No abstract available.
Fruit* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Pregnancy*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of alendronate for prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis this study was taken. METHODS: This prospective randomized clinical trial examined the effects of oral alendronate and HRT(conjugated estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate), in combination and seperately, on BMD, biochemical markers of bone turnover in 79 women with low bone mass. Treatment included alendronate(10mg daily) plus HRT(group I, n=38), or HRT(group II, n=41) for 6 months. Bone density measurements were performed at months 0 and 6 at the lumbar spine. Biochemical markers of bone turnover were also measured every three months. RESULTS: Serum Osteocalcin decreased by 19.2% in group I and by 10.0% in group II at 3 months(p<0.05), and by 30.9% in group I and by 19.8% in group II at 6 months(p<0.05). Urinary deoxypyridinoline showed decrease of 19.75%(I) vs. 10.4%(II) at 3 months, 30.1%(I) vs. 20.7%(II) at 6 months, the difference was significant. Percent change of BMD measurements from baseline at 6 months in group I was 6.2% and in group II 0.6% on the lumbar spine(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The treatment with alendronate is useful to postmenopausal women with osteoporosis by decreasing bone turnover markers, and by increasing the BMD.
Alendronate* ; Biomarkers ; Bone Density ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Medroxyprogesterone ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis* ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Prospective Studies ; Spine

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: This study conducted a comparative analysis on 49 hips treated with a core decompression procedure and 19 hips treated with a Sugioka's transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy for a osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study evaluated the relationship between the Ficat and Arlet Stage and the extent of the necrotic lesion (using Shimizu's Grade Classification), and the clinical outcome of each procedure. The patient's outcomes were assessed after a mean follow-up of 46 months (range=36-82 months) after the core decompression and 53 months (range=37-108 months) after the Sugioka's transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy. The results were considered successful if the patients were asymptomatic with no disease progression, and unsuccessful if there was radiographic (progression of the stage or collapse) or clinical failure (the need for an arthroplasty or subsequent salvage operation). RESULTS: Twenty one out of 49 cases (43%) in the core decompression group and 14 out of 19 (74%) in the rotational osteotomy group showed successful outcomes. In the core decompression group, among the 22 F-A Stage I hips, 15 (68%) hips had survived according to radiological criteria. All four (100%) Shimizu's Grade A hips of the F-A Stage I had successful results, which is in contrast to the 11 hips out of 18 hips (61%) of the Shimizu's Grade B and C hips (p<0.01). Six (38%) out of 16 F-A Stage IIA hips and two (25%) out of eight IIB hips in the core decompression group had successful results, while 11 (85%) out of 13 IIA and two (50%) out of four stage IIB hips in the rotational osteotomy group had successful results. In the F-A Stage III hips, all 2 hips in the Sugioka transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy treatment group had survived, while none of the three Shimizu's Grade C hips in the core decompression group were successful. CONCLUSION: A core decompression is effective only in the earliest stages of osteonecrosis (F-A Stage I), which means that its success strongly depends on the location and extent of the femoral head necrosis. Sugioka's transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy is a more dependable procedure than a core decompression for treating large lesions of nonsteroidal ONFH, particularly for patients under the age of 50.
Arthroplasty ; Decompression* ; Disease Progression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hip ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis* ; Osteotomy*

PURPOSE: To determine whether magnified digital mammography using a computed radiography system can produce better spatial resolution by reducing the focus-object distance, and to define the optimal magnification factor when a large x-ray tube focal spot is used for digital mammography using a CR system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Digital images obtained using computed radiography of a breast phantom were obtained using various magnification factors. Up to twelve acrylic blocks each measuring one centimeter in height were used to increase the distance between the breast phantom and the base plate (screen holder), in order to create the magnification images. The large (0.3 mm) focal spot of the x-ray tube was used for the entire series of images. Three radiologists participated in the evaluation of the images, in order to determine which had the best resolution. The resolving ability of the line pair structures and image clarity of the detectable artificial microcalcifications (specs) were the two factors used to determine the resolution of the images. The images were not compressed aFnd the viewing conditions, including the magnification factors, brightness and contrast, were fixed. The images were displayed on four high resolution PACS dedicated monitors (5 mega pixel LCD, BARCO Belgium). RESULTS: A focus-object distance of 590 mm and a source-to-image receptor distance of 650 mm (set by the manufacturer) resulted in the best resolution, when combined with a magnification factor of 1.1. All three radiologists agreed on this result. Two of the radiologists believed that at least two more line pairs were better separated on the magnified image having the best resolution than on the unmagnified image, while one radiologist believed that three more line pairs were better separated on this magnified image. Using images with still larger magnification factors did not improve the resolution due to edge blurring. It was easier to determine the resolving power by means of the line-pair structures than by assessing the clarity of the artificial microcalcifications (specs). A 10% decrease in focal spot-object distance resulted in a 21% increase in radiation to the breasts. CONCLUSION: Magnified digital breast images taken with a computed radiography system using a large focal spot produced better quality images, because of their utilizing more pixels per volume of the breast phantom with a minimal increase in radiation dosage.
Breast ; Mammography* ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Radiography*

A digital mucous cyst (DMC) is clinically characterized by a round to oval, translucent, smooth nodule localized to the dorsal aspect of the distal digits near the distal interphalangeal joint. It usually presents as a solitary lesion, and multiple lesions are uncommon. An 88-year-old man presented with herpetiform translucent papules on the right thumb. We first diagnosed the lesion as molluscum contagiosum or herpetic whitlow. Histopathology showed a cystic space containing mucinous material and numerous fibroblasts surrounded by mucinous stroma in the upper dermis. The lining of the cyst wall was not apparent and mucinous material was stained with Alcian blue, indicating a diagnosis of DMC.
Aged, 80 and over ; Alcian Blue ; Chlorobenzenes ; Dermis ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Joints ; Molluscum Contagiosum ; Mucins ; Thumb

PURPOSE: We report here on our experience with interrupted whole layer closure of abdominal wounds with using 1-0 polyester (Green Polyester(R), Ailee, Busan, Korea) during emergency operations for peritonitis patients. METHODS: We studied 163 patients who had emergency laparotomy performed at Soonchunhyang University Hospital, the Department of Surgery from March, 2005 to February, 2008. The abdominal wall was closed by layered suture in 126 patients (the LL group), and by interrupted whole layer suture in 37 patients (the WL group). Based on the medical records, we retrospectively analyzed and compared the clinical factors and wound-related complication between the two groups. RESULTS: Although there were no differences in age, gender, the course of admission and the chief complaint between the two groups, the WL group had a significantly greater number of patients with a deteriorated mental state, a history of shock and abnormality that was seen on chest X-ray. The average operation time was 116 minutes for the WL group and 158 minutes for the LL group, and the most common cause of peritonitis was bowel perforation in both groups (WL group: 43%, LL group: 60%) and this was followed by bowel obstruction (WL group: 19%, LL group: 18%). There were no differences in the total incidence of complications and the mortality between the two groups, but the incidence of wound-related complication was higher in the LL group (WL group: 5%, LL group: 31%). The average follow-up period was 308 days in the WL group and 222 days in the LL group. There were 2 cases of delayed wound hernia in the WL group and 6 cases in the LL group. CONCLUSION: Interrupted whole layer closure during performance of emergency laparotomy for peritonitis patient is very effective for preventing postoperative wound-related complication and it is as effective as layered suture for preventing delayed ventral hernia in the long-term.
Abdominal Wall ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hernia ; Hernia, Ventral ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparotomy ; Medical Records ; Peritonitis ; Polyesters ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock ; Suture Techniques ; Sutures ; Thorax ; Wound Infection

No abstract available.
Pneumonectomy*