OBJECTIVES: Face-to-face interviews were conducted to investigate the relationship between blood pressure and the impairment of cognitive function in rural elderly (N=932) aged 60-64 in Dalsung County, April to September in 1996 METHODS: Impairment of cognitive function was defined as a score of less than 23 by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEK). Blood pressure was measured once in each subject using a portable automatic sphygmomanometer. RESULTS: By univariate logistic regression on males, no category of systolic blood pressure bore statistical significance. Groups with diastolic blood pressures of, less than 80 mmHg, 90-94 mmHg, and more than 95mmHg had odds ratios of more than one compared with the reference group (80-89 mmHg). This was most significant in the group with blood pressures lower than 80 mmHg, which had a statistically significant odds ratio of 1.68 (95 % confidence interval Cl; 1.02-2.75). No category of blood pressure was statistically significant in females. Multivariate logistic regression for males, with adjustment for age, educational attainment, smoking, alcoholic drinking, body mass index, atherosclerotic disease, and antihypertensive medication use, did not alter the odds ratios significantly in terms of systolic blood pressure. However, the group with diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had an increased odds ratio of 2.01 (95 % Cl; 1.15-3.52) compared with the reference group. In females, systolic blood pressure did not alter the odds ratio, but the group with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had a statistically significant odds ratio of 0.57 (95% Cl; 0.37-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function status is stronger diastolic than systolic blood pressure and that there is a complex relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function by sex.
Aged ; Alcoholics ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index ; Drinking ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sphygmomanometers

PURPOSE: We report a case of congenital accessory punctum and canaliculus in a patient with dry eye, which had not previously been reported in Korea. METHODS: A 56-year old woman presented with dry eye that was more pronounced in the left eye than in the right. An accessory punctum was found in the left medial canthus. Dacryocystogram showed that the accessory punctum had an independent canaliculus which was connected to a normal upper canaliculus. RESULTS: The symptoms were relieved after permanent punctal occlusion of the lower and accessory puncta. CONCLUSIONS: Severe dry eye can be induced by congenital accessory punctum and canaliculus.
Dry Eye Syndromes ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: Defective adhesion and migration of melanocyte may be involved in pathogenesis of vitiligo. Tenascin, a glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix, has a role in cell adhesion and migration. It has been reported that abundant expression of tenascin in vitiligo lesion may inhibit melanocyte adhesion and migration. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the tenascin expression in vitiligo skin lesions and to compare with clinical findings. METHODS: We studied 9 patients with vitiligo. The expressions of tenascin were studied by immunahistochemieal techniques.
Cell Adhesion ; Extracellular Matrix ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; Skin ; Tenascin* ; Vitiligo*

We present the case of a 7 year-old child who underwent angioplasty with a stent for anastomosis site stenosis between a left subclavian artery free graft and the left main coronary artery in an arterial switch operation.
Angioplasty* ; Child* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Stents* ; Subclavian Artery ; Transplants ; Transposition of Great Vessels

OBJECTIVE: The focus of this study is brain plasticity associated with semantic aspects of language function in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). METHODS: Using longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), patterns of brain activation were observed in twelve left and seven right unilateral mTLE patients during a word-generation task relative to a pseudo-word reading task before and after anterior temporal section surgery. RESULTS: No differences were observed in precentral activations in patients relative to normal controls (n = 12), and surgery did not alter the phonological-associated activations. The two mTLE patient groups showed left inferior prefrontal activations associated with semantic processing (word-generation > pseudo-word reading), as did control subjects. The amount of semantic-associated activation in the left inferior prefrontal region was negatively correlated with epilepsy duration in both patient groups. Following temporal resection, semantic-specific activations in inferior prefrontal region became more bilateral in left mTLE patients, but more left-lateralized in right mTLE patients. The longer the duration of epilepsy in the patients, the larger the increase in the left inferior prefrontal semantic-associated activation after surgery in both patient groups. Semantic activation of the intact hippocampus, which had been negatively correlated with seizure frequency, normalized after the epileptic side was removed. CONCLUSION: These results indicate alternation of semantic language network related to recruitment of left inferior prefrontal cortex and functional recovery of the hippocampus contralateral to the epileptogenic side, suggesting an intra- and inter-hemispheric reorganization following surgery.
Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Brain ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Plastics ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Seizures ; Semantics ; Temporal Lobe

There is no doubt that the diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricular plays an important role in the pathophysiogy of clinical heart faliure in some patients, if not all, and that many hypertensive subjects manifest diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle in its early hypertensive stage. But yet, it is not clear which paramenter is most sensitive and/or specific, and consistent with pathophysiologic states. In order to have an insight into the problems, 30 hypertensives and 30 normotensive subjects were studied by phonocardiogram and pulsed Doppler echocardiogram at the left ventricular inflow and then isovolumic relaxation time(A2D time), early diastolic deceleration time(EDDT), early diastolic deceleration rate(EDDR), late diastolic time(LDT), E.A velocity ratio[E/A(v)]and E/A area ratioA(a)] were measured and calculated. And the values of each parameters of different groups were subgrouped according to the severity of the hypertension(Group A:mild, B:moderate and C:severe hypertension) and according to the LV mass(Group D:LVMI<125g/m2, GroupE:LVMI> or =125g/m2) were compared with those of the normal control subjects and also between each subgroups. The results were as follows : 1) In the 30 normotensive subjects, A2D time was averaged out 60.8+/-12.5msec, E/A(v) 1.55+/-0.59, E/A(a) 2.61+/-1.35, EDDT 1.35+/-37.8msec, EDDR8.3+/-4, 6m/sec2 and LDT 151+/-42.2msec. 2) In group A, A2D time was significantly prolonoged(82.5+/-26.0msec, p<0.005) and E/A(v) markedly decreased(1.12+/-0.40, p<0.05) compared to those of normotensive group. 3) In group B, A2D time was significantly prolonged(78+/-20.8msec, p<0.005), and E/A(v)(0.92+/-0.42, p<0.005) and EDDR(4.9+/-1.5m/sec2, p<0.05) were significantly decreased compared to those of the control group. 4) In group C, A2D and EDDT were increased(p<0.005, p<0.05 respectively) while E/A(v) and EDDR decreased(p<0.01, p<0.05 respedtively), while E/A(v) and EDDR decreased(p<0.01, p<0.005 respectively). 5) In group D, A2>D and EDDT were significantly prolonged(p<0.005), while E/A(v), E/A(a) and EDDR wer significantly decreased(p<0.005, p<0.05 respectively). 6) In group E, A2D and EDDT were significantly increased(p<0.005, p<0.05 respectively), while E/A(v) and EDDR significantly decreased(p<0.005, p<0.05 respectively). Above results suggest that diastolic function of the left ventricle can be deteriorated in the hypertensive subjects before systolic dysfunction is apparent even in the mild hypertensives and in the patients devoid of hypertensive hypertrophy of the left ventricle.
Deceleration ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertrophy ; Relaxation

We performed penile biothesiometry for determining the penile sensitivity on 56 normal men and 120 patients with primary premature ejaculation (PE) to realize the organic reasons of premature ejaculation. The mean vibration perception threshold at the glans penis and penile shaft was 0.222+/-0.133, 0.124+/-0.046 Microns in normal control, 0.058+/-0.026, 0.055+/-0.023 Microns in patients with PE respectively. The mean vibration perception threshold at the glans penis and penile shaft in patients group showed significantly lower than that of normal controls (P<0.001). The mean vibration perception threshold at the glans penis was higher than that of the penile shaft in normal control, but the mean vibration threshold at the glans penis was as much low as the penile shaft in patients with PE (p<0.001). The vibration perception threshold at the glans penis and penile shaft was increasing with aging in normal men, but in patients with PE, consistently lower values were noted with no increasing tendency with age (p<0.001). The mean vibration perception threshold at the index finger and scrotum was 0.041+/-0.023, 0.334+/-0.184 Microns in normal controls, and 0.039+/-0.023, 0.294+/-0.213 Microns in patients with PE respectively. There were no significant differences between two groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, patients with primary premature ejaculation have a penile hypersensitivity regardless of aging. Penile hypersensitivity may give rise to uncontrolled ejaculation, which is thought to be an organic implication of premature ejaculation."
Aging ; Ejaculation ; Fingers ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Male ; Penis ; Premature Ejaculation* ; Scrotum ; Vibration*

Hibernoma is a rare, benign soft tissue tumor that is derived from the remnants of fetal brown tissue. The term hibernoma was proposed in 1914 by Cery because of its morphologic similarity to the cel s of the so-called hibernating gland of animals. The most common site of hibernomas is the subcutaneous tissue of the back, especially the interscapular area. These tumors are considered benign and malignant transformation has not been reported. We experienced a case of hibernoma, 60-year-old woman had suffered from the palpable mass without pain or tenderness on posterolateral lower chest wall, left. The tumor was extirpated under the impression of angiolipoma, but was confirmed hibernoma. She was discharged without complication.
Adipose Tissue, Brown ; Angiolipoma ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Middle Aged ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax*

No abstract available.
Paramyxoviridae Infections* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Reverse Transcription*

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical and radiological safety of 15 consecutive patients managed with plate and screw fixation systems applied to the cervical lateral mass. METHODS: 15 patients who underwent posterior cervical and T1 arthrodesis were reviewed from Jan 2002 to Dec 2004. Posterior cervical screw and plate fixation was applied on the lateral mass of the cervical spine. The authors have tried lateral mass screw fixation using a modified Magerl's technique (20 degrees lateral and 20~30 degrees rostral screw trajectory) under preliminary radiological study. The average patient age was 39.73 degrees+/-11.00 years, and the average follow-up period was 9.73 degrees+/-6.77 months. Computed tomography scans taken after surgery were reviewed to confirm the attempted screw trajectory correct and safety. RESULTS: Three of 93 lateral mass screws were malpositioned but clinical damage was not noted. Two of 8 pedicle screws on the T1 vertebrae were not placed on the correct pedicle area. Screw and plate loosening was observed in one case but was not subjected to an additional procedure because of maintained screw position observed during follow-up periods. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that lateral mass screw fixation using the Modified Magerl's technique on the cervical lateral mass may provide safe and effective application on the patients. In addition, the chance of incorrectly placed screws was higher in T1 pedicle screw fixation than in lateral mass screw fixation of the cervical area.
Arthrodesis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Spine