BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet light induces sunburn, ageing of the skin, pigmentation and even promotes skin cancers. As there has been a recent decrease in the ozone layer surrounding the earth, increasing attention has been given to the effects of ultraviolet light on the skin. Through human epidermis, ultraviolet light is reflected, scattered, absorbed or transmitted. In caucacians, the rate of transmitted ultraviolet light A from the epidermis to the dermis is 50% and the rate of transmitted ultraviolet light B is below 10%. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the transmittance of UVA and UVB on Korean normal epidermis. METHODS: Pure epidermis was obtained from normal human epidermis by suction of blisters in 12 patients with vitiligo. All specimens were irradiated respectively with UVA and UVB and the amount of transmitted energy was measured. RESULTS: 1. The transmittance of UVA energy density by normal epidermis was 47.7+11.2% of irradiated UVA energy. 2. The transmittance of UVB energy density by normal epidermis was 32.4+3.4% of irradiated UVB energy. CONCLUSION: UVA energy transmission through normal epidermis of Korean is less than those of Caucacians but UVB energy transmission through nor mal epidermis of Korean is more than those of Caucacians. It is suggested that this could be an important basic data to study for photoaging and photoprotection in Korean population.
Blister ; Dermis ; Epidermis* ; Humans* ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Stratospheric Ozone ; Suction ; Sunburn ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Vitiligo

Regardless of the any cause leg ulcers are painful and inconvenient to patients and present clinical and economic problems due to their chronicity. Conventional skin grafts, cultured allogenic epidermis, and cultured autologous epidermis have been used for the treatment of leg ulcers. In a twenty-year-old woman with leg ulcers, autologous pure epidermal sheets were obtained from the lower chest by means of suction blisters and grafted to the leg ulcers. All lesions were healed completely in 20 days after grafting. The donor sites showed slight postinflammatory hyperpigmentations without scars. The autologous epidermal graft using suction blisters appears to be a useful method for the treatment of leg ulcers, with no immunologic rejection, no need for cultivation and anesthesia, no desiccation, and no scars on the donor sites.
Anesthesia ; Blister* ; Cicatrix ; Desiccation ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg Ulcer* ; Leg* ; Methods ; Skin ; Suction* ; Thorax ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

Intraosseous ganglion is a rare disease and identified as a cystic lesion on plain radiograph. One case ofintraosseous ganglion is examined by plain radiography and CT and findings are analyzed.
Bone Cysts ; Ganglion Cysts ; Radiography ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Erectile Dysfunction* ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory* ; Male

CT findings of twenty-four patients with adrenal gland tumors were analyzed to evaluate their location, size,shape, density etc. The post-surgical confirmation was made in 17 cases. The findings were as follows: 1. 4-10cmsized tumor messes were most common (42%). 2. Round or oval shaped forme were most common (59%). 3. Functionaltomors were 71% (17/24) including Cushing's syndrome of 10 cases, pheochromocytomas of 6 cases and aldosteronismof 1 case. 4. Abnormal adrenal glands were delineated in 88%(21/24), most effectively by CT. We concluded that CTwas the valuable study in the evaluation of the adrenal gland tumors and in the determination of surgicaloperation.
Adrenal Glands ; Cushing Syndrome ; Humans ; Pheochromocytoma

Hemophilia, a genetically determined disorder, can be divided into hemophilia A and hemophilia B. Hemophilia A, defined as a sex-linked recessive trait hemorrhagic disease of males characterized by a deficiency of factor VIII occurs about seven times more frequently than hemophilia B which is characterized by a deficiency of factor IX. The complications resulting from hemophilia occurs in virtually every system. This paper is concerned with a rare complication of hemophilia, iliacus hematoma with femoral neuropathy. On case of spontaneous hemorrhage of iliacus muscle with femoral neuropathy in hemophilia was decompressed through a small incision with sump drainage under cover of AHF(Anti-hemophilic factor) concentrated plasma cryoperecipitate followed AHF replacement therapy.
Drainage ; Factor IX ; Factor VIII ; Femoral Neuropathy ; Hematoma ; Hemophilia A ; Hemophilia B ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Plasma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the early clinical results of lumbar microdiscectomy using minimally invasive tubular retractor (METRx-MD system, Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN), and to validate the merits of minimally invasive spinal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April, 2003 to April 2004 we retrospectively studied a consecutive series of 45 patients who underwent lumbar microdiscectomy using minimally invasive tubular retractor. In all cases, minimally invasive approach using the tubular retractor were performed with a 2 cm sized paramedian incision. The following data were collected: clinical outcomes, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, need for blood replacement, time needed before ambulation, length of hospital stay, and complications. The clinical outcomes were assessed by the modified MacNab criteria. RESULTS: Minimally invasive tubular microdiscectomy was performed in 45 patients over a 12-month period with an average follow-up of approximately 8 months. The clinical outcomes assessed by MacNab criteria were excellent in 33 patients (73%), good in 10 patients (22%). The average operative time was 63 minutes (range, 35 to 95 minutes). The average blood loss was 62 mL (range, 50 to 110 mL). None of the patients needed blood replacement. With the exception of 2 patients, all patients could walk at the day of surgery. The average hospital stay was 2.3 days. None of the patients had dural tear, wound problem, or other complications. CONCLUSION: Lumbar microdiscectomy using tubular retractor can offer a useful modality for the treatment of lumbar herniated disc with the merits of minimally invasive spinal surgery. Further long-term, randomized, prospective investigations are needed to fully evaluate the impact of this technique.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Wounds and Injuries

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder due to the loss of dystrophin in muscle fiber. The deficiency of dystrophin produces severe progressive muscle degeneration which leads to progressive muscle weakness. Affected patients usually become unambulatory in their early teens, and suffer a respiratory failure before 20 years of age. In an attempt to improve quality of life and extend life span of DMD patients, various treatments have been challenged; corticosteroid trial, rehabilitation, cardiac and pulmonary managements, orthopedic interventions, and nutritional support. However, only corticosteroid therapy and non-invasive ventilation have shown a salutary effect on the clinical course of DMD. Recently, a better understanding of the DMD pathophysiology has provided the scientific basis for new treatment modalities including cell and molecular therapy. Although previous clinical trials have demonstrated the limitation and possibility of new therapies, antisense-mediated exon skipping technology is now emerging as a promising approach to restore dystrophin expression. This article summarizes the current challenges and recommendations of treatment approaches in DMD patients.
Adolescent ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Dystrophin ; Exons ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscles ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; Noninvasive Ventilation ; Nutritional Support ; Orthopedics ; Quality of Life ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Tissue Therapy

Renal artery embolism is an uncommon event, but a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment are often delayed. We report a case in which viability was sustained by surgical intervention 18 hours after an episode of embolism that produced hypertension.
Diagnosis ; Embolism* ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular* ; Renal Artery*

A clinical observation, giving the first consideration to the complications after repair, was made on 52 hypospadias of the in-patients in the Department of Urology, Yonsei University Hospital during the period Jan. 1972 through Dec. 1981 and the following results were obtained. 1. Of 52 straightenings, 40 cases (91%) were succeed by Duplay's method and 8 cases (100%) were succeed by Nesbit's method. 2. Success rate of 52 urethroplasties was 53.8%. Among them 4 cases by Thiersch-Duplay, 22 cases by Ikoma, 2 cases by Cecil and Denis-Brown's method respectively. 3. The penile type showed best success rate of 66.6%. 4. Urinary fistula complicated the urethroplasty in 22 cases (42.3%). 5. Most of the fistulae developed in original meatus (81.8%). 6. Urethral stricture complicated the urethroplasty in 5 cases (9.6%), 3 of them combined with fistula.
Female ; Fistula ; Hypospadias* ; Male ; Urethral Stricture ; Urinary Fistula ; Urology