PURPOSE: To demonstrate the clinical usefulness of ultrasonography for detecting esophageal varices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 20 cases of esophaged varix, the authors analysed the transabdominal ultrasono-graphicfindings of the esophagogastric junction and compared mural thickness, the anteroposterior diameter of theesophagus, and the echogenic nature of the esophageal mucosal layer with those of 78 normal patients. RESULTS:The anterior and posterior mural thickeness of normal esophagus was 2.2 +/-0.7 and 2.4 +/-0.8mm re-spectively, butfor variceal esophagus, the corresponding readings were 5.9 +/-1.3 and 5.2 +/-1.3mm respective-ly. Theanteroposterior diameter of normal esophagus was 7.9 +/-2.1mm and that of variceal esophagus was 1 4 . 0 +/-1.8mm.There was a stastically significant difference (p<0.01) in mural thickness and anteroposterior diameter of theesophagus between a normal and variceal patient with regard to change of echogenic nature at the esphagogastricjunction. Normal esophageal mucosa showed a thin and uniform echogenic line, but for variceal mucosa, theechogenic pattern was irregular, tortuous and thick. CONCLUSION: The athors believe that transabdominal US ishelpful for detecting esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis and UGI bleeding. Important clinicallyuseful sonographic findings in diagnosing e-sophageal varix are as follows: 1) mural thickness more than 6mm; 2)anteroposterior diameter of the esopha-gus of more than 15mm; 3) irregular, tortuous and thickened echogenicmucosa.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Esophagus ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mucous Membrane ; Reading ; Ultrasonography ; Varicose Veins

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of a lateral view of the ankles in Achilles tendon rupture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the roentgenographic findings of 15 patients withsurgically proven Achilles tendon rupture. Four groups of 15 patients(normal, ankle sprain, medial lateralmalleolar fracture, and calcaneal fracture) were analysed as reference groups. Plain radiographs were reviewedwith regard to Kager's triangle, Arner's sign, Toygar's angle, ill defined radiolucent shadow through theAchilles tendon, sharpness of the anterior margin of Achilles tendon, and meniscoid smooth margin of the posteriorskin surface of the ankle. RESULTS: Kager's triangle was deformed and disappeared after rupture of theAchilles tendon in nine patients(60%) with operative verification of the rupture, six patients(40%) had a positiveArner's sign, while none had a diminished Toygars angle. In 13 patients(87%) with a ruptured Achilles tendon,the thickness of this was nonuniform compared with the reference group. The anterior margin of the Achilles tendonbecame serrated and indistinct in 14 patients(93%) in whom this was ruptured. An abnormal ill defined radiolucentshadow through the Achilles tendon was noted in nine patient(60%), and nonparallelism between the anterior marginof the Achilles tendon and posterior skin surface of the ankle was detected in 11 patients(73%). The posteriorskin surface of the ankle had a nodular surface margin in 13 patients(87%). CONCLUSION: A deformed Kager'striangle and Achilles tendon, and an abnormal ill defined radiolucent shadow through the Achilles tendon in alateral view of the ankles are important findings for the diagnesis of in diagnosing achilles tendon rupture.
Achilles Tendon* ; Ankle ; Ankle Injuries ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture* ; Skin ; Tendons

BACKGROUND: Recently, laparoscopic cholecystectomy becomes more favorite method than traditional open cholecystectomy. But postoperative pain control is still remaining problem. METHOD: Patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were assigned to two groups by simple randomization (15 patients per group). Group C (control) had no specific treatment and group B (bupivacaine) received 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine 1:200,000 before surgery. Immediately after the creation of a pneumoperitoneum, the surgeon sprayed the bupivacaine near and above the operation field. Operation was started 10 minutes after then. We attempted to investigate that the degree of postoperative pain which was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the verbal rating scale (VRS) in the recovery room at postoperative 1 h., as well as the analgesic requirements during the first 24 h. postoperatively. RESULT: VRS of group B was significantly lower than group C (p<0.05), but VAS was not significantly different. Six patients in group B and only one in group C requested no analgesics. Group C had statistically more frequent request for analgesics than group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The topical intraperitoneal anesthesia of 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine 1 : 200,000 before laparoscopic cholecystectomy is effective on the postoperative pain control. So, we recommmend that this simple and effective management is routinely treated in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Analgesics ; Anesthesia* ; Bupivacaine* ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Random Allocation ; Recovery Room

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term clinical effect of a new spinal decompression device (DRX-3000) combined with transforaminal steroid injection (TFI) in comparison with TFI only in patients with lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) METHOD: Fourty-one patients diagnosed as lumbar intervertebral disc herniation were recruited and divided into two therapeutic groups. Eighteen patients were treated with DRX-3000 combined with TFI. Twenty-three patients were treated with only TFI. The visual analogue scale (VAS), straight leg rasing test (SLR), radiating pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), sitting tolerance, standing tolerance and sleeping tolerance were measured before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: VAS, radiating pain, sitting tolerance and ODI were significantly improved after treatment in all patients (p<0.05). SLR and sleeping tolerance were significantly improved in combined treatment group and standing tolerance were significantly improved in TFI group after treatment (p<0.05). After treatment, degree of VAS decrease was larger in combined treatment group than TFI group(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Spinal decompression with TFI was more effective than only TFI in patients with lumbar HIVD in a short period.
Decompression ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Leg ; Low Back Pain

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an accelerated subtype of APS that results in multiorgan failure. Although catastrophic APS represents about 0.8% of all APS cases, it is usually a life-threatening medical condition that requires high clinical awareness. Catastrophic APS has been managed by various therapies, including anticoagulation, corticosteroids, plasma exchange and IV immunoglobulin, but it still has a high mortality rate. A few cases treated by anticoagulation and steroids have been reported in Korea. In this paper, we report a case of catastrophic APS that improved after anticoagulation therapy alone. Thus, we consider hat our case shows another clinical aspect of catastrophic APS.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Plasma Exchange ; Steroids