OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol versus intracervical dinoprostone (prostaglandin E2 gel) for cervical ripening and labor induction. METHODS: 60 patients with indication for labor induction and unfavorable cervices were randomly assigned to receive either intravaginal misoprostol or intracervical dinoprostone. 50 microgram tablets of misoprostol were placed in the posterior vaginal fornix every 4 hours for a maximum of 3 doses or dinoprostone 0.5mg was placed into the endocervix every 6 hours for a maximum of 2doses. No more medication was given after either spontaneous rupture of membranes or beginning of active labor. RESULTS: Among 60 patients enrolled, 30 received misoprostol and 30 received dinoprostone. The average interval from start of induction to active labor was shorter in misoprostol group (6.5+/-3.2 hours) than in the dinoprostone group (10.7+/-7.3 hours) (p<0.05). Oxytocin augmentation of labor occurred more often in the dinoprostone group (36.7%) than in the misoprostol group (10.0%) (p<0.05). There was a higher prevalence of fetal distress (23.3% versus 3.3%) and tachysystole (16.6% versus 6.6%) in the misorprostol group than in the dinoprostone group(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vaginally administered misoprostol is an effective agent for cervical ripening and induction of labor. Furthermore, the cost of misoprostol ( 360/200microgram) is much less than that of dinoprostone ( 42,000/0.5mg). Cost benefits from administration of misoprostol are evident, especially in clinics under system of diagnosis-related group (DRG) : however when given at this dosage, it is associated with a higher prevalence of fetal distress and tachysystole than dinoprostone. Further studies to compare the safety of misoprostole to that of dinoprostone and to delineate an optimal dosing regimen for misoprostol are needed.
Cervical Ripening* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Dinoprostone* ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Membranes ; Misoprostol* ; Oxytocin ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies* ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Tablets

No abstract available.
Denture, Partial, Fixed*

The multiple lentigines syndrome or LEOPARD syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder with a variety of abnormalities and a familial occurrence. This syndrome is characterized by the presence of numerous dark brown macules on the skin but not the mucous surface, and by a marked increase in the number of lentigines from birth to puberty. The eponym LEOPARD stands for lentigines, EKG abnormalities, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonary stenosis, abnormalities of the genitalia, retardation of growth and deafness. We report a case of multiple lentigines syndrome in 7-year-old boy. He had numerous pinhead to pea sized, dark brownish macules scattered on the entire body and also had pulmonary stenosis, EKG abnormality, ocular hypertelorism and right exotropia. Interestingly, he also had a labial melanotic macule on the lower lip, which is usually spared in the multiple lentigines syndrome. Histologically, the biopsy specimen taken from the macule revealed an elongation of rete ridges, an increase of melanin pigments in the basal layer and mild inflammatory infiltrates intermingled with the melanophages in the upper dermis.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Child ; Deafness ; Dermis ; Electrocardiography ; Eponyms ; Exotropia ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Lentigo ; LEOPARD Syndrome* ; Lip ; Male ; Melanins ; Panthera ; Parturition ; Peas ; Puberty ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Skin

Patient survival is one of the most important measures for the evaluation of progress in cancer patient care across the wide spectrum from diagnosis to treatment. The optimal monitoring method for cancer patient survival is to estimate survival based on representative data from cancer patients in the population, which is only achievable through using population-based cancer registration data. Relative survival is used to compare the survival experience in a study cohort that expected to result from background population mortality rates. This technique is useful when the cause of death is not accurate or not available, since it provides a measure of excess mortality in a group of patients with a certain disease. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the procedures for estimating relative survival using the statistical software Stata. For this survival analysis to show the procedure, the example data set was randomly selected from the National Cancer Incidence Database, which was used in a recent article reporting the overall relative survival of cancer patients diagnosed during 1993-2002 in Korea.
Cause of Death ; Cohort Studies ; Dataset ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Patient Care ; Survival Analysis*

PURPOSE: To report a case of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis complicated by Alcaligenes xylosoxidans. METHODS: A 37-year-old man suffered epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in both eyes. Eleven days later, he developed a corneal ulcer in his left eye. Bacterial staining, culture, and antibiotics sensitivity test were performed from a corneal scrape. RESULTS: The cultures revealed a growth of Alcaligenes xylosoxidans, and the patient was treated with ceftazidime and levofloxacin, based on the sensitivity test results. After 21 days of treatment, the infection was resolved with mild scaring and final vision in the left eye of 20/20. CONCLUSIONS: Alcaligenes xylosoxidans should be considered a rare but potential pathogen able to produce corneal ulcer complication in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis.
Male ; Keratoconjunctivitis/*complications/pathology ; Humans ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/*complications/pathology ; Corneal Ulcer/*microbiology/pathology ; Adult ; *Achromobacter denitrificans

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Scrotum* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Indirect composite resin are used as an popular effective esthetic material in prosthetic dentistry, often with metallic substructure that provides support for restorations. Recently, new indirect composite resins as a substitute of ceramic have been developed. These resins provide good esthetics, with a wide range of hue and chroma. And the flexural strength of those is in the range of 120-150MPa, which is higher than that of feldspathic ceramic, and similar tot hat of Dicor. Although it has many merits, one of the major clinical problems of composite resins is the bond failure between metal and resin due to insufficient interfacial bond strength. The purpose of this study was to evaluate shear bond strength of the reinforced indirect composite resin to dental alloys. Three different composite resin systems(Artglass . Sculpture , Targis ) as test groups and ceramic(VMK 68 ) as control group were bonded to Ni-Cr-Be alloy(Rexillium III ) and gold alloy(Dave 4). All specimens were stored at 37degrees C distilled water for 24 hours and the half of specimens were thermocycled 2000 times at temperature from 5degrees C to 60degrees C. The shear bond strengths of reinforced indirect composite resins to dental alloys were measured by using the universal testing machine, and modes of debonding were observed by stereoscope and scanning electron microscope. The results were as follows : 1. The shear bond strengths of reinforced indirect composit resins to dental alloys were approximately half those of ceramic to dental alloys(P<0.01). 2. There was no significant difference between the shear bond strength of several reinforced indirect composite resins to metal. 3. Alloy type did not affect on the shear bond strengths of resin to metal, but the shear bond strengths of ceramic to gold alloys were higher than those of ceramic to Ni-Cr alloys(P<0.05). 4. The shear bond strenghts of Artglass and Targis to gold alloys were significantly decreased after thermocycling treatment(P<0.01). 5. Sculpture showed cohesive, adhesive, and mixed failure modes, but Artglass and Targis showed adhesive or mixed failures. And ceramic showed cohesive and mixed failures.
Adhesives ; Alloys ; Ceramics ; Composite Resins* ; Dental Alloys* ; Dentistry ; Esthetics ; Gold Alloys ; Sculpture ; Water

No abstract available.
Blood Flow Velocity* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature*

No abstract available.
Angiocardiography* ; Contrast Media* ; Electrolytes* ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Plasma* ; Renin*

PURPOSE: To compare central keratometric values (K-values) measured at the pupillary center by Orbscan II (R) topography (Orbtek, Bausch & Lomb, USA) with preexisting methods for K-values in patients who have been treated with laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: A total of 36 consecutive eyes of 25 patients who were treated with LASIK for myopia have been followed up for more than 1 year. Central K-values measured by Orbscan II(R) topography, K-values measured with autorefractokeratometer, and refraction-derived K-values were compared . RESULTS: The mean central keratometric K-value measured by Orbscan II (R) topography was 39.65+/-1.94 (35.82 to 43.45) diopter (D), and was not statistically significantly different from the mean refraction derived K-value which was 39.63+/-1.95 D (35.95 to 43.41) (p>0.05), but was statistically lower than the mean K-value measured with autorefractokeratometer which was 40.23+/-1.76 D (36.56 to 43.69) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients who have been treated with LASIK for myopia, central keratometric K-value measured with Orbscan II R topography is not statistically significantly different from refraction derived K-value, but is lower than K-value measured with autorefractokeratometer.
Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ* ; Myopia