Age and sex-related differences in outcomes of OHCA patients after adjustment for sex-based in-hospital management disparities.

OBJECTIVES: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival differences due to sex remain controversial. Previous studies adjusted for prehospital variables, but not sex-based in-hospital management disparities. We aimed to investigate age and sex-related differences in survival outcomes in OHCA patients after adjustment for sex-based in-hospital management disparities. METHODS: This retrospective observational study used a prospective multicenter OHCA registry to review data of patients from October 2015 to December 2020. The primary outcome was good neurological outcome defined as cerebral performance category score 1 or 2. We performed multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis according to age. RESULTS: Totally, 8988 patients were analyzed. Women showed poorer prehospital characteristics and received fewer coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary interventions, targeted temperature management, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than men. Good neurological outcomes were lower in women than in men (5.8% vs. 12.2%, p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, prehospital variables, and in-hospital management, women were more likely to have good neurological outcomes than men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.74, p = 0.012). The restricted cubic spline curve showed a reverse sigmoid pattern of adjusted predicted probability of outcomes and dynamic associations of sex and age-based outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Women with OHCA were more likely to have good neurological outcome after adjusting for age, prehospital variables, and sex-based in-hospital management disparities. There were non-linear associations between sex and survival outcomes according to age and age-related sex-based differences.

Fracture Severity and Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Injury in Distal Radius Fractures with or without Osteoporosis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the fracture morphology of distal radius fractures (DRFs) with the status of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) foveal insertion in patients with or without osteoporosis and to identify the relationship between osteoporosis and foveal tear. Seventy-five patients who underwent surgery for DRF from January 2021 to September 2023 were included. All patients were evaluated by standard radiography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and underwent a 3.0 T magnetic-resonance imaging examination of the involved wrist to identify TFCC foveal tear. Patients were allocated into two groups according to the presence of osteoporosis: patients with osteoporosis (group I) and those without osteoporosis (group II). Group I showed a significantly larger displacement of fractures compared to group II (radial inclination; 13.7 ± 5.4 vs. 17.9 ± 4.2; p < 0.001, dorsal angulation; 22.2 ± 12.1 vs. 16.5 ± 9.4; p = 0.024, ulnar variance; 4.15 ± 2.1 vs. 2.2 ± 1.9; p < 0.001). Dorsal angulation and ulnar variance were found to be independent prognostic factors for TFCC foveal tear in logistic regression analysis. Displacement of fractures was related to osteoporosis, and dorsal angulation and ulnar variance were independent prognostic factors for TFCC foveal tear. However, osteoporosis was not identified as a factor associated with TFCC foveal tears.

Is a Camera-Type Portable X-Ray Device Clinically Feasible in Chest Imaging?: Image Quality Comparison with Chest Radiographs Taken with Traditional Mobile Digital X-Ray Devices.

Purpose: To evaluate whether the image quality of chest radiographs obtained using a camera-type portable X-ray device is appropriate for clinical practice by comparing them with traditional mobile digital X-ray devices. Materials and Methods: Eighty-six patients who visited our emergency department and underwent endotracheal intubation, central venous catheterization, or nasogastric tube insertion were included in the study. Two radiologists scored images captured with traditional mobile devices before insertion and those captured with camera-type devices after insertion. Identification of the inserted instruments was evaluated on a 5-point scale, and the overall image quality was evaluated on a total of 20 points scale. Results: The identification score of the instruments was 4.67 ± 0.71. The overall image quality score was 19.70 ± 0.72 and 15.02 ± 3.31 (p < 0.001) for the mobile and camera-type devices, respectively. The scores of the camera-type device were significantly lower than those of the mobile device in terms of the detailed items of respiratory motion artifacts, trachea and bronchus, pulmonary vessels, posterior cardiac blood vessels, thoracic intervertebral disc space, subdiaphragmatic vessels, and diaphragm (p = 0.013 for the item of diaphragm, p < 0.001 for the other detailed items). Conclusion: Although caution is required for general diagnostic purposes as image quality degrades, a camera-type device can be used to evaluate the inserted instruments in chest radiographs.

Imaging Findings of Adenocarcinoma Arising from Lingual Foregut Duplication Cyst.

Lingual foregut duplication cysts are rare developmental anomalies with varied symptoms, and adenocarcinomas may develop from them. Radiological evaluations, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, can help diagnose these lesions and determine their extent. Abnormal enhancement should raise the suspicion of malignancy of a lingual foregut duplication cyst. Early detection and complete surgical resection of lingual foregut duplication cysts are necessary to prevent malignant transformations. Complete tumor resection with adjuvant radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy is recommended. The teaching point is that mucinous adenocarcinoma can develop from a lingual foregut duplication cyst, and radiological studies may aid in the diagnosis. Teaching Point: Adenocarcinomas can develop from lingual foregut duplication cysts, which are rare developmental anomalies, and radiologic studies may aid in the diagnosis.

Dual-energy computed tomography material decomposition improves prediction accuracy of hematoma expansion in traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: The angiographic spot sign (AS) on CT angiography (CTA) is known to be useful for predicting expansion in intracranial hemorrhage, but its use is limited due to its relatively low sensitivity. Recently, dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been shown to be superior in distinguishing between hemorrhage and iodine. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of hematoma expansion (HE) using DECT AS in traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. METHODS: We recruited participants with intracranial hemorrhage confirmed via CTA for suspected traumatic cerebrovascular injuries. We evaluated AS on both conventional-like and fusion images of DECT. AS is grouped into three categories: intralesional enhancement without change, delayed enhancement (DE), and growing contrast leakage (GL). HE was evaluated by measuring hematoma size on DECT and follow-up CT. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether AS on fusion images was a significant risk factor for HE. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated, and the results from conventional-like and fusion images were compared. RESULTS: Thirty-nine hematomas in 24 patients were included in this study. Of these, 18 hematomas in 13 patients showed expansion on follow-up CT. Among the expanders, AS and GL on fusion images were noted in 13 and 5 hematomas, respectively. In non-expanders, 10 and 1 hematoma showed AS and GL, respectively. In the logistic regression model, GL on the fusion image was a significant independent risk factor for predicting HE. However, when AS was used on conventional-like images, no factors significantly predicted HE. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve of AS on the fusion images was 0.71, with a sensitivity and specificity of 66.7% and 76.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: GL on fusion images of DECT in traumatic intracranial hemorrhage is a significant independent radiologic risk factor for predicting HE. The AS of DECT fusion images has improved sensitivity compared to that of conventional-like images.

Bright diffusion sign: A sensitive and specific radiologic biomarker for multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Accurate differentiation between multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) is important for treatment decision-making. We aimed to develop an accurate radiologic diagnostic model for differentiating MVNT from DNET using T2WI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 56 patients (mean age, 47.48±17.78 years; 31 women) diagnosed with MVNT (n = 37) or DNET (n = 19) who underwent brain MRI, including T2WI and DWI, were included. Two board-certified neuroradiologists performed qualitative (bubble appearance, cortical involvement, bright diffusion sign, and bright apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] sign) and quantitative (nDWI and nADC) assessments. A diagnostic tree model was developed with significant and reliable imaging findings using an exhaustive chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm. RESULTS: In visual assessment, the imaging features that showed high diagnostic accuracy and interobserver reliability were the bright diffusion sign and absence of cortical involvement (bright diffusion sign: accuracy, 94.64 %; sensitivity, 91.89 %; specificity, 100.00 %; interobserver agreement, 1.00; absence of cortical involvement: accuracy, 92.86 %; sensitivity, 89.19 %; specificity, 100.00 %; interobserver agreement, 1.00). In quantitative analysis, nDWI was significantly higher in MVNT than in DENT (1.52 ± 0.34 vs. 0.91 ± 0.27, p < 0.001), but the interobserver agreement was fair (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.321). The overall diagnostic accuracy of the tree model with visual assessment parameters was 98.21 % (55/56). CONCLUSION: The bright diffusion sign and absence of cortical involvement are accurate and reliable imaging findings for differentiating MVNT from DNET. By using simple, intuitive, and reliable imaging findings, such as the bright diffusion sign, MVNT can be accurately differentiated from DNET.

Comparison of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Ultrasound-Guided Shoulder Injection Therapy in Patients with Supraspinatus Tendinitis.

Background: The present study compared the clinical effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) with that of ultrasound (US)-guided shoulder steroid injection therapy in patients with supraspinatus tendinitis. We hypothesized that the two treatments would show comparable results. Methods: The inclusion criteria were age over 20 years and diagnosis of supraspinatus tendinitis using US. Ultimately, 26 patients were assigned using blocked randomization: 13 in the US-guided shoulder injection group and 13 in the ESWT group. Treatment outcomes were evaluated using the pain visual analog scale (pVAS), the American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score, and the Constant score at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after the procedure. Results: At 1 month after the intervention, pVAS, ASES, and constant score were significantly higher in the US-guided shoulder injection group than in the ESWT group, but not at 3 months after the intervention. Both groups showed clinically significant treatment effects at 3 months after the intervention compared to baseline. No significance was shown using equivalence testing. Conclusions: US-guided shoulder injection therapy was not superior to ESWT therapy. Considering the complications and rebound phenomenon of steroid injections, interventions using ESWT may be a good alternative to treat patients with supraspinatus tendinitis.

Association of cerebral white matter hyperintensities with coronary artery calcium in a healthy population: a cross-sectional study.

In brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), white matter hyperintensity (WMH) is a commonly encountered finding and is known to reflect cerebral small vessel disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of coronary artery calcium (CAC) with WMH and elucidate the relationship between WMH and atherosclerotic risk factors in a large-scale healthy population. This retrospective study included 1337 individuals who underwent brain MRI and CAC scoring computed tomography at healthcare centers affiliated with a tertiary hospital. Cerebral WMH was defined as Fazekas score greater than 2 on brain MRI. Intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) was also assessed and determined to be present when stenosis was more than 50% on angiography. The associations of risk factors, CAC score, and ICAS with cerebral WMH were assessed by multivariable regression analysis. In multivariable analysis, categories of higher CAC scores showed increased associations with both periventricular and deep WMHs in a dose-dependent relationship. The presence of ICAS was also significantly related to cerebral WMH, and among the clinical variables, age and hypertension were independent risk factors. In conclusion, CAC showed a significant association with cerebral WMH in a healthy population, which might provide evidence for referring to the CAC score to identify individuals with risk of cerebral WMH.

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging measurement of muscle atrophy and fatty degeneration after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether muscle atrophy (MA) and fatty degeneration (FD) have improved after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). Therefore, the objective of this study was to perform quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement to evaluate MA and FD before and after surgery. Correlations of clinical outcome with changes in MA and FD were also analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2013 to March 2017, 40 patients who had no re-tear up to 1 year after ARCR were enrolled. MA and FD of supraspinatus muscle before surgery, at 3 days after surgery, and at 1 year after surgery were measured quantitatively in conventional Y-view and supraspinatus origin-view (SOV). Measurement items were muscle area (mm2), occupation ratio (%), fatty infiltration (FI, %), and fatty degenerative area (mm2). Postoperative clinical outcomes were measured at 1 year after ARCR. Correlation between measure values and outcome scores were analyzed. RESULTS: Inter-measurement reliability was high (ICC = 0.933, Cronbach-α = 0.963). There was no significant change in MA in conventional Y-view at 1 year after surgery (Occupation ratio, p = 0.2770; MA, p = 0.3049) or in SOV (MA, p = 0.5953). FI and fat area measured with the conventional method on Y-view and showed significant differences (p = 0.0001). However, FI and fat area measured with the modified method on Y-view and SOV showed no significant difference (all p > 0.05). Postoperative clinical outcomes showed significant improvement compared to preoperative ones (p = 0.0001). However, there was no significant correlation between FD and FA (p = 0.653). CONCLUSION: Quantitative MRI measurement was shown to be a reliable and valid method. MA and FD do not improve after ARCR considering postoperative anatomical changes of supraspinatus at 1-year follow-up. FD of the supraspinatus in conventional Y-view, but not in SOV, showed a significant change at 1 year postoperatively. MA showed no significant improvement. There was no correlation between improvement in clinical scores and changes in FD and MA.

Clinical and Anatomical Outcomes of Arthroscopic Repair of Large Rotator Cuff Tears with Allograft Patch Augmentation: A Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial with a Long-term Follow-up.

Background: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using human dermal matrix allograft augmentation has been widely used. We assessed the effect of acellular human dermal matrix augmentation after arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tears through a prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial with a long-term follow-up. Methods: Sixty patients with large-sized rotator cuff tears were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in the control group underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Allograft patch augmentation was additionally performed in the allograft group. All patients were subdivided into a complete coverage (CC) group or an incomplete coverage (IC) group according to footprint coverage after cuff repair. Constant and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores were assessed preoperatively and at final follow-up. Magnetic resonance imaging was also performed at the same time to evaluate the anatomical results. Results: Forty-three patients were followed up for an average of 5.7 years. Clinical scores (Constant and ASES) increased significantly at the last follow-up in both groups. The increase in ASES score in the allograft group was statistically significantly greater than that in the control group. The degree of Constant score improvement did not differ significantly between the two groups. The retear rate was 9.1% in the allograft group, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (38.1%). In the control group, the CC subgroup had a statistically significantly lower retear rate (16.7%) than did the IC subgroup. There were no retear cases in the CC subgroup of the allograft group. Conclusions: Long-term follow-up of arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tears with allograft patch augmentation showed better clinical and anatomical results. Footprint coverage after rotator cuff repair was an important factor affecting the retear rate. If the footprint was not completely covered after rotator cuff repair, allograft patch augmentation may reduce the retear rate.

Use of an intramedullary fibular strut allograft and dual locking plate in periprosthetic fractures above total knee arthroplasty: new application of a well-known treatment method in trauma.

PURPOSE: Augmenting fracture fixation with intramedullary fibular graft has seen several applications such as in comminuted proximal humerus fractures, and femoral neck and shaft nonunion. The purpose of this study was to report the first case series demonstrating the novel application of an intramedullary fibular allograft strut and dual locking plates on complicated periprosthetic fracture of distal femur. METHODS: The patient demographics, weight-bearing status, and radiographic and clinical outcomes of six patients, who were treated for periprosthetic distal femur fractures using an intramedullary fibular allograft strut and dual locking plate, between January 2018 and April 2020 were analyzed. RESULTS: Postoperative range of knee motion showed median 10' (range 10-20) of flexion contracture and 90' (range 80-110) of further flexion. Postoperative joint function was assessed according to the Kolmert functional criteria, with "excellent to good" in angular deformity and "Good to fair" result in range of motion and pain. RUSH score was assessed, and median score was 24 (range 18-26). All patients were able to ambulate without assistance 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: In summary, the application of fibular strut graft and dual locking plate might be an option in complicated distal femur fracture above total knee arthroplasty. Albeit with an available number, such application showed promise as an intramedullary and cortical support for both reduction and maintenance of correction alignment, length, and prevention of further angular deformity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: Surgical technique and Cases-series.

A Machine Learning-Based Study of the Effects of Air Pollution and Weather in Respiratory Disease Patients Visiting Emergency Departments.

BACKGROUND: To date, investigating respiratory disease patients visiting the emergency departments related with fined dust is limited. This study aimed to analyze the effects of two variable-weather and air pollution on respiratory disease patients who visited emergency departments. METHODS: This study utilized the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database. The meteorological data were obtained from the National Climate Data Service. Each weather factor reflected the accumulated data of 4 days: a patient's visit day and 3 days before the visit day. We utilized the RandomForestRegressor of scikit-learn for data analysis. RESULT: The study included 525,579 participants. This study found that multiple variables of weather and air pollution influenced the respiratory diseases of patients who visited emergency departments. Most of the respiratory disease patients had acute upper respiratory infections [J00-J06], influenza [J09-J11], and pneumonia [J12-J18], on which PM10 following temperature and steam pressure was the most influential. As the top three leading causes of admission to the emergency department, pneumonia [J12-J18], acute upper respiratory infections [J00-J06], and chronic lower respiratory diseases [J40-J47] were highly influenced by PM10. CONCLUSION: Most of the respiratory patients visiting EDs were diagnosed with acute upper respiratory infections, influenza, and pneumonia. Following temperature, steam pressure and PM10 had influential relations with these diseases. It is expected that the number of respiratory disease patients visiting the emergency departments will increase by day 3 when the steam pressure and temperature values are low, and the variables of air pollution are high. The number of respiratory disease patients visiting the emergency departments will increase by day 3 when the steam pressure and temperature values are low, and the variables of air pollution are high.

Subacromial Erosion After Hook Plate Fixation in Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of subacromial erosion, perform quantitative analysis, and identify risk factors after locking hook plate fixation for acute acromioclavicular joint injury. DESIGN: A retrospective case series study. SETTING: A single tertiary university hospital. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted on 35 patients who had acute acromioclavicular joint injury. INTERVENTION: Patients underwent the locking hook plate fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The computed tomography (CT) was conducted to measure the subacromial erosion. The acromioclavicular slope (AC slope) of the unaffected side, the acromion-hook angle, the acromioclavicular anteroposterior distance (AC-AP distance), and the preoperative acromioclavicular interval of the affected side were analyzed to identify the risk factors of subacromial erosion. RESULTS: According to the CT findings, subacromial erosion was found in all cases, and the mean value was 5.0 mm, which is 53% of the entire acromion thickness. The AC slope (B = -0.159, P < 0.001) and AC-AP distance (B = 0.233, P = 0.004) were found to have a significant influence on postoperative subacromial erosion. The AC slope showed a negative correlation with the amount of erosion, whereas the AC-AP distance showed a positive correlation with erosion. CONCLUSION: The CT findings revealed that subacromial erosion occurred in all cases, and the mean erosion depth was about 50% of the acromial thickness. If the preoperative AC slope of the unaffected side was more acute and the AC-AP distance was larger, the incidence of subacromial erosion was higher. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Analysis of polymorphonuclear cell apoptosis and inflammatory cytokines in trauma patients in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Durring the immune-inflammation cascade in trauma patients, the roles of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and inflammatory cytokines are very important; however, there is little research in this area, especially for patients with multiple traumas. This study aimed to determine the effects of inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis of PMNs on the prognosis of patients with multiple traumas in tertiary medical centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study subjects were patients with multiple severe traumas who had visited the emergency department. More specifically, patients with multiple traumas included those who had visited the emergency department because of trauma and presented with trauma in more than two body regions. The severity of the traumas was evaluated using the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and abbreviated injury scale (AIS). In addition, prognostic factors including the length of the hospital stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), the condition upon discharge from the emergency department (discharge, hospitalization in a general ward, hospitalization in the intensive care unit, transfer to a different hospital, surgical operation, death, etc.), outcome of the surgical operation, and presence of infection were examined. To examine the inflammatory response factors, blood samples were obtained. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze PMN cell apoptosis. For comparative analysis, the patients were categorized according to their admission type and the presence of hemorrhagic shock. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients were enrolled in the study (mean age 51.4 ± 16.7 years). When inpatients that had been admitted to the ICU were compared with general-ward inpatients, apoptosis, ROS, MIF, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were found to be higher, with levels of TNF-α showing a statistically significant difference (726.7 ± 1524.2 vs. 37.5 ± 83.0, P = 0.037). PMN cell apoptosis was rarely observed in shock patients compared with non-shock patients (5.1 ± 5.8 vs. 15.0 ± 26.1, P = 0.004). When subjects were classified based on AIS (11 points or more, no more than 11 points), no significant differences were found between groups. CONCLUSION: Findings of laboratory tests targeting trauma patients who required hospitalization showed that levels of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α were increased in ICU-hospitalized patients. PMN cell apoptosis was reduced according to the initial laboratory data of patients with hemorrhagic shock in the emergency department.

Analysis of the Adequacy of Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Use of Patients Who Visited Emergency Departments in Korea from 2016 to 2018: Data from the National Emergency Department Information System.

INTRODUCTION: Proper ambulance use is important not only due to the patient's transport quality but also because of the need for efficient use of limited resources allotted by the system. Therefore, this study was conducted to check for overuse or underuse of the ambulance system by patients who visited the emergency department (ED). METHODS: In this study, a secondary data analysis was conducted using the existing database of the National Emergency Department Information System with all patients who visited EDs over the three-year study period from 2016 to 2018. The study subjects were classified into the following groups: (1) appropriate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) usage; (2) appropriate no EMS usage; (3) underuse; and (4) overuse groups. RESULTS: Of 18,298,535 patients, 11,668,581 (63.77%) were classified under the appropriate usage group, while 6,629,954 (36.23%) were classified under the inappropriate usage group. In the appropriate EMS usage group, there were 2,408,845 (13.16%) patients. In the appropriate no EMS usage group, there were 9,259,706 (50.60%) patients. As for the inappropriate usage group, there were 5,147,352 (28.13%) patients categorized under the underuse group. On the other hand, there were 1,482,602 (8.10%) patients under the overuse group. CONCLUSION: There are many patients who use ambulances appropriately, but there are still many overuse and underuse. Guidelines on ambulance use are necessary for the efficient use of emergency medical resources and for the safety of patients.

High-resolution MR imaging of cranial neuropathy in patients with anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The value of conventional MRI in patients anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome is subject to debate. Our purpose was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution MRI for detecting cranial nerve abnormalities in patients with anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 15 anti-GQ1b-positive patients diagnosed with MFS and related disorders and 17 age-matched controls, all of whom underwent high-resolution MR imaging including pre-contrast and contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D FLAIR and 3D CE T1-weighted turbo field echo (T1-TFE) between 2010 and 2016. The diagnostic performance of high-resolution MRI was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics curve. Inter- and intraobserver agreements were calculated using kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), respectively. RESULTS: Ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and hypo/areflexia were present in 100%, 60%, and 67%, respectively. Other neurologic findings included ptosis (40%), mydriasis (13%), and facial (27%) and bulbar (13%) palsy. Fourteen of sixteen (88%) MR examinations in 15 patients demonstrated at least one cranial nerve abnormality corresponding to the clinical findings. The involved cranial nerves on MRI were the IIIrd cranial nerve in 14 patients, VIth in nine, VIIth in four, Vth in one, and VIIIth in one. AUC values for detecting cranial neuropathy on high-resolution MRI were 0.938 (95% CI: 0.795-0.992) on a per patient basis. Inter- and intraobserver agreements were 0.842 and 0.945, respectively. CONCLUSION: High-resolution 3D FLAIR and CE 3D T1-TFE MRI has high reliability and accuracy for demonstrating cranial neuropathy in patients with anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome.

Suprascapular Nerve Block Is an Effective Pain Control Method in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Effective pain control in patients who have undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery improves functional recovery and early mobilization. Interscalene blocks (ISBs), a widely used approach, are safe and provide fast pain relief; however, they are associated with complications. Another pain management strategy is the use of a suprascapular nerve block (SSNB). HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that indwelling SSNB catheters are a more effective pain control method than single-shot ISBs. We also hypothesized that indwelling SSNB catheters will reduce the level of rebound pain and the demand for opioid analgesics. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: Included in this study were 93 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery between May 2012 and January 2019. These patients were assigned to either the indwelling SSNB catheter group, the single-shot ISB group, or the control (sham/placebo) group (31 patients per group). Level of pain was measured with a visual analog scale (VAS; 0 to 10 [worst pain]) on the day of the operation. The preoperative VAS score was recorded at 6 AM on the day of operation, and the postoperative scores were recorded at 1, 8, and 16 hours after surgery and then every 8 hours until postoperative day 3. RESULTS: The VAS pain scores were lower in the SSNB and ISB groups than in the control group up to postoperative hour (POH) 8, with the most significant difference at POH 8. At POH 1 and POH 8, the mean VAS scores for each group were 2.29 and 1.74 (SSNB), 2.59 and 2.50 (ISB), and 3.42 and 4.48 (control), respectively. VAS scores in the SSNB and ISB groups were consistently <3, compared with a mean VAS score of 3.1 ± 1.58 in the control group (P < .001). Compared with the ISB group, the SSNB group had significantly fewer side effects such as rebound pain duration as well as lower VAS scores (P < .001). CONCLUSION: VAS scores were the lowest in the indwelling SSNB catheter group, with the most pronounced between-group difference in VAS scores at POH 8. Severity and recurring frequency of pain were lower in the indwelling SSNB catheter group than in the single-shot ISB group.