The present study has been carried out to enhance the specificity of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) of the lumbar spine by the application of measure-set (MS) technic. MSCT scans of 20 patients with proven diagnosis of HNP were reviewed prospectively to sort out features of diagnostic value. Eleven were men and 9 were women with the mean age being 40 years. MSCT scan revealed dislocation of the center of the nucleus pulposus (NP) in direction of herniation in 75%, "permeation" of the annulus fibrosus (AF) by HNP material and a clear disruption of the outermost layer of AF in all patients. The site and grade of the protrusion of HNP beyond the normal saliancy of AF could be easily evaluated in 90%. The present study saliancy of AF could be easily evaluated in 90%. The present study revealed that MSCT can demonstrate four characteristic findings of HNP enabling one to directly and semiquantitatively assess the pathologic changes of NP.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Spinal Diseases/diagnosis/*radiography ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Soft tissues, which are wide spread in body, are derived from a common primitive mesenchyme and the tumors are arising from them tend to closely resemble the prototype tissues in varying degree. Some soft tissue tumors have benign course, which can be cured by local excision and the others have malignant course being resistant to therapy and resulting in recurrence or metastasis to other organs or tissues. The authors reviewed 241 cases of soft tissue tumors which had been received treatment at Department of Orthopedic Surgery in Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from January 1972 to December 1981. The results were obtained as follows: l. Among 241 cases of soft tissue tumors, 202 (83.8%) were benign and 39 (16.2%) were malignant. 2. The most common benign tumor was lipoma (68.7%) which was followed by hemangioma (8.4%), neurofibroma (6.4%) and schwannoma (5.0%) in decreasing order of incidence. Among malignant tumors, fibrosarcoma (35.9%) and rhabdomyosarcoma (33.3%) were the two most common ones, liposarcom (12.8%) and Kaposi's sarcoma (7.7%) being the next common group of tumors. 3. There was no apparent sex preference in benign soft tissue tumors, but in malignant tumors, male was affected about 3 times more common than female. 4. There was no predilection sites in benign tumors, which in malignant tumors, lower extremity was predominant site of occurence. 5. Metastasis of the malignant tumors was taken placed 13 cases (33.3%) at the time of admission, and the lung was the most common frequent site of metastasis. 6. Most of the benign tumors were treated by local excision, and malignant tumors were treated by wide excision with combination of chemotherapy and/or irradiation. 7. Local recurrence of benign tumors was developed in 12 (5.9%) out of 202 cases. 8. Among 19 cases, on follow up examination had been made, 13 survived more than 1 year and 2 cases longer than 5 years after surgery.
Clinical Study ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fibrosarcoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lipoma ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Male ; Mesoderm ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibroma ; Orthopedics ; Recurrence ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Sarcoma, Kaposi

Carpal tunnel syndrome is most commonly applied to compression neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist, and is the most cause of buring pain, numbness and tingling in the thumb, index and long fingers, and in the lateral half of the palm, with or without progressive atrophy of the thenar muscles. Fifteen symptomatic hands of 13 patients of the carpal tunnel syndrome managed and operated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery Severance Hospital from Jan. 1972 to Mar. 1982 were analized in clinical aspect. l. Among 13 patients, 3 were male and 10 were female. 2. Nine patients (69.2%) were affected on dominant hand. 3. Average duration of the symptoms was 17 months. 4. In electromyographic study, conduction delay of the motor fiber of the median nerve was found in 11 cases(73.3%) and sensory fiber in 13 cases(86.6%). Fibrillation of the thenar muscles was found in 11 cases(73.3%). 5. Ten patients, 11 cases were followed up from 11 months to 9 years and 11 months and 72.8% was improved.
Atrophy ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Male ; Median Nerve ; Muscles ; Orthopedics ; Thumb ; Wrist

PURPOSE: Combined chemoradiotherapy is standard management for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC), but standard treatment for elderly patients with LA-NSCLC has not been confirmed yet. We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for elderly patients with LA-NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among patients older than 65 years with LA-NSCLC, 36 patients, who underwent CCRT were retrospectively analyzed. Chemotherapy was administered 3-5 times with 4 weeks interval during radiotherapy. Thoracic radiotherapy was delivered to the primary mass and regional lymph nodes. Total dose of 54-59.4 Gy (median, 59.4 Gy) in daily 1.8 Gy fractions and 5 fractions per week. RESULTS: Regarding the response to treatment, complete response, partial response, and no response were shown in 16.7%, 66.7%, and 13.9%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 58.2% and 31.2%, respectively, and the median survival was 15 months. The 1- and 2-year progression-free survivals (PFS) were 41.2% and 19.5%, respectively, and the median PFS was 10 months. Regarding to the toxicity developed after CCRT, pneumonitis and esophagitis with grade 3 or higher were observed in 13.9% (5 patients) and 11.1% (4 patients), respectively. Treatment-related death was not observed. CONCLUSION: The treatment-related toxicity as esophagitis and pneumonitis were noticeably lower when was compared with the previously reported results, and the survival rate was higher than radiotherapy alone. The results indicate that CCRT is an effective in terms of survival and treatment related toxicity for elderly patients over 65 years old with LA-NSCLC.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Esophagitis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

A delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR) is the result of delayed anamnestic alloantibody response four to fourteen days after transfusion of apparently compatible blood. Most DHTRs are very mild and may not be recognized clinically. Some are manifested only by anemia. Only a few cases are severe enough to induce a massive hemolytic reaction followed by frank renal failure. Recently, we experienced a case of DHTR with acute renal failure (ARF) due to anti-E. A 21-year-old woman received compatible four units of packed red cells after right artificial total hip replacement arthroplasty due to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She had a history of transfusion 4 years ago. Fourteen days after the transfusion, she showed a fall in hematocrit, hemoglobinuria and a positive indirect antiglobulin test, and accompanied by ARF. Anti-E was identified in the patient's serum by antibody screening and identification test at that time. She recovered from ARF after hemodialysis with conservative management. However, eventually, she died due to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Anemia ; Arthritis, Juvenile ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Blood Group Incompatibility* ; Coombs Test ; Female ; Hematocrit ; Hemoglobinuria ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Candidemia* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Kidney*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Kidney*

PURPOSE: An ideal suturing material should be strong, easy to handle, should produce minimal tissue reaction and finally should disappear without a trace. Various micro-vascular suture materials have been produced in the past several decades in order to meet these demands. We have used nylon suturing material in experimental microsurgery because it is less expensive than polypropylene. After carotid artery end-to-end anstomosis, we found fusiform aneurysm incidentally. In this study 9-0 nylon (group I) and 9-0 polypropylene (group II) were compared to 10-0 nylon (group III), and 10-0 polypropylene (group IV) in order to survey the incidence of aneurysmal development in each material for use in microvascular surgery. METHOD: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats, 230 g to 350 g body weight, were used for this study. The carotid arteries were anastomosed end-to-end with 9-0 nylon, and 10-0 nylon, in addition to 9-0 polypropylene, and 10-0 polypropylene. The suture number of all arteries was 10 points except for two cases were 11 points due to uncontrolled bleeding. Specimens were harvested 1 week, 3 weeks, 6weeks and 10 weeks postoperatively. RESULT: The number of animals studied during the first week totaled 20 carotid arteries and they showed no interval change. After 3 weeks, we identified aneurysms in following cases: group I 3 cases, group II 2 cases, group III 1 case and group IV 1 case per five cases in each group. After 6 weeks, gross aneurysmal changes seen: group I, all (5) cases; Group II, 2 cases; group III, all (5) cases; Group IV, 3 cases. After 10 weeks, many aneurysms were observed: group I, all (5) cases; group II, all (5) cases; group III, 0 case; group IV, 2 cases. The aneurysms were measured and ranged in size from 1.3 mm to 8.1 mm. Histological analysis for inflammation, fibrosis and medial necrosis at the anastomosis site revealed no significant difference between same sized suture materials. If the experimental aneurysms were more than 5 times the diameter of the carotid artery, the aneurysms were considered to be experimental giant aneurysms. Seventy of our 34 experimental aneurysms were considered to be giant aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that the development of aneurysms was related to size of the suture material and not the type of suturing material used. An ideal suture material for anastomosisof the carotid artery in the rat wasd a 10-0 monofilament suture material with suture numbers was above 10 points. We also made good aneurysm model. When we used 9-0 suture material and suture numbers were below 10 points multiple aneurysms developed. This model demonstrated the development mechanism of giant fusiform aneurysms.
Aneurysm* ; Animals ; Arteries ; Body Weight ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common* ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Microsurgery ; Necrosis ; Nylons ; Polypropylenes ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sutures

PURPOSE: An ideal suturing material should be strong, easy to handle, should produce minimal tissue reaction and finally should disappear without a trace. Various micro-vascular suture materials have been produced in the past several decades in order to meet these demands. We have used nylon suturing material in experimental microsurgery because it is less expensive than polypropylene. After carotid artery end-to-end anstomosis, we found fusiform aneurysm incidentally. In this study 9-0 nylon (group I) and 9-0 polypropylene (group II) were compared to 10-0 nylon (group III), and 10-0 polypropylene (group IV) in order to survey the incidence of aneurysmal development in each material for use in microvascular surgery. METHOD: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats, 230 g to 350 g body weight, were used for this study. The carotid arteries were anastomosed end-to-end with 9-0 nylon, and 10-0 nylon, in addition to 9-0 polypropylene, and 10-0 polypropylene. The suture number of all arteries was 10 points except for two cases were 11 points due to uncontrolled bleeding. Specimens were harvested 1 week, 3 weeks, 6weeks and 10 weeks postoperatively. RESULT: The number of animals studied during the first week totaled 20 carotid arteries and they showed no interval change. After 3 weeks, we identified aneurysms in following cases: group I 3 cases, group II 2 cases, group III 1 case and group IV 1 case per five cases in each group. After 6 weeks, gross aneurysmal changes seen: group I, all (5) cases; Group II, 2 cases; group III, all (5) cases; Group IV, 3 cases. After 10 weeks, many aneurysms were observed: group I, all (5) cases; group II, all (5) cases; group III, 0 case; group IV, 2 cases. The aneurysms were measured and ranged in size from 1.3 mm to 8.1 mm. Histological analysis for inflammation, fibrosis and medial necrosis at the anastomosis site revealed no significant difference between same sized suture materials. If the experimental aneurysms were more than 5 times the diameter of the carotid artery, the aneurysms were considered to be experimental giant aneurysms. Seventy of our 34 experimental aneurysms were considered to be giant aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that the development of aneurysms was related to size of the suture material and not the type of suturing material used. An ideal suture material for anastomosisof the carotid artery in the rat wasd a 10-0 monofilament suture material with suture numbers was above 10 points. We also made good aneurysm model. When we used 9-0 suture material and suture numbers were below 10 points multiple aneurysms developed. This model demonstrated the development mechanism of giant fusiform aneurysms.
Aneurysm* ; Animals ; Arteries ; Body Weight ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common* ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Microsurgery ; Necrosis ; Nylons ; Polypropylenes ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sutures