No abstract available.
Neck* ; Posture* ; Rabbits*

OBJECTIVE: Ultrasonography (USG) of joints has a unique position for the diagnosis of joint diseases. Bone surface, cartilage, periarticular soft tissue and their pathologic changes can be assessed by USG. This study was aimed to compare the radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint and to evaluate the usefulness of each modality to evaluate the disease early and determine the severity of the arthritis. METHODS: Fifty osteoarthritis patients classified by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical criteria from December 2002 to April 2003 were included in the study. Routine radiography (standing anteroposterior, lateral, skyline view) and systemic USG examination of both knee were performed. We compared the incidence of the radiographic and ultrasonographic abnormality related to the pathologic change of the knee OA and suggesting the severity of the OA which would help to decide the therapeutic modality. RESULTS: In patient with knee OA, plain radiography showed abnormal findings in 37/50 (74%) patients, but USG showed at least five abnormal findings in all 50 patients. The abnormal findings detected only by plain radiography were subchondral sclerosis and subchondral cyst (14% and 4% each). But, the thinning of cartilage (94%), Baker's cyst (94%), cartilage degeneration (54%), meniscal protrusion (44%), meniscal tear (34%), meniscal cyst (32%), and the pannus (22%) were detected only by USG. Among the findings shared by both method, joint space narrowing was detected better by plain radiography than USG, but fluid accumulation, spur, meniscal calcification and osteochondroma were detected more frequently by USG. CONCLUSION: USG is more sensitive to find the pathologic changes related to the knee OA and to diagnose OA than the plain radiography. But each of the plain radiography and USG have their own unique value for the evaluation of OA in the knee. So the USG supplements the plain radiography in the examination of the knee OA.
Arthritis ; Bone Cysts ; Cartilage ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Joint Diseases ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteoarthritis, Knee* ; Osteochondroma ; Popliteal Cyst ; Radiography* ; Rheumatology ; Sclerosis ; Ultrasonography*

Backgroud/Aims: Endoscopic stent placement is widely used to treat an unresectable malignant gastric outlet obstruction. The covered stent has the disadvantage of an increased risk of migration, and the uncovered stent has an increased risk of ingrowth. This study examined the technical and clinical efficiency of stent placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent that was newly designed to reduce tumor ingrowth and stent migration. METHODS: Fifteen patients with a gastric outlet obstruction caused by unresectable stomach cancer were treated with the endoscopic placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent (an outer uncovered stent to reduce migration and an inner PTEF-covered stent to prevent tumor ingrowth). The technical success, clinical success, and complication especially tumor ingrowth and stent migration were analyzed. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in 15 out of 15 (100%) patients. Among the 15 patients in whom endoscopic stenting was placed successfully, the clinical success rate was 93.3%, the incidence of tumor ingrowth was 0%, the rate of migration was 6.7%, and tumor overgrowth was observed in 13.3%. The median stent patency period was 105 days. CONCLUSIONS: The placement of a double- layered pyloric combination stent appears to be effective in overcoming the disadvantage of the increased migration observed for a covered stent and the increased ingrowth observed for the uncovered stent.
Gastric Outlet Obstruction* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Stents* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

A few cases of Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy that developed after renal transplantation have been reported in western literature but there is no reported case in Korea. It may develop from one to nine days after surgery; the clinical course is favorable but the incidence is not low. According to the reported cases of western literature, the major causes of lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy after renal transplantation included steal phenomenon, clamping the internal iliac artery during surgery, direct surgical damage to the vessels supplying the femoral nerve, and direct compression of the femoral nerve. We experienced one case of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve neuropathy after renal transplantation that developed at postoperative day (POD) 7. It was partially improved symptomatically after POD 60, so we reported this case with a brief review of literatures.
Constriction ; Femoral Nerve ; Iliac Artery ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea

From 1979 to 1987, 33 patients with polymorphic retrculosis (PMR) limited in the upper airway were treated with primary radiation therapy and the analysis of treatment results was undertaken. Systemic symptoms such as fever, night sweats, and weight loss were noted in 48%. The nasal cavity was most frequently involved (85%), although involvement of PNS (33%) and palate (30%) was not uncommon. The 5 and 10 year actuarial survival rates were 47% and 40%, respectively. The difference in NSD between patients with in-field failure and those without it was significant statistically. Also, field size was significantly smaller in patients with marginal failure than those without it. During the follow-up period, systemic failure was found in 5 patients (diffuse histiocytic lymphoma in 4, histiocytic medullary retriculosis in 1). In this study, we can suggested that total radiation dose of at least 4500 cGy with generous treatment volume should be delivered to achieve better local control and that the development of an effective systemic chemotherapeutic regimen is required to improve the survival after systemic relapse.
Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma, Lethal Midline ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Nasal Cavity ; Palate ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Sweat ; Weight Loss

Symptomatic primary heart tumors are rare in newborn. Cardiac rhabdomyoma is the most common lesion of the primary heart tumors and over half of them are related to kthe tuberous s clerosis. We described a case of cardiac rhabdomyoma, in a 2 day-old female newborn who presented with dyspnea and cyanosis. A 2D Echocardiogram demonstrated two masses; one is in the rt. ventricle and another is in the interventricular septum. Additional cardiac masses and cerebral tubers and subependymal giant cell astrocytoma were found at autopsy.
Astrocytoma ; Autopsy ; Cyanosis ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Rhabdomyoma ; Tuberous Sclerosis*

In 38 of 70 patients who underwent lumbar spinal surgery, we performed a randomized, prospective double-blind study of the effect of caudal block with morphine sulfate on postoperative pain levels. Age, sex, clinical features, postoperative analgesic consumption, pain score, adverse effects and patient satisfaction on discharge were recorded. The consumption of parenteral analgesics on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days was significantly lower in the morphine sulfate group(p<0.05), than in the control group. Caudal block with morphine sulfate also led to marked reductions in pain levels and thus increases patients satisfaction during the postoperative period(p<0.05). Transient respiratory depression occurred in three of 38 patients(7.9%), but further treatment was not needed. Seventeen patients(44.7%) developed urinary retention, but this recovered spontaneously. The present study demonstrates that caudal block with morphine sulfate leads to a highly significant reduction in pain during postoperative periods and a corresponding reduction in the need for additional postoperative analgesics, in addition, patients are more satisfied.
Analgesics ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Morphine* ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Patient Satisfaction ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Urinary Retention

PURPOSE: Combination therapy of alpha-blockers and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) is widely used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We aimed to study the effect on prostate volume and symptoms of shifting to monotherapy in patients who previously received a combination therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted of 60 patients who were diagnosed with BPH. Patients were aged 45 years or older and had a prostate volume of 30 cc or more, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of 12 or above, maximal flow rate (Qmax) of 15 ml/s or less, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of less than 10 ng/ml. The patients initially received a combination therapy of doxazosin 4 mg/day and finasteride 5 mg/day for 3 months and were then randomly assigned to receive monotherapy for 3 months. The factors were then compared. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were assigned to doxazosin (group 1) and 30 to finasteride (group 2) after the combination therapy. The percentage changes in prostate volume, IPSS, and Qmax during the period from post-combination therapy to post-monotherapy were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.052, 0.908, 0.081), whereas PSA significantly decreased in group 2 (p<0.001). IPSS was not significantly different at post-combination therapy and at post-monotherapy in both groups (p=0.858, 0.071). The prostate volume significantly increased from 40.97 cc at post-combination therapy to 44.29 cc at post-monotherapy in group 1 (p=0.001) and insignificantly increased from 38.32 cc to 38.61 cc in group 2 (p=0.696). CONCLUSIONS: Although the duration of drug administration was short in this study, 5-ARI monotherapy could maintain the alleviated symptoms and reduce the risk of acute urinary retention and surgery due to prostate regrowth in BPH patients whose symptoms improved with combination therapy.
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Aged ; Doxazosin ; Finasteride ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Urinary Retention

BACKGROUND: Biodegradable polymers have increasingly been recognized for various biological applications in recent years. Here we examined the immunostimulatory activities of the novel poly(aspartic acid) conjugated with L-lysine (PLA). METHODS: PLA was synthesized by conjugating L-lysine to aspartic acid polymer. PLA-nanoliposomes (PLA-NLs) were prepared from PLA using a microfluidizer. The immunostimulatory activities of PLA-NLs were examined in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs). RESULTS: PLA-NLs increased the number of BM-DCs when added to cultures of GM-CSF-induced DC generation on day 4 after the initiation of cultures. Examination of the phenotypic properties showed that BM-DCs generated in the presence of PLA-NLs are more mature in terms of the expression of MHC class II molecules and major co-stimulatory molecules than BM-DCs generated in the absence of PLA-NLs. In addition, the BM-DCs exhibited enhanced capability to produce cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-12, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. Allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions also confirmed that the BMDCs were more stimulatory on allogeneic T cells. PLA- NL also induced further growth of immature BM-DCs that were harvested on day 8. CONCLUSION: These results show that PLA-NLs induce the generation and functional activities of BM-DCs, and suggest that PLA-NLs could be immunostimulating agents that target DCs.
Animals ; Aspartic Acid ; Cytokines ; Dendritic Cells ; Immunomodulation ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed ; Lysine ; Mice ; Polymers ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: Biodegradable polymers have increasingly been recognized for various biological applications in recent years. Here we examined the immunostimulatory activities of the novel poly(aspartic acid) conjugated with L-lysine (PLA). METHODS: PLA was synthesized by conjugating L-lysine to aspartic acid polymer. PLA-nanoliposomes (PLA-NLs) were prepared from PLA using a microfluidizer. The immunostimulatory activities of PLA-NLs were examined in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs). RESULTS: PLA-NLs increased the number of BM-DCs when added to cultures of GM-CSF-induced DC generation on day 4 after the initiation of cultures. Examination of the phenotypic properties showed that BM-DCs generated in the presence of PLA-NLs are more mature in terms of the expression of MHC class II molecules and major co-stimulatory molecules than BM-DCs generated in the absence of PLA-NLs. In addition, the BM-DCs exhibited enhanced capability to produce cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-12, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. Allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions also confirmed that the BMDCs were more stimulatory on allogeneic T cells. PLA- NL also induced further growth of immature BM-DCs that were harvested on day 8. CONCLUSION: These results show that PLA-NLs induce the generation and functional activities of BM-DCs, and suggest that PLA-NLs could be immunostimulating agents that target DCs.
Animals ; Aspartic Acid ; Cytokines ; Dendritic Cells ; Immunomodulation ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed ; Lysine ; Mice ; Polymers ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha