No abstract available.
Chromosome Aberrations*

No abstract available.
Korea* ; Metabolism, Inborn Errors*

The use of alginate impression materials today is prevalent because of its efficiency and simplicity in clinical settings. Unfortunately, the simplicity of the procedure tends to lull the dentist into a sense of well-being, and lead him into using careless or sloppy technique. Alginate impression materials are used to fabricate diagnostic and preliminary casts, and the final cast. Incorrect use of this material is known to affect the accuracy of the final prosthesis. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of different mixing methods of alginate impression material and tray adhesive on the accuracy of the stone cast produced by each method. A total of 30 stone casts were produced by using 3 different types of mixing methods (10 stone cast for each mixing method, respectively) The first method utilized an automatic-mixing machine to mix alginate while the second method was carried out manually, strictly following manufacturer's instructions. The third method also involved manual mixing, but did not follow the manufacturer's instructions and was done in a random fashion. Also, 20 additional stone casts were produced by using alginate with or without tray adhesives were included in the study to evaluate effects of tray adhesives on the accuracy of alginate impression. 10 stone casts were produced by adding tray adhesives to the interior surface of the impression tray prior to taking the impression. The other 10 excluded this step. A total of 50 stone casts were analyzed by the three-dimensional measuring machine to measure and compare the dimensional changes of the impression material of each group. The results are as follows. 1. No significant difference was found between the automatic mixing group and the manually-mixing group(p>0.05). 2. For the group that followed manufacturer's instructions, less dimensional changes were recorded than the group that didn't in measuring distance d4(p<0.05) 3. The group that used tray adhesives showed less dimensional changes(p<0.05). The findings revealed that mechanical methods of mixing alginate impression materials had little influence on dimensional changes. However, it is proven that following manufacturers instructions in alginate impression taking is an important step in acquiring accurate impressions and tray adhesives may play an important role in enhancing the results.
Adhesives* ; Dentists ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants

BACKGROUND: Despite the development of empiric antibiotics in treatment of neutropenic fever(NF) in pediatric cancer patients, bacterial infection is still the most important cause of death in these patients. In this study the authors analyzed clinical characteristics and tried to find out the possible risk factors of the pediatric cancer patients who succumbed to the documented bacterial infection after episodes of neutropenic fever. METHODS: 17 pediatric cancer patients expired after episodes of neutropenic fever(NF) in the pediatric department of Asan Medical Center from Mar. 1990 to Feb. 1996 were grouped by the results of bacterial culture. 7 cases (Group A) had documented bacterial culture results and 10 cases (Group B) had negative culture results. The clinical characteristics of these two groups were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: There were no differences in the types of cancer between the two groups. All the documented bacteria were gram negative organisms and all cultured from the blood. There were no differences between the two groups in the treatment duration, known risk factors of infection before and at the onset of fever, antibiotics administered, and interval from the onset of NF to the administration of antibiotics. The response rate of initial empiric antibiotics was lower in group A(14%) compared to Group B(40%), even though all the cultured organisms except 2 cases in Group A were sensitive to initial empirical antibiotics. Septic shock was the cause of death in 86% of Group A patients, but only in 10% of Group B patients. The other causes of death were progression of cancer, bleeding, hepatic failure, adult respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ failure, which showed no difference between the 2 groups. The interval from the onset of fever to death was significantly shorter in Group A(6.2+/-2.3 days) compared to Group B(24.9+/-18.6 days). CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial infection is still the most frequent cause of death after NF. Most patients succumbed to the documented bacterial infection showed rapid progression of bacteremia to septic shock despite administration of sensitive antibiotics. The known risk factors of infection before the onset of NF and other treatment factors shows no differences between the two groups in this study. These results suggest that the bacteremia is obvious risk factor of poor outcome after NF episode, and antibiotics alone may be insufficient to prevent the rapid progression of septic shock in these patients.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteremia ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Cause of Death* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Fever* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shock, Septic

No abstract available.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma* ; Female* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis(HLH) is a rare and fatal disorder in children. Recently its clinical characteristics and etiology of uncontrolled activation of cellular immune system in genetically predirected patients have keen elucidated. The authors analyzed the clinical characteristics and response to immunosuppressive agents of HLH patients in single institute. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed various clinical data including CSF and bone marrow examination at diagnosis and follow up period in the 6 patients who were diagnosed as HLH at Asan Medical Center during last 2 years. Antithymocyte globulin(ATG : 10 mg/kg/day) and methylprednisolone(methyl-PD: 5 mg/kg/day) for 5 consecutive days as induction treatment and cyclosporin A(CsA) as maintenance treatment after induction with weekly intrathecal methotrexate for 5-6 weeks were given to the recently diagnosed 3 patients. RESULTS: All the patients except one were infants. Persistent fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia were observed in all the patients. Family history of suspicious HLH was observed in 4 patients(67%). The characteristic elevated serum triglyceride(TG) level and/or decreased fibrinogen level were noted in all. Mild to moderate CSF pleocytosls with increased lymphocytes and monocytes was also observed in all during the disease course. Variable degree of nonqr-Langerhans cell histiocytic infiltration and hemophagocytosis were observed in all the cases. Of the 3 patients treated with ATG and methyl-PD, one achieved complete remission and the others achieved partial remission within 2 weeks of treatment, but all expired after 5 months, remission with CsA. Regardless of treatment regimen, all the 6 patients expired due to CNS sequelae of HLH. CONCLUSIONS: HLH mainly developed in infants. Persistant fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia were observed in most cases with the characteristic change of serum TG and/or fibrinogen level. HLH should be included in the differential diagnosis in patients with these features especially when the family history of suspicious HLH is present, and histologic comfirmation of HLH could be easily accomplished with bone marrow study in most cases. Remission induction of HLH could be achieved with immunosuppressive treatment but it was difficult to maintain long term remission.
Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cyclosporine ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fever ; Fibrinogen ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Infant ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic* ; Methotrexate ; Monocytes ; Pancytopenia ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies

Most cases of spondylolisthesis are asymptomatic and successfully managed with conservative treatment. Operation was performed in 20% of symptomatic cases having severe back pain, neurological symptoms and or progressive slipping. Although surgical treatments are divided into decompression and fusion, various methods were tried frorn simple Gill's resection to posterior and/or anterior fusion with instrumentation in case of severe slipping. The authors reviewed 49 cases of symptomatic spondylolisthesis, who were surgically treated, and well followed up at Kang-Nam St. Mary's Hospital during past 6 years from January, 1981, to June, 1987. l. Among 49 cases, 23 were isthmic type and 26 were degenerative in nature, and 40 were females. 24 patients(92.3%) of degenerative type were female over 4th decade. Mean age was 47.9 years. 2. The most common site of involvement was L4–5 intervertebral space(25 cases,; 51.0%). 17 cases(73.9%) of isthmic thpe were involved in L5-Sl intervertebral space, and 21 cases (80.8%) of degenerative type were involved L4–L5 intervertebral space. 3. The symptoms were low back pain, intermittent claudication and sciatica in order of incidence. 4. The average slipping measured by Taillard method was 19.5%, and Meyerding's grade I slipping(69.3%) was the highest in the percentile incidence. The average degree of slipping in isthmic type(23.6%) was greater than that of degenerative type(16.4%). 5. Myelogram mainly showed complete or near complete block in degenerative type and ventral indentation in isthmic type. C–T myelogram showed mainly central stenosis in degenerative type, and nerve root compression in isthmic type. 6. In 9 cases,anterior fusions were done ; 5 degenerative and 4 isthmic. In 37 cases, decompression and posteriolateral fusions were done with or without instrumentation ; instrumented in 11 cases. 7. Clinically, the results were judged as excellent in 16 cases(32.7%), good in 26 cases(53.1 %), fair in 6 cases(12.2%), poor in 1 case(2.1%). Thus, 42 cases(85.8%) were considered satisfactory. The satisfactory results were obtained in 77.8% of anterior interbody fusion cases, 88 5% of posterolateral fusion cases, 90.7% of decompression and posterolateral fusion with instrumentation cases. There was no appreciable difference in clinical results between isthmic and degenerative types. 8. There were no changes in slipping in 35 cases(71.5%), Partial reduction were possible in 13 cases(28.5%), and further splipping developed in a patient who had decompression surgery alone. Among 46 cases of vertebral fusion, complete fusion was obtained in 43 cases(93.5%) within one year. 9. Solid anterior spondylodesis was obtained in all the cases of degenerative type, while in 2 cases(50%) of the isthmic type, graft crumbled with redisplacement and delayed fusion. Through the results, it is concluded that posterior instrumentation may not be essential for the successful spondylodesis in cases of posterolateral fusion, since there was no statistical significance in the results between the instrumented and non-instrumented, and isthmic type and degenerative type, and that anterior interbody fusion is best indicated for the treatrment of the degenerative type and not for the isthmic type. Therefore, if anterior interbody fusion is chosen for the successful treatment of isthmic type, a certain type of internal fixator should be combined.
Back Pain ; Clinical Study ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intermittent Claudication ; Internal Fixators ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Radiculopathy ; Sciatica ; Spinal Fusion ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Case-Control Studies* ; Placenta Previa* ; Placenta* ; Risk Factors*

The superficial sural artery flap is supplied by the superficial sural artery that accompanies the sural nerve. The superficial sural artery connects distally with a peroneal artery septocutaneous perforator via a suprafascial network of vessels that permits the flap to be raised on its distal pedicle. We treated 10 patients who showed soft tissue defect of the lower third of the leg, around the ankle and the hindfoot with this flap. The causes of the soft tissue defect were trauma in 6 cases, pressure sore in 2 cases, squamous cell carcinoma in 1 case and osteomyelitis in 1 case. The sites of the soft tissue defect were the lower third of the leg in 5 cases, around the ankle in 2 cases and the hindfoot in 3 cases. The size of the soft tissue defect was from 5x6 cm to 8xl2 cm. All 10 flaps survived. Two flaps showed slight venous congestion which cleared in a few days. The time for flap dissection was 15 minutes in average. The results of our cases show that the distally based superficial sural artery flap is useful for the soft tissue coverage of the lower third of the leg, around the ankle and the hindfoot. The advantages of the flap are that the blood supply is reliable, elevation is easy and quick, the major arteries are not sacrificed and the donor site morbidity is negligible.
Ankle ; Arteries* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Osteomyelitis ; Pressure Ulcer ; Sural Nerve ; Tissue Donors

The recent introduction of chemotherapy in the treatment of the gynecologic malignancies has gained wide acceptance along with preoperative and postoperative adjuvant therapy and with preradiation and concurrent chemoradiaton therapy. But, the side effects of chemotherapy including bleeding and infection due to bone marrow suppression have resulted in increased morbidity and mortality of the patients and delayed treatment and a reduction in the chemotherapeutic agents used. In spite of the development of antibiotics and the supportive care of infection, sustained leukopenia in the patients during chemotherapy accounts for the high mortality rate due to sepsis. The early detection of the leukopenia during chemotherapy may enable clinicians to overcome infection problems by timely use of prophylactic broad spectrum antibiotics and G-CSF or GM-CSF. The author investigated the grade, duration, time of onset and other clinical features of the leukopenia and the effects of the age (> or =60 years vs <60 years), the number of the cycle of chemotherapy (> or =3 cycles vs < 3 cycles), fever and performance scale on the leukopenia. 79 cases (32 patients) of the leukopenia during chemotherapy of various gynecologic malignancies at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hanyang University between January, 1996 and December, 1998 entered to this study. The results were as follows; 1. Leukopenia occurred at 14.2+/-6.1 day from the first day of chemotherapy, 2. The duration of leukopenia was 2.5+/-1.6 days 3. No significant difference was found between eldely patients ( > or =60 years, n=13) and younger patients ( <60 years, n=66) about the severity, duration and time of onset of leukopenia. 4. No significant difference was found between the patients with more than 3 cycles of chemotherapy (n=40) and less than 3 cycles (n=39) about the severity, duration and time of onset of leukopenia. 5. Febrile leukopenic cases (n=6) had significantly lower granulocyte count, longer leukopenic period and earlier onset of leukopenia than afebrile (n=73). 6. It is thought that performance status scale does not affect the grade of leukopenia, onset of leukopenia and the leukopenic period.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bone Marrow ; Drug Therapy* ; Fever ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Granulocytes ; Gynecology ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leukopenia* ; Mortality ; Obstetrics ; Sepsis