No abstract available.
Epilepsy* ; Vigabatrin*

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Infant, Newborn ; Prognosis*

PURPOSE: There have been numerous retrospective and uncontrolled study of laparoscopic appendectomy. Although most of these have concluded that the laparoscopic appendectomy is at least as good as open appendectomy, there has been considerable controversy as to whether laparoscopic appendectomy is superior. METHODS: We performed total 47 cases of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) during one year from January 1997 to December 1997 and these were compared with 50 cases of open appendectomy (OA) in same period to assess the clinical usefulness. RESULTS: The sex, male to female ratio and severity of appendicitis were similar in both groups. The anesthetic time was longer in the LA group (P<0.05) but operative time was similar. Gas-passing time and diet-intake time in postoperative period were earlier in LA group (P<0.05). The LA group required less analgesics in postoperative period. In LA group, no case was converted to open appendectomy and overall complication rate was lower in LA group but this was not statistically significant. Among the postoperative complication, the wound infection rate was absolutely lower in LA group (P<0.05). The diagnostic rate for acute abdomen including acute appendicitis was superior in LA group, especially in reproductive women. The hospital stay was shorter in LA group (P<0.05) and hospital charges was not different in both group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendectomy offers considerable advantages over open appendectomy because this has ability to reduce postoperative complications and shorten recovery times and is useful for detecting the cause of acute abdomen other than acute appendicitis. So we expect this technique will be alternative operation or new standard operation in selected cases for suggestive acute appendicitis.
Abdomen, Acute ; Analgesics ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Female ; Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Wound Infection

No abstract available.
Epilepsy*

PURPOSE: The penis has been attracted to everyone associated with various diseases and sexual activity. Lots of materials and instruments has been applied to the penis for sexual arousal. Furthermore, those ar e usually made and applied in inappropriate ways by non-medical personnel. This resulted in lots of complications in various degrees. So, we investigated the real problems concerning various procedures performed on the genitalia by non-medical personnel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively medical records of 32 male and one female patients having complications which had been developed following some procedures on the genitalia by non-medical personnel from January 1995 to December 1999. These patients were analyzed according to characteristics of the patients, the methods, purposes, complications and treatments. RESULTS: Their age at first visit was various from 12 years to 70 years (mean, 35.8 years). At that time when procedures had been performed, their age were 12 years to 56 yeats (mean, 30.8 years) in 26 cases whose ages were identified. Among them 22cases (66.7%) were the married and 11 (33.3%) were the unmarried. Occupations were various and out-of-work were 10 (30.4%), commerce 8 (24.2%), firm worker 6(18.2%), student 5 (15.2%), and private job manager and the not-identified 2 (6.1%). according to the school career, the high school graduates were 18 (54.6%), the college graduates 7 (21.2%), middle school graduates 4 (12.1%), and 4 were under middle school. These procedures were performed for sexual satisfaction in 29 cases (87.9%) and for cheap and easy circumcision in 4 cases (12.1%), of which 26 cases (78.8%) had been performed by other person and 7 cases (21.2%) by himself. According to the materials used, 22 (66.7%) cases had been injected vaseline or paraffin in to the penis and one (3.0%) into the vulva, and one (3.0%) plicated his penile skin with rubber band using sewing needle, which 24 cases (72.7%) were for enlargement of the genitalia. 2 (6.0%) cases inserted plastic balls into the penile skin for sexual arousal of partner. 3 (9.1%) cases put a metallic ring, a ceramic ring, and a vacuum device over their penis for improving erection quality, respectively. 4(12.1%) cases had applied the commercially-maid self-circumcision devices over their prepuce, Complications were foreign body sensation, pain at erection, inflammation, skin necrosis, and septic condition, which were variable case by case. Treatments were removal of foreign materials and devices, necrotic tissue, and primary repair of defected skin, for that, in 2 (6.0%) cases, skin flap and graft were needed. CONCLUSIONS: Lots of complications, severe in some cases, had been developed on external genitalia following various procedures performed by medically unauthorized person. So, we have to strongly for their purpose and it would be rather harmful. At the same time, we have to strongly recommend the government to control strictly such materials and instruments not to be sold and used inappropriately.
Arousal ; Ceramics ; Circumcision, Male ; Commerce ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Medical Records ; Necrosis ; Needles ; Occupations ; Paraffin ; Penis ; Petrolatum ; Plastics ; Retrospective Studies ; Rubber ; Sensation ; Sexual Behavior ; Single Person ; Skin ; Transplants ; Vacuum ; Vulva

Pertutaueous transluminal angioplasty is the treatment of choice for renovascular hypertension in cases due to the renal vascular occlusion which is not severe enough to pass dilatation catheter. The advantages of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty are the use of local anesthesia, its noninvasiveness without surgical risk, feasibility of repetition and shorter hospital days compared with surgical methods. We are presenting a case of renovascular hypertension due to atherosclerosis cured by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with the review of literatures.
Anesthesia, Local ; Angioplasty* ; Atherosclerosis ; Catheters ; Dilatation ; Hypertension, Renovascular*

Carotid bruit is a physical sign derived from the turbulence of carotid blood flow and has been rgarded as one of the imponant risk factor of ischemic stroke. To estimate a crude prevalence of carotid bruit in ischemic stroke in Korea at present time, and evaluate the correlation of carotid bruit with carotid stenosis and site of ischemic lesion, we investigated the brain imaging studies (computed tomography and / or magnetic resonance imaging)and cerebral angiographict finding of fifty patiens with caoti bruit.Thirty-nine (3.9 %) ot of nine hundred and ninety-six ischemic stroke patients had bruit around the carotid bifurcation. And the other eleven cases who did not have ischemic stroke were detected to have carotid bruit during the routine neurological examination at the bedside.Th presence of infarction in one side of carotid territory was not significantly differentwhether the bruit was heard or not in that side, but the presece of carotid stenosis in angiographY had a tendency to be significantly different by the audible bruit on that side. Carotid bruit does not necessarily reflect the infarction of that side, but can only be used as a predictor of ipsilateral extracranial carotid occlusive disease in this preliminary study. Further extensive prospective study is needed for the exact prevalence of rate and the clinical usefulss of the carotid bruit in Korea.
Angiography ; Carotid Stenosis ; Humans ; Infarction ; Korea ; Neuroimaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Stroke

To determine the frequencies of the genotypes of NAT2 gene in healthy Korean populations and to identify the high-risk genotypes of NAT2 gene in colorectal cancer patients, 115 healthy controls and 109 cancer patients were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP). The distribution of NAT2 polymorphism in healthy Korean was found to be 7.8% of S/S genotype, 48.7% of S/F genotype, and 43.5% of F/F genotype. And the frequency of phenotypes was 8% of slow acetylator and 92% of rapid acetylator. S/S genotype of colorectal cancer patients was slightly more frequent than that of healthy controls(11.9% vs 7.8%). The relative risk of S/S genotype to colorectal cancer was estimated to be 1.41, taking the risk of F/F genotype as a baseline(1.00). These results suggest that the distribution of frequencies of NAT2 genotypes is very unique in Korean characterized by extremely low frequency of slow acetylator geno type(S/S) in comparison to the other ethnic groups. And the slow acetylator genotype(S/S) in Korean was found to be more susceptible to colon cancer. Therefore, S/S genotype may have a certain role an colonic carcinogenesis in Korean.
Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Ethnic Groups ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Korea* ; Phenotype

Migration of roundworms, Ascaris lumbricoies, into the biliary tract is a relatively common cause of biliary symptoms in endemic areas, but the number of reported gallbladder ascariasis was scanty even in these areas. Some diagnostic methods might provide suggestive informations, but there are no pathognomonic clinical features for biliary ascariasis, so it is discovered usually after surgical exploration, which is especially the case of gallbladder ascariasis. A young female patient with 4 months' history of right upper quadrant pain which did not respond to medical control and was aggravated recently, presented normal level of peripheral blood leukocyte count with no eosinophilia, normal liver function test, normal serum amylase level and subjectively no febrile sense. Abdominal ultrasonogram disclosed a long, thick, linear, non-motile echogenic structure, not accompanied by acoustic shadowing, within the gallbladder. The intra-and extra-hepatic bile ducts were not dilated and the pancreas was revealed as normal echogenecity and contoru. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed immediately thereafter, and it showed a thin linear filling defect in the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy was performed under the impression of gallbladder ascariasis. A mummified Ascaris lumbricoides was found in the lumen of the gallbladder. There was no stones and the histologic examination of the gallbladder revealed chronic cholecystitis.
Acoustics ; Amylases ; Ascariasis* ; Ascaris ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis ; Eosinophilia ; Female ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Liver Function Tests ; Pancreas ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Ultrasonography