A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the immediate postoperative recovery and socioeconomic efficacy with the surgical release of Carpal tunnel syndrome by double incision technique. Sixty cases of carpal tunnel syndrome were operated by one surgeon between 1993 and 1995 and 44 cases in 39 patients were available for this study. Surgery was done under axillary block and patients were evaiuated preoperatively, 3 weeks and 6 weeks each postoperatively. The evaluation was focused on the immediate recovery in terms of subjective symptoms of pain and paresthesia, local tenderness, strength of grip power and pinch power and postoperative disability. 1l was noted that surgical release of carpal tunnel syndrome utilizing double incision technique was as effective as seen in the endoscopic release in terms of quicker recovery of pain, local tenderness and strength. It was also noted that this double incision technique was as safe and economically beneficial as observed in the conventional open procedure.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Paresthesia

No abstract available.

BACKGROUNDS: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSA) can divided into two groups, positional (PP) and non-positional(NPP) obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, according to the body position while sleeping. In this study, we evaluated the differences of anthropometirc data and polysomnographic recordings between the two types of sleep apnea syndrome. MATERIALS: Fifty patients with OSA were divided two groups by Cartwright's criteria. The supine respiratory disturbance index (RDI) was at least two times higher than the lateral RDI in the PP group, and the supine RDI was less than twice the lateral RDI in the NPP group. This patients underwent standardized polysomnographic recordings. The anthropometirc data and polysomnographic data were analyzed, statistically. RESULTS: Of all 50 patients, 30% were found to be positional OSA. BMI was significantly higher in the PP group(p<0.05). Total sleep time was significantly longer in the PP group (350.6±46.0min, p<0.05). Sleep efficiency was high in the PP group(89.6± 6.4%, 85.6±9.9%, p<0.05). Deep sleep was significantly higher and light sleep was lower in the PP group than in the NPP group but no difference was observed in REM sleep between the two groups. Apnea index(AI) and RDI were significantly lower(17.0±10.6, 28.5±13.3, p<0.05) and mean arterial oxygen saturation was higher in the PP group(92.7 ±1.8%, p<0.05) than in the NPP group. CONCLUSION: Body position during sleep has a profound effect on the frequency and severity of breathing abnormalities in OSA patients. A polysomnographic evaluation for suspected OSA patients must include monitoring of the body position. Breathing function in OSA patients can be improved by controlling their obesity and through postural therapy.
Apnea ; Humans ; Obesity ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Respiration ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Sleep, REM

No abstract available.
Aneurysm ; Hemoptysis

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma*

Scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) deformity most often occurs with chronic rotary scaphoid instability from scaphoiunate ligament tear and scaphoid fracture. Prior to 1984 when Watson HK reported his concept on SLAC wrist deformity, the most popular procedure for this pathology was scaphoid implant arthroplasty with or without midcarpal fusion. We have reviewed 15 cases of SLAC deformity treated with scaphoid excision and midcarpal fusion from 1984 to 1993. Among them, scaphoid implants made of silicone were inserted in 4 cases. Scaphoid implant arthroplsty without carpal fusion has been excluded. The mean period of follow-up was 8.8 years and the mean age of patients was 47.5 years. Males and right wrists were predominant. Wrist motion was 56% and grip power was 71% of the normal opposite side. On the average overall, 8 patients had no pain and 7 patients had mild pain. The grade of pain was minimal, 0.5 in grade (Rating system: no pain-0, mild- 1, moderate-2, severe-3). However, all of the 4 cases of limited carpal fusion with a scaphoid implant developed silicone particulate induced synovitis and pain. The procedure appears to be effective in maintaining function of the hand with minimal pain up to 5.8 years. However, silicone scaphoid implant appears not to be necessary and is not recommended with a limited carpal fusion for this pathology.
Arthroplasty ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Male ; Pathology ; Silicones ; Synovitis ; Wrist

No abstract available.
Nortriptyline* ; Pharmacokinetics*

BACKGROUND: The effects of chemotherapy on pulmonary function are mainly a reduced diffusion capacity and a restrictive ventilatory impairment. Exercise can expose cardiovascular and pulmonary abnormalities not evident at rest. Exercise related cardiopulmonary function is important in patients with malignant disease as a determinant of quality of life. We performed this study to evaluate the changes of body composition and cardiopulmonary exercise performance of patients with locally advanced, non-small cell, lung cancer (NSCLC) before and after chemotherapy. METHODS: We evaluated resting pulmonary function, body composition, physiologic performance status, and cardiopulmonary exercise function in 11 patients with locally advanced NSCLC, at diagnosis and prior to the fourth cycle of chemotherapy. RESULTS: After chemotherapy, 4 patients (36.4%) showed partial response and 7 (63.4%) had stable disease. After chemotherapy, diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was reduced (89.7+/-34.1%, vs. 71.9+/-20.5%) but not significantly. There were no significant changes in body composition or the state of physiologic performance after chemotherapy. There was a significant impairment of cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance in patients with NSCLC, evidenced by a reduction of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, ml/kg/min, 17.9+/-2.6 : 12.6+/-6.1, <0.05) and O2 pulse (O2 pulse, ml/beat, 7.0+/-1.7, 5.2+/-2.1, <0.05). CONCLUSION: Systemic chemotherapy resulted in a loss of cardiopulmonary exercise function in patients with locally advanced NSCLC within the short-term period, but not a physiologic change of body composition within the same period.
Body Composition ; Carbon Monoxide ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Diagnosis ; Diffusion ; Drug Therapy* ; Exercise Test* ; Exercise Tolerance ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Oxygen ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) intron 1 polymorphism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been found to have therapeutic implications for the patients treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. However, its clinical significance as related to gefitinib responsiveness is still controversial. We examined CA repeat polymorphism in intron 1 of the EGFR gene and its relation with the EGFR gene mutation in NSCLC patients who were treated with gefitinib. METHODS: Sixty seven patients who were treated with gefitinib were analyzed for intron 1 polymorphism in the EGFR gene, the EGFR mutations and the EGFR protein expression. Two hundred twenty seven samples of NSCLC were analyzed for EGFR mutations. RESULTS: CA repeat was low in 27 patients (40.3%) and high in 40 (59.7%) patients. The response rate for gefitinib therapy was higher in the patient population with a low number of CA repeats in the EGFR gene (p=0.047) and in the patients with the mutated type of EGFR (p=0.048), though these two factors were not related. Thirty four patients (15.0%) harbored EGFR mutations. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the intron 1 CA repeat polymorphism of the EGFR gene may serve as a predictor of the clinical outcome of NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib, and this without regard for EGFR mutation. Our data further supports the importance of EGFR mutations with regard to a distinct clinical profile and the prognostic implications for NSCLC patients.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Genes, erbB-1 ; Humans ; Introns ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Quinazolines ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor

BACKGROUND: Weight loss is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the mechanisms of this weight loss are still unclear. METHDOS: Sixty male patients with stable COPD and 45 healthy male controls participated in this study. The COPD patients were divided into two groups, that is, the emphysema and chronic bronchitis groups, by the transfer coefficient of carbon monoxide. The body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), plasma leptin levels and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in all the study participants. The difference and correlation of these parameters were investigated between the two groups. RESULTS: Emphysematous patients were characterized by a lower body mass index (BMI) and fat-mass (FM) compared with the chronic bronchitis patients (p<0.001). The plasma leptin levels, as corrected for the FM, were not different between the COPD patients and healthy controls (78.3+/-30.9 pg/mL/kg vs. 70.9+/-17.3 pg/mL/kg, respectively), and the plasma leptin levels, as adjusted for the FM, were also not different between the two groups of COPD patients. In the chronic bronchitis patients, the plasma leptin concentration was correlated with the BMI (r=0.866, p<0.001) but it was not correlated with the BMI in the emphysema patients. The serum TNF-alpha levels were higher in the stable COPD patients than those in the controls, but there was no statistical difference (10.7+/-18.6 pg/mL vs. 7.2+/-3.5 pg/mL, respectively, p>0.05). The leptin concentration was well correlated with the BMI and %FM in the patients with chronic bronchitis and the leptin concentration was only correlated with the %FM (r=0.450, p=0.027) in emphysema patients. There was no correlation between the plasma leptin concentration, as adjusted for the fat mass, and the activity of the TNF-alpha system. CONCLUSION: The interaction of leptin and the activity of the TNF-alpha system in the pathogenesis of tissue depletion may not play an important role in chronic stable COPD patients.
Aged ; Body Composition ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Case-Control Studies ; Emphysema ; Energy Metabolism ; Humans ; Leptin/*blood/physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*physiopathology ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*blood/physiology ; *Weight Loss