The objective of this study was to compare the difference in serum total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration between controls and athletes, and examine its influence on biochemical parameters or cardiac structure and function of our study participants. Biochemical assay including serum tHcy and folic acid concentration were performed by automatic analyzer, and analyses on cardiac structure and function of study participants carried out by 3D echocardiography, respectively. There were significant positive correlation between serum tHcy and biochemical parameters such as serum creatinine and uric acid concentration in athletes, while there were significant positive correlation between serum tHcy and echocardiographic parameter such as FS (%) value in controls (p..05). In conclusion, our data suggest that the interaction between serum tHcy concentration and clinical parameters in athletes might be at least in part controlled by the difference way with controls. Further studies using larger sample size will be necessary to clarify the precise mechanism behind these interactions.
Athletes ; Creatinine ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Folic Acid ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Sample Size ; Uric Acid

We report here several experiences of interphase cytogenetics, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, for the detection of chromosome aberrations. FISH, using alpha satellite specific probes of 18, X, Y chromosomes, was done in interphase nuclei from peripheral blood of patients with Edwards' syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome and Turner's syndrome with healthy male and female controls, respectively. The distributions of fluorescent signals in 100 interphase nuclei were well correlated with metaphase findings. Nowadays FISH plays an increasingly important role in a variety of research areas, including cytogenetics, prenatal diagnosis, tumor biology, gene amplification and gene mapping.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cell Nucleus/*ultrastructure ; Child ; Chromosome Aberrations/*physiology ; Chromosome Banding ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Infant, Newborn ; Interphase/*physiology ; Male

BACKGROUND: A variety of therapeutic regimens has been used in the treatment of hypertrophic scars/keloids with onsatisfactory final results. Application of cryosurgery could be beneficial sinee it was reported to produce less scarring and recurrence after treatment compared with other methods. Objective This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the cryosurgery through objective, quantitative measurement of hypertrophic scar/keloid thickness and to assess the influence of the cryosurgery on fibroblasts. The latter was achieved through fibroblast cultures established from hypertrophic scars/keloids. METHODS: Eight patients, ageA 17 to 47 years old, with hypertrophic scars/keloids were treated with liquid nitrogen using the cantact method. One freeze-thaw cycle of 10-30 seconds per lesion was employed, and if needed, treatment was repeated every 20 to 40 days. The thicknesses of the lesions were measured objective,ly with ultrasound in five patients, before and after cryosurgery and were compared with controlled scars in other areas. In three patients, we cultured fibroblasts from the treated and the untreated lesions and exmuned the rate of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production. RESULTS: In all five patients, thicknesses of the hypertrophic scars/keloids decreased compared to those of controlled areas after treatment. Five of 6 hypertrophic scar cell lines demonsbated decreased fibroblast proliferation rates in comparison to control fibroblast lines. Collagen produced by the fibroblasts was variable. CONCLUSION: Cyosurgery was effective and safe in the treatment of hypertrophic scars/keloids.
Cell Line ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Collagen ; Cryosurgery* ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Keloid* ; Middle Aged ; Nitrogen ; Recurrence ; Ultrasonography

It is generally considered that enteral feeding is superior to parenteral nutritional support. Thus enteral meal should be given whenever patients have proper gastrointestinal function to take enteral feeding. Because the morbidity and mortality for surgical jejunostomy have been reported as high as 50% and 10% respectively, direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy has been developed to reduce the morbidity and mortality. A 55-year-old male patient, who was suffering from dysphagia and oropharyngeal aspiration, was transferred to the division of gastroenterology to be done permanent enteral feeding. His stomach was resected (subtotal gastrectomy with billroth II anastomosis) due to peptic ulcer hemorrhage 10 years before. We performed direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy without any complication. Herein, we report a successful case.
Deglutition Disorders ; Enteral Nutrition ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterology ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Jejunostomy* ; Male ; Meals ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Nutritional Support ; Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage ; Stomach

This study was undertaken to investigate the activities of genioglossus and orbicularis oris muscle between normal occlusion and anterior open bite group. 39 subjects without the experience of orthodontic treatment and T.M.disorder were selected for this study. 20 subjects were normal occlusion, 19 subjects were anterior open bite. The twenty items were measured from the cephalometric headplates, and EMG recording of the genioglossus, orbicularis oris muscle were taken at rest position, water swallowing, jaw opening, isometric tongue protrusion, maximum tongue protrusion. All data were analyzed and processed with the computer statistical method. The following results were obtained: 1. Except at rest position, the muscle activities of genioglossus muscle in anterior open bite were higher than in normal occlusion with significant difference. 2. Except during water swallowing, the muscle activities of orbicularis oris muscle in anterior open bite were higher than in normal occlusion with significant difference. 3. During maximum tongue protrusion, the geniolossus muscle of anterior open bite subjects showed the highest muscle activity. 4. Anterior open bite showed closer interrelationship between facial morphology ad the genioglossus, orbiculars oris muscle activities than that of normal occlusion with significant difference.
Deglutition ; Jaw ; Open Bite* ; Tongue ; Water

Lymphocytic hypophysitis is an autoimmune disorder of the pituitary gland which usually occurs in a woman in the postpartum period. Diabetes insipidus is not a major clinical feature of this disorder. We report a case of a 22-year-old man with lymphocytic hypophysitis which presented with diabetes insipidus and also involved his cavernous sinus. This represents the seventh reported and the youngest case of a man with lymphocytic hypophysitis. A comparative study of all six male patients is also presented. We suggest diabetes insipidus should be added to the spectrum of clinical manifestations of this disorder.
Female ; Male ; Humans

Extrahepatic metastasis of Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) to the gastrointestinal tract is uncommon. Because most of metastases to the gastrointestinal tract have no clinical manifestations, they are usually found incidentally at the time of an autopsy or a laparotomy, We experienced a case of duodenal metastasis of HCC, which presented UGI bleeding. A 59 years old male was admitted to our hospital due to generalized jaundice, which lasted for about a week. From the third day of admission, he had episodes of hematemesis and melena. An abdoinal CT scan demonstrated multiple, variable sized low-density masses in the entire liver with portal vein thrombosis and conglomerated lymph nodes. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a protruded submucosal mass-like lesion with multiple ulceration in the duodenal bulb. We confirmed the duodenal mass-like lesion to be hepatocellular carcinoma by a biopsy and a histoimmunochemical study.
Autopsy ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Laparotomy ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Melena ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ulcer ; Venous Thrombosis

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the outcomes of conservative management in elderly patients over 65 years of age who were diagnosed with pyogenic spondylitis. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The surgical treatment of pyogenic spondylitis can lead to complications in elderly patients in a poor general condition or with underlying diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 32 patients who were diagnosed with pyogenic spondylitis and had a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. Age, sex, comorbidities, clinical symptoms, and the involved segments were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis was assessed using clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. Antibiotic therapy was either specific (if positive culture results were found) or broad-spectrum cephalosporin (when the pathogenic agent was not isolated). Outcomes were assessed using residual pain and neurologic deficits. RESULTS: The mean onset time was 23.5 days (range, 3-90 days). The mean period of intravenous antibiotic therapy was 36.3 days (range, 10-90 days). All cases underwent conservative management, and 4 patients with progressive neurologic deficits due to epidural abscess underwent posterior laminectomy and abscess drainage. In all cases, the infection was successfully treated, although 12 cases reported residual lower back pain and 2 continued to exhibit minor neurologic deficits. CONCLUSIONS: In elderly patients with pyogenic spondylitis, satisfactory results were obtained with conservative management using antibiotics and orthosis after an early diagnosis, unless progressive neurologic symptom instability or spine deformities were noted.
Abscess ; Aged* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Comorbidity ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Epidural Abscess ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Low Back Pain ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Orthotic Devices ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Spondylitis*

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) offers some of the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. However, an additional skin incision is necessary in order to gain these advantages. The author recently performed a modified PPSF through a single skin incision and it yielded good results. Here, we report the single incision percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (SIPPSF). METHODS: The medical records of 51 patients who underwent single segment transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with pedicle screw fixation (PSF) between December 2009 and December 2011 were reviewed. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the PSF technique used; conventional group (Group C), SIPPSF (Group S) and PPSF through multiple skin incisions (Group M). Operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL) and pain intensity before and after the operation using a numeric rating scale (NRS) were evaluated. RESULTS: The number of patients in Group S, Group C and Group M was 25, 17 and 9, respectively. The NRS demonstrated a reduction in pain intensity in all the patients, and there were no differences in NRS scoring between the three groups. Group S showed a reduction in the EBL compared to Group C (p=0.001) and a reduction in the operation time compared to Group M(p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The author supposes that the type of skin incision does not correlate significantly with the clinical results of TLIF with PPSF. However, it can be considered that SIPPSF offers the advantage of avoiding an additional paramedian skin incision.
Humans ; Imidazoles ; Medical Records ; Nitro Compounds ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) offers some of the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. However, an additional skin incision is necessary in order to gain these advantages. The author recently performed a modified PPSF through a single skin incision and it yielded good results. Here, we report the single incision percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (SIPPSF). METHODS: The medical records of 51 patients who underwent single segment transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with pedicle screw fixation (PSF) between December 2009 and December 2011 were reviewed. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the PSF technique used; conventional group (Group C), SIPPSF (Group S) and PPSF through multiple skin incisions (Group M). Operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL) and pain intensity before and after the operation using a numeric rating scale (NRS) were evaluated. RESULTS: The number of patients in Group S, Group C and Group M was 25, 17 and 9, respectively. The NRS demonstrated a reduction in pain intensity in all the patients, and there were no differences in NRS scoring between the three groups. Group S showed a reduction in the EBL compared to Group C (p=0.001) and a reduction in the operation time compared to Group M(p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The author supposes that the type of skin incision does not correlate significantly with the clinical results of TLIF with PPSF. However, it can be considered that SIPPSF offers the advantage of avoiding an additional paramedian skin incision.
Humans ; Imidazoles ; Medical Records ; Nitro Compounds ; Skin