• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.445-449
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• 2005

Objective : This study is performed to evaluate the clinical manifestations and prognostic factors among patients with pyogenic spinal infections. Methods : The records and radiologic data of 27 patients treated between 2001 and 2003 were retrospectively evaluated. Results : All patients [mean age, 55.2yrs] were treated with i.v. antibiotics and 13[48.1%] required surgical treatment. Mean follow up duration was 38.9 weeks. The sixteen patients[59.2%] had previous surgical procedure on spine and six patients[22.0%] had local injections. The ten patients had predisposing factor [such as, diabetes mellitus, UTI, liver cirrhosis, septic condition]. The most common symptoms are lower back pain and motor weakness. Causative organisms determined only in ten patients[37%] and Staphylococcus aureus[50%] was most common. C-reactive protein[CRP] and white blood cell[WBC] count were more correlated with clinical outcome than erythrocyte sedimentation rate[ESR]. Conclusion : CRP and WBC level can be significant parameters of treatment and prognosis in pyogenic spinal infection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.360-364
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• 2000

Objective : To investigate the prognostic factors associated with outcome in patients with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament. Method : During the past 4 years, we have operated on 35 patients with cervical OPLL. Anterior cervical decompression(total or subtotal corpectomy, discectomy, and removal of the OPLL) and interbody fusion with iliac bone were performed in all patients. Results : Eight cases(22.9%) were continuous type, 11(31.4%) segmental, 13(37.1%) Mixed, and 3(8.6%) localized type. Thirty-two patients(91.4%) showed an excellent or good results. Conclusion : These results indicate that surgical treatment should be considerated in case of clinical grading higher than II and the surgical outcome is worse when duration of preoperative symptom is longer and when percentage of spinal narrowing is higher. Anterior cervical decompression and interbody fusion seems to be a better method in patients with lesions limited to one or two level. Age at surgery did not significantly affect the outcom.

• Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.288-292
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• 2018

Objectives. To investigate the common causes of persistent septal deviation in revision septoplasty and to report the surgical techniques and results to correct them. Methods. A total of 100 consecutive patients (86 males) who had revision septoplasty due to persistent septal deviation from 2008 and 2014 were included in the study. Their mean age was 35.6 years and the mean follow-up duration was 9.1 months. Presenting symptoms, sites of persistent septal deviation, techniques used to correct the deviation, and surgical results were reviewed. Results. The mean interval between primary and revision surgery was 6.2 years. Forty-eight patients received revision septoplasty and 52 received revision septoplasty combined with rhinoplasty. Nasal obstruction was the most presenting symptom in almost all patients. The most common site of persistent septal deviation was middle septum (58%) followed by caudal septum (31%). Correcting techniques included further chondrotomy and excision of deviated portion in 76% and caudal batten graft in 39%. Rhinoscopic and endoscopic exams showed straight septum in 97% and 92 patients had subjective symptom improvement postoperatively. Conclusion. Middle septum and caudal septum were common sites of persistent deviation. Proper chondrotomy with excision of deviated middle septum and correction of the caudal deviation with batten graft are key maneuvers to treat persistent deviation.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.835-839
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• 2018

Auditory tube diverticula, also known as guttural pouches, are naturally occurring dilations of the auditory tube in horses that communicate with the nasopharynx through a small ostium. Infection and select other conditions can result in inflammation and narrowing of the nasopharyngeal ostium, which prevents drainage of fluid or egress of air and can lead to persistent infection or guttural pouch tympany. Auditory tube diverticulotomy allows continuous egress from the auditory tube diverticula and is a feature of disease treatment in horses, in which medical treatment alone is not successful. Transpharyngeal endoscopic auditory tube diverticulotomy was performed using a diode laser either at a single dorsal pharyngeal recess location or bilaterally caudal to the nasopharyngeal ostium in 10 horse head specimens. Both methods resulted in clear communication between the nasopharynx and auditory tube diverticula. Diverticulotomy performed in the dorsal pharyngeal recess required less laser energy and activation time and had a shorter surgical duration than diverticulotomy performed caudal to the nasopharyngeal ostium. Further study related to the clinical application of both techniques is warranted.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.387-391
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• 2020

Background: Hydatidosis is a major health problem around the world, especially in the Mediterranean region. Cysts can break open or develop secondary bacterial infections, altering the clinical presentation. Methods: Patients who underwent hydatid cyst surgery at Al-Mouassat University Hospital in Damascus, Syria between January 2006 and December 2017 were evaluated. Cases involving isolated hepatic cysts were excluded. The patients were divided into those with perforated hydatid cysts (group 1) and those with intact hydatid cysts (group 2). Results: This study included 224 cases: 113 in group 1 (50.4%) and 111 in group 2 (49.6%). The median chest tube duration, hospitalization time, and postoperative complication rate were higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.003, p=0.002, and p=0.006, respectively). In both groups, the most common symptom was cough (present in 178 patients in total [79.5%]), while chest pain (121 patients [54%]) and dyspnea (113 patients [50.4%]) were also common. Cough, hemoptysis, fever, and expectoration of cystic contents were significantly more frequent in group 1 than in group 2 (p<0.001). Conclusion: The early discovery and treatment of intact pulmonary hydatid cysts reduced the hospitalization time, chest tube duration, and postoperative complication rate. Relative to intact cysts, perforated cysts are more complex and are associated with more expensive and time-consuming surgical treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2004

This study was undertaken to investigate the severity of depression and to analyze various factors related to depression in chronic back pain patients in urban-rural areas. In this study, 30 patients who suffered from back pain more than 6 months, and 30 normal subjects who had similar demographic characteristics as the patient group were evaluated using the Back Depression Inventory(BDI). Various factors such as age, sex, causes of back pain, vocational history, pain continuity, visual analogue scale(VAS), duration of pain, type of management, and urban or rural residence were recorded for the study group. The results are 1) The study group revealed higher BDI scores than the control group(p＜0.05). 2) The patients who were older and had higher VAS, longer duration of pain, or previous history of surgical management for back pain, and an urban 033residence revealed higher BDI scores(p<0.05). 3) The BDI scores were not significantly influenced by the subjects' sex, causes of back pain, pain continuity, and vocational history in the study group(p>0.05). From this study, we concluded that a Psychosocial approach is required for the management of chronic back pain patients. Also, it is necessary to assess the factors, which are making depression worse in other chronic diseases for comprehensive rehabilitation.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2014

Purpose: During hospitalization, confusion occurs in 15~20% of older adults and persists in 5~10% of them. This study was designed to investigate effects of a five-day nursing intervention program designed to reduce confusion in hospitalized older adults. Subjects were inpatients over the age of 60 years old and were admitted in a surgical care unit. Methods: Data were collected from 111 patients. Subjects divided into one of two groups, 58 patients of the control group which received the usual nursing care; and 53 patients of the intervention group which received the usual nursing care plus nursing intervention program for reducing acute confusion. The Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) and the Korean Mini-Mental Screening Examination (MMSE-K) were utilized. Results: 1) Acute delirium was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group ($x^2$=4.22, p=.034) as well as the duration of the delirious state was significantly shortened (F=56.62, p<.001). Cognitive function of the intervention group was improved (F=21.14, p<.001). Conclusion: The nursing intervention program reduced the incidence and duration of acute delirium of the elderly inpatients, as well as it helps them keep better cognitive function than the control group.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.171-177
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• 2020

Low-grade epilepsy-associated neuroepithelial tumors (LEATs) are responsible for drug-resistant chronic focal epilepsy, and are the second-most common reason for epilepsy surgery in children. LEATs are extremely responsive to surgical treatment, and therefore epilepsy surgery should be considered as a treatment option for LEATs. However, the optimal time for surgery remains controversial, and surgeries are often delayed. In this review, we reviewed published article on the factors associated with seizure and cognitive outcomes after epilepsy surgery for LEATs in children to help clinicians in their decision whether to pursue epilepsy surgery for LEATs. The achievement of gross total resection may be the most important prognostic factor for seizure freedom. A shorter duration of epilepsy, a younger age at surgery, and extended resection of temporal lobe tumors have also been suggested as favorable prognostic factors in terms of seizure control. Poor cognitive function in children with LEATs is associated with a longer duration of epilepsy and a younger age at seizure onset.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.521-525
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• 1993

Sixty-three patients who underwent open mitral commissurotomy at Sejong General Hospital during last 10 years from the August, 1983 to June, 1993 were reviewed There were fifty-one women and twelve men, and the mean age was 34.2 years. According to the NYHA classification, the distribution of patient preoperatively was as follows: class I, 5 patients ; class II, 26 patients ; class III, 30 patients ; class IV, 2 patients, and mean duration of symptome was 4.5 years. The mean mitral valvular area measured with echocardiogram preoperatively was 0.92cm2. All patients underwent open mitral commissurotomy and 41 patients required additional procedures for relief of subvalvular stenosis or other valvular disease. There were no operative death. 63 patients had three different types of mitral stenosis : type I, mobile cusps without subvalvular change [21 patients] ; typeII, thickened cusps with subvalvular change [34 patients] ; type III, rigid cusps with severe subvalvular change [8 patients]. The valvular calcification was seen in 11 patients [17%] and 15 patients [24%] had left atrial thrombus. The duration of follow-up was from 1 month to 168 months [mean, 39.6 months] and there were no late death. Six patients required reoperation and one patient had embolic episode. Conclusively,the open mitral commissurotomy represents a safe surgical precedure for treating mitral stenosis, allowing a complete removal of atrial thrombosis if present, and even when associated with subvalvular changes.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.43-46
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• 2016

Ameloblastic carcinoma is a malignant form of ameloblastoma defined by histological evidence of malignancy in primary, recurrent, or metastatic tumor. Such a tumor is rare, and the maxilla is an unusual site. Due to its rarity, the characteristics of this tumor in the maxilla have not been well described. Case 1: A 55-year-old, ill-appearing Nigerian male presented to our center with left maxillary swelling of seven-year duration. The swelling had been slow-growing and painless until one year prior, when the growth became rapid and was coupled with severe pain. The swelling affected both oral function and facial esthetics, and the patient reported difficulty breathing. There was a maxillary, ulcerated swelling extending from teeth 12 to 18 and blocking the left nostril. The involved teeth were moderately mobile. Case 2: A 32-year-old male farmer presented with recurrent right maxillary swelling of six-year duration. Prior to this episode, he had undergone surgery for ameloblastoma (follicular type). The present swelling was fungating through the skin and protruding into the right nostril. Ameloblastic carcinoma is an aggressive odontogenic tumor that requires aggressive surgical treatment.