No abstract available.
Mandibulofacial Dysostosis*

No abstract available.
Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic*

PURPOSE: Since the discovery of estrogen receptor-beta(ER-beta, five C-terminal variants of ER-beta were identified. We designed this study to investigate the pattern and clinical implications of ER-betaand its splicing variants expression in normal and malignant mammary tissues. METHODS: Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we examined the expression levels of ER-alpha and ER-betaand its five splicing variants (beta1, beta2, beta3, beta4, beta5) in 50 paired normal and cancer tissues. We measured the densities of RT-PCR products using Tina version 2.10 (Raytest, Germany). Firstly, the incidence and intensity of ER-alpha and ER-beta and its five splicing variants were compared. Then the expression of ER-betamRNA splicing variants was also analyzed with regard to the ER-alphaprotein expression measured by immuno-histochemical staining and the menopausal status of the patients. Chi-square test and paired samples t-test were used for statistical analysis. Differences were considered to be significant with a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The expression of ER-betamRNA variants in normal breast and cancer tissues were as follows: ER-beta2 (100%/100%), ER-beta4 (76%/74%), ER-beta5 (32%/58%), and ER-beta1 (14%/16%). ER-beta3 was not detected at all. In terms of intensity, we observed a significant decrease of ER-beta2 (P<0.001) and an increase of ER-beta5 (P=0.004) in the mRNA expression levels among breast cancers compared to the corresponding normal breast tissues. Compared to the corresponding normal tissues, a significant decrease of ER-beta2 in cancer tissues was observed in patients with ER-alpha-positive (P<0.001), with age over 50 (P=0.01), and under 50 (P=0.04) as well, but not in patients with ER-alpha-negative (P=0.48). ER-beta4 also significantly decreased in patients with ER-alpha-positive (P=0.004) and with age over 50 (P=0.07). ER-beta5 showed a significant increment only in patient aged over 50 (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: ER-alpha mRNA expression significantly increases but ER-beta mRNA expression decreases in the cancer tissues compared to the corresponding normal tissues. Among ER-beta variant forms, ER-beta2 is predominant in both normal and malignant mammary tissues and ER-beta4, ER-beta5, and ER-beta1 in descending order but ER-beta3 does not express in mammary tissues. The decrease of ER-beta2 and ER-beta4 expression is prominent in cancer tissue especially in ER-alpha-positive cancers, which suggests that ER-beta2 and ER-beta4 may possess a regulatory function in mammary carcinogenesis. Further investigations to verify the roles of ER-beta variants are mandatory.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Estrogens* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger

Carpal tunnel syndrome is most commonly applied to compression neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist, and is the most cause of buring pain, numbness and tingling in the thumb, index and long fingers, and in the lateral half of the palm, with or without progressive atrophy of the thenar muscles. Fifteen symptomatic hands of 13 patients of the carpal tunnel syndrome managed and operated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery Severance Hospital from Jan. 1972 to Mar. 1982 were analized in clinical aspect. l. Among 13 patients, 3 were male and 10 were female. 2. Nine patients (69.2%) were affected on dominant hand. 3. Average duration of the symptoms was 17 months. 4. In electromyographic study, conduction delay of the motor fiber of the median nerve was found in 11 cases(73.3%) and sensory fiber in 13 cases(86.6%). Fibrillation of the thenar muscles was found in 11 cases(73.3%). 5. Ten patients, 11 cases were followed up from 11 months to 9 years and 11 months and 72.8% was improved.
Atrophy ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Male ; Median Nerve ; Muscles ; Orthopedics ; Thumb ; Wrist

No abstract available in English.
Clinical Study

Buerger's disease was first identified in 1908 by Leo Buerger as a distinct clinicopathological entity, which causes severe pain and necrosis on distal parts of the extremities and occurs especially in young male adults. In spite of many treatment modalities, it is not completely cured but results in amputation in the long run. So, we studied a total of 120 cases of Buerger's disease, who were admitted at Yonsei University, Severance Hospital from Jan., 1975 to June, 1985 and we obtained the following results. 1. All the patients were male and majority of them were under 40 years of age (69.2%). 2. 118 cases were smokers and 2 cases were non-smokers. 3. The initial symptoms were resting pain, necrosis, and color change in descending order of frequency. 4. Diagnoses were made mainly by angiogram(75.8%) and most common site of obstruction was popliteal artery (49.4%). 5. After sympathectomy and angioplasty, there was temporary relief of symptoms, but none showed good results after long term follow up. As a result, amputations were performed after sympathectomy in 47 cases(39.2%), of which 36 cases(76.6%) received that surgery within 2 yeas after sympathectomy. 6. The pressure index not only helps diagnose the disease but also is a very useful method to objectively assess the severity of the initial symptoms and postoperative results.
Adult ; Amputation ; Angioplasty ; Clinical Study ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Necrosis ; Popliteal Artery ; Sympathectomy ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans

A retrospective study was performed in 37 patients who underwent innominate osteotomy for the treatment of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. The majority of the patients (81%) were more than 6 years old, and the mean age was 7 years and 6 months. Thirty five hips were Catterall group III or IV, and 2 hips that had clinical and radiological "head at risk" signs were group II. The time interval between surgery and the final follow-up ranged from 2 to 6 years with a mean of 3 years and 10 months. Twenty five of 37 patients had good clinical results, and radiographs showed that the sphericity of the femoral head in the older age (> 8 years) group was poorer, which demonstrated a similar pattern to the clinical results in this age group. We conclude that innominate osteotomy is a safe and effective procedure in severe Legg-Calve-Perthes disease and this operation should be carefully selected as a treatment method in the appropriate age group.
Age Factors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Legg-Perthes Disease/*surgery ; Male ; *Osteotomy

Since coronary arteriovenous fistula(CAVF) was first reported by Krause in 1865, more than 400 cases have been reported. It is relatively rare disease and originates more commonly in the right than in the left coronary artery. We report a case of CAVF between right coronary artery and right ventricular inflow tract with significant left to right shunt in a 34-year old female who was admitted for the cardiomegaly on routine chest X-Ray. It was detected by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, and confirmed by cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography. The opening of the fistula draining into the right ventricle was obliterated with sutures. There was no significant shunt in postoperative cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography.
Adult ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Cardiomegaly ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Female ; Fistula ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Rare Diseases ; Sutures ; Thorax

We have had an opportunity to study a patient with acute sensory neuronopathy. The patient was a 32-yearold housewife; the rapidly spreaded tingling sensation along both arms and legs developed, rendering her severely ataxic. There was no history of antecedent illness, familial neurological disease, or exposure to toxins and special drugs. On examinations, there was no abnormality in her mental and cranial nerve function. There was no motor weakness. She showed the profound loss of kinesthetic sense which was acutely progressive and associated with severe sensory ataxia and pseudoathetosis. All tendon reflexes were absent. However, cutaneous senses were preserved. There was no significant abnormal laboratory finding except elevated CSF protein content. On electrophysiologic findings, the decrease in the amplitude of action potentials with only mild slowing of conduction velocities of sensory nerves were found even though motor nerve conduction studies were normal. Median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials could be elicited, although the median N19 scalp response and tibial N45 waveforms were prolonged in latency. Plasmapheresis were provided; clinical features improved. However, the electrophy-siological abnormalites remained. Thus we wish to report an additional case of woman suffering from the acute sensory neuronopathy, complementing the cases described by Stemm, Schaumburg and Asbury.
Action Potentials ; Arm ; Ataxia ; Complement System Proteins ; Cranial Nerves ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Female ; Humans ; Kinesthesis ; Leg ; Neural Conduction ; Plasmapheresis ; Reflex, Stretch ; Scalp ; Sensation

No abstract available.
Esophageal Neoplasms ; Incidence