Three cases of spondyIolysis were experienced and treated by anterior interbody fusion of the involved spines at the department of orthopaedic surgery in the Taegu Hospital One case was accompanied with severe lumbago with radiating pain and other two cases with lumbago significantly. Review of literature was done with report of three cases of spondylolysis.
Daegu ; Low Back Pain ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine ; Spondylolysis

Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a necrotizing renal infections characterized by intrarenal and occasional perirenal gas production. Although uncommon (89 cases in the literature), it occurs almost exclusively in diabetic patients (87% of the cases). Prompt and aggressive management is required to sahage these patients. We describe a recent case of a diabetic woman with emphysematous pyelonephritis due to E. Coll, successfully managed with unilateral nephrectomy.
Female ; Humans ; Nephrectomy ; Pyelonephritis*

No abstract available.
Endodermal Sinus Tumor* ; Lung* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Yolk Sac*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the effect of stress on the pathophysiology of bladder stability via the Rho-kinase and nitric oxide synthase activity, which are required for muscle contraction and relaxation within the bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animal testing was conducted in two separate sessions. In the first experiment, 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 230-270g each were employed. 18 rats were placed in the control group and 18 rats were placed in the test group. The second testing was conducted using metabolic cages. Six rats were placed in the control group and six rats were placed in the test group under a stressful environment. RESULTS: The results showed that the frequency of urination was significantly increased with time in the test group(p<0.05). However, the volume of voided urine decreased, thereby suggesting stress was a cause of overactive bladder. Analysis of bladder tissue for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and RhoA-binding kinase(ROKalpha), important components of contraction and relaxation of bladder muscle, revealed that the levels of iNOS and ROKalpha were significantly increased with continued application of stress. This suggests that stress affects the levels of NOS and ROKalpha in an overactive bladder to influence contraction and relaxation of the bladder muscle. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the ROKalpha expression and changes of the NOS expressions in the rats with chronic stress pathophysiologicaly support that stress contributes to the clinical symptoms of overactive bladder.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; rho-Associated Kinases ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; Urination

No abstract available.

The authors obtained the following results through comparative investigation between experiences from authors clinical study of ureterolithotomy by posterior vertical incision devised by Gil-Vernet and Yoon`s clinical study of ureterolithotomy by posterior vertical incision and his lumbar incision. 1. Operation time was average 62 min. and blood loss was average about 50cc. So operation time and blood loss were similar to Yoon`s result but more or less reduced as compared with lumbar incision. 2. Postoperative urine leakage and ambulation time were 1 day and 2 day that were more or less reduced as compared with Yoon`s result. 3. Ipsilateral lower abdominal wall protrusion was noted postoperatively. We think, this is from subcostal nerve injury. 4. Postoperatively sensation change on subcostal nerve, ilohypogastric nerve and ilioinguinal nerve innervation sites were noted in half of all, but disappeared in several weeks. Considering above results, while posterior vertical incision has merits such as minimal operative invasion and early postoperative ambulation time, but it often notes inevitable nerve damage. So, we think better results would be gained by careful attention to nerve and vascular distribution.
Abdominal Wall ; Sensation ; Walking

PURPOSE: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) and stress hormones are important mediators in the stress response. The ANS controls the tone of corpus cavernosal smooth muscle. Clinically, it is not uncommon to develop erectile dysfunction as the sequelae of acute or chronic stress, with or without loss of libido. In this study, we investigated the effect of stress on the expression of mediators of penile corpus cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation and contraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, with 8 rats in each group. They were divided into six groups; stress+10, stress+20, and stress+30, which were named after their duration (days) of exposure, and a control group for each stress group. The stress group was maintained under a scheduled stress condition, while the control group was provided a comfortable general environment. Penile tissues were sampled and expressions of Rho-kinase, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) were measured and analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Penile Rho-kinase expression was significantly increased in the stress groups compared with the control group (p<0.05), with a greater increase during longer stress. Expression of iNOS was increased in stress+30 group (p<0.05). Expression of eNOS, nNOS, and Rho-kinase were increased in stress+20, stress+30 group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that stress may alter penile corpus cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation by affecting mediators.
Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Libido ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; rho-Associated Kinases

PURPOSE: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) and stress hormones are important mediators in the stress response. The ANS controls the tone of corpus cavernosal smooth muscle. Clinically, it is not uncommon to develop erectile dysfunction as the sequelae of acute or chronic stress, with or without loss of libido. In this study, we investigated the effect of stress on the expression of mediators of penile corpus cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation and contraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, with 8 rats in each group. They were divided into six groups; stress+10, stress+20, and stress+30, which were named after their duration (days) of exposure, and a control group for each stress group. The stress group was maintained under a scheduled stress condition, while the control group was provided a comfortable general environment. Penile tissues were sampled and expressions of Rho-kinase, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) were measured and analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Penile Rho-kinase expression was significantly increased in the stress groups compared with the control group (p<0.05), with a greater increase during longer stress. Expression of iNOS was increased in stress+30 group (p<0.05). Expression of eNOS, nNOS, and Rho-kinase were increased in stress+20, stress+30 group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that stress may alter penile corpus cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation by affecting mediators.
Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Libido ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; rho-Associated Kinases

To investigate the effect of tumor removal and administration of OK432 on the splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats, NK cell activity assay using a 4-hour 51Cr release assay and flow cytometric analysis for NK cell population were performed. The results were as follows: 1. Splenic NK cell activity and population in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats decreased along with the growth of the tumor. 2. The rats with subcutaneous tumor removal showed decrease of splenic NK cell activity, but splenic NK cell population was not decreased. 3. In the rats with subcutaneous tumor removal and OK432 administration, splenic NK cell activity was significantly increased 1 week after administration of OK432 and then gradually returned to normal, whereas increase of NK cell population was not significant. In the present study, splenic NK cell activity was significantly decreased despite removal of subcutaneous tumor. But with the administration of OK432, splenic NK cell activity returned to normal. Considering the role of NK cells on the first line of defense against the metastatic implantation of circulating tumor emboli, we suggest that perioperative administration of immunopotentiator such as OK432 may improve the patient's outcome after surgery of human neoplasm.
Animals ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Picibanil* ; Rats* ; Spleen

OBJECTIVE: To determine the therapeutic effect of transforaminal epidural injections in patients with refractory lumbar radicular pain. METHOD: Thirty-five patients with lumbar radicular pain who did not receive any other interventional procedures were studied. Transforaminal epidurograms and epidural steroid injections via eighty-nine intervertebral foramens were performed under C-arm fluoroscopic visualization. After confirmation of proper needle placement, 20~40 mg of triamcinolone and 1 cc of 2% lidocaine hydrochloride were injected into each safe triangle of the intervertebral foramen. Patients were evaluated for visual analogue scale (VAS) and straight leg raising (SLR) test at pre-injection, 1 week post-injection and 3 months post-injection. Changes over time were assessed statistically using ANOVA. RESULTS: The averages of VAS reduced significantly (p<0.05) from 5.6+/-1.8 at pre-injection, to 3.5+/-1.7 at 1 week pos-tinjection, to 2.1+/-2.0 at 3 months post-injection, respectively. The averages of SLR augmented significantly (p<0.05) from 51.6degrees +/- 16.7degrees at pre-injection, to 66.6degrees +/-16.0degrees at 1 week post-injection, to 77.2degrees +/- 15.1degrees at 3 months post-injection, respectively. Twenty-six out of thirty-five patients (74.3%) had a successful long-term outcome, reporting at least an over 50% reduction between pre-injection and 3 months post-injection in VAS. CONCLUSION: Transforaminal epidural injection is an effective treatment for patients with lumbar radicular pain when evaluated after 1 week and 3 months post-injection.
Humans ; Injections, Epidural* ; Leg ; Lidocaine ; Needles ; Triamcinolone