The determination of motor nerve conduction velocity is an important part to electrodiagnosis. Its value as neurophysiologic investigative procedure has been known for many years, and recently it has been utilized as a chinical diagnostic technic. Its most valuable role is differentiating between those conditions which affect the axon primarily and those which affect the anterior horn cell. Many factors such as temperature in the vicinity of the nerve, diameter of the axon, degree of myelinization, age of the patient, local environment of the nerve and intensity of electrical stimulation have been demonstrated to affect the rate of propagation of impulses along motor fibers. Pathologic conditions affecting the axon usually alter the excitability along involved segments and, therefore, result in reduced conduction velocity. The purpose of this study was to determine the normal data of the motor nerve conduction velocities of median, ulnar, tibial and peroneal nerves in Korean. 1. The motor nerve conduction velocities of median, ulnar, peroneal and tibial nerves were 61.54±6.95 (46.7–94.2) m/sec, 61.74±7.28 (45.6–95.0)m/sec, 48.80±5.54 (38.8–69.9) m/sec, 47.39±4.85 (36.2–64.2 m/sec respectively. 2. The condition velocity in the upper extremities has been found 13.5 m/sec faster than in the lower extremities. 3. A significant decline in motor nerve conduction velocities was noted in the over 60 year old age group. 4. There were significant differences between the sexes.
Anterior Horn Cells ; Axons ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrodiagnosis ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Myelin Sheath ; Neural Conduction ; Peroneal Nerve ; Tibial Nerve ; Upper Extremity

This study aimed to investigate the existence of GABA receptor and the mechanisms of action of GABA and diazepam of the trachealis muscle isolated from dog. Horizontal muscle strips of 2mm×15mm were prepared from canine trachea, and isometric myography in isolated muscle chamber bubbled with 95/5%-O₂/CO₂ at 36℃, at the pH of 7.4 was performed. Muscle strips contracted responding to the electrical field stimulation (ESP) by 2~20 Hz, 20 msec, monophasic square wave of 60 VDC. GABA and diazepam suppressed the EFS-induced contractions to the similar extent, significantly. (p<0.05). Bicuculline, a GABA(A) receptor antagonist blocked both GABA- and diazepam-inhibitions; but DAVA, a GABA(B) receptor antagoinst did not affect either of them. These results suggest than in the canine trachealis muscle, there may be only GABA(A) receptor, and GABA and diazepam inhibit the contractility via GABA(A) receptor.
Animals ; Bicuculline ; Diazepam ; Dogs ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Myography ; Receptors, GABA ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Trachea

BACKGROUND: Recentry, the prevalence of HBsAg in children has been gradually decreased in Korea may be due to extensive vaccination. The object of this study is to identify the HbsAg positive rate in 6 to 7 year-old school children in Seoul and to outline the surveilance status of the HBsAg positive subjects. METHODS: We analyzed HBV mass screening results of 120,106 6 to 7-year-old school children in Seoul. For 188 HBsAg positive children who complied with the follow up visit, we tested HBeAg, LFT and interviewed their parents. We also compared the questionnaire results of HbsAg positive group with those of 694 random-sampled HBsAg negative controls. RESULTS: The overall HBsAg positive rate was 0.79%(0.81% in boys and 0.76% in girls). Children in poverty area showed significantly higher rate(1.04%) of HBsAg positivity than those in non-poverty area(0.77%). Among HbsAg positive children, 86.7% was also HBeAg positive and had higher ALT levels than those with negative HBeAg. More than 70% of parents of HBsAg positive children was not aware of their children's HBsAg status before the screening and 28.7% of mothers did not know their own HbsAg status. The complete vaccination rate of the HBsAg positive and HBsAg negative group were 75.5% and 77.4% respectively, which shows no significant difference. Having family history of HBV infection was significantly associated with HBsAg positive status(OR=32. 8). CONCLUSIONS: The HBsAg positive rate in 6- to 7-year-old school children has decreased in Korea compared to the data from previous studies. However in the aspects of public awareness and health care compliance, there are much room for quality improvement. Above all, more rigorous and continuous surveilance system is required for antenatal and postpartum care.
Child* ; Compliance ; Delivery of Health Care ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Mothers ; Parents ; Pilot Projects* ; Postnatal Care ; Poverty Areas ; Prevalence ; Quality Improvement ; Seoul* ; Vaccination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Authors report the first autopsy case of acquired immune deficiency syndrome in Korea. The patient was a 26 years old Korean male who died of respiratory failure due to mixed pulmonary infections. He had history of homosexual contacts with partners of both domestic and foreign nationalities. Initial presentation was unexplained fever for two months. Serological test and western blot test for anti-HIV were positive and T-cell subset analysis revealed T3/T4/T8 to be 73/8/67%. Pulmonary tuberculosis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and esophagonadal fistula and oral candidiasis were presented. Respiratory infection progressed gradually and he died seven months after the initial symptom. Autopsy findings were generalized severe lymphoid cell depletion, especially of T-cell population and mixed pulmonary infections with Pneumocystis carinii and cytomegalovirus (CMV). The CMV infection involved lungs and adrenals. Oral candidiasis was also demonstrated.
AIDS-Related Complex/complications/diagnosis/pathology ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Adult ; Autopsy ; Candidiasis/complications/diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/complications/diagnosis/pathology ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/complications/diagnosis/pathology

PURPOSE: A transurethral incision of the ureterocele offers several advantages. This study investigated the clinical efficacy of a transurethral incision in a ureterocele. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty two children, 5 boys and 17 girls, received a transurethral incision as the primary treatment for their ureteroceles. Of the children, 12 had intravesical and 10 had ectopic ureteroceles. The initial presentations were abnormal findings in prenatal ultrasonography in 9 cases, fever in 7, UTI in 2, and others in 4. The median patient's age at the transurethral incision of the ureterocele was 3.3 months (range 0.2month to 4.1years). A cold knife or a 3-french Bugbee electrode was used. Their clinical courses were evaluated with a radiological and laboratory examinations. RESULTS: The transurethral incision resulted in the decompression of the ureterocele in 19 (86%), reflux to the upper moiety in 15 (68%), UTI in 2 (9%) and incontinence in 1 (4.5%). Eighteen patients (82%), 8 patients with an intravesical ureterocele and all 10 patients with an ectopic ureterocele, required secondary operations. A transurethral incision proved to be a definitive treatment for 4 (33.3%) patients with an intravesical ureterocele. Secondary operations were performed at 7.3 7.1months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: An endoscopic incision may be advocated as a definitive treatment modality for some patients with an intravesical ureterocele. Furthermore, by safely delaying reconstructive surgery, the majority of children can benefit from an endoscopic incision of the ureterocele.
Child ; Decompression ; Electrodes ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Ureterocele*

BACKGROUND: Paradoxical embolism through the patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a well-recognized mechanism for otherwise unexplained ischemic stroke. Although transthoracic contrast echocardiography (TCE) has been used frequently for noninvasive diagnosis of right to left shunt through PFO, its diagnostic accuracy appears limited, especially in patients with poor acoustic window. Since harmonic imaging (HI) can enhance the definition of contrast microbubbles, theoretical advantages of HI in the detection of right to left shunt through PFO using microbubbles can be considered. However, there are few data regarding the diagnostic efficacy of HI in the detection of right to left shunt through PFO. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of transthoracic HI in the detection of right to left shunt through PFO in patients with stroke with that of fundamental imaging (FI). Methods: One hundred thirty-six consecutive patients with stroke (82 male, mean age:9) underwent TCE in both HI and FI and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during rest and Valsalva maneuver with intravenous administration of agitated saline. PFO was judged to be present if microbubbles appeared in the left atrium within 3 cardiac cycles of their appearance in the right atrium. TEE was regarded as the gold standard for assessing the diagnostic accuracy of TCE. Results: Right to left shunt through PFO was detected in 40 of 136 patients by TEE (29.4%). FI of TCE detected shunt through PFO in only 9 of 136 patients (6.6%). In contrast, HI detected shunt through PFO in 25 of 136 patients (18.4%). The overall sensitivity and specificity of FI and HI for detection of right to left shunt through PFO were 22.5%, 62.5% (p<0.05) and 100%, 100%, respectively. Valsalva maneuver during HI significantly increased the detection rate of shunt through PFO (during rest in 9 and during Valsalva maneuver in 25, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: HI with contrast microbubble injection significantly enhanced the detection of right to left shunt through PFO in patients with ischemic stroke compared with FI by transthoracic approach.
Acoustics ; Administration, Intravenous ; Diagnosis ; Dihydroergotamine ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Embolism, Paradoxical ; Foramen Ovale, Patent* ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Male ; Microbubbles ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stroke ; Valsalva Maneuver

In spite of high-dose, hyperventilation, hyperosmolar agents, appropriate surgical evacuation, and cerebrospinal fluid when possible, uncontrolled intracranial hypertension, which was defined as occurring when intracranial pressure(ICP) exceeded 25 mmHg for 2 hours or more, occurred in 8 patients. Persistent elevated ICP occurred in 4 patient with acute subdural hematoma and brain contusion, in 2 patients with aneurysm and brain infarction, in 1 patient with hypertensive intracerebral hematoma, and in 1 patient with meningioma. All of these patients received intravenous barbiturate to control the ICP. The initial thiopental loading dose(10mg/kg) effectively reduced the ICP in 5 patients(62.5%). In those patients responding to the initial loading dose, four have survived, and one died due to pulmonary complication. None of three nonresponders to barbiturate survived. Two of the survivors have returned to a productive life, and two ramain moderately disabled. The favorable outcome in this series suggests that early aggresive treatment of intracranial hypertension with barbiturate and careful attention to medical complications can improve the outcome in patients with uncontrolled intracranial hypertension, with barbiturate and careful attention to medical complications can improve the outcome in patients with uncontrolled intracranial hypertension, especially in postoperative state. A broader investigation of the clinical application of barbiturates in indicated.
Aneurysm ; Barbiturates ; Brain Infarction ; Brain Injuries ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Coma* ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Intracranial Hypertension* ; Meningioma ; Survivors ; Thiopental

Experinece in the management of 74 patients with delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage(DTICH) of 474 head injury from January 1996 to December 1996 is poresented with emphasis on the incidence, occurring time, risk factors and outcome. The incidence of DTICH was 15.6% of all hospitalized head-injury patients. After an injury, every patient had an immediate computerized tomography(CT) scan to diagnose intracranial pathology and then CT follow-up was carried out according to intial CT finding and reurological deficit. The lesion was almost occurred in patients with initial abnormal CT finding(85.1%). 82.4% of DTICH were noted within 72 hours after injury. The delayed epidural hematoma and intracerebral hemorrhage were almost noted in first 72 hours(>90%), but the delayed subdural hemorrhage was found after a time interval varying from 6 hours to 10 days. So we strongly recommend CT follow-up in 4-8hour, 24-72hour, and then 7th day after head injury, especially in patients with initial abnormal CT findings. The risk factor of the delayed lesion was not hypotension, hypoxia, and consciousness level, but age of patients and the initial CT finding. The development of DTICH was not heralded by neurological deterioration. The prognosis of DTICH was not worse than non-DTICH. The patient with delayed subdural hemorrhage was better than the patient with non-delayed lesion(including hemorrhage and normal CT finding).
Anoxia ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Consciousness ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Intracranial Hemorrhages* ; Pathology ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of prostatitis symptoms in the general population by questionnaire survey and to measure the effect of prostatitis symptoms on quality of life(QOL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional community-based epidemiologic study was performed on 2,034 men, living in the Seoul metropolitan area using stepwise random sampling. Out of 2,034 interviewees, 1,356 men who were older than 40 and provided sufficient information were selected for this study. The questionnaires were completed by well trained interviewers. Contents of the questionnaires included demographic data, the Prostatitis Symptom Index(PSI), the International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), a general health questionnaire section and a sexual health questionnaire section. The PSI was composed of a sum of the scores from three questions about dysuria, penile pain and perineal pain and it ranged 0 to 12. Incidence of prostatitis symptoms was defined by a score of 4 or more and the reference group was defined as consisting of those with a score of 3 or less. The rate of incidence of prostatitis symptoms was assessed according to age and the difference of QOL between the prostatitis symptoms group and the reference group. RESULTS: The overall positive rate of prostatitis symptoms measured by the PSI, in men older than 40, living in the Seoul metropolitan area, was 4.5%(61/1,356), adjusted to 4.8% by the relative proportion of this age group in the general population of the Seoul metropolitan area as compared to Korea and the World. The proportion of the group with prostatitis symptoms assessed by the PSI did not increase with age although the proportion of participants with moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) did increase with age. The group with prostatitis symptoms suffered from a much greater incidence of LUTS compared to the reference group (p<0.05). The QOL scores of the IPSS, and the general health and sexual health status of the group with prostatitis symptoms, were worse than those of the reference group.(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The positive rate of prostatitis symptoms in men older than 40, living in the Seoul metropolitan area, was 4.8% and it didn't increase with age. The general QOL of the group with prostatitis symptoms was much worse than that of the reference group.
Dysuria ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Prevalence ; Prostate ; Prostatitis* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health ; Seoul

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) would influence healing of periapical tissues by modulating the production of growth factors and cytokines from PDL fibroblasts, however, the studies are insufficient. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to monitor the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF- beta1), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) from PDL fibroblasts in the presence of MTA. The human PDL fibroblasts were seeded onto the set MTA or IRM at a level of 1 x 10(5) cells per unit well, and further incubated for 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. The levels of TGF-beta1, FGF-2, and IL-6 from the supernatant were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The level of TGF-beta1 was down-regulated when the cells were grown in the presence of MTA except at 6 hours. The levels of FGF-2 release were significantly suppressed when PDL fibroblasts were grown in the presence of MTA or IRM at all time intervals (p < 0.05). The expressions of IL-6 from MTA treated cells were comparable to those of untreated control cells throughout the observation periods. We presume that this material inhibits the stimulatory function of growth factors on granulation tissue formation and in turn, it promotes the healing process modulated by other bone-remodeling cells.
Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; Fibroblasts* ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Interleukin-6 ; Periapical Tissue ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Pemetrexed