• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1010-1016
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• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Purpose: To report on spinal fusion assessment using computed tomography (CT) after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery using ultra-low dose recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (RhBMP-2). Overview of Literature: The reported dose of RhBMP-2 needed for successful spinal posterolateral fusion in ASD ranges from 10 to 20 mg per spinal level. This study reports the use of ultra-low dose of RhBMP-2 (0.07 mg per facet) to achieve spinal fusion in multilevel ASD surgery. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent ASD surgery using ultra-low dose RhBMP-2 were recruited. Routine postoperative CT analysis for spinal fusion was performed by two spine surgeons. Inter-observer agreement was calculated for facet fusion (FF) and interbody fusion (IBF) at 6 and 12 months after the procedure. Results: Six consecutive ASD patients with a mean age of 62 years (28-72 years) were examined. Each patient received a total dose of 12 mg with an average dose of $0.69{\pm}0.2mg$ (0.42-1 mg) per single FF and $1.38{\pm}0.44mg$ (0.85-2 mg) for IBF. Total 131 FF and 15 IBF were examined in the study, with 88 FFs and nine IBFs being analyzed specifically at 6 months after the surgery. FF and IBF reported by surgeons A and B at 6 months were 97.7% vs. 91.9% FF, respectively (${\kappa}=0.95$) and 100% vs. 100% IBF, respectively (${\kappa}=1$). Two patients underwent longitudinal follow-up CT at 12 months, and the FF rates reported by surgeons A and B were 100% vs. 95.8%, respectively (${\kappa}=0.96$). Five out of nine facet (56%) non-unions were identified at the cross-links. The remaining four facet pseudarthrosis were noted at 1-2 spinal levels caudal to the cross-links. At the final clinical follow-up, there was no rod breakage, deformity progression, neurological deficit, or symptom recurrence. The Oswestry Disability Index improved by an average of $32.8{\pm}6.3$, while the mental component summary of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey improved by an average of $4.7{\pm}2.1$, and physical component summary improved by an average of $10.5{\pm}2.1$. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a CT that defined 92%-98% FF and 100% IBF using the lowest reported dose of RhBMP-2 in multilevel ASD surgery. The use of ultra-low dose RhBMP-2 reduces the RhBMP-2 related complications and healthcare costs.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2019

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors affecting bodily pain in women in their middle to older age who are caregivers of stroke patients. Methods: This study selected 75 stroke inpatients and 75 female caregivers in their middle to older age from five hospitals in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. Measurements included general characteristics, cognitive function, upper limb function, and activities of daily living of stroke patients, and general characteristics and bodily pain for the caregivers. We used stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the factors affecting the bodily pain and Pearson's correlation analysis to confirm the correlation. Results: The factors affecting bodily pain in women in their middle to older age caregivers were the activities of daily living(${\beta}=-.489$, p<.001) and caregiver duration(${\beta}=-.309$, p=.003)($R^2=.276$). Correlation analysis showed that the activities of daily living, upper limb function, and cognitive function of stroke patients were significantly correlated (r=.434~.751, p<.001). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the functional level of stroke patients being cared for and the caregiver duration are important variables for reducing bodily pain in women in their middle to older age.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1200-1209
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• 2020

Aphasia is a language disorder that results from brain damage and typically occurs after a stroke. The purpose of this case report was to describe the effects of Korean medical treatment on anomic aphasia after a putaminal hemorrhage. We used Korean medical treatment, including head acupuncture and herbal medicine (Hyungbangsabaek-san) therapy, on a patient who was admitted to the hospital for 19 days. The clinical symptoms were assessed with the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB), and quality of life was evaluated with Korean version of Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (K-SAQOL-39). After 19 days of treatment, the K-WAB scores were increased from 17 to 19 in the spontaneous speech score, from 7.55 to 9.85 in the comprehension score, from 9 to 9.4 in the speaking score, and from 5.8 to 9.7 in the naming score. The AQ score was increased from 78.7 to 95.9, and the K-SAQOL-3 score was increased from 2.64 to 3.26. In conclusion, the study findings suggested that Korean medical treatment could be an effective option for treating symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with aphasia after stroke.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.317-326
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• 2020

Deep blocking of consciousness alone does not prevent a reaction to severe stimuli, and copious amounts of pain medication do not guarantee unconsciousness. Therefore, anesthesia must satisfy both: the loss of consciousness as well as muscle relaxation. Muscle relaxants improve the intra-bronchial intubation, surgical field of vision, and operating conditions, while simultaneously reducing the dose of inhalation or intravenous anesthesia. Muscle relaxants are also very important for breathing management during controlled mechanical ventilation during surgery. Excessive dosage of such muscle relaxants may therefore affect neurological examinations during surgery, but an insufficient dosage will result in movement of the patient during the procedure. Hence, muscle relaxation anesthesia depth and neurophysiological monitoring during surgery are closely related. Using excessive muscle relaxants is disadvantageous, since neurophysiological examinations during surgery could be hindered, and eliminating the effects of complete muscle relaxation after surgery is challenging. In the operation of neurophysiological monitoring during the operation, the anesthesiologist administers muscle relaxant based on what standard, it is hoped that the examination will be performed more smoothly by examining the trends in the world as well as domestic and global trends in maintaining muscle relaxant.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1264-1273
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• 2022

Posterior communicating artery aneurysms (PcomAAs) are the second most common type of aneurysm. Large cerebral aneurysms show various neurological symptoms, especially oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP), due to PcomAAs. Recent research has shown that stent-assisted coil embolization has many side effects. We report the effectiveness of Korean medicine in the treatment of ONP due to PcomAAs after stent-assisted coil embolization. A patient with ptosis and limitation of eye movement was treated with Korean medicine, including herbal medicine (Samlyeongbaegchul-san-byeonbang [參苓白朮散變方] and Uwhangchungsim-won [牛黃淸心元]), acupuncture, electroacupuncture, cupping, and moxibustion. Clinical symptoms were observed by images of the inter-palpebral fissure and eyeball movement. After the treatment, the inter-palpebral fissure and eyeball movement were noticeably improved. These findings suggest that treatment with Korean medicine can be an effective option for the treatment of ONP due to PcomAAs after stent-assisted coil embolization.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2022

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (INM) ensures the stability and safety of specific surgeries in high-risk groups. As part of INM, intensive tests are conducted during the surgical process. When INM tests are applied during surgery, a delay in notifying the operating surgeon in cases of neurological defects can cause serious irreversible sequelae to the patient. Aortic replacement, which is necessitated due to aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection, is a complicated procedure that blocks the blood flow to the heart. When arteries that branch out from the aorta and supply blood to the spinal cord are replaced, blood flow to the spinal cord decreases, resulting in spinal ischemia. In aortic surgery, INM plays an important role in preventing spinal ischemia and serious complications by quickly detecting the early signs of spinal ischemia during cross-clamping and reporting it to the surgeon. Therefore, this paper was prepared to help examiners who conduct INM by detailing the process, method, time, and warning criteria for INM. This paper identifies the need for INM in aortic surgery and the process flow for a smooth test, accurate and rapid examination, and subsequent reporting.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.681-689
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• 2023

Objective : Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a condition characterized by bleeding in the subarachnoid space, often resulting from the rupture of a cerebral aneurysm. Delayed cerebral ischemia caused by vasospasm is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in SAH patients, and inflammatory markers such as systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), systemic inflammatory index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and derived NLR (dNLR) have shown potential in predicting clinical vasospasm and outcomes in SAH patients. This article aims to investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers and cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmatic SAH (aSAH) and evaluate the predictive value of various indices, including SIRI, SII, NLR, and dNLR, in predicting clinical vasospasm. Methods : A retrospective analysis was performed on a cohort of 96 patients who met the inclusion criteria out of a total of 139 patients admitted Trakya University Hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of aSAH between January 2013 and December 2021. Diagnostic procedures, neurological examinations, and laboratory tests were performed to assess the patients' condition. The Student's t-test compared age variables, while the chi-square test compared categorical variables between the non-vasospasm (NVS) and vasospasm (VS) groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of laboratory parameters, calculating the area under the ROC curve, cut-off values, sensitivity, and specificity. A significance level of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results : The study included 96 patients divided into two groups : NVS and VS. Various laboratory parameters, such as NLR, SII, and dNLR, were measured daily for 15 days, and statistically significant differences were found in NLR on 7 days, with specific cut-off values identified for each day. SII showed a significant difference on day 9, while dNLR had significant differences on days 2, 4, and 9. Graphs depicting the values of these markers for each day are provided. Conclusion : Neuroinflammatory biomarkers, when used alongside radiology and scoring scales, can aid in predicting prognosis, determining severity and treatment decisions for aSAH, and further studies with larger patient groups are needed to gain more insights.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.150-162
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• 2023

Meniere's disease is characterized by episodic vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus and ear fullness. The main pathological finding is endolymphatic hydrops, but the etiology of disease and effective treatment methods are still disputed. Recently, Cervical spine disorders(CSD) and Temporomandibular disorders(TMD) have been attracting attention as one of the causes of Meniere's disease. A 65-year-old female Meniere patient with musculoskeletal problems in the cervical and mandible area was treated by Korean medical therapies including pharmacoacupuncture treatment. After 5 weeks of treatment, there was no meaningful change in hearing level evaluated with pure tone audiometry, but the subjective symptoms of Meniere improved significantly. Numerical rating scale (NRS) decreased from 10 to 0 for hearing loss, 10 to 3 for tinnitus and 8 to 3 for ear fullness. Also NRS of cervicalgia was reduced from 5 to 0 after treatment. The result suggests that the Korean medical therapy including pharmacoapuncture targeting CSD and TMD could be safe and effective method for patients with Meniere's disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.682-690
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• 2024

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare immune-mediated complication of a viral infection commonly involving the bilateral thalamus and has been reported mainly in children. Here, we describe the MRI findings of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated ANE in two pediatric patients, including a 7-year-old girl with fever and mental change, and a 6-year-old girl with fever and generalized seizures. Brain MRI revealed symmetrical T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery high-signal intensity lesions in the bilateral thalamus with central hemorrhage. In one patient, the thalamic lesions showed a tri-laminar pattern on the apparent diffusion coefficient map. This report emphasizes the importance of creating awareness regarding these findings in patients with COVID-19, particularly in children with severe neurological symptoms. Furthermore, it provides a literature review of several documented cases of COVID-19 presenting with bilateral thalamic hemorrhagic necrosis, suggesting a diagnosis of ANE.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.371-379
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• 2024

Background: Sutureless valves are widely used in aortic valve replacement surgery, with Perceval valves and Intuity valves being particularly prominent. However, concerns have been raised about postoperative thrombocytopenia with Perceval valves (Corcym, UK). We conducted a comparative analysis with the Intuity valve (Edwards Lifesciences, USA), and assessed how thrombocytopenia affected patient and transfusion outcomes. Methods: Among 595 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement from June 2016 to March 2023, sutureless valves were used in 53 (Perceval: n=23; Intuity: n=30). Platelet counts were monitored during hospitalization and outpatient visits. Daily platelet count changes were compared between groups, and the results from patients who underwent procedures using Carpentier Edwards Perimount Magna valves were used as a reference group. Results: Compared to the Intuity group, the Perceval group showed a significantly higher amount of platelet transfusion (5.48±1.64 packs vs. 0.60±0.44 packs, p=0.008). During the postoperative period, severe thrombocytopenia (<50,000/μL) was significantly more prevalent in the Perceval group (56.5%, n=13) than in the Intuity group (6.7%, n=2). After initial postoperative depletion, daily platelet counts increased, with significant differences observed in the extent of improvement between the Perceval and Intuity groups (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in early mortality or the incidence of neurological complications between the 2 groups. Conclusion: The severity of postoperative thrombocytopenia differed significantly between the Perceval and Intuity valves. The Perceval group showed a significantly higher prevalence of severe thrombocytopenia and higher platelet transfusion volumes. However, thrombocytopenia gradually recovered during the postoperative period in both groups, and the early outcomes were similar in both groups.