It has been known that CT scan shows only a few abnormalities within the first hours of acute ischemic stroke. We investigated the frequency and the predictive value of early CT scan signs of ischemia for late infarct locations In acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory stroke. Precontrast CT (PCT) scans were performed in the 35 consecutive patients with cerebral anterior circulation infarction within 6 hours after the onset of stroke. We confirmed MCA territory infarction on follow-up PCT or MRI within 3 to 7 days. The locations of infarction were classified deep, superficial, and total (deep and superficial) infarction on follow-up PCT or MRI. The initial PCT was abnormal in 74.3% (26/3s). The locations of infarction were deep in 10, superficial in 8, and total in 14. Abnormal findings of the initial PCT were attenuation of lentiform nucleus (ALN) in 18 patients, loss of insular ribbon (LIR) in 11, hemispheric sulcus effacement (HSE) in 10, hyperdense MCA sign (HMCAS) in 2, and small subcortical low attenuation in 2. Of 24 patients with late infarction in basal ganglia 18 (75%) had ALN on initial PCT. Of 17 patients with late infarction in insular cortex 11 (65%) had LIR. Of IS patients with late infarction in cerebral cortex 10 (67%) had HSE. Early PCT signs were correlated with late locations of MCA territory infarction : ALN - deep infarct, HSE - superficial infarct, LIR - superficial infarct, HMCAS - total infarction. Our findings suggest that PCT frequently discloses abnormalities during the first hours of ischemic stroke. Early signs of ischemia on the initial PCT scan may predict the late infarct locations on follow-up study.
Basal Ganglia ; Cerebral Cortex ; Corpus Striatum ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Stroke* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) demonstrated the superiority of endarterectomy over medical management for symptomatic carotid stenosis of 70-99%. More recently, the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS) showed a statistically significant reduction in stroke incidence after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in asymptomatic carotid stenosis of 60-99%. But CEA has not been frequently performed in Korea. We reviewed the 38 CEA cases which were performed from November 1994 to September 1996 in respect to clinical presentations, findings of brain and neurovascular imaging, and complications. The risk factors were hypertension in 25 patients, hyperlipidemia in 23, smoking in 20, transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 20, minor stroke in 12, heart disease in 17 (coronary artery disease in 16 and sick sinus syndrome in 1), and DM in 13. The clinical presentations of 28 symptomatic carotid stenosis included hemispheric TIA in 17 patients, retinal TIA in 2, and minor stroke in 9. Of 10 asymptomatic carotid stenosis included coronary heart disease in 7 patients, asymptomatic carotid bruit in 3, posterior cerebral artery territory infarction in 4, and vascular claudication in 1. The degrees of carotid artery stenosis were measured by use of the linear-based methods of NASCET on the selected carotid angiography. The locations of carotid artery stenosis were near the bifurcation area in 28 cases, proximal ICA in 9, and common carotid artery in 1. Four out of 9 cases with proximal ICA stenosis at above 2 cm distal to bifurcation had long segmental stenosis more than 3 cm in length. Among them 3 cases had separated multi-segmental stenosis of proximal ICA. CEA was performed unilaterally in 28 patients and bilaterally in 5. Thirty0eight CEAs had carotid artery stenosis of 70-99% in 25 cases (4 had ulceration), 50-69% in 7 (2 had ulceration), 30-49% in 3 (all had ulceration), and 0-29% in 3 (all had ulceration). Of 38 CEAs 7 cases had stenosis (>50%) and/or occlusion of intracranial arteries and 15 had stenosis and/or occlusion of contralateral carotid artery. Peri-operative complications included minor ischemic stroke in 1 case, death in 1, and frontal lobe syndrome in 1.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Brain ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Stenosis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Disease ; Endarterectomy ; Endarterectomy, Carotid* ; Frontal Lobe ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Korea ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Retinaldehyde ; Risk Factors ; Sick Sinus Syndrome ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to find out what factors affect revisits by elderly patients to the emergency department (ED) with the same symptoms within 72 hours and hospitalization after a revisit. Delineating these factors can reduce unnecessary revisits to the ED and minimize problems with diagnosing and treating, improving the quality of treatment provided and of discharge decisions. METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving 3790 elderly patients who presented initially to a general hospital ED between May 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009. Of these, 176 cases revisited the ED within 72 hours with the same symptoms. Their medical records were reviewed. A comparative analysis was conducted of the early revisit group by classifying them into 'discharge' and 'admission' considering age, gender, insurance status, means of arrival, chief complaint, diagnosis, length of stay, time of arrival, comorbidity disease, time lapse, and day of the week. RESULTS: The factors affecting revisits were age (< or =79 years), insurance status (medical aid), means of arrival (walk-in), and chief complaint (dysuria.flank pain, skin rash). The factors affecting hospitalization after a revisit were age (> or =80 years), means of arrival (by ambulance), increasing length of stay, and high comorbidity index (> or =2). CONCLUSION: The factors affecting revisits to the ED or hospitalization after a revisit were age, insurance status, means of arrival, chief complaint, length of stay, and comorbidity index. Physicians should be more careful when deciding discharge for elderly patients, especially those with the above factors.
Aged ; Comorbidity ; Emergencies ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Insurance Coverage ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

PURPOSE: This retrospective study was designed to determine the type and frequency of associated lesions in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability who had modified Brostrom lateral ankle ligament reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Between 2004 and 2007, 60 cases of 60 patients were enrolled in this study. A retrospective review of the magnetic resonance images of the affected ankle was conducted by two orthopedic surgeons who did not get any information about intraoperative findings and the lesions were admitted when two doctors were coincident. RESULTS:The overall incidence of associated lesions found in this study was about 83%. Peroneal tenosynovitis was the highest frequency (32%), followed by osteochondral lesion of talus (28%), anterolateral impingement (15%), Os subfibula (13%), Os trigonum (12%), ankle synovitis (12%), anterior tibiofibular ligament tear (15%), anterior bony spur (7%). Another findings were loose bodies (5%), flexor tendon tenosynovitis (5%), medial osteophyte (3%). CONCLUSION: Identifying these associated lesions will be helpful in treating chronic lateral ankle instability especially when the surgeon have a plan to operate the instability. We suggest that the better results can be obtained when the associated lesions are corrected simultaneously.
Animals ; Ankle ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Orthopedics ; Osteophyte ; Retrospective Studies ; Synovitis ; Talus ; Tendons ; Tenosynovitis

In unstable pelvic ring injury, if there is damage to both the anterior and posterior, both anterior and posterior fixation will be needed in order to stabilze the pelvic ring. A female patient complained of dyspareunia due to malunion and additional bone bridge at the inferior ramus of the pelvis. She should have undergone both anterior and posterior fixation, but had undergone anterior fixation only. We report on a patient who was treated successfully with resection of additional bone bridge, scar tissue and adhesive band around the vagina.
Adhesives ; Cicatrix ; Dyspareunia* ; Female ; Humans ; Pelvis* ; Vagina

PURPOSE: To estimate the arrival-to-patient contact delays when accessing patients in high-rise buildings and evacuating them to the hospital, compared with accessing patients in ground-level premises. METHODS: This was a prospective study carried out, between 20 and 31 October, and between 30 November and 7 December, 2008, on emergency calls received at the Bun-dang fire station. The first thirty-five consecutive cases were enrolled in two groups where appropriate: evacuations in high-rise buildings, and evacuations in ground-level premises, respectively. Cases of road traffic accidents and road calls were excluded because they did not entail crew entering into buildings. The times were clocked using a stopwatch by an emergency medicine resident riding with the paramedics. We set forth to determine whether the intervals, recorded in the high-rise group, between: 1) time when the ambulance arrived at the scene and time of arrival at the patient's side; 2) time of leaving the premises with the patient and time when the ambulance starts its journey to the hospital, would differ significantly from that recorded in the ground-level group. RESULTS: 35 runs were analyzed in each group. The median value from arrival to patient contact was 0.34 minutes for the ground-level group compared with 2.08 minutes for the high-rise group (95% CI: p=0.000). The median value from the time of leaving the building with the patient to the time when the ambulance turned its engine on to start its journey to the hospital were 1.00 minutes and 3.08 minutes for the ground-level and high-rise groups, respectively (95% CI: p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: There were significant delays when accessing and evacuating patients in high-rise buildings. We suggest modifications to buildings and elevators to help minimize these delays.
Accidents, Traffic ; Allied Health Personnel ; Ambulances ; Elevators and Escalators ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Medicine ; Fires ; Humans ; Korea ; Prospective Studies ; Reaction Time

The oculocardiac reflex is provoked by pressure applied to the globe of the eye or traction on the surrounding structures. It has been known that children and adults undergo eye muscle surgery under general anesthesia are most susceptible. When it occurs the most common manifestation is sinus bradycardia and other arrhythmia including atrioventricular block, ventricular premature beat and cardiac arrest. Endoscopic sinus surgery has been used popularly for treatment of chronic paranasal sinusitis. However endoscopic sinus surgery can be difficult for narrow visual field and anatomical variations. Oculocardiac reflex during endoscopic sinus surgery is rare case but potentially it can be life threatening event. The authors report the case of oculocardiac reflex during endoscopic sinus surgery with a review of literature.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrioventricular Block ; Bradycardia ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature ; Child ; Eye ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Muscles ; Reflex ; Reflex, Oculocardiac ; Sinusitis ; Traction ; Visual Fields

Nonunion of an unstable pelvic fracture with cranial displacement pelvic surgery is technically difficult due to a large amount of bleeding and the risk of nerve damage. In addition, surgical correction of leg length discrepancy by reduction of a dislocated sacroiliac joint is in high demand. Nevertheless, when a patient is strongly disabled by a pelvic deformity, surgical correction may be necessary. Two patients with pelvic deformity were treated successfully by surgical correction and osteosynthesis.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Fractures, Ununited ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leg ; Pelvic Bones ; Sacroiliac Joint

The authors diagnosed femoral component fracture after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using an anterior-posterior glide mobile-bearing system in a 78-year-old female patient who visited with severe pain and flexion limitations in the left knee and performed revision TKA. The fracture of the femoral component after TKA is a rare complication, and various factors cause the fracture of the femoral component. This case is reported along with a literature review.

PURPOSE: Endoscopic incision of ureterocele is considered a simple and safe method for decompression of urinary tract obstruction above ureterocele. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiological findings after endoscopic incision of ureterocele. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the radiological findings ultrasonography (US), intravenous urography, and voiding cystourethrography(VCU)] in 16 patients with ureterocele who underwent endoscopic incision (mean age at surgery, 15 months; M: F=3:13; 18 ureteroceles). According to the postoperative results, treatment was classified as successful when urinary tract obstruction improved without additional treatment, partially successful when medical treatment was still required, and second operation when additional surgical treatment was required. RESULTS: Postoperative US (n=10) showed that in all patients, urinary tract obstruction was relieved: the kidney parenchyma was thicker and the ureterocele was smaller. Intravenous urography (n=8), demonstrated that in all patients, urinary tract obstruction and the excretory function of the kidney had improved. Postoperative VCU indicated that in 92% of patients (12 of 13), endoscopic incision of the ureterocele led to vesicoureteral reflux(VUR). Of these twelve, seven (58%) showed VUR of more than grade 3, while newly developed VUR was seen in five of eight patients (63%) who had preoperative VCU. Surgery was successful in four patients (25%), partially successful in three (19%), and a second operation-on account of recurrent urinary tract infection and VUR of more than grade 3 during the follow-up period was required by nine (56%). CONCLUSION: Although endoscopic incision of a ureterocele is a useful way of relieving urinary tract obstruction, an ensuing complication may be VUR. Postoperative US and intravenous urography should be used to evaluate parenchymal change in the kidney and improvement of urinary tract obstruction, while to assess the extent of VUR during the follow-up period, postoperative VCU is required.
Decompression ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Ureterocele* ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Urography