Calcaneus fracture with a subtalar dislocation are extremely rare. A case of a joint depression type calcaneus fracture with a lateral dislocation of the calcaneal posterior facet and tuberosity is presented. We treated it with open reduction and internal fixation with Steinmann pins and K-wires through limited posterior approach and obtained satisfactory radiographic and clinical outcome.
Calcaneus ; Depression ; Dislocations ; Joints

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a complex of symptoms resulting from the compression of the posterior tibial nerve or its branches. Many studies have done on etiologic agents. We reported two cases of tarsal tunnel syndrome secondary to the varicosis of posterior tibial vein. Symptoms were relieved after excision of the varicosis, neurolysis and reposition of posterior tibial nerve.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome ; Tibial Nerve ; Veins

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the limited posterior approach for the surgical treatment of intraarticular fracture of calcaneus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2000 to February 2006, we studied retrospectively 186 patients, 203 cases who were treated with open reduction and internal fixation through limited posterior approach and were followed up for more than 1 year. The clinical results were evaluated with Creighton-Nebraska score and circle draw test after 1 year. We checked simple AP, lateral, axial and Broden's view preoperatively and 1 year after surgery, and compared Bohler angle and Gissane angle. RESULTS: By Creighton-Nebraska score, Sanders type 2 was 86.4, type 3 was 74.3, type 4 was 62.4. And by circle draw test, type 2 was 8.9 cm, type 3 was 7.2 cm, type 4 was 5.9 cm. Bohler angle and Gissane angle were 7.6 degrees, 102.4 degrees, and it increased to 23.5 degrees, 128.6 degrees after postoperative 1 year. CONCLUSION: Limited posterior approach for the surgical treatment of intraarticular fracture of calcaneus was considered to an effective treatment modality.
Calcaneus* ; Humans ; Intra-Articular Fractures* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: In this study, we introduced an newly developed technique of operation for fracture of lateral malleolus of the ankle. We treated the fracture by close reduction and internal fixation using arthroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2006 to June 2007, we had treated 23 cases of lateral malleolar fracture (SER type) by closed reduction and internal fixation with arthroscopy and followed them up more six month. Operation time, union time, clinical and functional result were evaluated. RESULTS: After the final follow-up, all the fractures were healed with satisfactory bony union. The subjective result was excellent in 15 cases (65%), good in 8 cases (35%), the objective result was excellent in 13 cases (57%), good in 10 cases (43%), and the roentgenographic result was excellent in 17 cases (74%), good in 6 cases (26%). CONCLUSION: Closed reduction and internal fixation with arthroscopy technique is an effective treatment method in treating lateral malleolar fracture of the ankle since it offers advantages including corrective anatomical reduction and minimizing complication associated with injury of soft tissue.
Animals ; Ankle ; Arthroscopy ; Follow-Up Studies

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic inflammatory disorder that affects the axial skeleton. It often involves the extra-articular organs. Cardiovascular involvement is one of the extra-articular manifestations, which is mostly represented by aortic root, valvular heart disease, and conduction disturbances. An aortic sclerosing inflammatory process induces aortic root thickening and rigidity. An aortic aneurysmal change is a rare complication that often leads to life threatening conditions. A few cases regarding aortic aneurysm have been reported, but there are no reported cases in Korea. We report the first case of descending thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.
Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Skeleton ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Accurate staging of the lymph nodes (LNs) before endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is important. We evaluated the accuracy of CT for LN staging in patients the endoscopically resectable early gastric cancer (EGC). METHODS: The medical records of 155 EGCs patients who had undergone an operation were analyzed. The pre-operatively performed multidetector CT scans and the post-operative histopathologic findings were reviewed for comparing the LN staging with that using the Japanese classification system. Endoscopically resectable EGC was defined as EGC without LN metastasis and also the EGC that satisfied the EMR criteria according to the Japanese guideline. RESULTS: The diagnostic efficacy of CT for LN staging of all the enrolled EGC patients was as follow: accuracy 65.2%, overstaging rate 29.7%, understaging rate 5.2%. The overall accuracy and the overstaging rate of CT for LN staging of endoscopically resectable EGC were as follows: EGC without LN metastasis [69.8% (97/139), 30.2% (42/139)], EGC satisfying extended criteria [72.5% (58/80), 27.5% (22/80)] and EGC satisfying limited criteria [79.2% (19/24), 20.8% (5/24)]. The accuracy of the EMR criteria for predicting node negative EGC were as follows: the extended criteria 98.8% (79/80), the limited criteria 100% (24/24). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that prediction of LN metastasis before EMR according to CT staging had limited value due to the tendency of overestimation. Therefore, we should preferentially consider the treatment strategy according to the EMR criteria.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Stomach Neoplasms

Anti-atherosclerosis effects of perilla oil were investigated, in comparison with lovastatin, in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet (HCD). Hypercholesterolemia was induced in rabbits by feeding the HCD containing 0.5% cholesterol and 1% corn oil, and perilla oil (0.1 or 0.3%) was added to the diet containing 0.5% cholesterol for 10 weeks. HCD greatly increased blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, and caused thick atheromatous plaques, covering 74% of the aortic wall. Hyper-cholesterolemia also induced lipid accumulation in the liver and kidneys, leading to lipid peroxidation. Perilla oil not only attenuated hypercholesterolemia and atheroma formation, but also reduced fat accumulation and lipid peroxidation in hepatic and renal tissues. The results indicate that perilla oil prevents atherosclerosis and fatty liver by controlling lipid metabolism, and that it could be the first choice oil to improve diet-induced metabolic syndrome.
Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Corn Oil ; Diet* ; Fatty Liver ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Kidney ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; Liver ; Lovastatin ; Perilla* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Rabbits*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The true incidence of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is thought to be underestimated because numerous ingredients known or suspected to contain aristolochic acid (AA) are used in traditional medicine in Korea. METHODS: We collected data on cases of AAN since 1996 via a database in Korea. We evaluated the year of AAN development, route to obtaining AA-containing herbal medicine, gender, reason for taking AA-containing herbal medicine, clinical manifestations, histological findings, phytochemical analysis, and prognosis of patients with AAN. RESULTS: Data on 16 cases of AAN were collected. Thirteen cases developed AAN before and three cases after the prohibition of AA-containing herbal medicine by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. Patients were prescribed AA-containing herbal medicine from oriental clinics or had purchased it from traditional markets. AAN was distributed in all age groups. Young females were most commonly exposed to AA-containing herbal medicine for slimming purposes and postpartum health promotion, while older adults took AA-containing compounds for the treatment of chronic diseases. The most common symptoms presented at hospitalization were nausea and vomiting, and acute kidney injury was accompanied by Fanconi syndrome in almost half of the patients. Phytochemical analysis of AA in herbal medicine was available in six cases. Progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD) was observed in seven patients (43.8%), and five patients (31.3%) had progressed to ESRD within 6 months of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our report shows that patients were still exposed to AA-containing herbal medicine and that there is a possibility of underdiagnosis of AAN in Korea. A stronger national supervision system of herbal ingredients and remedies in oriental medicine is needed to prevent AAN.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Diagnosis ; Fanconi Syndrome ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Herbal Medicine ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea* ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Medicine, Traditional ; Nausea ; Organization and Administration ; Postpartum Period ; Prognosis ; United States Food and Drug Administration ; Vomiting

This study investigated the association between serum phosphate level and mortality in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients undergoing continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) and evaluated whether this association differed according to disease severity. Methods: Data from eight tertiary hospitals in Korea were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were classified into four groups (low, normal, high, and very high) based on their serum phosphate level at baseline. The association between serum phosphate level and mortality was then analyzed, with further subgroup analysis being conducted according to disease severity. Results: Among the 3,290 patients identified, 166, 955, 1,307, and 862 were in the low, normal, high, and very high phosphate groups, respectively. The 90-day mortality rate was 63.9% and was highest in the very high group (76.3%). Both the high and very high groups showed a significantly higher 90-day mortality rate than did the normal phosphate group (high: hazard ratio [HR], 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.51, p < 0.001; very high: HR, 2.01, 95% CI, 1.78–2.27, p < 0.001). The low group also exhibited a higher 90-day mortality rate than did the normal group among those with high disease severity (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.09–1.99; p = 0.01) but not among those with low disease severity. Conclusion: High serum phosphate level predicted increased mortality in AKI patients undergoing CKRT, and low phosphate level was associated with increased mortality in patients with high disease severity. Therefore, serum phosphate levels should be carefully considered in critically ill patients with AKI.