PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate screw joint stability and sagittal fit between internal connection implant fixtures of two different manufacturers and customized abutments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Internal connection implant systems from two different manufacturers (Biomet 3i system, Astra Tech system) were selected for this study (n=24 for each implant system, total n=48). For 3i implant system, half of the implants were connected with Ti ready-made abutments and the other half implants were connected with Ti CAD-CAM custom ones of domestic-make (Myplant, Raphabio Co., Seoul, Korea) and were classified into Group 1 and Group 2 respectively. Astra implants were divided into Group 3 and Group 4 in the same way. Micro-CT sagittal imaging was performed for fit analysis of interfaces and preloading reverse torque values (RTV) were measured. RESULTS: In the contact length of fixture-abutment interface, there were no significant differences not only between Group 1 and Group 2 but also between Group 3 and Group 4 (Mann-Whitney test, P>.05). However, Group 2 and Group 4 showed higher contact length significantly than Group 1 and Group 3 in abutmentscrew interface as well as fixture-screw one (Mann-Whitney test, P<.05). In addition, RTV was lower in CAD-CAM custom abutments compared to ready-made ones (Student t-test, P<.05). CONCLUSION: It is considered that domestically manufactured CAD-CAM custom abutments have similar fit at the fixture abutment interface and it could be used clinically. However, RTV of CAD-CAM custom abutments should be improved for the increase of clinical application.
Computer-Aided Design* ; Joints ; Seoul ; Torque

Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (T-SAH) is said to be typically occurred in a young, healthy, but intoxicated man who receives a minor blow, immediately collapses, and dies within minutes. Sixteen forensic cases of T-SAH were analysed in the point of time of collapse, blood alcohol level, injured site, vascular rupture sites, and sentenced servitude. Majority of the cases (12 cases) were autopsied in the department of Kyungpook National University. Two cases of National Institute of Scientific Investigation, South District Office and 1 case of Jeju National University were added. Autopsy was not done in one case. There were 14 male and 2 female victims. The peak age were their forties (7 cases) and under twenties (7 cases). The time of incident was most often at night. The survival time from the time of trauma until death indicates that 62.5% (10 victims) died immediately from the assault, 12.5% (2 victims) died within 30 minutes. Blood alcohol was detected in 11 cases (68.8%), and mean blood alcohol level was 0.16% (0.08-0.22%). The damage was generated to the facial region, especially around the jaw and below the ears (7 cases), and temporal areas (4 cases). Bleeding foci were detected in 7 cases; basilar artery (2 cases), left vertebral artery (2 cases), and right vertebral artery (3 cases). Meticulous autopsy techniques for identifying the vascular rupture sites are required. The author conclude that tremendous emphasis must be placed on the fact that fatal T-SAH can occur due to minor facial trauma and social campaign for alerting people to the danger of T-SAH is needed.
Autopsy ; Basilar Artery ; Death, Sudden ; Ear ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jaw ; Male ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic* ; Vertebral Artery

Angiosarcoma associated with lymphedema is a rare soft tissue malignancy that occurs owing to chronic lymphedema, primarily following breast cancer surgery. We present a case of an 83-year-old female who developed angiosarcoma 14 years after undergoing breast cancer surgery. Diagnosis was confirmed through excisional biopsy, histopathological evaluation, and imaging. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse dermal thickening with an enhanced subcutaneous nodular lesion on the right arm. This unusual case emphasizes the importance of vigilant monitoring in patients with chronic lymphedema post-breast cancer surgery, as early radiologic and clinical detection can facilitate timely intervention and improve outcomes.

Angiosarcoma associated with lymphedema is a rare soft tissue malignancy that occurs owing to chronic lymphedema, primarily following breast cancer surgery. We present a case of an 83-year-old female who developed angiosarcoma 14 years after undergoing breast cancer surgery. Diagnosis was confirmed through excisional biopsy, histopathological evaluation, and imaging. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse dermal thickening with an enhanced subcutaneous nodular lesion on the right arm. This unusual case emphasizes the importance of vigilant monitoring in patients with chronic lymphedema post-breast cancer surgery, as early radiologic and clinical detection can facilitate timely intervention and improve outcomes.

Angiosarcoma associated with lymphedema is a rare soft tissue malignancy that occurs owing to chronic lymphedema, primarily following breast cancer surgery. We present a case of an 83-year-old female who developed angiosarcoma 14 years after undergoing breast cancer surgery. Diagnosis was confirmed through excisional biopsy, histopathological evaluation, and imaging. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse dermal thickening with an enhanced subcutaneous nodular lesion on the right arm. This unusual case emphasizes the importance of vigilant monitoring in patients with chronic lymphedema post-breast cancer surgery, as early radiologic and clinical detection can facilitate timely intervention and improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Brief epidodes of ischemia have been shown to make the heart more resistant to subsequent ischemia in animal studies(known as ischemic preconditioning, IP). This phenomenon was tested in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA). METHODS: Thirteen patients who had significant epicardial coronary stenosis without myocardial infarction, ventricular hypertrophy or conduction defect, received two to four 2-min balloon inflations separated by 5 min of reperfusion. Surface electrocardiogram(S-ECG) and intracoronary electrocardiogram (IC-ECG) from an angioplasty guide wire were recorded before and after balloon inflation. RESULTS: The changes of ST segment were observed in 13 out of 15 lesions on IC-ECG and 7 on S-ECG. The maximal ST changes on IC-ECG and S-ECG were 20.2+/-13.7mm and 1.21.5mm respectively(p<0.01). The time to beginning of ST segment change after balloon inflation were 10.1+/-12.6 seconds and 63.3+/-14.2 seconds on IC-ECG and S-ECG, respectively(p<0.01). The maximal changes of ST segment on IC-ECG during the second inflation were significantly lower than that during the first(20.2+/-13.7 vs 16.312.3mm, p<0.05). However, changes of R wave, T wave and QT interval were not significantly different between two inflations. The recovery time to baseling ECG after initiation of reperfusion were 50.2+/-41.7 seconds and 38.5+/-29.6 seconds for the first inflation and the second, respectively(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that IC-ECG is more sensitive and reliable than S-ECG in detection of myocardial ischemia and that IP may occur during PTCA since ST segment shift is decreased and is normalized earlier at the second balloon inflation compared with the first.
Angioplasty ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary* ; Animals ; Coronary Stenosis ; Electrocardiography* ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Inflation, Economic ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Reperfusion

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Acute promyelocytic leukemia is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia with a specific clinical and molecular presentation. Treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia with all-trans retinoic acid or arsenic trioxide in association with anthracyclin has improved outcomes in this disease. We report the results of all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide-based treatment regimens in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients diagnosed in a single center. METHODS: Thirty-seven treatment events in 26 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Complete remission was achieved in 29 (78.4%) of 37 treatment events. One-year overall survival rate and 1-year event-free survival rate were 74.3% and 66.3%, respectively. Among 16 patients treated with an arsenic trioxide-based regimen, 14 patients (87.5%) achieved complete remission. The 1-year overall survival rate and 1-year event-free survival rate were 78.4% and 69.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term use of arsenic trioxide for salvage treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia seems to be efficacious and could be a bridge to intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation in terms of minimizing the risk of severe disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Arsenic ; Arsenicals ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; Oxides ; Retrospective Studies ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Survival Rate ; Tretinoin

BACKGROUND: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is expected to play a role in hemodynamic modulation. Its biologically inactive fragment, the 76-amino-acid N-terminal proBNP (NT-pro-BNP), was known as one of the biologic markers of congestive heart failure and other clinical situations. But, there are controversies about clinical significance of NT-pro-BNP in ischemic stroke. This study was performed to find the clinical significance of NT- pro-BNP in early stage of acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: NT-pro-BNP levels were measured in 610 consecutive patients who admitted to the department of neurology at Chonnam National University Hospital. 205 patients were excluded due to incomplete follow-up period (more than 2 weeks), systemic infection, and etc. 286 ischemic stroke patients and 119 patients as control subjects were enrolled. NT-pro-BNP levels between stroke group and control were analyzed. When the patients in stroke group had more than 300 pg/mL of NT-pro-BNP, they were regarded as high group and the others were low group. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was checked at admission and 2 weeks later. Relationship between changes of NIHSS and the NT-pro-BNP level was also investigated. RESULTS: The NT-pro-BNP levels were significantly increased in ischemic stroke patients (830.87 pg/mL) compared with control group (378.27 pg/mL) (p=0.002). And the high levels of NT-pro-BNP in stroke patients were related to severity on admission and cardioembolic infarction. But there was no correlation between NT-pro-BNP and improvement of NIHSS. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, significant relationship between the severity of ischemic stroke and NT-pro-BNP was found. But NT-pro-BNP was not related to early prognosis of ischemic stroke.
Biomarkers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Infarction ; Jeollanam-do ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Neurology ; Prognosis ; Stroke*

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with capecitabine and cisplatin in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Eighteen patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled on the study. The chemotherapy during CRT consisted of two cycles of intravenous cisplatin of 60 mg/ m2 on day 1 and oral capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily from day 1 to 14 at 3-week intervals. The radiotherapy (2.0 Gy fraction/day to a total dose of 60 Gy) was delivered to the primary tumor site and regional lymph node. After concurrent CRT, 2 cycles of capecitabine (1,000 mg/m2 b.i.d from days 1 to 14) plus cisplatin (60 mg/m2 on day 1) were added every 3 weeks. All patients completed the planned treatment. After the chemoradiotherapy, 12 complete responses (CR, 66.7%) and 6 partial responses (PR, 33.3%) were confirmed. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia only occurred in 2 patients, plus no treatment-related death was observed. At a median follow-up duration of 14.9 months, the estimated overall survival and progression-free survival rate at 2-yr was 70.7% and 54.4%, respectively. Concurrent CRT with capecitabine and cisplatin was found to be well-tolerated and effective in patients with esophageal cancer.
Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*administration & dosage ; Cisplatin/*administration & dosage ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Deoxycytidine/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives ; Esophageal Neoplasms/drug therapy/radiotherapy/*therapy ; Female ; Fluorouracil/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

Since vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be a potent pro-angiogenic factor, we evaluated the potential association of two VEGF gene polymorphisms (-634G>C and 936C>T) with the susceptibility and the clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC). The VEGF genotypes were determined using fresh colorectal tissue from 465 patients who had undergone a surgical resection and peripheral blood lymphocytes from 413 healthy controls by PCR/DHPLC assay. For the -634G>C polymorphism, the -634 GC or CC genotype was associated with a decreased risk of CRC (odds ratio [OR], 0.62; p=0.001) as a dominant model of C allele, whereas the 936 TT genotype correlated with advanced stage/ metastasis, a high serum level of CA19-9, and an higher grade in patients with CRC. In the haplotype analyses, haplotype -634C/936C and -634G/936T were associated with a decreased susceptibility of CRC (OR, 0.53 and 0.56; p<0.001, respectively). These observations imply that the VEGF gene polymorphisms may be associated with the susceptibility or clinicopathologic features of CRC. However, further studies of other VEGF sequence variants and their biological functions are needed to understand the role of the VEGF gene polymorphisms in the development and progression of CRC.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*epidemiology/*genetics/secondary ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/epidemiology ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/epidemiology/genetics/pathology ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*genetics