The main goal of spinal surgery using implant is a rigid fixation to provide the stability until solid fusion will occur. Recently, various implant fixation devices have been introduced and transpedicular screw fixation is the usual method. In the past, we obtained the implant-related complications like screw failure and rod breakage after using the modified Harrington rod. However, we obtained good results after follow up over one year using TSRH instrument. We experienced spinal surgery using TSRH instrument in 42 cases since 1991 and followed from one year to 28 months with average 16 months. We analyzed the 28 cases and evaluated the implant-related problems. The results were as follows: 1. Among 28 patients, 10 patients were operated due to fracture and 9 patients operated due to spinal stenosis. 2. The male patients were 16 cases and the female were 12 cases. 3. The TSRH instruments provided the rigid fixation with three points clamping mechanism. 4. The cross-linking plate of TSRH was found to increase stiffness and strength. 5. There were no case of screw breakage. 6. In functional results by Kirkaldy-Willis; foriteria the excellent cases were 15, and the good were 2 cases.
Constriction ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Spinal Stenosis

No abstract available.
Chromosome Deletion*

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) may be associated with massive blood loss and the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. Intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion (IBSA) can reduce the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of blood salvage in LT. Methods: Among 355 adult patients who underwent elective living-donor LT between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2022, 59 recipients without advanced hepatocellular carcinoma received IBSA using Cell Saver (CS group). Based on sex, age, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, preoperative laboratory results, and other factors, 118 of the 296 recipients who did not undergo IBSA were matched using propensity score (non-CS group). The primary outcome was the amount of intraoperative allogenic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. Comparisons were made between the two groups regarding the amount of other blood components transfused and postoperative laboratory findings. Results: The transfused allogeneic RBC for the CS group was significantly lower than that of the non-CS group (1,506.0 vs. 1,957.5 ml, P = 0.026). No significant differences in the transfused total fresh frozen plasma, platelets, cryoprecipitate, and estimated blood loss were observed between the two groups. The postoperative allogeneic RBC transfusion was significantly lower in the CS group than in the non-CS group (1,500.0 vs. 2,100.0 ml, P = 0.039). No significant differences in postoperative laboratory findings were observed at postoperative day 1 and discharge. Conclusions Using IBSA during LT can effectively reduce the need for perioperative allogeneic blood transfusions without causing subsequent coagulopathy.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is categorized as vasculitis of the large and medium-sized vessels. Visual loss is one potential consequence of cranial arteritis. Temporal artery biopsies are performed frequently to demonstrate the involvement of arteritis. On the other hand, cerebral artery involvement with pathological findings is not well documented in patients with GCA. We report a rare case of GCA with cerebral vessel involvement in a 76-year-old woman.
Aged ; Arteritis ; Biopsy* ; Brain* ; Cerebral Arteries ; Female ; Giant Cell Arteritis* ; Giant Cells* ; Hand ; Humans ; Temporal Arteries ; Vasculitis

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the hypotheses that administration routes [intra-arterial (IA) vs. intravenous (IV)] affect the early stage migration of transplanted human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) in acute brain infarction. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=40) were subjected to photothrombotic infarction. Three days after photothrombotic infarction, rats were randomly allocated to one of four experimental groups [IA group : n=12, IV group : n=12, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) group : n=8, control group : n=8]. All groups were subdivided into 1, 6, 24, and 48 hours groups according to time point of sacrifice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) consisting of T2 weighted image (T2WI), T2* weighted image (T2*WI), susceptibility weighted image (SWI), and diffusion weighted image of rat brain were obtained prior to and at 1, 6, 24, and 48 hours post-implantation. After final MRI, rats were sacrificed and grafted cells were analyzed in brain and lung specimen using Prussian blue and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Grafted cells appeared as dark signal intensity regions at the peri-lesional zone. In IA group, dark signals in peri-lesional zone were more prominent compared with IV group. SWI showed largest dark signal followed by T2*WI and T2WI in both IA and IV groups. On Prussian blue staining, IA administration showed substantially increased migration and a large number of transplanted hBM-MSCs in the target brain than IV administration. The Prussian blue-positive cells were not detected in SPIO and control groups. CONCLUSION: In a rat photothrombotic model of ischemic stroke, selective IA administration of human mesenchymal stem cells is more effective than IV administration. MRI and histological analyses revealed the time course of cell migration, and the numbers and distribution of hBM-MSCs delivered into the brain.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Infarction ; Cell Movement ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Diffusion ; Humans* ; Infarction ; Infusions, Intravenous* ; Iron ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stroke ; Transplants

Actinomycosis infection can involve most part of the human body including mouth, cervicoface, chest, abdomen and pelvis. Cardiac involvement occurs in less than 2 percent of the infection of actinomyces israelii and pericardial involvement is rare. 34 year male was admitted because of chest pain and general weakness for several months. Echocardiography revealed akinesia of apex suggesting myocardial infarction and large pericardial effusion. Under the impression of pericardial effusion from tuberculosis infection, the patient was started on anti-tuberculosis medicine. Pericardial window operation with pericardial biopsy was performed 7 days later when the patient failed to show a significant improvement. Pericardial biopsy confirmed actinomycosis infection. During admission, the patient had a cerebral infarction with left hemiparesis. The patient was treated with high dose penicillin and improved symptomatically. Echocardiography showed resolution of pericardial effusion.
Abdomen ; Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Biopsy ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Chest Pain ; Echocardiography ; Human Body ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Paresis ; Pelvis ; Penicillins ; Pericardial Effusion ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis*

BACKGROUND: Cilostazol leads to inhibition of platelet aggregation and to vasodilatation. It is widely used for the secondary prevention of cerebral infarction. However, headache is a well-known adverse effect of cilostazol, and these headaches may be caused by the vasodilation of the cerebral artery. The goal of our study was to assess the frequency and severity of headaches following cilostazol treatment and to evaluate factors related to the development of these headaches. METHODS: Seventy patients with cerebral infarction were included in this study. We measured the carotid intima media thickness (IMT), the distensibility of the carotid artery (CAD), the brachial ankle index (ABI), and the brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) in order to quantify the degree of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness. Patients were then given 100 mg of cilostazol in tablet form twice daily. For three days, we evaluated headache incidence and severity using a verbal rating scale (0-10). RESULTS: Twenty three (32.9%) patients reported headache during cilostazol medication and 7 patients had severe headache. Women were more likely to develop headaches than men (p=0.03). In addition, the mean IMT was lower in subjects with cilostazol-induced headache than in the headache-free subjects (0.8+/-0.1 vs 1.01+/-0.2 mm, p=0.001), while CAD was higher in these subjects (0.3+/-0.1 vs 0.25+/-0.1, p=0.03). There was no difference in PWV and ABI. CONCLUSIONS: Lower carotid IMT, increased CAD, and female gender may be associated with the development of cilostazol-induced headache in patients with cerebral inafarction, but not the systemic arterial stiffness.
Animals ; Ankle ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Cerebral Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Platelet Aggregation ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Secondary Prevention ; Tetrazoles ; Vascular Stiffness ; Vasodilation

Ketamine is well known for its analgesic, bronchodilating and sympathetic stimulating effect. Hence, it has been widely used for induction of patients with hypotension or asthma and also for analgesic and sedating purposes in the ICU. We presented a 62 year old female patient with ventilator support in septic shock with refractory asthma whom we managed successfully with continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine postoperatively in the ICU. The patient had a history of asthma but had been asymptomatic recently and was scheduled for an emergent explo-laparotomy under the diagnosis of acute panperitonitis. Before the induction of anesthesia, the patient was in septic shock but no wheezing could be auscultated. After the induction of general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation, wheezing was apparent in both lung fields with a high peak inspiratory pressure. Inotropics, vasopressors and bronchodilators were promptly instituted without any improvement of asthma and the patient had to be transferred to the ICU with intubated after the operation. Clinical symptoms of asthma continued throughout the first day despite using bronchodilators under mechanical ventilation but, after starting the IV infusion of ketamine, there were decrease in the peak inspiratory pressure and wheezing with a subsequent improvement in the arterial blood gas analysis findings. We could also achieve considerable analgesic and sedating effect without any decrease in the blood pressure. The patient's general physical status improved and weaning with extubation was successfully done on the 21st day and was transferred to the general ward on the 28th day.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics ; Asthma ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Bronchodilator Agents ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Critical Care ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Ketamine* ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Patients' Rooms ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Sounds ; Shock, Septic* ; Status Asthmaticus* ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Weaning

Fanconi's anemia is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by congenital abnormalities and anaplastic anemia. Patients with this disorder has predisposition for leukemia, specifically acute myeloid leukemia. Risk for head and neck solid tumors are also increased. Head and neck cancers in patients with Fanconi's anemia are significantly different from those in patients without Fanconi's anemia in frequency, distribution, clinical course, and treatment. Therefore, we report a case of 23-year-old male with Fanconi's anemia, who presented with an oral tongue cancer treated with radical excision, bilateral neck dissection and careful postoperative radiation therapy.
Anemia ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Fanconi Anemia* ; Head ; Hospital Distribution Systems ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Male ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Tongue Neoplasms* ; Tongue* ; Young Adult

Thyroid tumors are usually asymptomatic, but occasionally they can cause upper airway obstruction by compressing the trachea in cases of benign mass or invading intraluminal tracheal wall in locally advanced carcinoma. There were a few case reports of rapidly enlarging benign tumors of thyroid causing upper airway distress symptoms, but there has been no case report showing necrosis of tracheal cartilage by benign thyroid mass. When the thyroid cartilage wall is actually invaded by thyroid mass, we should consider of the possibility of malignant transformation. We experienced a case of unilateral benign thyroid mass causing acute airway obstruction and necrosis of tracheal cartilage. Therefore, we present the case with a literature review.
Airway Obstruction ; Cartilage* ; Necrosis* ; Thyroid Cartilage ; Thyroid Gland* ; Trachea