Spontaneous resolution of spinoglenoid ganglion cyst: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous resolution of a spinoglenoid notch ganglion cyst (SGC) without surgical treatment has been rarely reported; however, we have encountered this phenomenon occasionally. Therefore, we aimed to describe a case series of consecutive patients with SGC in whom it spontaneously resolved without surgical treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 12 patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-confirmed SGC in whom it resolved without surgical treatment between January 2011 and March 2023. We included patients without abnormally increased signal intensity or muscle atrophy due to denervation from suprascapular neuropathy on MRI. Resolution of the SGC was confirmed via MRI or ultrasound at the follow-up visit, and suprascapular neuropathy was assessed using electromyography and nerve conduction studies when needed. For functional assessments, the visual analog scale for pain and active range of motion of the shoulder were used to compare pre and postresolution follow-ups. RESULTS: Eleven men and 1 woman with a median age of 54.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] 37.0-65.3) were included in this study. The SGCs resolved spontaneously at a median of 13.2 months with an IQR of 8.2-23.0 after initial evaluation using MRI. The SGCs were multiloculated cysts with superior labrum anterior and posterior II-IX lesions, with a median diameter of 2.5 cm (IQR 2.0-2.8). The median visual analog scale for pain (pre-resolution 5.0 [IQR 4.0-7.0] vs postresolution 1.0 [IQR 0.0-1.0], P = .002) and internal rotation at the back (preresolution 8.0 [IQR 7.0-10.3] vs postresolution 7.5 [IQR 7.0-8.0], P = .034) were significantly improved after the resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment may not be necessary in all cases of SGC. Nonsurgical treatment may be a viable option in the absence of suprascapular nerve involvement or superior labrum anterior and posterior-related physical findings.

The Reporting Quality of Acupuncture-Related Infections in Korean Literature: A Systematic Review of Case Studies.

Objective. Acupuncture is generally accepted as a safe intervention when it is administered in appropriate clinical setting by well-educated and experienced practitioners. In this study, we reviewed observational studies on adverse events (AEs) or complications relevant to acupuncture practice in Korean literature for assessing their reporting quality and suggested recommendations for future ones on acupuncture-related infections. Method. Electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, Korean studies Information Service System, DBpia, National Digital Science Library, and Korean National Assembly Library were searched until May 2015. Combination of keywords including "acupuncture" and "infection" were used for searching databases. Result. A total of 23 studies from 2,739 literature articles were identified from electronic database searching until May 2015. From this review, we found that most case studies did not report enough information for judging causality between acupuncture and the AEs (or complications) as well as appropriateness of the acupuncture practice. In addition, acupuncture experts rarely participated in the reporting of these AEs (or complications). Conclusion. Based on these limitations, we suggest a tentative recommendation for future case studies on acupuncture-related infection. We hope that this recommendation would contribute to the improvement of the reporting quality of acupuncture-related AEs (or complications) in the future.

Effects of red pepper powder on microbial communities and metabolites during kimchi fermentation.

To investigate the effects of red pepper powder on kimchi fermentation, Baechu (Chinese cabbage) and Mu (radish) kimchi, with and without red pepper powder, were prepared and their characteristics, including pH, colony-forming units (CFU), microbial communities, and metabolites, were periodically monitored for 40days. Measurements of pH and CFU showed that the lag phases of kimchi fermentation were clearly extended by the addition of red pepper powder. Microbial community analysis using a barcoded pyrosequencing analysis showed that the bacterial diversities in kimchi with red pepper powder decreased more slowly than kimchi without red pepper powder as kimchi fermentation progressed. The kimchi microbial communities were represented mainly by the genera Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus in all kimchi, and the abundance of Weissella was negligible in kimchi without red pepper powder. However, interestingly, kimchi with red pepper powder contained much higher proportions of Weissella than kimchi without red pepper powder, while the proportions of Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus were evidently lower in kimchi with red pepper powder compared to kimchi without red pepper powder. Metabolite analysis using a (1)H NMR technique also showed that the fermentation of kimchi with red pepper powder progressed a little more slowly than that of kimchi without red pepper powder. Principle component analysis using microbial communities and metabolites supported the finding that the addition of red pepper powder into kimchi resulted in the slowing of the kimchi fermentation process, especially during the early fermentation period and influenced the microbial succession and metabolite production during the kimchi fermentation processes.

Bacterial community analysis during fermentation of ten representative kinds of kimchi with barcoded pyrosequencing.

Kimchi, a food made of fermented vegetables, is densely populated by indigenous microorganisms that originate from the raw ingredients under normal conditions. Most microbiological studies on kimchi have been on the most popular dish, baechu-kimchi (Chinese cabbage kimchi). Therefore, relatively little is known about the various other kinds of kimchi (depending on the region, season, main ingredient, starter culture inoculation and recipe). In this study, we collected 100 samples periodically during the fermentation of ten representative kinds of kimchi (including starter-inoculated kimchi) that were stored in the refrigerator (4 °C) during the 30-35 days fermentation period. The multiplex barcoded pyrosequencing of a hypervariable V1-V3 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene tagged with sample-specific barcodes for multiplex identifiers was employed for bacterial community profiling. We found that bacterial communities differed between starter-inoculated and non-inoculated kimchi at the early stages of fermentation, but overall there were no significant differences in the late phases. Also, the diversity and richness of bacterial communities varied depending on the various types of kimchi, and these differences could largely be explained by the major ingredients and the manufacture processes of each types of kimchi. This study provides the comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the biodiversity of the kimchi ecosystem.

Effects of Leuconostoc mesenteroides starter cultures on microbial communities and metabolites during kimchi fermentation.

Kimchi fermentation usually relies upon the growth of naturally-occurring various heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This sometimes makes it difficult to produce kimchi with uniform quality. The use of Leuconostoc mesenteroides as a starter has been considered to produce commercial fermented kimchi with uniform and good quality in Korea. In this study, a combination of a barcoded pyrosequencing strategy and a (1)H NMR technique was used to investigate the effects of Leu. mesenteroides strain B1 as a starter culture for kimchi fermentation. Baechu (Chinese cabbage) and Chonggak (radish) kimchi with and without Leu. mesenteroides inoculation were prepared, respectively and their characteristics that included pH, cell number, bacterial community, and metabolites were monitored periodically for 40 days. Barcoded pyrosequencing analysis showed that the numbers of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTU) in starter kimchi decreased more quickly than that in non-starter kimchi. Members of the genera Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella were dominant LAB regardless of the kimchi type or starter inoculation. Among the three genera, Leuconostoc was the most abundant, followed by Lactobacillus and Weissella. The use of Leu. mesenteroides as a starter increased the Leuconostoc proportions and decreased the Lactobacillus proportions in both type of kimchi during kimchi fermentation. However, interestingly, the use of the kimchi starter more highly maintained the Weissella proportions of starter kimchi compared to that in the non-starter kimchi until fermentation was complete. Metabolite analysis using the (1)H NMR technique showed that both Baechu and Chonggak kimchi with the starter culture began to consume free sugars earlier and produced a little greater amounts of lactic and acetic acids and mannitol. Metabolite analysis demonstrated that kimchi fermentation using Leu. mesenteroides as a starter was completed earlier with more production of kimchi metabolites compared to that not using a starter, which coincided with the decreases in pH and the increases in bacterial cell number. The PCA strategy using all kimchi components including carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, and others also showed that starter kimchi fermented faster with more organic acid and mannitol production. In conclusion, the combination of the barcoded pyrosequencing strategy and the (1)H NMR technique was used to effectively monitor microbial succession and metabolite production and allowed for a greater understanding of the relationships between the microbial community and metabolite production in kimchi fermentation.