Limb lengthening is now an accepted form of correcting limb length inequality. It is, however, associated not infrequently with a variety of complications including pheripheral nerve palsies. Such nerve dysfunction is obviously dependent on the velocity and amount of bone lengtening. In this experiment, the author attempted to determine the safe limits of the velocity and amount of bone lengthening by measuring somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP). The tibiae of 96 rabbits, weighing from 1.5 to 1.6kg, were osteotomized; in Group I, the tibiae were lengthened 0.35mm per day once daily;in Group II, 0.7mm per day; in Group III, 1.05mm per day; and in Group IV, 1.4mm per day. Several rabbits were subjected to the study weekly until, six weeks postoperatively in Group I, five weeks postoperatively in Grup II, four weeks postoperatively in Group III, and three weeks postoperatively in Group IV. The following results were obtained: 1. Preliminarily, in order to verify the possible difference between the right and left tibiae, Pl latency and amplitude were measured in 18 rabbits. Paired t-test revealed no statistically significant difference between the two (p>0.05). The amplitude manifested more individual variation than the Pl latency. 2. As lengthening progressed, the Pl latency gradually increased, whereas the amplitude decreased. The higher the percentage of lengthening to the original tibial length, the more marked the changes in both the Pl latency and amplitude. 3. As lengthening progressed, significant changes were observed earlier in the amplitude than in the Pl laterncy. 4. Significant changes in the amplitude were observed when lengthening reached 12.2% of the original tibial length in Group I (0.35mm/day) and 10.5% in Group IV (1.4mm/day). Significant changes in the Pl laterncy were observed when lengthening reached 17.8% of the original length. It is concluded that somatosensory evoked potential is an effective method of detecting early and preventing neurological complications in bone lengthening. Somatosensory evoked potential is a clinically feasible technique. It is expected that the finding of study may serve as a useful guideline for detecting the safe limits of velocity and amount of bone lengthening.
Bone Lengthening ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Extremities ; Methods ; Paralysis ; Rabbits ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Tibia

Elective operation should be postponed in patient with acute hepatitis because of the increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Especially, surgery carried out in the presence of acute viral hepatitis is associated with high incidence of major complications The authors have recently experienced a patient who was performed emergency craniotomy for epidural hematoma. At that time, the patient was in midst of acute viral hepatitis B. Major in- halational anesthetic was isoflurane and muscle relaxant was atracurium. Fortunately, the preoperative hepatic dysfunction was not exacerbated and recovered uneventfully. The choice of anesthetics and the proper pre-and intraoperative anesthetic managements are reviewed.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthetics ; Atracurium ; Craniotomy ; Emergencies ; Hematoma ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Isoflurane* ; Mortality

BACKGROUND: We can diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis with sputum AFB smear and culture, but sputum AFB smear has low sensitivity and culture needs long period, and they are not available in the patients who can not expectorate effectively. Recently developed, PCR is a fast diagnostic tool in tuberculosis, but false positive and false negative are important problems. So, we studied the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR through the bronchoscopy. METHODS: The 67 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 43 non-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were analyzed with their sputum specimen AFB smear and culture. Also, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage were done, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture and PCR were done. RESULTS: 1) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of sputum AFB smear and culture were 32.8% and 57.4%, respectively. And the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture were 47.8% and 80.6%. respectively. 2) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 80.6% and 81.5%, respectively. 3) In the cases of sputum AFB smear-negative and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR, and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 23.1%, 100%, 88.5%, and 82.4%, respectively. 4) The specificity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR was 77.0%. 5) The median number of days between obtaining a specimen and starting therapy was 5 days for sputum AFB smear, 9 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, 26 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR, 32 days for sputum culture, 56 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture are higher than sputum AFB smear and culture. So, the bronchoscopy must be considered for evaluating suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients from whom smears of expectorated sputum do not reveal mycobacteria or from whom no sputum can be obtained. Especially, combined with PCR, it is expected that pulmonary tuberculosis can be diagnosed more rapidly and more accurately, so bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and PCR can be helpful in the early treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage* ; Bronchoscopy ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is a common enzyme for the evaluation of the hepatic, muscular and cardiac diseases and is produced also at kidney, brain, pancreas, lung, leukocytes, erythrocytes, etc. The elevation of its activity is usually caused by the necrosis of hepatocytes when there are not muscular injuries or myopathies. Recently, it is found that AST can exist as a macroenzyme by forming a complex with an immunoglobulin and this complex is erroneously considered to indicate the presence of liver disease as a result of elevation of AST activity on routine blood chemistry analysis. We experienced the patient with isolated AST elevation due to the formation of AST-mmunoglobulin complex confirmed by AST isoenzyme electrophoresis (EP).
Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Brain ; Chemistry ; Electrophoresis ; Erythrocytes ; Heart Diseases ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Kidney ; Leukocytes ; Liver Diseases ; Lung ; Muscular Diseases ; Necrosis ; Pancreas

The main complications associated endoscopic mucosal resection are bleeding and perforation and the rate of complication is increasing in larger size of mucosal resection. We used a new method of endoscopic clipping technique for ligation on the large mucosal defect after endoscopic mucosal resection. A 53-year-old female patient visited our hospital because of epigastric pain. Endoscopic examination revealed a type IIa EGC(early gastric cancer) below angle. The endoscopic mucosal resection was performed and the size of resected specimen was 2.7x2.5cm. The mucosal defect was ligated with 6 hemoclips(Olympus, MD-850) after approximation of both resected margins by grasping forceps(Olympus, FG-4L). Follow up endoscopic examination revealed good quality of ulcer healing. The Endoscopic clipping technique might also be useful for treatment of minor perforation.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand Strength ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ulcer

The main complications associated endoscopic mucosal resection are bleeding and perforation and the rate of complication is increasing in larger size of mucosal resection. We used a new method of endoscopic clipping technique for ligation on the large mucosal defect after endoscopic mucosal resection. A 53-year-old female patient visited our hospital because of epigastric pain. Endoscopic examination revealed a type IIa EGC(early gastric cancer) below angle. The endoscopic mucosal resection was performed and the size of resected specimen was 2.7x2.5cm. The mucosal defect was ligated with 6 hemoclips(Olympus, MD-850) after approximation of both resected margins by grasping forceps(Olympus, FG-4L). Follow up endoscopic examination revealed good quality of ulcer healing. The Endoscopic clipping technique might also be useful for treatment of minor perforation.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand Strength ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Amyloidosis* ; Macroglossia*

Salivary duct lithiasis is a condition characterized by the obstruction of a salivary gland or its excretory duct due to the formation of calcareous concretions or sialoliths resulting in salivary ectasia and even provoking the subsequent dilation of the salivary gland. It most commonly involves submandibular gland (80 to 90%) and less frequently parotid (10 to 20%). The authors report 2 cases of parotid sialolithiasis. The first case involved a 46-year-old male patient complaining of the left parotid area pain and swelling, and presenting with a salivary calculus in the left parotid duct. When the patient was diagnosed, he refused surgical removal. The second case involved a 41-year-old male patient complaining of the right parotid area pain and swelling, and presenting with a salivary calculus in the right parotid duct. The sialolith was surgically removed under general anesthesia. In this paper, we also reviewed a series of concepts related to the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of sialolithiasis.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Humans ; Lithiasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Diseases ; Salivary Calculi ; Salivary Duct Calculi ; Salivary Ducts ; Salivary Gland Calculi* ; Salivary Glands ; Submandibular Gland

Recently the change in medical informatics enabled us to use medical information whenever we want and wherever we are. There are many homepages on the web, which provide hospital information, medical counseling. Our multimedia center began its service as a internet Hospital in MIDAS Dongailbo, one of the major daily newspaper in Korea, on March 25th, 1997. The aim of this study is to examine the content and purpose of medical counseling on the web. The subjects consisted of 1,000 counsellings which were called 'Dongailbo Internet Hospital' for March, 25th, 1997 through October 30th, 1997. Many questioners wanted to know treatment principles, to make a diagnosis, and to know specific medical knowledges. The most common questions are as follows: general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, skin, digestive, respiratory, neurological problems.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Diagnosis ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Multimedia ; Periodicals* ; Skin

Recently the change in medical informatics enabled us to use medical information whenever we want and wherever we are. There are many homepages on the web, which provide hospital information, medical counseling. Our multimedia center began its service as a internet Hospital in MIDAS Dongailbo, one of the major daily newspaper in Korea, on March 25th, 1997. The aim of this study is to examine the content and purpose of medical counseling on the web. The subjects consisted of 1,000 counsellings which were called 'Dongailbo Internet Hospital' for March, 25th, 1997 through October 30th, 1997. Many questioners wanted to know treatment principles, to make a diagnosis, and to know specific medical knowledges. The most common questions are as follows: general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, skin, digestive, respiratory, neurological problems.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Diagnosis ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Multimedia ; Periodicals* ; Skin