The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of gestational age at exposure on the prenatal effects of gamma-radiation. Pregnant ICR mice were exposed to a single dose of 2.0 Gy gamma-radiation at a gestational 2.5 to 15.5 days post-coitus (p.c.). The animals were sacrificed on day 18 of gestation and the fetuses were examined for mortality, growth retardation, change in head size and any other morphological abnormalities. The only demonstrable effect of irradiation during the preimplantation period was an increase in prenatal mortality. Resorptions were maximal on post-exposure day 2.5 after conception. The pre-implantation irradiated embryos which survived did not show any major fetal abnormalities. Small head, growth retardation, cleft palate, dilatation of the cerebral ventricle, dilatation of the renal pelvis and abnormalities of the extremities and tail were prominent after exposure during the organogenesis period, especially on day 11.5 of gestation. Our results indicate that the late period of organogenesis in the mouse is a particularly sensitive phase in terms of the development of the brain, skull and extremities.
Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced/*pathology ; Animals ; Bone and Bones/abnormalities/radiation effects ; Female ; Fetal Death ; *Gamma Rays ; *Gestational Age ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Animal/*radiation effects ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects

OBJECTIVES: With the elderly population rising sharply, there is a rising interest in dementia, and recently researches on risk factors for dementia, particularly of Alzheimer's disease have been actively conducted. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of the late-onset depression as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: The subjects were divided into the group of the patients who were diagnosed with depression in the National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital from March 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009 and the corresponding control group, which was the group of the patients who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis for the same period. Of the above patients, the following cases were excluded from the final analysis. The excluded cases were those who were first diagnosed with either of the two diseases at the age of less than 50, and those who were diagnosed with major psychiatric disorder or neurologic disorder. As a result, a total of 5,347 people, made up of 1,697 depression patients and 3,650 osteoarthritis patients, were selected. Two groups were compared through survival analysis. RESULTS: Form the Log-Rank tests, it could be confirmed that there were significant differences (p<0.01) among the two groups. Even when many confounding factors including age and gender were controlled, the degree of occurrence of Alzheimer's disease was found to be higher in the group of late-onset depression patients than in the group of osteoarthritis patients (HR : 2.53-2.80). CONCLUSION: The late-onset depression can become independently the risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Therefore it can be expected that the rate of occurrence of Alzheimer's disease may be reduced through active medical treatment of depression.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; National Health Programs ; Nervous System Diseases ; Osteoarthritis ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: Hydronephrosis is found about 30% of children with urinary tract infection (UTI). It can be caused by various conditions, although most childhood hydronephrosis is congenital. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between febrile UTI and hydronephrosis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 183 patients diagnosed as UTI between January 2007 and May 2009 at Korea University Guro Hospital. Inclusion criteria were as followings; 1) fever more than 37.5degrees C measured in the axilla , 2) positive urine culture, 3) no history of urinary tract anomaly on antenatal sonography and urinary tract infection. We classified the enrolled children into two groups of patients with hydronephrosis (HN) and those without hydronephrosis (NHN). RESULTS: The 80 patients were HN and 103 patients NHN. Hydronephrosis was found in 58 patients with left kidney, 8 right and 14 both kidneys. Most of hydronephrosis were of low grade. Compared with NHN group, initial renal cortical defects on DMSA scan significantly increased in HN group (HN 37.5%, NHN 16.5%, P < 0.05). The incidence of VUR was not different between the two groups (HN 22%, NHN 12.1%). White blood cell counts and C-reactive protein were not different between the two groups. Follow-up DMSA scan (about 6 months later after UTI) showed no difference of renal scarring in both two groups. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that hydronephrosis in febrile UTI patients is clinically useful for detecting renal cortical defects, but is not associated with follow-up renal scar.
Axilla ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Retrospective Studies ; Succimer ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections

We found that the original version of this paper contains an error in the descriptions of Fig. 4 (page 875)..
Head* ; Necrosis* ; Shock*

Nutcracker syndrome refers to the compression of the left renal vein between the abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric artery which can lead to renal vein hypertension. Patients can present with hematuria, proteinuria, dysuria or abdominal pain. In diagnosing the nutcracker syndrome, measurement of the peak velocity ratio of aorto-mesenteric border versus renal hilum by Doppler sonography is useful. Currently, there are few reports about the genetic correlation in this syndrome. We report two cases of the nutcracker syndrome found in male siblings with hematuria.
Abdominal Pain ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Child ; Dysuria ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Proteinuria ; Renal Veins ; Siblings

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of lower energy flux density (EFD) extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the early stage of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head. METHODS: Nineteen patients and 30 hips were enrolled. All subjects received 4 weekly sessions of ESWT, at different energy levels; group A (n=15; 1,000 shocks/session, EFD per shock 0.12 mJ/mm²) and group B (n=15; 1,000 shocks/session, EFD per shock 0.32 mJ/mm²). We measured pain by using the visual analog scale (VAS), and disability by using the Harris hip score, Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). To determine the effect of the lower EFD ESWT, we assessed the VAS, Harris hip score, HOOS, WOMAC of the subjects before and at 1, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: In both groups, the VAS, Harris hip score, HOOS, and WOMAC scores improved over time (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Lower EFD ESWT may be an effective method to improve the function and to relieve pain in the early stage of AVN.
Disability Evaluation ; Head* ; High-Energy Shock Waves ; Hip ; Humans ; Methods ; Necrosis* ; Ontario ; Osteoarthritis ; Shock* ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Analog Scale

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) patients in alcoholics and to evaluate the utility of Caine's criteria as a screening test. METHODS: We made an admission note including Caine's criteria and applied it to patients who were admitted to an alcohol treatment unit. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected on 204 alcoholics. Our alcoholics who met more than one of Caine's criteria were considered at risk for WE and were given high-dose thiamine IV therapy. RESULTS: We was diagnosed in 15.2% of the alcoholic patients. Age and head trauma history were risk factors of WE. The sensitivity of Caine's criteria was 97% and specificity was 54%. High-dose thiamine IV therapy appeared to be a safe and cost-effective method to prevent the serious complications of WE. CONCLUSION: Caine's criteria is useful as a screening test for WE among alcoholic patients. High-dose thiamine IV therapy is cost-effective for alcoholic patients who are considered to be at risk for WE.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholism ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thiamine ; Thiamine Deficiency ; Wernicke Encephalopathy

Autoimmune thyroid disease associated with Moyamoya syndrome has mostly been reported as Graves' disease, and not as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We report a case of a 70-year-old man with right posterior cerebral artery territorial infarction and bilateral distal internal carotid artery occlusion, which suggests Moyamoya syndrome, but who was diagnosed as Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Aged ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Infarction ; Moyamoya Disease ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis

PURPOSE: Venous reflux in primary varicose vein arises from the saphenofemoral junction (SFJ), and the saphenopopliteal junction (SPJ) and it can arise from the non-junctional great saphenous vein (GSV) tributaries and, the non-saphenous veins. Superficial venous surgery (SVS) is associated with a significant improvement in the lower leg venous hemodynamics. We performed a retrospective study to examine the prevalence of the reflux pattern in the primary varicose veins and, to observe any change of non-junctional GSV reflux. METHOD: From May 2004 to July 2005, 481 patients (766 limbs) were diagnosed with venous incompetence by performing a duplex ultrasound examination. A follow-up duplex ultrasound examination was performed for a group of non-junctional GSV reflux patients and for a group of patient having both superficial vein reflux and deep vein reflux. RESULT: The prevalence of SFJ reflux, SPJ reflux, below the knee GSV reflux with competent SFJ and, non saphenous vein reflux was 82%, 13%, 10% and, 4.5% respectively. In the patients with SVS who had deep vein reflux (DVR), DVR was absent in only on two patients (6%). Eight patients (9.1%) of the 88 primary varicose vein patients had asymptomatic left iliac vein obstruction detected by performing an ascending venogram during radiofrequency ablation (RFA). On the duplex findings after SVS, the reflux pattern of left deep venous system was not different from the right deep venous system. CONCLUSION: Varicose veins may occur in any vein, even if junctional reflux is predominant. Careful duplex ultrasound evaluation will delineate the changing pattern of venous reflux with/without SVS. Although superficial venous surgery must fit the patient's map, the results might be variable. Prospective studies are needed to analyze the dynamics of venous reflux after SVS.
Catheter Ablation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Iliac Vein ; Knee ; Leg ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Saphenous Vein ; Ultrasonography ; Varicose Veins* ; Veins

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) position of the center of resistance of 4 mandibular anterior teeth, 6 mandibular anterior teeth, and the complete mandibular dentition by using 3D finite-element analysis. METHODS: Finite-element models included the complete mandibular dentition, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. The crowns of teeth in each group were fixed with buccal and lingual arch wires and lingual splint wires to minimize individual tooth movement and to evenly disperse the forces onto the teeth. Each group of teeth was subdivided into 0.5-mm intervals horizontally and vertically, and a force of 200 g was applied on each group. The center of resistance was defined as the point where the applied force induced parallel movement. RESULTS: The center of resistance of the 4 mandibular anterior teeth group was 13.0 mm apical and 6.0 mm posterior, that of the 6 mandibular anterior teeth group was 13.5 mm apical and 8.5 mm posterior, and that of the complete mandibular dentition group was 13.5 mm apical and 25.0 mm posterior to the incisal edge of the mandibular central incisors. CONCLUSIONS: Finite-element analysis was useful in determining the 3D position of the center of resistance of the 4 mandibular anterior teeth group, 6 mandibular anterior teeth group, and complete mandibular dentition group.
Crowns ; Dentition* ; Incisor ; Periodontal Ligament ; Splints ; Tooth ; Tooth Movement