We studied the natural history of asymptomatic early avascular necrosis of the femoral head in forty-three patients(forty-three hips) who had been treated with arthroplasty due to progressed avascular necrosis of femoral head but had no symptoms in the other side. All initial lesions were classified with Ficat staging and International classification(ARCO). The duration until symptom onset and radiologic evidence of disease progression were evaluated. The average follow up period was over 37 months. Among forty-three hips, twenty-nine cases(67.4%) remained asymptomatic until last follow up but fourteen cases(32.6%) were symptomatic during the follow up, and twenty-six cases(60.5%) did not progress on the radiography but seventeen cases(39.5%) progressed to Ficat stage 3 or 4. Fifteen cases of IA, IIA, IB-cental and II B-central without lateral lesion did not occur symptom and didnt progress to Ficat stage 3 or 4 over a period of average 47 months(24-71 months). But fourteen cases of IB, IC, g B and II C progressed to Ficat stage 3 or 4 and they were all lateral lesion. These results suggest careful observation only can be done in the case of small involvement(less than 15%) and medial or central lesion relatively over a long period of time but for the large involvement(more than 30%) and especially lateral lesion, aggressive surgical treatment may be considered even though the early stage of disease for the prevention of progression. However it will need more period of time to accurately compare the results of various methods of treatment.
Arthroplasty ; Disease Progression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hip ; Natural History* ; Necrosis* ; Radiography

Glomus tumor is well recognized and documented lesion which usually presents as painful dermal nodules in fingers. The tumor results from hypertrophy of a glomus, which is a normal structure of the skin, a coiled arterioyenous shunt regulating body temperature. Glomus tumor may occur at any age but is most frequent in the middle age of life. Pain, tenderness and cold sensitivity are the classic triad of symptoms. Complete surgical exision is the treatment of choice for glomus tumors. Successful removal of tumor leads to complete relief of pain and return to normal function. We report 4 cases of subungual glomus tumor successfully treated by complete exision with review of literatures.
Body Temperature ; Fingers ; Glomus Tumor ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Middle Aged ; Skin

Bone Resorption ; Dentition ; Humans ; Inlays ; Jaw ; Jeollabuk-do ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus ; Osteotomy ; Prosthodontics ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants

We investigate the serial change of the bone density of the lengthening sites in distraction osteogenesis in long bone lengthening of the lower extremity by measuring the pixel value of the PACS(Picture Archiving Communication System). The purpose of this study was to find the clinical implication of the pixel value in PACS in the distraction osteogenesis. The number of the distraction sites were 22 in tibia and 16 in femur. The average distraction length was 4.5cm ranged between 2.1cm and 7.0cm in femur, 4.1cm ranged hetween 1.9cm and 6.8cm in tibia. When the image were sent to the PACS workstations, they were directly interfaced to the workstation without any processing. The absolute and the relati ve pixel values of cortical bones of the original and the lengthening sites repr sented in workstation of PACS were obtained by average value measuring 3 times by 3 different persons. The average absoiute pixel value of the original cortical bone near distraction site was not significantly changed, maintaining 575+/-6 in femur, and 570+/-7 in tibia. The absolute pixel vaIues in AP and lateral view were not significantly changed until 6 week/cm, but rapidly increased after 7 week/cm hoth in the tibia and the femur. The relative pixel value of the lengthening sites were more than 95% in three of the four cortices at the time of the removal of the external fixators. in conclusion, the pixel value of the PACS can be a rapid, simple and easy method for detection of the change of the bone density in distraction osteogenesis.
Bone Density* ; Bone Lengthening* ; External Fixators ; Femur ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Tibia

Open carpal tunnel release has been the standard method of sumical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Recently endoscopic carpal tunnel release has been introduced and is heing used by many authors. The advantages of this new technique are less postoperative pain, rapid restoration of power and rapid return-to-work. However many considerate authors, in spite of these advantages. insist that the inevitahle risk of neurovascular injury during the endoscopic procedure should not he underestimated. The purpose of our study is to compare the clinical results of endoscopic carpal tunnel release with those of open release. 20 open carpal tunnel releases in 16 patients and 15 endoscopic carpal tunnel reieases (single-portal technique) in 11 patients were performed hy the first author. Preoperative conditions of both groups are not different. Authors compared the clinical results between the two groups with some parameters. The overall clinical results were not different significantly hetween two groups. Rapid return-to-work(36 days in endoscopic group versus 60 days in open group) and less postoperative scar and pillar pain in endoscopic group were demonstrated. However, the major complication of one median nerve injury in endoscopic group seemed to overweigh these some benefits. We suggest that the standard operative technique for carpal tunnel syndrome should be open carpal tunnel release and more considerations should be takcn in choosing endoscopic method because of its inherent risk.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Pain, Postoperative ; Return to Work

Calcareous corpuscles are a characteristic structure found in larval and adult stage cestodes. These corpuscles are known to contain several protein components and to possess protein-binding activity. However, the proteins bound to calcareous corpuscles in situ have not been studied. The present study was undertaken to identify the proteins on calcareous corpuscles. Calcareous corpuscles were purified from the plerocercoids (= spargana) of Spirometra erinacei, and serially dissolved using 0.1 M sulfamic acid solution. Collected supernatants were examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and silver staining. The results showed that only the fraction remaining after the 19th dissolved fraction contained proteins. A total of 20 protein molecules were detected in gel, with major bands at 56, 53, 46, 40, 35, 29, 28, 24.5, 21, 19, 16, 13, 10 and 8 kDa. In particular, the proteins corresponding to the 21 and 16 kDa bands were most abundant. Our results demonstrated for the first time the protein contents of the calcareous corpuscles of spargana. Further studies on the functions of these proteins are required.
Animals ; Centrifugation ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Helminth Proteins/analysis/*metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Protein Binding ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Silver Staining ; Sparganum/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Spirometra/*metabolism ; Sulfonic Acids

Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts were isolated from a child suffering from acute gastroenteritis and successfully passaged in a calf and mice (designated hereafter SNU-H1) in the Republic of Korea; its molecular genotype has been analyzed. The GAG microsatellite region was amplified by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), with a 238 base pair product, which is commonly displayed in C. parvum. The isolate was shown to be a mixture of the genotypes 1 (anthroponotic) and 2 (zoonotic). To study its infectivity in animals, 2 calves and 3 strains of mice were infected with the SNU-H1; in these animals, the propagation of both genotypes was successful. In immunosuppressed (ImSP) BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice the number of oocysts decreased after day 10 post-infection (PI) ; but in ImSP ICR mice, they remained constant until day 27 PI. The results show that both the C. parvum genotypes 1 and 2 can be propagated in calves and ImSP mice.
Animals ; Cattle ; Child ; Cryptosporidiosis/microbiology ; Cryptosporidium parvum/*genetics/immunology ; Diarrhea/parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Genotype ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Oocysts ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Zoonoses/parasitology

BACKGROUND: It has been known that arterial carbon dioxide tension is 4~5 mmHg higher than end-tidal carbon dioxide tension in healthy adults during general anesthesia. But negative arterial to end-tidal PCO2 difference was reported in pregnant patients undergoing cesarean section. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the difference between arterial and end-tidal PCO2 in anesthetized patients with reduced functional residual capacity. METHODS: 90 patients were divided into 3 groups i.e. control group (n=30), obese group (n=20, body weight more than 20% greater than ideal weight), pregnant group (n=40). All patients had no cardiac or respiratory abnormalities and never smoked. Arterial blood gas analysis and measurement of end-tidal PCO2 were done 20 minutes after induction of anesthesia in control and obese group and just before uterine incision and 20 minutes after fetal delivery in pregnant group. RESULTS: There were significant correlations between arterial and end-tidal PCO2 in all groups. The incidences of negative arterial to end-tidal PCO2 difference were 10% in control group, 40% in obese group, 42.5% in pregnant group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: From this study, it is concluded that patients with reduced functional residual capacity have more incidences of negativity than normal patients in the values of arterial to end-tidal PCO2 difference during general anesthesia. So when the tight control of PaCO2 is required in patients with reduced FRC, we recommend to measure PaCO2 for better anesthetic management.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Body Weight ; Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Functional Residual Capacity* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Smoke

Phylloides tumor is very similar to giant fibroadenoma in that they have benign appearance in breast radiologic image. Fibroadenoma has no malignant potential, but phylloides tumor is locally recurrent, invasive and may occasionally metastasize. It thus appears that evaluation of the differential point of the two tumor groups by radiologic study is very important. We retrospectively compared sonographic find;.ngs of 6 cases of phylloides tumor with those of 4 cases of fibroadenoma, which proved pathologically in Ye mgnam University Hospital from 1984 to 1986. The mean age of the patients were 31.8 years old(from 14 to 41 years old) in phylloides tumor and 28.8 years old (from 17 to 40 years old) in giant fibroadenoma, respectively. The viewpoints of this analysis were size, shape and contour of the masses, internal echo pattern, posterior enhancement, and especially the existence of peripheral cyst or septal band echo. We found that diffenentiation of these two tumors by sonography was difficult. But peripheral cyst was found only in phylloides tumor and septal band echo was found largely in giant fibroadenoma. Although the existence of peripheral cyst or septal band echo in the breast mass was not pathognomonic findings, we suggest that the existence of septal band echo is preferential finding to fibroadenoma, and peripheral cyst is preferential finding to phylloides tumor.
Breast ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Fibroadenoma* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

Core decompression is still widely used in avascular necrosis of the femoral head but the results are unpredictable and the indications are not settled yet. The reparative process of the decompressed femoral head is poorly understood. Seven cases in 5 patients were undertaken THRA following failed decompression and these were studied for the radiological and pathological changes of the core tracts. The lesions of failed cases were involved more than 1/3 of femoral head on MRI and all cases were stage II A or B. The extent of the necrotic area in MRI was enlarged with crack, sclerosis and sometimes gas collection. Depression of the subchondral plates were also observed. Capillary ingrowth or neovascularization was not found at all and there were only fibrosis, inflammatory response and foreign body reactions.
Capillaries ; Decompression* ; Depression ; Fibrosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Head* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis* ; Sclerosis