BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that the colonization rate of group B streptococci(GBS) in pregnant women and the incidence of neonatal infections by GBS is increasing trend in Korea, but the antimicrobial susceptibilities and serotypes in pregnant women have not been reported in Korea. So, we studied to define the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and frequency of serotypes of GBS in pregnant women. METHODS: The susceptibility and serotyping of 60 GBS isolates from 27 pregnant women and four isolates from their two neonates were tested by an agar dilution method and agglutination test, respectively. The typing sera used in this study were Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, and V. RESULTS: Minimal inhibitory concentration range of 60 GBS from pregnant women were penicillin G 0.015-0.12 microgram/ml, vancomycin 0.5-2 microgram/ml, clindamycin 0.015-4.0 microgram/ml, chloramphenicol 2-4 microgram/ml, erythromycin 0.015-2 microgram/ml, tetracycline 0.5-256 microgram/ml, cephalothin 0.12-0.25 microgram/ml, ceftriaxone 0.03-0.12 microgram/ml, respectively. The resistance rate of GBS were 6.7% to clindamycin, 0% to erythromycin, and 98.3% to tetracycline. Most of GBS serotypes from pregnant women in decreasing order were Ib(48.3%), Ia(24.1%), III(20.7%). CONCLUSION: All GBS strains isolated from pregnant women are highly susceptible to commonly used antimicrobial agents with the exception of tetracycline. The low prevalence of severe neonatal GBS infections in Korea is not due to the absence of serotype III, but probably due to a low genital carriage rate of GBS by pregnant women.
Agar ; Agglutination Tests ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Ceftriaxone ; Cephalothin ; Chloramphenicol ; Clindamycin ; Colon ; Erythromycin ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Penicillin G ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence ; Serotyping ; Tetracycline ; Vancomycin

The crossing laminar screw fixation might be the most recently developed approach among various fixation techniques for C2. The new construct has stability comparable to transarticular or transpedicular screw fixation without risk of vertebral artery injury. Quantitative anatomical studies about C2 vertebra suggest significant variation in the thickness of C2 lamina as well as cross sectional area of junction of lamina and spinous process. We present an elderly patient who underwent an occipito-cervical stabilization incorporating crossed C2 laminar screw fixation. We preoperatively recognized that she had low profiles of C2 lamina, and thus made a modification of trajectory for the inferiorly crossing screw. We introduce a simple modification of crossing C2 laminar screw technique to improve stability in patients with low laminar profiles.
Aged ; Humans ; Spine ; Vertebral Artery

The dissecting aneurysms of the posterior cerebral circulation arise most commonly from the vertebral artery and occasionally extend to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA). The dissecting aneurysm localized in the PICA without involving the vertebral artery is rare. We present a PICA dissecting aneurysm that had kaleidoscopic clinical course of bleeding, occlusion, and recanalization before the surgery. The patient had serial follow-up angiograms based on significant changes of clinical status. The patient successfully underwent microsurgical trapping with clips for the dissecting aneurysm and showed neurological improvement.
Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Arteries* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pica ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery

Regarding the bilateral vertebral artery (VA) dissecting aneurysms, treatment strategy remains controversial because there have not been enough cases to reach a conclusion on the best treatment. We present a patient underwent staged microsurgical trapping and endovascular coiling for each dissecting aneurysm of bilateral VA presenting subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The ruptured side was managed by VA trapping procedure without any neurological deficit. Postoperative cerebral angiography revealed patent right PICA without filling of previous right dissecting aneurysm and spontaneous occlusion of the left dissecting aneurysm one month after trapping procedure. However, follow-up angiography revealed recanalization and growing of the left VA dissecting aneurysm one year after the operation. The patient underwent endovascular embolization using GDC for the proximal occlusion of the left VA and postoperative course was uneventful.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Angiography ; Cerebral Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Pica ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery*

Fractures of lumbo-sacral junction involving bilateral sacral wings are rare. Posterior lumbo-sacral fixation does not always provide with sufficient stability in such cases. Various augmentation techniques including divergent sacral ala screws, S2 pedicle screws and Galveston rods have been reported to improve lumbo-sacral stabilization. Galveston technique using iliac bones would be the best surgical approach especially in patients with bilateral comminuted sacral fractures. However, original Galveston surgery is technically demanding and bending rods into the appropriate alignment is time consuming. We present a patient with unstable lumbo-sacral junction fractures and comminuted U-shaped sacral fractures treated by lumbo-sacro-pelvic fixation using iliac screws and discuss about the advantages of the iliac screws over the rod system of Galveston technique.
Humans

A 69-year-old woman presented with right abducent nerve paresis caused by an ectopic pituitary adenoma invading the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus. The tumor was removed via transsphenoidal approach. The histological diagnosis was invasive pituitary adenoma with bony destruction. The symptom was improved without complication. The authors present a rare case of ectopic pituitary adenoma with a literature review.
Abducens Nerve ; Aged ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Paresis ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Sphenoid Sinus*

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a syndrome characterized by digital clubbing, periosteal bone formation, and synovial effusions. Secondary HOA is associated with intrathoracic malignancy in most cases; however, in rare cases, HOA can be caused by extrathoracic conditions. We report early ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone scintigraphy findings of HOA in a patient with breast cancer. Its ambiguous clinical and imaging findings that mimicked malignant conditions are particularly interesting and informative.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is considered relatively safe. However, fatal complications such as pulmonary edema and liver abscesses can occur. Spinal infarction due to local embolism of the central nervous system after TACE is a very rare, but fatal complication. Here, we report a case of spinal cord infarction after TACE for ruptured HCC. Paraplegia occurred at the T10 sensory level 6 hours after the procedure. The patient received steroid megadose therapy but died 5 days later due to exacerbation of metabolic acidosis and blood loss. This case demonstrates the need for a comprehensive and extensive study of arterial blood flow prior to angiography.

Objective: Subdural hygroma (SDG) is a complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In particular, the outcome and outpatient treatment period may vary depending on the occurrence of SDG. However, the pathogenesis of SDG has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with the occurrence of SDG after mild TBI. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 250 patients with mild TBI admitted to a single institution between January 2021 and December 2021. The SDG occurrence and control groups were analyzed according to the risk factors of SDG, such as age, history, initial computed tomography (CT) findings, and initial laboratory findings. Results: The overall occurrence rate of SDG was 31.6% (n=79). A statistically significant association was found between preoperative diagnoses and the occurrence of SDG, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage (odds ratio [OR], 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–4.39) and basal skull fracture (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.12–0.83). Additionally, age ≥70 years (OR, 3.20; 95% CI, 1.74–5.87) and the use of tranexamic acid (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.05–4.54) were statistically significant factors. The prognostic evaluation of patients using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) did not show any statistical differences between patients with and without SDG. Conclusion SDG was not associated with the prognosis of patients assessed using the GOS. However, depending on the occurrence of SDG, differences in patient symptoms may occur after mild TBI. Therefore, the early evaluation of patients with mild TBI and determination of the probability of developing SDG are important.

BACKGROUND:Hydromorphone is a semi-synthetic opioid that has recently been used for the control of acute and chronic pain.It has been reported that epidural infusion of hydromorphone provides rapid onset of analgesia and a lower incidence of side effects than morphine.However, comparative studies of hydromorphone and lipophilic opioids such as fentanyl are rare.Therefore, we compared the analgesic effects and side effects of hydromorphone infused epidurally with fentanyl in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:In a randomized, double-blind manner, 79 patients (ASA I-III, aged 60?75) underwent total knee arthroplasty and were provided with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) using a lumbar spinal/epidural-combined technique. Group HR (n = 39) received epidurally administered hydromorphone (4microg/ml) with 0.1% ropivacaine, while group FR (n = 40) received epidural fentanyl (2microg/ml) with 0.1% ropivacaine for 24 h after surgery at a rate of 5 ml/h. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain and the incidence of side effects such as nausea/vomiting, pruritis, dizziness, and respiratory depression were recorded at 4, 8, 12, 24 h after surgery. RESULTS:Group HR showed a lower VAS than group FR at 4, 12 and 24 h after surgery, but a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting at 8 h after surgery, and a higher incidence of pruritis at 8 and 12 h after surgery. None of the patients showed respiratory depression. CONCLUSIONS:Lumbar epidural infusion of hydromorphone more effectively controlled acute pain after total knee arthroplasty when compared with fentanyl, but some adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting appeared to occur more frequently.
Acute Pain ; Aged ; Amides ; Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Arthroplasty ; Dizziness ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hydromorphone ; Incidence ; Knee ; Nausea ; Pruritus ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Vomiting