PURPOSE: To compare the clinical results of BRTO in the gastric varices with those of TIPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2004 to March 2006, eight patients who had been followed up for more than 1 month after BRTO were enrolled in this study. This study compared the clinical efficacy of BRTO with that of TIPS in 13 patients who had undergone TIPS from January 2000 to March 2006. The change in laboratory parameters before and after each procedure and the incidence of rebleeding, encephalopathy, asictes and varices were analyzed after each procedure. Results:In the BRTO group, the level of albumin increased, and the levels of ammonia and the Child-Pugh score decreased. The TIPS group showed no improvement in the liver function. In the BRTO group, the gastric varices were eradicated in 7 patients. Gastric variceal rebleeding and encephalopathy did not occur. However, the esophageal varices worsened in 6 patients. In the TIPS group, rebleeding (n=4), encephalopathy (n=7) and a worsening of the gastric (n=5) or esophageal varices (n=2) occurred. CONCLUSION: BRTO improves the metabolic activity of the liver and has a lower incidence of encephalopathy. Hence, BRTO is a good alternative to TIPS in the gastric varices accompanied by a gastrorenal shunt although a treatment for a worsening of the esophageal varices may be needed after BRTO.
Ammonia ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical* ; Varicose Veins

BACKGROUND: We postulate that a delay in the implementation of hepatic arterial embolization for traumatic liver injury patients will negatively affect patient prognosis. Our work also seeks to identify factors related to the mortality rate among traumatic liver injury patients. METHODS: From January 2008 to April 2014, patients who had been admitted to the emergency room, were subsequently diagnosed with traumatic liver injury, and later underwent hepatic arterial embolization were included in this retrospective study. RESULTS: Of the 149 patients that underwent hepatic arterial embolization, 86 had the procedure due to traumatic liver injury. Excluding the 3 patients that were admitted to the hospital before procedure, the remaining 83 patients were used as subjects for the study. The average time between emergency room arrival and incidence of procedure was 164 min for the survival group and 132 min for the non-survival group; this was not statistically significant (p = 0.170). The average time to intervention was 182 min for the hemodynamically stable group, and 149 min for the hemodynamically unstable group, the latter having a significantly shorter wait time (p = 0.047). Of the factors related to the mortality rate, the odds ratio of the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 18.48 (p < 0.001), and that of albumin level was 0.368 (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In analyzing the correlation between mortality rate and the time from patient admission to arrival for hepatic arterial embolization, there was no statistical significance observed. Of the factors related to the mortality rate, GCS and albumin level may be used as prognostic factors in traumatic liver injury.
Coma ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver* ; Mortality* ; Odds Ratio ; Patient Admission ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of high-flexion total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using Vega Knee System (B. Braun, Aesculap) at a long-term follow-up and to analyze the implant survivorship. Methods: We enrolled 165 patients (232 knees) with a minimum 7-year follow-up after TKA (VEGA Knee System). For clinical assessment, range of motion (ROM), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were used. For radiologic assessment, hip-knee-ankle angle, component position, and the existence of radiolucent lines and loosening were used. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The mean follow-up period was 9.8 years. The mean ROM increased from 124.4° to 131.4° at the final follow-up. The WOMAC score decreased from 38.5 to 17.4 at the final follow-up (p < 0.001). All 5 subscales of the KOOS improved at the final follow-up (all subscales, p < 0.001). Revision TKA was performed in 10 cases (4.3%), which included 9 cases of aseptic loosing and 1 case of periprostatic joint infection. Of the 9 aseptic loosening cases (3.9%), 8 cases (3.4%) were loosening of the femoral component and 1 case (0.4%) was loosening of the tibial component. When revision for any reason was considered an endpoint, the 10-year survivorship was 96.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.9%–98.5%). On the other hand, when revision for aseptic loosening was considered the endpoint, the 10-year survivorship was 96.6% (95% CI, 94.4%–98.8%). Conclusions The Vega Knee System provided good clinical results in the long-term follow-up period. Although the VEGA Knee System showed acceptable implant survivorship, loosening of the femoral component occurred in about 3.4% of the patients. For more accurate evaluation of the survivorship of high-flexion design TKA with a short posterior flange, it is necessary to conduct more long-term follow-up studies targeting diverse races, especially Asians who frequently perform high-flexion activities.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Dieulafoy lesion is an important cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. The bleedings from caliber- persistent vessel or abnormally large and tortuous submucosal artery are usually located on proximal stomach. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is currently regarded as the treatment of choice of Dieulafoy lesions. This study reports on the clinical features, the efficacy and safety of EBL. METHODS: 10 patients with Dieulafoy-like lesion (median age: 47 yr range: 22~71, M:F 8:2 ) were treated using EBL. EBL was performed as the primary hemostatic tratment as follows in 8 cases of urgency and 2 cases of emergency. RESULTS: The location of all lesions (n=10) were in stomach, 8 in body (4 in posterior wall), 2 in fundus. The bleeding focuses were identified during the first endoscopy. Five lesions were bleeding, 5 had adherent clots or protruding vessels without active bleeding. Hemostasis were achieved with first session of EBL in 9 patients successfully, one case in the fundus was failed due to early band release. CONCLUSION: EBL is a simple, effective, and safe endoscopic method of Dieulafoy-like lesions and, it should be proposed as a primary option.
Arteries ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Stomach

The bronchial artery-pulmonary vein malformation should be called the systemic artery-to- pulmonary vein arterioveonus malformation in the lung. Although pulmonary arteriovenous malformation has been well documented in intrapulmonary arteriovenous malformation, the systemic artery-to-pulmonary vein arteriovenous malformation is rare. Most patients with systemic artery-to-pulmonary vein arteriovenous malformation is asymptomatic and the diagnosis of these anomaly may be done by continuous murmur or abnormal chest X-ray on the physical examination. The pathogenesis of this condition is congenital malformation which explains these anastomoses between the pulmonary vein and accessory brochial arteries and acquired malformation which explains development of new blood vessel to supply large enough to cause significant systemic-pulmonary shunts due to inflammation secondary to infection, trauma, or previous surgery. We experienced a case of the bronchial artery-pulmonary vein malformation which was detected on angiography in 20-year-old women whose chief complain is hemoptysis. This massive hemoptysis was controlled by selective brochial artery embolization with Gelfoam and Ivalon particles.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Blood Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Physical Examination ; Pulmonary Veins ; Thorax ; Veins* ; Young Adult

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by progressive heterotopic ossifica-tion in muscle and connective tissue, with few reported cases affecting the head and neck region. Although plain radiographic findings and computed tomography features have been well documented, limited reports exist onmagnetic resonance findings. This report presents 2 cases of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, one with limited mouth opening due to heterotopic ossification of the lateral pterygoid muscle and the other with restricted neck movement due to heterotopic ossification of the platysma muscle. Clinical findings of restricted mouth opening or limited neck movement, along with radiological findings of associated heterotopic ossification, should prompt consideration of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva in the differential diagnosis. Dentists should be particularly vigilant with patients diagnosed with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva to avoid exposure to diagnostic biopsy andinvasive dental procedures.

Acquired facial lipoatrophy is a rare disease with an unclear etiology and pathological pathway. The distinct causative factors of this disease have been not elucidated, but it is suspected to be associated with immune systemrelated diseases, most notably AIDS. Although the management of facial lipoatrophy is very important for patients’ social life and mental health, no treatment framework has been developed due to the unknown nature of the disease manifestation. The present case report was designed to provide sequential imaging to visualize the disease progression. The clinical backgrounds of the patients are also introduced, helping characterize this disease entity more clearly for maxillofacial specialists.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to analyze human maxillary and mandibular trabecular bone using the data acquired from micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and to characterize the site-specific microstructures of trabeculae. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-nine cylindrical bone specimens were prepared from the mandible and maxilla. They were divided into 5 groups by region: the anterior maxilla, posterior maxilla, anterior mandible, posterior mandible, and mandibular condyle. After the specimens were scanned using a micro-CT system, three-dimensional microstructural parameters such as the percent bone volume, bone specific surface, trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, trabecular number, structure model index, and degrees of anisotropy were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the regions other than the condylar area, the anterior mandibular region showed the highest trabecular thickness and the lowest value for the bone specific surface. On the other hand, the posterior maxilla region showed the lowest trabecular thickness and the highest value for the bone specific surface. The degree of anisotropy was lowest at the anterior mandible. The condyle showed thinner trabeculae with a more anisotropic arrangement than the other mandibular regions. CONCLUSION: There were microstructural differences between the regions of the maxilla and mandible. These results suggested that different mechanisms of external force might exist at each site.
Anisotropy ; Hand ; Humans* ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Jaw* ; Mandible ; Mandibular Condyle ; Maxilla

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare but important cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopically, it has characteristic thickened red vascular folds radiating from the pylorus to the antrum. Diagnosis is made primarily by endoscopy. Histologic examination of the endoscopic mucosal biopsies may confirm the endoscopic diagnosis. Many treatment modalities of the gastric antral vascular ectasia exist. One of them, the argon plasma coagulation (APC) is an excellent therapeutic tool. Inactive argon gas is converted to ionized form by means of electrical energy. Ionized argon plasma conducts high frequency electrical energy to tissues and leads coagulation necrosis of tissues. We experienced a case of gastric antral vascular ectasia presenting melena for about one month in a 72-year-old man treated endoscopically in four sessions with argon plasma coagulation.
Aged ; Argon Plasma Coagulation* ; Argon* ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Melena ; Necrosis ; Plasma ; Pylorus

PURPOSE: Underlying bone sclerosis is frequently observed in clinical settings when oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) invades the jaw bone. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and characteristics of underlying bone sclerosis in patients with OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the computed tomographic (CT) images of 131 patients who underwent mandibulectomy between January 2012 and December 2015 to treat OSCC. The presence, degree, and extent of underlying bone sclerosis were assessed on CT images and correlated with the following imaging patterns of bone invasion: cortical invasion, medullary invasion with a smooth margin, and medullary invasion with an irregular margin. The chi-square test was used to determine the relationships between the variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of underlying bone sclerosis on CT images was 70.1% (47 of 67). The prevalence was 85.7% (42 of 49) in patients with medullary invasion, but it was 27.8% (5 of 18) in patients with only cortical invasion, indicating a significant increase in the prevalence of underlying bone sclerosis in patients with medullary invasion (P < .05). Aggressive patterns of bone invasion were associated with increases in the degree and extent of the underlying bone sclerosis (P < .05). CONCLUSION: More than two-thirds of OSCC cases with bone invasion showed underlying bone sclerosis. On CT images, reactive sclerosis in the remaining margin of the alveolar bone should not be used as the primary means to differentiate periodontal inflammatory lesions from those resulting from OSCC.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans ; Jaw ; Mandible ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies* ; Sclerosis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed