PURPOSE: There have been numerous retrospective and uncontrolled study of laparoscopic appendectomy. Although most of these have concluded that the laparoscopic appendectomy is at least as good as open appendectomy, there has been considerable controversy as to whether laparoscopic appendectomy is superior. METHODS: We performed total 47 cases of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) during one year from January 1997 to December 1997 and these were compared with 50 cases of open appendectomy (OA) in same period to assess the clinical usefulness. RESULTS: The sex, male to female ratio and severity of appendicitis were similar in both groups. The anesthetic time was longer in the LA group (P<0.05) but operative time was similar. Gas-passing time and diet-intake time in postoperative period were earlier in LA group (P<0.05). The LA group required less analgesics in postoperative period. In LA group, no case was converted to open appendectomy and overall complication rate was lower in LA group but this was not statistically significant. Among the postoperative complication, the wound infection rate was absolutely lower in LA group (P<0.05). The diagnostic rate for acute abdomen including acute appendicitis was superior in LA group, especially in reproductive women. The hospital stay was shorter in LA group (P<0.05) and hospital charges was not different in both group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendectomy offers considerable advantages over open appendectomy because this has ability to reduce postoperative complications and shorten recovery times and is useful for detecting the cause of acute abdomen other than acute appendicitis. So we expect this technique will be alternative operation or new standard operation in selected cases for suggestive acute appendicitis.
Abdomen, Acute ; Analgesics ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Female ; Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND: Pruritus, which is a frequent accompanying symptom of dermatological diseases, is also common during pregnancy, either localized or generalized. It may be related to specific dermatoses of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: A clinical study was performed to know the exact nature of pruritus in pregnancy. METHODS: Subjects with systemic diseases, or laboratory abnormalities were excluded. People who have had pruritic dermatologic diseases before pregnancy were also excluded. One hundred and fifty five pregnant women were interviewed with physical examinations and followed up to the date of delivery. Pruritus was graded. RESULTS: Pruritus was present in 31.6%. Most affected subjects had mild or moderate severity. The abdomen was the most common site. There was a tendency for the duration of itching to increase with the duration of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: These findings may provide basic and useful data on pruritus during pregnancy.
Abdomen ; Clinical Study* ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Pruritus* ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.
Decompression* ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament*

PURPOSE: Functional MR imaging is the method of demonstrating changes in regional cerebral blood flow produced by sensory, motor, and any other tasks. Functional MR of visual cortex os performed as a patient stares a photic stimulation, so adaptable photic stimulation is necessary. The purpose of this study to evaluate whether the size of photic stimulation can affect the degree of visual cortex activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Functional MR imaging was performed in 5 volunteers with normal visual acuity. Photic stimulator was made by 39 light-emitting diodes on a plate ,operating at 8 Hz. The sizes of photic stimulator were full field, half field and focal central field. The MR imager was Siemens 1.5-T Magenton Vision system, using standard head coil. Functional MRI utilized EPI sequence (TR/TE=1.0/51. 0msec, matrix No.=98x128, slice thickness=8mm) with 3sets of 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during rest, all 36 scanning were obtained. Activated images were obtained using postprocessing software(statistical analysis by Z-zone, and these images were combined with T-1 weighted anatomical images. The activated signals were quantified by numbering the activated pixels, and activation index was obtained by dividing the pixel number of each stimulator size with the sum of the pixel number of 3 study using 3 kinds of stimulators. The correlation between the activation index and the stimulation size was analysed. RESULTS: Mean increase of signal intensities on the activation area using full field photic stimulator was about 9.6%. The activation index was greatest on full field. second on half field and smallest in focal central field in 4, The index of half field was greater than that of full field in 1. The ranges of activation index were full field 43-73%(mean 55%), half field 22-40%(mean 32%), and focal central field 5-24%(13%). CONCLUSION: The degree of visual cortex activation increases with the size of photic stimulator.
Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Photic Stimulation ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Cortex* ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Spine*

No abstract available.
Knee* ; Rabbits* ; Tendons*

No abstract available.
Fever*

A nineteen year-old boy with progressive enlargement of the joints and distal extremities, clubbing, coarse facial features and hyperhidrosis was investigated. In physical examination, thickening of the scalp with furrowing (cutis verticis gyrata) and greasy thickening of skin (pachyderma) was prominent. His endocrine profile was normal. Radiological studies demonstrated bilateral symmetrical periosteal new bone formation with acroosteolysis and incidental microadenoma of pituitay gland. After extensive investigation to exclude systemic and endocrine causes, the patient was diagnosed as pachydermoperiostosis (PDP). PDP is a rare syndrome manifested clinically by finger clubbing, extremity enlargement, hypertrophic skin changes, and periosteal bone formation. The pathogenesis of the disorder has not been clarified though few endocrine abnormalities were seen. To aware of these clinical phenotype would help to differentiate PDP from acromegaly.
Acro-Osteolysis ; Acromegaly ; Extremities ; Fingers ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis ; Joints ; Male* ; Osteoarthropathy, Primary Hypertrophic* ; Osteogenesis ; Phenotype ; Physical Examination ; Scalp ; Skin ; Young Adult*

[Objective] To determine the long term survivorship and establish the idea I correction angle in proximal tibial osteotomy for primary osteoarthritis. [Method] Seventy-nine patients suffering from primary osteoarthritis (111 knees) were performed with proximal tibial valgus osteotomy from 1985 to 1997, among which 74 women (106 knees) and 5 men (5 knees). The age ranged from 37 to 70 years (mean, 55 years). Postoperatively, hospital for Special Surgery knee score (HSS) was used for clinical assessment. The femorotibial angle (FTA) was measured to classifiy patients to group Ⅰ of 61 knees with less than 7 of valgus; group Ⅱ of 23 knees with 7～9 of valgus; group Ⅲ of 27 knees with over 10 of valgus. Closed wedge osteotomy was performed in all cases. HSS was assessed pre-and post-operatively. [Result] The average follow-up period was 9 years and 6 months (2 years and 4 months to 14 years and 1 month). The HSS knee score averaged 60 points preoperatively, 94 after 1 year and 87 at the last follow-up. Falure I was the need for conversion of a proximal tibial osteotomy to a total knee arthrop lasty, and Failure Ⅱ was the need for conversion of HSS knee score of less than 60 points. The 4 and 14 years survival rates were 99% and 85% using the first definition of failure, and 96. 4% and 75.1% using the second. [Conclusion] Proximal tibial osteotomy is reliable for treating unicompartmental osteoarthritis, providing that the postoperative femorotibial angle is corrected to more than 7° of valgus and falls in the range of 10°～15°.

No abstract available.
Animals ; Inositol* ; Kidney* ; Liver* ; Phospholipases* ; Rats* ; Type C Phospholipases*