No abstract available.
Computer Simulation* ; Orthognathic Surgery*

No abstract available.
Computer Simulation* ; Orthognathic Surgery*

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare home care dental devices for their dental plaque removal ability. METHODS: A single blinded randomized crossover clinical study design was used to measure plaque index (Turesky Modification Quigley-Hein Plaque Index). RESULTS: All 3 groups showed a statistically significant decrease in the plaque index after usage (P<0.001). In manual tooth-brushing group, the teeth on the right dental arch showed a greater decrease in the plaque index than on the left arch (P=0.041). All appliances showed greater plaque reduction in the upper right posterior teeth than in the lower right posterior teeth (P=0.009, 0.004, 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support development of more effective oral hygiene appliances and emphasis on oral hygienic education.
Dental Arch ; Dental Devices, Home Care ; Dental Plaque Index ; Dental Plaque* ; Education ; Health Education ; Oral Hygiene* ; Tooth ; Vibration*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship the electrodiagnostic findings with the functional outcomes in spina bifida patients and to assess usefulness of follow up electrodiagnostic study. METHOD: Initial and follow up electrodiagnostic data of 100 patients who had been diagnosed as spina bifida were obtained retrospectively. Electrophysiological diagnosis and neurological level were investigated by the findings of needle electromyography. Each patients were divided into no change, improvement and deterioration group according to follow up study. The change of urodynamic study findings and clinical findings were also investigated. The recent functional outcomes and the presence of complications were evaluated by recent outpatient record. RESULTS: 56 patients had no change, 15 patients had improvement and 29 patients had deterioration electrophysiologically. The initial electrodiagnostic findings were associated with the functional outcomes in patients with spina bifida (p<0.05). However, neurological level by electrodiagnostic findings cannot predict functional outcomes except ambulation activities. The change of electrodiagnostic findings of follow up study were related with the change of clinical findings statistically (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Follow up electrodiagnostic study as well as initial study is necessary for the evaluation of the change of neurological states in the patients with spina bifida.
Diagnosis ; Electrodiagnosis ; Electromyography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Needles ; Outpatients ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Dysraphism ; Urodynamics ; Walking

PURPOSE: Recently, a percutaneous aspiration with sclerotherapy has become the treatment of choice for the symptomatic, large, and simple renal cyst because of its minimal invasiveness and high effectiveness. The recurrence rate of a percutaneous aspiration only, was reported to range from 30 to 70%. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of percutaneous aspiration with sclerotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of the treatment in 36 cases of simple renal cysts from October 1993 to December 1999 were evaluated. The symptoms associated with simple renal cysts were: flank pain or discomfort (50%), none (47.2%) and a palpable mass (2.8%). The simple renal cysts were treated with a percutaneous aspiration only in 6 cases, a percutaneous aspiration with sclerotherapy using 99% ethanol in 21 cases or a 10% minocycline solution in 9 cases. All patients were followed up by ultrasound for 6 to 56 months (mean 18 months). RESULTS: Complete collapse, and partial collapse rate of the renal cysts were 1/6 (16.7%), 2/6 (33.3%) in the aspiration only group, 6/21 (28.6%), 14/21 (66.7%) in the 99% ethanol group and 3/9 (33.3%), 4/9 (44.4%) in the 10% minocycline solution group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, a percutaneous aspiration with sclerotherapy using either 99% ethanol or 10% minocycline solution appears to be an effective way to the prevent re-accumulation of cystic fluid. However, the success rates in the percutaneous aspiration with sclerotherapy using 99% ethanol and 10% minocycline solution were not significantly different.
Ethanol ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Minocycline ; Recurrence ; Sclerotherapy* ; Ultrasonography

Scar endometriosis is one of the rare conditions among the extrapelvic endometriosis, but it often occurs after pelvic operation and episiotomy. Four cases of scar endometriosis following Cesarean section and episiotomy were exp- erienced and treated with complete surgical excision. Therefore we reported these cases with concerned literatures.
Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix* ; Endometriosis* ; Episiotomy ; Female ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a combination drug therapy (tamsulosin plus finasteride) for benign prostatic hyperplasia, with a small prostate volume of less than 40 grams. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three patients, with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia of less than 40 grams, were analysed. Group 1 (n=67) had been treated with a combination of finasteride (5mg/day) and tamsulosin (0.2mg/ day), and Group 2 (n=56) with tamsulosin only (0.2mg/day) over a 12 month period. The patients were periodically assessed by IPSS (international prostate symptom score), uroflowmetry and residual urine, during the treatment period. RESULTS: The mean changes in the total symptom score, obstructive and irritative symptom score for group 1 and group 2 at 1 year were -7.21+/-7.44 (39.86%), -4.79+/-5.07 (45.02%) and -2.42+/-3.25 (48.11%), and -7.39+/-9.98 (43.06%), -4.82+/-6.91 (45.21%) and -2.39+/-4.00 (37.82%) points, respectively. The mean changes in the peak urinary-flow rates and postvoid residual urine for group 1 and group 2 at 1 year were 2.07+/-5.42 (16.65%)ml/s and -31.58+/-60.99 (56.47%)ml, and 2.38+/-6.57 (16.53%)ml/s and -34.78+/-86.77 (50.24%)ml, respectively. The effects of the combination of finasteride and tamsulosin were no greater than the tamsulosin monotherapy (p>0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of finasteride and tamsulosin is no more effective than tamsulosin alone, in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, with a prostate volume of less than 40 grams.
Drug Therapy, Combination ; Finasteride* ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia*

Prepubertal Sertoli cell tumor of testis is very rare and most of them are benign. The choice of treatment is radical orchiectomy but careful follow-up for possible retro peritoneal spread is appropriate. We report a rare case of Sertoli cell tumor of testis in a 8-year-old boy. His chief complaint was a painless left testicular swelling from birth. Serum levels of tumor markers were within normal limits. Radical orchiectomy was performed, and cut surface of testis was yellowish and was completely displaced by lobulated tumor mass. Postoperative CT and chest x-ray showed no evidence of metastasis. The patient is alive without evidence of disease for 8 months postopera tively.
Child* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Orchiectomy ; Parturition ; Sertoli Cell Tumor* ; Testis* ; Thorax ; Biomarkers, Tumor

OBJECTIVE: Correlations between semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were investigated to identify characteristics of sperm without DNA damage that could be used in selecting sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Pregnancy outcomes were compared to determine whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) or ICSI is a better choice for patients who have sperm with a high-DFI. METHODS: Semen analysis was carried out in 388 patients who visited our IVF center for the first time to investigate correlations between sperm DFI and semen parameters. In addition, 1,102 IVF cycles in 867 patients were carried out in the present study; 921 cycles in the low-DFI group (DFI <30%) and 181 cycles in the high-DFI group (DFI ≥30%). Both the low- and high-DFI groups were subdivided into IVF and ICSI cycle groups. RESULTS: Sperm DFI showed significant inverse correlations with sperm motility (r=−0.435, p<0.001) and morphology (r=−0.153, p<0.05). Sperm DFI also showed significant correlations with rapid motility (r=−0.436, p<0.001), and the kinetic parameters of average-path velocity (r=−0.403) and linearity (r=−0.412). Although there was no significant difference in the pregnancy rates between IVF (48.6%) and ICSI (44.8%) in the low-DFI group, the pregnancy rate of ICSI cycles (44.8%, p<0.05) was significantly higher than IVF cycles (25.0%) in the high-DFI group. No significant difference was observed in the abortion rates between the low-DFI (52 of 921, 5.6%) and high-DFI groups (7 of 181, 3.8%). CONCLUSION: ICSI is a better choice than IVF for improving the pregnancy outcomes of patients who have sperm with a high DFI.
Abortion, Induced ; DNA Damage ; DNA Fragmentation* ; DNA* ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

BACKGROUND : Fibronectins (FNs) are adhesive glycoproteins that have variable primary structures owing to cell type-specific splicing of the FN precursor mRNA. FNs can be classified as plasma (p-FN) and cellular (c-FN) types, and c-FN may play a role as a marker of malignancies. CEA and CA 125 have been reported as useful tumor markers, but FNs have not studied adequately in gastric cancers. METHODS : We evaluated the clinical significance of urinary and plasma c-FN in thirty-five patients who were operated on our department due to gastric cancer from January 1997 to August 1997. The c-FN level was determined by enzyme immunoassay using a FIBRONECTIN EIA kit (Takara Shuzo Co., Kyoto, Japan). RESULTS : The levels of urine c-FN in gastric cancer patients (215.6 470.2) were higher than those in the control groups (94.1 63.0 ng/mgCr) and also showed a tendency to increase with advancing of tumor growth. A higher rate of increased urine c-FN also was identified in patients with distant metastasis than in patients without distant metastasis (6/8 vs. 10/27, p=0.05). However, p-FN didn't showed any differences according to extent of tumor invasion and/or presence of distant metastasis. Other parameters, such as age, sex, preoperative tumor size, and depth of invasion, were not correlated with urine and plasma c-FN. CONCLUSIONS : Urine c-FN may be useful as a new tumor marker in gastric cancer and can be helpful in early detection of metastasis and peritoneal seeding, but further studies and follow up are needed for complete clinical application.
Adhesives ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Fibronectins* ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Plasma ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Neoplasms*