OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of uterine thermal balloon ablation therapy (UBT) for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding . METHODS: From May 2005 to June 2007, a total of 40 women who visited to our hospital and Wallace memorial baptist had their charts and telephones reviewed for demographics, procedure data, clinical history, and follow up. RESULTS: The mean age was 43.5+/-4.7 years old. A decrease in days per cycle (7.2+/-2.5 vs 5.2+/-2.7 days, P<0.0001), and in pads per day (9.9+/-2.3 vs 5.8+/-3.1 pads/d, P<0.0001) and an increase in hemoglobin (g/dL, mean+/-SD) /hematocrit (%, mean+/-SD) (7.2+/-0.5/29.4+/-2.7 vs 10.3+/- 1.7/36.4+/-4.4, P<0.0001) and an improvement in self-reported quality of life scores (discomfort score: 7.1+/-2.1 vs 2.5+/-1.7, P<0.0001, limitation of life: 1.9+/-1.5 vs 0.6+/-1.5, P<0.0001) were observed after UBT. Assessment of the level of satisfaction showed that 76% of patients were satisfied with the procedure. No major complications or deaths were found. The prognostic factors of UBT were age, parity, uterine pressure and depth, position. But age and uterine pressure had no significant difference statistically. CONCLUSION: UBT is a safe and efficient method to treat abnormal uterine bleeding. It reduces the menstrual flow, improves the quality of life, and remarkably satisfies patients with a desire to preserve a uterus.
Demography ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Parity ; Protestantism ; Quality of Life ; Telephone ; Uterine Hemorrhage

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM & PURPOSE: Articulators are very important for education and overall clinical situation in the field of prosthodontics, however preexisting articulators are designed and built based on maxillofacial structures and mean values of mandibular movement of Western people. Purpose of this research is to find out a adequate basis for applicating these articulators, presently used for clinical education, for Korean. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 59 Korean adults (41 males, 18 females), aged between 24 to 41, where selected for this study. Two pairs of both maxillary and mandibular models were made for each examinee. These models where attached to both KaVo PROTARevo 7 and Hanau Modular semiadjustable articulators by using facebow transfer, than sagittal condylar inclination, occlusal plane inclination and position of mandibular on the articulator where measured. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: 1. Mean sagittal condylar inclination for KaVo PROTAR semiadjustable articulator was 33.75degree (standard deviation 12.46degree) meanwhile Hanau Modular semiadjustable articulator showed 40.72degree (standard deviation 12.09degree) for mean sagittal condylar inclination. 2. Mean occlusal plane inclination for KaVo PROTAR semiadjustable articulator was -2.76degree (standard deviation 3.63degree) meanwhile Hanau Modular semiadjustable articulator showed 11.87degree (standard deviation 3.63degree) for mean occlusal plane inclination. 3. On the average center of the mandibular dentition were in the range of 5 to 7 mm of the central position of the articulator. Both anterior and posterior dentition were positioned at the center of the articulator vernacularly for KaVo PROTAR semiadjustable articulators, meantime for Hanau Modular semiadjustable articulator, anterior dentition was positioned 5 mm downwards and 3mm upwards for posterior dentition from vertically central position of the articulator.
Adult ; Aged ; Dental Articulators ; Dental Occlusion ; Dentition ; Humans ; Male ; Prosthodontics

Deformational plagiocephaly (DP) (also referred to as positional plagiocephaly) has long posed challenges for plastic surgeons because it is difficult to differentiate from several other diseases, such as unilateral coronal synostosis, hemifacial microsomia, and unilateral lambdoidal craniosynostosis. These diseases can actually masquerade as DP or vice versa. Only in recent years has the differential diagnosis among these diseases become possible through improved imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, and a greater understanding of their pathophysiology. Herein, we report a rather rare, yet severe, form of DP that can easily be confused with the aforementioned diseases.
Blepharoplasty ; Craniosynostoses ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Facial Asymmetry* ; Goldenhar Syndrome ; Humans ; Plagiocephaly ; Plagiocephaly, Nonsynostotic* ; Plastics ; Surgeons

Preauricular sinus is a congenital malformation that is very commonly encountered among the general population and it has especially high prevalence among Asians when compared to other ethnic groups. It can often go unnoticed or easily overlooked by the patient or even by doctors because most of them are asymptomatic and is most of the time only a tiny pit that can be trivial in terms of aesthetics. We report a very rare and unique case that has no precedence what so ever; hence no reported case in the literature: an ectopic preauricular sinus in a facial cleft and microsomia patient.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Branchial Region ; Congenital Microtia* ; Craniofacial Abnormalities ; Esthetics ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Prevalence

Preauricular sinus is a congenital malformation that is very commonly encountered among the general population and it has especially high prevalence among Asians when compared to other ethnic groups. It can often go unnoticed or easily overlooked by the patient or even by doctors because most of them are asymptomatic and is most of the time only a tiny pit that can be trivial in terms of aesthetics. We report a very rare and unique case that has no precedence what so ever; hence no reported case in the literature: an ectopic preauricular sinus in a facial cleft and microsomia patient.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Branchial Region ; Congenital Microtia* ; Craniofacial Abnormalities ; Esthetics ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND: Cardiac tamponade is associated with the expiratory increase and the expira-tory decrease in left ventricular filling flow. With Doppler echocardiography, we analyzed the respiratory variations of mitral and tricuspid inflows, and pulmonary and hepatic venous flows in patients with cardiac tamponade. METHODS: Respiratory hemodynamic changes in mitral and tricuspid inflows and pulmonary and hepatic venous flows were evaluated using Doppler echocardiography in 13 patients (6 men and 7 women; mean age 51+/-13 years) with large pericardial effusion and clinical cardiac tamponade, and compared the results with those of 11 control subjects (3 men and 8 women, mean age 53+/-13 years). Doppler examination was repeated after pericardiocentesis in 6 patients. RESULTS: Peak velocity of early diastolic mitral inflow (E velocity) decreased during inspiration compared with expiratory increase; the mean percentage change was 40%. Peak velocity of late diastolic mitral inflow (A velocity) decreased 13% during inspiration. E/A ratio decreased 31% during inspiration. Deceleration time (DT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) increased by 26% and 44%, respectively, during inspiration. But respiratory variations of tricuspid inflow were opposite to those of mitral inflow. Tricuspid E velocity increased during inspiration and decre-ased during expiration. The mean percentage change was 123%, which was larger than thte 40% of mitral inflow. The most characteristic findings of pulmonary venous flow during respiration were the expiratory increases of peak diastolic velocity (DV) and diastolic time-velocity integral (D-TVI). The mean percentage changes of peak systolic velocity (SV), DV and D-TVI during respiration were 27%, 45% and 53% respectively. In contrast, the SV and DV of hepatic venous flow increased during inspiration and decreased during expiration. The respiratory variations of peak systolic reverse flow velocity (SR) and peak diastolic reverse flow velocity (DR) were opposite to those of SV and DV. DR notably increased during expiration, and the mean percentage change was 61%. The ratio of RFI (Inspiratory reverse flow integral) to FFI (forward flow integral) of the tamponade group was 270%. The mean percentage changes of each parameters decreased after pericardiocentesis. CONCLUSION: Patients with cardiac tamponade showed inspiratory increases of diastolic tri-cuspid filling flow and hepatic forward flow. Expiratory increases included diastolic mitral filling flow, pulmonary venous systolic and diastolic flow, and hepatic venous reverse flow. Such res-piratory variations decreased after pericardiocentesis.
Cardiac Tamponade* ; Deceleration ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardiocentesis ; Relaxation ; Respiration

Angiomyolipomas are hamartomatous lesions consisting of smooth muscle bundles, thick-walled blood vessels, and mature adipocytes. They are usually found in the kidneys of tuberous sclerosis patients and more rarely in other organs, such as the liver, the oral cavity, the sinonasal tract, the heart, the large intestines, the lungs, and the skin. Cutaneous angiomyolipoma has shown to be very rare and generally occurs at the ends of the digits, the elbows, the ears, and the nose. Herein, we report the first documented case of angiomyolipoma of the glabellar region.
Adipocytes ; Angiomyolipoma* ; Blood Vessels ; Ear ; Elbow ; Heart ; Humans ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Mouth ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nose ; Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Neoplasms ; Skin ; Tuberous Sclerosis

Cosmetic lateral canthoplasty has become popular among Asians in the last few decades, but few techniques have withstood the test of time to be accepted as both effective and noninvasive, with minimal complications. Novel techniques have been developed, but are not free from complications. Moreover, these methods often have limited indications and may require a rather long learning curve to master. Herein, the authors present their experiences performing a simple lateral canthoplasty procedure in 61 patients using a slightly modified V-Y advancement flap, previously known as the Uchida method.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blepharoplasty ; Cosmetic Techniques ; Humans ; Learning Curve ; Sterilization, Tubal

BACKGROUND: Recent development of endoscopic devices and surgical techniques enabled the video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathetic surgery to be reliable, safe and minimally invasive for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. People with axillary hyperhidrosis, however, were not as satisfied as those with palmar or craniofacial hyperhidrosis due to more frequent and severe compensatory sweating and lack of effect on concomitant osmidrosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From March 1997 through April 1999, 45 cases of axillary hyperhidrosis underwent T3,4 sympathectomy(21 patients), T2,4 sympathicotomy(20 patients) or T4 sympathectomy(4 patients). We evaluated and analyzed the early effect of symptomatic relief, compensatory hyperhidrosis and the level of long term satisfaction. The sex ratio was 28 males: 17 females with an average age of 28 years, ranging from 13 to 46 years. Two patients had concomitant osmidrosis and one patient who underwent T3,4 sympathectomy experienced profuse compensatory sweating on face and scalp for which he underwent a reoperation of T2 sympathicotomy 93 days later. All the procedures were performed under general anesthesia in semifowler's position with 30 elevation of the upper body. A 2mm needle thoracoscope was used except in 2 cases with moderate to severe pleural adhesions where a 5mm thoracoscope was used. RESULT: Average operation time was 46.2+/-11 minutes for T3,4 sympathectomy; 32.5+/-23 minutes for T2,4 sympathicotomy; and 53.8+/-18 minutes for T4 sympathectomy. Every patient who underwent T3,4 sympathectomy and T2,4 sympathicotomy showed satisfaction 17 cases(81%) and 12 cases(60%) had absolutely no sweating after T3,4 sympathectomy and T2,4 sympathicotomy, respectively and the remaining 4 cases(19%) and 8 cases(40%) experienced 'decreased amount of sweating with slightly moist armpits'. Compensatory hyperhidrosis was present in 67% and 60% of the cases after T3,4 sympathectomy and T2,4 sympathicotomy, but only 10% and 5 %, were severe enough to be embarrassing or disabling. The level of satisfaction was high in both groups, with 86% after T3,4 sympathectomy and 89% after T2,4 sympathicotomy. CONCLUSION: Both T3,4 sympathectomy and T2,4 sympathicotomy were effective means of treating axillary hyperhidrosis. T3,4 sympathectomy had superior symptomatic relief although T2,4 sympathicotomy was favored because of shorter operation time, easier surgical technique and milder compensatory sweating. Long term satisfaction level, however, was similar in both groups.
Anesthesia, General ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Male ; Needles ; Reoperation ; Scalp ; Sex Ratio ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Sympathectomy ; Thoracoscopes

PURPOSE: Although the influence of Notch signaling on several types of malignancies has been studied, the role of Notch signaling in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the levels of Notch1 and Jagged1 and their significance in ccRCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor tissue and matched normal adjacent kidney tissue from 49 ccRCC cases were obtained. The expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting. Tissue samples were divided into several groups according to clinicopathological features, and the relative expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 was assessed. RESULTS: Real-time PCR revealed increased Notch1 expression in tumor tissues compared with that in adjacent normal tissues (p=0.044). Based on the pathological stage, a significant difference in Notch1 expression was observed between tumor and normal kidney tissues in pT2 and pT3 ccRCC (pT2, p=0.041; pT3, p=0.001). Notch1 expression in ccRCC relative to that in normal tissue was higher in later-stage ccRCC and larger ccRCC. Notch1 expression showed significant positive correlation with the maximal diameter of the primary renal tumor (mRNA, p<0.001; protein, p=0.001). High Notch1 expression was associated with recurrence and disease-specific death, although the difference was not significant. Jagged1 level was not significantly correlated with any of the factors examined. CONCLUSIONS: Notch1 may play a significant role in the tumorigenesis and progression of ccRCC. Notch signaling may be a potential target for chemopreventive or adjuvant therapeutics for ccRCC.
Biomarkers ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Kidney ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recurrence ; Tissue Array Analysis