In the treatment of flexor tendon injury of the hand, re-rupture after primary tendon repair is one of complications which occurs occasionally and so impose burden on both the patient and the surgeon. Authors experienced twelve cases of re-rupture after primary flexor tendon repair of 274 patients from Mar. 1989 to Mar.1996. The incidence of re-rupture after primary flexor tendon repair was 4.4% in author's series. One case happened with slip down injury, and in six cases re-rupture occurred during physical therapy with snapping click sound. However in five cases, the patients conldnt recognize any related causes. In majority of cases, re-ruptures were identified between three and five weeks after primary repair by the surgeon and the patient, so it could be suggested that the attention should be paid for the high possiblity of re-rupture during this period. Operative findings were the resorption and friability of repaired end with insecure suture fixation in two cases, rupture of suture material in four cases and loosening of the knot in six cases. From this study, the authors suggest the importance of knot, and recommend to make more than four knots on suture tie with attention to the tie direction, and advise careful physical therapy according to each patients' different situation. In the treatment of re-rupture, end-to-end re-anastomosis was available in seven cases (59%). In five cases (41%), tendon graft was needed. The clinical result of the re-rupture cases was evaluated by the Stickland evaluation method, and it was satisfactory in 67% of the patients who had the complication of re-rupture.
Hand* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Rupture ; Sutures ; Tendon Injuries ; Tendons* ; Transplants

Sustained downgaze mostly occurs in association with lesions affecting the dorsal midbrain. We report sustained downgaze in a patient with hepatic encephalopathy. The sustained downgaze existed for seven more days after she regained her consciousness. The persistent downgaze even after regaining full consciousness indicates localized pretectal dysfunction rather than diffuse encephalopathy as the mechanism of sustained downgaze in our patient. The ocular motor dysfunction in hepatic encephalopathy may be due to localized dysfunction of the brainstem

An ovarian sex cord tumor with annular tubules(SCTAT) in an 18-year-old woman who had secondary amenorrhea but not Peutz-Jeghers syndrome was studied by light and electron microscopy. Her clinical features were consistent with those of Turner's syndrome, i.e, shortness of stature, webbing of the neck, scanty or absent axillary and pubic hairs, lower hair line with streak gonad. Chromosomal analysis revealed 45, X/46, XX karyotype. The patient has been well and disease free for a period of 2 years after surgical removal of tumor. Histologically, the tumor was composed of nests of cells arranged in simple and complex annular tubules with central acidophilic hyaline bodies. Ultrastructurally, the cells had deeply indented nuclei and the cells were joined by specialized intercellular junctions along their lateral adjacent borders. Central acidophilic hyaline body consisted of concentric lamellae of basal lamina, but Charcot-Boettcher filaments were not observed.
Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: The Ketogenic diet has been used since the 1920s as an alternative therapy to antiepileptic drugs in children with intractable epilepsy. This study was performed to provide information of clinical efficacy, adverse effects, tolerability and reasons for discontinuation. METHODS: This is a retrospective study concerning the change in frequency of seizures according to seizure classification, complication, tolerability and reasons for discontinuation in 25 children with intractable epilepsy who were treated with the 4:1 ketogenic diet. RESULTS: One month after diet initiation, complete cessation of seizures was observed in 5 children(20%), a greater than 50% reduction of seizures in 5 children(20%). One month after diet initiation, 72% continued the ketogenic diet. At 3 months, 44% continued the ketogenic diet. Most of those discontinued the diet because it was either ineffective or too unpalatable. Gastrointestinal side effects were observed in 10 children(40%), 8 controlled by supportive care, and 2 no longer maintaing the ketogenic diet. CONCLUSION: The ketogenic diet should be considered as an alternative therapy for children with intractable epilepsy. To maintain the ketogenic diet for a long time, family education, careful follow-up and development of various diet regimens should be considered.
Anticonvulsants ; Child ; Classification ; Diet ; Education ; Epilepsy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ketogenic Diet* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

Epidurally administered clonidine, a selective alpha2-adrenergic agonist, has been reported to produce postoperative analgesia. The aim of this study was to see if the addition of a small dose of clonidine to a mixture of bupivacaine, fentanyl and epinephrine prolonged the duration of analgesia and reduce the number of injections or the total bupivacaine requirement and the incidence of side effects. Forty patients presenting for TAH in ASA physical status 1 or 2, were randomly divided into two groups group 1 was given a 10 ml epidural solution of bupivacaine 12.5 mg combined with fentanyl 50 pg and epinephrine 50ug ; group 2 was given the same solution with clonidine 75 ug. Changes in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the pulse rate were recorded at 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 minutes after drug administration, and the analgesic effects were assessed by measuring pain score (Prince Henry Score), analgesic duration, total bupivacaine requirement for 24 hours and side effect. The results were as follows; 1) Heart rate changed little in group 1 and decreased significantly in group 2. 2) Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in all groups (earlier in group 2 than in group 1). 3) The mean duration of analgesia was significantly prolonged in group 2, compared with group 1 (437 min in group 2; 229 min in group 1). For 24 hours after the first injection, numbers of injections (6 in group 1; 3.15 in group 2) and total bupivacaine requirements (75.0 mg in group 1 ; 39.1 mg in group 2) were significantly reduced. 5) The side effects including hypotension, nausea and vomiting, pruritus, and respiratory depression were not significantly different from each other. These results show that epidurally administered clonidine helps to prolong analgesic duration, and decreased need for supplemental bupivacaine, after lower abdominal surgery.
Analgesia ; Blood Pressure ; Bupivacaine* ; Clonidine* ; Epinephrine* ; Fentanyl* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Hysterectomy* ; Incidence ; Nausea ; Pruritus ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Vomiting

Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a rare congenital anomaly that occurs in association with other cardiovascular anomalies, such as tetralogy of Fallot or ventricular septal defects. On the other hand, it is less commonly found as an isolated finding without accompanying diseases. Isolated UAPA is a rare cause of hemoptysis, and massive hemoptysis has been reported to occur in approximately 18~20% of UAPA patients during their clinical course. Even if a lung resection is considered a treatment option to control life-threatening hemoptysis, the procedure is more difficult than an ordinary lung resection because of the excessive collateral vessels from the systemic circulation. We encountered an isolated UAPA occurring in a young male patient suffering from intermittent blood tinged sputum. To our knowledge, only a few cases of isolated UAPA have been reported in Korea. This case is expected to be a good example to help clinicians better understand isolated UAPA as an unusual cause of hemoptysis.
Hand ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; Sputum ; Stress, Psychological ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; Tolnaftate

We report a case of epidermolysis bullosa simplex, Dowling-Meara type (EBS-DM), which was associated with congenital pyloric atresia (PA) and various urologic abnormalities, a diagnosis confirmed by immunofluorescence mapping and electron microscopic findings. Immunofluorescent mapping showed the serum from a patient with bullous pemphigoid faintly binding to the floor of the blister, and monoclonal antibodies against type IV and VII collagens were also stained on the floor of the blister. Electron microscopy showed epidermolytic cleavage and prominent clumping of tonofilaments in the basal and suprabasal keratinocytes. An abdominal radiograph and barium swallow showed a complete obstruction at the pyloric channel level. The widespread bullae healed without any scar formation and the bullae formation was localized on the extremities after 3 months of age without any specific treatment. Multiple urologic abnormalities such as bilateral hydronephrosis, hydroureter and a distended bladder with trabeculation were observed at 12 months of age. Currently, with the patient at 4 years of age, bullae still appear on the hands and feet and nail shedding can be observed. The patient's father, a paternal uncle and a paternal aunt had had similar bullous eruptions in infancy, all of which had improved spontaneously by the age of one.
Case Report ; Collagen/metabolism ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex/pathology ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex/metabolism ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex/complications* ; Human ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pylorus*/radiography ; Stomach Diseases/radiography ; Stomach Diseases/complications* ; Urologic Diseases/congenital* ; Urologic Diseases/complications*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to externally validate the diagnostic usefulness of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) or transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS)-guided biopsy for pelvic masses, and to analyze the diagnostic performance of these methods in oncologic patients. METHODS: A consecutive series of 30 patients who underwent TRUS- or TVUS-guided biopsy for pelvic masses was included. Tissue samples were obtained using an 18-gauge core biopsy needle under local anesthesia for lesions detected on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. We analyzed the rates of diagnostic biopsies upon pathologic examination and biopsy-related major complications requiring treatment. In diagnostic biopsy cases, the performance was also investigated for all patients and patients with underlying malignancy. RESULTS: The diagnostic biopsy rate was 93.3% (28 of 30) for all patients and 95.0% (19 of 20) for oncologic patients. No patients had major complications. In diagnostic biopsies, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy for identifying malignancy were 100% (17 of 17), 72.7% (8 of 11), 85.0% (17 of 20), 100% (8 of 8), and 89.3% (25 of 28) for all patients and 100% (14 of 14), 60.0% (3 of 5), 87.5% (14 of 16), 100% (3 of 3), and 89.5% (17 of 19) for oncologic patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study externally validated the feasibility and safety of TRUS- or TVUS-guided biopsy. In addition, these techniques appear to enable accurate pathologic diagnoses of pelvic masses in oncologic patients to be made safely and relatively noninvasively.
Anesthesia, Local ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Needles ; Pelvis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: During clinical practice we found that left ventricular systolic function(LVSF) has been normalized in some patients with cardiomyopathy. We investigated the echocardiographic and clinical factors affecting normalization of LVSF in these patients. METHOD: The patients with LV systolic dysfunction(EF<40%) were evaluated with echocardiography, coronary angiography and/or 201-Thallium SPECT and follow-up echocardiography(FUE) one year later. They had no coronary, valvular, congenital heart diseases. Consecutive 50 patients with improved LVSF(EF> or =55%) in FUE were defined to Group 1(mean age 57+/-16, male 21, female 29, mean follow-up 18+/-6 month) and another consecutive 50 patients with sustained decreased LVSF(EF<40%) and no increment of EF over 10% in FUE were defined to Group 2(mean age 56+/-14, male 32, female 18, mean follow-up 20+/-6 month). RESULTS: By univariate analysis, significant factors affecting normalization of LVSF were female sex, non-smoker, first experience of dyspnea, absence of bundle branch block in ECG, end-diastolic dimension of LV(LVEDD), end-diastolic volume of LV(LVEDV), LA size, less sphericity, presence of pericardial effusion, peak and end systolic wall stress. By multivariate analysis, LVEDD(Group 1: 61+/-7, Group 2: 71+/-7mm, p<0.001), LVEDV(Group 1: 139+/-59, Group 2: 190+/-51ml, p<0.01), absence of bundle branch block in ECG and 1st attack of symptom were significant. By Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, area under curve of LVEDD and LVEDV were 0.859(95%CI: 0.775-0.920) and 0.805(95%CI: 0.681-0.896), respectively. LVEDD< or =64mm predicted normalization of LVSF with a sensitivity 76% and a specificity 86%. CONCLUSION: Determination of cardiac dimension and volume by echocardiography is very important to predicting normalization of LV systolic function in primary myocardial disease. And this results suggest that myocardial structural integrity may be important for recovery of LV function in clinical setting.
Bundle-Branch Block ; Cardiomyopathies* ; Coronary Angiography ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pericardial Effusion ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Statistics as Topic ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a relatively rare condition in which gas is found as a linear or cystic form in the submucosa or subserosa of bowel wall. PCI is usually found incidentally on an imaging study. Treatment is usually conservative including oxygen and antibiotics therapy. So far, etiology and pathogenesis of PCI remain uncertain. PCI is associated with various medical conditions including various pulmonary diseases, connective tissue diseases, and endoscopic procedures. However, there are only few reports on lactulose causing PCI in patients with cirrhosis. Oral lactulose or enema is one of the main treatment modalities in hepatic encephalopathy. Here, we report a case of PCI which was found during the treatment with lactulose therapy in a patient with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy.
Gastrointestinal Agents/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lactulose/therapeutic use ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis/etiology/*radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed