No abstract available.
Arthrography* ; Wrist*

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the role and effects of prolotherapy in patients presenting with lower back pain and detected sacral asymlocation, by retrospectively analyzing the results of prolotherapy performed at our institute. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with referred pain in the lower back rather than distinct radiculopathy, were detected to have sacral asymlocation by simple X-ray from May 2004 through July 2005. The patients were treated with prolotherapy and manipulation by the Ongley's method around the lumbosacral junction, iliolumbar ligament, and sacroiliac joint. They were treated for approximately one to two week intervals, and during this period were rechecked by X-ray and evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: A total of 23 patients were included in the study (10 male and 13 female), and the average age was 41 years. The average VAS at the time of visit was 8.5, the average treatment time was 4.7 days, and the average VAS after treatment was 2.1. CONCLUSIONS: Back pain, and associated leg and buttock pain, originate from several causes. In these case analyses, instability around the lumbosacral area and sacral asymlocation might have been important causes of patient back pain and associated buttock and leg pain. We therefore applied prolotherapy as well as manipulation techniques devised by Ongley to these patients, and obtained good results.
Back Pain* ; Buttocks ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Leg ; Ligaments ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Pain, Referred ; Radiculopathy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sacroiliac Joint

No abstract available.
Shoulder*

BACKGROUND: Allodynia, one of the most debilitating symptoms of neuropathic pain syndromes, can be defined as `pain due to a stimulus that does not normally provoke pain'. Subsets of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons involved in nociception are characteristically expressed capsaicin sensitivity and high proportion of tetrodotoxin resistant sodium current (TTX-R INa). We performed an experiment to elucidate whether nerve injury induced mechanical allodynia could be resulted from elctrophysiological modulation of large, nonnociceptive afferent neurons to nociceptors. METHODS: Whole cell patch clamp recordings were made from acutely dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of normal and experimental neuropathic rats. We compared the proportion of capsaicin sensitive neurons which responded to capsaicin (1micrometer) with an inward current > or = 100 pA in amplitude and the proportion of sodium channel subtypes measured in the absence and presence of tetrodotoxin (1micrometer), in small and large DRG neurons. RESULTS: The proportion of capsaicin sensitive cells to total number of cells tested was not changed by nerve injury in both small and large cell populations. In large cell population of nerve injured rats, the proportion of TTX-R INa was significantly increased as compared with normal group (p <0.05), and in small cell population of nerve injured rats, TTX-S INa was increased, but there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that expression of the sensitivity to capsaicin in DRG neurons would not be altered by nerve injury and increased TTX-R INa in large cell population of nerve injured DRG may underlie increased excitability.
Animals ; Capsaicin* ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Hyperalgesia ; Neuralgia ; Neurons ; Neurons, Afferent ; Nociception ; Nociceptors ; Rats* ; Sodium Channels ; Sodium* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Tetrodotoxin

PURPOSE: Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) has been known to regulate the transcriptional activity of thyroid-specific genes. Ki-67 has been known as a marker for indicating tumor growth. This study was designed to campare the expressions of TTF-1 and Ki-67 on non- neoplastic and neoplastic thyroid tissues. METHODS: The surgically resected specimens of various histological types of thyroid tumor, from the files of the Dept. of surgery, Chung-Ang University Pil-Dong Hospital, between January 1998 and June 2002 were reviewed, and 55 cases selected for immunohistochemical studies. The materials consisted of tissues from 10 nodular hyperplasias, 28 papillary carcinomas, 15 follicular adenomas and 12 follicular carcinomas. All specimens were routinely processed, and paraffin blocks were available in all cases. Immunohistochemical stains for TTF-1 and Ki-67 were also performed. RESULTS: In all the cases, including the nodular hyperplasias, papillary carcinomas, follicular adenomas and follicular carcinomas, expressions of the TTF-1 were observed. The properties of the TTF-1 expression, including staining intensity, extent and index were not related to the tumor type. The expression of TTF-1 was inversely correlated with the tumor proliferation fraction, as assessed by the Ki-67 staining index. CONCLUSION: TTF-1 was expressed in almost all the benign lesions and well differentiated carcinomas, and correlated with the tumor proliferation fraction.
Adenoma ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Coloring Agents ; Hyperplasia ; Paraffin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

The spontaneous regression of herniated cervical discs is not a well established phenomenon. However, we encountered the 3 cases of spontaneous regression of severe radiculopathic herniated cervical discs that were treated using a non-surgical method. Each of the patients were treated with a combination of manipulation, dry needling and analgesics. In each case, the symptoms improved within 12 months of treatment and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conducted at that time revealed marked regression of the herniated disc in all cases. These cases provide additional examples of spontaneous regression of herniated cervical discs documented by MRI following non-surgical treatment.
Analgesics ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The funding acknowledgment in this article was partially omitted as published.

In cancer genome studies, the annotation of newly detected oncogene/tumor suppressor gene candidates is a challenging process. We propose using concept lattice analysis for the annotation and interpretation of genes having candidate somatic mutations in whole-exome sequencing in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We selected 45 highly mutated genes with whole-exome sequencing in 10 normal matched samples of the AML-M2 subtype. To evaluate these genes, we performed concept lattice analysis and annotated these genes with existing knowledge databases.
DNA Mutational Analysis ; Genes, Suppressor ; Genome ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Oncogenes ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Direct stenting (DS) has been shown to be safe and feasible, with demonstrable reductions in cost, procedural time and radiation exposure, and may also result in less vessel injury. The aim of this study was to compare the immediate and six month clinical and angiographic outcomes of direct stent (DS) with stent implantation implantation following balloon predilatation (conventional stenting, CS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Between July 2001 and June 2004, 266 patients (293 lesions) with angina pectoris were included in this study. Patients having lesion characteristics with excessive calcification, left main lesion, chronic total occlusion, severe proximal tortuosity and a bifurcated lesion were excluded. Follow up angiography was performed about six months after the initial procedure. RESULTS: Direct (73 lesions) and conventional stenting (220 lesions) were performed respectively. In the DS group, the minimal luminal diameter was larger (0.36+/-0.18 vs. 0.31+/-0.19 mm, p=0.036) and diameter stenosis lower than in the CS group (89.1+/-5.1 vs. 90.6+/-3.9%, p=0.026). However, no difference was found in the reference vessel diameter between the two groups. From the immediate angiographic results, the CS group showed a longer stent length than the DS group (18.84+/-5.61 vs. 16.16+/-3.67 mm, p=0.000), but the DS group had a higher balloon inflation pressure than the CS group (12.25+/-1.71 vs. 11.35+/-1.72 atm, p=0.000). However, no difference was found in the post-stent minimal luminal diameter, acute gain and angiographic success rates. Follow up angiography was performed in 68.6% (201/293) of lesions. The angiographic restenosis rate was similar between the two groups (DS, 19.6 vs. CS, 19.3%, p=0.966), as were the other angiographic findings. The rates of in-hospital and 6 month follow up major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Direct stenting showed similar rates of angiographic restenosis as well as inhospital and 6 months MACE (death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, cerebrovascular accident) compared with conventional stenting.
Angina Pectoris* ; Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Restenosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflation, Economic ; Myocardial Infarction ; Phenobarbital ; Stents*

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical evaluation were performed for patients with single-level uniportal endoscopic lumbar decompression with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Results: A total of 126 patients were recruited with a minimum follow-up of 26 months. The incidence of epidural fluid hematoma was 27%. Postoperative MRI revealed a significant improvement in the postoperative dura sac area at postoperative day 1 and at the upper endplate at 6 months in the hematoma cohort (39.69±15.72 and 26.89±16.58 mm2) as compared with the nonhematoma cohort (48.92±21.36 and 35.1±20.44 mm2), respectively (p <0.05); and at the lower endplate on postoperative 1 day in the hematoma cohort (51.18±24.69 mm2) compared to the nonhematoma cohort (63.91±27.92 mm2) (p <0.05). No significant difference was observed in the dura sac area at postoperative 1 year in both cohorts. The hematoma cohort had statistically significant higher postoperative 1-week Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 3.32±0.68) pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI; 32.65±5.56) scores than the nonhematoma cohort (2.99±0.50 and 30.02±4.84, respectively; p <0.05). No significant difference was found at the final follow-up VAS, ODI, and MRI dura sac area. Conclusions Epidural fluid hematoma is a common early postoperative MRI finding in lumbar endoscopic unilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression. Conservative management is the preferred treatment option for patients who do not have a neurological deficit. Symptoms last only a few days and are self-limiting. A common endpoint is a remodeled fluid hematoma and the subsequent expansion of the dura sac area.