The suprapatellar plica is a remnant of the embryonic septum separating the suprapatellar pouch from the knee joint. Complete type of suprapatellar plica is rarely reported and its clinlical significance is controversial. The purpose of this study is to verify the complete type of suprapatellar plica as an important cause of anterior knee pain and to evaluate the clinical results after arthroscopic excisien of it. From September 1991 to April 1997, we studied prospectively 54 patients, 90 knees which were diagnosed as cornplete type of suprapatellar plica preoperatively. The mean age was 32 years (15-57 years) and sex distribution was 14 males and 40 females. For the preoperative diagnosis, we checked clinical symptom, past history, physical finding and plain X-ray routinely and performed bone scan, double contrast arthrogram and MRI, if necessary. All patients complained vague anterior knee pain at standing, sitting, stair climbing and exercise for long times. All 90 knees were examined arthroscopically. Among them, 80 knees had complete type of suprapatellar plica and remaining 10 knees had other findings. After all, positive predictive value of preoperative diagnosis for complete type of suprapatellar plica was 89%. Among 36 patients diagnosed as bilateral preoperatively, 33 patients(92%) were confirmed as bilateral in arthroscopic examination. After arthroscopic excision of plica, clinical results were total relief of pain in 19 knees(24%), improvement in 55 knees(69%), no change in 6 knees(7%) and none of worsening. In conclusion, complete type of suprapatellar plica should be considered as an important cause of anterior knee pain especially which is vague, intermittent and bilateral.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Sex Distribution

Ligament injuries of the knee joint are very common among competitive athletes. Acrurate assessment ot the nature of these injuries is a prerequisite for appropriate therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the significance of MRI findings in assesing the status of ACL tear and associated injuries. 31 cases of ACL injuries were examined and reconstructed arthroscopically from Jan. 1997 to Sep. 1997 at Kyung Hee University Hospital. 1n all cases, we reviewed preoperative physical and MRI findings and performed postoperative radiologic assessments. Results were as follows; 1. Lachman test and Pivot shift test were positive in all 31 cases but anterior drawer test was positive in 29 case,s. 2. In MRI findings, 24 cases were interpretated as complete ACL tear and / cases as inccomplete ACL tear. But these 7 cases were confirmed as complete tear in mthroscopic exanunation with careful probing of ACL fiher. 3. MRI showed associated meniscal injuries in 19 cases(61%)-14 cases(74%) at medial meniscus, 5 cases(26%) at lateral meniscus. All cases were confirmed arthroscopically. In conc1usion, physical findings are more reliable than MRI findings in diagnosing the complete ACL tear and deciding the ACL reconstruction. But MRI findings are very helpful to assess the associated injuries and plan the treatments.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Athletes ; Equidae ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; Knee Joint ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Menisci, Tibial

Sixty schizophrenia patients who committed homicide and detained after January 1, 1993 were divided in two groups, depending on whether their victim was a family member or not. Below conclusions were deduced from the comparison of the two groups in terms including demographic characteristics, onset and duration of illness, IQ score, suicidal attempts, history of alcohol/drug abuse or past crime, neuropsychiatric ward admission history, living circumstance, conflict with the victim, and adolescent conducting behavior. 1. More in the family homiciding patients (FHP) group lived alone due their unmarried, divorced, or separated marital status than those in the non-family homiciding patients (NFHP) group. More in the FHP group were in married state than those in NFHP group. 2. More in the NFHP group stayed alone apart from their family, while more in the FHP group lived with their family. 3. Those in the NFHP group show more frequent suicidal attempts than those in the FHP group, implying they have difficulties in the control of their impulsive behaviors. 4. To prevent the crime, it is essential for the government to practice the systematic support and care of the schizophrenia patients who are living alone, especially those without relative.
Adolescent ; Crime ; Divorce ; Homicide* ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Marital Status ; Schizophrenia ; Single Person

An accurate preoperative evaluation of lymph nodes(LNs) in gastric cancer is a prerequisite for successful surgery and favorable prognosis. We retrospectively analyzed the Ct accuracy in perigastric LN localization and LN staging of gastric cancer as well as the size criteria for the metastasized LN in 64 patients who hed undergone a surgery for gastric cancer. The results of perigastric LNs evaluation by CT are as follows; sensitivity 67%(64/95), specificity 90%(839/929), accuracy 88%(903/1024). Of 95 pathologically metastasized LN groups, 66 could be retrospectively identified on Ct scans(69%). In LN staging, CT was correct in 60%(38/64), overstaged in 32%(21/64), and understaged in 8%(5/64). The perigastric LN groups which were easily localized on CT were #3, 7, 8, and 13. The mean size of metastasized LNs on CT according to the I.N group was #3 (13mm), #4(9mm), #6 (10mm), #7(10.5mm), #8 (10mm), #9 (11mm), #13 (9mm).
Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Authors report two cases of hypothermic patients with Osborne's J wave on electrocardiogram. A 46-year-old male with liver cirrhosis was brought to the emergency room by ambulance due to comatous mental status. On exammination, the body temperature was below 35 degree C. By rewarming using warm normal saline intravenous infusion and hot pack application on the chest, his body temperature rose up to 36 degree C and regained consciousness. Later, he expired with afterdrop phenomenon. Another 41-year-old stuporous quadriplegic male with post-traumatic cerebral palsy was brought to the emergency room by his family complaining weakness and vomiting. On exammination, the body temperature was below 35degree C. He was rewarmed using warm normal saline intravenous infusion and hot pack application on the chest. However, he could not regain his normal body temperature and expired due to irreversible shock.
Adult ; Ambulances ; Body Temperature ; Cerebral Palsy ; Consciousness ; Electrocardiography* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hypothermia* ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rewarming ; Shock ; Stupor ; Thorax ; Vomiting

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and progression of a stage 0 macular hole in the fellow eye of patients with an idiopathic full-thickness macular hole.
Methods: The fellow eyes of 189 patients who underwent idiopathic full-thickness macular hole surgery were examined by biomicroscopy and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A subset of 21 fellow eyes with a stage 0 macular hole was observed. Changes in the macular hole were evaluated by biomicroscopy and SD-OCT for an average of 29 months.
Results: Among the 21 eyes, 15 showed no change in perifoveal vitreous detachment (71.4%). Two eyes (9.5%) developed complete vitreofoveal separation, and one of the two developed a separation after progression to stage 1A. Among 21 eyes, 5 (23.8%) developed above stage 1A, and one of the five progressed to stage 1B after five years, which was successfully treated with vitrectomy and gas tamponade.
Conclusions Perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye on SD-OCT, defined as a stage 0 macular hole, occurred at an earlier phase than stage 1A macular holes and may progress to an advanced stage. Therefore, patients who undergo macular hole surgery and have a stage 0 macular hole or perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye should be followed closely.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and progression of a stage 0 macular hole in the fellow eye of patients with an idiopathic full-thickness macular hole.
Methods: The fellow eyes of 189 patients who underwent idiopathic full-thickness macular hole surgery were examined by biomicroscopy and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A subset of 21 fellow eyes with a stage 0 macular hole was observed. Changes in the macular hole were evaluated by biomicroscopy and SD-OCT for an average of 29 months.
Results: Among the 21 eyes, 15 showed no change in perifoveal vitreous detachment (71.4%). Two eyes (9.5%) developed complete vitreofoveal separation, and one of the two developed a separation after progression to stage 1A. Among 21 eyes, 5 (23.8%) developed above stage 1A, and one of the five progressed to stage 1B after five years, which was successfully treated with vitrectomy and gas tamponade.
Conclusions Perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye on SD-OCT, defined as a stage 0 macular hole, occurred at an earlier phase than stage 1A macular holes and may progress to an advanced stage. Therefore, patients who undergo macular hole surgery and have a stage 0 macular hole or perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye should be followed closely.

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the abilities of word definition in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) according to the severity, and (2) to examine the error patterns in patients with Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Eight individuals with MCI (CDR=0.5) and 16 patients with AD (eight for probable AD mild group of CDR=1 and eight for probable AD moderate group of CDR=2) participated in the study. Eight normal age-, gender-, and education-matched elderly adults served as a control group for the MCI and AD groups. As stimuli for the word definition, eleven semantic categories were used, and two concrete words were selected from each category, resulting in a total of 22 items. Prior to the task, four definition categories were provided: 1) functional, 2) relational, 3) perceptual, and 4) categorical. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis test, and Bonferroni analyses were used as a post-hoc comparison for any significant results. RESULTS: There were significant differences in word definition scores among four groups. The probable AD moderate group showed the lower definition score than the probable AD mild group. And the probable AD moderate group showed the lower definition score than MCI group. Each group defined words in different ways. While the control group employed four definition different categories equally, the probable AD moderate group used a functional definition category mainly. However, relational and categorical definition categories were rarely observed in the probable AD moderate group. The analysis of error pattern showed that inadequate definition was frequently observed in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study suggest that word definition task could be a sensitive indicator of the impairment of semantic knowledge in patients with AD.
Adult ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Humans ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Semantics

Degenerative vascular disease, previous arterial surgery, long-term ureteral stenting, pelvis surgery, and radiotheraphy are reported as causes of artery-to-collecting-system communication.. Artery-to-collecting-system- communication associated with blunt trauma is rare, but potentially fatal. The diagnosis is very difficult and requires a high degree of suspicion. We were able to make the diagnosis based on the characteristic finding of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) obtained in the early phase, equivalent to the finding obtained in the corticomedullary phase of the kidney. We report a case of artery to collecting system communication due to blunt abdominal trauma following a fall, which was treated by embolization.
Arteries* ; Diagnosis ; Kidney ; Pelvis ; Stents ; Ureter ; Vascular Diseases

Degenerative vascular disease, previous arterial surgery, long-term ureteral stenting, pelvis surgery, and radiotheraphy are reported as causes of artery-to-collecting-system communication.. Artery-to-collecting-system- communication associated with blunt trauma is rare, but potentially fatal. The diagnosis is very difficult and requires a high degree of suspicion. We were able to make the diagnosis based on the characteristic finding of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) obtained in the early phase, equivalent to the finding obtained in the corticomedullary phase of the kidney. We report a case of artery to collecting system communication due to blunt abdominal trauma following a fall, which was treated by embolization.
Arteries* ; Diagnosis ; Kidney ; Pelvis ; Stents ; Ureter ; Vascular Diseases