BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are used prophylactically in surgery to prevent postoperative infection. However, antibiotics administered in large doses can cause a bleeding diathesis as a result of platelet dysfunction. We wondered whether these antibiotics might impair platelet function by interfering with the initial step of platelet activation: the binding of agonists to their specific receptors on the platelet surface. METHODS: In 30 patients (male 18, women 12) undergoing primary elective knee arthroscopic surgery, the whole blood coagulation system was prospectively evaluated before, and 10 and 40 minutes after administration of 1 g of augmentin. All patients who had abnormal preoperative coagulation profiles or who received anticoagulant or antiplatelet, antibiotics therapy within 7 days prior to surgery were precluded. RESULTS: At 10 minutes after augmentin administration 25 of 30 patients had a significant impairment in all phases of whole blood coagulation as monitored by thromboelastography. In contrast, three of 30 patients had a significantly decreased coagulation time. Two of 30 patients had no significant changes of TEG variables. TEG variables were restored toward baseline in fourty minutes after augmentin administration. CONCLUSIONS: Augmentin can cause a significant but transient change in the viscoelastic properties of blood. Coagulation parameters of the TEG should be measured prior to augmentin administration to prevent and prospect a bleeding diathesis as a result of platelet dysfunction.
Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthroscopy ; Blood Coagulation ; Blood Platelets ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Knee ; Platelet Activation ; Prospective Studies ; Thrombelastography*

Osteochondromadevelop most commonly at distal femur, proximal humerus and proximal tibia, but the rib osteochondroma was reported less commonly. In this report, scapular snapping syndrome complicated by adventitious bursa and soft tissue pseudotumor surrounding the osteochondroma of the 6th rib body was treated successfully by surgical excision of them. We report this rare case with reviewing the relevant literature.
Femur ; Humerus ; Osteochondroma* ; Ribs* ; Shoulder* ; Tibia

Injuries to extensor tendons can be as serious as those of digital flexors. These injuries require accurate approximation, appropirate splinting and careful mobilization. Scarring which always occurs following injury can provoke greater problems in digital extensor injuries than in flexor tendons. The loss of 2mm of excursion of extensor tendon at level of the proximal interphalangeal joint may results in a 50 percent loss of motion of the finger. A special problem associated with extensor tendon healing is loss of gliding. This study was carried was carried out to evaluate the results of the extensor injuries according to their etiology, location and type of treatment. Seventy six lesions in fifty patients treated for extensor tendon injuries were analysed for the comparison of the results of specific treatment. The follow up was from 1 to 3 years with average of 19 months. Following results were obtained. l. Among 50 patients, 16 cases (32%) were acute and 34 cases (68%) were chronic. 2. The etiology were crushing in 19 cases (30%), knife or glass in 20 cases (40%), and avulsion in 8 cases (16%) etc. 3. Mallet finger were observed in 14 tendons, buttonhole in 10 tendons. Nine tendons were injured at the metacarpophalangeal level and 16 tendons were injured at wrist level. 4. Percentage of satisfactory result which means less than 15 degrees of extension loss were 68.1 % in primary repair and plication, and 30.7% in tendon transfer or graft. 5. Prognosis was better when the lesion was proximal to MP joint, and results were more favorable in primary repair and plication than tendon transfer graft.
Cicatrix ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glass ; Humans ; Joints ; Prognosis ; Splints ; Tendon Injuries ; Tendon Transfer ; Tendons ; Transplants ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: Recently, there are many reports that glutamate receptors have close relationships with a pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of D-cycloserine, which is glycine site partial agonist in NMDA receptor on psychopathologic symptoms and cognitive functions. METHODS: This study was done for chronic schizophrenic inpatients taking typical antipsychotics for more than 4 months. Exclusion criteria were patients with over 8 points according to Simpson-Angus scale for EPS or those with over 17 points of Hamilton Depression Scale. Patients were randomized to classify into two groups; D-cycloserine group (n=13) and placebo group (n=13). Each group received D-cycloserine 100 mg or placebo separately for 8 weeks. Psychopathology was evaluated with PANSS at baseline, 2nd week, fourth week and eighth week. Cognitive function was evaluated with KWIS at baseline and eighth week. RESULTS: Total 26 patients completed this trial. The average period of morbidity was 10.39+/-3.87 years and the average doses of antipsychotic was 1228.35+/-720.30 mg based on chlorpromazine equivalent. In positive subscale, negative subscale, general psychopathology subscale, total PANSS scale and KWIS, there were no significant differences between D-cycloserine and placebo groups. However, negative subscale scores had decreased from 24.92+/-3.64 (Baseline) to 23.46+/-3.41 (week 8) (p=0.077). CONCLUSION: There were no clear changes in positive symptom, negative symptom, memory, language function, and performance intelligence when D-cycloserine 100 mg was given with antipsychotic medication. However, some patients showed clear improvement in negative symptom, especially blunted affect. Therefore, D-cycloserine combination therapy could be effective for negative symptom. In future, study that can show effectiveness in psychopathology and cognitive function according to drug dosage is needed.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Chlorpromazine ; Cognition* ; Depression ; Glycine ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Intelligence ; Memory ; N-Methylaspartate ; Psychopathology ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Schizophrenia*

Moyamoya is a chronic cerebrovascular disease characterized by progressive stenosis or occlusion of the terminal parts of both intermal carotid arteries with telangiectatic vascular network of collateral circulation at the base of the brain and leptomeningeal arteries. The etiology and pathophysiology of this disease are still unknown. Although the idiopathic presentattion is the commonest, moyamoya disease has also been reported in several hereditary or acquired clinical conditions including neurofibromatosis, sickle cell anemia, tuberculous meningitis, atherosclerosis, and following radiation therapy to the head. The term moyamoya disease should be reserved for those cases in which the characteristic angiogrphic pattern is idiopathic; moyamoya syndrome is used when the underlying condition is known. We have experienced a case of coexistence of moyamoya syndrome and hereditary spherocytosis in a 6-year-8-month-old girl who presented with right-sided hemiparesis and pallor. A cerebral angiogram revealed occlusion of proximal portion of left middle cerebral artery and abnormal collateral network. The peripheral blood smear and osmotic fragility test disclosed hereditary spherocytosis. To our knowledge, the coexistence of moyamoya syndrome and hereditary spherocytosis has not been documented. We report here the case and the brief review of related literatures. Further studies are needed to clarify the intimate relationship between the two diseases.
Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Brain ; Carotid Arteries ; Collateral Circulation ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Osmotic Fragility ; Pallor ; Paresis ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal

BACKGROUND: Fanconi's anemia(FA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by aplastic anemia and congenital malformations. As up to 30% of patients have no physical stigmata, the modern diagnosis of FA rests on chromosomal breakage of patient's cells induced by chemical clastogens such as diepoxybutane(DEB) or mitomycin-C(MMC). METHODS: We reviewed the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, diagnostic methods, treatment and outcome of 6 patients diagnosed to have a FA at the Chonnam University Hospital for the last 6 years. RESULTS: Six cases(16.2 %) were found to have FA among 37 aplastic children who were diagnosed during the same period. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.3 years which was the usual onset of hematologic findings. All patients had features of aplastic anemia, and had one or more anomalies, such as low birth weight, hyperpigmentation, cafeau-lait spots, mental retardation, developmental delay, peculiar face(broad nasal bases, epicanthal folds, micrognathia), polydactyly, microcephaly, short stature, and dislocation of hip. We found increased breaks in cultured cells with DEB and MMC in 5 cases tested. The median duration of follow-up was 30 months. Oxymetholone and prednisolone treatment was partially beneficial in three cases. Immunosuppressive treatment with ALG/ATG was not successful in two cases tried. Four cases are living now, without transfusion in three. Two patients were died of disseminated fungal infection and transplant-related problems, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fanconi's anemia should be sought carefully in any patients with aplastic anemia because the prognosis, treatment modality, and the approach to bone marrow transplantation are quite different when the hematologic disorder is inherited rather than acquired.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Christianity ; Chromosome Breakage ; Diagnosis ; Dislocations ; Fanconi Anemia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Intellectual Disability ; Jeollanam-do ; Microcephaly ; Mitomycin ; Mutagens ; Oxymetholone ; Polydactyly ; Prednisolone ; Prognosis

Lumbar kidney is one of renal ectopia which rests opposite the sacral promontory in the iliac fossa and anterior to the iliac vessels. We have experienced a case of hypoplastic kidney associated with ipsilateral vaginal ectopic urethral opening which had been discovered by abdominal exploration.
Kidney* ; Ureter*

PURPOSE: SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index is the best validated scoring system in atopic dermatitis (AD). But this scoring system has limitation to the interobserver and intraobserver variation. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between the severity of AD classified by the SCORAD index and the laboratory tests. METHODS: We evaluated 67 children admitted in the pediatric allergy and respiratory division of Busan St. Mary's Medical Center from April 1 to 30, 2011. SCORAD index was measured by one same physician. The patients were classified into mild to moderate and severe groups by SCORAD index. We identified sex, age and family history of allergic disease. We checked laboratory tests including mycoplasma immunoglobulin (Ig) M, total IgE, eosinophil count, eosinophil cationic protein, specific IgE, total protein, albumin, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and inflammatory index (lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and skin culture. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in age, sex, parental allergic history, skin culture, mycoplasma IgM, specific IgE, immunoglobulin, and inflammatory index. The SCORAD index has statistically significant positive correlations with serum total eosinophil count, and total IgE, and negative correlations with total protein, and albumin. CONCLUSION: Our study suggest that serum total eosinophil count, total IgE, total protein, and albumin can be used to evaluate the severity of AD and make up for the SCORAD index.
Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin D ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Mycoplasma ; Observer Variation ; Oxidoreductases ; Parents ; Skin

Dural arteriovenous malformations are rare, accounting for 10-15% of all intracranial arteriovenous malformation and are thought to be acquired lesion caused by dural sinus thrombosis. The authors report a rare case of extrasinusal dural arteriovenous fistula in the right middle fossa adjacent to the superior orbital fissure. During the preceding 17 years, this 31-year-old female had complained of proptosis and ocular pain in the right eye. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a retrobular intraconal mass in the right orbit; Angiography revealed an extrasinusal dural arteriovenous fistula in the right middle fossa adjacent to the superior orbital fissure, which drains into the superior ophthalmic and inferior temporal vein. After embolization of the fistula by injection of N-butylcyanoacrylate(NBCA), we intended to remove the retrobulbar intraconal mass seen on CT and MRI by means of a unilateral partial orbitotomy on the supraorbital rim and orbital roof, and to this end, explored the right orbit. We were unable, however, to locate any mass lesion in the orbital cavity, and postoperative CT and MRI showed no such lesion. We were of the opinion that the mass shown on preoperative CT and MRI was a dilated intraorbital vein structure which disappeared after embolization, operative ligation and cutting of the dural arterivenous fistula. Finally, proptosis and ocular pain disappeared, and the patient recovered with any no neurologic deficit.
Adult ; Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Fistula ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations ; Ligation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Orbit ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial ; Veins

Vocal cord paralysis is a comlex disorder which may result from numerous causes. It is often associated with trauma, disease in adjacent tissue, or a generalized neuroligical disorder. Laryngeal EMG is a useful technique for vocal cord paralysis. However it has not been used due to the uncertainties of normal human vocal cord physiology and the technical difficulties in performing these studies. We investigated the pathophysiology of vocal cord paralysis with laryngeal electromyography(LEMG). We studied 20 patients with idiopathic vocal cord paralysis. 6 patients were denervated in the cricothyroid(CT) and 6 patients in the thyroarytenoid(TA), and 3 patients in both CT and TA muscles. These indicated superior laryngeal neuropathy, recurrent laryngeal neuropathy, and proximal laryngeal or vagus neuropathy, respectively. LEMG proved to be a safe and effective procedure in the diagnosis of laryngeal neuropathy, and make it possible to use electromyography as a routine procedure in diagnosis laryngeal paralysis.
Diagnosis ; Electromyography* ; Humans ; Muscles ; Physiology ; Vagus Nerve Diseases ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords*