OBJECTIVES: Chronic pain is one of the most common experiences of humans and a typical psychophysiological disorder. The aim of this study was to measure the psychophysiological responses in chronic pain patients using a biofeedback system, and to compare them with the results from normal healthy subjects. METHODS: Forty two patients with chronic pain (17 males and 25 females, average age 44.67+/-11.10 years) and 42 normal healthy controls (17 males and 25 females, average age 45.17+/-10.46 years) participated in this study. Electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC), and skin temperature (ST) were recorded using biofeedback system during the 3 phases (baseline, stress, and recovery) of stress reactivity test, and average values of them were calculated. Difference of values between two groups in each corresponding phase was analyzed with independent t-test, and change of values across phases of stress reactivity test was analyzed with paired t-test (all two-tailed, p<0.05). RESULTS: Compared to normal controls, chronic pain patients had higher value of EMG (baseline : 8.10+/-5.97 micronV vs 4.72+/-1.52 micronV, t=-3.56, p<0.01 ; stress : 11.25+/-6.89 micronV vs 8.49+/-4.78 micronV, t=-2.13, p<0.05 ; recovery : 7.12+/-3.77 micronV vs 4.78+/-1.59 micronV, t= -3.70, p<0.01) and SC (baseline : 1.06+/-1.0 micronS vs 0.42+/-0.29 micronS, t=-4.0. p<0.01 ; stress : 1.87+/-2.05 micronS vs 1.03+/-0.86 micronS, t=-2.47, p<0.05 ; recovery : 1.74+/-1.77 micronS vs 0.64+/-0.59 micronS, t=-3.8, p<0.01) in all the 3 phases. But, skin temperature comparison did not reveal significant differences in all the 3 phases between two groups. CONCLUSION: Psychophysiological responses of chronic pain patients in stress reactivity test were different from those of normal healthy controls. These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system is more activated in chronic pain patients.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Pain ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; Psychophysiology ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Sympathetic Nervous System

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine an increase in the number of younger and middle-aged people who have a stroke and the differences in their recovery experience compared with older people. METHODS: The research question for this study was "What is the recovery experience of young adults and middle-aged people who suffer a stroke?". In order to answer the question, the grounded theory method was utilized. The data was collected through individual in-depth interviews of six participants, their age ranged from 36 to 45 years old. RESULTS: After comparative analysis, the core category was "standing up for oneself with limit". The experience process were categorized into four stages: 'Facing Reality stage', 'Motivation stage', 'Desire Recovery stage', 'Self-Overcoming stage'. CONCLUSION: Most of the research for the recovery process was prognostic in nature and the results. This study was demonstrated certain indicators which can be useful in further research.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Recovery of Function ; Stroke ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Fanconi's anemia(FA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by aplastic anemia and congenital malformations. As up to 30% of patients have no physical stigmata, the modern diagnosis of FA rests on chromosomal breakage of patient's cells induced by chemical clastogens such as diepoxybutane(DEB) or mitomycin-C(MMC). METHODS: We reviewed the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, diagnostic methods, treatment and outcome of 6 patients diagnosed to have a FA at the Chonnam University Hospital for the last 6 years. RESULTS: Six cases(16.2 %) were found to have FA among 37 aplastic children who were diagnosed during the same period. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.3 years which was the usual onset of hematologic findings. All patients had features of aplastic anemia, and had one or more anomalies, such as low birth weight, hyperpigmentation, cafeau-lait spots, mental retardation, developmental delay, peculiar face(broad nasal bases, epicanthal folds, micrognathia), polydactyly, microcephaly, short stature, and dislocation of hip. We found increased breaks in cultured cells with DEB and MMC in 5 cases tested. The median duration of follow-up was 30 months. Oxymetholone and prednisolone treatment was partially beneficial in three cases. Immunosuppressive treatment with ALG/ATG was not successful in two cases tried. Four cases are living now, without transfusion in three. Two patients were died of disseminated fungal infection and transplant-related problems, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fanconi's anemia should be sought carefully in any patients with aplastic anemia because the prognosis, treatment modality, and the approach to bone marrow transplantation are quite different when the hematologic disorder is inherited rather than acquired.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Christianity ; Chromosome Breakage ; Diagnosis ; Dislocations ; Fanconi Anemia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Intellectual Disability ; Jeollanam-do ; Microcephaly ; Mitomycin ; Mutagens ; Oxymetholone ; Polydactyly ; Prednisolone ; Prognosis

A clinical observation was made on 23 patients with tuberculous non-functioning kidneys who underwent nephrectomy during the period from February 1986 to June 1992. We reviewed these cases according to primary nephrectomy on tuberculous non-functioning kidneys. The following results were obtained. In pathologic findings of the 27 cases in which tuberculous non-functioning kidneys were suspected, 4 cases were no evidence of tuberculosis. Those were xanthoeranulomatous pyelonephritis (2 cases) and chronic pyelonephritis with hydronephrosis (2 cases). Coexisting renal cell carcinoma was found in 1 case. 4 cases (17.1%) were hypertensive at the time of presentation and 3 cases or them had a decrease in blood pressure after nephrectomy. No perioperative mortality occurred and perioperative complications (sinus arrhydrmia, wound infection, wound dehisdence, ileus) were in 4 cases (17.4 %). There was no evidence of recurrence during follow-u periods. (Follow-up mean periods: 18.5 months) Thus, it is concluded that primary nephrectomy is an important adjunct in the comprehensive management of the unilateral, tuberculous non-functioning kidneys, for accurate diagnosis, removal of infection source, early control and prevention of presenting symptoms.
Blood Pressure ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Kidney* ; Mortality ; Nephrectomy* ; Pyelonephritis ; Recurrence ; Tuberculosis ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

The differential diagnosis of benign tumors from other intra-ureteric lesions was difficult. But. recently. it is easy due to developed diagnostic procedures. such as ureteroscopy. We herein report a case of fibroepithelial polyp of the left ureteropelvic junction which was diagnosed with ureteroscopic finding and biopsy with brief review or literatures.
Biopsy* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Polyps* ; Ureter* ; Ureteroscopy

Gene expression of the nm23 and CD44 has been investigated in number of tumors, in cluding colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was conducted to clarify the association between nm23 and CD44 protein expression and metastatic potential in human colorectal cancer. To elucidate the role of the nm23 and CD44 in human colorectal cancer, sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embeded tissue from 59 primary colorectal cancer were stained immunohistochemically against nm23 and CD44 proteins. Expression of the nm23 protein is not significantly correlate with Dukes'stage and recurrence. However, the expression of the CD44 protein is significantly higher in Dukes stage C as comparing with stage B.
Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Recurrence

A study was made on the two cases of Klinefelter's Syndrome with review of literature. Two cases revealed findings of characteristics of Kiinefelter's Syndrome such as small testes, atrophy of seminiferous tubules, azoospermia, increased urinary gonadotropin, decreased urinary 17 Ketosteroid, positive Sex Chromatin, gynecomstia and impotence.
Atrophy ; Azoospermia ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Gonadotropins ; Klinefelter Syndrome* ; Male ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Sex Chromatin ; Testis

No abstract available.

The clinicopathological manifestations of gastric mucormycosis range from colonization of ulcer disease to infiltration of tissue with or without vascular involvement. The prognosis of this disease is extremely poor when blood vessel invasion is observed. Herein, we report on a rare case of ischemic gastric perforation that was associated with vascular invasive mucormycosis in a renal recipients 7 years after transplantation.
Blood Vessels ; Colon ; Kidney Transplantation ; Mucormycosis* ; Prognosis ; Transplantation* ; Ulcer

The umbilicus is of paramount aesthetic importance for the abdomen, and its absence can be psychologically distressing to patients for cosmetic reasons. An aesthetically-pleasing umbilicus tends to be small and vertically oriented in nature, with superior hooding and shadow, inferior retraction and slope, and a position at the topmost level of the iliac crest. A 42-year-old woman had undergone delayed breast reconstruction using a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap. Unfortunately, the patient developed umbilical necrosis following surgery. She underwent complete surgical debridement, which resulted in a large vertical scar. Delayed umbilical reconstruction was performed with four transposition flaps. The patient underwent follow-up at 11 months postoperatively, and the umbilicus had a satisfactory appearance. This case shows that using four transposition flaps can yield sufficient depth and an aesthetically pleasing shape for the umbilicus.
Abdomen ; Abdominoplasty ; Adult ; Cicatrix ; Debridement ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; Necrosis ; Rectus Abdominis ; Surgical Flaps ; Umbilicus