Determining the vertebra for pedicle subtraction osteotomy in surgical correction for ankylosing spondylitis with thoracolumbar kyphosis.

Objective: This study aimed to provide a method for determining the apical vertebra for pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) in corrective surgery for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK).

Methods: The medical records of AS patients with TLK who underwent PSO between May 2009 and August 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, and 235 patients were included in the study. Using the proposed method, choosing the vertebra based on Kim's apex (KA), which is defined as the farthest vertebra from a line drawn from the center of the T10 vertebral body to the midpoint of the S1 upper endplate, the authors analyzed 229 patients with apices at T12, L1, or L2 (excluding L3 because of the small sample size, n = 6).

Risk factors for nonunion in patients with transcondylar fracture of the distal humerus after open reduction and internal fixation.

Background: Transcondylar fractures have been reported to rarely occur in the distal humerus, and stable fixation is difficult because of the unique fracture pattern. However, few studies have reported the risk factors for nonunion after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). This study aimed to evaluate the demographic and surgical risk factors for nonunion in patients who had undergone ORIF for transcondylar fractures.

An analysis of forensic autopsies performed in the Gwangju and Jeollanam-do areas of the Republic of Korea during the past decade.

Autopsy is regarded as the gold standard in death investigation. Moreover, the statistical data from autopsies provides basic statistics for various aspects of society. However, the autopsy rate is low in the Republic of Korea.

Mediastinal Bronchogenic Cysts: Demonstration of Fluid-Fluid Level in Bronchoscopic US Imaging.

We report the findings for 2 patients with a fluid-fluid level seen on endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) images of bronchogenic cysts. The EBUS images demonstrated a well-circumscribed cyst with a fluid-fluid level showing an anechoic upper part and a relatively hyperechoic lower part. A fluid-fluid level on EBUS imaging of a bronchogenic cyst, which can help confirm the cystic nature of the lesion, has not been previously reported.

New monoclonal antibody-based test for Helicobacter pylori urease in gastric tissue.

Background/aims: To evaluate a new monoclonal antibody for Helicobacter pylori urease in gastric tissue.

Methods: A total of 107 volunteers were enrolled. All subjects underwent a (13)C-urea breath test and esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

An autopsy case of methanol induced intracranial hemorrhage.

The major component of car washer fluid is a methanol. Intracranial hemorrhage is a rare but lethal complication in methanol poisoning. We report a case of massive bilateral basal ganglia hematoma in a 32-year-old man with methanol poisoning.

Forensic application of microRNA-706 as a biomarker for drowning pattern identification.

Forensic research using microRNA has been used so far only for the identification of body fluids, but its use in understanding biological processes in post-mortem pathology has not been studied before. Therefore, we performed experiments in mice to compare between freshwater and saltwater drowning models, and miRNA expression was analyzed in the brain through a forward bioinformatics screening approach. In this study, we identified eight specific microRNAs whose expression increased in freshwater and decreased in saltwater.

Evaluation of Protein Expression in Housekeeping Genes across Multiple Tissues in Rats.

Background: Housekeeping genes, which show constant protein expression patterns between different tissue types, are very important in molecular biological studies as an internal control for protein research.

Methods: The protein expression profiles of seven housekeeping genes (HPRT1, PPIA, GYS1, TBP, YWHAZ, GAPDH and ACTB) in various rat tissues (cerebrum, cerebellum, cardiac ventricle and atrium, psoas muscle, femoral muscle, liver, spleen, kidney, and aorta) were analyzed by Western blot and compared by coefficient of variation (CV).

Results: HPRT1 was stably expressed (CV≤10%) in six tissues (cerebrum, cerebellum, ventricle, femoral muscle, spleen, and kidney), PPIA was stably expressed in five tissues (cerebrum, cerebellum, ventricle, spleen and kidney), YWHAZ was stably expressed in three tissues (cerebrum, cerebellum, and kidney), and GAPDH was stably expressed in four tissues (cerebrum, ventricle, psoas muscle, and kidney).

Non-infected and Infected Bronchogenic Cyst: The Correlation of Image Findings with Cyst Content.

We hereby report a case on bronchogenic cyst which is initially non-infected, then becomes infected after bronchoscopic ultrasound (US)-guided transesophageal fine-needle aspiration (FNA). The non-infected bronchogenic cyst appears to be filled with relatively echogenic materials on US, and the aspirate is a whitish jelly-like fluid. Upon contrast-enhanced MRI of the infected bronchogenic cyst, a T1-weighted image shows low signal intensity and a T2-weighted image shows high signal intensity, with no enhancements of the cyst contents, but enhancements of the thickened cystic wall.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in Gastric Aspirates Using a Monoclonal Antibody-Based Test.

Background/aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate a monoclonal antibody-based test to detect Helicobacter pylori-specific antigen in gastric aspirates from humans.

Methods: Sixty-one volunteers were enrolled in the study. All of the subjects underwent a (13)C-urea breath test (UBT) before esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

A case of alveolar soft part sarcoma of the pleura.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare malignant soft-tissue neoplasm of unknown histogenesis. The two main sites of occurrence are the lower extremities in adults and the head and neck in children. We report the first case of pleural ASPS occurring in a 58-yr-old man who presented with progressive dyspnea.

A case of Amblyomma testudinarium tick bite in a Korean woman.

A case of tick bite was found in the inguinal region of a 74-year-old Korean woman. She was attacked by the tick while working in her vegetable garden in the vicinity of mountain located in Suncheon City, the southern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula. On admission she complained of mild discomfort and itching around the bite area.

[Telomerase expression in colorectal tubular adenoma determined by immunohistochemical staining].

Background/aims: Telomeres are simple repeat elements located at each chromosome end of eukaryotic cells. The main function of telomeres is to cap the chromosome end and protect it from enzymatic attack. Telomerase that facilitates the synthesis of telomere has been detected in not only cancer but also precancerous lesion.

Efficacy assessment of CellSlide in liquid-based gynecologic cytology.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of CellSlidetrade mark (CS) method in liquid-based gynecologic cytology.

Methods: We compared 1221 specimens prepared by both CS and conventional techniques to evaluate specimen adequacy and cytologic diagnoses. Sensitivity and specificity of these techniques were analyzed in 54 cases using the available histological data.

Nuclear localization of leukotriene A4 hydrolase in type II alveolar epithelial cells in normal and fibrotic lung.

Leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolase catalyzes the final step in leukotriene B4 (LTB4) synthesis. In addition to its role in LTB4 synthesis, the enzyme possesses aminopeptidase activity. In this study, we sought to define the subcellular distribution of LTA4 hydrolase in alveolar epithelial cells, which lack 5-lipoxygenase and do not synthesize LTA4.

Invasive cystic hypersecretory carcinoma of the breast: a case report.

Cystic hypersecretory lesions of the breast are rare. These breast lesions include cystic hypersecretory hyperplasia (CHH), atypical CHH, and cystic hypersecretory carcinoma (CHC). The characteristic features are dilated ducts and cysts filled with thyroid colloid-like eosinophilic secretion.