Between August 1994 and June 1995, seventeen patients diagnosed as having partial or complete ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament on MRI were managed by non-operative methods. Among them four patients were excluded due to operation during follow-up and the results were evaluated at a one year follow-up. We selected the patients prospectively for non-operative care using the selection criteria of age, degree of instability, activity level and patient compliance. The average age of them was 37.7 years. Initially knee stress test and MRI were checked, and Cybex study and Lysholm knee scoring were done at post-trauma one year follow-up. They were managed conservatively by ROM and muscle strengthening exercises and a brace fitting schedule for three months. Among them, six cases had partial tears and seven had a complete tear initially. At the one year follow-up, five of six cases who had shown partial ruptures, and two of seven cases with complete tears, recovered continuity of the ruptured ACL on MRI. Their Lysholm knee score was 84.4, and the Cybex test showed no difference in muscle power between the injured and uninjuried side. Those patients who had loss of continuity on follow-up MRI showed Lysholm score of 57.4 and decreased muscle power on Cybex study. Although there are still controversies about the adequate management of ACL injuries, our study suggests that conservative management is a viable alternative to surgery as long as the patients are selected prudently. For more concrete results, however, careful analysis based on a longer follow up period is necessary.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Appointments and Schedules ; Braces ; Exercise ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Patient Compliance ; Patient Selection ; Prospective Studies ; Rupture*

No abstract available.
Blood Group Antigens*

An epidemiological study on brugian filariasis was carried out in endemic areas including Cheju Island in Korea, with a brief review of literatures.The results showed that the incidence among residents has remarkably decreased in Cheju Island, which was the main endemic area. Reviewing available informations on the prevalence of filariasis reported in recent years and also judging from the present socio-economic conditions which enable people to practice personal protection against mosquitos, it can be said with confidence that filariasis has almost disappeared from Cheju Island and inland areas. The disease is considered to remain at a low level of endemicity in Hugsan Islands. Certainly mass diethylcarbamazine (DEC) treatment carried out in Cheju Island in the 1960s and 1970s and remarkable economic growth followed by improved living standard and altered life-style of inhabitants could all have combined effects on the disappearance of this mosquito-borne diseae in this island. If the present trends go on, the possibility of resurgence of filariasis in Cheju Island is hardly postulated.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Brugia malayi ; filariasis ; epidemiology

A retrospective analysis of 29 patients with glottic cancer, treated at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital. 97% of the patients was male. Of the 29 patients, stage T1N0M0 comprised 31%, T2N0M0 52%, and stage T3N0M0 14%. Local control rate with radical readiotherapy was 78% for stage T1N0M0, 60% for stage T2N0M0, and 50% for stage T3N0M0. 57% of the patients with the radiation failure was salvaged by surgery. The overall 3 year survival rate was 89% for the T1N0M0, 80% for stage T2N0M0, and 50% for stage T1N0M0, Among the survivors : 88% of T1N0M0, 75% of T2N0M0, and 50% T3N0M0 had an intact larynx and natural voice. It is concluded that radiotherapy is a highly effective method as the primary treatment of the early glottic cancer, emphasized on preserving of the larynx and natural voice.
Humans ; Larynx ; Male ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Voice

A case of right-sided infective endocarditis in a 22-year-old male with ventricular septal defect of perimembranous type, right ventricular(RV) infundibular and pulmonic valve stenosis was reported. The vegetations were found on the mural endocardium of RV infundibulum and pulmonic valve. Streptococcus viridans was identified in 5 consecutive blood cultures, Pulmonary embolism and septic infarction in the lung was associated with systemic embolization, which was manifested by left renal infarction. The RV infundibular stenosis was due to anomalous muscle bundle at the proximal portion. Therefore, we thought that the mechanism of RV infundibular vegetation was probably due to 'Venturi effect and turbulence'. Several clinical features which were found in this case were also reviewed.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Endocarditis* ; Endocardium ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lung ; Male ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Viridans Streptococci ; Young Adult

28 times of Urethrotomy under endoscopic direct vision was made on 26 patients with urethral stricture. The results were as follows: l. Urethrotomy under endoscopic direct vision was highly useful for the primary management of any urethral stricture without associating with portion and length of stricture. 2. It could be easily repeated when the stricture recurred. 3. It was very safe, with few complications, 1 case of false passage and 2 cases of acute epididymitis and 2 cases of urinary incontinence.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Epididymitis ; Humans ; Male ; Urethral Stricture* ; Urinary Incontinence

BACKGROUND: It is a popular notion that cutaneous ageing includes two distinct phenomenon; true ageing, a universal presumably inevitable change attributable to the passage of time alone, and photoageing, changes attributable to chronic habitual sun exposure that are neither universal nor inevitable. Numerous investigations with experimental animals, in vitro skin models have been conducted, although, few histological studies to date have attempted to announce fundamental morphological changes with innate ageing. OBJECTIVE: We compared skin derived from the breast of old and young persons using light microscopy to discern structural changes in epidermal and dermal morphology with advancing age. METHODS: The histological, immunohistochemical studies were performed with normal skin sections of thirty donors who were diagnosed with breast cancer. They were classified into three age cohort groups; nine into group I (22 to 38), twelve into group II(40 to 52), and nine into group III(54 to 87). We chose the breast as an area that might closely resemble intrinsically aged skin. This region is relatively shielded from photoageing by its anatomical location. Analysis of data was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA test for dermal parameters based on a 5-point rating scale, and a simple regression test for a positive rate of immunoreactants. Results : 1. Light microscopic appearance of aged skin revealed a more flattened epidermis than young skin. There was no trend for an increase in epidermal melanin content per unit area on Fontana-Masson staining. There was an age-associated decrease in the Ki-67 positive rate(p<0.001), the density of Ki-67 positive cells declined approximately 1.16% per decade in photoprotected skin(p<0.001). The number of S-100 positive cells declined approximately 4.4/mm width along the dermo-epidermal juction per decade in photoprotected skin(p<0.001). The expression of differentiation markers(keratin 1, involucrin, filaggrin, loricrin) were not different among the three age cohort groups. 2. With advancing age, there was an attenuation in the number and diameter of elastic fibers in the papillary dermis and an increase in the number and straightness of the same fibers in the reticular dermis. The collagen fibers are arranged in sparse bundles in disarray, and/or aggregates of loosely woven, straight fibers in the aged skin. There was an apparent, age-related decrease in the stainability of ground substances in the papillary dermis on colloidal iron staining. Conclusions : Our data documents semi-quantitative differences among three groups in intrinsically aged breast skin and provide the framework for future research to evaluate the ageing process.
Animals ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cohort Studies ; Collagen ; Colloids ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Iron ; Melanins ; Microscopy ; Skin* ; Solar System ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Anemia, Dyserythropoietic, Congenital*

BACKGROUND: There has been an increase in incidence of localized scleroderma. However observations on the clinical aspects ot localized scleroderma have been scarce in Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the clinical observations and associated diseases of localized scleroderma METHODS: During a 10-year-period from Jan. 1984 to Dec. 1993, 61 patients were evaluated in regard to age incidence, sex ratio, clinical type, location and distribution of plaque and linear type, and associated conditions. RESULTS: l. Age distribution from 4 to 61 years with mean of 27.6 years. Most patients were between 11 to 30 years of age. 2. Sex distribution of male 14 female 47 with 3: 1 ratio in favor of female. 3. No difference in right and left involvement. 4. Plaque and linear forms were predominant. 5. The plaque form was distributed evenly while the linear form involved mainly the head and neck. The linear form and generalized form appeared most frequently in developement of associated conditions. 6. ANA test results were positive in 14 patients and most of them were of the speckled pattern. 7. Of the 41 patients who were treated with d-penicillamine, 26 patients showed improvement of their lesions.
Age Distribution ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Neck ; Penicillamine ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; Sex Distribution ; Sex Ratio

No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Humans ; Marchiafava-Bignami Disease*