No abstract available.
Osteomyelitis* ; Radionuclide Imaging*

No abstract available.
Angioplasty*

OBJECTIVES: Auditory verbal hallucination (AVH) is knoun for its high prevalence and difficulty in evaluation. Authors hypothesized that it may be possible to find useful dimensions of AVH that reflect the clinical status of schizophrenic patients by assessing the multi-dimensional changes and linguistic forms' of AVH during antipsychotic treatment. METHODS: 33 schizophrenic patients with AVH were selected and periodically assessed with the 11 items of hallucinations subscale of 'The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS)'. In addition, to assess the linguistic forms observed in the AVH, the evaluations of sentence structure of AVH reported by the patients were conducted. RESULTS: PSYRATS showed the multidimensionality inherent in AVH. The changes in the quantitative dimensions did not correlate well with patients' subjective distress. However, qualitative changes in the cognitive and emotional dimensions showed more favorable correlation with clinical course of the patient. The sentence structures of AVH showed tendency to change from "sentence" to "non-sentence" type with overall improvement during treatment. CONCLUSION: Multi-dimensional approach to AVH can give us more information about the changing patterns of multi-faceted structure of AVH and clinical status of patients than one-dimensional or categorical approach.
Hallucinations* ; Humans ; Linguistics ; Prevalence ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: Auditory verbal hallucination (AVH) is knoun for its high prevalence and difficulty in evaluation. Authors hypothesized that it may be possible to find useful dimensions of AVH that reflect the clinical status of schizophrenic patients by assessing the multi-dimensional changes and linguistic forms' of AVH during antipsychotic treatment. METHODS: 33 schizophrenic patients with AVH were selected and periodically assessed with the 11 items of hallucinations subscale of 'The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS)'. In addition, to assess the linguistic forms observed in the AVH, the evaluations of sentence structure of AVH reported by the patients were conducted. RESULTS: PSYRATS showed the multidimensionality inherent in AVH. The changes in the quantitative dimensions did not correlate well with patients' subjective distress. However, qualitative changes in the cognitive and emotional dimensions showed more favorable correlation with clinical course of the patient. The sentence structures of AVH showed tendency to change from "sentence" to "non-sentence" type with overall improvement during treatment. CONCLUSION: Multi-dimensional approach to AVH can give us more information about the changing patterns of multi-faceted structure of AVH and clinical status of patients than one-dimensional or categorical approach.
Hallucinations* ; Humans ; Linguistics ; Prevalence ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: To evaluate therapeutic effect of biofeedback therapy according to methods of diagnosis in patients with norelaxing puborectalis syndrome. METHODS: From September, 1, 1998 to February, 30, 1999, the patients who were diagnosed with norelaxing puborectalis syndrome on anal electromyography (EMG) and/or cinedefecography (CD) underwent biofeedback therapy. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the diagnostic method; CD group - only diagnosed on cinedefecography, EMG group - only diagnosed on anal electromyography, CD EMG group - diagnosed on both tests. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were diagnosed nonrelaxing puborectalis syndrome on CD and/or EMG. There were 14 females and 5 males with a mean age of 40.8+/-18.4 years. The patients were classified into CD group; five patients (26.3%); EMG group, eight patients (42.1%); CD EMG group, six patients (31.6%). The patients had 5.4 3.7 sessions of outpatient EMG-based biofeedback sessions. Subjective symptoms after biofeedback therapy improved in 4 (80.0%), 6 (75%), 5 (83%) patients in CD, EMG, CD EMG groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant increase in spontaneous bowel movements, and a reduction in assisted bowel movements after biofeedback therapy in patients in all three groups (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found among the three groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that biofeedback therapy had a high therapeutic effect regardless to the diagnostic method. Therefore, biofeedbck therapy can be performed if one test results in the diagnosis of norelaxing puborectalis syndrome in patients with constipation.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Constipation ; Diagnosis* ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Outpatients

HIV-1 p24 was cloned into multiple cloning site of pMV261, extrachromosomal expression vectors carrying BCG replication origin and BCG-specific heat-shock promoter, and then introduced into BCG and E. coli. Western blot experiments showed that the p24 efficiently expressed in recombinant BCG (rBCG), but not in E. coli. Recombinant p24 expression induced by a single heat-shock of rBCG was maintained longer than 3 weeks. Immunoblot experiments with intact rBCG did not show any distinctive positive signal, suggesting that the recombinant protein was not secreted or exposed at the surface of BCG. The guinea pigs immunized with live rBCG showed delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) by the systemic area as well as an effective humoral immunity, suggesting that tbis rBCG is believed to elicit eKcient immune responses against p24, even though the expression is restricted only in the cytoplasm as reported previously with other antigen. These results demonstrate that BCG can be developed as a live recombinant vaccine vector against a broad spectrum of infectious disease.
Animals* ; Blotting, Western ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Communicable Diseases ; Cytoplasm ; Guinea Pigs ; HIV* ; HIV-1 ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunity, Humoral ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Replication Origin

PURPOSE: We analyzed the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) compared with open radical cystectomy (ORC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 2007 and April 2009, we performed LRC to treat bladder cancer in 23 patients and ORC in 64 patients. Data including the patients' clinical characteristics, peri-operative parameters, clinical outcomes, and oncologic outcomes were collected retrospectively and analyzed by use of the Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographic data between the two groups. Operative time was longer (595.2 min vs. 453.1 min; p<0.01) in the LRC group but blood loss was less (634.8 ml vs. 1,415.9 ml; p<0.01) and fewer transfusions were required (13.0% vs. 50.0%; p=0.002) in the LRC group. Days to oral intake (5.7 days vs. 7.3 days; p<0.01), days to drain removal (10.9 days vs. 13.9 days; p=0.014), and length of hospital stay (15.2 days vs. 22.3 days; p<0.01) were shorter in the LRC group. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 cases in the LRC group and 28 cases in the ORC group (17.4% vs. 43.8%, p<0.01). There were no cases with a positive surgical margin in the LRC group and 3 cases in the ORC group. There was no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes excised (17.4 vs. 19.6; p=0.132) between groups. CONCLUSIONS: These short-term clinical and oncological results suggest that LRC is a safe and effective method for the treatment of invasive bladder cancer.
Cystectomy ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Nodes ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Diversion

Angiolipomas are usually found in the soft tissues of the extremity, trunk, or neck. Spinal angiolipomas are rare, accounting for between 0.14% and 1.2% of spinal axis tumors, and the majority are extradural. We report a case of surgically proven extradural spinal angiolipoma with a high vascular content and involving the thoracic level.
Angiolipoma* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Extremities ; Neck

Recently, in Korea, the septal extension graft from the septum or rib has become a common method of correcting a small or short nose. The success rate of this method has led to the blind faith that it provides superior tip projection and definition, and to the failure to notice its weaknesses. Even if there is a sufficient amount of cartilage, improper separation or fixation might waste the cartilage, resulting in an inefficient operation. Appropriate resection and effective fixation are essential factors for economical rhinoplasty. The septal extension graft is a remarkable procedure since it can control the nasal tip bidirectionally and three dimensionally. Nevertheless, it has a serious drawback since resection is responsible for septal weakness. Safe resection and firm reconstruction of the framework should be carried out. Operating on the basis of the principle of "safe harvest" and rebuilding the structures is important. Further, it is important to learn several techniques to manage septal weakness, insufficient cartilage quantity, and failure of the rigid frame during the surgery.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cartilage ; Ear Cartilage ; Humans ; Korea ; Nasal Septum ; Nose ; Nose Deformities, Acquired ; Rhinoplasty* ; Ribs ; Transplants

The ideal breast reduction should create beautiful breasts with limited scars. Unfortunately, no surgeon has ever been able to produce such a result. Most recent breast reduction techniques tend to produce minimal breast scars and avoid the classic inverted-T incision. The vertical mammaplasty can be used in mild to moderate cases of breast reduction, producing consistently good, stable results with limited scars. This technique uses adjustable preoperative markings, an upper pedicle for the areola, and a central breast reduction with limited skin undermining. The shape of the breast is created by suturing of the gland and does not rely on the skin. The adjunctive use of liposuction in fatty breasts can be considered safe and efficient. We have performed reduction mammaplasty using the vertical mammaplasty technique in 12 patients. Overall number and extent of complications were small, and patient satisfaction was high for this procedures. The advantages of vertical mammaplasty technique compared with other methods are as follows ; 1. The markings are adjustable to nearly all patients. 2. Stable contours are produced because the gland is strongly sutured. 3. Few postoperative complications occur. 4. Limited scars(only vertical scars) are created 5. The procedure is easy to learn and perform.
Breast ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Humans ; Lipectomy ; Mammaplasty* ; Patient Satisfaction ; Postoperative Complications ; Skin