No abstract available.
Carcinosarcoma* ; Female ; Ovary*

To verify the accuracy and reproducibility of corneal thickness measurements obtained with Orbscan (Orbtek, Inc., Salt Lake City, USA), the measurements were compared with those taken with an ultrasound pachymeter (Omega Compuscan, Storz). Central corneal thickness was measured by each method in 100 eyes of 50healthy subjects. The averages by the two methods were compared. One examiner took the measurements twice by each method in 20 eyes of 10 subjects, and intraexaminer reproducibility was evaluated. Two examiners measured the thickness in 20 eyes of 10 subjects and interexaminer reproducibility was assessed. The average corneal thickness was 550.27+/-3.56 micrometer in the Orbscan measurements and 526.62+/-3.70 micrometer in the ultrasound pachymetry: There was a statistically significant difference between the two methods. Significant difference was noticed but this showed a constant corresponding correlation with the Orbscan showing a 4.4%lower average. The intraexaminer and interexaminer reproducibility showed high reliability(Guttman split-half point<0.99). The Orbscan pachymetry is a highly reliable method and may be widely used in clinical practice.
Corneal Pachymetry* ; Lakes ; Ultrasonics* ; Ultrasonography

To evaluate the reproducibility in measuring the velocities of perifoveal hyperfluorescent dots, we analyzed fluorescein angiographs of 24 eyes[24 patients]which had central serous retinopathy. Fluorescein angiography was performed with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope[SLO, Rodenstock, Mnchen, Germany]Distances between 5 moving hyperfluorescent dots in a perifoveal capillary were measured at each consecutive frame[interval 1/30 sec]. And then velocities of 5 fluorescent dots were measured with image analysis program by converting the distances to real retinal size using the Littmann's curve in 20 eyes. In the other 4 eyes, the velocities between 5 fluorescent dots of each 2 to 4 capillaries were measured. Perifoveal capillary mean blood flow velocity and standard deviation were 2.08 +/-0.36 mm/sec, and mean coefficient of variation of the velocities measured in a vessel of one patient was 12.58%. However, reliability of the velocities of 2 to 4 capillaries on the 4 eyes was relatively low. In conclusion, the measurement of velocities between perifoveal fluorescent dots with scanning laser ophthalmoscope may be a reproducible method for a perifoveal capillary. However, reliability of measuring velocities was not sufficient enough to use the velocity of one perifoveal capillary as macular blood flow.
Blood Flow Velocity ; Capillaries ; Central Serous Chorioretinopathy ; Fluorescein Angiography* ; Fluorescein* ; Humans ; Ophthalmoscopes* ; Retinaldehyde

Tamoxifen is an selective estrogen receptor antagonist widely used in the management of patients with breast cancer for more than 30 years. It was thought to act primarily through occupying the estrogen receptor sites in ER positive breast cancer cells and directly on cancer cell proper. These inhibitory effects, which have been shown to be independent of the ER, highlight new mechanism of therapeutic action of tamoxifen. The purposes of this study were to identify ER in oral carcinoma cell lines and to evaluate ER independent cytotoxic effect of tamoxifen. KB(SCC), HSC-3(SCC) and A253(ACC) cell line were used and capacity of cell proliferation, apoptosis, in vitro invasion and gelatin zymography were tested. ER expression of each cell line were detected by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Dose dependent inhibition of cell proliferation and inhibition of gelatinolytic activity were observed in all oral carcinoma cell lines and significant difference of apoptotic index were observed in A253 and KB. Tamoxifen inhibited in vitro invasion in all experimental groups. ER expression was detected in KB and A253. These data suggest that tamoxifen may play a role in management of oral carcinoma by independent cytotoxic effect and more advanced research must processed confirming ER-dependent cytotoxicity.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Estrogens ; Gelatin ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mouth Neoplasms* ; Tamoxifen*

OBJECTIVE: A novel inhibitor of apoptosis, survivin, seems to be involved in critical steps of cancer onset and progression, and associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. We investigated the expression of survivin in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm and uterine cervical cancer to determine whether survivin indicates the poor prognosis or not. METHODS: The study included 14 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III, 53 cases of invasive uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical stain and western blot was performed with antihuman survivin antibody. RESULTS: Survivin was highly expressed in CIN III and cervical cancer group than normal control group (p<0.05). Significant survivin expression was noted in cancer patients with lesion size >or=4 cm, lymphovascular invasion, elevated SCC Ag. level, and nonresponse to initial therapy. As the clinical stage goes up, survivin expression had a tendency to increase but there was no statistical significance (p=0.081). No association was noted between survivin expression and survival rate (p=0.1011). CONCLUSION: This results suggest that survivin expression may provide prognostic information and could represent a possible new marker of prognosis in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the usefulness of shortening of the fetal femur length (FL) and humeral length (HL) to predict Down syndrome at the middle gestation of pregnancy in Korean subjects. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 41 fetuses with Down syndrome and 328 fetuses with normal chromosome between 14+0 and 28+6 weeks of gestation. The expected FL and HL for any biparietal diameter (BPD) was calculated based on the control group data. The odds ratios for measure to expected FL and HL in comparison between normal fetuses and Down syndrome fetuses were calculated. The sensitivities of short FL and HL to predict Down syndrome were analyzed at a fixed false positive rate of 5%. RESULTS: The lengths of femur and humerus long bone for any BPD in Down syndrome group were significantly shorter than the lengths in control group (P<0.001). A low ratio of measured to expected FL and HL increased the risk of fetal Down syndrome (P<0.001). At a fixed false positive rate of 5%, the sensitivities were 21.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.698~0.852, P<0.001) in FL and 29.9% (95% CI 0.773~0.914, P<0.001) in HL. CONCLUSION: Both of short FL and HL are poor marker for Down syndrome at the middle gestation of pregnancy in Korean population though the sensitivity of HL was higher than FL.
Down Syndrome ; Femur ; Fetus ; Humerus ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the results of using a locking compression plate and an unlocked plate for treating proximal humeral fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on 20 patients who underwent plate fixation for proximal humeral fractures out of the 87 patients with proximal humeral fractures and who were admitted from 2003 to 2007 in our hospital. Of the 20 patients, 10 were treated with a locking compression plate and the other 10 were treated with an unlocked plate. Each group was evaluated according to the humeral neck shaft angle, the period until bony union, the complications and the Constant score. The humeral neck shaft angle was based on plain x-rays taken immediately after the operation and at 6 months postoperatively. The Constant score was evaluated on the last visit to our clinic. RESULTS: There was no significant statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the neck shaft angle, the period until bony union and the Constant score. Yet, there were three cases of screw migration in the unlocked plate group. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the neck shaft angle, the period until bony union and the Constant score. The locking compression plate is considered to achieve more effective fixation for proximal humerus fractures because there were less complications such as screw migration.
Humans ; Humerus ; Neck ; Shoulder Fractures

OBJECTIVE: A 10-year retrospective lumboperitoneal(LP) shunt surgery was reviewed in order to verify the several prognostic factors including the etiology, the findings of brain computed tomography(CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), and the effect of lumbar drainage which have been implicated in the result of LP shunt. PATIENTS AND MEHTODS: A series of 32 patients who underwent LP shunt surgery between March 1988 and May 1998 for the management of communicating hydrocephalus was reviewed. RESULTS: The etiology of communicating hydrocephalus was subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) in 19 cases(59.4%), head trauma in 10 cases(31.2%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 2 cases(6.3%), meningitis in 1 case(3.1%), tumor in 1 case(3.1%), and idiopathic in 2 cases(6.3%). The mean follow-up period was 1.2 years(range, 2 week to 8.5 year). Among them, twenty four patients(75%) were clinically improved after shunt operation. The result of LP shunt was not related to the etiologies and many findings of brain CT/MRI such as ventricular index, Evan's index, periventricular low density, obliteration of cerebral sulci and cortical atrophy. However, the result of LP shunt was significantly related to the effect of preoperative lumbar drainage(p=0.0184). CONCLUSION: This result suggests that the effect of preoperative lumbar drainage has a significant role in predicting the result of LP shunt in patients with communicating hydrocephalus.
Atrophy ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Meningitis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to develop a new scoring tool that is comprehensively applicable and predicts fatality within 24 h of intoxication. METHODS: This was a cohort study conducted in two emergency medical centers from 2011 to 2012. We identified factors associated with severe/fatality. Through a discriminant analysis, we devised the aBIG (age, Base deficit, Infection, and Glasgow coma scale) score. To compare the ability of aBIG to predict intoxication severity with that of previous scoring systems such as APACHE II, MODS, SAPS IIe, and SOFA, we determined the receiver operating characteristic curves of each variable in predicting severe-to-fatal toxicity. RESULTS: Compared with the mild/moderate toxicity group (n=211), the severe/fatal group (n=143) had higher incidences of metabolic acidosis, infection, serious mental change, QTc prolongation and hepato-renal failure. Age, base deficit, infection-WBC count, and Glasgow Coma Scale were independently associated with severe/fatal poisoning. These variables were combined into the poisoning "aBIG" score [0.28xAge group+0.38xWBC count/10(3)+0.52xBase deficit+0.64x(15-GCS)], which were each calculated to have an area under the curve of 0.904 (95% confidence interval: 0.868-0.933). The aBIG poisoning score had an equivalent level of severity predictability as APACHE II and a superior than MODS, SOFA, and SAPS IIe. CONCLUSION: We developed a simplified scoring system using the four variables of age, base deficit, infected leukocytosis, and GCS. The poisoning aBIG score was a simple method that could be performed rapidly on admission to evaluate severity of illness and predict fatal severity in patients with acute intoxications.
Acidosis ; Adult* ; APACHE ; Cohort Studies ; Coma ; Emergencies ; Fatal Outcome ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Poisoning* ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to develop a new scoring tool that is comprehensively applicable and predicts fatality within 24 h of intoxication. METHODS: This was a cohort study conducted in two emergency medical centers from 2011 to 2012. We identified factors associated with severe/fatality. Through a discriminant analysis, we devised the aBIG (age, Base deficit, Infection, and Glasgow coma scale) score. To compare the ability of aBIG to predict intoxication severity with that of previous scoring systems such as APACHE II, MODS, SAPS IIe, and SOFA, we determined the receiver operating characteristic curves of each variable in predicting severe-to-fatal toxicity. RESULTS: Compared with the mild/moderate toxicity group (n=211), the severe/fatal group (n=143) had higher incidences of metabolic acidosis, infection, serious mental change, QTc prolongation and hepato-renal failure. Age, base deficit, infection-WBC count, and Glasgow Coma Scale were independently associated with severe/fatal poisoning. These variables were combined into the poisoning "aBIG" score [0.28xAge group+0.38xWBC count/10(3)+0.52xBase deficit+0.64x(15-GCS)], which were each calculated to have an area under the curve of 0.904 (95% confidence interval: 0.868-0.933). The aBIG poisoning score had an equivalent level of severity predictability as APACHE II and a superior than MODS, SOFA, and SAPS IIe. CONCLUSION: We developed a simplified scoring system using the four variables of age, base deficit, infected leukocytosis, and GCS. The poisoning aBIG score was a simple method that could be performed rapidly on admission to evaluate severity of illness and predict fatal severity in patients with acute intoxications.
Acidosis ; Adult* ; APACHE ; Cohort Studies ; Coma ; Emergencies ; Fatal Outcome ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Poisoning* ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve