapid, and accurate identification system for the identification of most clinical isolates of Enterococcus species.
Agar ; Arabinose ; Arginine ; Enterococcus* ; Hydrolysis ; Mannitol ; Raffinose ; Ribose ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sorbitol ; Sucrose

The authors present a 67-year-old man who developed trigeminal neuralia caused by a dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar artery. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a tubular structure traversed the anterior surface of the sbrainstem, which compressed the left ven trilateral pons in the region of the trigeminal root entry zone. Vertebral angiography demonstrated a tortuous dilated vertebrobasilar artery. Microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve from the dolichoectatic vertebral artery and simultaneous selective trigeminal rhizotomy were performed. Postoperatively, the patient was relieved of pain but suffered a hearing deficit in the ipsilateral side.
Aged ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Brain ; Hearing ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Pons ; Rhizotomy ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia* ; Vertebral Artery*

No abstract available.
Gardnerella vaginalis* ; Gardnerella*

BACKGROUND: The interest of patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries has been increased since 1960. From the year 1973, the syndrome representing these characteristics has been classified as syndrome X. Treadmill test and exercise TI-201 SPECT are important in the diagnosis of syndrome X. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical value of exercise TI-201 SPECT and the difference of clinical characteristics between exercise TI-201 SPECT positive(Group A) and negative (Group B) in patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram. METHODS: Twenty seven patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram underwent echocardiogram and exercise TI-201 SPECT. Patients received 2 mCi of thallium intravenously during exercise, redistribution images were performed 4 hour later and second dose of 1 mCi of thallium was injected at rest immediately thereafter. These three sets of image(stress, redistribution and reinjection) were analyzed. RESULTS: 1) 12 of 16 patients in Group A, none of 11 patients were positive on exercise treadmill test(p<0.005). 2) The incidence of systemic hypertension in Group A was significant greater than Group B(p<0.05). 3) The left ventricular end diastolic pressure was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The exercise TI-201 SPECT is a useful method to evaluate the patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram and the reversible perfusion defects on the exercise TI-201 SPECT might be related to systemic hypertension and elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure.
Blood Pressure ; Chest Pain* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Perfusion ; Thallium ; Thorax* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

BACKGROUND: The accurate and rapid identification of enterococci can provide clinician's decision making of antimicrobial therapy because enterococci are usually multiresistant to commonly used antimicrobial agents and antimicrobial resistance patterns are different according to enterococcal species. Accuracy of identification system depends mainly on data base such as positive rate of biochemical reactions, relative frequency of occurrence of biotype, and isolation frequency of microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to analyze the isolation rate and biotype frequency of enterococci isolated from clinical specimens. METHODS: We used a simplified identification system for the identification of the enterococci from clinical specimens during the period of June 1998 to November 1998. Biochemical phenotypes of 500 isolates of enterococci were also analyzed by a simplified identification system consisting of eight conventional biochemical tests. RESULTS: Enterococci were isolated from urine (36.4%), wound (35.0%) and blood (7.2%) in order of decreasing frequency. Among the isolates, 67.8% were E. faecalis, 23.0% E. faecium, 2.2% E. hirae/durans, 2.0% E. casseliflavus, and 1.0% E. hirae. The simplified identification system of enterococci identified 93.6% of all isolates to species level. The system identified 98.5% of E. faecalis but only 89.6% of E. faecium. CONCLUSIONS: Our simplified identification system based on eight biochemical tests offer a simple, reliable and economic method for the identification of clinical isolates of enterococci, but further studies are needed for the improvement of accuracy and identification rate.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Decision Making ; Enterococcus ; Phenotype ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To evaluate the radioloic findings of malignant retroperitoneal fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Post-contrast CT (n=9) and urographic (n=7) findings of nine patients with malignant retroperitoneal fibrosis were retrospectively analyzed. Primary tumors were found to be advanced gastric cancer (n=6), early gastric cancer (n=1), breast cancer (n=1), and cervical cancer (n=1). We analyzed CT findings with regard to the site of soft tissue lesion, ureteral involvement, the presence or absence of hydronephrosis, and distant metastasis. The level and length of ureteral involvement, presence or abscence of ureteral stenosis, and ureteral displacement as seen on urography, were analyzed. RESULTS: On CT scans, enhanced soft tissue lesions (mass, 5 cases; plaque, 4 cases) encircling the abdominal aorta and IVC were noted in all cases. Thickening of the ureteral wall (n=8), hydronephrosis (n=9), and enlarged lymph node (n=5) were also seen. On urography, irregular stenosis and medial displacement of ureters from level L2 to S2 were noted in all cases. The length of ureteral involvement was 4-6.5cm. CONCLUSION: The common CT findings of malignant retroperitoneal fibrosis were enhanced soft tissue lesion encircling the abdominal aorta and IVC, hydronephrosis, and thickening of the ureteral wall. On urography, ureteral stenosis and medial displacement were seen.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Breast Neoplasms ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retroperitoneal Fibrosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ureter ; Urography ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms