As an optimal quality of the restorations, there should be a least amount of seating discrepancy between the casting and abutment teeth. However, high viscosity of the cementing medium and its resulting thickness ay prevent complete seating of the restoration. The use of die spacing material provides adequate internal relief for the cementing medium. The purpose of this study is to compare the thickness of three commonly used die spacing materials. Materials and Methods : Stone plates were fabricated and divided into 12 sections to be painted with die spacers. Tru-Fit, Whip-Mix and Belle de St. Claire die spacer which are commonly used in dental practice were tested in this study. Each die spacers were painted layer by layer according to the manufacturer's recommendation. The average thickness of each die spacers were measured with light microscope(x100) and compared between them. Results and Conclusions: A silver-colored Tru-Fit die spacer has the lowest value of thickness without statistical significance comparing with a gold-colored Tru-Fit die spacer and a gray layer of Whip-Mix die spacer has the highest value of thickness without any statistical significance comparing with Belle de St. Claire die spacer. Three and four layers of Tru-Fit die spacer and two layers of Whip-Mix and Belle de St. Claire die spacers seem to be in the acceptable range of thickness of 25 to 45micrometer for optimal seating of the restorations. The standard experimental design and method should be further evaluated for more consistent and objective results.
Paint ; Research Design ; Tooth ; Viscosity

No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Evoked Potentials, Visual* ; Humans

A 13-year-old male presented a single, elevated, oval, walnut sized, soft mass on the left retroauricular ares which has increased in size since birth, Histopathologic examination revealed a cyst in the subcutaneus area. Cyst wall is lined by normal epiderrnis and cyst cavity contains hairs and keratinous materials.
Adolescent ; Dermoid Cyst* ; Hair ; Humans ; Juglans ; Male ; Parturition

No abstract available.
Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis*

Reiters syndrome is classically described as the triad of urethritis, coijuctivitis, and arthritis along with the skin manifestation. of keratodermia blenorrhagica, circinate b lanitis and oral ulcetation. Since arthritis is now recognized as the only consistent component, iricr nplete forms consisting of characteristic arthritis associeited with one or more of these features and of dysentery are common, We reported a 48-year-old male who presented with a 3 years histor of significant arthralgia and psoriasiforrn skin involvemeni. He had neither an episode of dysentery not, history of sexual exposure before the onset of symptomes. Showed a correlation with the HLAB 7 tialotype. C-reactive protein levels were significantly elevated. He was treared with corticosteroid, pcycline, methotrexate and indomethacin for about 3 months resulting favorable improvement.
Arthralgia ; Arthritis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Dysentery ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; Humans ; Indomethacin ; Male ; Methotrexate ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Urethritis

Infantile acute hemorrhagic edema of the skin(IAHE) is a benign disease which affects infants between 4 months and 2 years of age and is characterized by palpable ecchymotic purpura and edema on the limb and face. We report a typical case of IAHE, which was presenting a cockade, annular, reticulated, and iris-like purpura and edema on the face and extremities in a 19-month-old male infant. We consider it to be a new disease category because its characteristics different markedly from HenochSchoenlein purpura in several clinical and histopathologic findings.
Edema* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Purpura ; Skin*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of a technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine (Tc-99m MAG3) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) performed on transplanted kidney. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty renal transplant patients were included in this study. Planar scan was performed for 30 minutes using 555 MBq Tc-99m MAG3. A post-voiding SPECT scan was acquired on the third, seventh, fourteenth and twenty eighth day after transplantation. RESULTS: SPECT scan showed interpretable image quality in 26 of 30 patients (86.7%) and 84 in 120 scans (70%). Fourteen of 26 patients with interpretable SPECT image showed decreased or increased radioactivity, but only 5 had abnormal findings on the planar scan. Focal SPECT defects were seen in allografts with normal function (n=3), acute tubular necrosis (n=3), and acute rejection (n=2). The defects are thought to reflect focally underperfused renal parenchyme or, in normal allografts, an artifact from uneven radioactivity distribution. Four of 10 patients with renal arterial variation showed focally decreased radioactivity and SPECT helped guide further studies that confirmed the exact cause. Five of 10 patients with acute tubular necrosis or acute rejection showed focally decreased radioactivity, but its relation to the patients' clinical course was not clear. Focally increased radioactivity was observed in 5 allografts with normal function and 1 with double ureter in which local clearance delay was observed. CONCLUSION: Tc-99m MAG3 SPECT renal scan can detect additional focal abnormalities compared to planar scan. Further study is necessary to elucidate the exact clinical significance of the SPECT findings.
Allografts ; Artifacts ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Necrosis ; Radioactivity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Ureter

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in sera of HBsAg-positive patients is more useful test for the assessment of infectivity and for the evaluation of disease status than previously utilized numerous serological markers and qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of HBV DNA. We tried to measure serum HBV DNA using a branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay, which is recently introduced and known to be a simple and nonradioisotopic method. METHODS: Total forty patients with HBsAg were randomly selected and serum HBV DNA was measured with duplication using bDNA signal amplification assay (QUANTIPLEXTM HBV DNA ASSAY, Chiron, USA). Quantitation was determined from a standard curve and expressed as HBV DNA equivalents/mL (Eq/mL; 1 Eq = 1 molecule of the primary HBV DNA standard). Serum HBeAg, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were compared with HBV DNA. RESULTS: Serum HBV DNA was quantitated in 13 patients (32.5%) (range 6.4x106-7.4x109 Eq/mL, mean 1.8x109 Eq/mL, CV 8.1%). All eleven patients (100%) with both HBsAg and HBeAg an4 2 of 29 patients (6.9%) with HBsAg but not with HBeAg showed measurable HBV DNA (p < 0.001). In addition, serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R were significantly higher in HBV DNA measured patients compared with those of unmeasured patients. CONCLUSIONS: Above results show that more than half the HBsAg-positive patients do not have enough HBV DNA which is measurable with boNA signal amplification assay but all of HBeAg-positive patients and some of HBeAg-negative patients do. In addition, HBV DNA quantitation might be correlated with the disease activity in HBsAg-positive patients because serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R are higher in patients measured with HBV DNA than unmeasured.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay* ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Recently, it is substituted automatic sphygmomanometer for mercury sphygmomanometer. But it seems to be insufficient for data of its accuracy. A sample accurate automatic sphygmomanometer could have an important role in the management of hypertension. The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of the automatic sphygmomanometer that is used common practice and at home. METHODS: We collected 247 patients who visited the department of Famiiy Practice of Taegu medical center from April to August 1996. BP was measured sequentially same arm by standard device(mercury. sphygmomanometer), test device A(A&D TM-2650), test device B(seine SE-2000). We assessed the automatic sphygmomanometer according to the standards set out by the British Hypertension Society(BHS) protocol and the American Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation(AAMI). These data were analysed using pearson' correlation and paired t-test. RESULTS: Test device A was highly correlated to mercury sphygmomanometer in systolic and diastolic BP(r=0.90, r=0.88). Also test device B was highly correlated to that(r=0.90, r=0.87). The mean difference between BP value obtained by the standard device and those obtained by the test device A were 0.59+/-7.66mmHg systole(mean+/-SD) and 3.83+/-6.43mmHg diast.ole, whereas the difference between the former and those obtained by the test device B were 1.70+/-7.99mmHg systole.and 5.58+/-6.38mmHg diastole. Comparing to standard device, there were a signifioant difference except systolic BP of test device A(P<0.05). According to the criteria of the AAMI, the diastolic BP of test device B was not enough and according to the criteria of the BHS, the diastolic BP of both test device were not enough. CONCLUSIONS: Both test device were highly correlated to mercury sphygmomanometer. But according to the criteria of the BHS and AAMI, there were not enough. Because the use of automatic sphygmomanometer was popularized, I think that further study will be required to assess of accuracy.
Arm ; Blood Pressure* ; Daegu ; Diastole ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Sphygmomanometers*

Epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica is rare, chronic non-inflammtory mechanobullous disease of hereditary trait, which easily produces bullae by minor trauma or sponta neosly. A 1-day old male neonate presented wide spread vesicobullous minor, eruptions since birth. On examination, tense bullse were noted on the dorsa of the feet and right knei: area Which is usually serous but may be hemarrhagic tendeney. This was healed by the dropping of oxoline and wet betadine auze application along with the administration of vitamin E and phenytoin. We present a case of epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica that seems be a dominant type considering the presence of family history with histopathologic and electron microscopic findings.
Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica* ; Epidermolysis Bullosa* ; Foot ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Parturition ; Phenytoin ; Povidone-Iodine ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins