No abstract available.
Korea* ; Stroke*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A heparin-binding polypeptide called midkine is a family of secreted growth/differentiation cytokines and has a role in tumor growth by enhancing endothelial proliferation, vascular density and angiogenesis. In this respect, midkine may be involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the expression of midkine mRNA in the human nasal mucosa and polyps. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The total RNA was isolated from freshly disected inferior turbinate of patients who underwent rhinoplasty and from nasal polyps of chronic rhinosinusitis patients. The expression and distribution of midkine mRNA was investigated by reverse transcriptse- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization. The midkine mRNA expression in nasal mucosa and polyps were semi-quantitatively evaluated by Southern blot hybridization. RESULTS: The expression of midkine mRNA was identified in both normal inferior turbinate and nasal polyp. Histochemistry of in situ hybridization revealed that midkine mRNA in normal inferior turbinate was intensely expressed in the surface epithelium, submucosal glands, vascular endothelium, and inflammatory cells scattered in submucosal tissues. Midkine mRNA was expressed in the nasal polyps, many inflammatory cells and newly formed vascular endothelium, but not in the newly formed glandular epithelium. In semi-quantitative southern blot hybridization, midkine mRNAs did not have different expression levels between inferior turbinate and nasal polyps. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that midkine mRNA is innately expressed in human nasal mucosa, playing a role in nasal physiology. Also, the results show that midkine may be involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps via angiogenesis, tissue growth, and inflammatory process.
Blotting, Southern ; Cytokines ; Endothelium, Vascular ; Epithelium ; Humans* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Nasal Mucosa* ; Nasal Polyps ; Physiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polyps ; Rhinoplasty ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; Turbinates

PURPOSE: To report our early experience of hip arthroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty one patients (45 hips) who underwent hip arthroscopy from November 2007 to February 2009 were enrolled in the study. The population was divided into 3 groups in sequence. The operation time, fluoroscopic time, traction time, and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in operation time and traction time between the three groups. The fluoroscopic time decreased from 41 minutes in group I to 11 minutes in group III (p<0.01). There were four cases of nerve palsy; 2 pudendal nerve palsy in group I, 1 pudendal nerve palsy in group II, and 1 peroneal nerve palsy in Group III. All cases recovered completely within few days after surgery. Iatrogenic labral injury occurred in 4, 3 and 0 hips in group I, II and III, respectively. Iatrogenic cartilage damage to the femoral head occurred in 2, 3 and 1 hip in group I, II and III, respectively, which did not affect the outcomes. CONCLUSION: Definite improvement in the hip arthroscopy technique was observed in the fluoroscopic time. No serious complications, such as death or permanent nerve palsy, were encountered.
Arthroscopy ; Cartilage ; Head ; Hip ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Paralysis ; Peroneal Nerve ; Pudendal Nerve ; Traction

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate optimal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) level, to examine the factors affecting optimal CPAP level, and to develop a predictive equation for optimal CPAP level in Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). METHODS: A total of 202 patients with OSAS who underwent successful manual titration for CPAP treatment were included in this study. Correlations between the optimal CPAP level and baseline data including anthropometric and polysomnographic variables were analyzed. A predictive equation for optimal CPAP level was developed based on anthropometric and polysomonographic data. RESULTS: The mean optimal CPAP level in 202 patients with OSAS was 7.8+/-2.3 cm H2O. The mean optimal CPAP level in the mild, moderate, and severe OSAS groups was 6.0+/-1.3, 7.4+/-1.9, and 9.1+/-2.1 cm H2O, respectively. The apneahypopnea index (AHI) (r=0.595, P<0.001), arousal index (r=0.542, P<0.001), minimal SaO2 (r=-0.502, P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (r=0.494, P<0.001), neck circumference (r=0.265, P<0.001), and age (r=-0.164, P=0.019) were significantly correlated with optimal CPAP level. The best predictive equation according to stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was: Optimal CPAP level (cm H2O)=0.681+(0.205xBMI)+(0.040xAHI). Forty-two percent of the variance in the optimal CPAP level was explained by this equation (R2=0.42, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: A predictive equation for optimal CPAP level in Korean patients with OSAS was developed using AHI and BMI, which can be easily measured during the diagnostic process.
Arousal ; Body Mass Index ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Neck ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and radiological findings, and the results of the surgical treatment of osteoid osteomas and osteoblastomas of the spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: With the development of new imaging techniques, earlier diagnoses have been reported. However, a few reports of unexpected misdiagnosis, and postoperative results, have also been published. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1980 and September 2002, twelve patients were diagnosed with an osteoid osteoma or osteoblastoma of the spine, and were surgically treated. The average preoperative symptom-duration and follow-up period were 20 and 33 months, with ranges from 6weeks to 96 months, and 4 to 120 months, respectively. All the patients were younger than 30 years old, with the majority being of growing age, and underwent at least a bone scan, CT or MRI, as part of the diagnostic procedures. RESULTS: The most common symptom was pain at the lesion, with 2 torticollis and 4 scoliosis observed as combined spine deformities, respectively. Neurological abnormalities were seen more often in the osteoblastomas (80%) than in the osteoid osteomas (43%). From the radiological findings, a CT scan was a more effective procedure than any of the other diagnostic modalities in differentiating an osteosclerotic bony lesion and a nidus. In three out of the five MRI, 2 cases were misdiagnosed as infections and the other as a malignant tumor, with no significant abnormal findings in the simple roentgenogram. A wide excision was performed in all patients, and a fusion, with a bone graft, was also performed in 8. There were no postoperative spinal instabilities or complications. CONCLUSION: In a differential diagnosis, careful history taking for pain, and a physical examination for spine deformity, are required. Without any clinical information, these tumors can be misdiagnosed as malignant tumors, or other infectious diseases, in a MRI. With regard to the surgical treatment, there were no cases of recurrence reported due to the wide excision, but a fusion, both with or without instrumentation, can be considered to prevent postoperative spine instability.
Adult ; Communicable Diseases ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osteoblastoma* ; Osteoma, Osteoid* ; Physical Examination ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Scoliosis ; Spine* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Torticollis ; Transplants