For the nonunion of humeral shaft, there have been many methods of treatment. We are aimed to analyse the causes of nonunion of humeral shaft fracture and present the direction of treatment. We reviewed total 21 cases which were diagnosed as delayed or nonunion of humeral shaft and analysed the causes. l. Initial method of treatment was surgical in 19 out of 21 cases. Among these 19 cases, 14 cases were operated with internal fixation with plate and screw. 2. The most common cause of nonunion was inadequate internal fixation in 26 cases(81%) in which were unstable fixation in 13 cases, choice of inadequate internal fixator in 11 cases, and failure of operative technique in 2 cases. Other causes were distraction between fracture fragments in 4 cases(13%) and open comminuted fracture in 2 cases. 3. Eighteen cases of established nonunion due to inadequate internal fixation were treated by rigid fixation with longer and broader plate and bone graft, and 1 case interlocking IM nailing, 1 case Ender nailing and 1 case bone graft only. 4. Union was obtained in all cases at least in 5 months. And there were no specific complications. In conclusion, surgeons should contemplate the operative indication and principles in primary treatment. In treatment of nonunion, surgeons should treat by more longer and broder internal fixator and additional bone graft.
Fractures, Comminuted ; Humerus ; Internal Fixators ; Methods ; Surgeons ; Transplants

No abstract available.

A stomach cancer patient is reported, who presented with asterixis and dysarthria, after the administration of 5-fluorouracil derivatives, and progressed to a state of arnnesia and disorientation. At first impression was metastatic brain tumor however7 the result of a cerebrospinal fluid cytology for malignancy was negative, and magnetic resonance imaging study(MRI) revealed diffuse hyperintense lesion of the white matter, indicative of leukoencephalopathy. Upon discontinuing the drugs, patient recovered significantly.lly predominant muscle weakness from distal myopathy with rimmed vacuole formation While we present a young female.
Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Distal Myopathies ; Dysarthria ; Dyskinesias ; Female ; Fluorouracil* ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle Weakness ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vacuoles

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barre syndrome is defined as a recognizable clinical entity that is characterized by rapidly evolving symmetric limb weakness, the loss of tendon reflexes, absent or mild sensory signs, and variable autonomic dysfunctions. This study evaluated the clinical and electrophysiological findings retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, who were admitted to the Yeungnam University Hospital for six years from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1999 were investigated. The correlation between the clinical manifestation and the electrophysiological study was evaluated. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 1.8: 1 and there was a peak seasonal incidence in the winter. A preceding illness was noted in 66.7% of cases, and an upper respiratory tract infection was the most common one. The most common clinical manifestations were a loss of tendon reflex and ascending muscle weakness and paralysis. The cerebrospinal fluid examinations revealed, albuminocytologic dissociation in 33 cases (73.3%). Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was performed in 29 cases (64.4%). The sequential electrophysiological abnormalities were most marked at 2 to 4 weeks after onset. At that time the most significant change was a decrease in the compound muscle action potential amplitude. These 45 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome were subclassified using the clinical and electrophysiological data. CONCLUSION: The result in this study, concured with other research on the clinical and electrophysiological data of Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, an extensive and dynamic investigation is necessary to determine the reason for the peak seasonal incidence in winter.
Action Potentials ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Extremities ; Female ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; Incidence ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Paralysis ; Reflex, Stretch ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: An accurate ABO blood type is essential for transfusion therapy. Genetic structures of ABO blood group and subgroup have been investigated and so far about 100 ABO alleles have been reported worldwide. This study was performed to investigate the molecular characteristics of B subgroups in the Korean population. METHODS: A total of 19 samples of B subgroups were collected from patients (n=11) and from blood donors (n=8) of Korean Red Cross blood centers; these samples had been typed serologically for the ABO blood group. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), direct sequencing of exon 6 and 7, and allele separation were performed for ABO gene analysis. RESULTS: The ABO PCR-RFLP genotyping results of 18 samples among the provisional 19 B subgroups were identical regardless of their phenotypes. Two new B alleles showing 255C>T base change and 547G>A base change were observed in B3 and A1B3 subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Serologically unidentified B subgroups were unequivocally identified through molecular analyses of the ABO gene. And new ABO alleles observed only in the Korean B subgroups were recognized.
Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Donors ; Exons ; Genetic Structures ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Red Cross

Recurrent abortion has been defined as the occurrence of three or more clinically recognized pregnancy loss before 20 weeks and it occurs in 1% of women. The chromosomal abnormalities of abortuses have been suggested as the most common causes of recurrent abortion. We have studied the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in 57 patients with recurrent abortion using the chorionic villi samples. Of the 57 abortuses analysed, 32 (56.1%) had chromosomal abnormalities. Trisomy was predominant (23 cases, 40.4%), followed by mosaicism 3 (5.2%), tetraploidy 2 (3.5%), monosomy 2 (3.5%), and structural anomaly 1 (1.8%). Trisomy for the chromosome 16 was most prevalent among trisomies. The incidence of trisomy was positively related to matemal age above 35 year-old. But there is not statistically significant. And there are no correlation between gestational age and chromosomal abnormalities. In conclusion, the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities of recurrent abortuses was 56.1% which was similar to that of the other reports. This means that the analysis of karyotype of chorionic villi, as the first test to investigate the cause of recurrent abortion, may be not useful, however, it will require further.
Abortion, Habitual ; Adult ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chorionic Villi* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Karyotype ; Monosomy ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Tetraploidy ; Trisomy

Because of the possibility of increased the risk of soft tissue or bone infection, surgeon have been somewhat reluctant to use the anterior cervical approach in spinal injury patients who had previously undergone tracheostomy. The authors investigated whether the use of a Caspar plate in such patients during anterior cervical fixation altered the risk of infection. We analyzed the mechanism and level of injury, operative procedures, post-operative course and infection in 12 cervical injury patients with previous tracheostomy. The procedure had been performed on the day of injury because of semicoma resulting from combined head injury in two cases, and because of multiple rib fracture with hemothorax, and old age with chronic obstructive lung disease in one case each; it had been performed between 1-6 days after injury because of high fever with pneumonia and atelectasis in eight cases. The interval between tracheostomy and anterior fixation was 5-20(average, 13) days. During clinical follow-up at 8-21 (average, 16) months, bone union without infection was observed in all patients. The authors concluded that in patients with cervical cord injury, tracheostomy did not increase the risk of infection in subsequent anterior cervical fixation using a Caspar plate.
Craniocerebral Trauma ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Rib Fractures ; Spinal Injuries ; Spine* ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tracheostomy*