PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze treatment outcome of radiotherapy (RT) in patients with stage III-IV tonsil cancer managed by surgery followed by postoperative RT (SRT) and definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and to thereby evaluate the most feasible treatment modality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 124 patients, 67 underwent CRT, and 57 underwent SRT. We compared survival and complication rates in both groups. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 57 months (range, 19 to 255 months) for surviving patients. At five years, locoregional progression-free survival (LRPFS) and overall survival (OS) were 88% and 80%, respectively. No significant difference in LRPFS (p=0.491) and OS (p=0.177) was observed between CRT and SRT. In multivariate analysis, old age and higher T stage showed a significant association with poor LRPFS, PFS, and OS; higher N stage showed an association with poor PFS and a trend of poor LRPFS, while no association with OS was observed; treatment modality (CRT and SRT) showed no association with LRFPS, PFS, and OS. Grade 3 or higher mucositis was observed in 12 patients (21%) in the SRT group, and 25 patients (37%) in the CRT group. CONCLUSION: Definitive CRT and SRT have similar treatment outcomes for patients with stage III-IV tonsil cancer. Although acute complication rate appears to be higher in the CRT group, it should be noted that not all data on complications were included in this retrospective study. To determine the most feasible treatment modality, not only mucositis and xerostomia, but also emotional aspect and quality of life, should be considered.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mucositis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Palatine Tonsil ; Quality of Life ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Retrospective Studies ; Tonsillar Neoplasms ; Treatment Outcome ; Xerostomia

We have experienced a middle aged male patient with wrist pain, and he showed a cystic lesion within triquetrum in plain radiograph. The curettage and autogenous cancellous bone graft were performed, and the pathology revealed an intraosseous ganglion. So we report a case of intraosseous ganglion in triquetrum and review the literature.
Bone Cysts* ; Curettage ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pathology ; Transplants ; Wrist

STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects and complications of patient controlled analgesia(PCA) after spinal fusion. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Spinal fusion was associated with highest pain and dosage of analgesics among the orthopedic procedures due to the nature of its procedure. Higher requirement of analgesics might cause several postoperative complications including severe respiratory depression and death. It is well known that PCA provides better pain relief and lower complications than as needed intramuscular analgesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compaired the efficacy and possible side effects of intravenous PCA(n = 24) with control(n = 13) in patients undergone spinal fusion. The degree of resting pain, movement pain, and side effects were marked by the patients with 100mm visual analog scales. RESULTS: Postoperative pain control with intravenous PCA showed more effective analgesia and higher patient's satisfaction without causing significant side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous PCA in patients undergone spinal fusion was effective therapeutic modality in the aspect of pain relief, complications, and satisfaction rate. PCA will be a good alternative for as needed intramuscular analgesia after spinal fusion.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Analgesics ; Humans ; Orthopedic Procedures ; Pain, Postoperative ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Spinal Fusion* ; Visual Analog Scale

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of arthroscopic repair of Bankart lesion using the biodegradable polyglyconate implant(Suretac) for the treatment of traumatic anterior shoulder instability. Although the arthroscopic procedure using the Suretac device has some technical advantages over others, there have been reports of the higher failure rate than open procedure. Eight shoulders in 8 patients who had traumatic anterior instability of the shoulder with Bankart lesion were managed with this procedure. They were followed up for average 2 years (range 1 year 4 months to 2 years 5 months). During the follow-up period, all the patients showed full range of motion of the shoulder without recurrence of instability. It was our impression that success rate of the procedure could be improved by careful selection of the patient, the accurate arthroscopic technique, and the good rehabilitation program.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Recurrence ; Rehabilitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder*

In chronic tophaceous gouty arthritis, the treatment may be very difficult due to eroding, replacing and absorbing articular cartilage, deforming arthritis, and fibrous ankylosis by deposition of sodium urate crystals. We reported two cases of chronic tophaceous gouty arthritis which were satisfactorily treated by arthroscopic chondroplasty, debridement of the pannus of granulation tissue and urate salts in the joint, as well as excision of tophi around the joints.
Ankylosis ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Gouty* ; Cartilage, Articular ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Debridement ; Granulation Tissue ; Joints ; Salts ; Uric Acid

Extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture is well known as a complication of fracture of the distal radius. There is a higher risk that the tendon of extensor pollicis longus will rupture in undisplaced distal radius fracture than in those which are displaced. We have experienced three cases of rupture of the extensor pollicis longus tendon after undisplaced distal radius fracture. Those were treated by tendon graft and tendon transfers. The results were satisfactory without complications. The patients with undisplaced distal radius fracture should be careful concerned about possibility of rupture of extensar pollicis tendon.
Humans ; Radius Fractures ; Radius* ; Rupture* ; Tendon Transfer ; Tendons ; Transplants

The hamate fracture is very rare condition. The mechanism of fracture may be attributed to direct trauma by rolling down. We have experienced a case of fracture of the body of the hamate bone. It was treated by conservative method. The result was satisfactory with conservative treatment without traumatic arthritis, nonunion, ulnar nerve palsy, flexor digitorum profundus tendinitis & limitation of motion. A case of fracture of the body of the hamate bone is reported with brief review of literature.
Arthritis ; Hamate Bone ; Methods ; Tendinopathy ; Ulnar Neuropathies

We recently treated an infant with abnormal calcification in the soft tissues of the wrist and hand caused by an intravenous injection of calcium gluconate for treatment of neonatal hypocalcemia. The cause of the soft tissue calcifications was quite puzzling, if the incident of calcium gluconate extravasation had been overlooked, because the lesions mimicked for cellulitis or abscesses and treated as such. All radiographic evidence of calcification gradually resorbed by conservative management.
Abscess ; Calcium Gluconate ; Calcium ; Cellulitis ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Injections, Intravenous ; Wrist

The hook-nail deformity after finger tip amputation is very common problem. This usually occurs after loss of part of the distal pulp, phalanx, and nail bed. This deformity for some patients is a trivial lesion and may be ignored, but it may be of great cosmetic significance or disabling with regard to certain occupations to the others. To correct the deformity, it is necessary to release volarly displaced nailbed, return it to its normal position, and provide adequate support to maintain correction by a carefully planned "antenna" procedure. Deformed nail is removed, tethered pulp is freed from distal phalanx, and then full thickness of the nail bed is elevated and splinted with multiple small Kirschner wires in a straight position like antennae. The coverage of defect created is done by cross finger flap. The knowledge of anatomy and physiology of nail and sorrunding structures is important to obtain good results and reduce secondary deformities. Two cases of antenna procedures for the hook nail deformily is reported with good results.
Amputation ; Bone Wires ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Fingers ; Humans ; Occupations ; Physiology ; Splints

The incidences of posttraumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head were variably reported. In 1980, Calandruccio reported its incidence of 14% in nondisplaced femoral neck fracture and 50% in displaced ones. In general, the prophylactic methods, such as core decompression, bone graft and trochanteric osteotomy were recommended for the treatment of early stages of femoral head avascular necrosis(Ficat-Arlet stage 1 or 2), while the primary replacement surgery for the advanced ones (Ficat-Arlet stage 3 or 4). One of our authors(Y.K. Chung) has performed five cases of corticocancellous bone grafts using combined autogenous free fibular graft and iliac cancellous bone graft, for the post-traumatic femoral head AVN from January 1985 to December 1989 at our hospital, and the following results are obtained: 1. Among the forty nine displaced adult femoral neck fractures, there were five eases of avascular necrosis(10. 2%). 2. There were three male patients and two female ones, and the average age of injury was 48 years old(30 to 57). 3. According to the type of fractures, there were four cases of subcapital fracture and one of transcervical fracture. All of the patients were performed closed reduction and internal fixation with compression hip screw system, including additional Knowles pinning in two cases. 4. Histological study with the excised femoral head, showed that there was no bony union between the grafted cancellous bone and the necrotic head, and the grafted bone has been changed to amorphous necrotic tissue. However, we found a solid consolidation of the grafted bone and the femoral neck portion.
Adult ; Decompression ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Necrosis ; Osteotomy ; Transplants