203Hg neohydrin renal scanning was done in 32 cases of various renal diseases to evaluate its diagnostic significance by comparing with I.V.P. and with the weight of renal parenchyme remained in post-nephrectomized specimens. 1. The incidence depicting warm area on renal scanning was higher than that of excretory findings on I.V.P.; approximately one third of non-visualizing kidneys on pyelogram showed positive renal images by renal scanning. 2. The size of warm area on renal scanning closely correlated with the weight of parenchyme remained in diseased kidney. 3. The technique of renal scanning was more simple and less hazardous than that of I.V.P. 4. Renal scanning would be so valuable in the diagnosis of renal diseases, particularly for advanced lesions and that the combination of renal scanning and I.V.P. was desirable
Diagnosis* ; Incidence ; Kidney

The present study was undertaken to investigate the infection status of Cryptosporidium parvum in the villagers and the reservoir hosts in several rural areas in Korea. A total 5, 262 fecal samples were collected from the inhabitants residing at Gangwon-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Jeollanam-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do between the dates of September, 2001 to June, 2002. In addition, 1, 453 fecal samples were collected from livestock reared in Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do and Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do. All the fecal smears were prepared by formalin-ether sedimentation, and examined by light microscopy after modified acid-fast staining. The overall positive rate of human cryptosporidiosis was 3.3%. Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do showed a 8.2% positive rate and appeared as the highest endemic area among the surveyed areas. Haman-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do showed a 0.4% positive rate and was the lowest endemic area. The positive rate of livestock infection in Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do was 94%, which was more than ten times higher than that of Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do (9.3%). From these results, it was revealed that cryptosporidiosis was an endemic disease in some rural areas of Korea, and the livestock could be an important source of human infection.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Animals ; Animals, Domestic/*parasitology ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptosporidiosis/*epidemiology/parasitology/veterinary ; Cryptosporidium parvum/*isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasite Egg Count ; Prevalence ; *Rural Population ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the existing classification and difficulty index of impacted mandibular third molars in clinical situations and propose a more practical classification system.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 204 impacted mandibular third molars in 154 patients; panoramic x-ray images were obtained before tooth extraction. Factors including age, sex, and pattern of impaction were investigated. All impacted third molars were classified and scored for spatial relationship (1–5 points), depth (1–4 points), and ramus relationship (1–3 points). All variables were measured twice by the same observer at a minimum interval of one month. Finally, the difficulty index was defined based on the total points scored as slightly difficult (3–4 points), moderately difficult (5–7 points), very difficult (8–10 points), and extremely difficult (11–12 points).RESULTS: The strength of agreement of the total points scored and difficulty index were 0.855 and 0.746, respectively. Most cases were classified as moderately difficult (73.0%). Although only 13 out of 204 cases (6.4%) were classified as extremely difficult, patients classified as extremely difficult were the oldest (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: For difficulty classification, the authors propose one more difficult category beyond the existing three-step difficulty index: the clinician should consider the patient's age in the difficulty index evaluation.
Classification ; Humans ; Molar, Third ; Tooth Extraction ; Tooth, Impacted

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the existing classification and difficulty index of impacted mandibular third molars in clinical situations and propose a more practical classification system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 204 impacted mandibular third molars in 154 patients; panoramic x-ray images were obtained before tooth extraction. Factors including age, sex, and pattern of impaction were investigated. All impacted third molars were classified and scored for spatial relationship (1–5 points), depth (1–4 points), and ramus relationship (1–3 points). All variables were measured twice by the same observer at a minimum interval of one month. Finally, the difficulty index was defined based on the total points scored as slightly difficult (3–4 points), moderately difficult (5–7 points), very difficult (8–10 points), and extremely difficult (11–12 points). RESULTS: The strength of agreement of the total points scored and difficulty index were 0.855 and 0.746, respectively. Most cases were classified as moderately difficult (73.0%). Although only 13 out of 204 cases (6.4%) were classified as extremely difficult, patients classified as extremely difficult were the oldest (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION For difficulty classification, the authors propose one more difficult category beyond the existing three-step difficulty index: the clinician should consider the patient's age in the difficulty index evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: Massive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and major infarction (MI) are devastating cerebral vascular diseases. Decompression craniectomy (DC) is a common treatment approach for these diseases and acceptable clinical results have been reported. Author experienced the postoperative intracranaial pressure (ICP) trend is somewhat different between the ICH and MI patients. In this study, we compare the ICP trend following DC and evaluate the clinical significance.METHODS: One hundred forty-three patients who underwent DC following massive ICH (81 cases) or MI (62 cases) were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age was 56.3±14.3 (median=57, male : female=89 : 54). DC was applied using consistent criteria in both diseases patients; Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score less than 8 and a midline shift more than 6 mm on brain computed tomography. In all patients, ventricular puncture was done before the DC and ICP trends were monitored during and after the surgery. Outcome comparisons included the ictus to operation time (OP-time), postoperative ICP trend, favorable outcomes and mortality.RESULTS: Initial GCS (p=0.364) and initial ventricular ICP (p=0.783) were similar among the ICH and MI patients. The postoperative ICP of ICH patients were drop rapidly and maintained within physiological range if greater than 80% of the hematoma was removed. While in MI patients, the postoperative ICP were not drop rapidly and maintained above the physiologic range (MI=18.8 vs. ICH=13.6 mmHg, p=0.000). The OP-times were faster in ICH patients (ICH=7.3 vs. MI=40.9 hours, p=0.000) and the mortality rate was higher in MI patients (MI=37.1% vs. ICH=17.3%, p=0.007).CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that if greater than 80% of the hematoma was removed in ICH patients, the postoperative ICP rarely over the physiologic range. But in MI patients, the postoperative ICP was above the physiologic range for several days after the DC. Authors propose that DC is no need for the massive ICH patient if a significant portion of their hematoma is removed. But DC might be essential to improve the MI patients’ outcome and timely treatment decision.
Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction ; Decompression ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Infarction ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Intracranial Pressure ; Male ; Mortality ; Punctures ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: Patients with hematologic diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) are known to have an increased chance of acquiring a secondary neoplasm. Stomach cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in Korea, and we investigated whether the incidence of secondary stomach cancer in patients with a hematologic disease increases, in order to determine if a more intensive screening program for detecting secondary gastric cancer was required. We also investigated the safety of performing a gastrectomy in hematologic disease patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1992 to 2006, the medical records of 8376 patients diagnosed with one of the six common hematologic diseases were reviewed. RESULTS: Nine secondary stomach cancers were found among the 8376 patients during the 15-year observation period. No surgical-related complications occurred, and there was no recurrence of stomach cancer if detected early. CONCLUSION: It seems that a more intensive screening program for detecting secondary gastric cancer in hematologic disease patients is not required, and surgery is not risky in these patients.
Gastrectomy ; Hematologic Diseases* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Lymphoid ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical and radiologic results of two graft materials for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with rigid plate fixation for cervical spinal disorder. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients treated with single-level ACDF with rigid plate fixation were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into twogroups: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage filled with beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) in Group A (n=15); and autogenous tricortical iliac bone graft in group B (n=13). The average follow-up durations were 16.3 months and 19.90 months for group A and group B, respectively. Clinical outcomes were graded using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and neck disability index (NDI). Interbody height, segmental kyphotic angle and overall kyphotic angle were used as parameters to evaluate radiographic change in the 2 treatment groups. RESULTS: Clinically, VAS scores and NDI significantly improved after the surgery in both groups (p<0.05). Clinical and radiologic evaluation demonstrated no significant intergroup differences (p>0.05). The fusion rates after 12 months in group A and B were 93.3% and 100%, respectively. One case of cage subsidence which resulted in pseudoarthrosis occurred in group A. However, statistical analysis did not show difference in fusion rate between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: ACDF using PEEK cage filled with alpha-TCP showed comparable clinical and radiologic results with the standard of autogenous iliac bone graft. However, pseudoarthrosis did occur even with rigid plate and screw fixation in ACDF using PEEK cage filled with beta-TCP. There is high likelihood of emerging pseudoarthrosis, especially when there is a sign of chronic and progressive cage subsidence.
Calcium Phosphates ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ketones ; Neck ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Pseudarthrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the effects of norepinephrine on the potassium currents of rat medial vestibular nuclear neurons by using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats aged 14 to 16 days were anesthetized with ether and decapitated. After enzymatic digestion, the portion of the medial vestibular nucleus neurons were obtained by micropunching. The dissociated neurons were transferred into a recording chamber mounted on an inverted microscope and potassium currents were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques under voltage-clamp modes. RESULTS: Norepinephrine inhibited the whole potassium currents of the medial vestibular nuclear neurons. Outward potassium currents were more suppressed in 4 mM 4-aminopyridine and norepinephrine added solutions than 4 mM 4-aminopyridine only, but were not suppressed in 10 mM tetraethylammonium and norepinephrine added solutions compared to 10 mM tetraethylammonium only. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that norepinephrine blocks the delayed rectifier potassium channels in medial vestibular nuclear neurons.
4-Aminopyridine ; Animals ; Delayed Rectifier Potassium Channels ; Digestion ; Ether ; Neurons* ; Norepinephrine* ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tetraethylammonium ; Vestibular Nuclei

BACKGROUND: There are many causes for the failure of aspirin therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Laboratory aspirin resistance (AR) might be involved in clinical aspirin non-response. The PFA-100 is a laboratory method to evaluate AR in the clinical setting. However, there has been limited data regarding concordance with optical platelet aggregometry, which is considered the gold standard for detecting AR. We retrospectively analyzed platelet function tests using the PFA-100 and an optical platelet aggregometer in 86 patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Eighty six patients were enrolled in the study and were evaluated the platelet function test by optical aggregometer and a PFA-100. We determined the variability in the prevalence of AR and the kappa value between the two tests in patients with acute ischemic stroke. RESULTS: Among 86 patients, 27 (31.4%) were detected as AR by the optical aggregometer and 31 (36.0%) by the PFA-100. There were 13 cases of AR (15.1%) in both laboratory methods. The optical platelet aggregometer results showed that female gender (P=0.03), aspirin monotherapy (P =0.05), and NIHSS at baseline (P=0.04) were related with AR in acute ischemic stroke. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that NIHSS was independently associated with AR of the optical platelet aggregometer (OR=1.12 95%, CI: 1.00-1.25, P=0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of AR was similar between the PFA-100 and the optical platelet aggregometer in patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, the concordance rate of these two tools is low.
Aspirin ; Blood Platelets ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Platelet Aggregation ; Platelet Function Tests ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke