Benign idiopathic neonatal convulsion is a rare disorder which has no family history of convulsion and develops before and after the 5th day in a healthy full-term neonate. Its characteristics appear focal, or multifocal clonic seizures but rare tonic seizures lasting about several minutes. It reveals non-specific findings in neurologic examination, neuroimaging and EEG(electroencephalography) so that it should be differentiated from those diseases such as eletronic imbalance, inborn errors of metabolism, other neonatal epileptic syndromes. We report two healthy full-term female neonates presented with multifocal clonic seizures before and after the 5th day after birth. They had no family history of convulsion, fetal asphyxia, fetal and maternal problems and the neurologic examination and neuroimagings were normal. The convulsions were controlled by intravenous phenobarbital injection. They had no more convulsions ever since and showed normal development at the follow-up performed one year later. We experienced a rare disorder, benign neonatal convulsion in healthy full-term neonates. We hope this report will help its diagnosis and treatment and prevent unnecessary long- term anticonvulsant medication.
Asphyxia ; Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; Neuroimaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Parturition ; Phenobarbital ; Seizures

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of disc extrusion and neurologic deficit, the relation between disc extrusion and neurologic deficit and the treatment results according to our basic treatment principles in lower cervical facet joint fracture and dislocations MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients were evaluated, 8 male and 4 female with an average age of 41 years comprised the group. Six injuries were attributable to automobile accidents, 5 to fall from building, bed, floor and hill, and one to stand on her head. One case was distractive-flexion stage (DFS) 1, 9 cases with DFS 2 and 2 cases with DFS 3. Plain X-ray, CT, Myelo CT and MRI were used as a diagnostic tools. As a treatment criteria, feasibility of closed reduction, status of neuroglogic injury, and stability of injured spine were considered. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in accompanied disc extrusion, posterior reduction and fusion with triple wiring in unreduced dislocation, and anterior decompression and fusion in incomplete cord and root injury were selected as a basic treatment principles. RESULTS: Ten out of 12 cases (83%) showed neurologic deficits, 2 complete cord injury, 1 incomplete cord injury, and 7 radiculopathy. Nine out of 12 (75%) demonstrated disc extrusion and all disc extruded patients had neurologic deficits. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) were performed in 5 cases, ACDF and posterior reduction with triple wiring (PRTW) in 4 cases, PRTW in 1 case, and skull traction and philadelphia brace in 2 cases. Seven radiculpathy patients were completely recovered and one incomplete cord injury patient can ambulate with spastic gait after surgery. There were 2 bed sore and 1 pneumonia in complications. CONCLUSION: Soft disc extrusion should be evaluated carefully with MRI and CT in lower cervical spine injury with the facet joint fracture-dislocations before the decision of treatment. As disc extrusion always accompanies neurologic deficit, it must be surgically treated by anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
Automobiles ; Braces ; Decompression ; Diskectomy ; Dislocations* ; Female ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pneumonia ; Pressure Ulcer ; Radiculopathy ; Skull ; Spine ; Traction ; Zygapophyseal Joint*

No abstract available.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Line* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Etoposide*

BACKGROUND: Beta-adrenergic receptor Kinase 1(betaARK1) is a serine/threonine kinase attached, which inhibits the coupling of beta-adrenergic receptor with G-protein. Myocardial betaARK1 level is usually elevated in heart failure and hypertrophy, but it is not known whether the circulating betaARK1 level is related with the degree of cardiac hypertrophy. This study was performed to evaluate the association of the betaARK1 level in circulating mononuclear leukocytes(MNL) in untreated hypertension with left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients. Method: Nineteen non-treated hypertensive patients were included for this study. High blood pressure was confirmed when systolic BP is over 150 mmHg or diastoli BP is over 95 mmHg. Echocardiography was performed to evaluate the degree of hypertrophy by measuring the left ventricular mass index(LVMI) and relative wall thickness(RWT), and test the LV function by measuring the ejection fraction(EF) according to ASE guideline. At the same time, blood was collected from each patient and MNL were isolated by gradient centrifuge with Ficoll-400. Total RNA was purified from MNL and semi-quantitative RT-PCR was performed. After reverse transcription, PCR was done with primers for human betaARK1 and GAPDH as external control. betaARK1 levels were expressed by ratio to GAPDH level and estimated the relations with clinical and Echocardiographic parameters. Result: We studied confirmed 19 hypertensive patients(10 men and 9 women, mean age of 50.6 years). Echocardiographically measured indices(mean+/-SD) were as follows; LVMI(137.3+/-30.6g/m2), PWT(0.53+/-0.09) and EF(54.6+/-8.5%). Ratio of betaARK1 levels to GAPDH was from 0.10 to 0.96 (0.62+/-0.25). betaARK1 levels were correlated with LVMI(correlation coefficient: r=.502, p=.029) and RWT(r=.627, p=.004). But Systolic BP(r=0.009, p=.93), diastolic BP(r=.07, p=.85) or EF(r=.045, p=.84) were not related to level of betaARK1. CONCLUSIONS: The betaARK1 level of circulating MNL was correlated well with the degree of the cardiac hypertrophy estimated by LVMI and RWT. This data suggests that activation of sympatho-adrenal system would exert a major role in developing cardiac hypertrophy and we can expect the decreased responsiveness to catecholamine in the heart of hypertensive patients. betaARK1 in circulating MNL might be used as a predictor or marker for LV hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
beta-Adrenergic Receptor Kinases ; Cardiomegaly ; Echocardiography ; Female ; GTP-Binding Proteins ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear* ; Male ; Phosphotransferases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA

To identify the smoking status and its related factors in middle and high school boys in Kwangju a study was performed from 15th to 30th of June 1992. Population were selected by two-stage random sampling method and total 3,959 students replied to the self-administered questionnaire survey(1,574 in middle school, 1,664 in academic high school, 712 in business high school). The results were as follows; 1. The proportion of current smokers was 1.5% in middle schools and 20.1% in high schools. And the smoking rates increased with school grade years(p<0.01). 2. For the motivation of smoking, curiosity was the most frequent factor and the next was temptation by friends. 3. The most common situation on the first experience of smoking was that middle school boys smoked a cigarette which was found in a house, through curiosity, with friends, at home. High school boys smoked a cigarette taken from friends, through curiosity, with friend, on the road or at home. 4. The proportion of smokers who smoke a cigarette regularly was 34.8% among smokers in middle school and 70.2% among smokers in high school. The most proportion of duration of smoking was less than 1 month among middle school boys (20.8%) and more than 2 years among high school boys(43.9%). The first smoking experience was in elementary school among middle school boys and the third grade of middle school in high school students. Most current smokers(73.9% in middle school boys, 65.3% in high school boys) wanted to quit smoking. 5. Smokers had significant association with intimate friend's smoking, mother's and brother's smoking, inharmonious friendships, dissatisfied with home and school life, lower school grades, generous attitude to other smokers, lack of knowledge to passive smoking and no contact to mass media(TV)(p<0.01).
Commerce ; Exploratory Behavior ; Friends ; Gwangju* ; Humans ; Male* ; Motivation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

Reye syndrome is a rapidly progressive encephalopathy with hepatic dysfunction, which often begins several days after apparent recovery from a viral illness, especially varicella or influenza A or B. Salicylate use was identified as a major precipitating factor for the development of Reye syndrome. With the recommendation to avoid use of salicylates in children, Reye syndrome has virtually disappeared in recent years. We report a case of Reye syndrome in a 5-month-old infant who had been treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin under the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease, and showed symptoms of sudden onset of irritability, rigidity, decreased activity, vomiting, poor appetite, lethargy, liver dysfunction without jaundice, coagulopathy, and hyperammonemia.
Appetite ; Aspirin ; Chickenpox ; Child ; Humans ; Hyperammonemia ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant ; Influenza, Human ; Jaundice ; Lethargy ; Liver Diseases ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Precipitating Factors ; Reye Syndrome ; Salicylates ; Vomiting

Infantile hemangioendothelioma of the liver is a common vascular tumor in infancy. The tumor is usually multinodular or diffuse and classified into two types. We present a case of infantile hemangioendothelioma of the liver, which predominantly consists of type 2. A 4-month-old female was admitted for an evaulation of an abdominal distension. A CT scan of the liver showed a multinodular mass. The right lobectomy was done. Grossly, the mass consisted of round nodules ranging from 2cm to 5cm in diameter. Microscopically, the tumor revealed proliferation of small vascular channels lined by endothelial cells. Bizarre cells and mitotic cells were frequently noted. Vesicular nuclei and multilayering of the endothelial cells were also noted.
Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Hemangioendothelioma* ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No Abstract Available.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome*

Fracture of acetabular are relatively uncommon, but when they occur they seem to pose management difficulties for attending surgeon. They are, however, important injuries because they may give rise to disabling symptoms. Furthermore, they are increasing in frequency due to the increasing number of traffic accidents. Forty cases of acetabular fracture were treated in the National Medical Center during the period 1980 to 1987. The short summary of observation were as follows : 1) There was a preponderance of young patients, the majority being in the 31–40 age group(68%). The ratio between males and females was 2.6:1. 2) The most common cause of injury was traffic accident(68%). 3) The most common associated fracture was pelvic bone fracture(48%), and most common associated other injury was abdominal visceral injury(30%). 4) The most common fracture was posterior wall fracture(28%) following to Judet & Letournel's anatomocal clsssification. 5) Twenty-five fracture(63%) were treated by conservative measures, and 15 fractures (37%) were treated by open reduction and internal fixation. 6) The results were as follows : excellent in 13(33%), good in 19(47%), fair in 5(13%), and poor in 3(7%). 7) The complication of acetabular fracture were traumatic arthritis in 6 cases, sciatic nerve injury in 2 cases, avascular necrosis of femoral head in 2 cases. 8) Not only choice of treatment but also determination of surgical approch require accurate assessment of the fracture pattern in this region of complex bony architecture by careful radiologic analysis.
Accidents, Traffic ; Acetabulum ; Arthritis ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Necrosis ; Pelvic Bones ; Sciatic Nerve

High tibial osteotomy is now an accepted procedure in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Since the effect of this procedure is to shift the line of weight bearing from one compartment of the other, the procedure is of value in knees with osteoarthritis only when there is predominant involvement of one compartment. The osteoarthritis of knee developed bilaterally in many case, so simultaneous bilateral high tibial osteotomy under one anesthetic was considered. Eight cases of osteoarthritis with genu varum deformity were treated by simultaneous bilateral high tibial osteotomy at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of NMC during the,period from January, 1984 to December, 1987. The results were as follows: l. All case were female, and the mean age was 56 years old. 2. Preoperative mean varus angle were 4° in right, 3.4° in left, and postoperative mean valgus angle were 8° in right, 6° in left at final follow-up. 3. The results after average 2.2 years of follow-up were as follows: good in 5 cases(63%), fair in 1 cases(12%), poor in 2 cases(25%) 4. The complications were one proximal tibial fracture, one displacement of distal fragment, and one transient peroneal nerve palsy. 5. Mean immobilization period was 7 wks and mean hospitalization period was 48 days. 6. More rigid internal fixation was recommended in simultaneous procedure to reduce the period of hospitalization and early ambulation.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Early Ambulation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genu Varum ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Knee ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Osteotomy ; Paralysis ; Peroneal Nerve ; Tibial Fractures ; Weight-Bearing