BACKGROUND: The cause and clinical course of the postoperative ARDS is, as of yet, not very well understood. The current study is a review of our experience on patients with ARDS after thoracotomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between Jan. 1996 to Aug. 2001, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 32 post-thoracotomy ARDS patients among 4018 patients receiving thoracotomy inclusive of thoracoscopic surgery. RESULT: The incidence of ARDS after pneumonectomy cases was 5.3%(13/245), 1.3% after lobectomy(9/ 710), and 4.4% after esophageal surgery(10/226). Of the 32 ARDS patients, 31 had malignant disease. The remaining 1 patient had aspergillosis. In the majority, the cause of ARDS was unknown. The average onset was on the 7.4th postoperative day. In 10 cases, the initial lesion was in the right lower lung field(31.2%), in the left lower lung field in 9(28.1%), and in both lower lung fields in 12(37.5%) cases. In all, the initial lesion was in the lower lung fields in 96.9% of the cases(31/32). There was a significant relationship between the development of ARDS and intraoperative I/O balance. The overall mortality rate was 65.6%(21/32). In the earlier period of the study(1996-Jun, 1998) the mortality rate was 100%, but in the latter period(July, 1998-Aug, 2001) it was significantly reduced to 47.6%. CONCLUSION: The current data showed a higher incidence of postoperative ARDS in patients with malignant disease and in those receiving extensive lymph node dissection with either lobectomy or pneumonectomy, and also in patients receiving esophageal surgery. In addition, introperative fluid overload was also associated with an increased incidence of ARDS. Treatment outcome could be improved with prone positioning and NO gas inhalation
Aspergillosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mortality ; Pneumonectomy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracoscopy ; Thoracotomy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of mechanical horseback riding for gait and balance parameters in post-stroke patients. METHOD: This study was a non randomized prospective positive-controlled trial over a 12 week period. From May 2011 to October 2011, 37 stroke patients were recruited from our outpatient clinic and divided into two groups. The control group received the conventional physiotherapy while the intervention group received the conventional physiotherapy along with mechanical horseback riding therapy for 12 weeks. Outcome measurements of gait included the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) and gait part of the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (G-POMA) while those of balance included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the balance part of the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (B-POMA). These measurements were taken before and after treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics and initial values between the two groups. When comparing baseline and 12 weeks post treatment in each group, the intervention group showed significant improvement on BBS (39.9+/-5.7 --> 45.7+/-4.8, p=0.001) and B-POMA (10.4+/-2.6 --> 12.6+/-2.1, p=0.001), but significant improvement on gait parameters. When comparing the groups, the dynamic balance category of BBS in post treatment showed significant difference (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mechanical horseback riding therapy may be an effective treatment tool for enhancing balance in adults with stroke.
Adult ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Equine-Assisted Therapy ; Gait ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke

Miller-Dieker Syndrome (MDS) is a contiguous gene deletion syndrome of chromosome 17p13.3, characterized by classical lissencephaly (lissencephaly type 1) and distinct facial features. Children with MDS present with severe developmental delay, epilepsy and feeding problems. The lissencephaly represents the severe end of the spectrum with generalized agyria, or agyria and some frontal pachy- gyria. Prenatal diagnosis is available and consists of fetal chromosomal analysis by karyotyping or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), on chorion villus sampling or amniocentesis. Sonographic diagnosis in general cannot be accomplished earlier than late second trimester, when the characteristic cerebral anomalies can be noted. The progressive microcephaly and failure of development of both sulci and gyri are suggestive of lissencephaly. We report the case of a pregnant woman of 24 weeks gestation who presented with ventriculomegaly on antenatal sonography and hydrocephalus, and corpus callosum agenesis on fetal MRI, which was diagnosed as MDS by karyotyping and FISH on amniocentesis.
Agenesis of Corpus Callosum ; Amniocentesis ; Child ; Chorion ; Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias* ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; In Situ Hybridization ; Karyotyping ; Lissencephaly ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microcephaly ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography