No abstract available.
Heart Diseases* ; Heart*

A case of fibrocalcifying pseudotumor occuring at a very unusual site, the intraosseous region of axis, is presented. Previous reports of similar lesions in skull base, intracranial parenchyme, soft tissue around spine, mediastinum, and pleura have been described under the designation 'fibro-osseouslesions' and 'calcifying pseudoneoplasm' The etiology, pathogenesis and natural course of the lesion are still unknown. Bvt the lesion is probably benign nature and reactive lesion rather than neo-plastic. Authors performed resection of lamina, spinous process, and a portion of pedicles and occipitocervical fusion to prevent spinal cord compression due to cortical expansion or fracture. Microscopically, amorphous, basophilic, hyaline, and chondroid calcifying masses were rimmed by palisading histiocytes and foreign body-type giant cells. No evidence of malignancy was found.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra* ; Basophils ; Giant Cells, Foreign-Body ; Histiocytes ; Hyalin ; Mediastinum ; Pleura ; Skull Base ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Spine

PURPOSE: To evaluate the spherical aberrations of the anterior and posterior surfaces of normal corneas using Pentacam in a Korean sample population and determine their ranges and changes with age. METHODS: We used Pentacam (Oculus Inc.,Germany) to measure the anterior and posterior corneal spherical aberrations of 240 eyes in 240 patients with normal corneas who visited our clinic. The means and ranges of spherical aberrations and their changes with age were determined. We examined both eyes of 90 patients to confirm the inter-ocular symmetry in spherical aberration. RESULTS: The mean age of the 240 patients (M:F=103:137) was 49.8 years (range: 20-79), and the mean spherical aberrations of the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea were 0.230+/-0.078 micrometer, and -0.04+/-0.021 micrometer, respectively. The mean total corneal spherical aberration was 0.19+/-0.087 micrometer. There were no differences between males and females, and inter-ocular symmetry was observed in all tested patients. There was a tendency for the values of anterior, posterior and total corneal spherical aberration to increase with age. Ranges of spherical aberrations were from -0.177 micrometer to 0.423 micrometer in the anterior cornea, from -0.083 micrometer to 0.034 micrometer in the posterior cornea, and from -0.238 micrometer to 0.410 micrometer in the total cornea. CONCLUSIONS: In a Korean population, the mean total corneal spherical aberration was 0.19 micrometer, which was shown to increase with age. Some patients were shown to have an extreme value. Based on these results, a preoperative analysis for corneal spherical aberration may be helpful when selecting aspheric intraocular lenses.
Cataract ; Cornea ; Eye ; Female ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Male

STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed nine patients of lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation which underwent conservative or surgical treatment. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the clinical characteristics, accuracy of diagnostic methods, and result of conservative or surgical treatment for the lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation represents an important component of lumbar disc herniation because of the difficulty in diagnosis and the difference in clinical characteristics and surgical approaches in contrast to usual intracanalicular disc herniation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine patients which we have experienced from March 1994 to February 1997 were evaluated by physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, EMG, and disco-enhanced computed tomogram. There were 4 males and 5 females, and average age was 42.4 years. RESULTS: The level of herniation was 4 cases at L4-5 and 5 at L5-S1. Radiating pain was chief complaint but low back pain was absent or mild. Accuracy of disco-enhanced computed tomogram was superior to that of magnetic resonance imaging. The results of conservative treatment were good in 2 cases(40%), fair in 2 cases(40%), and poor in 1 case(20%). And those of surgical treatment including partial laminectomy, medial facetectomy, and discectomy or extraforaminal approach were excellent in 3 cases(75%), good in 1 case(25%) according to the grading of MacNab. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation represents compressive symptoms of upper lumbar root of the involved level characteristically. Location and degree of disc herniation is an important tractor for determining the surgical approach, and disco-enhanced computed tomogram is a definite diagnostic method.
Diagnosis* ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Neuroblastoma*

The tonsillolith is a white or yellow colored calcified lesion that forms in the crypts of the palatine tonsil. Small tonsilloliths are frequently found on tonsils, while giant tonsilloliths are a rare clinical entity. We had a 35-years old female patient, who presented throat discomfort due to a giant tonsillolith. The stone was removed and tonsillectomy was performed. We reviewed the literature on this rare clinical entity.
Female ; Humans ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pharynx ; Tonsillectomy

BACKGROUND: To investigate the physical function of elderly people in Korea using quantitative and objective tools and to assess the impact of declined physical function on their quality of life. METHODS: The Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging was designed as a population-based prospective cohort study on the health and aging of the elderly people in Korea aged 65 years and older. Within one city's central metropolitan area, 1,000 subjects including a simple random sample and an oldest-old subpopulation participated in a baseline study for one year. We evaluated the isokinetic peak torque of the knee extensors and flexors, grip force, and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and surveyed their daily physical activities and quality of life using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: Overall, 676 subjects completed the evaluations of physical function and activity. The isokinetic torque of the knee extensors and flexors declined with age in both men and women. The women in the old-old (75-84 years) group showed lower SPPB and physical activity than women in the young-old (65-74 years) group, but these measures were maintained till age 85 in the men. SPPB and physical activity were significantly associated with the physical component scale (PCS) of the SF-36 in both men and women, while isokinetic torque was associated with PCS in women only. CONCLUSION: Physical performance and activity declined differently in Korean elderly men and women. Both these measures showed to be the main factors associated with quality of life.
Aged ; Aging ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hand Strength ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Knee ; Korea ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Torque

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of integrated fall prevention program comprised of exercise program to improve physical function, education of fall prevention strategy and environmental improvement in elderly Korean. METHOD: Elderly who were at high risk for fall participated in 8-week integrated fall prevention program. Outcome measures including fall efficacy scale (FES), activity-specific balance confidence (ABC), flexibility test, balance function test, short physical performance battery (SPPB) and isokinetic knee strength were evaluated and compared before and after the program. One year after the program, fall experience and frequency, FES and ABC were followed up by mail questionnaire. RESULTS: Among 63 participants enrolled at the baseline, 43 completed the program. Flexibility, balance function and SPPB improved significantly whereas FES, ABC, anthropometric measure data and knee strength were not changed. One year after the program, the number of fallers decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Integrated fall prevention program may improve flexibility and balance function, and can reduce the risk of fall in the elderly population.
Aged ; Humans ; Knee ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Pliability ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate correlation of preoperative anemia with clinical outcomes in patients with early stage cervical cancer who were treated with radical hysterectomy and lymph node dissection. METHODS: Patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymph node dissection for cervical cancer from January 2001 to February 2012 were included in this study. Clinicopatholgoical factors included in univariate and multivariate analysis were age, tumor histology, FIGO (International Federation of Gyneocology and Obstetrics) stage, preoperative hemoglobin, depth of invasion, tumor size, parametrial involvement, resection margin, and lymph node status. RESULTS: A total of 387 patients were retrospectively analyzed in this study; 141 patients (36.4%) had preoperative anemia (hemoglobin <12 g/dL) and 16 out of 141 patients (11.3%) received blood transfusion for correction of preoperative anemia. Patients with preoperative anemia showed significant association with age <50 years, more advanced stage, non-squamous cell carcinoma histology, larger tumor size, deeper stromal invasion, and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Both relapse-free survival and overall survival were worse in patients with preoperative anemia in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, overall survival was worse in patients with preoperative anemia, but relapse-free survival was not associated with preoperative anemia. In the intergroup analysis of anemic patients for the effect of preoperative blood transfusion, preoperative anemia correction did not affect survival. CONCLUSION: Preoperative anemia was not an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with early cervical cancer. However, it was associated with poor prognostic factors. Further study in large population is needed.
Anemia* ; Blood Transfusion ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Prostatic manipulation and surgery have been shown to increase serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). We studied the effect of ejaculation on the serum PSA levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 131 men(16 to 64 years old) who had no history of surgery or inflammatory disease of the urogenital tract. The total serum PSA, free PSA, serum total testosterone, free testosterone, luteinizing hormone(LH), and follicular stimulating hormone(FSH) were evaluated 1 hour after ejaculation. RESULTS: A PSA level was detected in all the men. There were statistically significant changes of the serum PSA level before and after ejaculation. We compared the parameters between increased PSA group and the decreased PSA group. There were significant differences between the two groups on comparison of the total prostate volume(25.4+/-3.6g vs 15.1+/-4.2g, respectively) and the transition zone volume(7.1+/-2.7g vs 5.3+/-1.1g, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our data, ejaculation affects the serum PSA concentration in young men, and there seems to be a physiological relationship between ejaculation and the PSA level. The larger the prostate volume, the more ejaculation has an effect on the serum PSA level.
Ejaculation* ; Humans ; Lutein ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Testosterone