No abstract available.
Leukemia, Basophilic, Acute*

No abstract available.
Atrial Natriuretic Factor* ; Humans* ; Lymph Nodes* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is well established and relatively successful operation in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). But, there have been no reports about snoring sound of patients who had been performed LAUP. This study was performed to evaluate the results of LAUP analysing preoperative snoring sounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 38 patients who were diagnosed as OSA by polysomnography and had been performed LAUP between Mar, 1998 and July, 2002. Preoperative and postoperative snoring sounds were recorded during sleep and we performed an acoustic analysis using spectrogram (SPG), which was classified. And postoperative subjective satisfaction of bed time partner was compared in each type and the degree of satisfaction was measured by VAS (visual analogue scale) score. According to previous study, types of spectrogram of snoring sounds were classified as palatal, tongue base and mixed. RESULTS: In postoperative analysis, snoring loudness was most decreased in palatal type, and snoring pitch was only increased in tongue base type. The average satisfaction of bed time partner was highest at palatal type and lowest at tongue base type. CONCLUSION: Preoperative analysis of snoring sounds can aid the prediction of the loudness and pitch of snoring sounds and the subjective satisfaction of patients after LAUP.
Acoustics ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Palate ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Snoring* ; Sound Spectrography ; Tongue

BACKGROUND: Residual pleural thickening is frequently seen following treatment for tuberculous pleurisy, and pleural decortication is performend occasionally in patients with severe residual pleural thickening. However, predictive factors for the development of residual pleural thickening are uncertain at the initial diagnosis of the tuberculous pleurisy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the associated factors for residual pleural thickening at initial diagnosis. METHODS: We separated 63 patients diagnosed as tuberculous pleurisy into two groups; group 1 consisted of patients without residual pleural thickening and group 2 comprised patients with residual pleural thickening at the end of tuberculous pleurisy treatment. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, radiological findings, pleural biopsy and characteristics of pleural fluid between group 1 and group 2. RESULTS: The study population and clinical symptoms of the two groups were not significantly different and the duration of symptoms before treatment and the peripheral WBC were similar between the two groups. The presence of pulmonary tuberculosis, pleural fluid loculation or the amount of pleural effusion sid not differ significantly between the thwo groups. The incidence of positive AFB staining(group 1 : 8%, group 2 : 38%) and granuloma(group 1 : 30%, group 2 : 62%) on pleural biopsy specimens was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1. Pleural fluid WBC and differential count, adenosine deaminase level, pH, preotein level or glucose level did not differ between the two groups. However, group 2 had higher LDH levels (1370±208mg/dl) than group 1 (860±71mg/dl, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In tuberculous pleurisy, patients with residual pleural thickening following treatment demonstrated a higher incidence of posivive AFB staining and granuloma on the pleural biopsy specimens or higher LDH level in the pleural fluid than patients wihtout residual pleural thickening From these results, we speculate that the amonut of tuberculous bacilli and granuloma are probably correlated with residual pleural thickening in the tuberculous pleurisy.
Adenosine Deaminase ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Glucose ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleurisy* ; Sudden Infant Death ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of radiologic studies in the Cushing's disease MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively the CT(n=19, dynamic CT was not perfomed), MR (n=23, dynamic MR in 2 cases), and the results of inferior petrosal sinus sampling(IPSS)(n=13) in 25 patients(19 women, 6men, age range 16-58, mean 32.2) with pathologically-confirmed ACTH secreting pituitary adenoma. We analyzed the radiologic findings and determined how accurately each method could detect and lateralize the lesion within the pituitary gland. The results were compared with the surgical findings and with each other. RESULTS: Seven patients(28%) out of 25 had macroadenomas and the lesions were detected and correctly diagnosed by CT and MR in all. Eighteen patients(72%) had microadenoma. In patients with microadenoma the sensitivity was 38.5%(5/13) in CT, 64.7%(11/17) in MR, 90.9%(10/11) in IPSS. In two patients with dynamic MR, in whom the conventional Gd-enhanced MR showed false negative results, the lesions were detected as low signal intensity mass and correctly lateralized. Considering the results of both MR and IPSS, the sensitivity increased up to 94.1%(17/18). CONCLUSION: Considering the invasiveness of IPSS, Gd-enhanced MR, preferably dynamic, seems to be an imaging modality of choice in Cushing's disease. Combined use of IPSS in selected patients further increases the accuracy of diagnosis and lateralization.
ACTH-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Pituitary Gland ; Retrospective Studies

In order to reinforce the role of primary care physician and to improve doctor-patient relationship, the Korean government tried to introduce 'Family Doctor Registration Program' into Seocho-Gu in Seoul, Ansung-Gun and Paju city in Kyunggi-Do in Oct. 1996. Community residents and doctors in those area did not show much interest in this project because of low incentives. We have done this study to see how much people know 'Family Doctor Registration Program' and what is people's real needs about 'Family Doctor Registration Program. We selected l,800 telephone numbers in Seoul, Chongju city, and Ansung-Gun by multi-stage stratified random sampling. Three trained survey personnels called them and got answers to the premade questionnaire until they completed the questionnaires of 200 persons in each community. The calling time was 7-9 p.m. from Monday to Friday, 3-9 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. We dropped out the persons who did not respond 3 times. The subjects consisted of 222 male and 367 female residents. Their ages ranged from 20 to 78: 24.8% in their 30s, 23.4% in their 20s, 22.5% in their 40s in male, and 35.2% in their 30s, 22.5% in their 40s, 18.5% in their 20s in female. 9.9% of male and 13.2% of female had their Family Doctors. The specialties of their Family, Doctors were internists in 56.2%, general surgeons in ll.0%. The persons who did not have their family, doctors were asked which doctors they would prefer if they had choices of family doctor. The results were internists in 50.3%, family physicians in 13.0%, pediatricians in 4.8%. Only 16.0% residents knew that government tried to introduce Family Doctor Registration Program. The 'Family Doctor Registration Program' was not well known to people. The results of our study showed that more effective incentives and public notifications are needed to activate this program.
Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Male ; Motivation ; Physicians, Family ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Primary Health Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Personnel ; Seoul ; Telephone*

PURPOSE: Some authors noted unilateral testicular torsion often leading to a damage in the contralateral testis. But it is not known whether this is the result of an intrinsic abnormality in the remaining testis or testicular injury associated with the ischemic event. Recently some authors noted an increase in germ cell apoptosis in the contralateral testis and suggested the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the apoptosis of germ cells. We aimed at the NO involvement in testicular torsion in this study, in which we measured inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions and found pathological changes in the torsed and detorsed testes of the rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: I) unilateral left testicular torsion persisting for 1, 4, 8 hours. II) torsion for 4 or 8 hours followed by detorsion. Testes were fixed in scrotal wall with a suture. Testes were fixed in formalin solution and prepared in paraffin blocks and slide mounted. All histologic examinations were done by a single observer. The expression of iNOS gene in the testis was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and relative iNOS mRNA levels were assessed with normalization to beta-actin mRNA levels. RESULTS: Histologically, the degeneration and inflammation were found in 4 hours after torsion and the necrosis was found in 8 hours after torsion. In contralateral testis, normal findings were noted in 4 hours and 8 hours after torsion. iNOS gene expression was found in the normal control testis. In the torsed testis, iNOS gene expression significantly increased in 1 hour after torsion, then decreased to the control level. In contralateral testis, iNOS gene expression was also increased in 1 hour to 8 hours after torsion. After detorsion, iNOS gene expression significantly decreased in detorsed testis, but constantly increased in contralateral testis. CONCLUSIONS: In rats, iNOS gene expression and histological changes were observed in torsed and detorsed testes. These results support the hypothesis that NO by iNOS protein may play a role in contralateral testicular damage, such as ischemic-reperfusion injury.
Actins ; Adult ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Formaldehyde ; Gene Expression ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Necrosis ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Paraffin ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; Sutures ; Testis*

Unilateral absence of a pulmonary artery is an uncommon anomaly, which presents as an isolated lesion or in combination with other congenital heart disease such as TOF or PD^. We encountered three cases of isolated unilateral absence of a pulmonary artery;one was left pulmonary artery agenesis with right sided aortic arch and the others were right pulmonary artery agenesis with left sided aortic arch. Plain chest radiograph showed considerable loss of unilateal lung volume and lack of ipsilateral hilar shadow. Pulmonary angiogram which was done in two cases, revealed proximal interruption of a pulmonary artery. Chest CT was done in only one case, on which right pulmonary artery was absent and was replaced by adipose tissue. CT with its clean demonstration pulmonary artery without any evidence of aquired obstruction of a pulmonary artery by pulmonary embolism or tumor invasion, maybe a valuable method for evaluaton of the unilateral absence of a pulmonary artery.
Adipose Tissue ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Lung ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Various phonation patterns yield various voice characteristics. Voice therapy using nasal stimulatory sounds seems to facilitate phonation in voice disodered patients. Under the hypothesis that nasalance may be influenced by the pattern of phonation, we studied the relationship between nasalance and voice disorders by observing abnormal supraglottic movements and vocol cord gaps in phonation. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: There were 143 patients who complained of voice problems and showed abnormal false vocal cord movements under stroboscopy. In addition to the four previously described types of MTD (muscle tension dysphonia), we described two more types of MTD (V: false vocal cord contracted posteriorly, VI: false vocal cord dilated laterally). We measured the vocal cord gaps in phonation and analyzed nasalance. RESULTS: Among those groups showing the pattern of false vocal cord (MTD 1, 2, 4), the vocal cord gaps in phonation were increased and nasalance was significantly decreased in MTD types, III and IV, and showed a tendency to decrease in MTD types, II and V, compared to the normal group. CONCLUSION: The supraglottis has a tendency to contract as the vocal cord gap in phonation increases, and this movement reduces nasalance.
Dysphonia ; Humans ; Phonation* ; Stroboscopy ; Vocal Cords ; Voice ; Voice Disorders

No abstract available.
Hospitals, Community* ; Humans