Habitual snoring is common among males, especially among those who are overweight, and gets worse with the age. Snoring Is related to physical obstruction of breathing during sleep. This obstruction occurs when the palatal muscles, uvula muscles, and sometimes tonsiles relax during deep sleep and acts as vibrators. We have treated, with laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty(LAUP), twenty patients who suffer from snoring. CO2 laser was used and approximately I5-30 minutes of operation time was required. There were no singnificant complications, such as bleeding and asphyxia, in the 20 patients treated with LAUP. Results observed in the short term showed that 90% of the patients treated with LAUP considered thems to be essentially improved. Two patients developed scars at the posterior pillars. LAUP is a relatively simple and safe method which is performed at the hospital on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia.
Anesthesia, Local ; Asphyxia ; Cicatrix ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas ; Male ; Muscles ; Outpatients ; Overweight ; Palatal Muscles ; Palatine Tonsil ; Respiration ; Snoring* ; Uvula

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

Chronic complication of diving and working in compressed air is dysbaric osteonecrosis. Dysbaric osteonecrosis could be diagnosed by simple bone x-ray, in the case of exposure history to dysbaric atmosphere. The case is 44 years old man who worked as a shell fish diver for 20 years. He was exposed dysbaric atmosphere during diving. He had bone necrosis in both femur head, both distal femur and proximal tibia. He had multiple attacks of decompression sickness. Other causes of bone necrosis are ruled out. We conclude that diver's bone necrosis is dysbaric osteonecrosis.
Adult ; Atmosphere ; Compressed Air ; Decompression Sickness ; Diving ; Femur ; Femur Head ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis* ; Tibia

A total 48 cases of myelography using Metrizamide were performed between August 1981 and July 1983 at the department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kwangju Christian Hospital. Of these cases, H.N.P was 26, tuberculous spondylitis 16, spondylolisthesis 4, and multiple sclero-sis 2 cases. The advantages of this study were as folows: 1. Complications were minimal in most of the cases except a slight headache. 2. Large amount of infusion was possible. 3. Rootlet was clearly seen. 4. Removal of dye was not necessary. 5. It gave a good contrast for the radiologic study.
Gwangju ; Headache ; Metrizamide ; Myelography ; Orthopedics ; Spondylitis ; Spondylolisthesis ; Water

Many investigators are trying to elucidate the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders on the basis of neuroendocrine responses to stimulation or perturbation. Dexamethasone(DEX) suppression has been the most widely utilized as the prototypical challenge test. Dexamethasone suppression test(DST) has proven to be valuable in diagnosing the depressive spectrum disorder. Reported specificity of diagnosis of depression is relatively high, but sensitivity is limited. Some researchers used the combination of dexamethasone and corticotropin releasing hormone(CRH) in order to improve the sensitivity. They reported that combined DEX/CRH test, i.e., we administered the insulin instead of CRH. Total subjects were 28(7 normal controls, 10 manic patients, 11 schizophrenic, patients). Subject were token DEX(1.5mg p.o.) at 11 p.m., insulin 16 hours later(0.1 unit/kg i.v.). Five blood samples for the determination of cortisol and ACTH were serially drawn at 15 minute interval. The results are as following : 1) The cortisol an ACTH levels of manic subjects increased following insulin administration. Manic subjects showed higher levels of cortisol and ACTH than schizophrenic and normal control subjects. The cortisol and ACTH levels of schizophrenic and normal control subjects did not show gross changes. 2) The sensitivity of the test was lower than that of reported DEX/CRH test.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Depression ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Insulin ; Research Personnel ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Splenic abscess is an uncommon lesion and may be present either as a localized area of infection in the spleen or as a part of generalized sepsis. The diagnosis is difficult because of the rather nonspecific clinical picture. Hence, splenic abscess has a high mortality rate and is after diagnosed only at autopsy. Computerized tomography (CT) offers the clinician a reliable tool for the diagnosis of intra-abdominal abscess. A successful outcome is dependent on an early diagnosis and prompt treatment by splenectomy with antibiotic cover. We experienced a care of splenic abscess which was diagnosed by CT and treated by splenectomy with antibiotics. Postoperative course was relatively uneventful.
Abdominal Abscess ; Abscess* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Mortality ; Sepsis ; Spleen ; Splenectomy

Leriche syndrome is a chronic disorder mostly in male and is a specific symptom complex due to thrombotic obliteration of the aortic bifurcation as result of an atherosclerotic change. The symptoms include 1) extreme liability to fatigue of both lower limbs; 2) symmetric atrophy of both lower limbs; 3) pallor of the legs and feets; 4) inability to maintain stable erection. There are several methods for surgical management of this disorder; 1) thromboendarterectomy with or without sympathectomy; 2) aortoiliac bypass graft; 3) aortofemoral bypass graft. Here we report a case of Leriche syndrome which was successfully managed with aortobifemoral bypass graft with Dacron and reviewed literatures on it briefly.
Atrophy ; Endarterectomy ; Fatigue ; Foot ; Humans ; Leg ; Leriche Syndrome* ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Pallor ; Polyethylene Terephthalates ; Sympathectomy ; Transplants

The displacement of an entire tooth into the adjacent anatomical area is an uncommon complication of a tooth extraction. We encountered a 23-year-old woman who had previously undergone surgery under local anesthesia to remove the lower third molar about 12 weeks prior and the upper third molar was extracted 2 days prior to visiting this hospital. Upon admission, she complained of a swallowing discomfort and a mouth opening limitation. Panoramic radiograph and a CT scan revealed a displacement of the entire tooth into the lateral pharyngeal space. The tooth was retrieved via the transoral approach under general anesthesia. The removed tooth had an indentation formed by a dental bur. Therefore, it was concluded that the tooth displaced into the lateral pharyngeal space was the lower third molar. This report describes an unusual case of a third molar that was displaced into the lateral pharyngeal space with a review of the relevant literature.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Local ; Deglutition ; Female ; Humans ; Molar, Third* ; Mouth ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tooth ; Tooth Extraction ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Evening primrose oil(EPO) is a rich source of cis-linoleic acid and gammalinolenic acid(GLA) and has been used as a therapeutic agent in various skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suppressive effect of EPO on murine contact sensitivity. METHODS: BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups, positive control, experimental and negative control groups: the positive control group represents a group of mice which were sensitized and challenged with DNFB, the experimental group represents EPO-pretreated positive control group and the negative control group represents a group of mice which were challenged only. The changes of ear thickness were measured, and H & E staining and immunohistochemical staining for ICAM-1 expression of ear skin were performed to evaluate the histological changes of each group. RESULTS: The Pretreatment of mice with EPO resulted in suppression of contact sensitivity by more than 82%. On H & E staining, only a mild inflammatory reaction was observed in the dermis. Also ICAM-1 expression of keratinocytes, the intensity of the staining was significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with positive group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that EPO was able to suppress the induction of contact sensitivity.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dermis ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Ear ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Keratinocytes ; Mice ; Oenothera biennis* ; Skin ; Skin Diseases