Fibrous dysplasia in the orbit and cranial base may involve the optic canal. Although fibrous dysplasia is benign, it may produce a mass effect along the course of the optic nerve which can then induce visual disturbance as well as contour deformities of the skull and facial bone. The treatment of fibrous dysplasia in the orbit and cranial base is to resect the lesion as much as possible and then reconstruct immediately. As well, if there is any evidence of optic canal involvement and disease progression, the treatment of fibrous dysplasia may include optic nerve decompression. It is generally understood that some patients experience improvement of visual function after optic nerve decompression. We performed radical excision and reconstruction by means of autogenous calvarial bone graft and methylmethacrylate in 7 cases. The autogenous calvarial bone was used to reconstruct the orbit. The methylmethacrylate was used to reconstruct bony defect in the temporal area. The orbit was reconstruced into one block which was made of autogenous calvarial bone with a microplate and screw. This method is superior compared to the previous multifragment wiring method with regard to stability, operation time, and appearance. The patients in our series showed satisfactory appearance. In 6 cases, we performed optic nerve decompression. Therapeutic optic nerve decompression was done in 3 cases and prophylatic optic nerve decompression was done in the others. Following therapeutic optic nerve decompression, visual acuity was improved in 2 cases while the others showed a decrease in visual acuity. There was no change of visual acuity and visual field in 1 case after prophylactic optic nerve decompression. However, the others showed decrements in visual acuity or visual field. Therefore, we believe that more attention should be paid during optic nerve decompression procedure and strict indications to that procedure should be applied.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression* ; Disease Progression ; Facial Bones ; Humans ; Methylmethacrylate ; Optic Nerve ; Orbit* ; Skull ; Skull Base* ; Transplants ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

In this study, the trypsin gene (bgtryp-1) from the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, was cloned via the immunoscreening of patients with allergies to cockroaches. Nucleotide sequence analysis predicted an 863 bp open reading frame which encodes for 257 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited 42-57% homology with the serine protease from dust mites, and consisted of a conserved catalytic domain (GDSGGPLV). bgtryp-1 was determined by both Northern and Southern analysis to be a 0.9 kb, single-copy gene. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analyses of the recombinant protein (Bgtryp-1) over-expressed in Escherichia coli revealed that the molecular mass of the expressed protein was 35 kDa, and the expressed protein was capable of reacting with the sera of cockroach allergy patients. We also discussed the possibility that trypsin excreted by the digestive system of the German cockroach not only functions as an allergen, but also may perform a vital role in the activation of PAR-2.
Allergens/analysis/chemistry/*genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Blattellidae/*genetics ; Blotting, Western ; Catalytic Domain/genetics ; DNA, Complementary/genetics ; Escherichia coli/metabolism ; Female ; *Genes, Insect ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Molecular Weight ; Receptor, PAR-2/metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins/analysis/biosynthesis/chemistry ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Trypsin/analysis/chemistry/*genetics

Oriental liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis) infection was surveyed among residents of Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea during the period of January 2001 to March 2002. Total 1,041 stool samples were collected from residents who visited Public Health Center and its branches in Hamyang-gun and examined using formalin-ether sedimentation method. The overall egg positive rate was 16%, male showing higher positive rate (21%) than female (10%). The age group of 30 to 50 years had the highest egg positive rate of C. sinensis from 20% to 22%. The positive examinees were treated with praziquantel and educated individually to prevent reinfection. Egg positive rate in this area was decreased when compared with results recorded in the past, however, still remained more than 10%. This study suggests that periodic examination, treatment as well as education of residents should be continued and systematized.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Child ; Clonorchiasis/drug therapy/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasite Egg Count ; Patient Education ; Praziquantel/therapeutic use ; Sex Factors ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.
Leiomyoma*

To evaluate the antihypertensive effect, side effects and metabolic changes of arotinolol, a combined alpha and beta blocker, 10-15mg of arotinolol twice a day was administered for 8 weeks in 27 hypertensives (168+/-16/106+/-10mmHg) without heart failure, bradycardia, conduction disturbance, coronary heart disease or renal impairment. Blood pressure decreased to 137+/-10/90+/-6mmHg and average reduction of systolic BP and diastolic BP were 31 mmHg(18%) and 16mmHg(15%) respectively. Pulse rate reduced significantly(p<0.01) after 2weeks' treatment of arotinolol and average reduction of pulse rate was 10 beats/min after 8weeks treatment. There were no significant changes of serum ALP, AST and ALT, BUN, and serum creatinine, Na+, K+, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride. But in 8 patients(30%), insomina, sleepness, cold extrimities or numbness on extremities developed or aggravated. These results suggest that arotinolol be an useful antihypertensive agent in hypertensives without heart failure, bradyarrhythmais or peripheral vascular disease.
Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Coronary Disease ; Creatinine ; Extremities ; Heart Failure ; Heart Rate ; Hypertension* ; Hypesthesia ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Intestinal Atresia*

The 635-nm low-level laser therapy was reported to "liquefy" or release stored fat in adipocytes by causing a transitory pore in the cell membrane to open, which permitted the fat content to go from inside to outside the cell. But some data do not support the belief that low-level laser therapy treatment before lipoplasty procedures disrupts tissue adipocyte structure. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser- assisted liposuction. The use of low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty was evaluated in a series of 90 cases. There were 2 treatment groups in the clinical study. Subjects in the test group(39 patients; 31 thighs and 17 abdomen) received only liposuction on one side and laser-assisted liposuction on the other side during early 1liter aspiration time. 51 patients in the operated group received laser-assisted liposuction on both side. After adequate infiltration was obtained in all targeted body areas, a 635-nm electric diode laser was applied to the targeted areas for 12 to 15 minutes to liquefy the fat which was extracted immediately after laser treatment. On the side which received laser-assisted liposuction of the 39 test-group patients, we could gain much fat component(71+/-7.2 vs 63+/-8.6%) and it took short time(26+/-5.7 vs 31+/-7.7 minutes). Postoperative recovery was rapid, and complications were minimal. Low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty can be a valuable adjunctive tool for the performance of lipoplasty.
Adipocytes ; Cell Membrane ; Humans ; Low-Level Light Therapy ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Lipectomy* ; Thigh

Epidural morphine injection was done in nineteen patients who had been admitted from March to August 1990 to the Intensive Care Unit, Severance Hospital, Yonsei Medical Center for respiratory care including ventilator care. Morphine suplphate, 2.67 +/- 0.27 mg was injected one to three times to four patients after chest trauma, and to fifteen patients after thoracotomy. Tidal volume and vital capacity were increased from 4.45 +/- 0.48 and 8.31 +/- 0.50 to 6.91 +/- 0.41 and 12.81 +/- 0.73 mg/kg. However, respiratory rates decreased from 26.07 +/- 1.41 to 20.07 +/- 1.16/min. Inspiratory force increased from -13.40 +/- 1.31 to -26.53 +/- 1.82 cmH2O. Pain score decreased from 9.22 +/- 0.57 to 3.56 +/- 0.83 during this period. PaCO2 did not differ significantly (39.33 +/- 1.13 and 39.48 +/- 1.42 mmHg). Side effects such as pruritis and urinary retention were treated with naloxone 7 approximately 10 ng/kg/min. Mean arterial pressure and pulse rates stayed stable during the study periods. Ventilator hours and ICU stays differed from the control group. However, the duration was not statistically significant. The control group consisted of patients who were admitted during the six months from September 1989 to February 1990 to the ICU for respiratory care, without epidural morphine injection.
Adult ; Female ; Hemodynamics/drug effects ; Human ; Injections, Epidural ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Middle Age ; Morphine/*administration & dosage ; Pain/drug therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration/*drug effects/physiology ; Thoracic Injuries/*physiopathology ; Thoracotomy ; *Ventilators, Mechanical

Herpes zoster is known to be more frequent and severe in patients during immunosuppressive treatment and various predisposing factors, such as Hodgkin's disease, advanced tumor stage, local X-ray irradiation, splenectomy and cutaneous anergy. This report presents the case of a 23-year-old woman who developed herpes zoater on two separate occasione during the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with immunosuppressive agents (corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide). In each occasion, it was involved by different and multiple dermatomes. Treatment with oral and intralesional corticosteroids administration proved to be beneficial without any complication, although some delayed recovery of the disease was noted.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Causality ; Female ; Herpes Zoster* ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Splenectomy ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; DNA* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Tuberculosis*