A possible therapeutic effect of acetyl-L carnitine (ALCAR) on peripheral nerve injuries and the expression of Jun, the protein products of immediate-early genes(IEGs), in the spinal cord were investigated after sciatic nerve injury in Sprague-Dawley rats. Experimental animals were divided into 3 groups: intact sciatic nerve as a control group, surgical repair alone, and surgical repair with ALCAR treatment. Toe-spreading response, pinprick response, and compound action potential were measured to evaluate the recovery of sciatic nerve injury. Recovery of behavioral function and electrophysiological function both improved in the surgical repair with ALCAR treatment group. Weak basal expression of Jun was shown in the ventral horn the of spinal cord in the control group. In the surgical repair alone group or the surgical repair with ALCAR treatment group, Jun expression persisted until 28 days after injury in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. Moreover, the surgical repair with ALCAR treatment group showed more increased expression of Jun than the surgical repair alone group. These results suggest that ALCAR facilitates the functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury.
Acetylcarnitine ; Action Potentials ; Animals ; Carnitine* ; Horns ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Spinal Cord

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an uncommon heritable disorder of elastin characterized by cutaneous, ocular and vascular abnormalities. Typical skin lesion shows yellowish papules and redundant skin folds on the neck, axilla and groin due to degeneration and calcification of elastic fibers in deep dermis. As in all heritable disorders of connective tissue, no curative therapy is presently know. Redundant and unsightly skin folds about the neck can be improved by surgery, but irregular papular lesion on skin does not improved by surgery. A-44-year-old female who had a skin lesion and angioid streak was treated as follows: Skin folds on the neck were excised successfully without any significant problem such as intraoperative bleeding, wound dehiscence or hypertrophic scar formation. To evaluate whether we could smooth the irregular skin surface due to multiple papules, laserbrasion with a SLT contack Nd:YAG laser system was performed experimentally on a limited area which was located on the right supracla-vicular area about 2 x 3cm in size. An acceptable aesthetic appearance was achieved with surgical excision 12 months after the operation. Biopsy of the laserbrasion site revealed disappearance of the calcium deposit. This study emphasizes the possibility of using laserbrasion in solving troblesome skin lesion of the PXE.
Angioid Streaks ; Axilla ; Biopsy ; Calcium ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Connective Tissue ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Elastin ; Female ; Groin ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Neck* ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum ; Skin ; Wounds and Injuries

A 3 year and 3 months old boy with recurrent infections since his age of 5 months was presented with clinical data and autopsy findings. He was the 4th product of healthy parents. His elder brother died of recurrent perianal abscess and sepsis at his age of 3 years. His 2nd elder sister died on the 14th day of life probably from the complication of BCG vaccination. Beginnig with perianal abscesses at his age of 5 months, he has been continuously suffering from recurrent infections such as arthritis, ostomyelitis, pneumonia, epididymitis, subcutaneous abscesses and perianal abscesses. In spite of meticulous supportive and aggressive antibiotic therapy persistent positive cultures for staph. Aureus, klebsiella, E. Coli, Enterococcus and coliform bacilli from different sited were noted. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 25 to 40 were constant. White cell count varied frem 15500 to 33400 with polymorphonucleocytes predominance. NBT test showed persistent low scoring of 2% throught the course. He finally died of pneumonia and empyema. At postmortem examination, multiple abscesses and grnulomas of right lung and multipe granulomas in the liver, spleen, lymph node, bone, marrow, adrenal gland, kidney and intestinal wass were noted. At microscopic examination histiocytic granulomas with lipid containing histiocyte infiltrations were noted in every organs described including brain.
Abscess ; Adrenal Glands ; Arthritis ; Autopsy ; Blood Sedimentation ; Bone Marrow ; Brain ; Cell Count ; Empyema ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Enterococcus ; Epididymitis ; Granuloma ; Granulomatous Disease, Chronic* ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney ; Klebsiella ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Parents ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis ; Siblings ; Spleen ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bone regeneration of particulated hydroxyapatite(HA) and block type of hydroxyapatite graft in rabbit calvarial defects. METHODS: An 8 mm calvarial circular defects were created in sixteen young adult New Zealand white male rabbits (weight 3.0~3.5 kg). Each defects were filled with Bio-Oss, particulated HA and block type HA. Sham surgery control defects were filled with blood clots. The pecimens were harvested at 4 weeks and 8 weeks for histologic and histomorphometric evaluation. RESULTS: Histomorphometric analysis demonstrated statistical differences in defect closure, new bone formation, and bone density of the four groups. Block type of HA group showed increased bone formation and bone density at 4 weeks and 8 weeks compared with Bio-Oss group or sham surgery control group(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Block type of HA is an effective material for osteoconduction in rabbit calvarial defects, which may acts as a guide in use of these products in human application.
Bone Density ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Substitutes ; Durapatite ; Humans ; Hydroxyapatites ; Male ; Minerals ; New Zealand ; Osteogenesis ; Rabbits ; Salicylamides ; Transplants ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer experience emotional distress, such as sadness, worrying, and irritability. However, there is little information about the psychological well-being of parents at the time of their child's diagnosis. We sought to identify factors that were associated with emotional distress in cancer patients as a basis for developing innovative psychological interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients newly diagnosed with cancer at a single center in Korea from 2014 to 2016. Eighty-five patients and their mothers completed psychological inventories. To determine factors associated with emotional distress in patients, we assessed the psychological inventory results using multiple linear regression after performing correlation analysis. RESULTS: The maternal Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score was positively correlated with total problem scores and externalizing scores in patients aged less than 7 years. In patients aged 7–12 years, there was no significant association between the patient's emotional distress and other variables. In contrast, the maternal BDI-II score was the strongest factor associated with patient depression in adolescents. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the most important factor affecting emotional distress in children and adolescents with cancer is maternal depression, especially in patients aged 1–6 years and aged 13–17 years. Understanding the factors associated with emotional distress of cancer patients allows us to develop early psychiatric interventions for patients and their parents at the initial psychological crisis.
Adolescent* ; Anxiety ; Child* ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Equipment and Supplies ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Mother-Child Relations ; Mothers ; Parents ; Retrospective Studies

Intravariceal injection of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate is widely used for the hemostasis of bleeding gastric varices, but not routinely for esophageal variceal hemorrhage because of various complications such as pyrexia, bacteremia, deep ulceration, and pulmonary embolization. We report a rare case of esophageal sinus formation after cyanoacrylate obliteration therapy for uncontrolled bleeding from post-endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) ulcer. A 50-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis presented with hematemesis. Emergent esophagogastroscopy revealed bleeding from large esophageal varices with ruptured erosion, and bleeding was initially controlled by EVL, but rebleeding from the post-EVL ulcer occurred at 17th day later. Although we tried again EVL and the injections of 5% ethanolamine oleate at paraesophageal varices, bleeding was not controlled. Therefore, we administered 1 mL cyanoacrylate diluted with lipiodol and bleeding was controlled. Three months after the endoscopic therapy, follow-up endoscopy showed medium to large-sized esophageal varices and sinus at lower esophagus. Barium esophagography revealed an outpouching in esophageal wall and endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated an ostium with sinus. It is noteworthy that esophageal sinus can be developed as a rare late complication of endoscopic cyanoacrylate obliteration therapy.
Cyanoacrylates/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; *Embolization, Therapeutic ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/complications/*diagnosis/therapy ; Esophagus/radiography/ultrasonography ; Ethiodized Oil/therapeutic use ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/surgery/*therapy ; Humans ; Ligation ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic/*complications/diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tissue Adhesives/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Ulcer/*complications

The major risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma include hepatitis B or C virus infection and alcohol consumption in Korea which lead to liver cirrhosis development and progression. However, prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease related hepatocellular carcinoma is rising worldwide and hepatocellular carcinoma cases in patients with non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis are increasing. A hypoechoic nodule was incidentally detected in a 52-year-old woman, with no evidence of liver cirrhosis or specific hepatocellular carcinoma findings on radiological examination. Non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed based on clinical, laboratory, and histopathological findings of liver biopsy. To our knowledge, this is the first such case report in Korea.
Alcohol Drinking ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Fatty Liver* ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: By virtue of good nourishment, obese boys are increasing in Korea, which may result in prevalence of cryptopenis. As milieu of economy, culture, and society changes, increased attention to the external genitalia in children should encourage surgeon to do assertive treatment for cryptopenis. But various operative methods have been devised yet to need sophistication and revision. The author performed suprapubic lipectomy and operation according to the modification of the Johnston's principle. METHODS: The patient was 5 years old, 32kg, and 122cm. He had no pain or tenderness. The operation was done under general anesthesia. It was done with excision of suprapubic fat, cutting of retracted dartos fascia instead of removing the fascia around penile base, and anchoring of dermis and the cutting margin of the fascia to the underlying fascia such as Buck's fascia, tunica albuginea and rectus fascia at penile base. And then circumcision was performed. RESULTS:Postoperative complication was not observed. The clinical result of the operation was satisfactory to both surgeon and parents of the patient. CONCLUSION: Suprapubic lipectomy and anchoring of dermis and retracted cutting dartos fascia margin to the underlying fascia in all directions at the penile base through a single suprapubic incision provide this patient with complacency.
Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Circumcision, Male ; Dermis ; Fascia ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Korea ; Lipectomy ; Male ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Virtues

BACKGROUND: As the metabolic syndrome represents a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors,its prevention is very important. Especially, child and adolescent obesity and metabolic abnormalities track into adulthood and it may promote the development of the metabolic syndrome in adults. however, in Korea there are only few studies about the metabolic syndrome of children and adolescents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of the metabolic syndrome in Korean children and adolescents. METHODS: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHNS) 2001 was a nation representative survey with a stratified multistage sampling design. Data from a comprehensive questionnaire, physical examination, and blood sample were obtained from 1,090 Korean children and adolescents (567 boys, 523 girls), aged 10 to 19 years. The metabolic syndrome was determined by using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATPIII) definition modified for age. RESULTS: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Korean children and adolescents was 7.1% (9.2% in boys, 4.8% in girls). The syndrome was present in 36.6% of overweight children and adolescents (body mass index [BMI] > or = 95th percentile) compared with 11.2% of at-risk children and adolescents (BMI 85th to <95th percentile) and 2.5% of those with a BMI below the 85th percentile (P<0.001). A multivariate logistic regression model showed a significant increase in risk of the metabolic syndrome in association with gender and BMI. CONCLUSION: Overall, 7.1% of children and adolescents and 36.6% of overweight children and adolescents in Korea met the criteria for the metabolic syndrome. These findings emphasize the need for both public health and clinical interventions to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of the metabolic syndrome, especially in obese children and adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Child* ; Cholesterol ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pediatric Obesity ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Myocarditis* ; Rheumatic Fever*