It has been generally believed that the continuous flow of blood characterised by arterial inflow and venous outflow is essential for the survival of flaps. Since Baek et al.(1985) demonstrated the survival of a flap based on only a single vein without arterial inflow, there have been a lot of reports of successful skin flaps that depend on only venous blood flow. The location of pedicle is one of the important factors on the survival of flaps, but there have not been an effective study on the survival rates of venous island flaps according to their location of pedicles. In this study, we compared the survival rates of proximally based venous island flaps with those of distally based ones and attempted to decrease the difference, if any, in the survival rates between them. Distally or proximally based 4x3 cmvenous island flap, whose pedicle was a marginal branch of central vein, was elevated from the auricular cartilage of New Zealand white rabbit. IN the half of 20 rabbits, superoxide dismutase (SOD, 20,000 U/kg) was injected intravenously 30 minutes and 60 minutes after the flap elevation. On the 7th postoperative day, survival areas of the flaps were measured by image analysis system and the vascular network with the flaps were examined by micro fil cast. 40 flaps were divided as follows: proximally based venous flaps, distally based venous flaps, SOD treated proximally based venous flaps, SOD ttreated distally based venous flaps. The results were as follow: 1. The survival rate(79.39+/-9.24%) of the proximally based venous flaps were significantly higher than those(60.79+/-14.10%) of the distally based ones (p< 0.01). 2. SOD improved survival of the flap significantly (p< 0.05), and there was no statistical difference in the survival rates between proximally based venous flaps and SOD treated distally based venous flaps (p = 0.1785). 3. Revascularization was actively developed in the proximally based venous flaps and those flaps treated with SOD, but was minimal in the distally based venous flaps. These results suggested that the vascular pedicle would rather be located proximally than distally in designing the venous island flaps and that SOD treatment may be effective for the enhancement of survival of venous island flaps, especially in distally based ones.
Ear Cartilage ; New Zealand ; Rabbits ; Skin ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides* ; Surgical Flaps ; Survival Rate ; Veins

We report a case of multiple Bowen's disease associated with leprosy. A 68-year-old man was seen because of slightly pruritic multiple erythematous scaly patches and plaques on the trunk and the both extremities for 5 years. He has been treated for leprosy with many kinds of drugs consisting of the herb medications for over 40 years. He also showed decreased cell-mediated immunity in skin tests. It is considered that depressed cellular immunity may be an important predisposing factor in the development of mutiple Bowen's disease in this case, .although arsenics can not be completetly excluded.
Aged ; Bowen's Disease ; Causality ; Extremities ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Leprosy* ; Skin Tests

A 31-year-old woman had a livedo reticularis of reticulated, bluish discoloration on both arms and legs for 18 months with a burning pain in the right hand and numbness in both lower legs. The findings of the electromyography were consistent with mononeuropathy multiplex and bilateral ulnar-median nerve anastomosis. A biopsy specimen from the right sural nerve showed perivascular lymphocytic infiltration and occasional myelin digestion chambers, which were consistent with vasculitic neuropathy. We present a patient with livedo reticularis idiopathica associated with mononeuropathy multiplex syndrome who also has bilateral ulnar-median nerve anastomosis.
Adult ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Burns ; Digestion ; Electromyography ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Leg ; Livedo Reticularis* ; Mononeuropathies* ; Myelin Sheath ; Sural Nerve

No abstract available.
Heart Diseases* ; Heart*

No abstract available.
Arm* ; Blood Component Transfusion* ; Hospitals, General*

No abstract available.
Nicotine* ; Tobacco Use Cessation Products*

No abstract available.
Nicotine* ; Tobacco Use Cessation Products*

The association rate of antibody with antigen has been reported to be greatly increased by lowering ionic strength. Low-ionic strength salt solution(LISS) method has been used for the detection of various alloantibodies. To investigate the sensitivity of LISS in indirect antiglobulin test, a comparison study of LISS with saline and albumin methods was conducted. A total of 32 patients' samples requested for indirect antiglobulin test were evaluated. Out of 32 patients with clinical immune hemolytic anemia, 11(34.3%) were positive in 37 degrees C saline antiglobulin test, 18(56.2%) in albumin antiglobulin test, 23(71.8%) in LISS antiglobulin test respectively. These results were statistically analyzed using non parametric Page's test for ordered alternatives. LISS method is more sensitive than 37 degrees C saline method or albumin method significantly (p<0.01).
Anemia, Hemolytic ; Coombs Test* ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; Osmolar Concentration

The cryopathic hemolytic anemia is an autoimmune hemolytic anemia induced by cold antibody. Authors report a case of cryopathic hemolytic anemia confirmed by immunohematologic examination. A 22-year-old man was admitted at Kyung Hee Medical Center in March, 1994, with a past history of Kleinerfelter's syndrome and complained jaundice as well as dizziness. Direct antiglobulin test using polyvalent and anti-C3d monovalent antisera was positive, but was negative against anti-IgG, anti-IgA, and anti-IgM monovalent antisera. Cold agglutinin titer was as high as 1:1024 at 4 degrees C and anti-I specificity was confirmed by using cord bloods. The patient was not improved despite transfusion of washed red cells and administration of prednisolone, and on 16th day of hospitalization he manifested sudden episode of headache and loss of conscioussness, soon followed by death.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Coombs Test ; Dizziness ; Fetal Blood ; Headache ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Jaundice ; Prednisolone ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Depression* ; Humans ; Seoul*