Multiple aspergillus spondylitis (AS) is a life threatening infection that occurs more commonly in immunocompromised patients, and is commonly treated with antifungal agents. However, there is relatively little information available on the treatment of multiple AS. The authors encountered a 46-year-old man suffering from low back and neck pain with radiculomyelopathy after a liver transplant. The patient had concomitant multiple AS in the cervico-thoraco-lumbar spine and right hip joint, as confirmed by radiologic imaging studies. The pathological examination of a biopsy specimen revealed fungal hyphae at the cervical and lumbar spine. Anterior decompression and interbody fusion were performed for the cervical and lumbar lesions, which showed instability and related neurological symptoms. Additional antifungal therapy was also performed. The patient was treated successfully with remission of his symptoms.
Antifungal Agents ; Aspergillus ; Biopsy ; Decompression ; Hip ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Immunocompromised Host ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Neck Pain ; Spine ; Spondylitis ; Stress, Psychological ; Transplants

The device for intervertebral assisted motion (DIAM) is a dynamic implant that consists of a silicone bumper enveloped by a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber sack. Silicone and PET were used because of their biological inertness, but repetitive motion of the spine can cause wear on the implant nonetheless. The purpose of this study is to report a case of foreign body reaction (FBR) against a DIAM. A 72-year-old female patient presented with lower back pain and both legs radiating pain. She had undergone DIAM implantation at L4–5 for spinal stenosis 5 years previously. The intervertebral disc space of L4–5, where the DIAM was inserted, had collapsed and degenerative scoliosis had developed due to left-side collapse. MRI showed L3–4 thecal sac compression and left L4–5 foraminal stenosis. The patient underwent removal of the DIAM and instrumented fusion from L3 to L5. During surgery, fluid and granulation tissue were evident around the DIAM. Histopathology showed scattered wear debris from the DIAM causing chronic inflammation due to the resulting FBR. A FBR due to wear debris of a DIAM can induce a hypersensitivity reaction and bone resorption around the implant, causing it to loosen.
Aged ; Bone Resorption ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Foreign Bodies* ; Foreign-Body Reaction* ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; Intervertebral Disc ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Polyethylene Terephthalates ; Scoliosis ; Silicon ; Silicones ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine

We report a case of a 66-year-old woman with progressing myelopathy. Her history revealed instrumented fusion from T10 to S1 for degenerative lumbar kyphosis and spinal stenosis. The plain radiographs showed narrowing of the intervertebral disc space with a gas shadow and sclerotic end-plate changes at T9-T10. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a posterolateral mass compressing the spinal cord at the T9-T10 level. The patient was treated with a discectomy through the posterior approach combined with posterior instrumentation. The patient's symptoms and myelopathy resolved completely after the discectomy and instrumented fusion. The thoracic disc herniation might have been caused by the increased motion and stress concentration at the adjacent segment.
Aged ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Kyphosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paraplegia ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spinal Stenosis

OBJECTIVES: Klinefelter syndrome is the most common genetic cause of male infertility and presents with 47, XXY mainly or 46, XX/47, XXY mosaicism. It is characterized by hypogonadism and azoospermia due to testicular failure, however, sporadic cases of natural pregnancies have been reported. With the development of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), sperm can be retrieved successfully and ART is applied in these patients for pregnancy. It has been suggested that the risk of chromosome aneuploidy for both sex chromosome and autosome is increased in the sperms from 47, XXY germ cells. Considering the risk for chromosomal aneuploidy in the offspring, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) could be applied as a safe and more effective treatment option in Klinefelter syndrome. The aim of this study is to assess the outcome of PGD cycles by using FISH for sex chromosome and autosome in patients with Klinefelter syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2003, PGD was attempted in 8 cases of Klinefelter syndrome but TESE was failed to retrieve sperm in the 3 cases, therefore PGD was performed in 8 cycles of 5 cases (four 47, XXY and one 46, XY/47, XXY mosaicism). In one case, ejaculated sperm was used and in 4 cases, TESE sperm was used for ICSI. After fertilization, blastomere biopsy was performed in 6~10 cell stage embryo and the chromosome aneuploidy was diagnosed by using FISH with CEP probes for chromosome X, Y and 17 or 18. RESULTS: A total of 127 oocytes were retrieved and ICSI was performed in 113 mature oocytes. The fertilization rate was 65.3+/-6.0% (mean+/-SEM) and 76 embryos were obtained. Blastomere biopsy was performed in 61 developing embryos and FISH analysis was successful in 95.1% of the biopsied blastomeres (58/61). The rate of balanced embryos for chromosome X, Y and 17 or 18 was 39.7+/-6.9%. The rate of aneuploidy for sex chromosome (X and Y) was 45.9+/-5.3% and 43.2+/-5.8% for chromosome 17 or 18, respectively. Embryo transfer was performed in all 8 cycles and mean number of transferred embryos was 2.5+/-0.5. In 2 cases, clinical pregnancies were obtained and normal 46, XX and 46, XY karyotypes were confirmed by amniocentesis, respectively. Healthy male and female babies were delivered uneventfully at term. CONCLUSION: The patients with Klinefelter syndrome can benefit from ART with TESE and ICSI. Considering the risk of aneuploidy for both sex chromosome and autosome in the sperms and embryos of Klinefelter syndrome, PGD could be offered as safe and more effective treatment option.
Amniocentesis ; Aneuploidy ; Azoospermia ; Biopsy ; Blastomeres ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Infertility, Male ; Karyotype ; Klinefelter Syndrome* ; Male ; Mosaicism ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy ; Preimplantation Diagnosis* ; Prostaglandins D ; Sex Chromosomes ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the most up-to-date information on the initial management and neurological examination of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Secondary injuries result from acute pathophysiological processes such as bleeding, hypoperfusion, inflammation, necrosis, and apoptosis around neural elements that initially survive a mechanical injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orthopedic surgeons must be familiar with the anatomy of the spinal cord and the initial management of a patient with SCI. A detailed neurological examination in accordance with the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury is a prerequisite. It is important to distinguish between spinal shock and neurogenic shock, which are characteristic phenomena in patients with SCI. RESULTS: Rapid realignment of the spine and proper medical management to avoid hypoperfusion are important in the overall care of a patient with SCI. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SCI should be managed and treated properly to enable them to return home and to their work as soon as possible.
Apoptosis ; Classification ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Necrosis ; Neurologic Examination ; Orthopedics ; Reflex ; Shock ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord ; Spine ; Surgeons

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the most up-to-date information on the initial management and neurological examination of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Secondary injuries result from acute pathophysiological processes such as bleeding, hypoperfusion, inflammation, necrosis, and apoptosis around neural elements that initially survive a mechanical injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orthopedic surgeons must be familiar with the anatomy of the spinal cord and the initial management of a patient with SCI. A detailed neurological examination in accordance with the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury is a prerequisite. It is important to distinguish between spinal shock and neurogenic shock, which are characteristic phenomena in patients with SCI. RESULTS: Rapid realignment of the spine and proper medical management to avoid hypoperfusion are important in the overall care of a patient with SCI. CONCLUSIONS Patients with SCI should be managed and treated properly to enable them to return home and to their work as soon as possible.

Prolotherapy is a non-surgical injection treatment method that repeatedly injects small amounts of proliferators into damaged ligaments, tendon, joints and surrounding tissues. The most common proliferator is a high concentration of glucose solution. Glucose solutions with a concentration of 10-25% are commonly used. Prolotherapy using glucose solution has few serious adverse events, but common side effects include post injection pain, stiffness, edema, and mild bleeding. There are many cases of complaining of pain caused by injection during or after prolotherapy. Some patients give up treatment if the pain is severe. A 43-year-old male patient visited the hospital with both elbow pain and left wrist pain, and prolotherapy was performed. In order to minimize pain during procedure and post injection pain of the patient, 10% glucose solution with 0.5% lidocaine was injected using a very fine needle of 30 G. The total number of treatments was eight. The patient did not complain of pain caused by needle insertion during procedure and post-injection pain. Chronic pain that lasted for two years after treatment almost disappeared. The patient was very satisfied with this treatment method and result.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the Active Sentry handpiece of the Centurion Vision System compared to the Centurion Ozil handpiece for phacoemulsification in cataract surgery. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 281 patients (449 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery between August 2020 and June 2021. Preoperative measurements, intraoperative parameters, complication rate, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the Active Sentry handpiece and the Centurion Ozil handpiece groups. Additionally, the parameters were compared in different cataract severity groups and multiple predictive factors for the number of active surge mitigation (ASM) actuations were assessed with the Active Sentry handpiece. Results: There were 198 eyes in the Active Sentry group and 251 eyes in the Centurion Ozil group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, as the cumulative dissipated energy in the Active Sentry and Centurion Ozil groups were 8.32 ± 7.74 and 7.87 ± 9.25 μJ, respectively (p = 0.576). Total surgery time, ultrasound usage time, aspiration time, amount of fluid aspirated, postoperative corrected distant visual acuity, and postoperative decrease in corneal endothelial cell density were comparable between the two groups. The significant contributors to the number of ASM actuations were age, preoperative corrected distant visual acuity, axial length, and total ultrasound time. Conclusions There was no clear advantage of the Active Sentry handpiece compared to the Centurion Ozil handpiece. ASM actuation increases with age, poor visual acuity before surgery, short axial length, and prolonged ultrasound usage time. It is expected that in more severe and high-risk cataract surgery, the Active Sentry handpiece functions more effectively, possibly affecting the safety and prognosis.

Sparganosis is a rare parasitic infection caused by plerocercoid tapeworm larvae of the genus Spirometra. While initially asymptomatic, the migrating larvae initially appear as subcutaneous nodules, which can be mistaken for cancer because all parts of the body can be affected, including the abdominal cavity, genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system, central nervous system, and even the breasts. Therefore, we report here a case of sparganosis that was differentially diagnosed from recurrence of breast cancer.
Abdominal Cavity ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Central Nervous System ; Cestoda ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Larva ; Musculoskeletal System ; Recurrence* ; Sparganosis* ; Spirometra