• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2012

Gunshot wounds are rare in Korea, but they have tended to increase recently. We experienced an interesting case of penetrating gunshot injuries to the cervical spine with migration the fragments of the bullet within the dural sac of the cervical spine, so discuss the pathomechanics, treatment and complications of gunshot wounds to the spine and present a review of the literature. A 38-year-old man who had tried to commit suicide with a gun was admitted to our hospital with a penetrating injury to the anterior neck. the patient had quadriplegia. A Computed tomography (CT) scan and 3-dimensional CT of the spine showed destruction of the left lateral mass and lamina of the 5th cervical vertebra; the bullet and fragments were found at the level of the 5th cervical vertebra. The posterior approach was done. A total laminectomy and removal of the lateral mass of the 5th cervical vertebrae were performed, and bone fragments and pellets were removed from the spinal canal, but an intradurally retained pellets were not totally removed. A dural laceration was noted intraoperatively, and CSF leakage was observed, so dura repair was done watertightly with prolene 6-0. The dura repair site was covered with fibrin glue and Tachocomb$^{(R)}$. Immediately, a lumbar drain was done. Radiographs included a postoperative CT scan and X-rays. The postoperative neurological status of the patient was improved compared with the preoperative neurological status. however, the patients developed symptoms of menigitis. He received lumbar drainage(200~250 cc/day) and ventilator care. After two weeks, panperitonitis due to duodenal ulcer perforation was identified. Finally, the patient died because of sepsis.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 2011

Powered by compressed air, a nail gun is an essential alternative tool to a hammer on any construction site. This useful machine launches nails at high speed, automatically embedding them in a piece of wood in only a fraction of a second. In spite of its convenience, life-threatening and fatal nail gun injuries can occur when a nail gun is misused, such as in a suicide attempt, or when the operator has insufficient training because combustion nail guns are capable of firing projectiles at velocities higher than 150 m per second. Although injuries by nail guns are rarely reported, there have been reports of nail gun injuries to the head and the trachea in Korea. In the emergency room, the authors experienced a patient injured by an accidental shooting of a nail gun while working in construction. In that accident, a nail penetrated the patient's cervical vertebra through the left cheek. This report is aimed at studying medical treatment for patients with penetrating injuries caused by nail guns.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.201-204
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• 2008

Purpose: Now the CT scanner and PACS program proved to be an excellent instrument for detection and localization of most facial foreign bodies above certain minimum levels of detectability. The severity of injury in penetrating trauma on the face is often underestimated in physical examination. Wood, with its porous consistency and organic nature, provides a good medium for microbial agents. This is a report of our recent experience with wooden foreign bodies in the parotid gland imaged with CT. Methods: A 9-year-old boy was referred for evaluation of possible retained foreign body within his face. One day earlier, he had fallen, face down approximately 1 miter onto ground. He had subsequently undergone an exploration of his right parotido-masseteric area at an outside hospital with repair of a right facial laceration. Enhanced 2 mm axial and coronal CT scans were obtained through the face. Axial and coronal CT images were obtained with a General Electric(Milwaukee, Wis) 9800 CT scanner at 130 kV, 90 mA, with a 2 mm section thickness. Results: We finally decided the linear "gas" attenuation was a foreign body because of its linear configuration, which did not conform to that of an anatomic structure, and on the basis of articles that described a wood foreign body in the orbit as having the appearance of air. We found that wood was hypoattenuating($-464{\pm}27HU$). Conclusion: We recommend this type of software program for CT scanning for any patient with an injury on the face in which a foreign body is suspected.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.124-127
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• 2008

Injury to the inferior vena cava (IVC) is associated with a high mortality rate, and little progress has been made for improving the treatment for this since the 1970s. Injury to the retrohepatic IVC, in particular, has been associated with up to a 75% mortality rate due to the difficulty in gaining adequate exposure and controlling the bleeding. Both the severity of injury and anatomic accessibility has been directly correlated with survival in IVC injury. We have experienced a patient with retrohepatic IVC that was ruptured by a penetrating gunshot injury and we managed to save this patient's life.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.20-23
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• 2011

Penetrating injury and retained foreign substances in human body are the main causes of visiting to the emergency room. In hand, foreign substances are caused by trauma. The most common plant pieces, the glass fragments and metal fragments should occur in the order. Especially, it's hard to find fragments of plants and plastic materials because of their radiolucency. And although these fragments are removed, it's difficult to differentiated clearly whether residual foreign bodies are in human hand or not. This study reports the authors' experience in the treatment of a patient from whom he removed a residual tree thorn in the operating room. The thorn was found 4 weeks after the trauma by ultrasonography and then the patients' symptoms were improved.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.115-118
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• 2007

Purpose: It is even less common traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the superficial temporal artery and rare with fewer than 200 cases reported in the recent literature. Most common causes of traumatic pseudoaneurysm is sequelae of blunt, penetrating, or iatrogenic surgical trauma. The diagnosis is based on physical findings and can be confirmed by duplex ultrasonogram, computed tomography, and angiography. Surgical resection, percutaneous embolization and conservative treatment have all been used to treat pseudoaneurysm. However recently, non invasive technique like percutaneous thrombin injection under ultrasonographic guidance has been done rather than surgical ligation. In this report, we proposed the several treatment options such as conservative treatment, thrombin injection, and surgical ligation according to the multifarous conditions of pseudoaneurysm, patient, and causes. Methods: We describe two cases of traumatic pseudoaneurysm of superficial temporal artery in which CT angiography was effective in diagnosis and characterization. One is chronic pseudoaneurysm after traffic accident, which is fusiform shape and small size. Since the patient prefered it, we proposed percutaneous thrombin injection first. But we recognize that this method failed, we used surgical ligation according to information of CT angiographic findings. The other is acute pseudoaneurysm after blunt trauma, which is large size accompanying large hematoma. So we proposed compressive dressing and aspiration of hematoma. Results: Two cases were well treated with no recurrence or complication. Conclusion: In conclusion, when selecting a treatment options, followings should be considered: pseudoaneurysm in CT angiography, chronicity, cause, and patient's preference.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.315-321
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• 1997

A clinical analysis was performed on 326 cases of the non-penetrating rib fractures experienced in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Chosun University Hospital and 102 cases of the non-penetrating rib fractures those has been admitted and treated in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Jeonnam Hwasoon lung-ang Hospital during a period from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1995. 1. Sex ratio was 3.4:1 in urban and 3.6:1 in rural communities with male predominance. 2. Most· common cause were traffic accident in both communities. 3. Hemothorax, pneumothorax and hemopneumothorax which needed thoracostomy were observed iii 146 cases(44.7%) in the urban and 12 cases(11.7%) in the rural communities. 4. Left thorax was the spell site of rib fractures in both communiti s. 5. Rib fracture was prevalent from 3rd to 6th rib in both communities. 6. Open thoracotomy was performed in 37 cases(11.3%) in urban and 3 cases(2.9%) in rural communities. 7. Overall mortality was 4.29%(14 cases) in urban area and, 1.96%(2 cases) in rural communities, and cause of death were hypovolemic shock, brain edema, sepsis, respiratory failure, asphyxia, and cardiogenic shock.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.808-811
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• 2010

Simultaneous occurrence of the trachea, esophagus, and spinal cord injuries due to stabbing is rare. The incidence is decreasing, but early diagnosis and surgical treatment is important because it can be life-threatening. We present one case of simultaneous trachea, esophagus, and spinal cord injury caused by self-stabbing complicated with paraplegia.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.383-396
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• 2000

Before the advent of early plastic or maxillofacial reconstructive surgery, facial features could only be replaced and mimicked by prosthetic, artificial means. Facial deformity or dysfunction, whether congenital or acquired by trauma or mutilating disease, has long been an area of constant research, development and innovation in many cultures of the world. One of the greatest contributors to the need for maxillofacial prosthetics has been physical conflict and warfare. The use of maxillofacial prostheses is not merely the replacement of a missing or disfigured aspect of the face, but the rehabilitation of that individual back into the society from which they originate. Rehabilitation includes the restoration of the person's self worth and confidence, not just physically but psychologically. In sixteenth century, Ambroise Pare, French military surgeon, first have tried many maxillofacial prosthetics for injured war soldiers with papier-mache, silver, gold and copper. According to patient's demand who lost their maxillofacial figures, maxillofacial personnel have increased and prosthetic's skill have been advanced all of the world. Over the last decade, there has been a very rapid development in technical possibilities to provide patients with facial prostheses retained by skin penetrating implants. This article will present overall history of maxillofacial prostheses and some background information on the materials used from the old world. And to overcome still many limitation of prosthetic, new minds and new ideas for technique and materials should be developed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.312-314
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• 2009

Brown-Sequard syndrome may be the result of penetrating injury to the spine, but many other etiologies have been described. This syndrome is most commonly seen with spinal trauma and extramedullary spinal neoplasm. A herniated cervical disc has been rarely reported as a cause of this syndrome. We present a case of a 28-year-old male patient diagnosed as large C3-C4 disc herniation with spinal cord compression. He presented with left hemiparesis and diminished sensation to pain and temperature in the right side below the C4 dermatome. Microdiscectomy and anterior cervical fusion with carbon fiber cage containing a core of granulated coralline hydroxyapatite was performed. After the surgery, rapid improvement of the neurologic deficits was noticed. We present a case of cervical disc herniation producing acute Brown-Sequard syndrome with review of pertinent literature.