No abstract available.

This study has been examined different morphologic measurements in the evaluation of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Preoperative CT-Myelography from 30 patients who underwent surgery for central lumbar stenosis were analyzed. Based on this, we concluded as follows : 1) Bony measurement alone did not reliably identify patients with spinal stenosis. 2) Measurement of the transverse area of the dural sac on CT-Myelography was the most accurate method for identifying stenosis. 3) Lumbar myelography was still considered to have an important role in the valuation of a patient with stenosis because of correlation between the cross-sectional area of the dural sac and the anteroposterior diameter of the dural sac was excellent. 4) We identified soft-tissue problems as the main cause of stenosis. 5) The most common level of maximum stenosis was L4-5.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Myelography* ; Spinal Stenosis*

OBJECTIVES: Advance directives (AD) are designed to protect patients’ autonomy and self-determination, which mean the end of life care planning should precede before loss of their decision ability. We aimed to analyze our experience of AD at field of oncology, focusing on preference of end-of-life care and outcome in advanced cancer patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on advanced cancer patients who underwent AD at the department of Oncology of Hanil General Hospital, between April 2013 and January 2014. AD are composed of decision about end of life care (resuscitation, ventilator, artificial tube feeding) and determination of proxy. RESULTS: Among 23 patients who were recommended AD during study period, 19 patients (83%) successfully underwent AD. The median age was 67 years (range, 50 to 95 years) and male was predominance (84%) was observed. Most of them (90%) have not heard of AD in the past. With regard to decision of end-of-life care, decision for resuscitation and ventilator were selected only by 1 patient (5%), respectively, while 10 patients (52%) decided to receive tube feeding. Among 5 patients who underwent AD during chemotherapy, there was neither transfer to other hospital for anti-cancer treatment nor follow up loss. CONCLUSION: AD might be applicable in advanced cancer patients at field of oncology, including also patients treated with palliative chemotherapy.
Advance Directives* ; Drug Therapy ; Enteral Nutrition ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Proxy ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Terminal Care ; Ventilators, Mechanical

PURPOSE: Postoperative hypocalcemia is a common complication compared with the other complications following total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma. We evaluated the incidence of transient and permanent hypocalcemia and the preservation status of the parathyroid glands following total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: We analyzed a total of 145 cases of total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma. The preservation status of the prarathyroid glands after total thyroidectomy was classified as intact preservation or ischemic change, according to the number of intact preserved parathyroid glands in group 1 (more than 2), group 2 (1) or group 3 (0). RESULTS: Permanent hypocalcemia was not found in group 1. The rate of transient or permanent hypocalcemia was significantly lower in group 2 than that in group 3 (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The parathyroid glands should be preserved to minimize the occurrence of hypocalemia after performing total thyroidectomy. The number of intact preserved parathyroid glands can be a good indicator for predicting the occurrence of post-total thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.
Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Incidence ; Parathyroid Glands ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy*

PURPOSE: It is not common to evaluate the response of the fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) to primary hepatoma as compared with conventional radiotherapy. The purpose of the study was to take the preliminary result on the clinical trial of primary hepatoma by SRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 1999 to March 2000, thirty three patients were hospitalized in the St. Mary's Hospital, and treated with SRT for extracranial tumors. Among them, 13 patients were diagnosed to primary hepatoma and then applied by frameless SRT using 6 MV linac accelerator. There were 12 male and 1 female patients. They had the age of 44~66 year old (median : 59) and the tumor size of 10~825 cc (median : 185 cc). SRT was given to them 3~5 fractions a week (5 Gy/fraction, 90% isodose line) for 2~3 weeks. Median dose of SRT was 50 Gy and the range was 30~50 Gy. RESULTS: Follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 13 months with median of 8 months. After treating SRT to thirteen patients with primary hepatoma, the response of the tumor was examined by abdominal CT : they are classified by 1 complete regression (7.7%), 7 partial regression (53.8%), 4 minimal regression (30.8%), 1 stable disease (7.7%). The positive responses more than partial remission were 8 patients (61.5%) after the treatment. The level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) after the treatment as compared with pretreatment had been 92.3% decreased. There was no severe complication except dyspepsia 84.6%, mild nausea 69.2%, transient decreased of hepatic function 15.4% and fever 7.7%. CONCLUSION: SRT to the patients with primary hepatoma was potentially suggested to become the safe and more effective tool than the conventional radiotherapy even though there were relatively short duration of follow-up and small numbers to be tested.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Dyspepsia ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Nausea ; Radiotherapy* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

It was reported that the etiologies of recurrent spontaneous abortion are immunologic factors, endocrinologic problems, anatomical abnormalities, genetic abnormalities, infection, and unexplained factors. Among those etiologic factors, genetic abnormalities occur in about 5% of the couples who experience recurrent spontaneous abortions, and most common parental chromosomal abnormality contributing to recurrent abortion is balanced translocation. The advent of in vitro fertilization (IVF), the development of skills associated with the handling of human embryo, and an explosion of knowledge in molecular biology have opened the possibility of early diagnosis of genetic disease in preimplantation embryos. Therefore preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is indicated for couples, infertile or not, at risk of transmitting a genetic disease. A case of successful pregnancy and term delivery by PGD using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique in patient with recurrent spontaneous abortion due to balanced translocation is presented with brief review of literatures.
Abortion, Habitual ; Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Blastocyst ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Early Diagnosis ; Embryonic Structures ; Explosions ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; In Situ Hybridization ; Molecular Biology ; Parents ; Pregnancy* ; Preimplantation Diagnosis* ; Prostaglandins D

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second*

Bilateral traumatic abducens nerve palsy is a rare condition. We report a case associated with Hangman's fracture without skull fracture. Seventeen cases of bilateral traumatic nerve palsy were found in the literature and only four cases had bilateral traumatic abducens nerve palsy associated with cervical spine fracture without skull fracture. In case of head and neck injury, the abducens nerve may be damaged at the point of fixation to the dura mater. The pathogenesis, the clinical conditions and the radiological findings are presented.
Abducens Nerve Diseases* ; Abducens Nerve* ; Dura Mater ; Head ; Neck Injuries ; Paralysis ; Skull Fractures ; Spine

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the plain radiologic findings of the childhood intussusception and to evaluate the role of plain abdominal films in predicting the success of air or barium reduction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 140 cases with the diagnosis of intussusception in children. The radiological signs that included soft tissue mass, dilatation of small bowel suggesting obstruction, crescent sign, and target sign were evaluated in terms of frequency. The relationship between radiological findings and outcome of reduction was analyzed. The site of soft tissue mass or crescent sign seen on plain radiographs was correlated with the position of the apex of the intussusceptum seen at the beginning of barium enema. The degree of dilated small bowel was evaluated by calculating the proportion of air-filled small bowel occupying peritoneal cavity and measuring the maximal diameter of dilated bowel lumen. The radiological finding for small bowel obstruction is determined by observation of the degree of small bowel dilatation and/or air-fulid levels. RESULTS: Ninety-two cases out of 140 showed one or more radiographic signs. Two most common signs were soft tissue mass and small bowel obstruction. The success rate of air or barium reduction was significantly lower in patients with most severe degree of dilatation of small bowel and/or more than 7 air-fulid levels on erect view. The suspected location of intussusception on plain radiographs correlated well with the true location of intussusception seen in the first few seconds of barium reduction. CONCLUSION: Plain abdominal radiography is useful in the diagnosis of intussusception and provides helpful informations for the reduction procedure as well as for the exclusion of the contraindications such as bowel perforation.
Barium ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Enema ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of catechin on apoptotic cell death in the lens epithelium of rats with cataract. METHODS: Cataract was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) to ten day-old Sprague-Dawley rats. The neonatal rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=15 in each group): a control group, and four cataract-induction groups, treated with either 0, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg catechin. We performed slit-lamp biomicroscopic analysis, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, Western-blot for Bcl-2 and Bax, and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3. RESULTS: Apoptotic cell death in lens epithelial cells that increased following cataract formation in rats was suppressed by cathechin. CONCLUSIONS: Catechin inhibited cataract-induced apoptotic cell death in the lens epithelium and may prove useful for the prevention of cataract progression.
Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis/*drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3/metabolism ; Cataract/chemically induced/*drug therapy ; Catechin/*pharmacology ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Lens, Crystalline/*drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley