Reflex sympathetic dystrophy(RSD) defines as a chronic pain syndrome with sympathetic manifestations that afflicts individuals who haute suffered a trauma to the hand. Persistent pain and dysfunctions of the hand are frequently overlooked by the surgeons. The exact pathophysiology of RSD is not known but severity of injury and prolonged immobilization of the joints are considered as resonable causes on the retrospective studies. The diagnosis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is based on clinical manifestations, simple X-ray and three-phase bone scan. Confirmative diagnosis absolutely depends on the presence of a diffusely abnormal pattern of uptake in phase III in a patient haying pain with underlying cause and strong clinical signs of sympathetic overactivities. As with most disease processes, early diagnosis and treatment is a goal of management of RSD. Surgical restoration of anatomical structures such as tendon, nerve and joint goes ahead of any kind of procedures and it made the VAS pain score decrease from 7.8 to 3.4 in 16 patients. Also, decrease of pain could be achievable with sympathetic or stellate ganglion block with steroid medication. Active physical therapy after surgery is also verb helpful to functional recovery of the hands. Once the appropriate diagnosis is made, combined therapy composed of surgical restoration of anatomical structure, physiotherapy and steroid medication with sympathetic block will be free from pain and produce early functional recovery.
Chronic Pain ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Hand Injuries* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Joints ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy* ; Reflex* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stellate Ganglion ; Tendons

BACKGROUND: p16 and p21 belong to the family of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors, which are important negative regulators of the cell cycle. Loss of normal cell cycle regulation contributes to the development and progression of malignancies. Typical acquired melanocytic nevi appear to follow a life cycle characterized by active growth, maturation, and progressive involution. In contrast, congenital melanocytic nevi have a different course and prognosis with potential for development of melanoma, and metastatic spread is very common in malignant melanoma. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the expression patterns of p16 and p21 in acquired and congenital melanocytic nevi, and malignant melanoma by immunohistochemical technique. METHOD: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embeded tissue from 3 junctional nevi, 5 compound nevi, 7 intradermal nevi, 5 congenital melanocytic nevi, and 5 malignant melanoma were immunolabeled with monoclonal antibodies directed against p16 and p21. RESULT: The benign melanocytic nevi showed a high expression for p16, and the expression of p21 was low or undetectable in benign melanocytic nevi with the exception of positive staining in junctional nevus, involuting intradermal nevus, and nevus cells in deep dermis of congenital meanocytic nevi. In malignant melanoma, the expression of p21 was higher than p16 expression with variable intensity of staining in different areas of the tumor. These findings suggest that the loss of p16 and expression of p21 seem to be related to tumorigenesis of melanocytic tumors. The expression of p21 which is induced by feedback mechanism in attempt to halt increased cell proliferation, might not be enough to restrict tumor progression and may be involved in the regressive changes of the intradermal nevi.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclins ; Dermis ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages ; Melanoma* ; Nevus ; Nevus, Intradermal ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Phosphotransferases ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Mammaplasty* ; Mastectomy*

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to compare the pulmonary function of residents of Seoul special city (Seoul) and Jeju special self-governing province including Jeju city and Seogwipo city (Jeju), characterized by vastly different annual average airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less ≤10 μm (PM10) concentrations, with the annual average PM10 concentration in Seoul being significantly higher than that in Jeju. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed the pulmonary function test results and sociodemographic data of Korean adults ≥19 years of age derived from the 4th KNHANES, 2007–2009. A total of 830 individuals residing in Seoul or Jeju were included in this study. T-tests were used to analyze predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1p), predicted values of forced vital capacity (FVCp) and FEV1/FVC ratio (FEV1/FVC), as dependent variables, to examine the differences in the subjects’ pulmonary function according to the city of residence. Stratified analysis was then performed to adjust for variables potentially affecting pulmonary function. The analysis was performed on subjects as a group and also following stratification according to sex and other variables. RESULTS: Seoul residents had a significantly lower FVCp than that of the Jeju residents (difference: 3.48%, p = 0.002). FEV1p, FVCp and FEV1/FVC of male Seoul residents were significantly lower than those of male Jeju residents (difference: 6.99, 5.11% and 0.03, respectively; p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001). In male subjects, statistically significant results were obtained even after adjusting the influence of other variables through stratified analysis. CONCLUSION: The present analysis was based on cross-sectional data collected at one point in time. Therefore, unlike longitudinal studies, it does not establish a clear causal association between the variables. Nevertheless, this study found that pulmonary function among subjects residing in Seoul was significantly decreased compared to that of subjects residing in Jeju.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Korea ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Particulate Matter ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Seoul ; Vital Capacity

Tracheal bronchus is an aberrant bronchus that arises most often from the right tracheal wall above the carina and is the result of an additional tracheal outgrowth early in embryonic life. It; incidence ranges between 0.1 and 5%. This anomaly is usually diagnosed incidentally during bronchoscopy, bronchography or computed tomography. Occasionally, it represents the underlying etiology for chronic pulmonary disease, especially if it involves the right upper lobe and reflects an abnorrnal pulmonary clearing mechanism. The tracheal bronchus may be associated with other bronchopulmonary anomalies, tracheal stenosis, or Down's syndrome. Asymptornatic tracheal bronchus does not require any treatment. In case of tracheal bronchus associated recurrent right upper lobe diseases, tracheal bronchus therapy should include resection of the aberrant bronchus as well as the lob it supplies. (J Korgan Pediatr Soc 2000;43:1501-1504)
Bronchi* ; Bronchography ; Bronchoscopy* ; Down Syndrome ; Equipment and Supplies ; Incidence ; Lung Diseases ; Tracheal Diseases ; Tracheal Stenosis

For the successful autologous chondrocyte transplantation, it is important to maximize the number of chondrocyte and maintain its original morphology and phenotypic change of the chondrocyte in the culture. In this study, the effect of ascorbic acid and human serum which are known to promote cell proliferation and collagen synthesis was observed in the culture of human chondrocyte. Media were prepared with the conditions of fetal bovine Serum(FBS) treated group, FBS +ascorbic acid(asc) treated group, human serum(HuS) treated group, and HuS+asc treated group, respectively. Proliferation was measured by cell counting using trypan-blue staining method. We used to determine the degree of expression of aggrecan of mRNA and type II collagen using RT-PCR. Type II collagen in cultured cell and medium was measured by western blot analysis and proteoglycan synthesis by DMB (Dimethylene Blue) assay. Under all conditions, aggrecan on mRNA level was well expressed. On the other hand, expression of type II collagen was reduced on HuS treated group than FBS treated group, and ascorbic acid treated groups showed decreased expression of type II collagen. Western blot analysis showed increased expression of type II collagen on HuS treated group than FBS treated group, and ascorbic acid treated groups showed increased level. HuS+asc treated group showed the most significant effect than the other groups. The increased effects of ascorbic acid on the proliferation and collagen synthesis were more prominent in the culture with human serum. It might be due to the synergic effect with some growth factors which were present in human serum.
Aggrecans ; Ascorbic Acid* ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes* ; Collagen ; Collagen Type II ; Hand ; Humans* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Phenotype* ; Proteoglycans ; RNA, Messenger

Aneurysmal benign fibrous histiocytoma, which is a rare variant of benign fibrous histiocytoma, usually occurs as a solitary nodule on the limbs of young to middle aged adults. The clinical diagnosis of fibrous histiocytoma is seldom considered in the differential disgnosis, which may include malignant melanoma, hemangioma, neurorfibroma, and nonspecific cyst. Histopathologically, aneurysmal benign fibrous histiocytoma is characterized by the presence of large blood-filled tissue space which is surrounded by histiocyte, fibroblast, hemosiderin pigment, and capillaries. We report a case of aneurysmal benign fibrous histiocytoma in a 15-year-old boy, who had a solitary nodular lesion on the left knee for a 2 year duration.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aneurysm* ; Capillaries ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Fibroblasts ; Hemangioma ; Hemosiderin ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous* ; Humans ; Knee ; Male ; Melanoma ; Middle Aged

The hypokalemic periodic paralysis is characterized by intermittent falccid paralysis of extremities with spontaneous recovery. It is rarely accompanied by cardiac arrhythmia, especially fatal ventricular tachycardia or torsades de pointes. We observed a 29 year old man, who had suffered from intermittent periodic paralysis and fatal ventricular tachyarrhythmia. He had the first episode of muscle weakness in his low grade of elementary school, which lasted for 20 -30 hours. Similar episodes of muscle weakness occurred 1 -7 times per year, especially after carbohydrate rich food. On admission to emergency room, his chief complaints were generalized weakness and chest tightness, serum potassium level was 1.6mEq/l, and four extremities showed Grade 0 motor weakness. His electrocardiography(ECG) showed Atrioventricular dissociation due to sinus tachycardia and accelerated junctional rhythm, intraventricular conduction distrubance. During intravenous potassium administration, ECG showed sustained ventricular tachycardia and cardiovascular collapse occurred. So we carried out resuscitation and cardioversion. After resuscitation, he recovered from cardovascular collapse and ECG showed sinus tachycardia. But during continuous monitoring ECG showed torsades de pointes with cardiovascular collapse. We carried out resuscitation and defibrillation repeatedly. Serum potassium level was 1.7 - 1.8mEq/L at that time. After successful resuscitation, ECG showed sinus rhythm, and his mental status was fully recovered. After he admitted to intensive care unit, paralytic attack and cardiac arrhythmia did not occurred any more. Serum potassium level was maintained between 3.9 -6.1lmEq/L during his hospital days. He was fully recovered but could not take any medications(e.g. acetazolamide, potassium supplying agent and antiarrhythmic drugs) due to severe gastrointestinal disturbances. During the 30 months of postdischarge period, he experienced three mild paralysis attacks, but they were not accompanied by chest tightness, palpitation or syncope.
Acetazolamide ; Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Electric Countershock ; Electrocardiography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Extremities ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis* ; Intensive Care Units ; Muscle Weakness ; Paralysis ; Potassium ; Resuscitation ; Syncope ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Sinus ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Thorax ; Torsades de Pointes

The complications of bile duct stone are cholangitis, pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, liver abscess, and secondary biliary cirrhosis. Liver abscess may produce pyothorax, peritonitis, subphrenic abscess, and pyogenic pericarditis. The case studies of pyogenic pericarditis secondary to pyogenic liver abscess are rarely reported. Stones greater than 20mm in diameter are difficult or impossible to remove with a standard basket or balloon after sphincterotomy. There are several nonsurgical treatment options for large bile duct stone: mechanical lithotripsy, endoprosthesis, extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL), electrohydraulic lithotripsy, contact dissolution therapy, and laser lithotripsy. We experienced a case of large bile duct stone which complicated by pyogenic pericarditis, liver abscess, and pyothorax. He treated with antibiotics, closed thoracostomy, partial pericardiectomy, and removal of bile duct stones by extracorporeal shock-wave and mechanical lithotripsy after endoscopic sphincterotomy and nasobiliary drainage.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Cholangitis ; Drainage ; Empyema ; Empyema, Pleural* ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Lithotripsy ; Lithotripsy, Laser ; Liver Abscess* ; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; Liver* ; Pancreatitis ; Pericardiectomy ; Pericarditis* ; Peritonitis ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Subphrenic Abscess ; Thoracostomy

Dieulafoy lesion is very small and easily overlooked as a course of massive, often recurrent hemorrhage that results from the crosion of a submucosal artery, typically in the gastric cardia or fundus. The clinical picture of Dieulafoy lesion is quite uniform: patients commonly present with massive hemorrhage and melena without any relevant history. The diagnostic procedure of choice in patients with severe gastrointestinal bleeding is emergency endoscopy. The lesion is rare but potentially life threatening source of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Before the endoscopic era, the prognosis for patients with these lesions was quite poor. However, recent reports have described the success of endoscopic therapy in the management of Dieulafoy lesion. We performed emergency endoscopy in 3 patients who had massive or recurrent episode of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, identified to the Dieulafoy lesion. We tried to Endoscopic "0" band ligation, successfully in hemostasis and prevention of recurrence.
Arteries ; Cardia ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Melena ; Prognosis ; Recurrence