Eunpyeong Hospital

BackgroundThe revised 2023 guidelines from the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) emphasize salvage methods for treating refractory catheter-related infections, or mechanical catheter damage. This approach preserves the existing catheter by manipulating only the outer cuff above the peritoneum, avoiding hemodialysis transfer. We investigated the effectiveness of the partial replantation technique.MethodsIn this retrospective single-center study (January 2021 - December 2023), outcomes for nine patients undergoing salvage methods were compared with 58 patients receiving de novo catheter insertion. We assessed exit-site infection (ESI), tunnel infection (TI), peritonitis, and catheter dysfunction. The salvage method entailed distal cutting of the impaired catheter and attaching a new segment using a connector with a PD adaptor and transfer set.ResultsNine patients (four males, mean age 56 years, average PD duration 66 months) employed the salvage method. Post-procedure, one patient (11.1%) reported ESI, one (11.1%) experienced TI, three (33.3%) developed peritonitis, and two (22.2%) required catheter removal. No procedural complications or catheter dysfunctions were observed. In the control group, ESI occurred in six patients (10.3%), TI in one (1.7%), peritonitis in 11 (19.0%), catheter removal in seven (12.1%), and catheter dysfunction in one (1.7%). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no statistical difference between the groups: ESI (p = 0.306), TI (p = 0.094), peritonitis (p = 0.838), catheter dysfunction (p = 0.694), and catheter removal (p = 0.393).ConclusionsThis study supports the non-inferiority and effectiveness of the salvage method compared to de novo insertion in managing ESI or TI and mechanical catheter damage.

Benign small bowel strictures can occur in association with various conditions, including small bowel Crohn’s disease, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced enteritis, ischemic enteritis, intestinal tuberculosis, radiation enteritis, postoperative adhesions, and anastomotic strictures. Benign small bowel strictures are classified into two categories, low-grade and high-grade. Low-grade small bowel strictures involve a partial reduction of the internal diameter of the small intestine, causing slight obstruction of the passage of food and digestive fluids without significant bowel obstruction symptoms. By contrast, high-grade small bowel strictures involve a severe narrowing of the intestinal lumen, leading to marked obstruction of the passage of food and digestive fluids and pronounced bowel obstruction symptoms. Small bowel strictures can be diagnosed using various methods, including abdominal plain radiography, abdominal computed tomography, computed tomography enterography, magnetic resonance enterography, balloon-assisted enteroscopy, and abdominal ultrasound. Each diagnostic method has unique advantages and disadvantages as well as differences in diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. Therefore, even if small bowel strictures are not observed using a single imaging technique, their presence cannot be completely excluded. A comprehensive diagnosis that combines clinical information from multiple diagnostic modalities is necessary. Therapeutic approaches for managing small bowel strictures include medical therapy, endoscopic balloon dilation using balloon-assisted enteroscopy, and surgical methods such as strictureplasty and segmental resection. Endoscopic balloon dilation, in particular, can help reduce complications associated with repeated surgeries for strictures.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether kinematic alignment (KA) outperforms mechanical alignment (MA) in restoring patellar tracking to native patterns by using a clustering algorithm. Twenty cadavers (40 knees) were evaluated. For each cadaver, one knee was randomly assigned to KA and the other to MA. KA total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures were performed using a caliper-verified technique, while MA TKA procedures utilized a measured resection technique. Subsequently, all specimens were mounted on a customized knee-testing system, and patellar tracking was measured using a motion analysis system. All patellar tracking data were clustered using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm. Differences in patellar tracking patterns and the restoration of native patellar tracking were compared between the two alignment strategies. Patellar tracking patterns following KA were considerably different from MA. Pre- and post-TKA patellar tracking patterns following MA were grouped into separate clusters, whereas a substantial proportion of patellar tracking patterns following KA were grouped into the pre-TKA dominant cluster. Compared to MA, a greater proportion of patellar tracking patterns following KA showed similar patterns to native knees (p < 0.05) and more patellar tracking patterns following KA paired with preoperative patterns (p < 0.01). KA restored native patellar tracking patterns more closely compared to MA. Level I, therapeutic study.

The primary objective of initial treatment for thyroid cancer is minimizing treatment-related side effects and unnecessary interventions while improving patients' overall and disease-specific survival rates, reducing the risk of disease persistence or recurrence, and conducting accurate staging and recurrence risk analysis. Appropriate surgical treatment is the most important requirement for this purpose, and additional treatments including radioactive iodine therapy and thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression therapy are performed depending on the patients' staging and recurrence risk. Diagnostic surgery may be considered when repeated pathologic tests yield nondiagnostic results (Bethesda category 1) or atypia of unknown significance (Bethesda category 3), depending on clinical risk factors, nodule size, ultrasound findings, and patient preference. If a follicular neoplasm (Bethesda category 4) is diagnosed pathologically, surgery is the preferred option. For suspicious papillary carcinoma (suspicious for malignancy, Bethesda category 5), surgery is considered similar to a diagnosis of malignancy (Bethesda category 6). As for the extent of surgery, if the cancer is ≤1 cm in size and clinically free of extrathyroidal extension (ETE) (cT1a), without evidence of cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis (cN0), and without obvious reason to resect the contralateral lobe, a lobectomy can be performed. If the cancer is 1-2 cm in size, clinically free of ETE (cT1b), and without evidence of cervical LN metastasis (cN0), lobectomy is the preferred option. For patients with clinically evident ETE to major organs (cT4) or with cervical LN metastasis (cN1) or distant metastasis (M1), regardless of the cancer size, total thyroidectomy and complete cancer removal should be performed at the time of initial surgery. Active surveillance may be considered for adult patients diagnosed with low-risk thyroid papillary microcarcinoma. Endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy may be performed for low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer when indicated, based on patient preference.

Chang Hwan Ryu, Ho-Cheol Kang, Bon Seok Koo, Sun Wook Kim, Dong Gyu Na, Young Joo Park, Jun-Ook Park, Young Shin Song, Seung Hoon Woo, Ho-Ryun Won, Sihoon Lee, Eun Kyung Lee, Dong-Jun Lim, Yun Kyung Jeon, Yun Jae Chung, Jae-Yol Lim, A Ram Hong, Korean Thyroid Association Guideline Committee on the Managements of Thyroid Nodule and Cancer. Int J Thyroidol 2024;17:53-60. https://doi.org/10.11106/ijt.2024.17.1.53

Background Ulnar impaction syndrome (UIS), also known as ulnar impaction or ulnar abutment, is a degenerative condition causing pain on the ulnar side of the wrist. It can lead to wrist bone necrosis, resulting in wrist joint stability disruption and a significant wrist function impairment. The global understanding of this condition varies, contributing to substantial differences in clinical outcomes. Purposes This paper underscores the necessity of developing evidence-based clinical guidelines for UIS to guide clinicians in their diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Materials and Methods In collaboration with the Asian Pacific Wrist Association, a team of experts from various fields within the Hand Surgery Department at Huashan Hospital has collectively formulated the "Clinical Practice Guidelines for Ulnar Impaction Syndrome (2024)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines"). The development process adhered to the guidelines outlined in the World Health Organization's handbook for guideline development. Results Ten key questions and 21 recommendations are formed. The Guidelines provide recommendations for UIS diagnosis, criteria for selecting conservative or surgical interventions, options for surgical procedures, and address various related issues. Conclusions The collaborative effort aims to standardize clinical practices, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and improve treatment outcomes for individuals affected by UIS, with these recommendations intended to serve as a valuable reference for healthcare professionals.