No abstract available.
Fingers* ; Humans ; Somatoform Disorders*

OBJECTIVE: No medication currently available for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is universally effective, and all can produce adverse effects. It is well known that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has an anti-inflammatory action without any adverse effects reported. It is also reported that diterpenoid which is a partially purified product ectracted from Acanthopanax koreanum has an anti-inflammatory effect. We conducted this study whether diterpenoid extracted from Acanthopanax koreanum has a regressive effect of collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1 mice. METHODS: Four groups of DBA/1 mice were immunized by intradermal injection of 1mg/kg chicken type II collagen with complete Freund's adjuvant. Group II received 5mg/kg of diterpenoid extracted from Acanthopanax koreanum orally daily and Group III receive 5mg/kg of phenylpropranoids extracted from Acanthopanax koreanum orally daily. Group IV received 1mg/kg dexamathasone intraperitoneally twice weekly. Group I received no treatment. The prevalence of arthritis were assessed twice weekly. Seoum anti-collagen antibody was measured by ELISA. Stimulation index of caltured splenocytes were measured. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 levels in the supernatant of cultured splenocytes stimulated with Con. A were also measured by ELISA. RESULT: Collagen induced arthritis(CIA) started to develop 5 weeks after collagen injections. In diterpenoid treated group, CIA seemed to be regressed, but in phenylpropranoid group, regressive effect of artiritis was not observed. In dexamathasone treated group, both of suppression of CIA could be observed. Levels of anti-collagen antibodies were reduced in dexamethasone treated group, but not in both diterpenoid and phenylpropranoid group. No significant differences of splenic mononuclear cell SI among the groups was observed. There was an increased secretion of interleukin-10 in the supernatant of cultured splenocytes stimulated by Con A of the diterpenoid treated group. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that the diterpenoid extracted from Acanthopanax koreanum have an effect on supression of CIA.
Eleutherococcus* ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Chickens ; Collagen Type II ; Collagen* ; Dexamethasone ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Freund's Adjuvant ; Injections, Intradermal ; Interleukin-10 ; Mice* ; Prevalence ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Patients with Sjögren's syndrome usually suffer from teeth discoloration and attrition due to xerostomia. If the anterior teeth are badly worn, problems such as loss of anterior guidance, occlusal disharmony, and limited space for restoration may occur. However, ideal occlusion is obtained in both centric and eccentric relation by regaining the disocclusion of the posterior teeth through the anterior and lateral guidance using twin-stage method. In this case, rehabilitation was performed for a Sjögren's syndrome patient with maxillary and mandibular incisor's severe attrition and teeth discoloration by using twin-stage method.
Dental Occlusion ; Humans ; Methods* ; Rehabilitation* ; Tooth* ; Xerostomia

Patients with Sjögren's syndrome usually suffer from teeth discoloration and attrition due to xerostomia. If the anterior teeth are badly worn, problems such as loss of anterior guidance, occlusal disharmony, and limited space for restoration may occur. However, ideal occlusion is obtained in both centric and eccentric relation by regaining the disocclusion of the posterior teeth through the anterior and lateral guidance using twin-stage method. In this case, rehabilitation was performed for a Sjögren's syndrome patient with maxillary and mandibular incisor's severe attrition and teeth discoloration by using twin-stage method.
Dental Occlusion ; Humans ; Methods* ; Rehabilitation* ; Tooth* ; Xerostomia

PURPOSE: To report triamcinolone regurgitation into the anterior chamber after intravitreal triamcinolone injection for macular edema. METHODS: A total of 402 eyes (432 cases) received intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema from November 2002 to December 2004. A retrospective review included the medical records of all patients who showed regurgitation into the anterior chamber after intravitreal triamcinolone injection. The clinical outcome and any complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Regurgitation was observed in 9 of 402 eyes (11 of 432 cases, 2.55%) after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection. All were phakic eyes. Pseudohypopyon was observed during the follow-up period but resolved gradually without any significant complications. Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide results in increased visual acuity (p<0.01) and decreased macular thickness (p<0.01) after 2 weeks of injection. CONCLUSIONS: Triamcinolone particles that regurgitated into the anterior chamber gradually resolved without any significant complications. These can, however, mask symptoms of endophthalmitis and delay accurate diagnosis, so careful follow-up examination is imperaive.
Anterior Chamber* ; Diagnosis ; Endophthalmitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema ; Masks ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; Triamcinolone* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: Although the demand for the mammoplasty including reduction or reconstruction is remarkably increasing, the anthropometric measurement for the breast, especially about the nipple areola complex(NAC) of Korean women has not been reported recently. Therefore, the anthropometric measurement about the NAC was performed to suggest the standard size of NAC for Korean women. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty five female volunteers in 20's through 50's were included for the study. Questionnaires including the diameter of NAC, the diameter, height of nipple, age, marital status, delivery and lactation history were distributed to the volunteers and collected. RESULTS: The mean values of our study are as follows: the areola diameter is 30.93+/-10.07mm, the nipple diameter is 10.21+/-4.14mm and the height of nipple is 6.54+/-3.74mm. The diameter of nipple areola complex(NAC) is bigger in old ages. If the volunteers have the history of marriage, delivery and lactation, it is bigger, as well. The height of nipple closely related to individual characters except the correlation between height of nipple and age. CONCLUSION: It is important to have standard data for the nipple areola complex in order to have good aesthetic results of mammoplasty. Despite the importance, there are a few measurement data for the nipple areola complex(NAC) of Korean women. The result of our study is not the absolute parameter for breast surgery, however it can be used as the standard size for NAC in the Korean female during breast surger
Anthropometry ; Breast ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation ; Mammaplasty ; Marital Status ; Marriage ; Nipples ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Children with acute colonic diverticulitis(ACD), can be misdiagnosed with acute appendicitis. METHODS: We reviewed 15 cases of ACD during five years, from January 1998 to June 2002 retro spectively. RESULTS: Most patients(80%) with ACD in children presented with right lower quadrant pain. The primary diagnosis on admission was mostly acute appendicitis(87%), and all ACD in children occurred in the right colon. Fourteen patients were managed by conservative treatment including antibiotics. A follow-up study was performed in 15 patients. There were symptomatic recurrences in two patients, but no significant complication was noted. The frequency of ACD was 11.7 per 1000 acute appendicitis. CONCLUSION: ACD in children can mostly be cured by conservative treatment. It is prudent to choose the management through the diagnostic work up, including abdominal sonography and computed tomography, because there was no significant difference of clinical findings between ACD and acute appendicitis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendicitis ; Child* ; Colon* ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulitis, Colonic* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: This study was performed to present out experience of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage (NAH) and to help diagnosis and management of NAH. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on 14 neonates diagnosed as NAH from January 1993 to August 2002 at Hallym Medical Center. Their clinical manifestations, risk factors, sonographic findings and progression of NAH were evaluated using medical records. RESULTS: There were 12 male cases and two female cases. All cases were full-term babies. In terms of method of delivery, there were 13 cases of vaginal delivery and one case of cesarean section. The most common symptom was jaundice(10 cases). Poor feeding, vomiting, anemia, scrotal swelling with bluish discoloration, abdominal distension and cyanosis were also noted. The risk factors included perinatal asphyxia(five cases), large baby(three cases), sepsis(one case) and birth trauma(one case). Twelve cases(85.7%) involved the right adrenal gland, one case(7.1%) the left side and one case(7.1%) bilateral. In abdominal sonography, hemorrhage was seen as an isoechoic mass with central anechoic portion(35.7%), a central hypoechoic mass with peripheral hyperechoic portion(28.6%), an anechoic cystic mass(28.6%) and a heterogeneous hyperechoic mass(7.1%). Only a conservative treatment was sufficient in all cases. In the 12 cases(85.7%) followed up, size of hemorrhage was reduced in repetitive sonography without any complications. CONCLUSION: The review of these patients emphasizes the subtle and diverse clinical presentation of adrenal hemorrhage in neonates and stresses the importance of repetitive abdominal sonography in establishing the diagnosis.
Adrenal Glands ; Anemia ; Cesarean Section ; Cyanosis ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography* ; Vomiting

Neonatal hydrometrocolpos is the cystic dilatation of the vagina and uterus, which is caused by the combination of vaginal obstruction such as imperforate hymen, transverse vaginal septum, or vaginal atresia, and glandular secretion by maternal estrogenic stimulation. Although hydrometrocolpos is a rare congenital abnormality unlike pubertal hematocolpos, it is one of the relatively common abdominal masses in neonates. In typical cases the diagnosis may be determined easily by the combination of a pelvic mass, upper urinary tract dilatation and a bulging membrane in the vaginal introitus. The presense of a lower abdominal mass in a female infant should always arouse suspicion of hydrometrocolpos and lead to careful examination of the vagina. We report a case of neonatal hydrometrocolpos due to imperforate hymen which was initially presented as a large abdominal mass and a bulging membrane in the vaginal introitus. For 72 hrs, the abdominal mass increased rapidly, accompanied by urinary tract obstruction. It was relieved by a simple incision of the imperforate hymen and drainage of 300 cc of whitish mucoid vaginal fluid, and by Foley catheter drainage of 750 cc urine. No other anomaly was observed.
Catheters ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Drainage ; Estrogens ; Female ; Hematocolpos ; Humans ; Hymen ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Membranes ; Urinary Tract* ; Uterus ; Vagina

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes in serum creatinine and correlation between gestational age or birth weight and serum creatinine in low birth weight infants in the immediate postnatal period. METHODS: Medical records of all premature infants, who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Hallym University Hospital between January 2003 and December 2007, were reviewed. 162 infants met our inclusion criteria. Medical records were reviewed for : birth weight, gestational age, length, gender, APGAR scores, use of medications, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) during the first days of life. Premature infants were separated into three groups according to their birth weight: 500 to 999 g; 1,000 to 1,499 g; and 1,500 to 2,000 g. RESULTS: Scr was found to decrease postnatally, however there was a delay in the decrease of Scr in the subgroup of infants<1,000 g BW, Scr was also found to decrease with increasing birth weight at 1 week after birth (Pearson test, p=0.01). Serum BUN was found to decrease with increasing birth weight at 1 week after birth (Pearson test, p=0.00). CONCLUSION: In low birth weight infants Scr decrease during the first days of life. However, in infants smaller than 1,000 g birth weight there is a delay in the decrease of their Scr that extends beyond the first days of life. Our findings indicate progression of renal function is directly correlated to birth weight.
Birth Weight ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Medical Records ; Parturition