ABSTRACT
Purpose@#Bowel dysfunction commonly occurs in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with a multimodal approach of chemoradiation therapy (CRT) combined with sphincter-preserving rectal resection. This study investigated the decline in anorectal function using sequential anorectal manometric measurements obtained before and after the multimodal treatment as well as at a 1-year follow-up. @*Methods@#This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in a single center. The study population consisted of patients with locally advanced mid- to low rectal cancer who received the preoperative CRT followed by sphincter-preserving surgery from 2012 to 2016. The anorectal manometric value measured after each treatment modality was compared to demonstrate the degree of decline in anorectal function. A generalized linear model of repeated measures was performed using the manometric values measured pre- and post-CRT, and at 12 months postoperatively. @*Results@#Overall, 100 patients with 3 consecutive manometric data were included in the final analysis. In the overall cohort study, the mean resting and maximal squeezing pressures showed insignificant decrement post-neoadjuvant CRT. At a 1-year postoperative follow-up, the maximal squeezing pressure significantly decreased. The maximal rectal sensory threshold demonstrated significant reduction consecutively after each following treatment (P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#The short-term effect of neoadjuvant CRT on the anal sphincters was relatively trivial. The following sphincter-saving surgery resulted in a profound disruption of the anorectal function. Patients with rectal cancer should be consulted on the consequence of multimodal treatment.
ABSTRACT
Biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma (BSNS) is a newly recognized, very rare malignant tumor of nose and paranasal sinuses, which usually occurs in women. This tumor contains both neural and muscle tissue in the tumor tissue. It is an invasive disease occuring locally in the nasal cavity. However, if not found early, it can spread along the facial structure, for instance, the orbit, skull base, intracranium, and the oropharynx. This tumor is an uncommon disease that has not been reported in Korea to date. We report a case of a 35-year-old female recently diagnosed with BSNS with a review of the literature.
ABSTRACT
If cardiac sympathetic activity increases after myocardial injury, a ventricular electrical storm (VES) may occur. The stellate ganglion block is a minimally invasive technique performed to control VES through temporary sympathetic cessation. This case was treated after 3 stellate ganglion blocks in VES developed after non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. This patient underwent prophylactic stellate ganglion block prior to radical nephrectomy for a renal mass found during hospitalization, and the operation was safely completed. Stellate ganglion block is expected to be a safe treatment option for patients with unstable VES.
ABSTRACT
Intrathecal pump (ITP) is a procedure performed for pain control in patients with cancer pain and refractory pain. Complications such as catheter-related infection, granuloma, and migration may occur, so continuous management is required. In this case, ITP insertion was performed due to central cord syndrome that occurred after a traffic accident. T-L spine computed tomography was performed due to persistent pain exacerbation 22 months after insertion, and epidural granuloma was confirmed. After that, granuloma removal and ITP revision surgery were performed, and pain control has been good so far. The purpose of this case was to investigate the risk factors and evaluation methods for catheter-related granuloma.
ABSTRACT
DA-9601 is an extract obtained from Artemisia asiatica, which has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects on gastrointestinal lesions; however, its possible anti-inflammatory effects on the small intestine have not been studied yet.Therefore, in this study, we investigated the protective effects of DA-9601 against the ACF-induced small intestinal inflammation. Inflammation of the small intestine was confirmed by histological studies and the changes in the CD4 + T cell fraction induced by the inflammation-related cytokines, and the inflammatory reactions were analyzed. Multifocal discrete small necrotic ulcers with intervening normal mucosa were frequently observed after treatment with ACF. The expression of IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α genes was increased in the ACF group; however, it was found to have been significantly decreased in the DA-9601 treated group. In addition, DA-9601 significantly decreased the levels of proinflammatory mediators such as IL-1β, GMCSF, IFN-γ, and TNF-α; the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, on the other hand, was observed to have increased. It is known that inflammatory mediators related to T cell imbalance and dysfunction continuously activate the inflammatory response, causing chronic tissue damage. The fractions of IFN-γ + Th1 cells, IL-4 + Th2 cells, IL-9 + Th9 cells, IL-17 + Th17 cells, and Foxp3 + Treg cells were significantly decreased upon DA-9601 treatment. These data suggest that the inflammatory response induced by ACF is reduced by DA-9601 via lowering of the expression of genes encoding the inflammatory cytokines and the concentration of inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, DA-9601 inhibited the acute inflammatory response mediated by T cells, resulting in an improvement in ACF-induced enteritis.
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Background and Objectives@#The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a combination of crushed cartilage and thin silastic sheet for patients with a risk of septal perforation during septoplasty. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 195 people who underwent septoplasty surgery at Dong-A University Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled retrospectively. Among 195 people, our surgical method was provided for those with damage to both septal mucosa. The cartilage was collected, crushed with the cartilage crusher, and inserted between perforated mucosa. After the cartilage insertion, a 0.254-mm-thin silastic sheet was designed to cover both sides of the perforated septal mucosa. Next, a penetrating suture was placed. After thin silastic was applied on both mucosa, a 1-mm-thick silastic sheet was inserted on both sides of the nasal cavity and penetrating sutures were placed on the anterior and inferior septum. The operation concluded after packing both sides of the nasal cavity using non-absorbable packing material. The packing was removed on the second day after the operation, and the nasal cavity condition was checked every week. Thick silastic sheets were removed 5 days after surgery, and thin silastic sheets were maintained until both septal mucosa healed. @*Results@#Of nine total cases, only one 78-year-old male experienced septal perforation at the cartilage portion two months after surgery. In this case, no other action was taken to cover the perforation site because he reported no symptoms or discomfort during the 9 months after surgery. In the other eight cases, both septal mucosa healed completely, and there were no complications. @*Conclusion@#This method with crushed cartilage and silastic sheets to fill the defect after septal surgery is thought to help prevent postoperative perforation at no additional cost, and further research is needed.
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Purpose@#To profile various clinical characteristics of sleep bruxism (SB) patients with idiopathic facial pain (IFP) in the orofacial region. @*Materials and Methods@#We analyzed 28 SB patients among 210 patients with IFP complaints. The profiles were evaluated using patient charts including gender, age, pain duration, pain location, pain intensity and affected areas by pain. @*Results@#SB with IFP occurred more often in females (85.7%) than males (14.3%). The mean age at presentation was 48.9 years. The most common IFP sites of SB patients were the right maxilla (28.6%) and the right mandible (25.0%). The pain complaints occurred mostly in 2 teeth or areas (50.0%), followed by 1 area (28.6%) and then in ≥ 3 teeth or areas (21.4%). The mean pain intensity was 5.9 on a visual analogue scale from 0 to 10. The pain was spontaneous in 20 patients (71.4%), and the mean pain duration was 24.4 months. @*Conclusion@#Identification of clinical characteristics of SB patients with IFP could be useful in the diagnosis of various IFP patients and beneficial in decreasing unnecessary care to reduce IFP. Further studies with larger number of subjects and extended duration are required for more systemized diagnostic methods and development of future treatment guidelines.
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Sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles are normal anatomic variants with varying morphological appearances and incidences. They are usually small osseous fragments with well-corticated margins located adjacent to the joint space and bone. Patients with sesamoid bones and accessory ossicles are usually asymptomatic and commonly encountered in clinical practice. These sesamoids and accessory bones are occasionally painful because of fractures, dislocations, degenerative changes, avascular necrosis, accessory bone infections, or abnormalities of the adjacent tissue, such as nerve entrapment, tenosynovitis, or soft tissue impingement. This article aimed to illustrate the imaging features of symptomatic sesamoids bones and accessory ossicles at various anatomic locations and describe their clinical features and radiological differential diagnosis.
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Background/Aims@#Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) can serve as biomarkers for diagnosing and assessing disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC). We investigated their clinical significance in UC. @*Methods@#We analyzed 48 patients with UC who underwent measurement of fecal calprotectin (FC) and endoscopy and 96 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. NLR and PLR were compared between the patients and healthy controls. The endoscopic activity was divided into 2 groups: group 1 (mild to moderate inflammation) and group 2 (severe inflammation) according to the Mayo endoscopic subscore in UC. @*Results@#To diagnose UC, the optimal cutoff of NLR and PLR was 2.26 (sensitivity 54.2%; specificity 90.6%; positive likelihood ratio 5.778, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.944–11.339; area under the curve [AUC] 0.774, 95% CI, 0.690–0.859) and 179.8 (sensitivity 35.4%; specificity 90.6%; positive likelihood ratio 3.778, 95% CI 1.821–7.838; AUC 0.654, 95% CI 0.556–0.753), respectively. The optimal cutoff to differentiate group 1 and group 2 was 3.44, 175.9, and 453 µg/g for NLR, PLR, and FC, respectively (sensitivity, 63.6% vs. 90.9% vs. 81.8%; specificity, 81.1% vs. 78.4% vs. 73.0%; positive likelihood ratio, 3.364 vs. 4.205 vs. 3.027; AUC, 0.714 vs. 0.897 vs. 0.813). PLR had the highest AUC and positive likelihood ratio. @*Conclusions@#NLR and PLR help differentiate patients with UC from healthy controls. NLR, PLR, and FC indicate endoscopic activity and may reflect intestinal mucosal conditions.
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Background@#Intravenous (IV) dexamethasone prolongs the duration of a peripheral nerve block; however, there is little available information about its optimal effective dose. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three different doses of IV dexamethasone on the duration of postoperative analgesia to determine the optimal effective dose for a sciatic nerve block. @*Methods@#Patients scheduled for foot and ankle surgery were randomly assigned to receive normal saline or IV dexamethasone (2.5 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg). An ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block was performed using 0.75% ropivacaine (20 ml) before general anesthesia. The duration of postoperative analgesia was the primary outcome, and pain scores, use of rescue analgesia, onset time, adverse effects, and patient satisfaction were assessed as secondary outcomes. @*Results@#Compared with the control group, the postoperative analgesic duration of the sciatic nerve block was prolonged in groups receiving IV dexamethasone 10 mg (P < 0.001), but not in the groups receiving IV dexamethasone 2.5 mg or 5 mg. The use of rescue analgesics was significantly different among the four groups 24 h postoperatively (P = 0.001) and similar thereafter. However, pain scores were not significantly different among the four groups 24 h postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences in the other secondary outcomes among the four groups. @*Conclusions@#This study demonstrated that compared to the controls, only IV dexamethasone 10 mg increased the duration of postoperative analgesia following a sciatic nerve block for foot and ankle surgery without the occurrence of adverse events.
ABSTRACT
The gallbladder (GB) is a rare site of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, only a few reports of CT findings of GB metastasis exist in the literature. Herein, we report a case of histologically proven GB metastasis of RCC in a 55-year-old male who underwent CT for an intraluminal polypoid mass simulating a primary GB lesion.
ABSTRACT
Background/Aims@#Belching disorder (BD) is clinically distinct from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with belching. Supragastric belching (SGB) is closely associated with reflux episodes. This study investigates belch characteristics in association with reflux, compared between patients with BD and those who had GERD with belching. @*Methods@#Impedance pH monitoring data from 10 patients with BD and 10 patients with GERD who exhibited belching were retrospectively analyzed. Belches were considered “isolated“ or “reflux-related” and acidicon-acidic. Belch characteristics were compared between patients with BD and those with GERD. @*Results@#Symptomatic belches were more frequent in patients with BD than in patients with GERD (median, 160.5 vs 56.0, P < 0.05). SGB was the most common type in both groups; common subtypes comprised “isolated“ in patients with BD and “isolated during the reflux period” in patients with GERD. Reflux-related SGB was more common in patients with GERD than in BD (78.3% vs 45.2%, P < 0.005).Both “preceding belching” including the reflux period and acidic SGB were more common in patients with GERD than in BD (31.8% vs 8.6% and 38.1% vs 8.9%, both P < 0.05). Supragastric belch number positively correlated with all reflux episodes in patients with GERD (adjusted R2 = 0.572, P = 0.007). @*Conclusions@#BD is characterized by more belching, compared to GERD. SGB is more frequently associated with reflux in GERD than in BD; acidity may be related to GERD. In BD, SGB is typically non-acidic and unrelated to reflux. Distinct SGB characteristics may reflect different pathogenic mechanisms of reflux and associated symptoms.
ABSTRACT
Meckel diverticulum is a common congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract and can cause complications such as ulceration, hemorrhage, intussusception, and perforation. This report describes a very rare complication of an enterovesical fistula associated with chronic Meckel diverticulum. A 51-year-old male presented with over 10 years of persistent pyuria. Tests were performed to rule out malignancy, including serum prostate-specific antigen level, urine cytology, bacterial culture, cystoscopy, and bladder computed tomography. An enterovesical fistula was identified, and laparoscopic exploration was performed. The findings suggested enterovesical fistula formation caused by chronic inflammation at the tip of a Meckel diverticulum. Segmental resection of the small bowel including the diverticulum and primary repair of the urinary bladder along with partial cystectomy were performed. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful. An enterovesical fistula is a very rare complication resulting from chronic inflammation of a Meckel diverticulum.
ABSTRACT
DA-9601 is an extract obtained from Artemisia asiatica, which has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects on gastrointestinal lesions; however, its possible anti-inflammatory effects on the small intestine have not been studied yet.Therefore, in this study, we investigated the protective effects of DA-9601 against the ACF-induced small intestinal inflammation. Inflammation of the small intestine was confirmed by histological studies and the changes in the CD4 + T cell fraction induced by the inflammation-related cytokines, and the inflammatory reactions were analyzed. Multifocal discrete small necrotic ulcers with intervening normal mucosa were frequently observed after treatment with ACF. The expression of IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α genes was increased in the ACF group; however, it was found to have been significantly decreased in the DA-9601 treated group. In addition, DA-9601 significantly decreased the levels of proinflammatory mediators such as IL-1β, GMCSF, IFN-γ, and TNF-α; the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, on the other hand, was observed to have increased. It is known that inflammatory mediators related to T cell imbalance and dysfunction continuously activate the inflammatory response, causing chronic tissue damage. The fractions of IFN-γ + Th1 cells, IL-4 + Th2 cells, IL-9 + Th9 cells, IL-17 + Th17 cells, and Foxp3 + Treg cells were significantly decreased upon DA-9601 treatment. These data suggest that the inflammatory response induced by ACF is reduced by DA-9601 via lowering of the expression of genes encoding the inflammatory cytokines and the concentration of inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, DA-9601 inhibited the acute inflammatory response mediated by T cells, resulting in an improvement in ACF-induced enteritis.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Intravenous (IV) dexamethasone prolongs the duration of a peripheral nerve block; however, there is little available information about its optimal effective dose. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three different doses of IV dexamethasone on the duration of postoperative analgesia to determine the optimal effective dose for a sciatic nerve block. @*Methods@#Patients scheduled for foot and ankle surgery were randomly assigned to receive normal saline or IV dexamethasone (2.5 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg). An ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block was performed using 0.75% ropivacaine (20 ml) before general anesthesia. The duration of postoperative analgesia was the primary outcome, and pain scores, use of rescue analgesia, onset time, adverse effects, and patient satisfaction were assessed as secondary outcomes. @*Results@#Compared with the control group, the postoperative analgesic duration of the sciatic nerve block was prolonged in groups receiving IV dexamethasone 10 mg (P < 0.001), but not in the groups receiving IV dexamethasone 2.5 mg or 5 mg. The use of rescue analgesics was significantly different among the four groups 24 h postoperatively (P = 0.001) and similar thereafter. However, pain scores were not significantly different among the four groups 24 h postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences in the other secondary outcomes among the four groups. @*Conclusions@#This study demonstrated that compared to the controls, only IV dexamethasone 10 mg increased the duration of postoperative analgesia following a sciatic nerve block for foot and ankle surgery without the occurrence of adverse events.
ABSTRACT
The gallbladder (GB) is a rare site of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, only a few reports of CT findings of GB metastasis exist in the literature. Herein, we report a case of histologically proven GB metastasis of RCC in a 55-year-old male who underwent CT for an intraluminal polypoid mass simulating a primary GB lesion.
ABSTRACT
Background/Aims@#Belching disorder (BD) is clinically distinct from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with belching. Supragastric belching (SGB) is closely associated with reflux episodes. This study investigates belch characteristics in association with reflux, compared between patients with BD and those who had GERD with belching. @*Methods@#Impedance pH monitoring data from 10 patients with BD and 10 patients with GERD who exhibited belching were retrospectively analyzed. Belches were considered “isolated“ or “reflux-related” and acidicon-acidic. Belch characteristics were compared between patients with BD and those with GERD. @*Results@#Symptomatic belches were more frequent in patients with BD than in patients with GERD (median, 160.5 vs 56.0, P < 0.05). SGB was the most common type in both groups; common subtypes comprised “isolated“ in patients with BD and “isolated during the reflux period” in patients with GERD. Reflux-related SGB was more common in patients with GERD than in BD (78.3% vs 45.2%, P < 0.005).Both “preceding belching” including the reflux period and acidic SGB were more common in patients with GERD than in BD (31.8% vs 8.6% and 38.1% vs 8.9%, both P < 0.05). Supragastric belch number positively correlated with all reflux episodes in patients with GERD (adjusted R2 = 0.572, P = 0.007). @*Conclusions@#BD is characterized by more belching, compared to GERD. SGB is more frequently associated with reflux in GERD than in BD; acidity may be related to GERD. In BD, SGB is typically non-acidic and unrelated to reflux. Distinct SGB characteristics may reflect different pathogenic mechanisms of reflux and associated symptoms.
ABSTRACT
Meckel diverticulum is a common congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract and can cause complications such as ulceration, hemorrhage, intussusception, and perforation. This report describes a very rare complication of an enterovesical fistula associated with chronic Meckel diverticulum. A 51-year-old male presented with over 10 years of persistent pyuria. Tests were performed to rule out malignancy, including serum prostate-specific antigen level, urine cytology, bacterial culture, cystoscopy, and bladder computed tomography. An enterovesical fistula was identified, and laparoscopic exploration was performed. The findings suggested enterovesical fistula formation caused by chronic inflammation at the tip of a Meckel diverticulum. Segmental resection of the small bowel including the diverticulum and primary repair of the urinary bladder along with partial cystectomy were performed. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful. An enterovesical fistula is a very rare complication resulting from chronic inflammation of a Meckel diverticulum.
ABSTRACT
Persistent hiccups are rare complications following epidural steroid injections. Although the underlying etiology is not clearly understood, corticosteroids are the drug group referenced most frequently in the literature as being associated with hiccups. A 54-year-old man occurred a persistent hiccup after cervical root block due to cervical radiculopathy. A stellate ganglion block was performed, but the hiccup continued. After that, the hiccup did not stop, so metoclopramide 10 mg was prescribed. After taking the drug the next day, hiccups started to decrease in frequency, the hiccup was completely stopped from the second day of taking the drug, the hiccup was completely stopped. He reported that he had not experienced recurrent hiccups. This report highlights the importance of evaluating the cause of hiccups and determining the treatment strategy accordingly.
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BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk for dementia. The effects of hypoglycemia on dementia are controversial. Thus, we evaluated whether hypoglycemia increases the risk for dementia in senior patients with T2DM.METHODS: We used the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior cohort, which includes >10% of the entire senior population of South Korea. In total, 5,966 patients who had ever experienced at least one episode of hypoglycemia were matched with those who had not, using propensity score matching. The risk of dementia was assessed through a survival analysis of matched pairs.RESULTS: Patients with underlying hypoglycemic events had an increased risk for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's dementia (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD) compared with those who had not experienced a hypoglycemic event (hazard ratio [HR], 1.254; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.166 to 1.349; P<0.001 for all-cause dementia; HR, 1.264; 95% CI, 1.162 to 1.375; P<0.001 for AD; HR, 1.286; 95% CI, 1.110 to 1.490; P<0.001 for VaD). According to number of hypoglycemic episodes, the HRs of dementia were 1.170, 1.201, and 1.358 in patients with one hypoglycemic episode, two or three episodes, and more than three episodes, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, hypoglycemia was associated with an increased risk for dementia in both sexes with or without T2DM microvascular or macrovascular complications.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that patients with a history of hypoglycemia have a higher risk for dementia. This trend was similar for AD and VaD, the two most important subtypes of dementia.