BACKGROUND: In recent years gonorrhea has been pandemic and remains one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases(STD) in the world, especially in developing countries. OBJECTIVE & METHOD: For the detection of a more effective therapeutic regimen and to assess the prevalence of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG), we have been studying patients who have visited the VD Clinic of Choong-ku Public Health Center in Seoul since 1980 by means of the chromogenic cephalosporin method. RESULTS: In 1995, 97 strains of N. gonorrhoeae were isolated, among which 41(42.3%) were PPNG. CONCLUSION: Since the prevalence of PPNG was reported as 21.9% in 1981, the rate fluctuated. However, in 1993, there was an increase up to 74.3%. Thereafter, the prevalence rate decreased to 64.3% in 1994 and 42.3% in 1995. These changes will therefore need continuous observation.
Developing Countries ; Gonorrhea ; Humans ; Methods ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae* ; Neisseria* ; Pandemics ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Seoul*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Germ Cells* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal*

No abstract available.
Nose*

The clear cell variant of ependymoma is a rare, recently described, intracranial tumor which is composed of clear neoplastic ependymal cells. Clear cell ependymomas may share characteristic histologic features of oligodendrogliomas or central neurocytomas; striking nuclear uniformity, perinuclear halos, and numerous angulated capillaries. In contrast to oligodendrogliomas, however, clear cell ependymomas are noninfiltrating tumors with sharp boundaries. Perivascular pseudorosette formation is frequent. Oligodendrogliomas are usually nonreactive for GFAP compared to diffuse immunoreactivity of clear cell ependymoma. Central neurocytomas may also be differentiated by their immunoreactivity for synaptophysin. This is a case of clear cell ependymoma in a 40-year-old man. By computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans, a well circumscribed cystic tumor with mural nodule was demonstrated in the right frontal lobe. It was 6cm in diameter and well enhanced. Histologically, it was sharply demarcated from the brain parenchyma. The cystic wall was lined by atypical ependymal cells, which "transformed" to clear cells in the solid area. The cells had uniform nuclei and perinuclear halos. Mitotic figures and necrotic foci were focally present. The cells were immunoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), while synaptophysin was negative. Electron microscopy revealed densely packed polyheadral cells with scant organelles and well developed intercellular junctions.
Adult ; Brain ; Capillaries ; Ependymoma* ; Frontal Lobe ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Humans ; Intercellular Junctions ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microscopy, Electron ; Neurocytoma ; Oligodendroglioma ; Organelles ; Strikes, Employee ; Synaptophysin

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult*

No abstract available.
Knee Joint* ; Knee*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Rats* ; Wounds and Injuries*

The result of artificial skins made with collagen is poor after grafting over the full thickness wounds due to their rapid degradation by enzymatic cleavage. This study is an in vivo study of an artificial skin made with a biodegradable polymer, which can better address the problem of the collagenous artificial dermis. To investigate the availability of a biodegradable polymer for an artificial dermis and to get an information about the optimal degradation rate of a polymer for an artificial dermis, we made an artificial dermis by seeding of fibroblasts within the vicryl mesh and made a bilayer artificial skin by covering the artificial dermis with cultured keratinocytes. And these artificial dermis and artificial skin were evaluated in a full thickness wound model. The results are as followings: 1. The artificial dermis was available for grafting for 1 week culture of vicryl mesh-fibroblast. 2. The artificial dermis retarded the contraction of full thickness wounds. 3. The artificial dermis generated the granulation tissue and accepted the STSG completely. 4. The generated tissue from the artificial dermis had incorporated into the surrounding tissue by 4 weeks postgrafting. 5. Vicryl in the artificial dermis became to biodegrade from the culture period and absorbed completely by 5 weeks. 6. The epidermal portion was poorly differntiated during in vitro culture period. In conclusion, the polymer-fibroblast graft can retard the wound contraction and generate a new tissue permitting a useful dermal replacement. And to get more optimal results, another polymer which has slower biodegradation rate than vicryl should be used for the artificial dermis and the epidermal portion should be differentiated after in vivo grafting.
Collagen ; Dermis* ; Fibroblasts ; Granulation Tissue ; Keratinocytes ; Polyglactin 910 ; Polymers ; Skin, Artificial ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries

The importance of the preoperative intraocular pressure cannot be overemphasized for cataract operation. We compared the preoperative intraocular pressure between the conventional retrobulbar anesthesia technique and the pin point anesthesia technique with different anesthetic dosage using tono-pen in 23 patients(41 eyes) divided into 4 groups. In the 1st group(10 eyes), after conventional retrobulbar injection was performed using 3ml of 2% lidocaine, digital massage was done for 10 minutes. In 2nd group(13 eyes), 2% lidocaine 1.0ml was injected into subtenon's space(true muscle cone) through the small hole in the superior temporal quadrant 8mm posterior to limbus using specially designed blunt, curved cannula without any method to decrease the intraocular pressure (pin point anesthesia). In the 3rd group(13 eyes), and 4th group(5 eyes), same procedure was performed as 2nd group using 0.75ml and 0.50ml of 2% lidocaine respectively. As a results, in 1st group, average intraocular pressure was decreased around 5.6mm Hg after digital massage. In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th group, preoperative intraocular pressure increased by 2.2, 0.8, and 0.5mmHg. As comparison of three group of the pin point anesthesia, in the 2nd group, sometimes there were mild chemosis, in the 4th group, often discomfort, in contrast, in 3rd group there were no chemosis, pain or discomfort. As a conclusion we want to recommend a pin poit anesthesia using 0.75ml of 2% lidocaine for the routine cataract operation.
Anesthesia* ; Cataract ; Catheters ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Lidocaine ; Massage