Prognostic Radiological Factors Affecting Clinical Outcomes of Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty in the Korean Population

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing use of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), it is associated with relatively frequent complications and uncertain clinical outcomes. We investigated radiological factors affecting clinical outcomes of RSA in the Korean population. METHODS: We evaluated physical findings, radiographic findings, visual analog scale scores for pain and satisfaction, and several functional scores in 179 consecutive patients who underwent RSA at two centers between 2008 and 2014. RESULTS: In 146 included RSAs, pain and forward flexion improved with deltoid lengthening (average, 23.5 ± 9.1 mm; p = 0.039). External rotation decreased with medialization (average, 16.8 ± 6.0 mm, p = 0.025), whereas internal rotation showed no correlation with humeral retroversion. Scapular notching (n = 44, 30%) significantly decreased with greater inferior glenosphere overhang (average, 2.94 ± 3.0 mm; p = 0.001), greater prosthesis scapular neck angle (average, 104° ± 10.3°; p = 0.001), greater glenoid neck length (average, 9.8 ± 2.54 mm; p = 0.012), lower inferior baseplate tilt angle (average, 105.5° ± 9.2°; p = 0.009), and varus humeral neck-shaft angle (p = 0.046), and it did not affect ranges of motion and pain, satisfaction, and functional scores. At the final follow-up, medialization was related to improvement in pain and satisfaction, and inferior glenosphere overhang to functional scores. CONCLUSIONS: Proper amount of deltoid lengthening (mean, 2.3 cm) and inferior glenosphere overhang (mean, 2.9 mm) should be chosen for the better outcomes, while the center of rotation should be individualized according to patient characteristics in the Korean population.

Epidemiology of Chronic Urticaria in Korea Using the Korean Health Insurance Database, 2010-2014

PURPOSE: There are very few epidemiological studies on chronic urticaria (CU). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of CU and to depict demographics and medication patterns for the disease in a nationwide population-based study. METHODS: Data on urticaria (L50 of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision) from 2010 to 2014 were obtained from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Algorithms designed to evaluate prescription drug claims for antihistamines were applied to identify CU. RESULTS: The crude prevalence of CU was 2,256.5 per 100,000 person-years and tended to increase every year. The age-standardized prevalence of CU was significantly higher in females than in males (2,466.8 vs 1,819.2 per 100,000 person-years, P<0.001). Age-specific prevalence was highest for older adults over the age of 65 years and lowest for ages 10-29 years. The median duration of CU was 591 days, and symptoms lasted for at least 1 year in 61.9% of patients. Gastrointestinal disease was the most common comorbidity in adults, whereas allergic rhinitis and common cold were more prevalent in children with CU. Around a third of CU patients were taking antihistamine treatment alone, and 70% were treated with both antihistamines and systemic corticosteroids. Cyclosporine was prescribed for 0.02% of CU patients. CONCLUSIONS: The present study outlines recent longitudinal epidemiological data on the prevalence of CU in Korea. In light of limitations on the use of claims data, including no specific disease code for CU and a possible discordance between drug claims and the presence of urticaria symptoms, further investigations are necessary to describe the exact epidemiologic profile of CU patients.

Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer Patients Using Cytokeratin-19 Real-Time RT-PCR

PURPOSE: The roles of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as predictive and prognostic factors, as well as key mediators in the metastatic cascade, have been investigated. This study aimed to validate a method to quantify CTCs in peripheral blood using a real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for cytokeratin (CK)-19 and to evaluate the utility of this assay in detecting CTCs in breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Real-time monitoring PCR of fluorescently labeled specific hybridization probes for CK-19 mRNA was established. Peripheral blood samples from 30 healthy donors, 69 patients with early breast cancer, 47 patients with locally advanced breast cancer, and 126 patients with metastatic breast cancer were prospectively obtained and analyzed for CTC detection. RESULTS: CK-19 mRNA was not detectable in healthy subjects using the real-time RT-PCR method. The detection rates of CK-19 mRNA in breast cancer patients were 47.8% for early breast cancer (33/69), 46.8% for locally advanced breast cancer (22/47), and 61.1% for metastatic breast cancer (77/129). The detection rate of CK-19-positive CTCs in metastatic disease was slightly higher than early or locally advanced breast cancer; however, the detection rate according to disease burden was not statistically different (p=0.097). The detection rate was higher in patients with pleural metastasis (p=0.045). CTC detection was associated with poor survival (p=0.014). CONCLUSION: A highly specific and sensitive CK-19 mRNA-based method to detect CTCs in peripheral blood in breast cancer patients can be used in further prospective studies to evaluate the predictive and prognostic importance of CTCs.

Role of Surgical Margin on Local Recurrence in High Risk Extremity Osteosarcoma: A Case-Controlled Study

BACKGROUND: The relationship between surgical margin and local recurrence (LR) in osteosarcoma patients with poor responses to chemotherapy is unclear. Moreover, the incidences of LR according to three different resection planes (bone, soft tissue, and perineurovascular) are not commonly known. METHODS: We evaluated the incidence of LR in three areas. To assess whether there is a role of surgical margin on LR in patients resistant to preoperative chemotherapy, we designed a case (35 patients with LR) and control (70 patients without LR) study. Controls were matched for age, location, initial tumor volume, and tumor volume change during preoperative chemotherapy. RESULTS: LR occurred at the soft tissues in 18 cases (51.4%), at the perineurovascular tissues in 11 cases (31.4%), and at the bones in six cases (17.2%). The proportion of inadequate perineurovascular margin was higher in the case group than in the control group (p = 0.01). Within case-control group (105 patients), a correlation between each margin status and LR at corresponding area was found in the bone (p < 0.001) and perineurovascular area (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: LR is most common in soft tissues. In patients showing similar unfavorable responses to chemotherapy, the losses of perineurovascular fat plane on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging may be a valuable finding in predicting LR.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of Extremities / 대한골관절종양학회지

PURPOSE: We analyzed the oncologic characteristics and outcome of patients with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of extremities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the soft tissue tumor patients who were treated between 1999 and 2012, 5 patients who were pathologically confirmed as the inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of extremities were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 1 man and 4 women with mean age of 44 years (37-55 years). The average follow up was 34.6 months (8-87 months). All patients underwent surgical treatment. Only 1 patient had wide resection margin and remaining 4 had marginal (3) or intralesional (1) resection margin. All of 4 patients without wide resection margin developed local recurrence at 10.3 months (8-19 months). Malignant transformation to fibrosarcoma was occurred in 2 patients who developed local recurrence, and 1 patient developed multiple metastases to lung, liver and lymph nodes and expired at 37 months. Three of 5 patients had tumor location abutted to or invasion to major arteries and 1 patient had tumor invading sciatic nerve. CONCLUSION: It is observed that inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of extremities is usually located near the major neurovascular structure. Wide resection should be considered as the initial surgical treatment because this tumor showed a high local recurrence rate and possibility of malignant transformation.

Distal Radius Osteosarcoma / 대한골관절종양학회지

PURPOSE: We analyzed the clinical outcome of osteosarcoma developed in distal radius and the effect of delayed treatment on prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with distal radius osteosarcoma were analysed. We categorized patients into two groups of standard treatment or non-standard treatment. The patients of standard treatment group are all stage IIB and non-standard treatment group includes five stage IIB and one stage III. RESULTS: Five-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates of standard treatment group were 100% and 83%. Five-year overall survival rate of non-standard treatment group was 44%. Between two group, there are differences in age, tumor size, surgery type, symptom duration. CONCLUSION: Distal radius osteosarcoma have good prognosis than other extremity osteosarcoma. Survival rate of non-standard treatment group were lower than standard treatment group. Although the prognosis of non standard treatment group is poorer, the duration till death was longer than that of other sites with similar condition. Further multi-institutional study should be needed.