No abstract available.
Ligaments* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Tendons* ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells*

No abstract available.
Arthroplasty* ; Hip*

A 21-year-old woman, who had a one-year history of pancytopenia with histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis and hepatosplenomegaly, presented with a 5 day history of tense bullae, which were localized on the face. These clusters of tense bullae occurred on clinically normal skin, she did not have other skin lesions. A diagnosis of bullous systemic lupus erythematosus (BSLE) was established based on clinical, laboratory, histological, and immunological findings. The bullae showed good responses to dapsone (100mg, daily) and resolved within 10 days with-out scaring. Bullous lesions of SLE may be the first cutaneous manifestation in some patients with SLE and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the other subepidermal bullous disorders.
Blister ; Dapsone ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Pancytopenia ; Skin ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation* ; Young Adult

We present a case with bilateral synchronous seminoma in abdominal cryptorchid testes in a 35 year-old male patient and a review of the literature. Diagnosis was made by abdominal C.T. scan and exploration. The tumor stage was IIa. Radiation therapy and re-exploration of abdomen were done. In six months of follow-up, no evidence of recurrence was recognized.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Seminoma* ; Testis*

Kainic acid, an analogue of glutamate, causes limbic seizures and induces cell death in the rat brain. We examined the activation of MAPK family kinases; ERKs, JNKs and p38 kinase in rat hippocampus after KA treatment. Activation of all three kinases were observed at 30 min after the treatment, but, in contrary to ERK phosphorylation, which lasted up to 3 h, the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 returned to the basal level by 2 h. The phosphorylation of' upstream kinases for the MAPK family was distinct. The phosphorylation of MEK1 clearly increased at 30 min but diminished rapidly thereafter. The phosphorylation of MKK6 was also increased but reached peak at 2 h after KA treatment. However, the phosphorylation of other upstream kinases, SEK1 and MKK3, gradually decreased to 3 h after KA treatment. These results indicate that the KA activates all of the three MAPK family kinases with different time patterns and suggest the possibility that MKK3 and MKK6, and SEK1 may not be the upstream kinases for p38 and JNK in rat hippocampus.
Animal ; Enzyme Activation ; Hippocampus/*drug effects/enzymology ; Kainic Acid/*pharmacology ; Limbic System/drug effects ; Male ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/*metabolism ; Rats ; Seizures/*chemically induced

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of PLIF using cages on the unstable level and additional instrumented posterolateral fusion in patients with multilevel lumbar degenerative disease with segmental instability. METHODS: Clinical and radiological outcomes including the rate of bony fusion and changes in disc height, translation, and angular displacement on PLIF level, and its complications were analyzed in 28 patients (male:female=8:20) who were observed for more than 2 years (mean 30.6 months) between 1998 and 2000. RESULTS: The rate of successful fusion was 93% (26 patients). Clinical outcomes according to Prolos's classification were revealed with excellent in 10 patients (36%), good in 14 patients (50%), fair in 3 patients (10%), and poor in 1 patient (4%). The mean disc height on the PLIF level (35 levels including 6 patients with 2 levels PLIF) was changed from 0.48+/-0.11, preoperatively to 0.66+/-0.08 at 2-year follow-up by Farfan method (P<0.05). Mean vertebral body translation was decreased from 7.52+/-2.74mm, to 1.07+/-1.33mm and mean angular displacement was corrected from 11.21+/-4.43 degree to 1.03+/-0.62 degree (P<0.05). Permanent complications were relatively minimal. CONCLUSION: Favorable outcomes were achieved in 86% with relatively low surgical morbidity rates. It can be concluded that PLIF using cages on unstable lumbar segment and additional instrumented posterolateral fusion method is an effective stabilizing method for the multilevel lumbar degenerative disease with segmental instability in spite of its technical demanding and long operation time.
Classification ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To determine the dincal significance of placenta previa totalis. METHODS: Maternal and neonatal medical rerords were reviewed retrospectively. Between March 1990 and June 1997, sixty-nine pregnant women with placenta previa totalis delivered at Asan Medical Center. Diagnosis of placenta previa totalis was confirmed during cesarean section. RESULTS: Mean maternal age at diagnosis was 31.7+ 3.9 years and 3 patients(4.3%) were nullipara. Fifty two patients(75%) had the history of vaginal bleeding during their index pregnancy and seventeen of 52 patients were admitted more than once. Median gestational age at the time of initial bleeding episode was 33.2 weeks(range 23.5-41. 1) and median interval from the first admission to delivery was 11 days(range 1-63), Major placental implantation site was posterior uterine wall(64%, 44/69). Six cases(8%) were complicated with placenta accreta or increta and no case was combined with abruptio placentae. Estimated blood loss at the time of cesarean section was 1,510+/-952ml(mean+/-SD) and 43 patients(62%) were transfused. No case was complicated with disseminated intravascular coagulation. Eight patients(11.6%, 8/69) underwent cesarean hysterectomy because of uncontrollable bleeding. Thirty four patients(49.3%) delivered their babies before 37 weeks of gestation. The mean gestational age at delivery was 36.4+/-3.0 weeks(mean+/-SD). Major neonatal morbidity was respiratory distress syndrome(20.3%, 14/69). Perinatal death rate was 4.3%(3/70). CONCLUSION: Because pregnant women complicated with placenta previa totalis have high probability for transfusion and cesarean hysterectomy, these patients should be managed cautiously and thoroughly. The most frequent neonatal morbidity was respiratory distress syndrome due to preterm delivery.
Abruptio Placentae ; Cesarean Section ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Maternal Age ; Mortality ; Placenta Accreta ; Placenta Previa* ; Placenta* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: Although curcumin has a protective effect on bone remodeling, appropriate therapeutic concentrations of curcumin are not well known as therapeutic drugs for osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the bone sparing effect of treatment of low-dose and high-dose curcumin after ovariectomy in rats. METHODS: Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either a sham operation (the sham group) or bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). The ovariectomized animals were randomly distributed among three groups; untreated OVX group, low-dose (10 mg/kg) curcumin administered group, and high-dose (50 mg/kg) curcumin group. At 4 and 8 weeks after surgery, serum biochemical markers of bone turnover were analyzed. Bone histomorphometric parameters of the 4th lumbar vertebrae were determined by micro-computed tomography (CT). In addition, mechanical strength was determined by a three-point bending test. RESULTS: High-dose curcumin group showed significantly lower osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and the telopeptide fragment of type I collagen C-terminus concentration at 4 and 8 weeks compared with the untreated OVX group as well as low-dose curcumin group. In the analyses of micro-CT scans of 4th lumbar vertebrae, the high-dose curcumin treated group showed a significant increase in bone mineral densities (p=0.028) and cortical bone mineral densities (p=0.036) compared with the low-dose curcumin treated group. Only high-dose curcumin treated group had a significant increase of mechanical strength compared with the untreated OVX group (p=0.015). CONCLUSION: The present study results demonstrat that a high-dose curcumin has therapeutic advantages over a low-dose curcumin of an antiresorptive effect on bone remodeling and improving bone mechanical strength.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; Bone Density ; Bone Remodeling ; Collagen Type I ; Curcumin* ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Ovariectomy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To examine the effect of biflorin, a component of Syzygium aromaticum, on memory deficit, we introduced a scopolamine-induced cognitive deficit mouse model. A single administration of biflorin increased latency time in the passive avoidance task, ameliorated alternation behavior in the Y-maze, and increased exploration time in the Morris water maze task, indicating the improvement of cognitive behaviors against cholinergic dysfunction. The biflorin-induced reverse of latency in the scopolamine-treated group was attenuated by MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist. Biflorin also enhanced cognitive function in a naïve mouse model. To understand the mechanism of biflorin for memory amelioration, we performed Western blot. Biflorin increased the activation of protein kinase C-ζ and its downstream signaling molecules in the hippocampus. These results suggest that biflorin ameliorates drug-induced memory impairment by modulation of protein kinase C-ζ signaling in mice, implying that biflorin could function as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of cognitive problems.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Hippocampus ; Memory Disorders ; Memory* ; Mice* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Protein Kinases ; Syzygium ; Water