Thirty cases of peripheral nerve injury were selected and analysed by means of electromyographic studies at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, from January 1972 to August 1972. 1. The sex ratio was 17:13 (male: female). The peak incidence occurred in the twenty to thirty year age group. Involved side: right side 18 cases: left side 12 cases. 2. Nerve involved: peroneal nerve (15 cases), tibial nerve (2 cases), median nerve (7 cases), ulnar nerve (4 cases) and radial nerve (2 case). 3. Mode of nerve injuries 1) Peroneal nerve: Nerve compression, variable (10 cases) Tibia & fibular fracture complication (4 cases) Stab wound, fibular neck region (1 case) 2) Tibial nerve: Injection neuritis, buttock (2 cases) 3) Median nerve: Cut glass laceration, wrist region (3 cases) Carpal tunnel syndrome (3 cases) Undetermined mode (1 case) 4) Ulnar nerve: Cut glass laceration, wrst region (2 cases) Forearm bones fracture complication (1 case) Supracondylar fracture (cubitus valgus) (1 case) 5) Radial nerve: Cut glass laceration, wrist region (1 case) Crushing injury, elbow region (1 case) 4. Among the 15 cases of peroneal nerve injury, there were 10 cases of partial denervation and 5 cases of complete denervation. 5. The mode of injury in 10 cases of partial denervation was nerve compression from the following causes: lithotomy posture during forceps delivery (1 case), external rotation of legs during recovery state after surgery (3 cases), abnormal posture during coma state after CO intoxication (2 cases), tight long leg cast (3 cases), and direct trauma while descending stairs (1 case). 6. In all 10 cases of partial denervation of the peroneal nerve, decreased motor nerve conduction velocities, diminished amplitude and prolonged latencies were observed. 7. In partial denervation of the peroneal nerve, the earliest that reinnervation was observed was within 3 weeks in 3 out of 10 cases. 8. Spontaneous fibrillation was observed 3weeks after injury in all cases except one in which it was observed only 7 days after peroneal nerve injury. 9, The earliest appearance of positive sharp waves among all peroneal nerve injuries was observed 2 weeks after injury. 10. The initial appearance of nascent potentials (polyphasic potentials) in peroneal nerve injuries was observed 3 weeks after injury (1 case), 5 weeks after injury (1 case), and 5 months after injury (1 case). They are all partial denervation cases due to nerve compression. 11. Ten cases of partial denervation of the peroneal nerve were treated with electrical stimulation and drop foot board with good recovery. Five cases of complete denervation of the peroneal nerve were treated with neurorrhaphy (1 case) and short leg bracing (4 cases). 12. The initial appearance, of polyphasic potentials was observed 5 months after injury in one case out of 3 cases of median nerve injury. 13. Three cases of median nerve injury were classified as carpal tunnel syndrome and occurred in women only. Observations included absence of sensory nerve action potentials below the lesion, delayed distal latency at wrist and normal motor nerve conduction velocity. They were treated by division of the deep transverse carpal ligament with good result. 14. The initial appearance of nascent potentials was observed 7 months after injury in one case among 3 cases of ulnar nerve injury. 15. In two cases each of radial and tibial nerve injury, no reinnervation pattern was observed until the six month follow-up study after injury. At that time no muscle contraction could be seen or palpated clinically. 16. We observed normal motor unit potentials in the muscles in the follow-up studies even though muscle contraction could not be seen or palpated clinically. 17. Electromyographic examination at selected intervals made accurate diagnosis and prognosis possible and aided in evaluating the course of nerve regeneration, which permictted the choice of appropriate treatment.
Action Potentials ; Braces ; Buttocks ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Coma ; Denervation ; Diagnosis ; Elbow ; Electric Stimulation ; Extremities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Forearm ; Glass ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lacerations ; Leg ; Ligaments ; Median Nerve ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscles ; Neck ; Nerve Regeneration ; Neural Conduction ; Neuritis ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Peripheral Nerves ; Peroneal Nerve ; Posture ; Prognosis ; Radial Nerve ; Sex Ratio ; Surgical Instruments ; Tibia ; Tibial Nerve ; Ulnar Nerve ; Wounds, Stab ; Wrist

No abstract available.
Meningitis*

We experienced the 17 hands of 11 patients with Dupuytren disease, which was known as relatively rare in orientals. Retrospectively, we analyse it and the results were followings; l. Among 11 patients, 10 patients were male and average age was 62.5 years (49 to 77 years) 2. Most (15 hands, 88%) of patients had symptoms of flexion contracture, nodule and contracted cord, simultaneously. 3. Occupation of patients was agricultural laborer in 9 patients (82%). 4. In 9 patients(82%); individual habit of alcoholic drinking, more than 3 times per week, and smoking, 1 package per day, over 20 years more, was observed. 5. In 15 hands (88%), ulnar side of fingers (4th+5th, 5th only or 3rd+4th+5th)was involved. 6. Surgical treatment was performed in 9 hands of 7 patients, with results of excellent in 6 hands (67%) and no recurrence, in average follow up 2.6 years (1.5 year to 3.7 year)
Alcoholics ; Clinical Study ; Contracture ; Drinking ; Dupuytren Contracture ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Occupations ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking

Cryptosporidium, a coccidian parasite first described by Tyzzer (1907) from a laboratory mouse, has become an important human enteric pathogen causing overwhelming diarrhea especially in immunocompromised patients such as AIDS. This parasite has been reported from over 20 countries and is recognized as a cosmopolitan species. In Korea, however, there has been no report on human as well as animal cryptosporidiosis. This study was performed so as to verify the presence of Cryptosporidium in Korea by activating the parasite from laboratory mice by immunosuppression. Total 65 conventionally-bred ICR mice including a control (5 mice) and 3 experimental groups (20 each) were used for this study. Group I was immunosuppressed with prednisolone injection (1 mg IM, every other day) for 7 weeks. Group II (prednisolone injection and tetracycline administration) and Group III (prednisolone injection and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole administration) were prepared to observe the effect of antibacterial agents on the activation of cryptosporidiosis. In fecal examinations of mice Cryptosporidium oocysts (4-6 microns in size) were detected from 1 week after the start of immunosuppression and the mice began to die. In H-E stained tissue sections of the lower jejunum, numerous very small (2-4 microns), dense, ovoid or spherical, slightly basophilic bodies were seen attached on the free border of mucosal epithelial cells. In scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations, these organisms were identified as various developmental stages of Cryptosporidium. The species is considered to be C. parvum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cryptosporidiosis-etiology ; Cryptosporidiosis-immunology ; Cryptosporidium-growth-and-development ; English-Abstract ; Immune-Tolerance ; Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-etiology ; Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-immunology ; Mice- ; Mice,-Inbred-ICR ; *Cryptosporidiosis-parasitology ; *Cryptosporidium-pathogenicity ; *Immunosuppression- ; *Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-parasitology

In order to evaluate the genotoxic hazard among workers potentially exposed to low level petrochemical substances, the analyses of micronuclei (MN) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in lymphocytes were performed in 46 male workers (as exposed group) and 46 nonexposed subjects (as control group). Mean frequencies of MN and SCEs (respectively, 12.9/1000 cells and 6.5/cell) in exposed group were very significantly higher than those (10.2/1000 cells and 5.4/cell) in control group. And there were also significant differences in mean frequencies of MN and SCEs adjusted for age, employment duration, smoking, and drinking between two groups. Median frequencies of MN and SCEs in exposed group were very significantly higher than those in control group. Frequencies of SCEs were higher in smokers than in non-smoker. Frequencies of MN in smokers, however, were similiar to those of non-smoker. Interaction between exposure and smoking on MN and SCEs induction was not observed. The results suggest that there is genotoxic hazard in high risk group like workers handling carcinogens in petrochemical plants and the analyses of MN and SCEs are useful biomarkers for the exposure to hazard substances even at the level below the exposure limit.
Biological Markers ; Carcinogens ; Drinking ; Employment ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; Smoke ; Smoking

Intertrochanteric fractures of femur were increasing in their incidence in morden life. The compression hip screw and Ender nail are popular treatment modalities of the interochanteric fracture of femur. We had tried to clarify the complications of intertrochanteric fracture according to the treatment modality-compression hip screw and Ender nail. We obtained the results as followings with the patients who had intertrochanteric fracture of femur which were managed by compression hip screw (56 cases) and Ender nail (22 cases) through the period of March 1987 to June 1993. The summary of the results; 1. Mechanical complications were developed in 9 patients(16%), 9 complications in the group with compression hip screw and 7 patients(32%), 12 complications in Ender nail. 2. Local complications were developed in 4 patients(7%) in compression hip screw and 10 patients (46%) in Ender nail and the most common local complication was the knee joint pain(7 patients; 32%). 3. Statistically, more significant decrease of neck-shaft angle was shown with group using Ender nail for unstable fracture than stable fracture group and compression hip screw group. 4. The degree of shortening was incrased in group with Ender nail than in group with compression hip screw, but there was no statistical significance. 5. The grade of osteoporosis was not related to the change of neck-shaft angle and shortening and also to the development of mechanical complication. According to the above results, compression hip screw was a more stable fixation device than Ender nail in the unstable intertrochanteric fracutre.
Femur ; Hip ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Incidence ; Knee Joint ; Osteoporosis

There have long been a lot of controversies on the treatment of unstable thoracolumbar spine fracture, and the role of decompression is also controversial. Compression of the neural elements by retropulsed bone fragments can be relieved indirectly by the reduction with posterior instrumentation or directly by the exploration of the spinal canal through a posterolateral or anterior approach. There is no universal agreement about the indications for each of these method. Authors analyzed the result of 24 cases of thoracolumbar spine fracture which had been operated by anterior decompression and Kaneda instrumentation from the February 1990 to May 1993 at Inha general hospital. The results were as follows: 1. The most common cause of injury was falling from a height, 20 cases (83.3%). And the 12 cases were in the 4th decade, with an average age of 37.7 years. 2. According to McAfee classification, there were 7 stable(29.2%) and 15 unstable bursting fractures(62.5%). And the most common level of injury was L1(11 cases, 45.8%). 3. Neurologic status was improved one or more grade(Frankel grade) in 21 cases except one case of complete paraplegia. 4. The average correctional angle of kyphotic deformity was 13.1° immediate postoperatively, and the loss of correction(average, 6.7°) was observed during the follow-up period. 5. The segmental instability was found at the level below the fusion in three cases during the follow-up period. 6. There was neither failure of instrument, dislodgement of graft bone nor lateral wedging during the follow-up period.
Accidental Falls ; Classification ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Methods ; Paraplegia ; Spinal Canal ; Spine ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Breech Presentation* ; Female ; Fetus* ; Pregnancy

It is well known that the murine T helper cell clones are divided by their lymphokine secretory activities. One is the Th-1 cell, producing IL-2 and IFN after stimulation and the other is the Th-2 cell, producing the IL-4 and IL-5. This study was undertaken to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide(LPS) on the lymphokine production in vivo and in vitro. The results were as follows: There were no effects on the lymphokine secretion by the in vitro treatment of the LPS. The in vivo treatment of the LPS decreases the capability of the production of IL-2 and IFN , whereas it increases the capability of IL-4 production. The altered capacity of the lymphokine production was recovered about 2 weeks after the treatment of the LPS. There were no differences on the lymphokine production between E-coli LPS and salmonella LPS. The capacity of the lymphokine production was the same in the treatment of a non-heated LPS or heated-LPS. The lymphokine production of the mice which were desensitized by the long term treatment of the LPS was not different from the control mice. The in vitro treatment of RU486 can block the alterations of the lymphokine production after the treatment of the LPS. In summary, one can tell that the LPS increases the secretion of the IL-4 through the endogenous secretion of the glucocorticoids.
Animals ; Clone Cells ; Glucocorticoids ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Mice ; Mifepristone ; Salmonella ; T-Lymphocytes* ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

No abstract available.
Cholesterol* ; Pleural Effusion*