No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Genetic Markers* ; Immunity, Cellular*

BACKGROUND: The growth of elderly population increased the need for oral health care. Elderly patients with poor teeth alignment needs more attention with orthodontic treatment METHODS: Elderly patients visiting department of orthodontics, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital between 2000-2004 were treated with fixed appliances in one or both dental arches. Treatment plans were different from than that of younger patients and included uncommon and strategic removals of teeth and prosthesis. RESULTS: There was decrease in orthodontic treatment forces with increasing age, and the observation made from this study was favorable in the patients' as well as in the orthodontist's, point of view. It was possible to move the remaining teeth considerably, and the retention was made with various fixed appliances. CONCLUSIONS: Orthodontic treatment is not limited by patient age. However, it is wise not to extend treatment goals too far beyond the patients' objective needs
Aged* ; Dental Arch ; Heart ; Humans ; Oral Health ; Orthodontics ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tooth

PURPOSE: There have been numerous retrospective and uncontrolled study of laparoscopic appendectomy. Although most of these have concluded that the laparoscopic appendectomy is at least as good as open appendectomy, there has been considerable controversy as to whether laparoscopic appendectomy is superior. METHODS: We performed total 47 cases of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) during one year from January 1997 to December 1997 and these were compared with 50 cases of open appendectomy (OA) in same period to assess the clinical usefulness. RESULTS: The sex, male to female ratio and severity of appendicitis were similar in both groups. The anesthetic time was longer in the LA group (P<0.05) but operative time was similar. Gas-passing time and diet-intake time in postoperative period were earlier in LA group (P<0.05). The LA group required less analgesics in postoperative period. In LA group, no case was converted to open appendectomy and overall complication rate was lower in LA group but this was not statistically significant. Among the postoperative complication, the wound infection rate was absolutely lower in LA group (P<0.05). The diagnostic rate for acute abdomen including acute appendicitis was superior in LA group, especially in reproductive women. The hospital stay was shorter in LA group (P<0.05) and hospital charges was not different in both group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendectomy offers considerable advantages over open appendectomy because this has ability to reduce postoperative complications and shorten recovery times and is useful for detecting the cause of acute abdomen other than acute appendicitis. So we expect this technique will be alternative operation or new standard operation in selected cases for suggestive acute appendicitis.
Abdomen, Acute ; Analgesics ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Female ; Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Wound Infection

No abstract available.
Rectal Prolapse* ; Surgical Procedures, Operative*

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid*

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that ischemic preconditioning(IP, repetitive brief period of ischemia and reperfusion) enhances recovery of post-ischemic contractile dysfunction and reduces incidences of reperfusion-arrhythmia and infarct size after a prolonged ischemia. A lot of mechanisms have been proposed, however, controversies still remain. Recent studies suggested that IP could activate protein kinase C(PKC). Therefore, we measured left ventricular function, myocardial creatinin and PKC activities, and infarct size to assess whether IPs cardioprotective effect is related to PKC activation using isolated rabbit hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hearts isolated from New Zealand White rabbits(1.5-2.0kg body weight) were perfused with Tyrode solution by Langendorff technique. After stabilization of baseline hemodynamics, the hearts were subjected to 60-min ischemia followed by 120-min reperfusion with IP(IP group, n=15) or without IP(control group, n=14), IP was induced by 4 cycles of 5-min global ischemia and 5-min reperfusion. Left ventricular function including developed pressure(LVEDP), dp/dt, heart rate(HR), and coronary flow(CF) was measured to determine the recovery of LVEDP, RPP(rate-pressure product, HRXLVEDP) and CF to baseline measurement. Frequency of arrhythmia was counted on reperfusion. Myocardial CK-MB, myocardial cytosolic and membrance PKC were measured and the infarct size was determined by staining with tetrazolium salt and planimetry. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey's post-hoc test and t-test. There was no significant differences in the recovery of LVEDP, dp/dt, RPP, and CF and frequency of arrhythmia during reperfusion between the control and the IP groups. In comparison with the control groups, however, CK-MB was significantly lowered in the IP group(P < 0.05). Cytosolic PKC was significantly decreased but membrance PKC was increased(p < 0.05). These findings indicate that PKC was translocated and activated by IP. Furthermore infarct size was smaller and limited to the antero-lateral or posterior wall and papillary muscle in the IP group(p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that IP dose not improve post-ischemic contractile dysfunction after a prolonged ischemia of 60 minutes but has an infarct-limiting effect. This cardioprotective effect of IP may be related to PKC activation.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cytosol ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Incidence ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning* ; New Zealand ; Papillary Muscles ; Protein Kinase C ; Protein Kinases* ; Reperfusion ; Ventricular Function, Left*

During the last 10 years, we have experienced 169 cases of congenital melanocytic nevi of the face at Seoul National University Children's Hospital. In these patients, various modalities of treatment have been used, including excision, staged excision, skin graft, local flap, and composite graft. Dermabrasion, electrocoagulation, and laser therapy were excluded because these were not definitive treatments. We reviewed over 169 cases based on the involved on the aesthetic units of the face and the length of the defect perpendicular to wrinkle lines. We have attempted to create a stadard for the selection of the appropriate treatment modality. Cases which involved orbital unit(38 cases), cheek(30 cases), and parotid-masseteric unit(18 cases) were analysed statistically. To avoid the statistical error, units of sufficient number of cases and involving only one unit were included. In each unit, we used Receiver Operator Characteristic Method to identify the turning points of the length of the defect perpendicular RSTL which decided the treatment modality. And we used t-test to show the statistical difference between the lengths of the defect perpendicular to RTSL in each modality. The turning point were 0.9-1.0 cm between excision/staged excision, 2.0 cm between staged excision/FTSG, in orbital unit, 1.3 cm between excision/staged excision in cheek unit, 1.6-1.9 cm between excision/staged excision in parotid-masseteric unit. And it was identified by ANOVA test and t-test that the above groups were statistically different. Till now, the treatment modality of the congenital melanocytic nevus was based on the experiences of the surgeon. But now, we have presented the stadard of the treatment according to the size in each aesthetic unit. Therefore we can choose the approproate treatment modality among the severals in accordance with the standards.
Cheek ; Child* ; Dermabrasion ; Electrocoagulation ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Orbit ; Seoul ; Skin ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Erythropoietin* ; Humans* ; Renal Dialysis*

No abstract available.
Korea* ; Moyamoya Disease*