OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery compared with conventional radical surgery in stage Ib1 cervical cancer as to operative complications, the rate of lymph node metastasis, recurrence and overall five-year survival rates. METHODS: The study materal (98 cases of stage Ib1 cervical cancer) was divided into two groups; The one group was neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Cisplatin + 5-FU) followed by radical surgery (n = 41) and the other was the conventional radical surgery (n = 57) group. Reviewing records of operative and pathological reports and clinical findings, the outcome was statistically analyzed and compared. RESULTS: As to the complication, bladder dysfuntion was more frequent in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, statistically significant.(43.9% vs 22.8%, P=0.034). No significant difference was found in the incidence of lymphnode metastasis (17% vs 17.5%, P=0.779) and overall five year survial rates(85.3% vs 87.7%, P=0.735). CONCLUSION: No benefical effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be found on stage Ib1 cervical cancer in this retrospective study. However, well controlled longterm prospective study will be need to get firm conclusion.
Drug Therapy* ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

In order to investigate the effects of inhalational anesthetics on renal function, small doses of ether or halothane were administered intravenously to rabbits without anesthesia, or disectly injected into the renal artery of the rabbits under urethane anesthesia. The following results were obtained. 1) 1mg/kg of 8% saturated solution of ether did not influence excretion of urine, creatinine and electrolytes, and osmolarity when intravenously administered over 10 minutes. 2) 1 mg/kg of the above solution markedly reduced urine volume, renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate and excretion of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium,, chloride when directly injected into the renal artery over 10 minutes. 3) 0.5to 1.0% saturated solution of halothane did not influence renal functions when injected either intravenously or directly into the renal artery. 4) Reduced urine volume and sodium excretion were closely related to the decrease in renal blood flow when ether was injected directly into the renal artery. 5) From the above results it is suggested that halothane did not influence renal function while ether had a direct effect on renal function by hemodynamic change in renal circulation.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics* ; Creatinine ; Electrolytes ; Ether ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Halothane ; Hemodynamics ; Osmolar Concentration ; Potassium ; Rabbits* ; Renal Artery ; Renal Circulation ; Sodium ; Urethane

BACKGROUND: High-frequency jet ventilaion is considered a reliable technique for anesthesia and critical care including respiratory failure but there are adverse reactions such as carbon dioxide retension and dry of respiratory mucosa. The purpose of this study was to confirm the effects of combined high- frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) and converntional mechanical ventilation (CMV) on the cardiovascular system, arterial blood gases tension and mean airway pressure in 9 Korea mongrel dogs with pulmonary edema induced by oleic acid. METHODS: During CMV with 20 breaths/minute, 10 ml/kg of tidal volume and F1O2 1.0, parameers were evaluated (base line value). When pulmonary edema was developed, HFJV was applied initially with 120 breaths/minute, inspiratory time 30% and driving pressure 40 psi F1O2 1.0 for 60 minutes (control value) and thereafter simultaneous use of CMV was applied with the tidal volume of 10 ml/kg and each respiratory rate 8, 4, 2, 1, 0.5 per minute for 30 minutes. RESULTS: Combined application of HFJV and CMV (above repiratory rate 1 per minute) achieved the improvement of oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination, and Paw was decreased without undesirable effects on cardiovascular system in case of the induced pulmonary edema. CONCUSIONS: From above results we recommanded that HFJV combined with CMV may be a useful method of treatment for respiratory failure.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Carbon Dioxide ; Cardiovascular System ; Critical Care ; Dogs* ; Gases ; High-Frequency Jet Ventilation* ; Korea ; Oleic Acid* ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Edema* ; Respiration, Artificial* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Mucosa ; Respiratory Rate ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to discover ways to screen urine culture specimens through Gram stains, urine stick analyses and microscopic examinations for the laboratory cost saving. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-eight urine specimens for culture were included. Fifty uL of urine were inoculated onto one well each of 10-well slide, dried on the hot plate, and Gram-stained. The results combined with routine urinalyses including urine nitrite and leukocyte esterase, and pyuria, were compared with the routine culture results. RESULTS: The screening of bacteriuria by Gram stains, urinalyses and microscopic examinations revealed the high sensitivity (91.9%) and negative predictive value(95.5%) with cost saving of 41.8% of inoculating media. Not considering the Gram stains, the screening revealed 83.8% sensitivity and 92.5% negative predictive value, even if the cost saving of inoculating media were as high as 50.1%. CONCLUSION: It was demonstrated that it was sensitive and economic and produced rapid preliminary results to screen bacteriuria by the Gram stains combined with urinalyses and microscopic examinations.
Bacteriuria ; Coloring Agents ; Cost Savings ; Leukocytes ; Mass Screening* ; Pyuria ; Urinalysis*

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review previous studies and to assess, via a subgroup meta-analysis, the combined odds ratio (OR) of prognostic factors affecting the success of miniscrew implants (MIs) inserted into the buccal posterior region. METHODS: Three electronic searches that were limited to articles on clinical human studies using MIs that were published in English prior to March 2015 were conducted. The outcome measure was the success of MIs. Patient factors included age, sex, and jaw of insertion (maxilla vs. mandible), while the MI factors included length and diameter. A meta-analysis was performed on 17 individual studies. The quality of each study was assessed for non-randomized studies and quantified using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The meta-analysis outcome was a combined OR. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses based on the study design, study quality, and sample size of miniscrews implanted were performed. RESULTS: Significantly higher success rates were revealed for MIs inserted in the maxilla, for patients ≥ 20 years of age, and for long MIs (≥ 8 mm) and MIs with a large diameter (> 1.4 mm). All subgroups acquired homogeneity, and the combined OR of the prospective studies (OR, 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.10-6.44) was significantly higher in the maxilla than that in the retrospective studies (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.60-2.74). CONCLUSIONS: When a treatment plan is made, these risk factors, i.e. jaw of insertion, age, MI length, and MI diameter, should be taken into account, while sex is not critical to the success of MIs.
Humans ; Jaw ; Maxilla ; Odds Ratio ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sample Size

Schwannomas are benign nerve sheath tumors that can originate at any anatomic sites. These tumors are usually soitary, benign, and slow-growing masses attached to large nerve trunks. These tumors have been described as arising in the pelvic retroperitoneum. We present two cases of pelvic retroperitoneal Schwannomas with a brief review of literatures.
Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma*

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis(OA) has become one of the most important medical problem among the old age because it causes severe functional disability, but, up to date, the therapeutic methods for OA have not been so satisfactory to the patients with OA. Authors have investigated the effectiveness of intramuscular stimulation(IMS) therapy as an substitutive therapy for the relief of pain and dysfunction in patients with OA of the knee. METHODS: Eighteen patients who had visited the department of family medicine, Korea university anam hospital, with symptomatic OA of the knee during the period from March 1 to May 31. 2001 were included in this study and treated with IMS therapy on the quadriceps and hamstring muscles four times during two weeks. Patients self-scored Korean Western Ontario and McMaster universities Osteoarthritis Index (KWOMAC) at baseline and after the last therapy. The result was analysed by paired t-test and ANOVA. RESULT: Patients improved on KWOMAC scales for pain, stiffness, function and total scores after IMS therapy(p<0.05). The demographic characteristics such as body mass index (BML), duration of disease, affected site, radiologic finding did not have influence on the result of this study. No adverse effects of IMS therapy were reported. CONCLUSION: In this study, the improvement of pain, stiffness, and function of knee joint after treatment was reported. This study suggest that IMS is an effective and safe substitutive therapy for patients with OA of Knee.
Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Korea ; Muscles ; Ontario ; Osteoarthritis* ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis(OA) of the knee represents a common chronic disease, especially in the elderly, leading to functional impairment and disability. And OA patients have depressive symptoms frequently. Several factors contribute to the level of depressive symptoms. Authors tried to assess these factors and show effect of these factors to depressive symptoms. Through this study in the future physicians must consider psychiatric problems besides the pain itself in the treatment of OA patients. METHODS: Subjects included in this study were 64 knee joint OA patients. We obtained depressive symptoms from the CES-D(The Korean version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale), level of pain, stiffness, functional disability from KWOMAC(WOMAC Korean Version 2, The Korean version of Western Ontario and Macmaster Osteoarthritis Index Score) and other factors able to contribute to depressive symptoms. RESULT: We divided the patients into two groups using CES-D cut-off score of 21. Each group consists of 46(CES-D<21) and 18(CES-D> or =21) patients. Frequency of sleep disturbance and pain consistency and level of pain, stiffness and functional disability were different significantly between two groups(p<0.0l). Through the correlation analysis level of pain, stiffness and functional disability were associated with CES-D score significantly(p<0.0l). And through the stepwise multiple regression analysis we demonstratred that the CES-D score influenced by level of functional disability, BMI, disease duration and, pain but only level of functional disability and BML were statistically significant(p<0.0l). Level of functional disability explained 46% of CES-D score(partial R2=0.46) so influenced on depressive symptoms most effectively. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that functional disability was most important factors to explain depressive symptoms of knee joint OA patients.
Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Ontario ; Osteoarthritis*

Administration of succinylcholine for intratracheal intubation may cause untoward reactions such as elevation of intraocular and intrabdominal pressure, increased plasma potassium level, and development of postoperative muscle pain, ets. The fasciculation of muscle fibers caused by nondepolarizing activity of succinylcholine may be responsible for those reactions, although this is not clearly defined. Several attempts ehterfore, have been made to minimize the development of muscle fasciculation following administration of succinylcholine. Of thest, self-taming of succinylcholine, pretreatment wit small doses of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers, or the use of hexafluorenium are examples. The authors observed the effects of succinylcholine on intraocular pressure and the degree of muscle fasciculation after self taming of succinylcholine. pretreating the patients with d-tubocurarine and pancuronlum before administration of succinylcholine was also studied. All three techniques showed significant decreases in the degree of muscle fasciculation. And small doses of d-tubocurarine and pancuronium did not seem to affect intraocular pressure, although a taming dose of succinylcholine itself caused significant increases in intraocular pressures.
Fasciculation ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Myalgia ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Pancuronium ; Plasma ; Potassium ; Succinylcholine* ; Tubocurarine

In Korea, recent epidemiologic studies show that the incidence of β-thalassemia is increasing as the influx of South-East Asian population increases and molecular technologies develop. However, many patients are still misdiagnosed as iron deficiency anemia (IDA). All patients with microcytic anemia need to perform evaluation including reticulocyte index, Mentzer index, and iron studies. Considering the increasing incidence of β-thalassemia, hemoglobin beta globulin (HBB) gene sequencing should be performed if suspicious. In our cases, patients whose parents were both Koreans were confirmed to have β-thalassemia with a substitution in c1, ATG>GTG, and deletion of the HBB gene. In Korea, initiation condon ATG>AGG (20.9%) is most common mutation, followed by codon 17 (A>T) (17.6%), codon 121 (G>T) (12.1%), and so on. We report two cases of β-thalassemia diagnosed by genetic testing for microcytic anemia.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Beta-Globulins ; beta-Thalassemia ; Codon ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iron ; Korea ; Parents ; Reticulocytes