Congenital anomalies of the scrotum are uncommon and among them the ectopic scrotum is extremely rare. Only one case of ectopic scrotum has been recorded in Korea. In 1993 we experienced a case of unilateral ectopic scrotum with no other congenital abnormalities in a 22-year-old man. His left scrotum was normal in position and size, and contained a normal palpable testis. There was definite median raphe but no scrotal development to the right of this line. The penis showed externally normal appearance. A large sac of skin, having the typical hyperpigmented wrinkled appearance of normal scrotum, was overlying right inguinal ring. The sac contained a normally developed testis.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Inguinal Canal ; Korea ; Male ; Penis ; Scrotum* ; Skin ; Testis ; Young Adult

A total of 41 anejaculatory men participated in the electroejaculation study. Mean patient age was 33.2 years (range 22 to 54 years). Greater than one million motile sperm were obtained in 26 patients(63.4%). We attempted intrauterine insemination on 25 occasions in 14 subjects' spouses. Four of them(28.6%) became pregnant ;two aborted and the other two delivered fullterm healthy babies.
Humans ; Insemination* ; Male* ; Pregnancy ; Spermatozoa ; Spouses

Articular cartilage defect rarely heals spontaneously due to its avascularity and low cellularity. Even small articular cartilage defects can develop into osteoarthritis, and subsequently, its management has been a major clinical concern. Although there are several treatment options for cartilage defect, no treatment has been established as a gold standard procedure. Bone marrow stimulation techniques which is equivalent to microfracture these days has been adapted as first line treatment, attributed to their technical easiness and minimal invasiveness to patients. However, this procedure has limitation in reproducing hyaline cartilage, so recent cell-based therapies using autologous chondrocytes or mesenchymal stem cells have drawn particular attention. MSCs regardless of its origin have shown significant potential for chondrogenesis. Novel approaches using MSCs as an alternative cell source for patient derived chondrocytes are currently on trial. In this review, stem cells from various origins considered as cell sources and potential application of mesenchymal stem cells to promote cartilage repair will be discussed. While differentiation of stem cell can be well controlled in vitro, it is not easy to predict the course of differentiation when the stem cell is transplanted. Some novel methods using physical stimulation and material based techniques for differentiation control are introduced in this context. Such differentiation control will be beneficial when it is adapted before transplantation. We call it preconditioning.
Bone Marrow ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Chondrocytes ; Chondrogenesis ; Humans ; Hyaline Cartilage ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteoarthritis ; Physical Stimulation ; Stem Cells ; Tissue Therapy ; Transplants

Treatment options for partial thickness cartilage defects are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the chondrocyte-seeded cartilage extracellular matrix membrane in repairing partial thickness cartilage defects. First, the potential of the membrane as an effective cell carrier was investigated. Secondly, we have applied the chondrocyte-seeded membrane in an ex vivo, partial thickness defect model to analyze its repair potential. After culture of chondrocytes on the membrane in vitro, cell viability assay, cell seeding yield calculation and cell transfer assay were done. Cell carrying ability of the membrane was also tested by seeding different densities of cells. Partial defects were created on human cartilage tissue explants. Cell-seeded membranes were applied using a modified autologous chondrocyte implantation technique on the defects and implanted subcutaneously in nude mice for 2 and 4 weeks. In vitro data showed cell viability and seeding yield comparable to standard culture dishes. Time dependent cell transfer from the membrane was observed. Membranes supported various densities of cells. Ex vivo data showed hyaline-like cartilage tissue repair, integrated on the defect by 4 weeks. Overall, chondrocyte-seeded cartilage extracellular membranes may be an effective and feasible treatment strategy for the repair of partial thickness cartilage defects.
Animals ; Cartilage* ; Cell Survival ; Chondrocytes* ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Humans* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lifting ; Membranes ; Mice ; Mice, Nude