Objective: Although the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale was originally developed to stage Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), it is now used globally for various types of dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristic pattern of CDR domains and its association with neuropsychological findings and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and patients with AD. Methods: We recruited very mild to mild VaD and AD patients who were age-matched among the first visitors to a dementia clinic. All subjects underwent a standardized clinical interview, physical and neurological examinations, and laboratory tests, including brain magnetic resonance imaging, according to the protocol of the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease assessment battery. Results: A total of 105 pairs of VaD and AD patients participated in this study. Although the adjusted scores on Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination were similar between the two groups, the VaD patients performed better on the Boston Naming Test, Word List Memory, Word List Recall, Word List Recognition, and Constructional Recall Test. However, the scores on global CDR, CDR sum of boxes, and ADL-related CDR domains were higher in VaD patients than in AD patients (p<0.001). The VaD patients also showed poor performances on the Disability Assessment for Dementia Scale, Frontal Assessment Battery, Executive Clock Drawing Task, and Stroop tests. Conclusion Despite similar general cognitive function and better memory function, patients with VaD tend to be staged as severer dementia on the CDR scale than patients with AD because of more impaired ADL associated with executive dysfunction.

PURPOSE: To investigate the accuracy of biometry and intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation using partial coherence interferometry (IOL Master(R)) in highly myopic patients with axial lengths of 26 mm or greater. METHODS: Patients with axial lengths equal to or greater than 26 mm who had undergone cataract surgery were enrolled. IOL power was calculated using IOL Master and/or applanation ultrasonography with the SRK/T formula. Twenty-seven eyes using both IOL Master and applanation ultrasonography were included in a paired group, and forty-eight eyes using the IOL Master only and twenty-five eyes using applanation ultrasonography only were included in unpaired groups. The differences between the predicted refraction and the actual refraction were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: In the paired study, the axial lengths in patients using IOL Master (29.14+/-2.32 mm) were significantly longer than those of patients using applanation ultrasonography (28.57+/-2.23 mm) (p<0.05). The mean absolute error (MAE) of the IOL Master and applanation ultrasonography groups were 0.62+/-0.58D and 0.87+/-0.49D, respectively (p>0.05). In the unpaired study, the MAEs of the IOL Master and applanation ultrasonography groups were 0.61+/-0.61D and 0.65+/-0.63D, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with axial lengths of 26.0 mm or greater, the accuracy of IOL power calculation with IOL Master using the SRK/T formula was comparable to that with applanation ultrasonography.
Biometry ; Cataract ; Eye ; Humans ; Interferometry ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Myopia

Background: The efficacy and safety of high-power, short-duration (HPSD) radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) have been demonstrated in several studies. We aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of the conventional method and the HPSD method for AF ablation on the sinus and AV node function in patients with paroxysmal AF. Methods: The medical records of patients with paroxysmal AF who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) were retrieved from a prospectively collected AF ablation registry at a large-sized tertiary center. The HPSD group (n = 41) was distinguished from the conventional ablation group (n = 198) in terms of the power (50 W vs. 20–40 W) and dura‑ tion (6–10 s vs. 20–30 s) of radiofrequency energy delivery during PVI. Peri-procedural changes in cardiac autonomy were assessed in terms of the changes in sinus cycle length (SCL), block cycle length (BCL), and effective refractory period (ERP) of the atrioventricular node (AVN). Results: The SCL, BCL, and ERP of the AVN at baseline and post-ablation were not significantly different between the conventional ablation group and the HPSD group. Shortening of the SCL, BCL, and ERP of the AVN was observed immediately after AF ablation in both groups. One-year recurrence of AF/atrial flutter (35.1% vs. 20.3%; P = 0.011) and atrial flutter (13.8% vs. 4.7%; P = 0.015) were higher in the HPSD group than in the conventional ablation group. Conclusion Both the HPSD and the conventional ablation method resulted in post-ablation vagal modification as evidenced by the shortening of SCL, BCL, and ERP of the AVN. One-year recurrence of atrial flutter and AF/atrial flutter was higher in patients who underwent the HPSD method.

PURPOSE: To evaluate risk factors of falls and related injuries for home-staying elderly people in a rural community, and to provide basic data to minimize injuries after falls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We surveyed for 479 subjects aged 65 or more in the region of two cites of Kyungbuk, and analyzed risk factors of falls, which more divided into intrinsic and extrinsic variables. RESULTS: Of the participants, 219 (45.7%) fell during past year. Most falls occurred during walking (50.2%), on the road (28.8%), at sunset (36.1%), and in winter (44.7%). Of 219 people, 72.6% were injured in falls, 31.5% sustained serious injuries including fractures (14.6%). The lower extremities (35.2%) were most frequently injuried. 14.6% were admitted to hospital. 76.6% who experienced falls were afraid of recurrence, and 39.7% reduced physical activity after falls. CONCLUSION: Up to these days, we have only treated patients who visited hospital, but from now on we must make effort for preventive activity. We suggest that more systemic prevention and study for intrinsic and extrinsic factors of falls are needed to minimize a degree of injury after falls in elderly people.
Aged ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Motor Activity ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Walking

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate and analyze bilateral incidence and morphology of complete discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) with possible relation to tears and symptoms in knee joints. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight consecutive patients with symptomatic or already-torn complete DLM on magnetic resonance imaging in a unilateral knee underwent diagnostic arthroscopy on both knee joints upon agreement. The presence and shape of complete DLM as well as presence and pattern of tear were recorded accordingly. RESULTS: In total, 89.5% (34 of 38 patients) showed bilateral complete DLM, and 84.2% yielded bilateralism with identical shape. Cape-slab was the most frequent shape, comprising 68.8% of patients with identically-shaped bilateral DLM overall. Tear patterns were more frequent, in the order of longitudinal, simple horizontal, radial, and degenerative; however, the morphological shape of complete DLM was not significantly related to tear incidence or pattern. Meniscus tears and knee symptoms occurred in the contralateral knee with incidences of 32.4% and 26.5% in patients with bilateral complete DLM, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, more aggressive warning on the presence of discoid pathology and the need for evaluation on the contralateral knee should be considered during consultation with patients with symptomatic complete DLM in a unilateral knee in the outpatient clinic.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthroscopy/*methods ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Knee Joint/*pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Male ; Menisci, Tibial/*injuries/surgery ; Middle Aged ; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities/complications/diagnosis/epidemiology/*surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

This article describes the normal range of orbital linear dimensions (eq. orbital breadths, orbital height, orbital depth, interorbital breadths and biorbital breadth) and orbital indicies. One hundred and eighty-seven Korean skulls from grown-up individuals are studied with analysis for the purpose of evaluating anthropometric characteristics of Korean orbits. The results are compared to previously published data for modern Korean skulls. The width of the orbit is larger on the right side than the left and sexual difference was also shown. On the other hand, the heights of both orbits are much the same. Consequently, there is a slight tendency that chamaeconch is met with more frequently on the right side, whilst hypsiconch on the left side. The orbital depth is larger on the right side, however, depth index did not show any side difference. There are sexual differences on the biorbital breadth and upper facial breadth but not on the interorbital breadth on the basis of dacryon. These results represent the asymmetry of Korean orbit and that measurement on both sides must be necessary for anthropological comparison.
Adult* ; Hand ; Humans ; Orbit* ; Reference Values ; Skull*

A 5-year-old girl was admitted because of an acute onset of weakness in her extremities. She had experienced a similar episode before but had recovered spontaneously. She had previously been diagnosed with distal renal tubular acidosis(RTA) at the age of 2 months. During the period of acute paralysis, her serum potassium level was 1.8 mmol/L and the muscle enzymes were markedly raised suggesting massive rhabdomyolysis. Although hypokalemia is common in renal tubular acidosis, acute paralytic presentation is uncommon and is rarely described in children. We report a case of distal RTA complicated with hypokalemic paralysis with a brief review of related literatures.
Acidosis, Renal Tubular* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Paralysis* ; Potassium ; Rhabdomyolysis

The authors report a case of far lateral disc herniation at L4-5 found one year after percutaneous laser lumbar discectomy. The patient was found to be suffering from new-onset right lumbar radiculopathy 6 months after his first operation, and post operative lumbar MRI confirmed a far lateral extraforaminal disc herniation at L4-5, with compression of the nerve. This corresponded to the nucleotomy site of the probe. The patient underwent surgery employng the combined paraspinal intertransverse and interlaminar approach, and his symptoms were relieved. This case emphasizes the importance of removing nuclear material, and shows that remaining material can herniate through a percutaneous discectomy window.
Diskectomy* ; Diskectomy, Percutaneous ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Radiculopathy

BACKGROUND: Meperidine, having intermediate lipid solubility, permits postthoracotomy analgesia. The aim of this study is to compare the analgesic efficacy, side effects, and patient satisfactions of istered thoracic versus lumbar epidural route anesthesia during the first 48 hours postthoracotomy. METHODS: A prospective randomized study was conducted for 48 hours after thoracotomy with ridine administered 50 mg as a bolus and continuously at 0.21 mg/kg/hr via either a thoracic (group T), or a lumbar (group L) epidural catheter at the end of the operation. Postoperative pain was assessed 2, 8, 24, 48 hours after the operation on a visual analog scale (VAS). Side effects and levels of patient ction of the epidural analgesia were assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant intergroup differences in heart rate, blood pressure, pain score, side effects and levels of patient satisfaction with analgesia. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there is no difference between thoracic and lumbar epidural eridine analgesia for postthoracotomy pain relief.
Analgesia* ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Meperidine* ; Pain, Postoperative ; Patient Satisfaction ; Prospective Studies ; Solubility ; Thoracotomy* ; Visual Analog Scale

No abstract available.
Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Lung*