The effect of lumboperitoneal(LP) shunt and the prognostic factors of 40 cases of communicating hydrocephalus confirmed by brain computerized tomography(CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and radioisotope cisternography(RI) were analyzed. Possible prognostic factors such as disease entity, CT or MRI findings, and the type of radioisotope cisternography were compared to improvement of clinical status after LP shunt. The etiology of communicating hydrocephalus in the analyzed 40 cases included trauma in 13 cases(32.5%), subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) in 12 cases(30%), intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) in 10 cases(25%), and idiopathic in 5 cases(12.5%). An overall clinical improvement after LP shunt was seen in 22 cases(55%). However, in 17 cases of SAH and idiopathic group, improvement after LP shunt was seen in 13 cases(75%), indicating that LP shunt is more effective in SAH/idiopathic group than trauma/ICH group(p<0.05). Many findings of brain CT/MRI such as Evan's index, periventricular low density, 3rd ventricular width, obliteration of cerebral sulci, rounding of frontal horn, and cortical atrophy were analyzed as prognostic factors. Except for the absence of cortical atrophy(p<0.05), none of the factors were related to the patient's outcome. The type of abnormal RI cisternography findings(Typ I, II, III) also did not show any relationship with the effectiveness of LP shunt. These findings suggest that SAH/idiopathic group were more favorable candidates for LP shunt than trauma/ICH group, and that there are no reliable brain CT/MRI findings indicating a good prognosis after LP shunt except for the absence of cortical atrophy. RI cisternography findings are also not a reliable diagnostic tool in evaluating the indication of LP shunt in communicating hydrocephalus.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Horns ; Hydrocephalus* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Untreated malignant gastrointestinal obstruction is rapidly fatal and causes various symptoms and malnutrition, and so decreases the quality of life and shortens the survival. We reviewed clinical characteristics and analyzed prognostic factors in terminal cancer patients with malignant gastrointestinal obstruction. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 63 patients with malignant gastrointestinal obstruction who had been confirmed by endoscopy or colonoscopy, upper gastrointestinal series or barium study and proper radiologic study at Sam Anyang hospital from May in 2002 to December in 2004. We excluded patients with palliative tumor resection. We analyzed prognostic factors for overall survival and symptom-free survival. RESULTS: There were 30 males (48%) and 33 females (52%), and median age of 63 patients was 64 years. The cause of malignant gastrointestinal obstruction was colorectal (26 patients, 41%), stomach (19, 30%), pancreas (4, 6%) and others (14, 23%). Twenty one patients (33%) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 2 score and 42 patients (67%) 3 or 4 score. Forty two patients (67%) have been performed palliative procedures and 21 patients (33%) have not. Median survival of patients with palliative procedure was significantly higher than that of patients who have not been performed palliative procedures (144 days v 45 days, p=0.0001). By mutivariate analysis, palliative procedures and performance status were independent prognostic factors. However, age, gender, primary cancer, site of obstruction, and previous chemotherapy were not independent prognostic factors. Performance status was only independent prognostic factor that improves symptom free survival in patients with palliative procedures (p=0.014) and median symptom free survival was 90 days. There was no mortality on palliative procedures. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that palliative procedures and performance status are significant independent prognostic factors in terminal cancer patients with malignant gastrointestinal obstruction.
Barium ; Colonoscopy ; Drug Therapy ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Male ; Malnutrition ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Pancreas ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Musical Background Questionnaire (MBQ) has been developed to assess formal musical training and listening enjoyment. The aims of this study were to translate MBQ into Korean with subsequent linguistic validation and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Korean version of MBQ (K-MBQ).SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Between 2013 and 2014, a panel affiliated with the questionnaire committee of the Korean Audiological Society reconciled the first draft K-MBQ translated by a bilingual person. A separate bilingual translator, who had never seen the original MBQ, translated the draft K-MBQ back into English, and subsequently, the panel reviewed its equivalence to the original one. K-MBQ was administered to 29 adults (M:F=15:14; aged 21 to 76 years) for cognitive debriefing. Pure tone and speech audiometry were performed in all participants. RESULTS: The translation of K-MBQ was completed through a multi-step process of forward translation, reconciliation, reverse translation, cognitive debriefing and proofreading. Thirteen (45%) of 29 subjects reported formal musical training, and 16 participants (55%) judged themselves as having no musical education and background. No significant correlation was found between musical background and hearing level, whereas self-perceived quality of music and self-perception of music elements quantified by K-MBQ were associated with hearing ability in terms of pure-tone and speech audiometry. CONCLUSION K-MBQ was translated and linguistically validated. The use of this questionnaire can provide further evaluation of musical background in patients with hearing loss or cochlear implant users.

It has been decades since the concept of empty follicle syndrome (EFS), in which no oocytes are retrieved in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle, was introduced. The incidence of this syndrome in patients undergoing IVF-ET has been estimated to be about 0.6-7%. The use of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (r-hCG) can be a useful option for the EFS patients with previous failure of oocyte retrieval in IVF-ET cycles. We present a case of empty follicle syndrome with successful oocyte retrieval by the use of r-hCG.
Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Embryo Transfer ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans* ; Incidence ; Oocyte Retrieval* ; Oocytes*