No abstract available.
Keloid*

The present study was carried out to clarify the anatomical changes of lumbar intervertebral discs by aging. Anterior height, posterior height, anteroposterior diameter of intervertebral discs were measured on 512 normal plain lateral radiographs of lumbosacral spine. And the indices of disc wedging and relative disc height were calculated. There was a cephalocaudal gradient of increase in the indices of disc wedging in all age groups. The indices of relative disc height were constant at all lumbar levels. These suggest that the lower disc is more wedge shaped and the height of discs changes in the constant ratio with that of vertebral body.
Aging* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Spine

Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a relatively common cause of temporary or permanent visual impairment after cataract extraction. Fluorescein angiography is indispensable to diagnose the CME. Intravenous fluorescein angiography is asscciated with a high incidene of minor adverse effects but a very low incidence of life-threatening serious reactions. There are no reports of oral fluorescein causing a senous reaction, and minor adverse effects are uncommon. We had Performed the oral fluorescein angiography in 30 consecutive cases (31 eyes) to detect the CME after cataract extraction. Two eyes (6.45%) had definite evidence of CME on the fluorograms. The typical angiogram of CME were obtained at 30 or 40 minutes after they had taken the fluorescein sodium. A dose of 20mg/Kg body weight produced good quality angiograms in 71% of the patients. There was no serious reaction but a mild pruritus was noted in one patient(3.3%). Therefore, we have concluded that the oral fluorescem agniography is very useful method because the oral fluorogram may avoid the adverse effect that could occur in intravenous fluorescein injection and be comparable in quality with those produced by intrvenous fluorescein.
Body Weight ; Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Fluorescein Angiography* ; Fluorescein* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Macular Edema* ; Pruritus ; Vision Disorders

Double elevator palsy (DEP) is an unusual anomaly of ocular motility in which both elevator muscles of the same eye are weak with a resultant inability or reduced ability to elevate the eye and hypotropia. This anomaly is occured congenitally, but occasionally occured as an acquired form. Congenital DEP, which is main cause of the monocular elevation paralysis, is characterized by the progressive deterioration and the absence of diplopia. The etiology is obscure, but is thought to be supranuclear lesion. We observed DEP of the same side of eyes in two patients who were brothers. The limitation of elevation and hypotropia were improved after Knapp's transposition procedure or Jensen's procedure.
Diplopia ; Elevators and Escalators* ; Humans ; Muscles ; Paralysis* ; Siblings*

No abstract available.
Fractures, Spontaneous* ; Osteoporosis*

It is notoriously difficult to obtain a sound bony union of congenital paeudarthrosis of tbe tibia with conventional methods. This paper is the results of using the free vascularized fibular graft for congenital pseudarthorsis of the tibia in 7 patients since 1978 in this hospital, which is the first attempt in Korea. During the follow-up periods from 9 months to 32 months, 5/7 patients(71%) had good or excellent bony union, 2 patients had bone resorption at tbe distal site of grafted bone and required a second supplementary cancellous bone graft with electrode insertion. So it is thought that the free vascularized fibular graft is one of good methods of treatment for congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia.
Bone Resorption ; Electrodes ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Pseudarthrosis ; Tibia ; Transplants

Choroidal coloblma, which is uncommon but not rare. occurs in areas in which both the neurosensory and the retinal pigment epithelium precursors fail to become confluent. Retinal detachment usually occurs due to breaks in the colobomatous area and has been noted in nearly 40% of the patients with choroidal ccloboma. Retinal detachment may be associated with a coloboma of the choroid soon after birth and can present a diagnostic dilemma. We experienced the choroidal coloboma associated with retinal detachment in an 18-day-old premature baby and a 40-day-old infant, one of which had multiple congenital anomalies. We present our two cases with a brief review of the literature related to choroidal coloboma.
Choroid* ; Coloboma* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Parturition ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde*

Choroidal coloblma, which is uncommon but not rare. occurs in areas in which both the neurosensory and the retinal pigment epithelium precursors fail to become confluent. Retinal detachment usually occurs due to breaks in the colobomatous area and has been noted in nearly 40% of the patients with choroidal ccloboma. Retinal detachment may be associated with a coloboma of the choroid soon after birth and can present a diagnostic dilemma. We experienced the choroidal coloboma associated with retinal detachment in an 18-day-old premature baby and a 40-day-old infant, one of which had multiple congenital anomalies. We present our two cases with a brief review of the literature related to choroidal coloboma.
Choroid* ; Coloboma* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Parturition ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde*

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to compare nosocomial infection rates between intensive care units of military and civilian hospitals. METHODS: From July to December 2000, we surveyed the intensive care unit of Armed Forces Capital Hospital (AFCH). We compared device use ratios and device-day infection rates with those of Korean Society for Nosocomial Infection Control (KOSNIC) and National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. RESULTS: During the period of study, 185 cases were admitted and 24 nosocomial infections were detected: 7 cases of pneumonia, 6 urinary tract, 3 blood stream, 3 cardiovascular system, 3 surgical site infections, 1 skin and soft tissue, and 1 central nervous system infection. Ventilator, urinary catheter and central venous catheter use ratios were 0.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.16), 0.58 (0.56-0.60) and 0.33 (0.31-0.35). The ratios of NNIS were 0.41, 0.67 and 0.50. Ventilator-, urinary catheter- and central venous catheter-day infection rates were 18.69(11.36-53.32), 6.65 (3.36-14.20) and 1.95 (1.44-9.92). However, the rates of KOSNIC were 9.93, 5.29 and 3.62. The rates of NNIS were 11.24, 6.14 and 5.55. CONCLUSIONS: In AFCH ventilators were used less frequently than NNIS, but more ventilator-associated pneumonia were developed than KOSNIC and NNIS.
Arm ; Cardiovascular System ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Central Venous Catheters ; Cross Infection* ; Hospitals, Military ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Military Personnel* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; Rivers ; Skin ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) has been used as a very sensitive marker of cardiac injury caused by ischaemia, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy. After cardiac injury, the fetal cTnT isoform expression in the heart and serum cTnT increases. To investigate the increased levels of serum cTnT, and the expression of fetal cTnT isoform in the heart, that can predict myocardial injury, we measured serum cTnT levels and the fetal cTnT isoform expression at various time points during the early phase of myocardial toxicity induced by adriamycin (ADR) in rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected, intraperitoneally, with ADR (5 mg/kg) twice a week for 2 weeks. Control rats were injected with saline. Serum cTnT levels were measured by ELISA. The ratio of fetal/adult (F/A) cTnT isoform expression (%) was semi-quantified by RT-PCR using total RNA from frozen hearts. RESULTS: Serum cTnT levels did not increase by 1 week after ADR injection, but increased significantly after 2 weeks. The ratio of F/A cTnT in the heart significantly increased from day 1, peaked at 1 week and persisted until the end of 2 week. CONCLUSION: The expression of the fetal cTnT isoform occurred from 1 day after ADR injection when the serum cTnT levels were still normal. Although the serum cTnT level is a very sensitive, and an early marker, of cardiac damages, the fetal cTnT isoform expression in the endomyocardial biopsy specimen may be a more sensitive and an earlier marker in the ADR-induced myocardial damage.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Doxorubicin ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Myocarditis ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA ; Troponin T* ; Troponin*