Negative Conversion of Polymerase Chain Reaction and Clinical Outcomes according to the SARS-CoV-2 Variant in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 / 결핵및호흡기질환

Background@#Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global public health threat and different variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been identified. This study aimed to analyse the factors associated with negative conversion of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and prognosis in critically ill patients according to the SARS-CoV-2 variant. @*Methods@#This study retrospectively analysed 259 critically ill patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary medical center between January 2020 and May 2022. The Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was used to evaluate comorbidity, and a negative PCR test result within 2 weeks was used to define negative PCR conversion. The cases were divided into the following three variant groups, according to the documented variant of SARS-CoV-2 at the time of diagnosis: non-Delta (January 20, 2020–July 6, 2021), Delta (July 7, 2021– January 1, 2022), and Omicron (January 30, 2022–April 24, 2022). @*Results@#The mean age of the 259 patients was 67.1 years and 93 (35.9%) patients were female. Fifty (19.3%) patients were smokers, and 50 (19.3%) patients were vaccinated. The CCI (hazard ratio [HR], 1.555; p<0.001), vaccination (HR, 0.492; p=0.033), and Delta variant (HR, 2.469; p=0.002) were significant factors for in-hospital mortality. The Delta variant (odds ratio, 0.288; p=0.003) was associated with fewer negative PCR conversion; however, vaccination (p=0.163) and remdesivir (p=0.124) treatments did not. @*Conclusion@#The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with lower survival and negative PCR conversion. Contrary to expectations, vaccination and remdesivir may not affect negative PCR conversion in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Lymph Node Ratio Is a Strong Prognostic Factor in Patients with Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Undergoing Minimally Invasive Radical Hysterectomy

Purpose@#To determine whether the prognostic impact of lymph node ratio (LNR), defined as the ratio between the number of positive lymph nodes and removed lymph nodes, differs between open and minimally invasive surgical approaches for radical hysterectomy (RH) in node-positive, early-stage cervical cancer. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively identified 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB1-IIA2 patients who underwent primary type C RH between 2010 and 2018. Among them, only those with pathologically proven lymph node metastases who received adjuvant radiation therapy were included. The prognostic significance of LNR was investigated according to open surgery and minimally invasive surgery (MIS). @*Results@#In total, 55 patients were included. The median LNR (%) was 9.524 (range, 2.083–62.500). Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut-off value for LNR (%) was determined as 8.831. Overall, patients with high LNR (≥8.831%;n=29) showed worse disease-free survival (DFS) than those with low LNR (<8.831%, n=26) (p=0.027), whereas no difference in overall survival was observed. Multivariate analyses adjusting for clinicopathologic factors revealed that DFS was adversely affected by both MIS [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 8.132; p=0.038] and high LNR (adjusted HR, 10.837; p=0.045). In a subgroup of open surgery cases, LNR was not associated with disease recurrence. However, in a subgroup of MIS cases, high LNR was identified as an independent poor prognostic factor for DFS (adjusted HR, 14.578; p=0.034). @*Conclusion@#In patients with node-positive, early-stage cervical cancer, high LNR was associated with a significantly higher disease recurrence rate. This relationship was further consolidated among patients who received MIS RH.

Prognostic Value of Alpha-Fetoprotein in Patients Who Achieve a Complete Response to Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose@#Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the prognostic value of AFP levels in patients who achieved complete response (CR) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for HCC. @*Materials and Methods@#Between 2005 and 2018, 890 patients with HCC who achieved a CR to TACE were recruited. An AFP responder was defined as a patient who showed elevated levels of AFP (>10 ng/mL) during TACE, but showed normalization or a >50% reduction in AFP levels after achieving a CR. @*Results@#Among the recruited patients, 569 (63.9%) with naïve HCC and 321 (36.1%) with recurrent HCC after complete resection were treated. Before TACE, 305 (34.3%) patients had multiple tumors, 219 (24.6%) had a maximal tumor size >3 cm, and 22 (2.5%) had portal vein tumor thrombosis. The median AFP level after achieving a CR was 6.36 ng/mL. After a CR, 473 (53.1%) patients experienced recurrence, and 417 (46.9%) died [median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 16.3 and 62.8 months, respectively]. High AFP levels at CR (>20 ng/mL) were independently associated with a shorter PFS [hazard ratio (HR)=1.403] and OS (HR=1.284), together with tumor multiplicity at TACE (HR=1.518 and 1.666, respectively). AFP non-responders at CR (76.2%, n=359 of 471) showed a shorter PFS (median 10.5 months vs. 15.5 months, HR=1.375) and OS (median 41.4 months vs. 61.8 months, HR=1.424) than AFP responders (all p=0.001). @*Conclusion@#High AFP levels and AFP non-responders were independently associated with poor outcomes after TACE. AFP holds clinical implications for detailed risk stratification upon achieving a CR after TACE.

Clinical Characteristics of Corneal Hyperalgesia in Patients with Dry Eye Symptoms

Purpose@#We analyzed the clinical characteristics of corneal hyperalgesia patients with dry eye symptoms. @*Methods@#Sixty-nine eyes of 69 adults (aged ≥ 20 years) who visited the hospital due to dry eye symptoms were analyzed. Using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer, patients with ≥ 40 mm corneal sensitivity were designated as the corneal hyperalgesia group, and those with < 40 mm were designated as the control group. All patients were tested by slit lamp biomicroscopy. The tear film break-up time (TFBUT), tear secretion, meibography, tear lipid layer thickness, eye blink pattern and Ocular Surface Disease Index were assessed. The eye blink pattern was divided into four types, flat, uphill, downhill, and mixed, and the rate of partial eye blink was recorded. @*Results@#We compared the 38 eyes in the corneal hyperalgesia group with the 31 eyes in the control group. The pain sensitivity was 51.18 ± 7.66 and 21.61 ± 9.25 mm in the corneal hyperalgesia and control groups, respectively. Tactile sensitivity was higher in the hyperalgesia group (59.21 ± 1.85 mm) than the control group (54.84 ± 10.12 mm) (p = 0.048), and the TFBUT in the hyperalgesia group (3.47 ± 0.80 seconds) was significantly shorter than the control group (4.10 ± 1.16 seconds) (p = 0.036). There was a significant difference in the proportions of the four eye blink patterns between the hyperalgesia and control groups (p = 0.023). In the hyperalgesia group, 35.1% were uphill types and 32.4% were flat types, while in the control group, 43.8% were downhill types. The other tests showed no significant group differences. @*Conclusions@#The TFBUT was shorter in patients with dry eye symptoms than controls, and the proportions of the four eye blink patterns also differed between the groups.

Treatment of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis

Although patients with cirrhosis are known to be in a state of “rebalance” in that pro- and anticoagulant factors increase the risk for both bleeding and thrombosis, the prevalence of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with cirrhosis can be up to 26%. Therefore, physicians should consider anticoagulation for the prevention and management of PVT in patients with cirrhosis who are at high risk of PVT. Vitamin K antagonist or low molecular weight heparin is suggested as the standard treatment for PVT in cirrhosis. With the advent of new direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs), there is a paradigm shift of switching to DOACs for the treatment of PVT in patients with cirrhosis. However, the safety and efficacy of DOACs in the treatment of PVT was not well-known in patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, this review focused on the current knowledge about the efficacy, safety concerns, and hepatic metabolism of DOACs in patients with cirrhosis and PVT.

Treatment of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis

Although patients with cirrhosis are known to be in a state of “rebalance” in that pro- and anticoagulant factors increase the risk for both bleeding and thrombosis, the prevalence of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with cirrhosis can be up to 26%. Therefore, physicians should consider anticoagulation for the prevention and management of PVT in patients with cirrhosis who are at high risk of PVT. Vitamin K antagonist or low molecular weight heparin is suggested as the standard treatment for PVT in cirrhosis. With the advent of new direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs), there is a paradigm shift of switching to DOACs for the treatment of PVT in patients with cirrhosis. However, the safety and efficacy of DOACs in the treatment of PVT was not well-known in patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, this review focused on the current knowledge about the efficacy, safety concerns, and hepatic metabolism of DOACs in patients with cirrhosis and PVT.

Is Transarterial Chemoembolization Only Treatment Option in Patients with Intermediate Stage of Hepatocellular Carcinoma?: in Perspectives of Surgery

In the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system, intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is defined as large multinodular tumors without vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread in an asymptomatic patient with good performance status. Intermediate stage HCC includes various subgroups and it is characterized by extensive heterogeneity. Current guidelines recommend transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as the standard treatment modality for patients with intermediate stage HCC. Although TACE provides improved survival benefits compared with supportive care for patients with intermediate stage HCC, all of them are not good candidates for TACE. TACE refractoriness is another obstacle to effective treatment of patients with intermediate stage HCC. Given that many studies recently reported improved survival in patients treated with hepatic resection over TACE, we reviewed the survival outcomes of TACE and hepatic resection as a treatment strategy of intermediate stage HCC.

Delayed diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus and perinatal outcomes in women with large for gestational age fetuses during the third trimester

Objective@#We evaluated the incidence of newly diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the 3rd trimester in women with suspected large for gestational age (LGA) fetuses on ultrasound and assessed their perinatal outcomes. @*Methods@#A retrospective cohort study was performed. Singleton pregnant women with suspected LGA on the 3rd trimester ultrasound and whose results of GDM screening at midpregnancy had been normal were enrolled. All participants were retested with 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) within 2 days after diagnosis of LGA. We compared perinatal outcomes between the newly diagnosed with GDM group and the non-GDM group. @*Results@#Among 169 pregnant women, 13% (23/169) were newly diagnosed with GDM. The women in the GDM group had a higher HbA1c level at diagnosis (5.8 vs. 5.3, P<0.01) and earlier gestational age at delivery (38.0 vs 38.9 weeks of gestation, P=0.003) than those in the non-GDM group. The rate of cesarean delivery (CD) was significantly higher in the GDM group than that in the non-GDM group (73.9%, vs. 49.3%, P=0.028) with similar proportions for the indications of CD except CD on maternal request (CDMR). The CDMR rate was higher in the GDM group than nonGDM group (41.2% vs. 23.6%) but it did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant differences in the obstetrical and neonatal complications between the two groups. @*Conclusion@#Among pregnant women with suspected LGA, 13% were newly diagnosed with GDM in late pregnancy. Nonetheless, there were no differences in the perinatal outcomes between women with newly diagnosed GDM and those without GDM. However, concerns over shoulder dystocia appear to increase CD rates in the GDM group.

Analysis of Medical Litigations Associated with Keratorefractive Surgery in Korea

Purpose@#To analyze the results of court rulings regarding medical litigations involving keratorefractive surgery in Korea. @*Methods@#We collected anonymized judgements involving keratorefractive surgery between 1990 and 2017 and analyzed the causes of medical litigations, the court rulings, reasons for compensation, and the total and average amounts finally awarded. @*Results@#Nineteen of 31 litigations were related to laser in-situ keratomileusis, six to photorefractive keratectomy, and six to laser epithelial keratomileusis surgery. The reasons for litigation were as follows: glaucoma (8), corneal ectasia (7), infectious keratitis (5), retinal disease (2), dissatisfaction in visual outcome (2), photophobia (2), and other (5). Among the 31 cases, 17 (54.8%) litigations were decided in favor of the plaintiff; 14 (45.2%) litigations were decided against. The number of informed consent violations was 15 cases, with 13 cases for the plaintiff and two cases for the defendant, showing a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). The cause of the lawsuit and injury type did not affect the outcome of the lawsuit. The total amount requested by the plaintiff was KRW 4,846,196,087, and the average amount was KRW 156,328,906. The total amount of damages awarded was KRW 885,804,168, and the average awarded was KRW 52,106,128. Additionally, glaucoma showed the highest total (KRW 393,121,061) and average (KRW 196,560,530) amounts of awarded damages. @*Conclusions@#Nearly half of the lawsuits were handed down in favor of the plaintiff, with more than half involving damages in violation of informed consent. The results of this study are expected to help surgeons understand the reasons for and results of medical lawsuits regarding keratorefractive surgeries, to reduce these types of lawsuits in the future.

Delayed diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus and perinatal outcomes in women with large for gestational age fetuses during the third trimester

Objective@#We evaluated the incidence of newly diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the 3rd trimester in women with suspected large for gestational age (LGA) fetuses on ultrasound and assessed their perinatal outcomes. @*Methods@#A retrospective cohort study was performed. Singleton pregnant women with suspected LGA on the 3rd trimester ultrasound and whose results of GDM screening at midpregnancy had been normal were enrolled. All participants were retested with 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) within 2 days after diagnosis of LGA. We compared perinatal outcomes between the newly diagnosed with GDM group and the non-GDM group. @*Results@#Among 169 pregnant women, 13% (23/169) were newly diagnosed with GDM. The women in the GDM group had a higher HbA1c level at diagnosis (5.8 vs. 5.3, P<0.01) and earlier gestational age at delivery (38.0 vs 38.9 weeks of gestation, P=0.003) than those in the non-GDM group. The rate of cesarean delivery (CD) was significantly higher in the GDM group than that in the non-GDM group (73.9%, vs. 49.3%, P=0.028) with similar proportions for the indications of CD except CD on maternal request (CDMR). The CDMR rate was higher in the GDM group than nonGDM group (41.2% vs. 23.6%) but it did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant differences in the obstetrical and neonatal complications between the two groups. @*Conclusion@#Among pregnant women with suspected LGA, 13% were newly diagnosed with GDM in late pregnancy. Nonetheless, there were no differences in the perinatal outcomes between women with newly diagnosed GDM and those without GDM. However, concerns over shoulder dystocia appear to increase CD rates in the GDM group.

Analysis of Medical Litigations Associated with Keratorefractive Surgery in Korea

Purpose@#To analyze the results of court rulings regarding medical litigations involving keratorefractive surgery in Korea. @*Methods@#We collected anonymized judgements involving keratorefractive surgery between 1990 and 2017 and analyzed the causes of medical litigations, the court rulings, reasons for compensation, and the total and average amounts finally awarded. @*Results@#Nineteen of 31 litigations were related to laser in-situ keratomileusis, six to photorefractive keratectomy, and six to laser epithelial keratomileusis surgery. The reasons for litigation were as follows: glaucoma (8), corneal ectasia (7), infectious keratitis (5), retinal disease (2), dissatisfaction in visual outcome (2), photophobia (2), and other (5). Among the 31 cases, 17 (54.8%) litigations were decided in favor of the plaintiff; 14 (45.2%) litigations were decided against. The number of informed consent violations was 15 cases, with 13 cases for the plaintiff and two cases for the defendant, showing a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). The cause of the lawsuit and injury type did not affect the outcome of the lawsuit. The total amount requested by the plaintiff was KRW 4,846,196,087, and the average amount was KRW 156,328,906. The total amount of damages awarded was KRW 885,804,168, and the average awarded was KRW 52,106,128. Additionally, glaucoma showed the highest total (KRW 393,121,061) and average (KRW 196,560,530) amounts of awarded damages. @*Conclusions@#Nearly half of the lawsuits were handed down in favor of the plaintiff, with more than half involving damages in violation of informed consent. The results of this study are expected to help surgeons understand the reasons for and results of medical lawsuits regarding keratorefractive surgeries, to reduce these types of lawsuits in the future.

The Study of Standardization for a Korean Dizziness Handicap Inventory for Patient Caregivers / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES@#Several questionnaires had been developed to assess the handicap due to dizziness. The questionnaires for adults were used and these had been translated into Korean with validity and reliability. However, there is no Korean translation of dizziness inquiry form owing to the little concern of the pediatric dizziness. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Korean Dizziness Handicap Index for Patient Caregivers (KDHI-PC), and revealed the factor analysis of this index.SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We sampled the 24 pediatric patients who had dizziness-related symptoms and visited the hospitals. The patients completed a questionnaire (DHI-PC) that had been translated and reverse translated into Korean. The results of this investigation were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's α coefficient and internal consistency reliability.@*RESULTS@#By exploratory factor analysis, KDHI-PC was divided into two scales. This questionnaire showed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.945). All items had good item-total correlations.@*CONCLUSION@#The KDHI-PC is a reliable tool for evaluating the dizziness of pediatric patients.

Two Cases of Transoral Resection of Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Metastasis from Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Diagnosed by PET-CT Follow-Up after Lateral Neck Dissection / 대한이비인후과학회지

The presence of lymph node metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma usually occurs in the internal jugular and paratracheal space on the side of the lesion. For this reason, metastasis to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes from papillary thyroid carcinoma is rare. We currently experienced two cases of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma. Both patients had a history of total thyroidectomy and ipsilateral neck dissection and had undergone retropharyngeal lymph node dissection via transoral approach after the diagnosis of retropharyngeal node metastasis. We suggest that the metastatic retropharyngeal lymph nodes can be successfully removed through transoral apparoach. The diagnosis of this rare lymph node metastasis requires sufficient imaging studies such as MRI, CT or PET-CT as well as appropriate history taking and physical examination.

The Study of Standardization for a Korean Dizziness Handicap Inventory for Patient Caregivers / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several questionnaires had been developed to assess the handicap due to dizziness. The questionnaires for adults were used and these had been translated into Korean with validity and reliability. However, there is no Korean translation of dizziness inquiry form owing to the little concern of the pediatric dizziness. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Korean Dizziness Handicap Index for Patient Caregivers (KDHI-PC), and revealed the factor analysis of this index. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We sampled the 24 pediatric patients who had dizziness-related symptoms and visited the hospitals. The patients completed a questionnaire (DHI-PC) that had been translated and reverse translated into Korean. The results of this investigation were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's α coefficient and internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: By exploratory factor analysis, KDHI-PC was divided into two scales. This questionnaire showed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.945). All items had good item-total correlations. CONCLUSION: The KDHI-PC is a reliable tool for evaluating the dizziness of pediatric patients.

Two Cases of Transoral Resection of Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Metastasis from Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Diagnosed by PET-CT Follow-Up after Lateral Neck Dissection / 대한이비인후과학회지

The presence of lymph node metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma usually occurs in the internal jugular and paratracheal space on the side of the lesion. For this reason, metastasis to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes from papillary thyroid carcinoma is rare. We currently experienced two cases of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma. Both patients had a history of total thyroidectomy and ipsilateral neck dissection and had undergone retropharyngeal lymph node dissection via transoral approach after the diagnosis of retropharyngeal node metastasis. We suggest that the metastatic retropharyngeal lymph nodes can be successfully removed through transoral apparoach. The diagnosis of this rare lymph node metastasis requires sufficient imaging studies such as MRI, CT or PET-CT as well as appropriate history taking and physical examination.

Prognostic significance of pretreatment lymphocyte percentage and age at diagnosis in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with definite radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of age at diagnosis, and pretreatment hematologic markers, including lymphocyte percentage and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT). METHODS: A total of 392 patients with LACC (stage IIb to IVa) treated with cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy or RT alone between 2001 and 2012 were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical data and pretreatment complete blood counts were extracted from electronic medical records of the patients, and analyzed. Treatment outcomes, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. RESULTS: Low lymphocyte percentage and a high NLR were associated with younger age, advanced stage, larger tumor size, lymph nodes metastasis, and treatment failure. The cut-off value for lymphocyte percentage and NLR was determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve. In univariate analysis, low lymphocyte percentage (≤24%) was associated with poor PFS and OS, while high NLR ( > 2.8) was significantly associated only with PFS. In multivariate analysis, both lymphocyte percentage (hazard ratio [HR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–0.85; P=0.005) and NLR (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.07–2.25; P=0.022) had independent prognostic value for PFS. Compared to younger patients (age ≤50 years), older patients (age > 60 years) had a lower risk of death. CONCLUSION: Although the lymphocyte percentage did not remain significant in multivariate analysis for OS, it was predictive of PFS and OS. Thus, lymphocyte percentage is a simple hematologic parameter with a significant prognostic value in patients with LACC treated with definitive RT.

Durability of Sustained Virologic Response and Improvement of Fibrosis Markers after Daclatasvir and Asunaprevir Treatment in Genotype 1b Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients: a Real Life and Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND: The long-term data with direct acting antiviral agents were rare. This study investigated the durability of a sustained virologic response (SVR) and the improvement of fibrosis after daclatasvir and asunaprevir (DCV/ASV) treatment in genotype 1b (GT1b) hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. METHODS: A total of 288 HCV GT1b patients without baseline non-structural 5A (NS5A) resistance-associated substitution (RAS) treated with DCV/ASV were enrolled. Virologic response was measured at 12 weeks and 1 year after treatment completion. In cirrhotic patients, liver function, aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), FIB-4 index, fibrosis index (FI), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) at baseline and 1 year after treatment completion were evaluated. RESULTS: SVR12 was obtained in 278 patients (96.5%). Six patients who checked NS5A RAS after treatment failure were RAS positive. Only one patient showed no durability of SVR. In cirrhotic patients who achieved SVR12 (n = 59), the changes of albumin (3.8 [2.2–4.7] to 4.3 [2.4–4.9] g/dL; P < 0.001), platelet count (99 [40–329] to 118 [40–399] × 103/mm3; P < 0.001), APRI (1.8 [0.1–14.8] to 0.6 [0.1–4.8]; P < 0.001), FIB-4 index (5.45 [0.6–32.8] to 3.3 [0.4–12.2]; P < 0.001), FI (5.5 [0.6–32.8] to 3.3 [0.4–12.2]; P < 0.001), and LSM (17.2 [5.3–48.0] to 11.2 [3.7–28.1] kPa; P = 0.001) between baseline and 1 year after treatment completion were observed. CONCLUSION: DCV/ASV treatment for HCV GT1b infected patients without RAS achieved high SVR rates and showed durable SVR. Cirrhotic patients who achieved SVR12 showed the improvement of liver function and fibrosis markers.

Can the Zero-Profile Implant Be Used for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in Traumatic Subaxial Disc Injury? A Preliminary, Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE: The zero-profile implant (Zero-P) is accepted for use in anterior cervical fusion for the treatment of degenerative cervical disease. However, evidence pertaining to its efficiency and safety in traumatic cervical injury is largely insufficient. This study aimed to compare the overall outcomes of patients who underwent Zero-P for traumatic cervical disc injury.METHODS: Data from a total of 53 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for traumatic or degenerative cervical disc disease using the Zero-P were reviewed. Seventeen patients (group A) had traumatic cervical disc injury and the remaining 36 (group B) had degenerative cervical disc herniation. The fusion and subsidence rates and Cobb angle were measured retrospectively from plain radiographs. The patients’ clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and Odom’s criteria.RESULTS: The C2–7 Cobb and operative segmental angles increased by 3.45±7.61 and 2.94±4.59 in group A; and 2.46±7.31 and 2.88±5.49 in group B over 12 postoperative months, respectively. The subsidence and fusion rate was 35.0% and 95.0% in group A; and 36.6% and 95.1% in group B, respectively. None of the parameters differed significantly between groups. The clinical outcomes were similar in both groups in terms of increasing the JOA score and producing a grade higher than “good” using Odom’s criteria.CONCLUSION: The application of Zero-P in patients with traumatic cervical disc injury was found to be acceptable when compared with the clinical and radiological outcomes of degenerative cervical spondylosis.

Delayed Monocular Blindness after Coil Embolization of Large Paraclinoid Aneurysm

Treatment of paraclinoid aneurysms weather by surgery, or endovascular embolization has a risk of visual loss due to optic neuropathy, or diplopia due to cranial nerve palsies. Visual complications occur immediately after the clipping, whereas they can occur variable time after endovascular coiling. Recently, endovascular coiling for paraclinoid aneurysm is regarded as a safe and feasible treatment. But it still has risks of acute thromboembolic complication, or cranial nerve palsies. A 45-year-old woman was referred from local hospital to our hospital due to ruptured large ICA dorsal wall aneurysm. A total of 12 coils (195 cm) were used for obliteration of aneurysm. Postoperative diffusion weighted image showed no abnormal signal intensity lesion and magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated no sign of vasospasm, or vessel narrowing. But, she complained visual problem 23 days after coil embolization. Ophthalmologist confirmed the left optic disc atrophy on fundoscopy. Although steroid was started, but monocular blindness did not recover completely. The endovascular embolization of paraclinoid aneurysm, especially projecting superiorly with large irregular shape, has the risk of progressive visual loss because of the proximity to optic nerve.

Can the Zero-Profile Implant Be Used for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in Traumatic Subaxial Disc Injury? A Preliminary, Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE: The zero-profile implant (Zero-P) is accepted for use in anterior cervical fusion for the treatment of degenerative cervical disease. However, evidence pertaining to its efficiency and safety in traumatic cervical injury is largely insufficient. This study aimed to compare the overall outcomes of patients who underwent Zero-P for traumatic cervical disc injury. METHODS: Data from a total of 53 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for traumatic or degenerative cervical disc disease using the Zero-P were reviewed. Seventeen patients (group A) had traumatic cervical disc injury and the remaining 36 (group B) had degenerative cervical disc herniation. The fusion and subsidence rates and Cobb angle were measured retrospectively from plain radiographs. The patients’ clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and Odom’s criteria. RESULTS: The C2–7 Cobb and operative segmental angles increased by 3.45±7.61 and 2.94±4.59 in group A; and 2.46±7.31 and 2.88±5.49 in group B over 12 postoperative months, respectively. The subsidence and fusion rate was 35.0% and 95.0% in group A; and 36.6% and 95.1% in group B, respectively. None of the parameters differed significantly between groups. The clinical outcomes were similar in both groups in terms of increasing the JOA score and producing a grade higher than “good” using Odom’s criteria. CONCLUSION: The application of Zero-P in patients with traumatic cervical disc injury was found to be acceptable when compared with the clinical and radiological outcomes of degenerative cervical spondylosis.