OBJECTIVE: To analyze the indications, clinical features, cytogenetic results and complications of amniocentesis and to determine the efficacy of antenatal genetic amniocentesis. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively maternal age, gestational age, indications, transplacental puncture, frequency, discoloration of amniotic fluid, karyotype and complications in 325 cases of prenatal genetic amniocentesis performed at Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2000 to December 2002. RESULTS: The most common age group was from 30 to 34 (31.4%) and mean age was 32.7 years old. 85.3% of cases were performed at 16th-20th gestational weeks. Abnormal maternal serum markers were the most common indication of amniocentesis (56.0%) and the second most common indication was maternal age over 35 (33.2%). Abnormal karyotypes were found in 12 cases (3.6%) and normal variants were 21 cases (6.5%). Numerical aberration were 9 cases (2.7%) and structural aberration were 3 cases (0.3%). Among the autosomal aberrations, Down syndromes were 5 cases and Edward syndrome was 1 case. Among the sex chromosomal aberrations, 47,XXX were 2 cases and Turner syndrome was 1 case. As the increasing maternal age, the incidence of abnormal karyotype was increased. Procedure-related complications occurred in 11.7% of cases and fetal loss rate was 7.4%. No significant associations were found between procedure-related complications and maternal age, gestational age, transplacental puncture, frequency, discoloration of amniotic fluid, and antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSION: Amniocentesis is useful for prenatal genetic diagnosis in pregnancies with increasing risk of chromosome aberrations, such as advanced maternal age, abnormal maternal serum markers or abnormal US findings. Further studies are necessary to identify risk factors of complications after invasive procedure.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Amniocentesis* ; Amniotic Fluid ; Biomarkers ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cytogenetic Analysis* ; Cytogenetics* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Karyotype ; Maternal Age ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Punctures ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Turner Syndrome

Increasing vigorous chemotherapy for cancers including primary and matastatic tumors has resulted in prolonged survival. However, there has been an associated increase in neurotoxicity as a result of it. All classes of chemotherapeutic agents contain drugs that are potentially neurotoxic. The authors has studied three cases of leukoencephalopthies developed during adjunctive therapy with 5-flurouracil and cisplatin for adenocarcinoma of the stomach. None of the patients had evidence of metastasis or any previous neurologic diseases. The duration of chemotherapy before onset of neurological symptoms ranged from 8 to 12 weeks. Two of the 3 patients presented progressive decline in mental status and ataxia after 2~3 weeks, while the third one had two unexplained episodes of loss of consciousness. In all of these patients, magnetic resonance imagings demonstrated prominent periventricular white matter lesions. Cerebral biopsies were performed stereotaxically in 2 patients. The morphological features were active demyelinating disease and edema. All three patients had improved after the cessation of chemotherapy and a short course of corticosteroid therapy, suggesting that these alarming events such as nausea, vomiting dizziness, dysarthria, and mental change were a toxic reversible side effects from these chemotherapeutic agents. This syndrome may represent the pathological basis for 5-fluorouracil neurotoxicity, however we cannot completely exclude the role of cisplatin in the occurences of the above syndromes.
Adenocarcinoma ; Ataxia ; Biopsy ; Cisplatin* ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Dizziness ; Drug Therapy ; Dysarthria ; Edema ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies* ; Nausea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Unconsciousness ; Vomiting

Abductor deficiency in native hip joint may cause severe limping and pain. It is more serious situation in case of arthroplasty due to instability and recurrent dislocation. Well-known causes of abductor deficiency are repeated surgery, chronic trochanteric bursitis, superior gluteal nerve injury, failure of repair of abductor tendon insertion to the greater trochanter. Author had experienced primary abductor deficiency during total hip replacement and treated successfully with the transfer of gluteus maximus. We'd like to introduce the operation technique with the review of literature.
Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Bursitis ; Dislocations ; Femur ; Hip ; Hip Joint ; Tendons

No abstract available.
Stroke*

Infliximab is a chimeric anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha monoclonal antibody. Infusion related reactions and infection are well known side effects of infliximab; however, renal complications have not been well recognized. We report on a patient with late onset-acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) after treatment with infliximab and mesalazine for Crohn's disease. A 25-year-old woman was admitted with a purpuric rash on both lower extremities and arthralgia. She had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease 5.6 years previously and had been treated with mesalazine and infliximab. Serum creatinine level, last measured one year ago, was elevated from 0.6 mg/dL to 1.9 mg/dL. Results of urinalysis, ultrasound, and serologic examinations were normal. With a tentative diagnosis of Henoch-Schonlein purpura, oral prednisolone was given, and serum creatinine decreased to 1.46 mg/dL, but was elevated to 2.6 mg/dL again at two months after discontinuation of prednisolone. Renal biopsy indicated that ATIN was probably induced by drug, considering significant infiltration of eosinophils. Concomitant use of infliximab with mesalazine was supposed to trigger ATIN. Oral prednisolone was administered, and serum creatinine level showed partial recovery. Thus, ATIN should be suspected as a cause of renal impairment in Crohn's disease even after a long period of maintenance treatment with infliximab and mesalazine.
Adalimumab/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Creatine/blood ; Crohn Disease/*drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Eosinophils/immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Infliximab/*adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Kidney/pathology ; Mesalamine/*adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Nephritis, Interstitial/*diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the surgical outcomes according to the Ring's classification system in patients with the distal humeral coronal plane articular fracture after treatment with open reduction and internal fixation (OR/IF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with the distal humeral coronal plane articular fracture treated with OR/IF in the three hospitals were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically according to the Ring's classification system. RESULTS: Eleven patients, including three males and eight female patients, with a mean age of 55 years (15–88 years) were enrolled in this study. Average Mayo elbow performance score was 85 (60–100), four patients had excellent, four had good, and three had fair results. Fracture union was achieved in ten of 11 patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation. In the analysis of the results according to Ring's classification, patients presenting fracture of the posterior aspect of the lateral column showed worse clinical results than those who did not. It was the same for the patient presenting fracture of the posterior aspect of the trochlea. CONCLUSION: The open reduction and internal fixation provides good clinical and radiologic outcomes for the distal humeral coronal plane articular fracture. Our results suggest that the type of fracture involvement with posterior aspect of trochlear or capitellum can result in poor clinical outcomes.
Classification ; Elbow ; Female ; Humans ; Humerus* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

Residual aneurysm is a challenging problem after clipping procedure for the aneurysms. The anthors describe one patient in whom endovascular treatment was sucessfully done to treat residual aneurysm after surgical clipping. We discussed the role of endovascular coil occlusion in case of incomplete surgical obliteration of aneurysms.
Aneurysm ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Surgical Instruments

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The most widely used method for diagnosing sarcopenia is the skeletal muscle index (SMI). Several studies have suggested that psoas muscle thickness per height (PMTH) is also effective for detecting sarcopenia and predicting prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal cutoff values of PMTH for detecting sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: All cirrhotic patients who underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan including L3 and umbilical levels for measuring SMI and transverse psoas muscle thickness, respectively, were included. Two definitions of sarcopenia were used: (1) sex-specific cutoffs of SMI (≤52.4 cm² /m² in men and ≤38.5 cm² /m² in women) for SMI-sarcopenia and (2) cutoff of PMTH ( < 16.8 mm/m) for PMTH-sarcopenia. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty-three patients were included. The average age was 53.6 ± 10.2 years, and 499 patients (76.4%) were men. PMTH correlated well with SMI in both men and women (P < 0.001). Two hundred forty-one (36.9%) patients met the criteria for SMI-sarcopenia. The best PMTH cutoff values for predicting SMI-sarcopenia were 17.3 mm/m in men and 10.4 mm/m in women, and these were defined as sex-specific cutoffs of PMTH (SsPMTH). The previously published cutoff of PMTH was defined as sex-nonspecific cutoff of PMTH (SnPMTH). Two hundred thirty (35.2%) patients were diagnosed with SsPMTH-sarcopenia, and 280 (44.4%) patients were diagnosed with SnPMTH-sarcopenia. On a multivariate Cox regression analysis, SsPMTH-sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.944; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.144–3.304; P=0.014) was significantly associated with mortality, while SnPMTH-sarcopenia was not (HR, 1.446; 95% CI, 0.861–2.431; P=0.164). CONCLUSIONS: PMTH was well correlated with SMI in cirrhotic patients. SsPMTH-sarcopenia was an independent predictor of mortality in these patients and more accurately predicted mortality compared to SnPMTH-sarcopenia.
Diagnosis* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Male ; Methods ; Mortality ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Prognosis ; Psoas Muscles* ; Sarcopenia*