OBJECTIVES: The sensitivity and accuracy of thermistor airflow signal has been debated. The purposes of this study were to compare apnea-hypopnea index(AHI) detected from a conventional thermistor signal and a nasal pressure transducer of airflow(NPT), to evaluate the value of NPT for the diagnosis of upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), and to measure airway pressure fluctuations which produced respiratory arousals in UARS by naso-oro-esophageal manometer catheter. The subjects were 30 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [mild(540), 10), and 6 UARS patients. Airway resistance arousal in this study was defined as arousals which were not associated with apnea or hypopnea of thermistor signal, but showed significant decrease of nasal airflow pressure just before arousal and a prompt recovery of nasal airflow pressure after arousal, The airway pressure fluctuations were measured during 260 airway resistance arousals observed in 10 patients with OSAS, 2 with UARS. RESULTS: Mean AHIs of patients with OSAS were 33.4 by thermistor and 48.4 by NPT. The AHIs of mild, moderate and severe OSAS group were 10.2, 32.1, 65.4 respectively by thermistor and 23.1, 45.9, 76.4 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with UARS was 3.2 by tehrmistor and 108 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with nonspecific arousals was 2.7 by thermistor and 4.4 by NPT. The mean airway pressure changes during resiratory arousals of different groups were 8.7 cmH2O in mild OSAS, 11.4 cmH2O in moderate OSAS, 24.7 cmH2O in severs OSAS and 6.6 cmH2O in UARS. CONCLUSION: The nasal pressure transducer of airflow was more sensitive and accurate for assessing respiratory disturbances of patients with OSAS and was extremely helpful for the diagnosis of UARS without esophageal pressure monitoring. From the results, we would like to propose carefully the NPT diagnostic criteria for sleep disordered breathing as follows : NPT-AHI 5-15->UARS, 15-35->mild OSAS, 35-55->moderate OSAS and >55 ->severe OSAS.
Airway Resistance* ; Apnea ; Arousal ; Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Transducers, Pressure

The relative merits of cartilage scoring versus suturing in techniques for correcting the prominent ear remains a subject of debate among leading plastic surgeons. We compared a variety of echniques for correcting the prominent ear in 72 rabbit ears using scoring, horizontal mattress sutures, and combination scoring and suturing. The ears were splinted with a right-angle fold for 3 postoperative weeks, and the animals were sacrificed after 8 weeks. Suturing techniques in combination with scoring maintained an angulation significantly closer to the desired 90 degrees than cartilage scoring or cartilage suturing only(p<0.05). Histological analysis demonstrated a significant increase in cartilage hyperplasia by suturing alone, whereas the other techniques achieved only mild to moderate increases. We recommend cartilage scoring and suturing through skin incision on severe degrees of prominent ear, and cartilage needle scoring and buried suturing through slit incision on mile-to-moderate degrees of prominent ear.
Animals ; Cartilage ; Ear* ; Hyperplasia ; Needles ; Rabbits* ; Skin ; Splints ; Sutures

We present a case of acquired, bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules in 50-year-old women, She had deeply brownish, confluent or solitary macules and patches distributed symmetrically on the both side of the forehead and temple, since years ago. But there was no involvement (of ocular and oral mucosa. Histopathologic findings showed flattening of the rete ridges and elongated or irregular shaped melanocytes containing many melaiiin granules, in upper-and mid-dermis. And most of melanocytes showed positive reactions on Dopa stain.
Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; Nevus*

We experienced a case of scrotal calcinosis which was considered to be developed from the trichilemmal cysts of the scrotum. This 22 year-old male patient has been suffered from pea-sized hard muliple yellowish nodules of the scrotum since. about 5 years ago. Histopathologic findings revealed multiple cysts or calcium lumps surrounded by variable a.mounts of granulomatous inflammatory infiltrations in the dermis. The cysts were lined by stratified squamous epithelium without intercellular bridge and surrounded by scanty inflammatory cells. Several cysts contained homogenous keratinous material but most cysts contained calcium deposits within the homogenous keratinous materials or only the calcium lumps in the intact epithelial linings. Most of calcium lumps which had partially or completely disintegrated epithelial linings were surrounded by active granulomatous inflammatory infiltrations and a few calrium lumps with completely disintegrated epithelial linings had no surrounding inflammatory cells. Observing the above histopathologic features, we could consider that this case of scrotal calcinosis was developed from the scrotal trichilemmal cyst and some cases of idiopathic scrotal calcinosis, previousely reported, were the end stage of the above process.
Calcinosis* ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Male ; Scrotum ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: In recent years gonorrhea has been pandemic and remains one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases(STD) in the world, especially in developing countries. OBJECTIVE & METHOD: For the detection of a more effective therapeutic regimen and to assess the prevalence of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG), we have been studying patients who have visited the VD Clinic of Choong-ku Public Health Center in Seoul since 1980 by means of the chromogenic cephalosporin method. RESULTS: In 1995, 97 strains of N. gonorrhoeae were isolated, among which 41(42.3%) were PPNG. CONCLUSION: Since the prevalence of PPNG was reported as 21.9% in 1981, the rate fluctuated. However, in 1993, there was an increase up to 74.3%. Thereafter, the prevalence rate decreased to 64.3% in 1994 and 42.3% in 1995. These changes will therefore need continuous observation.
Developing Countries ; Gonorrhea ; Humans ; Methods ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae* ; Neisseria* ; Pandemics ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Seoul*

A clinical and histopathologic study was done on 48 cases of cutaneous tuberculosis among 43, 209 out-patients in Dermatologic department of Korea t.Jniversity Hospital during the period of 15 years and 9 mont4s from January, 1969 to September, 1984. These 48 cases were consistent with skin tuberculosis in histologic and clinicalI finc1ings, The result were summarized as follows: ]. The incidence of skin tuberculosis was 0 I 1 g among 43, 209 cases of outpatients. 2. Localized type of skin tuberculosis was 3. 2 times more frequent than disseminated type. Frequent skin tuberculosis was lupus vulgaris (57 3%), erythema induratum (12, 5%), tuberculosis verrucosa cutis(8.3%) and lupus milaris disseminatus faciei (8. 3%). 4, The ratio between male and fenmle was 1: l. 1. 5 The ages of onset were variable according to the types of skin tuberculosis. but 45 8% of all cases developed in the age group between 10 and 29 years. Seasonal incidences of skin tuberculosis were 52. 1% in spring, 85%, in winter, 18. 8% in summer, 4, 2%, in autumn. 7 In histopathologic findings, there were tubercle or tubrculoid structures in all cases and typical tubercle structures were observed in 18.8% The ratio of accordance between the histopathologic diagnosis and clinicopa thologic diagnosis was 81.3%.
Diagnosis ; Erythema Induratum ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lupus Vulgaris ; Male ; Outpatients ; Seasons ; Skin* ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Cutaneous*

No abstract available.
Nose*

No abstract available.
Nerve Regeneration*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Rats* ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

No abstract available.
Cartilage* ; Glutaral* ; Rabbits* ; Transplants*