No abstract available.
Abortion, Habitual* ; Cytogenetics* ; Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Pregnancy

Stabilization of the unstable spine created by the posterior decompression is as important as the decompression itself in the treatment of spinal stenosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of C-D pedicle screw fixation in stabilization after lumbar decompression, in reduction of spondylolisthesis and in restoration of the lumbar sagittal curvature. C-D pedicle screw fixation was performed in 102 spinal stenosis patients after posterior lumbar decompression and fusion during the period from March 1987 to December 1988. Their age ranged from 15 to 72 years with an average of 49.1 years. There were 34 males and 68 females. The follow up was from 6 to 21 months with an average of 12.5 months. The causes of spinal stenosis were degenerative in 50 patients, spondylolisthesis in 39, iatrogenic in 9 and degenerative lumbar scoliosis in 4. Objective clinical results showed significant improvement of claudication, SLR limitation, motor weakness, sensory and DTR changes in most patients. Following results were obtained from the study of C-D pedicle screw fixation after posterior decompression in lumbar spinal stenosis.1. C-D pedicle screws provide the secure fixation that allows early ambulation and shorter hospital stay. 2. C-D pedicle screws enable the reduction of spodylolisthesis at the time of posterior stabilization. 3. C-D pedicle screw fixation is successful in the restoration and maintenance of sagittal curvature of the lumbar spine. 4. C-D pedicle screw fixation enables the correction of scoliosis at the time of posterior decompression.
Decompression ; Early Ambulation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Pedicle Screws ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis

No abstract available.
Cryopreservation* ; Humans* ; Spermatozoa*

FISH is suggested as a possible method to detect the numerical and structural abnormalities of chromosomes in interphase nucleus. We performed this study to discuss the clinical usefulness of FISH in uncultured amniocytes and to set up the cut-off value for further study. We collected amniotic fluid samples from patients whose chromosome studies were recommended due to screen positive for Down and Edword syndrome in triple marker test using maternal serum. The centromeric probe for chromosome 18 and the locus-specific probe for chromosome 21 were used and the results were compared to their karyotypes. We could find 2 cases of trisony 21 and 2 cases of trisony 18 and the other cases represented normal karyotypes. The accuracies were 91% for disomy 18, 89% for trisomy 18, 92% for disomy 21 and 88% for trisomy 21. Therefore FISH technique is a possible method to detect the chromosomal abnormalities in uncultured amniocytes and the use of locus-specific probe for chromosome 21 would be more useful for detecting the aneuploidy of chromosome 21 than 13/21 centromeric probe.
Amniotic Fluid ; Aneuploidy ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; Down Syndrome* ; Female ; Fluorescence* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization* ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Interphase ; Karyotype ; Trisomy

OBJECTIVE: To determine the fetal aneuploidy in fetal blood cells from cordocentesis. METHODS: We analyzed their karyotype and performed fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) for chromosome 18, 21, X, and Y in 14 cases of fetal blood cells from cordocentesis at Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University and Hamchoon Women's Clinic. RESULTS: In all cases we obtained the consistent results in both methods and were able to rapidly detect aneuploidy in uncultured fetal blood cells using FISH before karyotyping with culture for 48 hr. The averages for accuracy of FISH were from 84.6 % to 93.9%. CONCLUSION: In this study we suggest that the rapid detection in uncultured fetal blood using FISH is possible and that this diagnostic method will be clinically useful when rapid result would be demanded.
Aneuploidy* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Cordocentesis ; Fetal Blood* ; Fluorescence* ; Gynecology ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Karyotype ; Karyotyping ; Obstetrics ; Seoul

PURPOSE: We investigated the results of voiding parameters according to the subtypes of audiovisual stimulation (AVS)- and sexual stimulation (SS)-penogram in patients with both erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty seven patients with ED and LUTS were included in this study. Erectile function was evaluated by international index of erectile function (IIEF)-5, AVS-penogram, and SS-penogram. After AVS-penogram, SS-penogram was performed 30 minutes after taking mirodenafil (100mg) orally. We also evaluated voiding function with international prostatic symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), urinary flow rate (UFR), residual urine volume (RV), and transrectal ultrasonograpy (TRUS). Voiding functionparameters were analyzed according to the subtypes of AVS- and SS-penogram. RESULTS: Although there was tendency that the IIEF-5 scores were lower in patients who showed decreased erectile responses on AVS-penogram, but it did not reach the statistical significance (p= 0.09). The RV was significantly increased as the erectile function worsens based on AVS-penogram (p= 0.003). However, no significant relationship was found betweenresults of SS-penogram and voiding function parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed some relationship between voiding function and erectile function evaluated by AVS-penogram, but not by SS-penogram, in patients with both ED and LUTS. AVS-penogram, as well as IIEF questionnaire, may play an important role in predicting voiding function in patient with both conditions .
Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Pyrimidinones ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sulfonamides

This study was designed to evaluate the contractile and relaxing responses of abdominal aorta in renovascular hypertension accompanied with essential hyper- tension and to examine the effect of angiotensin II receptor blocker(losartan). An experimental renovascular hypertension accompanied with essential hypertension model was established by clipping the left renal artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR). These rats were then divided into two groups of which one was given losartan during the one week postopertion before being terminated. Ring preparations of the abdominal aorta were obtained one week after the operation. The contraction of abdominal aorta strips were induced by high potassium or norepinephrine, and relaxation produced by acetylcholine or sodium nitroprusside. The contractile and relaxing responses were recorded and compared with data obtained from the control group. In the second experiment, the rats received angiotensin Il blocker(LRAO group), losartan in the drinking water for 7 days after the induction of the renal artery stenosis operation. Then, the contractile and relaxing responses were evaluated by the same method. The following results were obtained; 1) The contractile responses to the high level potassium solution and norepinephrine in renal artery occlusion(RAO) group were significantly increased compared with SHR group(p<0.05). 2) The contractile reponses to the high level norepinephrine in LRAO group were similar to that of SHR control group. However, there was no remarkable differences for high potassium. 3) The relaxing responses to the acetylcholine were significantly reduced in the RAO group compared with the SHR group. However, there was no remarkable differences for sodium nitroprusside. 4) There were no significant differences in the acetylcholine or sodium nitroprusside induced vasodilation response between the LRAO group and SHR group. From the above result, it is suggested that re- novascular hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats might induce changes of vascular responses and this effects may be concerned with endothelium-dependant mechanism. And angiotensin II receptor blocker rnay prevent the development of abnormal endothelium-dependent relaxation in renovascular hypertension accompanied with essential hypertension by maintaining endothelial function.
Acetylcholine ; Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Aorta, Abdominal* ; Drinking Water ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular* ; Losartan ; Nitroprusside ; Norepinephrine ; Potassium ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Receptors, Angiotensin ; Relaxation ; Renal Artery ; Renal Artery Obstruction ; Vasodilation

Solitary plasmacytoma of bone is a rare disease that accounts for only about 3~5% of all plasma cell tumors. Especially, no case of solitary plasmacytoma of a rib origin has been described in the Korean literature. A 54 year old Korean man was referred to our hospital for further evaluation of a lung mass that had been detected on a screening chest radiograph. A tumor with a left 6th rib origin was revealed by the computed tomography (CT) and positive emission tomography (PET-CT); therefore, surgical resection was performed. The histopathological findings of the tumor revealed plasmacytoma of a rib origin. The postoperative screening test revealed no evidence of multiple myeloma. Postoperative radiation therapy was not performed, and no new lesion has been noted during the 2 years of follow up.
Lung ; Mass Screening ; Multiple Myeloma ; Plasmacytoma ; Rare Diseases ; Ribs ; Thorax

To assess the early results, risk factors and optimal timing for coronary artery bypass graft surgery(CABG) after an acute myocardial infarction(AMI), we reviewed our 19 patients who underwent CABG within 30 days after AMI, between June 1994 and October 1996. This study excluded 1 patient whose diagnosis was AMI with ventricular septal rupture. 14 of the patients were male and 5 were female. Their ages ranged from 41 to 77 years(mean age, 60.6+/-10.4 years), and the amount of time between AMI and CABG ranged from 8 hours to 24 days(mean time, 10.6+/-6.4 days). There were 11 anteroseptal infarctions and 8 inferior wall infarctions. 11 patients had transmural infarctions and 8 had subendocardial infarctions. Indications of operations were primary revascularization and postinfarction angina. Three patients required preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP) support, and 4 additional patients required IABP to be separated from cardiopulmonary bypass. An average of 3.6+/-0.6 vessels per patient were bypassed. The early mortality rate for these 19 patients was 5.3% and late mortality rate was 5.5%, 1-year and 2-year actuarial survival rates were 89.5%. Univariate analysis of mortality showed that an ejection fraction less than 30% and intraopretative IABP supports were associated with risk factors(p value=0.018 and 0.015 respectively). Age, sex, time to CABG, emergency operations, types and locations of infarctions were not significant. Although our studies have weak points in that there was only a small number of patients and the lack of long-term results, we could conclude that early myocardial revascularization is relatively safe after AMI for those individuals with an ejection fraction greater than 30%.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate ; Transplants ; Ventricular Septal Rupture

The estimation of power spectrum based on the heart rate variability is studied to evaluate the variation of the tension and physiological workloads by the activity of the autonomic system as evaluation parameter. In this paper, we made an attempt to apply the pulse wave to estimate the variation of physiological condition quantitatively instead of the evaluation of power spectrum of HRV through electrocardiogram in the past by comparing and analyzing time series data for the similarity of the heart rate of electrocardiogram and pulse wave. For the similarity of two signals, we can get the likeness by calculating an average, a variance, a correlation coefficient, and the power peak and the shape of power spectral density from the time series data. In the experimental result, it is shown that same subject have a similar variation of time series and power spectrum density for electrocardiogram and pulse wave. As a result, it is expected to estimate a change of the tension and physical condition quantitatively through the evaluation of a power ~pectrum of HRV by Pulse Wave in the future.
Electrocardiography* ; Heart Rate* ; Heart*