No abstract available.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency* ; Child* ; Ferritins* ; Humans ; Iron* ; Milk*

No abstract available.
Female ; Mammals* ; Ovulation*

No abstract available.
Prospective Payment System* ; Prospective Studies*

No abstract available.

Twenty to twenty-five percent of patients are reported to experience problems with anorectal function after low anterior resection, complaining particularly urgency of defecation and minor fecal leakage, but the mechanisms underlying its cause and the recovery process are not well understood. We designed this study to elucidate the mechanism of anorectal functional problems and its recovery process after low anterior resection for rectal cancer by autonomic nerve preserving procedure. Standardized interviews and anorectal physiologic studies including balloon proctometry and manometry were performed in 32 patients preoperatively, and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after the operation. Postoperatively stool frequency increased, the ability to defer defecation and discriminate stool characters were compromised, and anal incontinence scores increased, which recovered progressively by 6~12 months after the operation. Balloon proctometry showed that threshold volume, urgent volume and maximal tolerable volume decreased remarkably after the operation. The latter two parameters recovered considerably by 1 year after the operation. Rectal compliance also decreased significantly but it showed no evidence of recovery by 1 year after the operation. Anorectal manometry showed that maximum anal resting pressure decreased significantly after the operation which recovered significantly by 1 year after the operation. Maximum anal squeeze pressure showed no significant decrease after the operation. In most patients rectoanal inhibitory reflex was abolished after the operation, which recovered only in some cases by after 1 year. The group of short residual rectum(<4 cm, N=18) showed more impairment in continence and decrease in neorectal capacity and compliance than that of the long residual rectum(> or =4 cm, N=14). These results suggest impairment in fecal continence occurs due to decrease in rectal capacity, compliance, and anal canal pressure, and loss of rectoanal inhibitory reflex. Autonomic nerve preserving procedure could not prevent the decrease in resting anal pressure. Continence recovers clinically with increase in neorectal capacity, compliance and anal canal pressure but not with recovery of rectoanal inhibitory reflex. The length of the residual rectum seems to play an important role in the degree of impairment of continence and good continence can be expected when the residual rectum is more than 4 cm.
Anal Canal ; Autonomic Pathways ; Compliance ; Defecation ; Humans ; Manometry ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Rectum ; Reflex

The ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine(OPLL) is newly recongnized clinical entity,although compression of the spinal cord by an OPLL was reported by key as early as in 1839 in Guy's HospitalReport. OPLL was noticeable in lateral tomography as an abnormal dense radiopacity along the posterior margins ofthe vertebral body. Authors retrospectively analysed the diagnostic values and findings of lateral tomography ofthe cervical spine in 11 cases at Kang Nam General Hospital Public Corporation during 1 yr from July 1984 to June1985. The results were as follows; 1. Among suspected 11 cases of OPLL, 9 cases were confiremd as OPLL on lateraltomogram. 2. Age range was 25 years old to 55 years old and more prevalent age was over 5th decades & male wasmore involved than female. 3. Frequent involvement was C2-C5 level and number of vertebral bodies involved was 3.6in average. 4. This ossification developed 4 modes, a continuous type 11%, segmental 33%, mixed type 33%,circumscribed type in 22%. 5. OPLL thickness were from 2mm to 4.5mm and spnal canal narrowing ratio were form 25%to 44% and there were norational relationships between clinical symptom and thicknness of OPLL. 6. On diagnosis ofOPLL, lateral tomography is accurate and recommendable screening study due to easy, noninvasive, indisipensable and less harmful technique, compared to those of myelography or computed tomography.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Myelography ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Spine

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to make a comparative analysis of the clinical outcomes after the operative treatment of refractory medial epicondylitis between the suture anchor group and the non-suture anchor group. METHODS: We enrolled 20 patients (7 men and 13 women) with recalcitrant medial epicondylitis who were able to receive operative treatment in a minimum of an 18-month follow-up. The mean age was 48.6 years (range, 36-59 years). The patients were allocated into either the suture anchor group (7 patients) or the non-suture anchor group (13 patients). We evaluated clinical outcomes using the visual analog scale (VAS), the pain grading system of Nirschl and Pettrone, and postoperative grip strength. RESULTS: The VAS score decreased from 8.8 to 2.0 for the suture anchor group and from 8.6 to 1.3 for the non-suture anchor group (p=0.16). The postoperative grip strength was 95%, 93% of the non-treated arm in both groups (p=0.32). The postoperative satisfaction level was good in 5 patients and fair in 2 for the suture anchor group and excellent in 5 patients, good, in 4, and fair, in 4 for the nonsuture anchor group (p=0.43). The clinical outcomes did not show a statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found that patients with recalcitrant medial epicondylitis were treated reliably with satisfactory clinical outcomes whether or not suture anchors were used. We believe the use of suture anchors when more than 50% of the tendon origin is affected provides an effective and favorable treatment modality.
Arm ; Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Male ; Suture Anchors* ; Sutures* ; Tendons ; Visual Analog Scale

Twenty-five patients with cerebrovascular diseases were administered Nicardipine, a calcium antagonist, in daily dose of 60 mg per orally for 8-12 weeks during the year of 1983, to evaluate the efficacy of the drugs clinically. The following results were obtained. 1) General improvement rating was 80%. 2) Marked improvement(88%) were noted in subjective symptoms, especially of tinnitus, paresthesia and headache. significant improvement were noted in psychiatric(74%) and neurologic(71%) symptoms e.g disturbance of sleep, emotion, memory, speech, swallowing and muscle power. 3) In 13 hypertensive patients, average blood pressure lowered from 163/96 to 138/83 mmHg in 4 weeks and maintained thereafter. 4) major adverse effect was facial flushing, noted in 4 patients(16%), which were transient and mild and allowed to contiume medication.
Blood Pressure ; Calcium ; Deglutition ; Flushing ; Headache ; Humans ; Memory ; Nicardipine ; Paresthesia ; Tinnitus

Colorectoanal intussusception is a rare and distinct entity that differs from the more common rectal prolapse. Typically the intussusception occurrs with tumor at the apex of the intussuscepted segment acting as lead point. Here we present a case and review the literature of colorectoanal intussusception. The case presented here is that of an elderly woman with a proximal sigmoid colon cancer at its apex. Anterior resection was electively performed after reduction of the intussusception. It is important to differentiate a colorectoanal intussusception from the more common rectal prolapse because treatment may differ. The anorectum remains in its normal anatomic position in colorectoanal intussusception, whereas the anal canal is effaced with the prolapsed segment of bowel in rectal prolapse. Identification of a tumor at the apex of the intussuscepted bowel should also arouse suspicion that the condition is not a rectal prolapse.
Aged ; Anal Canal ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Rectal Prolapse ; Sigmoid Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to compare Global field Power Measurement and conventional method in P300 determination. METHOD: The subjects were composed of patients(N=20) with schizophrenia by DSM-IV and normal controls(N=20). The auditory event related potential P300 was measured by "oddball paradigm". P300 components were determined by Global Field Power Measurement and conventional method at 5 electrodes(Fz, Cz, Pz, T3, T4). RESULTS: P300 amplitudes of patients were smaller than those of controls across all electrodes and in both methods, but there was no differential power in P300 determination between two methods. Asymmetry of auditory event-related potential P300 was not shown between patients with schizophrenia and normal controls. CONCLUSION: It is implicated that it depends on clinical situations and research purposes what method of P300 determination will be more appropriate for patients with schizophernia.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Electrodes ; Event-Related Potentials, P300 ; Evoked Potentials ; Humans ; Schizophrenia