Prolotherapy for the patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background@#Prolotherapy, which stimulates the healing of loosened ligaments and tendons, is a cost-effective and safe treatment modality for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Its benefits may be affected by injection protocols, comparative regimens, and evaluation scales. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of dextrose prolotherapy as a long-term treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. @*Methods@#Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, KoreaMed, and KMbase databases were searched for studies published up to March 2019. We included randomized controlled trials which compared the effect of dextrose prolotherapy with that of other therapies such as exercise, saline, platelet-rich plasma, and steroid injection. The primary outcome was pain score change during daily life. @*Results@#Ten studies involving 750 participants were included in the final analysis. Pain scores from 6 months to 1 year after dextrose prolotherapy were significantly reduced compared to saline injection (standardized mean difference [SMD] –0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] –0.76 to –0.11, P = 0.008) and exercise (SMD –0.42; 95% CI –0.77 to –0.07, P = 0.02). Prolotherapy yielded results similar to platelet-rich plasma or steroid injection, that it showed no significant difference in pain score. @*Conclusions@# Dextrose prolotherapy is more effective in the treatment of chronic pain compared to saline injection or exercise. Its effect was comparable to that of platelet-rich plasma or steroid injection. Adequately powered, homogeneous, and longer-term trials are needed to better elucidate the efficacy of prolotherapy.

Descriptive Epidemiology of Symptomatic Femoroacetabular Impingement in Young Athlete: Single Center Study / 대한고관절학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in athletic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2003 to May 2013, 388 patients (422 hips) who underwent arthroscopic surgery for FAI were evaluated demographic characteristics. The patients' age, gender, diagnosis, and type of sports were analyzed using medical records and radiography. RESULTS: Among 422 hips in 388 patients, 156 hips were involved with sports. Among the 156 hips, 86, 43, and 27 hips were categorized as cam, pincer, and mixed type, respectively. Types of sports were soccer, baseball and taekwondo which showed 44, 36 and 35 hips, respectively. Also, cases related to sports according to age were 63 hips for twenties and 12 hips for teenagers in which the two showed highest association to FAI. The kinds of sports that showed high association were 28 hips of soccer and 20 cases of martial arts such as taekwondo and judo for twenties and 9 hips of martial arts for teenagers which was the highest. CONCLUSION: FAI usually occurs in young adults and is highly related to sports activity. Most of the FAI type related to sports activity was cam type, and soccer and martial arts such as taekwondo were the most common cause of it.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma with dense lipiodol uptake / 대한외과학회지

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the liver is a very rare lesion that has radiologic similarity with malignant liver tumor. Differential diagnosis of IMT from a malignant lesion of the liver is very important because surgical resection is not mandatory for IMT. Lipiodol computed tomography is a very sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Herein, we describe a case of IMT that had dense lipiodol uptake in the tumor and mimicked HCC. To our knowledge, previously, only one case of IMT with dense lipiodol retention has been reported.

General anesthesia versus monitored anesthetic care with dexmedetomidine for closed reduction of nasal bone fracture / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Reduction of nasal bone fracture can be performed under general or local anesthesia. The aim of this study was to compare general anesthesia (GA) and monitored anesthetic care (MAC) with dexmedetomidine based on intraoperative vital signs, comfort of patients, surgeons and nurses and the adverse effects after closed reduction of nasal bone fractures. METHODS: Sixty patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II were divided into a GA group (n = 30) or MAC group (n = 30). Standard monitorings were applied. In the GA group, general anesthesia was carried out with propofol-sevoflurane-N2O. In the MAC group, dexmedetomidine and local anesthetics were administered for sedation and analgesia. Intraoperative vital signs, postoperative pain scores by visual analog scale and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Intraoperatively, systolic blood pressures were significantly higher, and heart rates were lower in the MAC group compared to the GA group. There were no differences between the groups in the patient, nurse and surgeon's satisfaction, postoperative pain scores and incidence of PONV. CONCLUSIONS: MAC with dexmedetomidine resulted in comparable satisfaction in the patients, nurses and surgeons compared to general anesthesia. The incidence of postoperative adverse effects and severity of postoperative pain were also similar between the two groups. Therefore, both anesthetic techniques can be used during the reduction of nasal bone fractures based on a patient%s preference and medical condition.

Oxaliplatin-Induced Chronic Peripheral Neurotoxicity: A Prospective Analysis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Oxaliplatin-induced chronic peripheral neurotoxicity (OXCPN) manifests as a loss of sensation and dysesthesia in the distal extremities, which may impair daily activities and increase in incidence with the amount of oxaliplatin delivered. The variation in the reported incidence and severity of OXCPN may be a consequence of differences in the baseline characteristics of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00977717) in which OXCPN was recorded for all consecutive colon cancer patients treated at Samsung Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) with oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was the incidence of severe OXCPN (grade 2 lasting for >7 days, or grade 3). The association of severe OXCPN and pretreatment parameters was evaluated using a multivariate regression model. RESULTS: Between Jan 2008 and Feb 2010, 100 patients treated with adjuvant folinic acid/fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) and 266 patients treated with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) or FOLFOX for advanced disease were registered into our study. The median cumulative dose of oxaliplatin was 796 mg/m2 (range, 85 to 1,583 mg/m2). Severe OXCPN was observed in 126 (34%) patients. Overall, 43 patients discontinued chemotherapy due to toxicity: 23 without severe OXCPN and 20 with severe OXCPN. In univariate analysis, severe OXCPN was frequently observed in patients with age > or =55 years (p<0.01), stage II or III (p<0.01), adjuvant setting (p=0.01), FOLFOX (p<0.01), performance status of 0 (p=0.02), and those with no prior chemotherapy (p<0.01). In a multivariate regression model, the number of chemotherapy cycles and the cumulative oxaliplatin dose were not associated with the development of severe OXCPN. CONCLUSION: We failed to find a significant association between patient characteristics at baseline and the development of severe OXCPN after oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Pharmacogenomic profiling using genome-wide association study in these patients is underway.

Oncologic Outcome after Cessation or Dose Reduction of Capecitabine in Patients with Colon Cancer

PURPOSE: Oral capecitabine has been used as adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer patients since the 1990s. Patient-initiated cessation or reduced use of capecitabine occurs widely for various reasons, yet the consequences of these actions are unclear. The present study sought to clarify treatment outcomes in such patients. METHODS: The study included 173 patients who had been diagnosed with stage II or III colon cancer according to the pathologic report after radical surgery at Samsung Medical Center from May 2005 to June 2007 and who had received capecitabine as adjuvant therapy. The patients were divided into groups according to whether the dose was reduced (I, dose maintenance; II, dose reduction) or stopped (A, cycle completion; B, cycle cessation). Recurrence and disease-free survival rates between the two groups each were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 173 patients, 128 (74.6%) experienced complications, most frequently hand-foot syndrome (n = 114). Reduction (n = 35) or cessation (n = 18) of medication was most commonly due to complications. Concerning reduced dosage, both groups displayed no statistically significant differences in recurrence rate and 3-year disease-free survival rate. Concerning discontinued medication use, the cycle completion group showed an improved recurrence rate (P = 0.048) and 3-year disease-free survival rate (P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that maintaining compliance with capecitabine as an adjuvant treatment for colon cancer to preventing complications positively affects patient prognosis.

En bloc Resection for Right Colon Cancer Directly Invading Duodenum or Pancreatic Head

PURPOSE: We undertook this study to analyze clinical features and surgical outcome of en bloc resections of the right side colon cancer directly invading duodenum and/or pancreatic head. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of all patients who underwent en bloc resection of duodenum and/or pancreas for right colon cancers were analyzed retrospectively. From September 1994 to September 2006, 1,016 patients underwent curative right hemicolectomy. Nine patients (0.9%) had en bloc resection of a right side colon cancer with duodenum or pancreatic head invasion. RESULTS: The median operative time was 320 minutes (range, 200-420) and the median blood loss was 700 mL (range, 100-2,000). The mean size of tumor was 6.6 cm (range, 3.2-10.7). The mean preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was 10.6 ng/mL (range, 0.2-50.8). There was no 30 day perioperative mortality. The median disease-free survival was 23.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.2-41.8] and the median overall survival was 28.1 months (95% CI 9.7-46.5). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with locally advanced right side colon cancer that directly invades the duodenum or pancreas can be safely resected with curative potential with minimum morbidity and mortality. Long term disease free survival can occur in a significant number of patients undergoing curative en bloc resection in this particular subset of patients.

Compliance and Effective Management of the Hand-Foot Syndrome in Colon Cancer Patients Receiving Capecitabine as Adjuvant Chemotherapy

PURPOSE: Physicians and oncology nurses must continue to update their knowledge on treatment and treatment-related side effects, while searching for effective methods to prevent or manage side effects. The objective of our study was to describe the incidence and response to treatment of the hand-foot syndrome (HFS) and the compliance with treatment of patients with stage IIB, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC colon cancer that were treated with capecitabine alone as adjuvant therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 2005 and September 2006, 84 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. RESULTS: The treatment compliance rate was 90.5% (76 out of the 84 patients). The HFS developed in 65 patients (77.4%). Thirty-three patients (50.7%) had grade 1 HFS, 22 patients (33.8%) had grade 2 HFS and 10 patients (15.5%) had grade 3 HFS, as their most severe episode. For Grade 1 patients, the dose was maintained, and skin barrier cream and moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) were applied. For Grade 2 patients, either the dose was maintained or 25% of the dose was reduced; MEBO and supportive care were provided. For Grade 3 patients, one cycle of chemotherapy was interrupted followed by dose adjustment; MEBO and supportive care were provided. CONCLUSIONS: HFS is manageable if both patients and oncology care teams are educated about HFS associated with capecitabine. The HFS is treated by patient education, preventive management, ointment application, conservative management, dose reduction, and interruption of chemotherapy administration.

Laparoscopy-assisted Surgical Removal of a Retained Wireless Capsule Endoscopy: A case report

Occult bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract is a major cause of iron deficiency anemia. Even with endoscopic evaluation of the upper and the lower gastrointestinal tract in these patients, in 30~50% of the cases, the cause of bleeding still remains undiscovered. Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a novel method of evaluating the small bowel mucosa by using a small capsule equipped with a camera and transmission device. Complications of WCE include impaction within the gastrointestinal tract, sometimes requiring surgical removal. The authors report a case of capsule impaction in the small bowel in a patient evaluated for anemia due to occult gastrointestinal tract bleeding. The patient is a 19 year-old female with a history of anemia since age 4. The stool guaiac test was positive, but upper and lower gastrointestinal tract endoscopy showed no abnormalities, so WCE was done. A short segment of circular ulcers with lumen narrowing were seen in the distal jejunum. Seven days after ingestion of the capsule, the patient denied passage of the capsule. Small bowel enteroclysis was performed, and the capsule was seen along with a segment of lumen narrowing distal to the site of retention. Surgery was done, and upon laparoscopic examination, the entire bowel appeared normal. Retrieval of the capsule was done along with a resection of an 8 cm segment of the small bowel. Three linear ulcers were seen in the resected bowel specimen. Pathology revealed no evidence of Crohn's disease or tuberculosis. The patient is still on iron supplements, but her hemoglobin level remains stable at 11~12 g/dl.

Pediatric Intussusception Presenting to Emergency Room

BACKGROUND: Intussuseception is one of the most common diseases requiring abdominal emergency care in early childhood. The delay in diagnosis increases morbidity and, in particular, reduces the success rate of the non-surgical method of reduction. In this report, the authors determined the clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with intussusception, and the factors involved in delayed diagnosis and the efficacy of doppler ultrasonography in diagnosis. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective study of 44 cases in 42 patients with intussusception who had visited the emergency room of SamSung medical center from January 1st to December 31, 1996. RESULTS: The sex ratio was equal and 64.3% of the patients were under 1 year of age. The prevalent complaints were vomiting(36.4%) and abdominal pain(33.8%). Ultrasonography was used in 11 cases, 3 of them were performed because of obscure symptoms and the rest were due to diagnostic delay. The average time past from visit to diagnosis was 4 hours and 20 minutes, and there were 4 diagnostic delays. Air enema reductions were unsucessful in 11 cases(25%) and that was related to hospital-visit delays and long time past from symptom onset to diagnosis. There were no motalities. CONCLUSION: To reduce delays in diagnosis and unnecessary operations, the use of doppler ultrasonography is recommanded in suspicious cases. And to reduce the hospital-visit delays, related to the failure on non-surgical reduction, the education about this disease is necessary.