No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Skin*

Pelvic actinomycosis is a rare disease, and has variable clinical manifestations and courses, which make it difficult to diagnose the disease initially. We experienced a pelvic actinomycosis in a woman who complained vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain, and had not been carring a intrauterine contraceptive device. This infection results in tissue destruction, fibrosis, and the formation of draining sinuses. We describe the case with brief review of clinical diagnosis and management.
Abdominal Pain ; Actinomycosis* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Intrauterine Devices ; Rare Diseases ; Vaginal Discharge

The face and notably the lips are important structures not only of aestheticvalue but also for expression, vibrancy and vitality. Sometimes we are encountered with the functional and aesthtetic lip problems especially in the patients with mandibular prognathism, such as excessive vermilion exposure, lip incompetence and hyperactivity of mentalis muscle. The etiologic factors are usually related to excessive anterior facial height, secondary to the abnormal development of perioral muscle, salivary gland and the swelling of lymphatic gland. Sometimes orthognathic surgery (mandibular setback osteotomy) alone is not accepted regarding to aesthetic value, there is likely to be a corresponding interest in adjunctive procedures such as genioplasty and soft tissue procedures. This article urges the incorporation of reduction cheiloplasty. It is a relatively minor procedure that can be easily reproducible and yields excellent, predictatable results with few complications. We treated two patients who have excessive vermilion exposure and marked abnormal lip eversion using reduction cheiloplasty combined with mandibular setback osteotomy, followed by improved facial harmony and patients were pleased.
Genioplasty ; Humans ; Lip ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy* ; Prognathism ; Salivary Glands

Here we report a case of Strongyloides stercoralis infection of the gastric and pancolonic mucosa in a 79-year-old female with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Endoscopic biopsies were performed in gastric antrum, cecum, distal ascending colon, and hepatic flexure of the colon. On microscopic examination, there were many adult worms, larvae and eggs in the gastric and colonic mucosa. Worms, larvae, and eggs were located in the crypts and within the lumen of the crypts. The body wall of the adult worm was composed of cuticle and a weak muscle layer. A routine stool examination failed to detect larvae or ova. Based on the histopathologic examination, these parasites were confirmed as S. stercoralis.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Cecum ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Eggs ; Female ; Humans ; Larva ; Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance ; Mucous Membrane ; Muscles ; Ovum ; Paraproteinemias ; Parasites ; Pyloric Antrum ; Stomach ; Strongyloides stercoralis ; Strongyloidiasis

Here we report a case of Strongyloides stercoralis infection of the gastric and pancolonic mucosa in a 79-year-old female with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Endoscopic biopsies were performed in gastric antrum, cecum, distal ascending colon, and hepatic flexure of the colon. On microscopic examination, there were many adult worms, larvae and eggs in the gastric and colonic mucosa. Worms, larvae, and eggs were located in the crypts and within the lumen of the crypts. The body wall of the adult worm was composed of cuticle and a weak muscle layer. A routine stool examination failed to detect larvae or ova. Based on the histopathologic examination, these parasites were confirmed as S. stercoralis.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Cecum ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Eggs ; Female ; Humans ; Larva ; Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance ; Mucous Membrane ; Muscles ; Ovum ; Paraproteinemias ; Parasites ; Pyloric Antrum ; Stomach ; Strongyloides stercoralis ; Strongyloidiasis

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia refers to a specific disturbance in psychic functioning characterized by difficulties in capacity to verbalize affect and to elaborate fantasies. Although initially described in the context of psychosomatic illness, alexithymic characteristics may be observed in patients with a wide range of medical and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study was to evaluate the relationship between the alexithymia and bronchial asthma, and to compare the results with finding from a group of acute infectious illness subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Alexithymia was measured with on Korean translation of the TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymic Scale-20 Korea version) and the Scored Archetypal 9 Test(SAT9). Thirty patients with bronchial asthma and thirty patients with acute infectious illness completed these tests. The SAT9 and the TAS-20K scores were compared in the both group, considering the age, gender, education level, and duration of illness. RESULT: Bronchial asthma patients had significantly higher score of on the TAS-20K and SAT9 compared with those with infectious illness(p<0.05). The two scales correlated in expected direction. Alexithymia was significantly related to education level(SAT9: r=0.335, TAS-20K: r=-0.376, p<0.01) and duration of illness(asthma group, SAT9: r=-0.383, TAS-20K: r=0.288, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bronchial asthma patients had significantly higher alexithymic scores. This finding suggests that psycliathic consultation may be considered for the management of asthmatic patients with alexithyria.
Affective Symptoms* ; Asthma* ; Education ; Fantasy ; Humans ; Korea ; Weights and Measures

Ureteric entrapment within the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is very rare. However, we experienced a case of a 77-year-old woman who presented with right hydronephrosis during a routine health check. Computed tomography and retrograde pyelography showed entrapment of the right ureter at the level of the SIJ, with a right proximal hydroureter, which was confirmed during surgery. Herein, we described this case and present a review of the literature on similar cases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether co-culture of oocytes on vero cell monolayers from Day 0 (Day 0 group) after egg retrieval results in an increase in developmental capacity such as fertilization rate, embryo quality, blastulation and clinical pregnancy rate compared with co-culture of oocytes from Day 1 (Day 1 group). METHODS: Sperms were treated with Hams F-10 supplemented with 10% human follicular fluid (hFF). Vero cells for co-culture were prepared in TCM-199 with 10% FBS. Oocytes were co-cultured from Day 0 and fertilized oocytes were co-cultured from Day 1 on vero cell monolayers in DMEM with 10% and 20% hFF, respectively after egg retrieval. On day 1, 2 and 5, fertilization rate and grade of embryos and blastocysts were evaluated. Results (fertilization rate, cleavage rate, grade of embryos and blastocysts and pregnancy rate) were considered statistically significant when p value was less than 0.05 using t-test and ci2. RESULTS: In sibling oocytes of same cycles, no differences were found in fertilization rate (94.6 vs. 91.4%), cleavage rates (94.6 vs. 91.4%), embryo grade (on day 2 and 3) and blastulation (65.6 vs. 57.0%) and their grade. In different oocytes of different cycles (patients), no differences were found in fertilization (79.8 vs. 78.3%), cleavage rates (77.7 vs. 76.4%) and blastulation (56.0 vs. 45.3%), but pregnancy rate was higher in the Day 0 group than in the Day 1 group (60.0 vs. 42.9%). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the embryonic development capacities were not affected by the different co-culture time in the sibling oocytes of same cycles. Although no statistical significance, because of small size of study, there was a trend for higher pregnancy rates in Day 0 group compared to Day 1 group in different oocytes of different cycles.
Blastocyst ; Coculture Techniques* ; Embryonic Development* ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization ; Follicular Fluid ; Humans ; Oocytes* ; Ovum ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Siblings ; Spermatozoa ; Vero Cells

OBJECTIVES: We review the sleep problems of the alcohol dependence patients. Especially we are interested in the prevalence, the severity of symptoms, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in the alcohol dependence patients. METHODS: We recruit 86 alcohol dependence patients who were admitted from October 6th, 2008 to October 17th, 2008. We interviewed each patient and evaluated sleep questionnaires such as the Sleep Disorder Questionnaire (SDQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) rating scale. The presence of RLS and its severity were assessed using the IRLSSG diagnostic criteria and the IRLSSG severity scale, respectively. Depression and anxiety were evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI). RESULTS: Of all 86 patients, 59 patients have insomnia, 33 patients have RLS, 30 patients have Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), 29 patients have nightmare. RLS patients have more high score in the BAI (21.70+/-10.36 vs 14.67+/-11.98), and their sleep quality was poor in the PSQI (11.09+/-4.08 vs 7.92+/-3.91) than non-RLS patients. CONCLUSION: This study shows that alcohol dependence patients show many sleep problems such as insomnia and RLS. So we should notice that the sleep problems of alcohol dependence patients are important in clinical approach and treatment.
Alcoholism ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Dreams ; Humans ; Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective study to evaluate anterior cervical interbody fusion with plates. OBJECTIVE: To examine the degree of angulation and translation after an anterior interbody fusion, using anterior plate fixation, upon the fusion rate and clinical outcome. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Anterior cervical interbody fusion with plate allows immediate rigid internal fixation after decompression and bone grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 65 cases had an anterior interbody fusion on the cervical spine, using an anterior approach and Smith-Robinson's method, between January 1998 and August 2003. Of these, 41 cases, which could be followed up for at least one year, were selected. There were 26 and 15 males and females, respectively, with an average age of 43.5 and mean follow up period of 2.1 years. 15 cases underwent an operation due to dislocation or fracture of the cervical spine due to trauma, and 26 due to cervical diseases. The angulation and translation of the plate was measured by postoperative X-rays. The fusion rate was also determined by the follow up X-rays. The Chi-squared test was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Bony fusion was obtained in all cases. Two patients developed hoarseness and one showed torticollis, but all had recovered by the follow up. The average angulation of the plate and translation were 6.2 degrees and 3.21mm, respectively, but there was no significant difference of the interbody fusion period due to angulation and translation of the plate or in the improvement of the clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: In the cases of anterior interbody fusion of the cervical spine, the angulation and translation of the plate had no influence on the fusion time and clinical outcomes. Long term studies and research will be needed to bring about clinically more valuable data.
Bone Transplantation ; Decompression ; Dislocations ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Torticollis