No abstract available.
Bowen's Disease ; Fingers

We selected one hundred magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in knees of patients with internal derangement of the knee, in all of those cases, arthroscopic operations were performed. Twenty medical doctors, who didnt know the arthroscopic findings, reviewed these MRI; 5 radiology specialists, 5 radiology residents, 5 orthopedic surgeons and 5 orthopedic residents. The radiologists were not informed about the medical history and physical examination of the patients when they read the MRI, but the orthopedic surgeons had the information about those of the patients. The accuracy of reading of MRI was compared between radiologists and orthopedic surgeons, and between specialists and residents. The check-list of the reading were medial and lateral meniscus, ACL and PCL, medial synovial plica and osteochondral lesion. Overall results of accuracy of MRI reading were as follows; radiology specialist-86%-, radiology resident-77%-, orthopedic surgeon-90%- and orthopedic resident-84%-. So accuracy was superior in orthopedic group and specialist group. The medical history and the physical examination of the patients were very helpful to improve accuracy of MRI reading. Reading skill was also important for accurate reading of MRI.
Humans ; Knee* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Menisci, Tibial ; Orthopedics ; Physical Examination ; Specialization

OBJECTIVE: There are few reports on the clinical outcomes of the percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy(PELD) with laser for the treatment of far lateral lumbar disc herniation. The objective of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of the PELD with laser for the treatment of far lateral lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: The clinical records of 42 patients who had far lateral lumbar disc herniation and underwent PELD with laser between January 1996 and August 2002 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 24(57.1%) males and 18(42.9%) females, with a mean age of 53(range, 26-73) years. The surgical procedure was performed via a posterolateral approach after induction of a local anesthesis. The clinical outcomes were measured with MacNabO s criteria. The mean follow-up period was 38(range, 5-77) months. RESULTS: Clinical outcomes were revealed as follows: excellent in 28 patients(66.7%); good in 11(26.2%); fair in 2(4.7%); and poor in 1(2.4%). Therefore, the percentage of successful(excellent and good) outcomes was 92.9%. There was no statistically significant variation in the success rates according to age and operation level(p>0.05). Before the introduction of the high resolution endoscope, the success rate was 90.3% but after upgrading to the high resolution endoscope, the success rate was 100%, and there was a statistically significant variation in the success rate(p<0.05). In all cases, there was no complication or recurrence. CONCLUSION: As a minimally invasive surgery, PELD with laser is a safe and efficacious procedure for the treatment of far lateral disc herniation.
Diskectomy* ; Endoscopes ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) of spine usually reported to develop in the brain, while it rarely manifest in the spine. It consists of rhabdoid cells and is highly malignant. AT/RT appears at various sites throughout the body, such as in the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, abdomen, and soft tissues. Among them, spinal AT/RT is rare, and AT/RT of lumbar spine is extremely rare; only a few cases have been reported. We present the case of an AT/RT of lumbar spine in a 16-month-old boy.

Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) are benign pigmented lesions that are defined as a tissue malformation of the neuroectoderm. Giant melanocytic nevi with multifocal involvement show significantly greater risk of developing malignant melanomas and neurocutaneous melanocytosis, particularly those in a posterior axial location. Neurocutaneous melanosis is a rare, congenital, non-inherited disorder characterized by the presence of large, multiple congenital melanocytic nevi with proliferation of melanocytes in the central nervous system. Asymptomatic neurocutaneous melanosis can be detectable only by MRI. The patients who have clinical manifestations have an extremely poor prognosis. We present a patient with giant congenital melanocytic nevi involving a major portion of the back with multiple satellite nevi scattered over the whole body associated with asymptomatic neurocutaneous melanosis. We emphasize the importance of imaging study for detection of early neurological symptoms or melanomas. To our knowledge, this is the first case of giant congenital melanocytic nevi associated with asymptomatic neurocutaneous melanosis in Korean dermatologic literatures.
Central Nervous System ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Melanosis ; Neural Plate ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes ; Nevus ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Prognosis

Seborrheic keratosis is a common benign epidermal tumor. Although the etiology of seborrheic keratosis is unknown, a genetic predisposition, sun exposure and viral infection are possible factors. It also can be associated with auto-inoculation or chronic stimuli by friction. We experienced two cases of seborrheic keratosis with continuous arrangement along the frictional areas of the inguinal skin. Because there were no triggering factors, including sun exposure or human papilloma virus infection, we thought repetitive frictions or auto-inoculation might be related to these cases. Herein, we report on two cases of seborrheic keratosis that developed along the frictional areas of the inguinal skin.
Friction ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Papilloma ; Skin ; Solar System ; Viruses

Proliferating trichilemmal tumor (PTT) is an uncommon neoplasm originated from the outer root sheath of a hair follicle. Malignant transformation occurs occasionally in proliferating trichilemmal tumors, which can be manifested by sudden rapid growths. Histologically, the malignant proliferating trichilemmal tumors (MPTTs) have shown severe nuclear atypia, marked cellular pleomorphism with atypical mitoses, dyskeratotic cells and infiltrating margins. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) should be differentiated with MPTT which indicates characteristic trichilemmal keratinization. Large tumor is considered as a risk factor of metastasis in SCC, but the relationship between tumor size and metastasis in the MPTT is not yet clarified. In this report, two patients have large erythematous nodules with focal ulceration and necrosis on their scalps and were diagnosed as MPTT. Despite the large sizes of the tumors, there were no evidences of metastases. Herein, we report 2 cases of the large MPTT which are presented without metastasis.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Mitosis ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Risk Factors ; Scalp* ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the hearing outcomes between canal wall up mastoidectmy (CWUM) and canal wall down mastoidectmy (CWDM). METHODS: One hundred seventy one chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients who underwent the second staged ossiculoplasty at least 6 months after mastoidectomy and who had an intact, well aerated tympanic cavity as well as intact mobile stapes at the time of operation were selected from the medical record. Based on the type of mastoid surgery, the patients were categorized into two groups: the CWUM (n=38) and CWDM groups (n=133). The hearing results of the CWUM and CWDM groups were compared using the pre- and post-operative air-bone gap (ABG) at 3 months after ossiculoplasty. RESULTS: The preoperative ABG in both groups (CWUM and CWDM) were 28.4+/-15.6 dB and 31.8+/-14.5 dB, respectively (P=0.18). Both groups didn't show any significant difference (10.9 dB vs. 13.5 dB, respectively) (P=0.21) for the postoperative ABG closure. The proportion of patients with an ABG less than 20 dB was 58.6% of the CWDM patients and 68.4% of the CWUM patients (P=0.25). CONCLUSION: The type of mastoid surgery (CWUM and CWDM) did not affect the hearing results of CSOM patients. When choosing the type of mastoidectomy procedure for CSOM surgery, the hearing outcomes are basically the same for both types of procedure.
Ear, Middle ; Hearing ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Medical Records ; Otitis Media ; Otitis Media, Suppurative ; Retrospective Studies ; Stapes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The evaluation of subjective outcomes of hearing aid fitting is of paramount importance along with audiometric improvement. The aim of this study was to develop a Korean adaptation of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) and to determine its reliability and validity. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The translation of IOI-HA into the Korean version (K-IOI-HA) was completed through a process of forward translation, reconciliation, reverse translation and cognitive debriefing. K-IOI-HA was administered to 101 patients using hearing aids and visiting any the 10 referral hospitals. Reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and by test-retest analysis. Validity was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis and criterion validity based on the results of pure tone audiometry. RESULTS: K-IOI-HA showed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.83) and a high test-retest reliability (r=0.943, p<0.01). Validity checked by confirmatory factor analysis also showed good construct validity. CONCLUSION: The Korean version of IOI-HA is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating subjective outcomes of hearing aids.
Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Referral and Consultation ; Reproducibility of Results

The let-7 miRNA was one of the first miRNAs discovered in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, and its biological functions show a high level of evolutionary conservation from the nematode to the human. Unlike in C. elegans, higher animals have multiple isoforms of let-7 miRNAs; these isoforms share a consensus sequence called the 'seed sequence' and these isoforms are categorized into let-7 miRNA family. The expression of let-7 family is required for developmental timing and tumor suppressor function, but must be suppressed for the self-renewal of stem cells. Therefore, let-7 miRNA biogenesis must be carefully controlled. To generate a let-7 miRNA, a primary transcript is produced by RNA polymerase II and then subsequently processed by Drosha/DGCR8, TUTase, and Dicer. Because dysregulation of let-7 processing is deleterious, biogenesis of let-7 is tightly regulated by cellular factors, such as the RNA binding proteins, LIN28A/B and DIS3L2. In this review, we discuss the biological functions and biogenesis of let-7 miRNAs, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of regulation of let-7 biogenesis in vertebrates, such as the mouse and the human.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional ; RNA Stability ; Transcription, Genetic