No abstract available.

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy (HP) is a rare .condition, however, the rising incidence after in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) may present serious problems as the diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition is often missed. The purposes of this study were to investigate the frequency of HP after IVF-ET, to analyze the clinical presentation and the outcome of coincidental intrauterine pregnancy, and to evaluate the value of routine transvaginal ultrasonography in early diagnosis and treatment of HP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 11 cases of HP among 484 pregnancies after IVF-ET (The incidence was 2. 3%) in recent 2 years. We evaluated the clinical findings and the findings of transvaginal sonography in those 11 patients. RESULTS: The combined extrauterine pregnancies were tubal (n=9), cornual (n=l), and both the tubal and cornual (n=l). Vaginal bleeding was absent in 4 cases and one of them was asymptomatic. HP may be suspected if there was an elevated serum hCG in the absence of intrauterine multiple gestations. In all cases, the condition was diagnosed by transvaginal sonography performed prior to surgical intervention. The coincidental intr'auterine pregnancies were ended in successful full-term delivery in 7 cases, while one pregnancy was ongoing at that time. CONCLUSION: The incidence of HP was evidently higher in IVF-ET than in spontaneous pregnancies. Transvaginal sonography was useful in accurate diagnosis in clinically suspected cases and even in asymptomatic cases. Routine transvaginal sonography played an important role in early diagnosis and prompt management of HP.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Ultrasonography* ; Uterine Hemorrhage

No abstract available.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones*

No abstract available.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones*

No Abstract Available.
Cytokines* ; Receptors, Cell Surface*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to review articles related to the psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). METHODS: Systematic literature searches of computerized databases were performed to identify articles on psychometric evaluation of the PSS. RESULTS: The search finally identified 19 articles. Internal consistency reliability, factorial validity, and hypothesis validity of the PSS were well reported. However, the test-retest reliability and criterion validity were relatively rarely evaluated. In general, the psychometric properties of the 10-item PSS were found to be superior to those of the 14-item PSS, while those of the 4-item scale fared the worst. The psychometric properties of the PSS have been evaluated empirically mostly using populations of college students or workers. CONCLUSION: Overall, the PSS is an easy-to-use questionnaire with established acceptable psychometric properties. However, future studies should evaluate these psychometric properties in greater depth, and validate the scale using diverse populations.
Humans ; Psychometrics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

With aging, several progressive changes occur on the midface including descent of attenuated lower eyelid skin which creates a skeleton-like appearance with infraorbital hollowness, and descent of the malar fat pad with exaggeration of the nasolabial fold. Most of the procedures for midfacial rejuvenation require extensive peripheral-to-central dissection in the subcutaneous, sub-SMAS or subperiosteal plane. The author's procedure entails direct access to the midface through a subciliary incision, elevation of the orbicularis oculi muscle and ptotic malar soft tissue. It has been performed through subcutaneous dissection on 67 patient and subperiosteal dissection on 4 patients. Subcutaneous dissection on the midface was made laterally to the zygomaticus maior, medially to the levator labii superioris under the oricularis muscle and inferiorly beyond the nasolabial fold. The range of subperiosteal dissection was similar to subcutaneous dissection, except on the dissection plane. Suspension sutures made at the malar retaining ligament and infero-lateral portion of the orbicularis oculi were fixed to periosteum of the lateral canthal area. In some patients, this procedure was combined with forehead lift(4), temporal lift(2), upper blepharoplasty(28), cervicoplasty(2), and lateral canthoplasty(12). In 23 patients who had a particularly prominent tear trough, a fat sliding technique was combined. The author has followed up 62 patients from a minimum 2 months to a maximum 27 months. Complications included urdercorrection(3), longstanding malar fullness(2), ectropion(1), transient numbness(2), and cheek dimpling(1). In conclusion, this centrofacial can be applied to patients who have limited ptosis of the midface with mild nasolabial fold.
Adipose Tissue ; Aging ; Cheek ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Nasolabial Fold ; Periosteum ; Rejuvenation ; Skin ; Sutures

In several pathologic conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative arthritis, the joint swelling is the main manifestation as a local reaction of systemic diseases. A quantitative analysis of Ig G, Ig A, and Ig M in sera and joint fluids of such patients is attempted for the purpose of evaluating the significance of its clinical application. Also, the significance of the change in immune globulin level is evaluated statistically. 1) Joint fluids were aspirated from 74 patients who visited Seoul National University Hospital with a chief complaintt of joint swelling. (from April, 1968 to October, 1970) Sera wera taken from 55 cases. 2) In detalis of joint fluid aspirants, 23 patients were rheumatoid arthritis, 25 were degenerative arthritis and 26 were involved in traumatic arthritis. 3) In sera rheumatoid arthritis patients were 13, degenerative arthritis were 18, and 24 cases were traumatic arthritis. 4) The level of Ig A of jnint fluid is about one third of that of serum and the Ig G and Ig M level of joint fluid are approximately a half of serum respectively. 5) In rheumatoid arthritis cases, Ig A level in serum and Ig G level of joint fluid are increased significantly but, in general, there is a tendecy of increment of the other fractions except the level of Ig M in joint fluid. 6) In degenerative arthritis, the levels of lg 6 in serum and in joint fluid are elevated, and Ig M value in serum is decreased significantly. 7) The serum values of Ig G, Ig A, Ig M of traumatic arthritis cases are almost same as normal cases. 8) In joint fluids of traumatic arthritis cases, Ig G value is 950.6±272.2 mg/100ml, Ig A is 111.8 ±19.7 mg/ml, and IgM is 44.5±8.9 mg/100ml. The levels of immune globulins in joint fluids of traumatic arthnitis cases are used as control data, because of its nortorious difficulty in obtaining joint fluid from healthy persons.
Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Joints ; Osteoarthritis ; Seoul ; Synovitis

The effects of brisk walking & muscle strengthening exercise on pain, fatigue, physical function & disease activity were examined in 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Research design was a quasi-experimental study of nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. 14 for the experimental group and 14 for the control group were selected from the outpatients on rheumatoid arthritis clinic of Dong-A University Hospital. The experimental group underwent 16 weeks of brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercise using Thera-Band. Pain, fatigue. physical function & disease activity was measured before and after 16 weeks of exercise. At baseline test, Fatigue & physical function score between groups were significantly different. So differences within experimental group (baseline versus follow up)were compared with differences within the control group by Mann-Whitney test. There were significant differences between groups in the difference score on pain (U=6.50 p .001) and fatigue (U=26.5 p .0l). For the experimental group. the score on the pain & fatigue was significantly decreased but no changed for the control group. Also there was a significant differences between groups in the difference score of the physical function (u=22.5 p .001). For the experimental group, the score of the physical function has been significantly increased. However, for the control group, it has been no changed. But there were no significant differences between groups in the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and the CRP (C-reactive protein) level. In summary, brisk walking & muscle strengthening exercise led to significant improvements in pain, fatigue. and physical function without exacerbating disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Fatigue* ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Research Design ; Walking*