No abstract available.
Allografts* ; Cartilage*

Elephantiasis nostras, the result of recurrent skin infection or chronic lymphedema is characterized by marked skin fibrosis and massive enlargement of a body part. We present a case of elephantiasis nostras due to chronic recurrent erysipelas which affected the lower extremities in a 62-year-old man. The patient had had persisting non-pitting edema, and tender multiple verrucous brownish plaques and nodules on both lower legs for 1 year. On histological examination, there was hyperkeratosis and papilomatosis in the epidermis, fibroplasia, dilated thick walled venules and collagen fibers oriented vertical to the skin surface, and hyperplasia of eccrine ducts in the dermis.
Collagen ; Dermis ; Edema ; Elephantiasis* ; Epidermis ; Erysipelas ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Lymphedema ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Venules

PURPOSE: Recently, two tests are commercially available for the identification of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI): tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). Due to its false positiveness, TST tends to be preferred by IGRA until now. In our study, we simultaneously performed both TST and QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and compared their results. METHODS: TST and QFT-GIT were done for the diagnosis of LTBI among children who visited pediatric out-patient clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea from February of 2007 to May of 2008. The study group was stratified into two groups in terms of whether there was intrafamilial contact or not. RESULTS: Out of total 35 children, 29 were tuberculosis (TB)-exposed cases and the remainders were diagnosed as clinical pulmonary TB. Among these 29 children, TST was positive 38.9% (7/18) for the intrafamilial and 45.5% (5/11) for the non-intrafamilial, and at the same time, the result for QFT-GIT was positive 5.6% (1/18) and 9.1% (1/11), respectively which implies that TST was more sensitive than QFT-GIT. Among 29 TB-exposed cases, 26 initially went through TST and QFT-GIT together on their first visit to out-patient clinic, and 15 continued the follow-up tests. Out of total 41 cases collected, the agreement (known as kappa value) was 0.063 which was relatively low. Including 6 cases with pulmonary TB who were all positive for TST and only 5 being positive for QFT-GIT, the final kappa value was 0.334. CONCLUSION: In our study, the agreement for TST and QFT-GIT was low, and the majorities were almost the cases of positive TST. In current situation with lacking a gold standard test and limited data on children to adolescents, this result is quite alarming that the recent trend tends to replace TST by QFT-GIT when diagnosing LTBI.
Adolescent ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; Korea ; Latent Tuberculosis ; Outpatients ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcome and complications of tension free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure for the surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 1999 and May 2000, 41 women with stress urinary incontinence underwent TVT procedure. Preoperative evaluation included questionnaires study, physical examination, one hour pad test and urodynamic study. Postoperative clinical outcome, patient's satisfaction and complications were checked after 3-months. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 51.6 years (range 40-76) and mean hospital stay 2.1 days (range 1-10). The mean follow-up period was 9.9 months (range 3-15). Thirty six patients (87.8%) were cured, 2 patients (4.9%) were improved. Two of 3 patients with failed operation who developed postoperative urge incontinence had grade III cystocele. Five bladder perforations and 1 obturator nerve injury occurred. The abdominal leak point pressure (LPP) increased from 50.6cmH20 to 110.8cmH2O, detrusor pressure of maximal flow rate (Pdet.Qmax) increased from 15.8cmH2O to 28.6cmH2O and maximal flow rate (Qmax) decreased from 32.8ml/s to 22.5ml/s after operation. CONCLUSIONS: The TVT procedure is an effective and feasible surgical treatment for female stress urinary incontinence. However, in patients with grade III cystocele, postoperative urge incontinence may develop after the procedure. Since TVT procedure involves securing the mid-urethra, urinary obstruction may also occur, necessitating the need for continued follow-up as well as a careful comparison with other sling procedure.
Cystocele ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Obturator Nerve ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Suburethral Slings* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urodynamics

No abstract available.
Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop a baptist electronic Nutritional Screening Program (B-eNSP) that could be easily used to identify patients with nutrition at risk or malnutrition on their admission to hospital using an integrated medical information system and to evaluate validity, reliability and efficiency of B-eNSP. METHODS: From June 1 2009 to June 21 2009, we enrolled 496 patients for prospective research. We analyzed age, sex, weight, height, weight loss in the last 3 months, serum albumin, alteration of dietary intake, gastrointestinal symptom, functional capacity, diagnosis and its relationship to nutritional requirements, physical examination and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). B-eNSP included body mass index (BMI), weight loss in the last 3 months, serum albumin. Each component was scored. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to evaluate the validity of the B-eNSP. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn by using B-eNSP to choose a cut-off value that maximizes sensitivity and specificity and Yoden Index. Comparison with SGA and the reliability of the B-eNSP was done using kappa statistics. RESULTS: The maximum Yoden Index was 0.866 and the cut-off value of the ROC curve was 2. A B-eNSP score higher than 2 was defined as nutrition at risk or malnutrition. Reliability of the B-eNSP was in accordance with SGA by kappa 0.845. CONCLUSION: The B-eNSP can be used efficiently to identify patients with nutrition at risk or malnutrition by simply using an integrated medical information system.
Body Mass Index ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Malnutrition ; Mass Screening ; Nutritional Requirements ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Protestantism ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serum Albumin ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Depression* ; Humans ; Seoul*

Although the incidence of tuberculous arthritis of the hip is being decreased with improvement of hygiene, preventive measures and chemotherapy, it remains as important disease in orthopedic surgery. In the tuberculous arthritis of the hip, eradication of the disease with improvement of joint function is ideal treatment. But classical treatment of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy, synovectomy, and especially hip fusion which was done in most cases in adults, have their own limitation in functional results. Recently the methods of total hip replacement arthroplasty done in tuberculous arthritis with treatment of infection by antituberculous chemotherapy reported good results. During the period from January 1970 to December 1984, total hip replacement arthroplasty were done in 55 patients of tuberculous arthritis of the hip in Seoul National University Hospital. The average follow-up period was 3 years and 1 months. And, the following results were obtained. l. of the 55 cases, 50 cases(90.9%) were resulted in success without reactivation of tuberculosis, and 5 cases(9.1%) were resulted in failure. In those cases, the follow-up period were more than 1 year. 2 . The average period of immediate preoperative anti-tuberculous chemotherapy was higher in the success cases with 10.0 weeks than in the failure cases with 4.5 weeks. 3 . The average preoperative ESR was lower in the success case with 12.4mm/ hr than in the failure cases with 28mm/hr. 4 . Failure cases were restricted to active cold abscess in operative finding. 5. The positive bacteriology was fewer in the success cases with 4% than in the failure cases with 60%. 6. Follow-up functional results of the success cases were superior to any other methods of treatment. It is our conclusion that preoperative anti-tuberculous chemotherapy is important to reduce inflammatous reaction, and although granulation or caseation necrosis is found in operation field, total hip replacement can be successful if there is no active cold abscess.
Abscess ; Adult ; Arthritis ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Bacteriology ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Incidence ; Joints ; Necrosis ; Orthopedics ; Seoul ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine the reference values for the diagnosis of isolated entrapment neuropathies of medial and lateral plantar nerve and inferior calcaneal nerve distal to the tarsal tunnel. METHOD: The subjects were neurologically healthy 30 adults (15 males, 15 females). Distal motor nerve conduction study of medial and lateral plantar nerves and inferior calcaneal nerve was performed. The recording muscles for medial and lateral plantar nerves and inferior calcaneal nerve were flexor hallucis brevis, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and abductor digiti minimi pedis, respectively. The stimulation was done at distal and proximal to the tarsal tunnel to differentiate the tarsal tunnel syndrome and the entrapment neuropathy of distal to the tarsal tunnel. The distance of recording and distal stimulation site was fixed to 10 cm for medial and lateral plantar nerves. The skin temperature was maintained 33degrees C or above. The proximal latency, distal latency, peak to peak amplitude, conduction velocity and residual latency were measured. The reference values were obtained by 95 percentile values. RESULTS: The reference values for the diagnosis of isolated entrapment neuropathies of medial plantar nerve, lateral plantar nerve and inferior calcaneal nerve distal to tarsal tunnel are as follows. 1) Medial plantar nerve: distal latency, > 4.3 msec; side to side difference, > 0.7 msec 2) Lateral plantar nerve: distal latency, > 4.1 msec; side to side difference, > 0.6 msec 3) Latency difference of medial and lateral plantar nerve: > 0.7 msec 4) Inferior calcaneal nerve: distal latency, > 4.3 msec; distal peak latency, > 7.2 msec; side to side difference of distal onset latency, > 1.5 msec; side to side difference of distal peak latency, > 0.8 msec; residual latency, > 3.0 msec CONCLUSION: The distal motor nerve conduction method used in this study and the reference values could be used to differentiate entrapment neuropathies of medial and lateral plantar nerve and inferior calcaneal nerve distal to the tarsal tunnel from tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; Neural Conduction* ; Reference Values ; Skin Temperature ; Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome ; Tibial Nerve*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate new signal transduction cascade through integrin, FAK and ERK in the suppressed cell proliferation by GnRH-I and -II. METHOD: Human endometrial cancer cells (HEC1A) were cultured under the following condition: DMEM/F12 (10% FBS). GnRH-I and -II were treated time (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 min; 100 nM) and dose (10 nM or 100 nM; 20 min) dependent manner according to experimental purposes. Cell proliferation was measured using [3H] thymidine incorporation assay. Immunoblotting was utilized to detect proteins. RESULTS: GnRH-I and -II inhibited proliferation of HEC1A cells and induced expression of integrin beta3. Phosphorylation of FAK and ERK were induced by GnRH-I and -II. CONCLUSION: GnRH inhibited cell proliferation via the expression of integrin and FAK, ERK phosphorylation.
Cell Proliferation* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Integrin beta3 ; Phosphorylation ; Signal Transduction ; Thymidine