Association between disseminated intravascular coagulation scores and mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury

Objective@#Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is common in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is associated with the prognosis of TBI. We aimed to analyze and compare the performances of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH), the Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (KSTH) and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) scoring systems in predicting in-hospital mortality. @*Methods@#In this retrospective observational study, severe trauma patients with TBI who visited our emergency department between January 2018 and December 2020 were included. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to examine the prognostic performance of the three different DIC scoring systems. The primary outcome was inhospital mortality. @*Results@#A total of 851 patients were included, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 17.7% (n=151). According to the multivariate analysis results, the ISTH (odds ratio [OR], 1.784; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.320-2.412), KSTH (OR, 2.735; 95% CI, 2.022-3.698) and JAAM (OR, 1.751; 95% CI, 1.473-2.083) scores were associated with in-hospital mortality. The areas under the curves (AUCs) of ISTH, KSTH and JAAM scores for predicting in-hospital mortality were 0.686 (95% CI, 0.654-0.717), 0.708 (95% CI, 0.676-0.738) and 0.762 (95% CI, 0.731-0.790), respectively. The AUC of the JAAM score was significantly different from that of the ISTH and KSTH scores. @*Conclusion@#Three different DIC scores were associated with in-hospital mortality in TBI patients. Among the DIC scores, the JAAM score can be a useful tool for predicting in-hospital mortality in TBI patients.

Pancreatic Schwannoma with Cystic Degeneration:A Case Report and Literature Review

Schwannomas originate from Schwann cells, and they are the most common benign neoplasms of the peripheral nerves. They can occur in most parts of the body but have a predilection for the head, the neck, and the flexor aspects of the extremities. Pancreatic schwannomas are uncommon, and only a few cases have been reported in the English literature. Approximately two-thirds of pancreatic schwannomas undergo cystic degeneration, and they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of solid pancreatic tumors with cystic changes to facilitate accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment. We report a case of a pathologically proven schwannoma in the pancreatic tail with multiple cystic and hemorrhagic changes followed by a review of relevant literature.

Pancreatic Paraganglioma: a Case Report and Literature Review

Paraganglioma is a rare tumor of paraganglia, derived from neural crest cells in sympathetic or parasympathetic ganglions. It can be widely distributed from the skull base to the bottom of the pelvis. The pancreas, however, is a rare location of this neoplasm, and only a limited number of cases have been reported in the English literature, especially with gadoxetic-acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted images (DWI). We herein report a case of pathologically proven paraganglioma in the pancreas head with a literature review on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), computed tomography (CT), gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRI, and DWI sequence.

Pancreatic Paraganglioma: a Case Report and Literature Review

Paraganglioma is a rare tumor of paraganglia, derived from neural crest cells in sympathetic or parasympathetic ganglions. It can be widely distributed from the skull base to the bottom of the pelvis. The pancreas, however, is a rare location of this neoplasm, and only a limited number of cases have been reported in the English literature, especially with gadoxetic-acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted images (DWI). We herein report a case of pathologically proven paraganglioma in the pancreas head with a literature review on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), computed tomography (CT), gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRI, and DWI sequence.

Alternative Surgical Methods in Patients with Recurrent Palmar Hyperhidrosis and Compensatory Hyperhidrosis

Recurrent hyperhidrosis after thoracic sympathectomy is an uncomfortable condition, and compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) is one of the most troublesome side effects. Here, we describe two patients with recurrent palmar hyperhidrosis (PH) and CH over the whole body simultaneously. They were treated with bilateral T4 sympathetic clipping and reconstruction of the sympathetic nerve from a T5 to T8 sympathetic nerve graft, which was transferred to the resected T3 sympathetic bed site. They reported improvements in sweating and were fully satisfied with the results. Our method can be considered as an alternative approach for patients with recurrent PH and CH.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome after Viscum album Pleurodesis for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax

A 52-year-old male patient who underwent multiple wedge resections experienced postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome in both lungs after Viscum album pleurodesis. Despite initial rapid deterioration in clinical condition and rapid progression of bilateral lung infiltration, he exhibited a relatively smooth clinical recovery with marked response to glucocorticoid treatment. Our case report suggests that care must be taken to guard against the development of acute respiratory complications in the use of Viscum album for pleurodesis. However, in view of the clinically benign course, initial aggressive management of complications can prevent suffering and sequelae.

Response Evaluation after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation by Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Parameters of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) were compared with the results of histopathologic examination in order to determine which can provide an objective indication of response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation for treatment of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2003 and January 2010, data on 25 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and subsequent resection for treatment of esophageal SCC were retrospectively reviewed. Changes in maximum standardized uptake value (DeltaSUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (DeltaMTV), and total lesion glycolysis (DeltaTLG) were analyzed by comparison with the histopathologic findings. RESULTS: Pathologic complete remission (CR) for the main tumor was achieved in 11 patients. Postradiation esophagitis was observed in 10 patients. DeltaSUVmax of the main tumor was significantly greater in the CR group than in the partial response (PR) group (p=0.039), while DeltaMTV and DeltaTLG of the main tumor were not (p=0.141 and p=0.349, respectively). The cut-off DeltaSUVmax value for CR was estimated as 72.1%, indicating significantly better accuracy than visual interpretation (p=0.045). Of the 48 involved lymph nodes, DeltaSUVmax and DeltaMTV of lymph nodes were significantly greater in the CR group than in the PR group (p=0.045 and p=0.014, respectively), while DeltaTLG was not (p=0.063). The cut-off value of DeltaSUVmax for prediction of CR in lymph nodes was calculated as 50.67%. CONCLUSION: PET-CT could be used for prediction of response to neoadjuvant treatment in thoracic esophageal SCC. DeltaSUVmax may be a more significant predictor for CR after neoadjuvant chemoradiation than DeltaTLG and DeltaMTV.

Result of Surgical Resection for Pulmonary Metastasis from Urothelial Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Treatment of pulmonary metastasis from urothelial cell carcinoma has been mostly palliative chemotherapy and the role of pulmonary metastasectomy has not been investigated much. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective interim review of pulmonary metastasectomy from urothelial carcinoma at single institution between 1998 and 2010. Overall 16 patients underwent pulmonary metastasectomies. RESULTS: There was no postoperative complication or hospital mortality. Mean hospital stay was 6 days. Overall and disease-free 5-year survival were 65.3% and 37.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In selected patients with pulmonary metastasis from urothelial carcinoma, surgical treatment is feasible and could contribute to long-term survival in selected patients.

Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) Lobectomy for Pathologic Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Comparative Study with Thoracotomy Lobectomy

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be performed either by thoracotomy or by employing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of VATS lobectomy for pathologic stage I NSCLC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between December 2003 and December 2007, 529 patients with pathologic stage I NSCLC underwent lobectomies (373 thoracotomy, 156 VATS). Patients in both groups were selected after being matched by age, gender and pathologic stage using propensity score method, to create two comparable groups: thoracotomy and VATS groups, and the overall survival, recurrence-free survival, complication and length of hospitalization were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: After the patients were matched by age, gender and pathologic stage, 272 patients remained eligible for analysis, 136 in each group (mean age of 59.5 years; 70 men, 66 women; 80 stage IA, 56 stage IB). There was no statistical difference in other preoperative clinical characteristics between the two groups. No hospital mortality was observed in both groups. Overall 3-year survival rate was 97.4% in thoracotomy group and 96.6% in VATS groups (p=0.76). During the follow-up, 20 patients (14.7%) developed recurrence in thoracotomy group, including loco- regional recurrence in 7, distant metastasis in 13. In VATS group, 13 patients (9.6%) developed recurrence, including loco-regional recurrence in 4, distant metastasis in 9. Three-year recurrence-free survival rate was 81.8% in thoracotomy group and 85.3% in VATS groups (p=0.43). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications between thoracotomy and VATS groups (30 cases in 22 patients vs. 19 cases in 17 patients, p=0.65, odds ratio=1.19). The mean hospital stay of VATS group was 2 days shorter than that of thoracotomy group (8.8+/-6.5 days vs. 6.3+/-3.3 days, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: VATS lobectomy for pathologic stage I lung cancer is a feasible operation with shorter hospitalization, while surgical outcome is comparable to thoracotomy lobectomy.

Analysis of 1,067 Cases of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Lobectomy

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has been performed with increasing frequency over the last decade. However, there is still controversy as to its indications, safety, and feasibility. Especially regarding lung cancer surgery, it is not certain whether it can reduce local recurrences and improve overall survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 1,067 cases of VATS lobectomy performed between 2003 and 2009, including the indications, postoperative morbidity, mortality, recurrence, and survival rate. RESULTS: One thousand and sixty seven patients underwent VATS lobectomy for the following indications: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n=832), carcinoid tumors (n=12), metastatic lung cancer (n=48), and benign or other diseases (n=175). There were 63 cases (5.9%) of conversion to open thoracotomy during VATS lobectomy. One hundred thirty one (15.7%) of the 832 NSCLC patients experienced pathologic upstaging postoperatively. The hospital mortality rate was 0.84% (9 patients), and all of them died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. One hundred forty-nine patients (14.0%) experienced postoperative complications. The median follow-up was 22.9 months for patients with NSCLC. During follow-up, 120 patients had a recurrence and 55 patients died. For patients with pathologic stage I, the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate at 3 years was 92.2+/-1.5% and 86.2+/-1.9%, respectively. For patients with pathologic stage II disease, the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate at 3 years was 79.2+/-6.5% and 61.9+/-6.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that VATS lobectomy is a technically feasible and safe operation, which can be applied to various lung diseases. In patients with early-stage lung cancer, excellent survival can be also achieved.

The Diagnosis and Prognosis of Impingement Syndrome in the Shoulder with Using Quantitative SPECT Assessment: A Prospective Study of 73 Patients and 24 Volunteers

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing impingement syndrome without rotator cuff tear usually depends on the physical examination and roentgenography, and obtaining objective evidence for this condition is at best difficult. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether quantitatively assessing this condition with using single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) can diagnose impingement syndrome and predict the postoperative results. METHODS: Before executing arthroscopic or open treatment, SPECT was performed on 73 patients and 24 volunteers and these people were followed up for 2 years. Any increased uptake on SPECT was investigated by using the axial view, which demonstrated the greatest uptake for the acromion, distal clavicle, greater tuberosity, lesser tuberosity and the coracoid process of the operated and non-operated sides. RESULTS: The patients who were diagnosed as having impingement syndrome with or without rotator cuff tear showed increased uptake on the operative side compared to the non-operated side in the assessed locations. The greater tuberosity of the humerus could be used for quantitative measurement as a postoperative prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: The bone SPECT method is useful for making the diagnosis of patients with impingement sydrome, and the results of quantitative assessment at the greater tuberosity can be used for evaluating the prognosis following the operation.

A Case of Diagnosis and Management of Noncommunicating Rudimentary Horn Pregnancy with the Use of Laparoscopy / 대한주산의학회잡지

A non-communicating rudimentary uterine horn is a rare Mllerian duct anomaly. We experienced a case of unruptured rudimentary uterine horn pregnancy. The patient was diagnosed by laparoscopy and removed by laparoscopic resection of the pregnant rudimentary uterine horn was performed. We report our case with brief review of literatures.

Laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy for large uterus; the comparison of conventional LAVH with LH / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical results of laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy for uteri weighing 500 g or more with less than 500 g. And we compared clinical results between laparoscopic coagulation of uterine vessel (LH) and conventional LAVH. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 296 patient who underwent LAVH from February 2004 to May 2006. They were divided into two groups, uteri weighing greater than 500 g and less than 500 g. And each group was divided into two groups, LH and conventional LAVH. Each groups were compared by operative time, hemoglobin change, complication, transfusion and hospital days. RESULTS: Operation time ,hemoglobin change on the 1st postoperative day and transfusion were significant greater in the uteri > or =500 g group than in the or =500 g group, there was no signicant difference in hospital days, operative time, hemoglobin change on the 1st postoperative day. However, hemoglobin change was smaller in the LH group than conventional LAVH group on the 4th postoperative day. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that despite the increased operating time and blood loss, LAVH can be safely performed for large uterus. However, surgeons need to be aware of high risk of blood transfusion. Modification of surgical method can decrease operating time and blood loss in LAVH.

Asynchronous bilateral adnexal torsion in a 16 year old female: A successful conservative treatment by laparoscopic surgery / 대한산부인과학회지

Adnexal torsion is a disease occurring mostly in young fertile women that causes severe pain with necrosis of the adnexa requiring an emergency surgery. Because the symptoms and physical findings are similar to emergency diseases of adjacent organs such as appendicitis, diagnosis of adnexal torsion could be confused. Delayed diagnosis leads to delayed operation and for that reason adnexectomy is done more often than conservative management. Since prompt diagnosis is the sole way for preservation of the ovary and the salpinx, early diagnosis of adnexal torsion is essential. We experienced a case of a 16 year old female with torsion of the right adnexa who had the left adnexa previously removed due to torsion of the left adnexa. The case is presented with review of the literature.

The comparison of laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy, total vaginal hysterectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical results for women undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) and total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent TAH (n=97), LAVH (n=112) and TVH (n=95) from June 2002 to June 2005. We compared and evaluated patient's characteristics, previous abdominal operation histories, indication of hysterectomy, uterine weight, operative time, perioperative hemoglobin and hematocrit change, the degree of postoperative pain, hospital stay and complications. RESULTS: The patient's characteristic (age, weight, height, parity, perioperative hemoglobin and hematocrit change, complication rate) had no statistical difference in all three groups. In the TVH group, the rate of previous abdominal operations (25%) was significantly lower than TAH (56%), and LAVH (40%) (p=0.023). The mean uterine weight was the heaviest in TAH group (443.6+/-407.3 g), compared to LAVH group (301.9+/-133.9 g) and TVH group (225.3+/-91.8 g) (p<0.001). Operative time was the longest for LAVH group (p=0.001), and there was no significant difference between TAH group and TVH group (p=0.087). The TAH group had the highest postoperative pain scale and the length of hospital stay. The LAVH group and TVH group had almost the same postoperative pain scale and the length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Both LAVH and TVH had the following advantages compared with total abdominal hysterectomy: less pain, shorter hospital stay, cosmetic advantages. But limited operation field in TVH and expensive operative cost in LAVH were disadvantages. Specific guidelines for determining the route of hysterectomy result in decreased morbidity and lower costs, and thus the gynecologist can ensure that the patient receives the best possible surgical care.

Clinical comparisons of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy and total vaginal hysterectomy / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical results between laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) and total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent LAVH and TVH from January 2002 to December 2004 in 00 university hospital without the history of uterine prolapse or pelvic relaxation. We evaluated age, parity, previous abdominal operations, indication of hysterectomy, size of the uterus, operation time, hemoglobin change, hospital day, the degree of postoperative pain and initiation of diet and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The age and parity of the patients in both groups were not different statistically. There were history of previous abdominal operations in 20.8% of LAVH group and 25.3% of TVH group which didn't have statistic significance. Major indications of the operation were uterine myomas in both groups. The average weight of the extracted uterus were 272.9+/-114.5 gm and 225.6+/-87.0 gm in the LAVH group and the TVH group respectively which had significance, and the operation time were 81.1+/-23.4 minutes and 71.1+/-37.8 minutes respectively which had significance. There were no difference in the hemoglobin drop of the postoperative day 1, but the hemoglobin drop of the postoperative day 4 was larger in the LAVH group. Postoperative complications occurred more often in the TVH group (15.2%) than LAVH group (11.9%) but didn't have significance, and the complications were treated by conservative managements and observation of the progress. And also the hospital day, the degree of postoperative pain and initiation of diet had no significance. CONCLUSION: Both LAVH and TVH had no statistic difference in the postoperative morbidity and recuperation. Moreover the indications of operation for both surgeries had no statistic difference, but LAVH had a preference for the larger size of uterus. Furthermore in order to increase the satisfactions of patients and remedy the weak points of procedures, research on the indications and contra-indications between the operative approaches and training on the operative procedures are required.

Clinical significance of Doppler velocimetry and oligohydramnios in intrauterine growth restriction / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to prove the clinical significance by evaluating pregnancy outcomes from intrauterine growth restriction using waves of the Doppler velocimetry of uterine and umbilical artery and amniotic fluid index. METHODS: Throughout the period of January 2000 to May 2005 at our hospital, we reviewed 127 cases diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction after 24 weeks of pregnancy and the existences of diastolic notch of uterine artery (DNUT), absent or reversed end-diastolic velocity of umbilical artery (AEDV) and oligohydramnios were considered abnormal. We set the group that had no abnormal signs as the control group (62 cases), and respectively compared the groups that had oligohydramnios (24 cases), unilateral DNUT (27 cases), bilateral DNUT (10 cases) and AEDV (13 cases) with the control group. And we compared the groups that had only one abnormal sign, that is oligohydramnios (20 cases), bilateral DNUT (7 cases), AEDV (7 cases) and the group showing 2 or more complicated abnormal signs those above (9 cases) with the control group. RESULTS: Perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, lower 5-min Apgar score (A/S), neonatal acidosis, admission rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and perinatal mortality were poor statistically in groups with DNUT, AEDV and oligohydramnios compared to those which have none of these abnormal signs. And those with DNUT had worse results when affected on both sides. And those with AEDV showed worse perinatal outcomes compared to those with bilateral DNUT or oligohydramnios; any overlapping of these abnormal signs indicated worse perinatal outcomes, which had statistic significance. CONCLUSION: Close observation of the fetal well-being by analysis on the wave velocimetry of the blood flow such as the uterine arteries and umbilical arteries and the measurement of the amniotic fluid volume enables predicting the perinatal prognosis of the intrauterine-growth restricted fetuses which may contribute in reducing the perinatal morbidity and mortality.

A Case of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy associated with Preeclampsia superimposed on Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura / 대한산부인과학회지

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a dilated cardiomyopathy of unexplained cause that occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery. And, It is a rare disease that has a frequency of 1 in 1,300-15,000 deliveries. It has not yet been reported that peripartum cardiomyopathy has occurred in an preeclampsia woman superimposed on idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Moreover, the association between idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and peripartum cardiomyopathy has not been studied. Recently, we experienced a case of a woman who has undergone emergency Cesarean section due to complicated severe preeclampsia superimposed on idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. On the postoperative day, this patient developed respiratory distress and pumonary edema. Peripartum cardiomyopathy was diagnosed by echocardiography and we present with a brief review of literatures.

A case of placenta accreta successfully treated with methotrexate / 대한산부인과학회지

Placenta accreta is a rare condition and is associated with considerable maternal morbidity and mortality. Though hysterectomy is a definitive therapy, there are some occasions that conservation of the uterus is desired by the patient and bleeding is not excessive. We report a case successfully treated using methotrexate in patient whose placenta was not detached from the uterus with a brief review of literature.

A Case of Persistent Cloaca Diagnosed by Prenatal Sonography / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Persistent cloaca is a very rare congenital anomaly with a single common perineal opening for the genital urinary and gastrointestinal tract, which is caused by abnormal formation of the urorectal septum. It has an incidence of 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 125,000 births and is much more common in females and in twin pregnancies. Pathologic findings of persistent cloaca include dilated bowel, hydrocolpos, urethral obstruction, hydronephrosis and oligohydramnios caused by obstruction of the bladder, vagina and intestine. Failure of the paired m llerian ducts to fuse also usually results in duplication of the uterus and vagina. Currently, the diagnosis depends on the prenatal sonography but the diagnosis may be very difficult due to the complex nature of the anomaly and variable appearances. We present a case of persistent cloaca with one opening confirmed by autopsy after therapeutic termination which was initially diagnosed by prenatal sonography.