Authors reviewed the clinical features and diagnostic approaches in 70 patients of cysticercosis who had been diagnosed at Seoul National University Hospital from 1978 to 1982. The ages of the 70 patients ranged from 4 to 65 years at the time of the diagnosis (mean age 36.9years) with 62.9 percent between the age 20 and 50 years. Male were more frequently involved than female (2:1). Forty-seven patients (67.1%) presented with neurological symptoms and signs, among which epileptic seizures (66%) was the most common one. Subcutaneous nodules were observed in 36 patients (50.1%) and 24 patients of them had no abnomal clinical findings other than subcutaneous nodules. Computed tomography (CT), employed in 46 patients, showed multiple low densties in 31 patients (67.4%).
Cysticercosis* ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Seoul

Authors reviewed the clinical features and diagnostic approaches in 70 patients of cysticercosis who had been diagnosed at Seoul National University Hospital from 1978 to 1982. The ages of the 70 patients ranged from 4 to 65 years at the time of the diagnosis (mean age 36.9years) with 62.9 percent between the age 20 and 50 years. Male were more frequently involved than female (2:1). Forty-seven patients (67.1%) presented with neurological symptoms and signs, among which epileptic seizures (66%) was the most common one. Subcutaneous nodules were observed in 36 patients (50.1%) and 24 patients of them had no abnomal clinical findings other than subcutaneous nodules. Computed tomography (CT), employed in 46 patients, showed multiple low densties in 31 patients (67.4%).
Cysticercosis* ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Seoul

Choe Han-Ki was a philosopher of the 19th century who resided in Seoul. He accumulated vast amount of knowledge of Western science and on the basis of them he built his own philosophical system different from those of the philosophers before him. Not only has he wrote books on philosophy, but many books on science as well. Among them Shin-Ki-Chon-Hum is a very unique medical book which reveals his original medical philosophy. He acquired medical knowledge through the medical books put into Chinese by missionary doctor Hobson and on the basis of them he criticized traditional medicine. He criticized traditional medicine because it explained vital phenomenon through the reductionist theory, such as Oh-Haeng(theory of five phases). And he also criticized it because it lacked in exact anatomical knowledge and that the exact origin of the disease was not known and it had limitations on treatment. He also criticized Western Medicine because it supposed God as a creator. He saw the possibility of communication between Western Medicine and traditional medicine. He didn't regard medicine as concerning disease and health only, but it included everything in it. His philosophy of medicine is just a part of his original system of science, Ki-Hak.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; Korea ; Philosophy, Medical/*history

Reconstruction of the soft tissue defects on the plantar foot continues to be a difficult challenges because of the unique anatomical features. It should endure constant weight loading or alternate stimulus of shoes while standing or walking. The methods used for reconstruction of the soft tissue defects on the plantar foot are skin graft, local flap, cross leg flap, myocutaneous flap, neurovascular island and free flap. However, it is verb difficult to find a proper method to reconstruct the soft tissue defect of the first toe plantar area. The ideal reconstruction should provide tissue as durable yet sensitive, provide tissue components similar to the original lost tissue, be reliable, result in a donor site that is well tolerated, and entail one operative procedure with minimal morbidity Although the medial plantar flap was initially described to surface heel defects, many surgeons haute used this flap as a cross leg flap or a free flap to recover the first toe plantar area. Its use has always required a secondary surgical procedure or a difficult technique. In order to overcome this inconvenience, we used the flap based on the principle of reversing the direction of blood flow in a distal vascular pedicle to restore a defect of the anteromedial aspect of the foot. We haute experienced 3 cases of reverse medial plantar flap for the reconstruction of the great toe plantar area. Good functional and aesthetic results were obtained.
Foot ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Heel ; Humans ; Leg ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Shoes ; Skin ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tissue Donors ; Toes* ; Transplants ; Walking

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentary disorder characterized by loss of melanocytes from the epidermis. Autografting using the suction blistered epidermis technique is one of the surgical modalities of vitiligo treatment, and has been successfully used by several authots. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the autografting using the suction blistered epidermis technique for the treatment of vitiligo. METHODS: 142 sites from 39 patients with vitiligo were treated with autografting using the suction blistered epidermis technique. The recipient sites were prepared by freezing with liquid nitrogen of the sites 48 hours prior to grafting. RESULTS: Better results were seen in cases with the following Factors: a) cases where the disease had been present for more than 3 years b) the post-operative period had been Longer than a year c) the Lesional sites of the vitiligo were on the trunk and neck rather than the neck and extremities d) the vitiligo had affected the grabous rather than the hairy areas on the face. However, there were no differences between the clinical types(such as generalized, localized, and segmental) in the success rate of treatment. Preopera'tive PUVA or post operative PUVA also did not affect the statistical results. CONCLUSION: On autografting using the suction blistered epidermis, it is better to select the patients who have had the disease for more than 3 years, and graft the epidermis which has increased melanocytes by preoperative PUVA for good treatment results and even pigmentation.
Autografts* ; Blister* ; Epidermis* ; Extremities ; Freezing ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; Neck ; Nitrogen ; Pigmentation ; Suction* ; Transplantation, Autologous* ; Transplants ; Vitiligo*

Crossed aphasia refers to language disturbance induced by unilateral right hemisphere (non-language dominant) injury in right-handed people who had no previous history of brain damage. Crossed aphasia occurs in less than 2 percent who developed a aphasia. We report a case of a 49-year-old right handed man with language disturbance after right middle cerebral infarction. He showed nonfluent crossed aphasia with Gerstman syndrome such as right-left disorientation, finger agnosia, acalculia and agraphia, but not with apraxia and neglect. At 7 weeks after onset, language function indicated improvement in spontaneous speech and at 19 weeks after onset, improvement in spontaneous speech, comprehension, repetition, naming and reading.
Agnosia ; Agraphia ; Aphasia* ; Apraxias ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction ; Comprehension ; Dyscalculia ; Hand ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the clinicopathologic features of borderline malignancy of the ovary and analyze the treatment and survival characteristics through the study of our cases. Study METHODS: 102 patients with borderline tumors of the ovary, aged from 14 to 79 years, treated between 1982 and 1999 at Seoul National University Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively for clinicopathologic features. Most informations about stage, treatment modality and prognosis were obtained by hospital record or contacting patient with telephone. RESULTS: There were 77 patients (75.5%) with stage Ia, 5 stage Ib, 11 stage Ic, 4 with stage II and 5 with stage III by the classification of FIGO. 72 patients (70.6%) were mucinous type and 28 (27.5%) were serous type, 1 endometrioid type, 1 mixed. Total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, and omentectomy were performed in 43 (42.2%) patients and fertility saving surgery in 43 patients(cystectomy in 11 patients, USO in 32 patients). Twenty two patients (21.6%) were treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The median duration of follow up was 54.0 months (1-204 months) and 6 patients developed recurrence after several years from the primary operation. The ten-year eumulative survival rate was 92.2% and the only independent prognostic factors evaluated by Cox analysis in regards to corrected survival were the FIGO stage (p=0.0197). There was no difference in the ten-year survival rate between surgery types - conservative surgery versus full surgical staging. And there was no difference in the 10-year survival rate between treatment groups - surgery only versus surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: FIGO stage is the only independent prognostic factor in the borderline ovarian tumors. There was no difference in the 10-year survival rate of barderline ovarian tumors between surgery alone versus surgery followed by adjuvant chemothearpy. The slow clinical course, low recurrence rate and good prognosis in our patients explained again the reason for therapeutic approach relying on surgery alone.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Classification ; Female ; Fertility ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Mucins ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Survival Rate ; Telephone

The Caudal regression syndrome is characterized by sacrococcygeal or lumbosacrococcygeal agenesis, of variable extent, most often accompanied by multiple musculoskeletal abnormalities of the pelvis and legs. It is rare fetal complication of diabetic pregnancy. Although the exact teratogenic mechanism is not known, hyperglycemia appears to play a crucial role as a teratogen. Strict control of diabetes preconceptually and in early pregnancy is presumed to reduce the risk of occurrence. We report a case of caudal regression syndrome detected by pelvic radiography and MRI in the newborn of the diabetic mother.
Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Infant, Newborn* ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mothers* ; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Radiography

BACKGROUND: It is mandatory to measure the minimal phototoxic dose(MPD) in order to determine adequate irradiation of UV-A in photochemotherapy. However, the measurement of MPD is not easy in some cases due to inadequte size and site of lesions, time and manpower. OBJECTIVE: The purspose of this study was to standardize the minimal phototoxic dose for a vitiliginous lesion. METHODS: The minimal phototoxic dose of UV-A was measured in 82 vitiligo patients. Then we analyzed the MPD according to the sex, age, site of the vitiliginous lesions, duration of disease, and administration route of the photosensitizer. RESULTS: 1. There were no significant differences between exposed and unexposed areas in MPD in both cases of topical and systemic administration of the photosensitiser. 2. There was no significant correlation between disease duration and MPD in both cases of topical and systemic administration of the photosensitiser. 3. In the group of topical application of 8-methoxypsoralen cream, MPD for males and females were 0.53+0.38J/cm2 and 0.48+0.32J/cm2 respectively without significant difference in sex. 4. In the group of systemic administration of 8-methoxypsoralen, there was a significant difference between males and females in MPD. The MPD in males and females were 1.38+0.72J/cm2 and 2.51 + 1.40J/cm2, respectively. 5. In the group of topical application of 8-methoxypsoralen cream, the MPD in 2nd decade patients was the highest(0.80+0.55J/cm2). The MPD had a tendency to decrease gradually as age receded from the 2nd decade. 6. In the group of systemic administration of 8-methoxypsoralen, there was a tendency for the MPD to be increased according to age without statistical significance. 7. MPD in the group systemically administrated with 8-methoxypsoaralen was four-fold to that of the topical application group. CONCLUSION: It may be valuable to keep in mind that there was a statistical differrence in MPD between sexes in systemic administration of the photosensitizer, and that MPD was different according to patients age in the topical application group.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methoxsalen ; Photochemotherapy ; Skin* ; Vitiligo

We present two cases of compression of the common hepatic duct by overriding of the right hepatic artery. One case is gall bladder, common hepatic duct stone and one case is right intrahepatic duct stone. We observed the compression of the common hepatic duct caused by overriding of the right hepatic artery in the both cases. The final diagnosis was made at operative fields. These patient were successfully treated by dissection of adhesion, suture, fixation between gall bladder bed and right hepatic artery.
Diagnosis ; Hepatic Artery* ; Hepatic Duct, Common* ; Humans ; Sutures ; Urinary Bladder