PURPOSE: To evaluate therapeutic effect of biofeedback therapy according to methods of diagnosis in patients with norelaxing puborectalis syndrome. METHODS: From September, 1, 1998 to February, 30, 1999, the patients who were diagnosed with norelaxing puborectalis syndrome on anal electromyography (EMG) and/or cinedefecography (CD) underwent biofeedback therapy. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the diagnostic method; CD group - only diagnosed on cinedefecography, EMG group - only diagnosed on anal electromyography, CD EMG group - diagnosed on both tests. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were diagnosed nonrelaxing puborectalis syndrome on CD and/or EMG. There were 14 females and 5 males with a mean age of 40.8+/-18.4 years. The patients were classified into CD group; five patients (26.3%); EMG group, eight patients (42.1%); CD EMG group, six patients (31.6%). The patients had 5.4 3.7 sessions of outpatient EMG-based biofeedback sessions. Subjective symptoms after biofeedback therapy improved in 4 (80.0%), 6 (75%), 5 (83%) patients in CD, EMG, CD EMG groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant increase in spontaneous bowel movements, and a reduction in assisted bowel movements after biofeedback therapy in patients in all three groups (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found among the three groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that biofeedback therapy had a high therapeutic effect regardless to the diagnostic method. Therefore, biofeedbck therapy can be performed if one test results in the diagnosis of norelaxing puborectalis syndrome in patients with constipation.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Constipation ; Diagnosis* ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Outpatients

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome after Ahmed valve implantation in patients with neovascular glaucoma when using intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) and postoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). METHODS: A total of 40 eyes of 40 patients with neovascular glaucoma who received antiglacomatous medication without previous glaucoma surgery were included in the present study. The patients received Ahmed valve implantation and intraoperative MMC and postoperative 5-FU. Failure was defined as the first occurrence of any of the following: 1) the first of three consecutive visits where intraocular pressure (IOP) was >18 mmHg or 20% IOP reduction from baseline and the final number of topical medication did not reduce by at least two from baseline, 2) the need for additional surgery, or 3) the occurrence of a serious complication. RESULTS: The cumulative success rate was 77.5% at 12 months. The final number of topical medication after Ahmed valve implantation was 0.73+/-0.78, and the change in the number of medication from baseline was -2.18+/-0.84. Serious complications such as endophthalmitis, valve exposure or prolonged hypotony were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The adjunctive use of intraoperative MMC and postoperative 5-FU with Ahmed valve implantation results in a high success rate and good IOP control and did not show serious complications within the postoperative period.
Endophthalmitis ; Eye ; Fluorouracil ; Glaucoma ; Glaucoma, Neovascular ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Mitomycin ; Postoperative Period

No abstract available.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy*

Lumbar puncture is a simple bedside procedure that is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of several neurologic diseases. Known complications include headache, backache, infection, and hemorrhage, with the most common being postpuncture headache. We report a case of postpuncture spinal subdural hematoma-which is extremely rare-in a 29-year-old female. Although most cases of postpuncture spinal hematomas are associated with coagulation abnormalities, this case shows that it can occur in the absence of predisposing factors.
Back Pain ; Female ; Headache ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Spinal ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Spinal Puncture

PURPOSE: To report the evaluation and comparison of true corneal power after corneal refractive surgery through ARK, Orbscan II(R), Pentacam and IOL master. METHODS: Target IOL (Intraocular lens) power calculated with the SRK/T formula using SMK (Sungmo Eye Hospital keratometry), which is a new method for measuring corneal refractive power, was compared with the back-calculated ideal IOL power after cataract surgery for 30 eyes that required cataract surgery and had previously undergone refractive surgery. Target IOL powers calculated using 4 systems were compared with IOL power calculated using the clinical history method for 64 eyes that had undergone refractive surgery. RESULTS: Using SMK with the SRK/T formula, the actual refraction was within +/-0.5 diopter (D) of the intended refraction for 63.8% of eyes and within +/-1.0 D for 90.9% of eyes. Compared with target IOL power calculated with the clinical history method, target IOL power calculated by SMK with the SRK/T formula had a difference of 1.95 +/- 0.86 D, which was similar to the results calculated by the Haigis-L formula and by TNP with Haigis. CONCLUSIONS: The method of IOL calculation using SMK with the SRK/T formula showed the best predictability in patients after corneal refractive surgery. Comparatively accurate results were produced in IOL power calculations using the Haigis-L formula, and the TNP with Haigis method.
Cataract* ; Humans ; Refractive Surgical Procedures

BACKGROUND: A prospective study about the association between serum ferritin concentration and diabetes mellitus showed that higher risk of diabetes was found in men in higher concentration of serum ferritin. The aims of this study is to examine the association between serum ferritin concentration and the risk of diabetes mellitus in healthy Korean in hospital-based samples. METHODS: In a volunterred healthy population(n=14,782), who underwent health examination in Samsung Medical Center, from January to December 1997, serum ferritin and glucose were determined. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, BMI, serum triglyceride concentration, and multiple logistic regression analysis showed that those in the highest quartile had increased risk of diabetes mellitus (OR: men 2.26(95% CI 2.41-2.95, p=0.0001), women 3.03(95% CI 2.51-3.67, p=0.0001), compared with those in the lowest quartile. CONCLUSION: In studied population, elevated serum ferrtin concentration was associated with an increaed risk of diabetes.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Ferritins ; Glucose ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: The present it is getting to be on aged society there is increasing that hospital has higher rate for place of death than home. Because we can expect that many patients who are faced with death come to hospital or hospice in the future, we have studied preferred place of death with an old women in seoul to have essential material of plan to understand asking for medical service of death, to divide medical manpowers and equipments and to supplement and to revise of medical educations. METHODS: Through the internet, 71 schools for the elderly. Of 277 an old woman who attending the schools out of 7 schools. We research into preferred place of death by self answering way through the June to July in 2000. RESULTS: The average age was 72.4 years. Of 277 respondents, 87 respondents(32.46%) reply their homes as a place of death and 166(61.94%) reply hospital, 15(5.6%) reply hospice, missing is 9. Statistical significance has connections with only level of education. The highest reason(47.5%) why respondents choose the hospital or hospice is only to reduce their children's burdens. Unlike respondents that education attending period is below 6 year, the relative risk of choosing the hospital or hospice between respondents who are 6 9year and above 9 year is each of 3.66, 5.58. CONCLUSION: This research shows that an elderly women in seoul prefer hospitals or hospice to homes as their place of death.
Aged* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Female ; Hospices ; Humans ; Internet ; Seoul*

Pure primary hepatic rhabdomyosarcoma in adult is very uncommon. There have been only five previous case of primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the adult liver. A case of hepatic ihabdomyosarcoma was diagnosed in a 52 year-old female. She was admitted to the hospital due to the epigastric pain and weight loss. A CT scan of the abdomen showed a large hypodense mass with focal calcification occupies most of the both lobes of the liver. The liver biopsy showed massive liver tumor composed entirely of oval shaped cells showing light microscopic and immunohistochemical evidence of rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. We report a case of hepatic rhabdomyosarcoma with review of literature.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Female ; Humans ; Liver* ; Rhabdomyosarcoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Weight Loss

A bent lighted stylet has demonstrated effectiveness for intubating patients with difficult airways. We report a case of successful intubation using a lighted stylet that was bent to configure the upper airway passage in a patient with ankylosis of the temporo-mandibualr joint and a small inter-incisor gap with diffuse submandibular abscesses. We suppose that lighted stylets with different bends can be used in difficult airway cases. The usefulness of a bent lighted stylet to fit the upper airway passage needs further evaluation for additional clinical application.
Abscess* ; Ankylosis* ; Decompression Sickness ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Joints ; Temporomandibular Joint*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the change of visual quality after wearing orthokeratology lenses overnight. METHODS: This study included 13 patients (24 eyes) who wore orthokeratology lenses for the first time. Visual quality was assessed with the optical quality analysis system (OQAS) using the double-pass technique. The value of modulation transfer function (MTF) cutoff, Strehl ratio, and objective scatter index (OSI) were measured at baseline and 4 weeks after wearing the lenses. RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent decreased from -2.70 +/- 1.03 diopters (D) to 0.03 +/- 0.36 D after 4 weeks of wearing orthokeratology lenses and uncorrected visual acuity improved from log MAR 0.88 +/- 0.17 to log MAR 0.03 +/- 0.04. The MTF cutoff decreased from 38.20 +/- 11.01 to 34.79 +/- 10.30 and the Strehl ratio decreased from 0.24 +/- 0.07 to 0.21 +/- 0.07 but without statistical significance. The OSI significantly increased from 0.38 +/- 0.19 to 0.72 +/- 0.40 after wearing orthokeratology lenses. CONCLUSIONS: Orthokeratology lenses were effective for correction of myopia and astigmatism. The OSI increased after wearing the lenses, but MFT cutoff and Strehl ratios were not affected.
Astigmatism ; Humans ; Myopia ; Visual Acuity