We designed this study to analyze the causes of repeat surgery in the low back disorder after primary procedure, to evaluate the risk factors and to suggest the rational approachs can prevent and solve the problems related with repeat surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the medical record and radiographs of 24 patients who had sustained persistent or recurrent pain, failed to extended conservative therapy, showing abnormal myelogram and/or CT scan with nerve root compression, and with segmental instability consistent with patients symptom and sign after the primary procedures. We evaluated the functional outcome according to Kims(1986) criteria. The causes of remained or recurrent pain with neurologic symptom were persistent or aggravated lumbar spinal stenosis in 10 cases(42%), recurrent disc herniation in 4 cases(17%), infection in 3 cases(12%), instability in 2 cases(8%) and others in 5 cases(20%). Satisfactory outcome was recorded in 79%(19/24) of patients. The characteristics of the patients associated with satisfactory outcome were those who operated by recurrent disc herniation, instability, retained disc, metal malposition, and nerve root compression by bone chip. But the characteristics of the patients associated with unsatisfactory outcome were those who operated by infection, lumbar spinal stenosis aggravated by degenerative spondylosis and multiple herniated disc, inadequate decompression of lateral and/or foraminal stenosis in aged patients. The most common lesion site was on L4-5 disc, and unsatisfactory result was expected at the upper lumbar spine involvement. Favorable outcome could be expected in the presence of a pain-free interval more than 1 year from the date of the previous operation or persistent symptoms immediately after the initial operaion. We were expected the risk factors leading to repeat surgery were old aged(more than 60) patients, upper lumbar spine involvement and multiple lumbar disc herniation. Postoperative diskitis or osteomyelitis, pain free interval more than 1 month or less than 1 year, and those who had a revision on the lumbar spine previously could be considered as a poor prognostic indicators. When surgery is indicated for degenerative lumbar spinal disorders, adequate diagnostic tests and the execution of appropriate procedures based upon this information should be carried out to prevent the repeat surgery in the low back disorders. Adequate postoperative management can reduce the occurrence of failed back surgery syndrome and in cases necessitating repeat surgery, thorough analysis of causes following proper surgical stabilization can reduce the operative morbidity with early return to daily life.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Discitis ; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Medical Records ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Osteomyelitis ; Radiculopathy ; Reoperation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We observed a 51-year-old male, who developed depigmented patches on the lower abdomen after photochemotherapy(PUVA) of psoriasis without evidence of phototoxic reaction. The depigmented patches did not orginate from the sites of previous psoriatic lesions. Fontana-Masson stain of the biopsy specimen revealed nearly absent melanin pigments in the epidrmis of the hypopigmented patch, while lots of pigments were obsereved on the surrounding hyperpigmented area. Electron micrograph showed no melanocytes in the hypopigmented patch. Thus we report this case as having vitiliginous patches induced by photochemotherapy of psoriasis.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Male ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Middle Aged ; Photochemotherapy* ; Psoriasis* ; Vitiligo

No abstract available.
Female ; HELLP Syndrome* ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Hydronephrosis*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the CT and MR findings of brain absecss with emphasis on the thickeness and signal intensity of abscess wall. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty CT scans and seven MR studies of 23 patients with brain abscess (27 abscesses) were retrospectively reviewed with respect to thickeness and signal intensity of abscess wall, shape and size of abscess, etc. Thickness of abscess wall was measured in the greatest abscess diameter on the CT scans and MR images obtaihed after intravenous administration of contrast material. RESULTS: Enhancing abscess wall was 2mm--6mm (average 3mm) thick. The abscess wall was uniform in thickness in 14 cases (52%), thinner in the roedial wall than lateral wall in 8 cases (30%), and thicker in the medial wall than lateral wall in 5 cases (18%). Signal intensity of abscess wall was isointense relative to gray matter on Tl-weighted MR images and hypointense on both proton- and T2-weighted MR images in 7 out of 8 lesione (88%). The inner margin of the abscess wall was smooth in 14 (52%) and irregular in 13 lesions (48%). The outer margin was smooth in 15 (55%) and irregular in 12 lesions (45%). The size of the abscesses was variable, ranging from lcm to 6cm in diameter. They were round (16 cases), elliptical (6 cases), or multilobulated (5 cases) in shape. Satellite or daughter abscesses were found in 5 patients. CONCLUSION: Abscess wall showed variable thickness in the medial and lateral walls with no specific findings. Other CT and MR findings were also nonspecific, although hypointensity of abscess wall on T2-weighted MR images may be helpful in diagnosis of brain abscess.
Abscess* ; Administration, Intravenous ; Brain Abscess* ; Brain* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nuclear Family ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Isolated ACTH deficiency is a rare disorder, and usually characterized by its chronic course. The 59 year-old woman patient who had been healthy until 2 months ago, admitted because of abdomial pain, general weakness and loss of weight about 12kg for 2 months. She looked a little pallor but color of skin was not remarkable. Blood pressure, serum electrolyte, and glucose on admission were within normal range. Serum calcium was elevated with the value of 12.6mg/dL, which was normalized after hydration. Cortisol response to RI induced hypoglycemia did not show any response. Anterior pituitary hormone except ACTH showed normal response during combined pituitary hormone stimulation test. These clinical and laboratory finding reveals that isolated ACTH deficiency was developed in a short term period. There were no abnormalities in sellar MRI except pineal cyst. Her complaints were disappeared dramatically after hydroccetisone replacement at 4th. hospital day. Here we report a case of isolated ACTH deficiency, which was rapidly developed, with hypercalcemia, abdominal pain, and loss of weight about 12kg for 2 months.
Abdominal Pain ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone* ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypercalcemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Pallor ; Reference Values ; Skin ; Weight Loss

ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) has been recently accepted as the most effective treatment for patients with medically refractory or life threatening ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Determination of the DFT (defibrillation threshold) is important in the implantation of ICD. DFT is the lowest shock energy that successfully terminates ventricular fibrillation. Preoperative amiodarone use, increased body size, and left ventricular dilatation are associated with high DFT. Recently, we experienced a 66 year-old male patient presenting with syncope due to idiopathic ventricular fibrillation in whom DFT was high and unstable, probably due to preoperative use of amiodarone.
Aged ; Amiodarone ; Body Size ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Male ; Shock ; Syncope ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Ventricular Fibrillation*

Emergent endoscopy is needed in cases of a fish bone foreign body in the upper gastrointestinal tract. A fish bone foreign body is common in the oral cavity and pharynx and has a high rate of complications because of the characteristic shape. A diagnosis is very difficult when the foreign body penetrates and impacts the surrounding tissue. Computed tomography is useful for the diagnosis; however, direct removal would be impossible if the foreign body was not localized during endoscopy. If the foreign body is anchored to the oral cavity and pharynx, finger palpation is useful to find the impacted fish bone. We report here on a case of an endoscopically missed pharyngeal impacted fish bone foreign body that was finally detected by finger palpation and successfully removed by rescue endoscopy.
Endoscopy ; Fingers ; Foreign Bodies ; Mouth ; Palpation ; Pharynx ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Low back pain and gait disturbance began at 6 months of pregnancy in a twenty-eight years old female patient. She could not walk by herself after delivery because of severe pain and limitation of motion on pelvis. Irregular bony destruction on right sacroiliac joint and rotation of pelvis demonstrated on plain radiography. Tuberculosis was confirmed by CT guided needle biopsy. Back pain developing during pregnancy and after delivery can by overlooked as osteitis condensans ilii or nonspecific back pain. Tuberculous sacroilitis should be suspected for the patient with severe pelvic pain and bony destruction on sacroiliac joint, and with rotation of pelvis after delivery. Early diagnosis and proper treatment by anti-tuberculous medication could obtain satisfactory functional outcome. We have described an unusual case of tuberculous sacroiliitis associated with pregnancy in a 28 years old female patient and her clinical presentation, radiological features and outcome of medical treatment are discussed.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Biopsy, Needle ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Gait ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Osteitis ; Pelvic Pain ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy* ; Radiography ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Sacroiliitis ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: Pathological complete response (pCR) of axillary lymph node (LN) is frequently achieved in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Treatment of the axilla after NAC is not well established and the value of sentinel LN biopsy following NAC remains unclear. This study investigated the predictive value of axillary response following NAC and evaluated the predictive value of a model based on axillary response. METHODS: Data prospectively collected on 201 patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer who were treated with NAC and underwent axillary LN dissection (ALND) were retrieved. A model predictive of axillary pCR was developed based on clinicopathologic variables. The overall predictive ability between models was compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Of 201 patients who underwent ALND after NAC, 68 (33.8%) achieved axillary pCR. Multivariate analysis using axillary LN pCR after NAC as the dependent variable showed that higher histologic grade (p=0.031; odds ratio [OR], 2.537; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.087–5.925) and tumor response rate ≥47.1% (p=0.001; OR, 3.212; 95% CI, 1.584–6.515) were significantly associated with an increased probability of achieving axillary pCR. The area under the ROC curve for estimating axillary pCR was significantly higher in the model that included tumor response rate than in the model that excluded this rate (0.732 vs. 0.649, p=0.022). CONCLUSION: Tumor response rate was the most significant independent predictor of axillary pCR in response to NAC. The model that included tumor response rate was a significantly better predictor of axillary pCR than the model that excluded tumor response rate.
Axilla ; Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Odds Ratio ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve