The management of fractures of os calcis remains highly controversial. The fractures involving subtalar joint may cause serious and persistent disabilities. Recently, the computed tomography (CT) scan has been shown to he superior in evaluating the intraarticular fractures of calcaneus and the most widely used classification is based on the number of fragments especially seen on. Although the classification of calcaneal fractures hy CT, tongue type and joint depression type fractures hy plain radiographic views have been commonly used. Generally, closed reduction and axial fixation with metallic pin for tongue type fractures and open reduction and internal fixation for joint depression type fractures have been performed. The authors did so. The 13 fractures were tongue types and 17 fractures were joint depression types. The intraarticular calcaneal fractures of 30 feet in 26 patients who were treated at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital were analyzed in clinical and radiological aspects from Mar.1991 to Apr.1996. The results were as follows: 1. Of 30 cases, 16 fractures were treated with closed reduction and pinning, and 14 fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation. 2. The preoperative, postoperative and the last follow-up average Bohlers angle were 6.0, 21.0 and 20.5 respectively. 3. The preoperative, postoperative and the last follow-up average Gissanes angle was 106, 129 and 126 respectively. 4. Based on assessment of the criteria of Salama et al 19), excellent results were 5, good results were 14, fair results were 6 and poor results were 5. 5. All the five cases of poor results were tongue type fractures and they were treated with closed reduction and axial pinning. 6. Of 7 fractures using autogenous iliac bone graft, 6 fractures were good, I fracture was fair and there was no poor results. Therefore, open reduction and internal fixation for joint depression type calcaneal fractures was thought to be a good method of treatment. But we must consider whether axial fixation with metallic pin for tongue type calcaneal fractures will be a good method of treatment.
Calcaneus ; Classification ; Depression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Intra-Articular Fractures ; Joints ; Subtalar Joint ; Tongue ; Transplants

With an aging population, osteoporotic vertebral collapse is an increasingly common condition. This compression fractures has been considered a benign entity, quite responsive to conservative treatment. In a rare patients, however, a major neurologic complication and painful kyphosis despite conservative treatment can develop. Therefore, the purpose of this present study is to analyze the surgical results of 14 patients with severe back pain, an increasing kyphosis and neurologic deficits caused hy osteoporotic vertebral collapse following minor trauma, who were treated surgically. Presenting signs and symptoms included severe back pain with progression of kyphosis in 6 patients and increasing neural deficit in 8 patients. Of 14 patients, eight patients had an intravertebral cleft sign (vacuum sign). Indications for surgery included increasing kyphotic deformity, intractable pain, or increasing neurologic deficit. There was no correlation between intravertebral cleft sign and neurologic deficit. However, patients who had intravertebral cleft sign had not well respond to conservative treatment. As treatments, combined anterior and posterior fusion in 8, anterior fusion in 4, posterior instrumentation, and wide decompressive laminectomry in one patient, respectively, were carried out. The final correction of the deformity averaged 0.3 degrees. Therefore. correction of kyphosis was not favorably maintained because of variable surgical methods, and sinking of graft bone or instrumentation into the osteoporotic vertebral bodies. However, pain was reduced significantly in all patients. In addition neurological symptoms improved in 7 patients. One patient underwent reoperation with nnterior inierbody tusion together with anterior instrument because of an increasing kyphosis, neurologic. iymptoms and scvcre hack pain following wide decompressive laminectomy. There was no complication relatecl to instruments. The authors strongly helieved that surgical intervention has highly satisfactory results in patients who have intravertehral cleft sign with persistent back pain despite conservative treatment, and proressive or persistent neurologic deficits following osteoporotic vertebral collapse.
Aging ; Back Pain ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Laminectomy ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Osteoporosis ; Pain, Intractable ; Reoperation ; Transplants

Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis requires fusion of the involved segments and decompression laminectomy because it is mechanically unstahle and usually associated with stenosis of the spinal canal. Transabdominal retroperitoneal approach through small longitudinal pararectal skin incision provides easy and safe access to L3-4 and L4-5 disc spaces with less bleeding. We thought that anterior interbody fusion enable us to restore the disc space and to reduce partially the listhesis with less hleeding and less harvest of graft hone compared to posterolateral fusion, and also without the risk of neural or dural damage which could he occurred in posterior lumbar interbody fusion 4.15.16.17). Thus, authors performed the same-day anterior and posterior spinal surgery (APSS) in 28 patients (30 disc spaces) from 1992 to 1996 and analyzed the clinical and radiological results. The most common site of involvement was L4-5 level (82.1%). The mean follow-up period was 2 years and 2 months (from l2 months to 4 years). Fusion was ohtained at 29 disc spaces (96.7%) within 24 weeks (average, I 6 weeks). The anterior displacement was corrected up to the average of 65.4% (5.8mm) postoperatively and the average of 60.7% (5.2mm) correction remained at last follow-up. The intervertebral disc space was restored up to the average of 96.9% (7.5mm) postoperatively and the average of 86.0% (6.2mm) restoration remained at last follow-up. Twenty-five out of 28 patients (89.2%) showed excellent or good clinical results hy the criteria of Kim, et al6). In conclusion, the same-day procedure of successive anterior interbody fusion, decompression laminectomy and posterior pedicular instrumentation for the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis associated with spinal stenosis was thought to be a good method of treatment.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Laminectomy ; Skin ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spondylolisthesis* ; Transplants

PURPOSE: In cases when implant supported overdenture is made by using standard size implant, additional procedure such as bone surgery and bone grafting can be required. And it gives burden to doctor and patient in terms of cost. Therefore, it is necessary to find the implant therapy for the edentulous patients in making denture with accordable cost and simple procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Edentulous patients with upper and lower dentures participated in this study. Before the operation, survey about patient's satisfaction to the existing dentures was carried out. Surgical procedures included four small diameter implants installation anterior area and immediate loading. One and three month after the procedure, the same survey about patient's satisfaction was carried out, and radiography was taken. RESULTS: We are doing research to the nine patients. Survival rate is 97.2 percent. The comparison of patient's satisfaction before and after surgery is performed based on oral health impact profile 49. We analyze mainly with masticatory discomfort, retention, aesthetics, social problem, psychological discomfort problems. As a result, satisfaction level is increased at all factors. Retention is the most increased satisfactory factor followed by mastication difficulty, pronunciation, psychological discomfort, social discomfort, aesthetics in order. Marginal bone loss is 0.21 mm at 12 weeks after implant placement. CONCLUSION: This research reveals that the denture supported by mini dental implant increases patient's satisfaction. This study will be continued with more patients for a long time and we are scheduled for taking additional radiography to check whether peri-implant bone resorption occurs or not.
Bone Resorption ; Bone Transplantation ; Dental Implants ; Denture, Overlay ; Dentures ; Esthetics ; Humans ; Mastication ; Oral Health ; Retention (Psychology) ; Social Problems ; Survival Rate

Moyamoya disease(MMD) is defined as the development of collateral anastomosis pathways, associated with bilateral chronic progressive stenosis of the carotid fork. We have reviewed the types of presentation, angiograms, and single photon emission computed tomographs(SPECT). Ninety-nine patients were divided into three groups (aged below 5 years, between 5 and 15 years, and 16 or over) to investigate whether there were differences in clinical presentation and hemodynamic characteristics between the age groups. Mean age of the 99 patients was 13.6 years and the mean duration of symptoms was 26.2 months. In the 17 children aged less than five, the duration of symptoms was shorter(4.8 months) than in older patients(p<0.05). The former presented mostly with cerebral infarction(59%) with a widespread cerebral perfusion defect(50%). Among 56 children who were 5 to 15 years old, 42 (75%) presented with transient ischemic attacks and 10(18%) with cerebral infarction; the latter was less frequent in this age group than in other age groups. Twelve(46%) out of 26 adult patients had hemorrhage at the initial diagnosis, which was the most frequent presentation in this age group. Stenosis of the posterior cerebral artery was detected in 27% of adult MMD patients, while it was detected in 39% of children. Moreover, no case showed widespread perfusion defects in the adult group. The results suggest that the patterns of presentation and the hemodynamic features differ according to the age at which initial major symptoms occur. Children aged less than five suffer rapid progression of the disease and severe cerebral pefusion defect, and should therefore undergo early surgery. The less frequent involvement of MMD in the posterior circulation and better-preserved cerebral perfusion are characteristic findings of the disease in adults, and this seems to account for its delayed onset.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cerebral Infarction ; Child ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Hemodynamics* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Perfusion ; Posterior Cerebral Artery

DNA barcoding has been widely used in species identification and biodiversity research. A short fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence serves as a DNA bio-barcode. We collected DNA barcodes, based on COI sequences from 156 species (529 sequences) of fish, insects, and shellfish. We present results on phylogenetic relationships to assess biodiversity the in the Korean peninsula. Average GC% contents of the 68 fish species (46.9%), the 59 shellfish species (38.0%), and the 29 insect species (33.2%) are reported. Using the Kimura 2 parameter in all possible pairwise comparisons, the average interspecific distances were compared with the average intraspecific distances in fish (3.22 vs. 0.41), insects (2.06 vs. 0.25), and shellfish (3.58 vs. 0.14). Our results confirm that distance-based DNA barcoding provides sufficient information to identify and delineate fish, insect, and shellfish species by means of all possible pairwise comparisons. These results also confirm that the development of an effective molecular barcode identification system is possible. All DNA barcode sequences collected from our study will be useful for the interpretation of species-level identification and community-level patterns in fish, insects, and shellfish in Korea, although at the species level, the rate of correct identification in a diversified environment might be low.
Biodiversity ; DNA ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Insects ; Korea ; Shellfish

The authors reviewed 102 cases of craniopharyngiomas with primary onset, which had occurred during a recent 15-year period. Among the 42 women and 60 men, 34 patients were children(aged 15 or less) and 68 were adults. The children showed clinical characteristics different from those of adults. With regard to initial presentation, headache was the most frequent chief complaint in children, while visual disturbance was most common in adults. The incidence of growth hormone deficiency was high in children, while in adults, adrenal corticosteroid deficit was most common. As seen on CT or MRI, the tumor was larger and calcification was more abundant in children than in adults. Gross total resection(GTR) was achieved in 46 cases. The main causes for incomplete removal were severe adhesion to the hypothalamus(31.3%) and the midbrain(18.8%), and heavy calcification(20.8%). The extent of surgery showed no significant influence on the Karnofsky Performance Score(KPS) on discharge, and in 82.4% of patients the results were good(KPS 80 or more). Postoperative endocrinological disturbances requiring hormonal replacement therapy were more common in the GTR group(p<0.01). In 22 recurrent cases, the median time from initial operation to recurrence was 18.5 months. Among patients who did not undergo postoperative radiation therapy, the recurrence rate was lower in those who had undergone GTR(p<0.05). An analysis of histological characteristics revealed that the adamantinomatous-type tumor recurred more frequently than the squamous papillary type. In conclusion, it is suggested that there is a difference in the growth pattern and clinical behavior of the tumor between adult and childhood craniopharyngioma. The authors recommend that unless expected postsurgical complications are detrimental to the patients, radical total resection should be attempted during the first operation, especially in patients who are under 15 and whose craniopharyngioma is of the adamantinomatous type. Radiation therapy should be considered for patients with a residual tumor and the treatment should be tailored to the individual.
Adult ; Child ; Craniopharyngioma* ; Female ; Growth Hormone ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Recurrence

Diphenylhydantoin(DPH) has been used intravenously as a drug of choice in conditions which seizure patients are incapable of oral feeding or in a state of status epilepticus. However, its clinical use has limitations because of its serious side effects of cardiac depression or systemic hypotension. In Western countries, the recently developed intravenous sodium valproate has been reported as safe and effective for seizure control in such patients. To assess the safety and effectiveness in seizure control, we investigated the serum levels of the drug at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days after intravenous administration of sodium valproate(Depakine(R)), occurrence of seizures in the perioperative period, and the side effects of the drugs in 30 neurosurgical patients older than 3 years of age. The mean serum concentrations of valproic acid after bolus injection of 15mg/kg followed by continuous infusion with the rate of 0.5mg/kg/hour, were over 45.0 microgram/ml;45.0+/-16.3 microgram/ml at 24 hours, 50.4+/-21.0 microgram/ml at 48 hours, and 58.9+/-20.7 microgram/ml at 7 days after the start of the administration. All the patients whose serum valproic acid level was within the therapeutic range(40-100 microgram/ml), had never experienced an episode of seizure attack during the perioperative days. There was no evidence of elevated liver enzyme activity, but there were evidence of some tendency of decreased platelet count in the peripheral blood at 2 days after the administration of intravenous valproic acid. Four patients experienced episodes of mild nausea and/or vomiting. In conclusion, perioperative intravenous administration of valproic acids in neurosurgical patients was safe and effective in seizure control. However, it must be used precauciously in the patients with compromised coagulation system.
Administration, Intravenous ; Depression ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Liver ; Nausea ; Perioperative Period ; Platelet Count ; Seizures ; Sodium* ; Status Epilepticus ; Thrombocytopenia ; Valproic Acid ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Antenatal screening for Down's syndrome has been developed and improved over the past 20 yr. Recently, integrated test, which combines the first and second trimester markers has shown the highest detection rate (DR) and lowest false positive rate (FPR) among Down's syndrome screening tests currently in use. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the screening performance of integrated test and to compare the results with triple test studies in Korea. METHODS: The study population consisted of Korean pregnant women who underwent triple or integrated test between April 2005 and December 2008. Triple test was performed using measurements of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the second trimester. Integrated test was performed using nuchal translucency (NT) by ultrasonography and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) from maternal serum in the first trimester, and AFP, uE3, hCG, and inhibin-A in the second trimester. The screening performance of each test was evaluated by DR and FPR. RESULTS: Twenty-seven Down's syndrome pregnancies were confirmed in women screened by triple (N=6,736) or integrated test (N=7,688). At 1:100, 1:270, and 1:300 of risk cutoff, triple test showed 45%, 73%, and 73% of DR and 4.7%, 11.2%, and 12.4% of FPR, respectively. At 1:100, 1:150, and 1:300 of risk cutoff, integrated test showed 63%, 69%, and 75% of DR and 1.5%, 1.9%, and 3.0% of FPR, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated test showed higher DR and lower FPR, demonstrating better screening performance than triple test.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Down Syndrome ; Estriol ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Nuchal Translucency Measurement ; Plasma ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Staphylococcal Protein A

Clinical practice guidelines for gynecologic cancers have been developed by many organizations. Although these guidelines have much in common in terms of the practice of standard of care for uterine corpus cancer, practice guidelines that reflect the characteristics of patients and healthcare and insurance systems are needed for each country. The Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology (KSGO) published the first edition of practice guidelines for gynecologic cancer treatment in late 2006; the second edition was released in July 2010 as an evidence-based recommendation. The Guidelines Revision Committee was established in 2015 and decided to produce the third edition of the guidelines as an advanced form based on evidence-based medicine, considering up-to-date clinical trials and abundant qualified Korean data. These guidelines cover screening, surgery, adjuvant treatment, and advanced and recurrent disease with respect to endometrial carcinoma and uterine sarcoma. The committee members and many gynecologic oncologists derived key questions from the discussion, and a number of relevant scientific literatures were reviewed in advance. Recommendations for each specific question were developed by the consensus conference, and they are summarized here, together with other details. The objective of these practice guidelines is to establish standard policies on issues in clinical areas related to the management of uterine corpus cancer based on the findings in published papers to date and the consensus of experts as a KSGO Consensus Statement.
Committee Membership ; Consensus* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Therapy ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Sarcoma ; Standard of Care