We assessed the accuracy of clinical evaluation, arthrography and arthroscopy in the diagnosis of meniscal lesions in ninty knees in which arthrotomy was performed for disabling symptoms after evaluation by these three methods. At surgery, ninty-two menisci were removed, of which seventy-two were abnormal and twenty were normal. In these ninty-two menisci, correct diagnostic rate was made clinically 78%, arthrographically 70% and arthroscopically 86%. Arthrographic diagnosis was least accurate for lesions of the lateral meniscus and arthroscopic diagnosis was least accurate for lesions of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus and peripheral lesions. Based on this study, it was concluded that both the arthrography and arthroscopy are valuable technique for diagnosis of meniscal lesions.
Animals ; Arthrography ; Arthroscopy ; Diagnosis ; Horns ; Knee ; Menisci, Tibial

BACKGROUND: Job holders are groups that have suffered from chronic stressful condition. Nowadays, occupational stress are increasing due to Korean economic crisis. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the stress scores of several kinds of jobs, the relationship between the amount of stress and mental health status, factors associated with stress. METHODS: Among workers who had visited a medical college hospital, Taejeon, Korea, for regular health evaluation from April 1 to June 30 1998, we selected 50 clerks, 50 industrial workers, 50 professionals, 50 service or salesmen and 50 public servants in the survey. A total of 159 workers were evaluated as subjects excluding those who had answered in adequately to the questionnaire. Stress scores were measured by Korean-translated BEPSI(Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument) and Bae Jong Myun's 30-items SRRQ(Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire). Mental health status were checked by Korean-translated SCL-90-R(Symptom checklist-90-Revision). RESULTS: The average BEPSI score of workers was 2.07+/-0.72. The mean score of female workers was 2.27+/-.70 and it was obviously higher than male worker's score of 1.85+/-.66. 20-29 year age group and over 40 year age group's amount of stress were obviously higher than 30-39 year age group. The low education level group had higher stress score than those with high education level but the amount of stress showed no significant difference in the monthly income, job tenure, number of family members to support, hobby and religion. According to occupation, clerks, industrial workers, service or salesmen's stress scores were higher than those of professional or public servants. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation has showed that there is a correlation between the amount of job holder's stress and mental health including somatimtian, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychotism Therefore, we conclude that the best way to stay in good menta
Anxiety ; Daejeon ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Hobbies ; Hostility ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mental Health* ; Occupations ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Background: Hypertension results from an impaired baroreceptor reflex and enhanced sympathetic activity. The prevalence of hypertension differs among ethnicities and is more frequent in South Asians than in Caucasians, suggesting that baseline autonomic nervous system functions and their regulation may also differ among ethnic groups. In most studies, the reference values for clinical autonomic function tests are obtained from heterogeneous ethnic populations, or ethnic factors are not considered in the study design. Obtaining reference data in a homogenous ethnic group and comparing them within various ethnic groups could be helpful to detect ethnic differences in autonomic functions. The aim of this study was to identify normative reference values for standard autonomic reflex measurements in a homogeneous Korean population. Methods: A total of 181 healthy Korean volunteers (age, 20–74 years) underwent standard autonomic function tests: heart rate difference during deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver, and the quantitative sudomotor axon-reflex test. Mean and 5th and 95th percentile values were obtained for each age group. We also analyzed factors (age, sex, and body mass index) that can influence autonomic functions. Results: The heart rate difference during deep breathing and expiratory-inspiratory ratio were higher in males than in females and were inversely related to age. The Valsalva ratio was inversely related to age. Males had higher sweat volumes at all body areas evaluated than those of females, and only forearm sweat volume was significantly different between the age groups. Conclusions: Cardiovagal function was affected by age and sex in Koreans. Sudomotor function was affected by sex, and only forearm sweat volume was affected by age and sex. These results represent preliminary normative clinical autonomic data in a Korean population comprised of a single ethnicity
Hypertension

A case of intraneural ganglion, 5cm×2cm×1.5cm, which was located between the funiculi of the common peroneal nerve was excised completely under the operative microscope. There was no communication with adjacent bursa or joint.
Ganglion Cysts ; Joints ; Peroneal Nerve

No abstract available.
Female ; HELLP Syndrome* ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: Although PSA(prostate specific antigen) is an excellent tumor marker, it is not prostate cancer-specific but organ-specific. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of prostate specific antigen adjusted for the transition zone voume(PSATZ) in diagnosing prostate cancer in men with intermediate PSA levels of 4.1 to 10.0 ng/ml. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1997 and September 1998, PSATZ was obtained from 67 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided systemic sextant biopsies and had a PSA of 4.1-10.0ng/ml. PSATZ was compared with PSA, PSAD(PSA density) and free-to-total PSA ratio(F/T ratio) via receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves. RESULTS: Of 67 patients, 22(32.8%) had prostate cancer and 45(67.2%) had benign prostatic hyperplasia on pathologic examination. Mean PSA, F/T ratio, PSAD and PSATZ were 7.96+/-2.01ng/ml 0.10+/-0.06, 0.28+/-0.14ng/ml/cc and 0.70+/-0.28ng/ml/cc in patients with prostate cancer and 6.39+/-1.68ng/ml, 0.15+/-0.05, 0.16+/-0.06ng/ml/cc and 0.29+/-0.11ng/ml/cc in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, respectively. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that PSATZ, F/T ratio and PSAD predicted the biopsy outcome significantly better than PSA in all 67 patients(p<0.01, respectively). In a subset of 45 men with normal digital rectal examination, PSATZ predicted the biopsy outcome better than PSAD or F/T ratio significantly(p<0.01, respectively). With cutoff value of 0.35ng/ml/cc, PSATZ had a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 89% for predicting prostate cancer. With cutoff value of 0.12, F/T ratio had a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 71% for predicting prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that PSATZ is more specific and more accurate than PSA, PSAD or F/T ratio in distinguishing benign prostatic disease from prostatic cancer in men with intermediate PSA levels of 4.1 to 10 ng/ml. But large prospective studies are requested to assess the precise role of PSATZ in early prostate cancer detection.
Biopsy ; Digital Rectal Examination ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objectives: White matter hyperintensities are known to influence dementia in Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic components are suggested as putative risk factors for vascular pathology and cognitive decline. This study aimed to determine whether there is an association between candidate genetic polymorphisms and the severity of white matter hyperintensities in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: Seventy-five patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease underwent genetic tests for specific alleles of apolipoprotein E, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. All patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scans and neuropsychological tests. The severity of white matter hyperintensities was semiquantified using the CREDOS rating scale, and patients were divided into three groups according to their rating. Results:The severity of white matter hyperintensities was related to age and hypertension. However, none of the gene polymorphisms we tested was found to be associated with the severity of white matter hyperintensities. Conclusion:The genetic polymorphisms found in apolipoprotein E, angiotensin-converting enzyme and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase did not contribute to white matter hyperintensities in Alzheimer’s disease.Only age and hypertension factors were found to be contributory to white matter hyperintensities.
Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to determine the adequate cutoff value of the neonatal screening test to decrease recall and false-positive rates. METHODS: During the period of January 1999 through December in Asan Medical Center, newborn screening tests for phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and galactosemia were performed in 3,775, 3,707, 3,783, and 3,806 newborns respectively using commercial ELISA kits. We reviewed and analyzed the recall rate at currently used cutoff values. RESULTS: 1)In neonatal screening test for congenital hypothyroidism, using a current cutoff value, 17 microIU/mL, the recall rate was 0.9% and using a 99.7% cutoff value, 21.3 microIU/mL, the predictive recall rate was 0.4%. There were no significant differences in the other reports that suggest adequate recall rate. 2)In neonatal screening test for phenylketonuria, using a current cutoff value, 3.6 mg/dL, the recall rate was 1.5% which was no significant difference compared with expected presumptive positive rate, 1.44%. 3)In neonatal screening test for congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosemia, the recall rate was high when using current cutoff value. But all results were within normal limits in reevaluation. CONCLUSION: The cutoff values of screening test which are currently recommended by manufacturers of commercial kits for congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosemia, are needed to be reset to decrease the recall rate by false-positive results on the basis of data from an individual newborn screening laboratory.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Congenital Hypothyroidism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Galactosemias ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening* ; Phenylketonurias

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to evaluate the role of dacryoscintigraphy in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric patients with epiphora. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 58 patients aged from 2 months to 15 years (mean age 2.8+/-2.3 years), dacryoscintigraphy was performed using a gamma camera with 4 mm pinhole collimator. We correlated symptoms with dacryosicntigraphic findings in all patients. In 37 patients who underwent ophthalmologic procedures, we analyzed the agreements of dacryoscintigraphic findings with the operation. RESULTS: High rates of agreements between epiphora and obstruction on dacryoscintigraphy (69/72, 95.8%), and between scintigraphic obstructive findings and operation sites (44/47, 93.6%) were noted. Nine of fourty-four (20.5%) asymptomatic eyes showed obstructive findings on dacroscintigraphy. CONCLUSION: In pediatric patients with epiphora, dacryoscintigraphy is a useful tool not only in diagnosing nasolacrimal duct obstruction but also in making a decision for therapeutic procedures.
Diagnosis* ; Gamma Cameras ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases* ; Nasolacrimal Duct

To determine the usefulness of the Bosniak classification of cystic renal masses, the computed tomographic findings of 30 pathologically proven cystic renal masses were reviewed retrospectively. We categorized cystic renal masses utilizing the Bosniak classification without knowledge of the final pathologic diagnosis. There were 10 category I lesions, 3 category II lesions, 6 category III lesions and 11 category IV lesions. All category l and II lesions were benign. All category IV lesions were malignant. Among the 6 category III lesions, 5 were malignant. The other was benign lesion with hemorrhagic renal cyst. We concluded that computed tomography and Bosniak classification are useful in management of cystic renal masses.
Classification* ; Diagnosis ; Kidney ; Retrospective Studies