It has been studied that a variety of fauna and flora are sensitive biological indicators which reflect the severity of regional pollution of heavy metals, but in the center of part of Taegu city the controversial issue of lead poisoning attributable to the atmosphere which contains an increased concentrations of lead has been raised recently, it is usually hard to find suitable plants or animal in the areas with heavy traffic. Pigeons are ubiquitous in and around Taegu city area, inhabiting even the most densely populated areas with heavy traffic with its small body size, high metabolic turnover, and rather limited mobility, a pigeon, as a biological indicator is expected. This study was conducted to monitor lead pollution in the Taegu and kyongju city in Korea. We measured the lead content of the various tissue of three groups of feral pigeon(Columbia livia) and soil and atmospheric lead concentration. First group was obtained io heavy traffic area in Taegu City, the second group was obtained a park in Taegu city and the third group was obtained light traffic area in kyongju city. The air and soil lead concentration of heavy traffic area in Taegu city was 0.11 microgram/m2, 4.96 microgram/g, that of park in Taegu city was 0.05 microgram/m3, 2.65 microgram/g and that of light traffic area in kyonngju city was 0.03 microgram/m3, 0.01 microgram/g. The lead content of lung, blood, kidney, femur and liver of feral pigeons in heavy traffic area in Taegu city was significantly higher than pigeons obtained in a park in Taegu city and low traffic density area in Kyonfju city(p<0.01). But stomach lead content of three group did not reflect a significant difference. In this study positive correlation was found between atmospheric lead concentrations and the concentration of lead in the pigeon's lung(r=0.5040, p<0.001), blood(r=0.3322, p<0.01), kidney(r=0.4824, p<0.001), femur(r=0.7214, p<0.001) and liverer (r=0.4836, p<0.01). we can also found positive correlation between soil lead concentrations and the concentration of lead in the pigeon's femur(r=0.4850, p<0.001), kidney(r=0.4850, p<0.001) and liver(r=0.4386, p<0.01). In the pigeon`s tissue there were significant correlations between concentration of lead in the blood and kidney(r=0.4818, p<0.001), femur(r= 0.6157, p<0.001) and liver(r=0.3889, p<0.001). In conclusion, at the heavy traffic area in Taegu city, lead concentrations found in the atmosphere and soil are reflected in the lead concentrations of different tissue of urban pigeons. It is suggested that the tissue of pigeons can be good biological indicators of environmental lead pollution.
Animals ; Atmosphere ; Body Size ; Columbidae ; Daegu ; Femur ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Kidney ; Korea ; Lead Poisoning ; Liver ; Lung ; Metals, Heavy ; Soil* ; Stomach

We report a case of epidermolysis bullosa acqumta with characteristic clinical features, subepidermal vesicles in histopathology, and deposits of IgG in basement membrane zone at routine direct immunofluorescent test. 1M NaCl-treated immunofluorescent test was performed in order to correctly diagnose our case. In this method, linear immunofluorescent deposits of IgG were found only at the dermal part of separation induced by 1M NaC1 treatment to skin specimen.
Basement Membrane ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita* ; Epidermolysis Bullosa* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Methods ; Skin

No abstract available.
Mucocele* ; Sphenoid Sinus*

Fractures of the femoral neck in children are rare and usually occur as a result of severe trauma. They are one of the most challenging injuries to treat. Their complication rate is high and their anatomic and physiologic characteristics make treatment difficult. The commonly encountered complications are avascular necrosis, nonunion, coxa vara and premature fusion of epiphyseal plate. Treatment of these fractures remains an unsolved problem but accurate reduction held with adequate internal fixation would appear to offer the best chance for succesful results. We report our observations in the treatment of eighteen cases of fracture of the femoral neck in children. Included is a review of references. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Among 18 patients, 11 were boys and 7 were girls. the highest incidence was between the ages of 5 and 7 years. 2. The main causes of fractures were traffic accidents in 10 cases (55.5%), falling from a height, and slipping down. 3. The commonest type of fracture was the cervicotrochanteric type (47.4%). Twelve cases were displaced fractures (66.7 %). 4. The range of Pauwels angle varied from 20° to 70°. 5. The commonly associated injuries were pelvic bone fractures, extremity fractures, skull fractures and soft tissue injuries. 6. Nine cases were treated by skin traction and plaster cast. Five cases ere treated by closed reduction and internal fixation with K-wires or knowles pins. 7. In 13 of the 18 cases, follow-up studies were done for an average period of 18 months. 8. The results were analyzed according to the Ratliffs assessment. Among the 13 cases, 10 cases showed good results, two fair and one poor. 9. All cases treated by closed reduction and internal fixation showed good results without complications. 10. Complications developed in five cases (38.5%), three cases of avascular necrosis and two cases of coxa vara. Among these five cases, one case of avascular necrosis developed as a result of neglect of the fracture and the others as a result of too conservative a treatment. 11. Secondary treatment of trochanteric arthroplasty was required in only one neglected case. This was further by avascular necrosis and the results were poor. 12. As a result, we recommond closed reduction and internal fixation as the most favorable method of treatment for the fracture of the femoral neck in children.
Accidental Falls ; Accidents, Traffic ; Arthroplasty ; Casts, Surgical ; Child ; Clinical Study ; Coxa Vara ; Extremities ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Follow-Up Studies ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Methods ; Necrosis ; Pelvic Bones ; Skin ; Skull Fractures ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Traction

No abstract available.

The authors are reporting two cases of huge primitive neuroectodermal tumors involving cerebral hemisphere. These are highly malignant neoplasm, both clinically and histologically. They are rapidly growing tumors, with a brief duration of symptoms and a rapidly progressive course. The patients were discharged after subtotal resecton of tumor mass with an uneventful course, but one was dead within 2 months after the operation. These tumors usually occur in children and young adult. We have experienced two cases surgically treated in infancy.
Cerebrum ; Child ; Humans ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study compared the results between PFN (Proximal Femoral Nail) and DHS (Dynamic Hip Screw)in the treatment of a peritrochanteric fracture of the proximal femur. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 patients with peritrochanteric fractures treated with PFN for a minimum follow-up of at least 12 months were analyzed retrospectively. The patients with PFN group (n=33, group I) were taken from operations between Jan. 2003 and Dec. 2004, and the DHS group (n=34, group II) were used as the control group. Both groups were compared with regard to the operation time, blood loss, transfusion, ICU care, drain amount, duration of admission, complications, the neck shaft angle, the sliding length of lag screws, radiological union, and the functional recovery grade using Jensen and Palmar and Parker's method. RESULTS: The mean operative times were 105 (group I) and 157 minutes (group II), blood losses were 540 and 840cc, transfusion volumes were 1.5 and 2.2 pints, ICU care was 6 and 30%, drain amounts were 36 and 203 cc, admission duration was 25 and 33 days, complications were 15 and 17%, reoperations by the failure of the reduction were 2 cases(6%) (group I) and 0 (group II), difference in the neck shaft angles were 3.70 and 3.87degrees, sliding length of the lag screws were 1.9 and 6.9 mm, radiological union was achieved in 17.5 and 18.9 weeks, function scores were 1.81 and 1.94, and the mobility scores were 6.51 and 6.16, respectively. These results show that there were advantages of PFN in terms of the operative times, blood loss, transfusion, ICU care, drain amounts, admission duration, sliding length of the lag screws and radiological union with statistical significance (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Good clinical results can be achieved with PFN compared with the DHS for the treatment of peritrochanteric fractures of the proximal femur.
Femur* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip* ; Humans ; Neck ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies

This study was conducted to investigate the association of the occurrence of pediatric disease with environmental, seasonal and atmospheric factors. The data were collected at 5 pediatric clinics in Seoul and the Department of Pediatrics of Yongin Severance Hospital from May 1986 to April 1987. The results were as follows: 1. Vacation periods had a great influence upon the occurrence of pediatric diseases. 2. The majority of pediatric diseases occurred mainly in spring and autumn, not in summer and winter. 3. The higher the average relative humidity was, the less diseases occurred; and the higher the maximum change of daily temperature, the more diseases occurred. 4. In summer, the pattern of diseases varied along with the environmental factors(eg., toilet).
Gyeonggi-do ; Humidity ; Pediatrics ; Seasons* ; Seoul

Broncho-esophageal fistula(BEF) is an uncommon clinical entity which can cause severe suppurative lung disease. Acquired fistulas between the esophagus and tracheobronchial tree are relatively uncommon. They are caused by many diseases including malignancy and chronic inflammation such as tuberculosis and have favorable outcome with proper treatment. To our knowledge, there has been no description of patients with BEF due to the bronchiectasis. We report a case of broncho-esophageal fistula in association with bronchiectasis in a 35-year-old male patient with hemoptysis. Bronchoscopy revealed mild bleeding from the superior segment of the right lower lobe without specific endobronchial lesion. Barium esophagogram could not confirm the fistula. The diagnosis of a broncho-esophageal fistula was established by an esophagogastroscopy using fistulogram and subsequent bronchoscopy, in which the communication between the bronchial tree and the esophagus was demonstrated by instilling dye selectively through the fistulous opening using esophagogastroscopy and visualizing the fistula and the bronchial tree. The patient was treated with resection of the right lower lobe, extirpation of the diverticulum and surgical closure of the bronchial defect and fistula, but he suffered from pneumonia thereafter and eventually expired due to sepsis and multiple organ failure.
Adult ; Barium ; Bronchiectasis* ; Bronchoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulum ; Esophagus ; Fistula* ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis ; Tuberculosis

A recent study showed that comparative sequence analysis of rpoB DNAs could reveal natural relationships in genus Mycobacterium [J Clin Microbiol. 37 (6). 1999]. rpoB DNAs showed interspecies variation and intraspecies conservation, Based on these data, we developed polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) protocols which enable species differentiation in genus Mycabacterium. When this assay was applied to 24 clinical isolates identified as M. avium complex (MAC) by biochemical test, these were successfully differentiated into M. avium and M. intracellulare. These results were concordant with those obtained by 16s rDNA analysis. It is the first report that PCR-SSCP analysis of rpoB DNA could be used for species differentiation of MAC strains.
DNA* ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Mycobacterium avium Complex* ; Mycobacterium avium* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational* ; Sequence Analysis