• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.213-217
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• 2006

Although various treatments for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) have been proposed, no well recognized treatment for CRPS has been established. Herein, a case using barbiturate coma therapy for the refractory pain management of a 24-year-old male patient, who suffered from constant stabbing and burning pain, with severe touch allodynia in the left upper extremity following blunt trauma on his forearm is described. Interventional treatments, including permanent spinal cord stimulation and large doses of oral medications, were performed. However, the pain could not be controlled, which lead to frequent emergency room treatment for about 1 month prior to his therapy. He then underwent barbiturate coma therapy due to the uncontrollable pain, with repeated sedation therapy due to his outrageous behavior. His pain became increasingly tolerable and the allodynia was markedly decreased after 5 days of coma therapy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.276-279
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• 2015

This report details a case of post-traumatic pseudocyst in the spleen that was successfully treated with sclerotherapy using ethanol. A sixteen-year-old boy visited our hospital for a follow-up examination of a splenic cyst. He had experienced blunt trauma to the abdomen three years prior to presentation. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a large cyst of the lower pole of the spleen. The cyst was $6.8{\times}9.5{\times}7.0cm$ and conservative management was tried. A follow-up ultrasonographic examination three years later revealed that the size of the cyst was unchanged and another treatment was needed to prevent complications. One session of sclerosis with ethanol (90 mL of 99% ethanol) percutaneously was applied to the cyst. A follow-up after four months revealed that the cyst had completely resolved.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2013

Introduction: ALT/AST enzymes are present inside the cells. AST is found in cardiac and skeletal muscle and red blood cells but the ALT is checked mainly in the liver. In general, the rise of these two indicators shows liver damage. The usual measurements of these enzymes are used in liver function tests, but the levels of AST and ALT do not always reflect liver function. Method and Cases: 17 cases of liver dysfunction transiently were evaluated clinically, biochemically, and imaging study of sonogram in pediatric in-patients for 3 years. Result: Most common causes of transient liver dysfunction were infection, especially viral gastroenteritis, and bacterial infection interfering oral food intake. More often occurred in the children who have infant hyperbilirubinemia, positive history of mitochondrial dysfunction or hypoglycemia. Fasting study in one case of hypoglycemia patient showed reversible liver dysfunction during fasting over 20 hours fasting. Discussion: A significant increase in AST and ALT with normal bilirubin can be observed in clinically healthy people during blunt trauma, viral infection, severe pain, metabolic syndrome, fasting or accidental health screening.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.168-172
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• 2021

Posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm of the face is caused by blunt, penetrating, or surgical trauma. Although its incidence is low, pseudoaneurysm rupture can cause a life-threatening, massive hemorrhage. A 48-year-old man visited our emergency center due to a fall-down accident. Three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) showed a comminuted zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture of the left face. After open reduction and internal fixation, the surgical wound healed without any complications. However, the patient was readmitted 10 days after surgery due to pus-like discharge from the wound. Contrast-enhanced CT to find the abscess unexpectedly revealed a pseudoaneurysm in the left retromaxillary area. Massive oral bleeding occurred on the night of re-hospitalization and emergency surgery was done. The bleeding site was identified as a pseudo-aneurysmal rupture of the posterior superior alveolar artery in the retromaxillary area. Hemostasis was achieved by packing Vaseline gauze in the maxillary sinus using an endoscope. Delayed rupture and massive bleeding of posttraumatic retromaxillary pseudoaneurysm after a zygomaticomaxillary fracture is a low-probability, but high-impact event. Therefore, additional contrast-enhanced CT should be considered to evaluate the possibility of a posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm in cases of severe comminuted zygomaticomaxillary fracture.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2011

Purpose: Although pancreas injury is rare in abdominal trauma, it poses a challenge to the surgeon because its clinical features are not prominent and the presence of main duct injury cannot be easily identified by imaging studies. Furthermore, severe pancreas injuries require a distal pancreatectomy or a pancreaticoduodnectomy which are associated considerable morbidity and mortality. We reviewed the clinical features of and outcomes for patients with pancreas injury. Methods: For 10 years from Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2010, thirty-four patients were diagnosed as having pancreas injury by using an explo-laparotomy. Patients successfully treated by non-operative management were excluded. Patients were divided into early (n=18) and delayed surgery groups (n=11) based on an interval of 24hours between injury and surgery. The clinical features of and the outcomes for the patients in both groups were compared. Results: Males were more commonly injured (82.4% vs.17.6%). The mean age was 37.2 years. The injury mechanisms included vehicle accidents (62.9%, 22/34), assaults (20%, 7/34), and falls (11.4%, 3/34). The head and neck of the pancreas was most commonly injured, followed by the body and the tail (16, 12, and 6 cases).Of the 34 patients, 26 (76.5%) patients had accompanying injuries. Grade 1 and 2 occurred in 14 (5 and 9) patients, and grade 3, 4, and 5 occurred in 20 (16, 3, and 1) patients. The early and delayed surgery groups showed no difference in surgical outcomes. Two patients with grade 3 in the early surgery group died after surgery,one due to massive hemorrhage and the other due to septic shock. Of the five patients initially managed non-operatively, three developed peripancreatic necrosis and two developed pseudocyst. All five patients were successfully cured by surgery. Conclusion: All cases of pancreas injury in this study involved blunt injury, and accompanying injury to major vessels or the bowel was the major cause of mortality. Surgery delayed for longer than 24 hours after was not associated with adverse outcomes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 1977

In order to evaluate the therapeutic effect of thoracostomy on the patients with pathological changes in pleural cavity which were caused by various etiological factors, a clinical study was carried out during a period of 5 and half years from May 1972 to September 1977 in the department of thoracic surgery, Hanyang University Hospital, and the following results were obtained. Of a total of 264 patients, 205 cases were male, and 59 female, exhibiting the ratio of male to female being 3.5 to 1. The pathological changes in pleural cavity could occur at any age from 4 months after birth to 76 years old, the peak incidence being in the third decade in either male or female. The incidence decreased in the second, fifth and fourth decade in order. The type of pathological changes observed and their frequencies of occurrences were 93 cases [35.2%] in pneumothorax, 62 cases [23.5%] in hemothorax, 48 cases [18.2%] in pyothorax, 46 cases [17. 4%] in hemopneumothorax, 13 cases [4.9%] in hydropneumothorax, and one case each in hydrothorax and chylothorax. The incidence of the primary diseases which predisposed the pathological changes in pleural cavity were, 119 cases [45-1%] in trauma, 64 cases [24.2%]in lung tuberculosis, 38 cases [14.4%] in pneumonia or empyema, 14 cases [5.3%] in lung emphysema and blebs, 13 cases [4.9%] in process after thoracotomy, 3 cases [1.1%] each in lung malignant tumor and lung paragonimiasis, one case in mechanical ventilator and 9 cases [3.4%] in unknown origin. The pathological changes in pleural cavity were located in the right side of the cavity in 124 cases, in the left side in 133 cases and in both sides in 7 cases, indicating that the difference between the incidence of the left and rightside occurences was insignificant. Of 93 cases of pneumothorax studied, 63 cases were found to have been tension pneumothorax and 30 cases non-tension pneumothorax, showing greater prevalence of tension type over non-tension type. Of 119 cases of trauma observed, 82 cases were accompanied with rib fractures and 37 cases were without any fracture [non-bone fracture]. Patients with the rib fractures were characterized by multiple rib fractures and multiple double fractures of ribs, accompanying with or without fracture of bones other than ribs, and patients with non-bone fracture were characterized by penetrating stab wound and blunt trauma. Of 264 cases who received thoracostomy, 207 cases [78.4%] demonstrated that their pathological changes in pleural cavity were removed and subsided by a simple measure of thoracostomy. In 43 cases [16.3%], various surgical measures including radical operation and thoracotomy were required for complete healing, since their pathological changes were not abolished by thoracostomy alone. The rest 14 cases [5.3%] were expired following thoracostomy.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2009

Purpose: The appropriate management of traumatic truncal arterial injury is often difficult to determine, particularly if the injury is associated with severe additional truncal lesions. The timing of repair is controversial when patients arrive alive at the hospital. Also, there is an argument about surgery versus stent-graft repair. This study's objective was to evaluate the appropriate method and the timing for treatment in cases of truncal abdominal injury associated with other abdominal lesions. Methods: The medical records at Ajou University Medical Center were reviewed for an 8-year period from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2008. Twelve consecutive patients, who were diagnosed as having had a traumatic truncal arterial injury, were enrolled in our study. Patients who were dead before arriving at the hospital or were not associated with abdominal organ injury, were excluded. All patients involved were managed by using the ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) guideline. Data on injury site, the timing and treatment method of repair, the overall complications, and the survival rate were collected and analyzed. Results: Every case showed a severe injury of more than 15 point on the ISS (injury severity score) scale. The male-to-female ratio was 9:3, and patients were 41 years old on the average. Sites of associated organ injury were the lung, spleen, bowel, liver, pelvic bone, kidney, heart, vertebra, pancreas, and diaphragm ordered from high frequency to lower frequency. There were 11 cases of surgery, and one case of conservative treatment. Two of the patients died after surgery for truncal organ injury: one from excessive bleeding after surgery and the other from multiple organ failure. Arterial injuries were diagnosed by using computed tomography in every case and 9 patients were treated by using an angiographic stent-graft repair. There were 3 patients whose vessels were normal on admission. Several weeks later, they were diagnosed as having a truncal arterial injury. Conclusion: In stable rupture of the truncal artery, initial conservative management is safe and allows management of the major associated lesions. Stent grafting of the truncal artery is a valuable therapeutic alternative to surgical repair, especially in patients considered to be a high risk for a conventional thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2010

Background: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is not common, but it requires swiftly performing an emergency operation. This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic factors for mortality after surgically treating traumatic diaphragmatic rupture. Material and Method: From Jan 2001 to Dec. 2008, we experienced 37 cases of multiple traumas with diaphragmatic injuries that were confirmed by surgical procedures. We evaluated various factors, including the type of injury, the associated injuries, the preoperative vital signs, the ISS, the time until surgery and the rupture size. Result: There were 30 patients with blunt trauma and 7 patients with penetrating trauma. Thirty-four patients had associated injuries and the mean ISS was 20.8. Postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients and hospital mortalities occurred in 6 patients. The prognostic factors that had an influence on the postoperative mortalities were the preoperative intubation state, the patient who exhibited hypotension and a high ISS. Conclusion: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is just one part of multiple traumas. The postoperative mortalities might depend on not only on the diaphragmatic rupture itself, but also on the severity of the associated injuries.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.423-428
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• 2019

The role of angioembolization has increased because of increases in nonoperative treatment for traumatic splenic injury. We report here a case of successful treatment of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery by thrombin injection with coil embolization. A 55-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of blunt trauma. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a grade V splenic injury with contrast extravasation; therefore, angioembolization was performed. Three days after admission, follow-up CT scan revealed rebleeding from the spleen, and repeat angioembolization was performed. Seven days after admission, an approximately $7.0cm{\times}4.0cm-sized$ pseudoaneurysm was found on follow-up CT scan and there was no bleeding from the spleen. Although thrombin was injected into the aneurysmal sac, there was still inflow of blood, as observed on color-doppler ultrasound. Therefore, coil embolization to the neck of the aneurysm was performed. On angiography, there was no contrast filling into the sac. The size of the pseudoaneurysmal sac had decreased on follow-up CT scan, and the patient was discharged to home without complications. We successfully treated a giant pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery using thrombin and coil embolization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.675-680
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• 2010

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the distinguishing clinicoradiologic findings of traumatic tracheobronchial injury. Material and Method: Between January 2003 and December 2009, six patients who underwent surgical repair for traumatic tracheobronchial injury due to blunt trauma were included in this study. We evaluated the mechanism of the injury, the coexisting injuries, the time until the making diagnosis and treatment, the diagnostic methods, the anatomic location of the injury and the surgical outcomes. Result: The mechanisms of injury were traffic accident and crushing forces. The frequent symptoms were subcutaneous emphysema, dyspnea and pain, and the common radiologic findings were pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema, rib fracture and lung contusion. Only 2 patients were diagnosed by chest CT and the others were not diagnosed preoperatively. The location of injury was the trachea in 2 patients and the bronchial tree in 4 patients. There was no postoperative mortality or anastomotic leak; however, vocal cord palsy occurred in one patient. The most distinguishing sign was persistent lung collapse even though the chest tube was connected with negative pressure. Conclusion: Although it was not easy to diagnose traumatic tracheobronchial injury without a clinical suspicion, the distinguishing clinical symptoms and CT findings could help to make an early diagnosis without performing bronchoscopy.