Two cases of pseudoglaucoma were presented in this paper, which had been caused by lues and arteriosclerosis. We discussed the pathogenesis of pseudoglaucoma and reviewed the literature. Besides compression of the optic nerve and chiasm, ischemic optic neuropathy due to arteriosclerosis, lues, methanol intoxication, recurrent blood loss. and so forth, may produce optic nerve excavation and visual field defect without increase of IOP. We had much difficulty in explaining Rheese's view of our case, in which the optic canal was irregulary narrowed. We are of the opinion that narrowing of the optic canal may suggest secondary pathologic change due to chronic luetic optochiasmatic arachnoiditis.
Arachnoid ; Arachnoiditis ; Arteriosclerosis ; Methanol ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic ; Visual Fields

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm accounting less than 1% of malignant pancreatic tumors. A 47-year-old male patient visited the emergency room with epigastric pain. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 4.7-cm heterogeneously enhanced solid and cystic mass with internal necrosis located in the head of the pancreas. Radiological diagnosis was borderline malignancy such as neuroendocrine tumor or solid pseudopapillary neoplasm. Two months later, the necrotic mass in the pancreas head had grown up to 11 cm, compressing the duodenum, superior mesenteric vein, and proximal transverse colon. Pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with segmental resection of transverse colon was performed. Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor was pancreatic ACC. The patient recovered without any complication and was doing well without recurrence for 12 months after surgery.

The cavernous sinus of skull base is a extremely rare metastastatic site for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 51-year-old man was diagnosed with HCC by liver biopsy and palliative radiotherapy on HCC including main portal vein was performed. One month later, he was admitted due to sudden onset ptosis. Neurologic findings were normal except for abnormal movement of right eye, and it raised the possibility of abnormality in the right occulomotor, trochlear and the abducens nerves. Contrast-enhanced CT scan of brain showed a mass with homogeneous enhancement involving the right cavernous sinus. T2-weighted axial MR images demonstrated a homogeneous mass with intermediate signal intensity, and contrast-enhanced axial T1-weighted MR images demonstrated a mass with homogeneous enhancement in the right cavernous sinus. We describe a case of HCC metastasis to the cavernous sinus with symptoms of ptosis and disturbance of right eyeball movement.
Blepharoptosis/*etiology/pathology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/*diagnosis/*secondary ; Cavernous Sinus/*pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmoplegia/pathology ; Skull Base Neoplasms/diagnosis/*secondary ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain after thoracotomy has been recently reproduced in a rat model that allows investigating the effect of potentially beneficial drugs that might reduce the incidence of allodynia or alleviate pain. Local anesthetics produce antinociception in normal animals and alleviate mechanical allodynia in animals with nerve injury although their mechanisms of action may differ in these situations. Our purpose of this study was to test whether the preoperative intercostal nerve block of bupivacaine could prevent the development of allodynia in a rat model of chronic postthoracotomy pain. METHODS: All male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and the right 4th and 5th ribs were exposed surgically. The pleura were opened between the ribs to which a retractor was placed and was opened 10 mm in width. Retraction was maintained for one hour. Total 1 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine was injected at the intercostal nerves before (n = 17) or after (n = 16) surgery. A control group (n = 25) that underwent rib retraction did not receive any drug. Rats were tested for mechanical allodynia using calibrated von Frey filaments applied around the incision site during the three weeks following surgery. RESULTS: The incidence of development of mechanical allodynia in the group that received intercostal injection with bupivacaine before surgery was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative intercostal nerves block around the surgical incision before thoracotomy may decrease the incidence of postthoracotomy pain syndrome.
Anesthetics, Local ; Animals ; Bupivacaine ; Chronic Pain ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Incidence ; Intercostal Nerves ; Male ; Pleura ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ribs ; Thoracotomy

We report our experience with a case of performing laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy along with pancreas-preserving splenectomy for treating early gastric cancer. Laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy was planned for a 62-year-old male patient with a double early gastric cancer located in the upper and lower third of the stomach. Five trocars were placed and we used a harmonic scalpel to dissect the greater curvature. Enlarged splenic hilar lymph node was encountered and they were proved to be metastasis by frozen section biopsy. We then performed total gastrectomy with pancreas-preserving splenectomy for the purpose of completely dissecting the lymph nodes along the splenic artery and splenic hilum. We created a 4 cm sized longitudinal mini-laparotomy below the xiphoid process to remove the specimen, and anastomosis was done via the Roux-en-Y method. The patient was discharged on the 9th postoperative days after an uneventful recovery. Our experience shows that laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy with pancreas-preserving splenectomy is a relatively safe procedure for treating upper third early gastric cancer with metastatic splenic hilar lymph nodes.
Biopsy ; Frozen Sections ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Splenectomy* ; Splenic Artery ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Surgical Instruments

INTRODUCTION: The utility of the C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide test (CTX) as a method for staging Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) and its healing process was examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total 19 patients who were diagnosed with BRONJ underwent a fasted morning CTX test, were enrolled in this study. The serum CTX values ranged from 50 to 630 pg/mL (mean 60). The risk assessment was rated according to the CTX values of the individual patient (minimal risk, > or =150 pg/mL, moderate, 100 to 150 pg/mL, high, < or =100 pg/mL). The BRONJ scores were then calculated according to the number of BRONJ lesions and their stage. The operation was done as soon as possible, regardless of BORNJ stage. RESULTS: The mean duration of bisphosphonate therapy was 4.1 years. Of the 19 patients, 15, 2 ans 2 received alendronate, risedronate and zoledronate, respecively. Of the 19 patients who underwent a sequestrectomy, saucerization and smoothing, 15 healed after the initial surgery, 1 patient healed after one more surgical procedure, 3 patients did not heal completely but showed improvement in symptoms. Therefore, 17 out of the 19 patients healed completely with complete mucosal coverage and the elimination of pain. The risk assessment using the CTX value and disease severity were not correlated (r=-0.264, P=0.275). In addition, the risk assessment using CTX value and healing after surgery were not correlated (r=-0.147, P=0.547). CONCLUSION: The serum CTX should be considered carefully by clinicians as part of overall management. Early surgical intervention is of benefit in the treatment of stage II BRONJ.
Alendronate ; Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw ; Collagen Type I ; Diphosphonates ; Etidronic Acid ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; Jaw ; Jaw Diseases ; Osteonecrosis ; Peptides ; Risk Assessment ; Risedronate Sodium

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) shows some similarities to neuroBehcet's disease (NBD) in that both conditions have some analogous clinical features and they are both pathologically associated cerebral vasculopathy. This study compared the clinical manifestations, brain MRI findings and prognosis of NPSLE and NBD patients. METHODS: Forty three patients with NPSLE (n = 25) or NBD (n = 18), who were monitored at a single center, were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and brain MRI data. The neuropsychiatric manifestations were classified in both groups according to the new American College of Rheumatology nomenclature for NPSLE. RESULTS: The diffuse symptoms that included mood disorders, psychosis, confusion, cognitive dysfunctions, generalized seizures and headaches other than migraine or cluster headaches were more commonly observed in the NPSLE patients, while the frequency of focal diseases such as cranial neuropathy tended to be higher in the NBD patients. The brain MRI revealed that the NBD patients had more abnormalities in the brain stem than did the NPSLE patients. Most of the patients improved, at least partially, after being treated with glucocorticoid and/or immune suppressants. However, the disease course differed significantly between the two groups. There were more episodic cases in the NPSLE group of patients, while there were more remittent cases in the NBD group of patients. CONCLUSION: NPSLE had a tendency to cause diffuse neuropsychiatric manifestations, and it has a different predilection of brain lesions compared with NBD. The NBD patients showed a poorer outcome than did the NPSLE patients, suggesting that different therapeutic strategies for the two diseases need to be considered.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Brain/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications/diagnosis/pathology ; Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate and report the new method with a cement augmented screw fixation again to treat the failed intertrochanteric fracture in elderly which were treated with ordinary compression hip screw initially. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Mar. 1988 to May 2007, 10 patients (mean age 69 years) with the failed intertrochanteric fracture which were treated with initial hip screw, were treated with a cement augmented compression hip screw again. The mean follow-up after surgery was over 18 months. The cause of failure, the period upto the reoperation, the neck-shaft angle after the reoperation, the position of lag screw in the femoral head, and the degree of union at last follow-up were analyzed. The change in the functional hip capacity were evaluated by the classification of Clawson. RESULTS: Causes of failure were superior cutting-out in 6 cases, cortical anchorage failure in 3, and nonunion in one case. The period upto the reoperation was average 7.8 months. Valgus reduction of average 5.7degrees was achieved, and the positions of lag screw were postero-inferior in 6 cases, center in 3, infero-center in one case. We obtained complete union in 9 cases. The functional outcome showed moderate in 6 cases, good in 3 and poor degree in one case. CONCLUSION: Cement augmented compression hip screw treatment will possibly reduce cutting-out of screw and bring more stability in fixation for intertrochanteric fractures in old osteoporotic patients, as well, even in failed cases treated with initial compression hip screw, but proper selection of patients is important.
Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation ; Head ; Hip ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Reoperation

Background: Understanding the changes in emergency department (ED) visit patterns during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is important for effectively operating EDs during the pandemic. We aimed to analyze the changes in pediatric ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the relationship between the number of ED visits and the stringency of government social distancing measures. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study used data of pediatric (age < 18 years) ED visits in Seoul metropolitan area from June 1, 2018, to May 31, 2020. Patient demographics, ED results, and diagnoses were compared during the COVID-19 period and the previous year.To evaluate the effect of the stringency of social distancing measures on the number of ED visits, a Poisson regression model was developed with month, year, and the average monthly Government Response Stringency Index (GRSI) as fixed effects. Results: In total, 190,732 patients were included. The number of pediatric ED visits during the COVID-19 period was 58.1% lower than in the previous year. There were disproportionate decreases in the numbers of ED visits for children in early childhood (66.5%), low-acuity children (55.2-63.8%), those who did not use an ambulance (59.0%), and those visiting the ED for noninjury complaints (64.9%). The proportion of admissions increased from 11.9% to 16.6%. For every 10-point increase in the GRSI, there was a 15.1% decrease in monthly ED visits. Conclusion A striking decrease in pediatric ED visits was observed during the COVID-19 outbreak, the scale which was associated with the stringency of government policies.Changes in the number and characteristics of children visiting the ED should be considered to facilitate the effective operation of EDs during the pandemic.

BACKGROUND: A kids café is a popular indoor playground in Korea that combines a playground for young children and a café for their caregivers. There have been no national reports about kids café-related injuries in Korea. This study investigated kids café-related injuries in Korea registered in a multicenter injury surveillance database and analyzed the risk factors for significant kids café-related injuries.METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed using the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance registry in Korea between 2011 and 2016. Significant injury was defined as an injury requiring hospitalization or surgery. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to obtain the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for factors associated with significant kids café-related injuries.RESULTS: Among 1,537,617 injured patients, we extracted 891 patients who were injured in kids cafés. Of these, 46 (5.2%) were admitted, and 39 (4.4%) underwent surgery. The most common injured anatomical site, injury type, and mechanism were lower extremity (28.2%), superficial injury (27.2%), and slip (27.1%), respectively. Among injury-inducing factors, significant injuries were most commonly caused by a trampoline (28.1%), and rock climbing equipment was the only risk factor in a kids café that led to significant injury after adjusting for age, sex, injury mechanism, and injured anatomical sites (aOR, 14.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.51–147.72).CONCLUSION: The rock climbing equipment in a kids café can cause serious injury to children. Establishing safety regulations for rock climbing equipment in kids cafés may have the greatest impact in reducing significant injuries requiring hospitalization or surgery.
Caregivers ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Emergencies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Lower Extremity ; Odds Ratio ; Play and Playthings ; Risk Factors ; Social Control, Formal ; Wounds and Injuries