Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) associated with hyperthyroidism, such as Graves’ disease, is a rare condition that causes ischemic stroke with thyrotoxicity. A 43-year-old woman with symptoms of right hemiparesis was admitted. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a small cerebral infarction in the left frontal lobe. Cerebral angiography revealed multi-vessel intracranial occlusive disease. Several days later, neurologic deterioration and aggravation of cerebral infarction developed due to a thyroid storm. A thyroid function test revealed the following: thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) ＜0.01 μunits/mL (reference range, 0.55–4.78 μunits/mL); triiodo-thyronine ＞8.0 ng/mL (reference range, 0.77–1.81 ng/mL); free thyroxine (T4) of 9.47 pmol/L (reference range, 11.4–22.6 pmol/L); and TSH receptor antibody of 37.10 U/L (reference range, 0–10 U/L). For thyroid storm management, we initiated treatment with methimazole, Gemstein’s solution, and hydrocortisone. Finally, the thyroid disease was controlled, and neurologic deficits improved. We describe a case of acute cerebral infarction combined with a thyroid storm in a patient with Moyamoya syndrome and Graves’ disease. Hyperthyroidism such as Graves’ disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patho-etiologic mechanisms associated with MMS. A cerebrovascular disease with a thyroid storm can lead to severe mortality and morbidity. Prompt diagnosis and strict treatment are important.

Objective: Cranioplasty (CP) and ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) are required procedures following decompressive craniectomy (DC) for craniofacial protection and to prevent hydrocephalus. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of simultaneous operation with CP and VPS after DC, and determined the preoperative risk factors for postoperative complications. Methods: Between January 2009 and December 2019, 81 patients underwent CP and VPS in simultaneous or staged operations following DC. Cumulative medical records and radiologic data were analyzed using univariate analysis to identify factors predisposing patients to complications after CP and VPS. Results: CP and VPS were performed as simultaneous or staged operations in 18 (22.2%) and 63 (77.8%) patients, respectively. The overall postoperative complication rate was 16.0% (13/81). Patients who underwent simultaneous CP and VPS were significantly more likely to experience complications when compared with patients who underwent staged operations (33.3% vs. 9.6%, p<0.01). Univariate analysis revealed that simultaneous CP and VPS surgery was the only significant predictor of postoperative complications (p=0.031). Conclusion This study provided detailed data on surgical timing and complications for CP and VPS after DC. We showed that simultaneous procedures were a significant risk factor for postoperative complications.

BACKGROUND: Topical anesthetics, such as eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream, can be applied to reduce pain before minor procedure. This trial evaluated EMLA as pretreatment for facial lacerations and compared pain, discomfort and overall satisfaction. METHODS: This trial included consecutive emergency department patients > or =16 years of age who presented with simple facial lacerations. At triage, lacerations were allotted to either the routine processing group or EMLA pretreatment group according to date of admission. Initially, the emergency department doctors inspected each laceration, which were dressed with saline-soaked gauze. In the pretreatment group, EMLA cream was applied during wound inspection. The plastic surgeon then completed primary closure following the local injection of an anesthetic. After the procedure, all patients were given a questionnaire assessing pain using the 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) ("no pain" to "worst pain"). All questionnaires were collected by the emergency department nurse before discharge. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included in the routine processing group, and fifty patients were included in the EMLA pretreatment group. Median age was 39.9 years, 66% were male, and the average laceration was 2.67 cm in length. The EMLA pretreatment group reported lower pain scores in comparison with the routine processing group (2.4 vs. 4.5 on VAS, P<0.05), and lower discomfort scores during the procedure (2.0 vs. 3.3, P=0.60). Overall satisfaction was significantly higher in the EMLA pretreatment group (7.8 vs. 6.1, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreating facial lacerations with EMLA topical cream aids patients by reducing pain and further enhancing overall satisfaction during laceration treatment.
Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Lacerations* ; Male ; Triage ; Visual Analog Scale ; Wounds and Injuries ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall free flaps are used most frequently in autologous breast reconstruction, and these flaps require intact and robust deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) vessels. Pfannenstiel incisions are often present during preoperative visits for breast reconstruction and could potentially signal compromised blood supply to the lower abdominal wall. In this study, we compared the number of DIEP vessels between patients with and without Pfannenstiel incisions undergoing autologous breast reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records was performed for patients with (study) and without (control) Pfannelstiel incisions (n=34 for each group) between June 2010 and July 2013. In addition to patient demographics, number of caesarian sections, and outcomes of free flap reconstruction, abdominal wall vasculature was compared using the preoperative computed tomography angiographic data between the groups. For each patient, vessels measuring greater than 1 mm were counted and divided into four sections of the lower abdominal wall. RESULTS: The mean number of perforator vessels was 10.6 in the study group and 11.4 in the control group, which was not statistically different (P=0.575). Pfannenstiel incisions with history of repeat caesarian sections were not associated with decreased number of perforator vessels. CONCLUSIONS: Pfannenstiel scars are associated with neither a change in the number of DIEP vessels nor decreased viability of a free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous and DIEP flap. Lower abdominal free flaps based on DIEP vessels appear safe even in patients who have had multiple caesarian sections through Pfannenstiel incisions.
Abdominal Wall ; Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix* ; Demography ; Female ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; Medical Records ; Perforator Flap ; Pregnancy ; Rectus Abdominis ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: Little is known regarding cervical cancer survivors' employment status, which represents social integration of cancer survivors as a pivotal domain of long-term quality of life. The goal of this study was to assess the correlates of unemployment and evaluate the impact on the comprehensive quality of life in cervical cancer survivors. METHODS: We enrolled 858 cervical cancer survivors from the gynecologic oncology departments of multi-centers in Korea. Factors associated with unemployment were identified using multivariate logistic regression analyses. We assessed different health-related quality of life domains with multivariate-adjusted least-square means between cervical cancer survivors who currently work and do not. RESULTS: After diagnosis and treatment, the percentage of unemployed survivors increased from 50.6% to 72.8%. Lower income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 2.81), medical aid (aOR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.38), two or more comorbidities (aOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.90), current alcohol drinkers (aOR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.54 to 3.52), and employed at the time of diagnosis (aOR, 10.72; 95% CI, 7.10 to 16.16) were significantly associated with unemployment. Non-working groups showed significant differences with respect to physical functioning, role functioning, depression, and existential well-being. CONCLUSION: The proportion of unemployed cervical cancer survivors seems to increase, with low-income status and the presence of medical aid negatively being associated with employment, in addition to other comorbidities and previous working status. Effort should be made to secure the financial status of cervical cancer survivors.
Comorbidity ; Depression ; Employment ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Quality of Life ; Survivors ; Unemployment ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The majority of cases of pneumocephalus are secondary to trauma or medical intervention. Spontaneous, non-traumatic pneumocephalus is an uncommon condition. Most cases of spontaneous pneumocephalus require surgery. However, if there is no evidence of infection or cerebrospinal fluid leak, bed rest and follow-up imaging is an alternative treatment. Herein, we report a 31-year-old man with spontaneous pneumocephalus associated with pneumosinus dilatans.
Adult ; Bed Rest ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Pneumocephalus

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers for cancer have several potential clinical uses, including the following: early cancer detection, monitoring for recurrence prognostication, and risk stratification. However, no biomarker has been shown to have adequate sensitivity and specificity. Many investigators have tried to validate biomarkers for the early detection and recurrence of lung cancer. To evaluate plasma G-CSF as such a biomarker, protein levels were measured and were found to correlate with the clinicopathological features of primary lung tumors. METHODS: Between December 2006 and May 2008, 100 patients with histologically-validated primary lung cancer were enrolled into this study. To serve as controls, 127 healthy volunteers were enrolled into this study. Plasma G-CSF levels were measured in lung cancer patients using the sandwich ELISA system (R & D inc.) prior to treatment. RESULTS: The mean plasma G-CSF levels were 12.2+/-0.3 pg/mL and 46.0+/-3.8 pg/mL (mean+/-SE) in the normal and in the cancer groups, respectively. In addition, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with early lung cancer than in healthy volunteers (p<.001). Plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients who were under 65 years old or smokers. Within the cancer group, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with non small cell lung cancer than in patients with small cell lung cancer (p<.05). Overall, plasma G-CSF levels were shown to increase dependent upon the type of lung cancer diagnsosed. In the order from highest to lowest, the levels of plasma G-CSF tended to decrease in the following order: large cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Plasma G-CSF levels tended to be higher in patients with advanced TNM stage than in localized TNM stage (I, II Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar ; Adrenal Glands ; Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Plasma ; Recurrence ; Research Personnel ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

PURPOSE: Postsurgical adhesion formation is a significant clinical problem within every surgical specialty. Several adhesion barriers have been developed in the form of solution, membrane or film in an attempt to solve these problems. The purpose of the present study is to compare the efficacy of antiadhesive agents in the prevention of postsurgical adhesion formation in a standardized rat adhesion model. METHODS: We examined forty Sprague-Dawley rats, which is a cecal abrasion with partial peritonectomy model. Three treatment groups (Group I: Film-type Surgiwrap(R), Group II: Solution-type Guardix-sol(R), Group III: Membrane-type Interceed(R)), each consists of 10 rats, and a control group of 10 rats were used by saline. Ten days after surgery, the rats were killed, and the levels of adhesion were graded. Immunohistochemical staining for microvessel density (CD34, MVD) and macrophage (ED1) were performed in adhesion tissue. RESULTS: The peritoneum adhesion mean scores are as follows: control group: 2.2+/-0.78, Group I: 1.0+/-1.06, Group II: 0.9+/-0.99, Group III: 0.6+/-0.84. All treatment groups showed significantly less peritoneum adhesion (P=0.006), while there was no significant difference in each group. The intraperitoneal organs adhesion mean scores are as follows: control group: 2.8+/-0.91, Group I: 2.6+/-1.06, Group II: 1.4+/-0.84, Group III: 1.0+/-0.81. Group I had no significant difference about intraperitoneal organs adhesion with control group, but Group II and Group III showed less intraperitoneal organs adhesion. The mean numbers of microvessel density are as follows: control group: 42.5+/-4.83, Group I: 40.8+/-6.53, Group II: 30.9+/-6.15, Group III: 15.60+/-4.37, from which there was a significant difference between Group II and Group III with control group (P<0.001). The mean numbers of macrophage are as follows: control group: 223.3+/-33.12, Group I: 211.25+/-10.96, Group II: 171.60+/-23.96, Group III: 147.0+/-12.22, from which there was a significant difference between Group II and Group III with control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In our animal model, three different types of antiadhesive agents (Surgiwrap(R), Guardix-sol(R), Interceed(R)) were effective in adhesion prevention, but Surgiwrap(R) had less antiadhesive effect for intraperitoneal organs adhesion. Membrane-type Interceed(R) had a better effect for microvessel density (MVD) and macrophage than solution-type Guardix-sol(R).
Abdominal Wall ; Animals ; Macrophages ; Membranes ; Microvessels ; Models, Animal ; Peritoneum ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: A laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is becoming popular for the treatment of acute and perforated appendicitis. Since it was first described, the LA has been modified many times. We present the result for a new technique of LA, in which the LA is conducted through a single umbilical incision without exteriorizing the appendix to perform the operation. METHODS: A single incision laparoscopic appendectomy was attempted in 25 patients (17 men, 8 women). Under general anesthesia, a wound retractor was inserted through the umbilicus. The appendix was grasped and dissected from surrounding tissues with a single flexible dissector or grasper. After mesenteric dissection with ultrasonic shear, the base of the appendix was ligated with an Endoloop. The appendix was withdrawn into the wound protector and extracted from the abdomen. RESULTS: A single incision laparoscopic appendectomy was completed in 25 patients. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered. The average duration of the procedure was 50.3+/-21.3 min. The average hospital stay was 4.1+/-2.4 days. CONCLUSION: This new technique, a single incision laparoscopic appendectomy, further improves the minimal invasiveness of a LA because a single incision is used. This procedure is a safe, very minimally invasive procedure with excellent cosmetic results.
Abdomen ; Anesthesia, General ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Cosmetics ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Ultrasonics ; Umbilicus

OBJECTIVE: Although there are many reports describing the risk of rebleeding in hospitalized patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), it is common for these patients to deteriorate during transportation or while waiting for surgery. The aim of this study was to estimate the possible causes of neurological deterioration in patients with a ruptured aneurysm prior to hospitalization and management and the effect on patient prognosis. METHODS : Two hundred and thirty patients with aneurysmal SAH that arrived to the hospital within 24 hours after the initial bleeding were recruited. The course of neurological deterioration, age, gender, Hunt and Hess grade, Fisher grade, the arterial blood pressure, the clinical findings when neurological deterioration occurred, aneurysm location and size, treatment and the outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 230 patients, 32 (13.9%) patients had neurological aggravation prior to management. Fifteen (46.8%) patients had definite rebleeding, 5 (15.6%) acute hydrocephalus and 2 (6.3%) intracerebral hematomas. Two (6.3%) patients had a cardiac arrest, and another 8 (25%) patients likely had rebleeding. Such deterioration occurred in 15 (46.8%) patients within 3 hours after the initial event and in 21 (84%) patients within 6 hours. The patients experiencing neurological deterioration had a more severe Hunt and Hess grade, higher rates of intracerebral hematoma and intraventricular hematoma, reduced operability, and a poorer prognosis. CONCLUSION: The findings showed that neurological deterioration occurred much earlier than expected. Thus, more rapid and careful preoperative management and earlier neurosurgical intervention might prevent neurological deterioration and improve patient outcome.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Arterial Pressure ; Heart Arrest ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Prognosis ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Transportation