BACKGROUND: The diagnostic methods of atherosclerosis before the development of clinical diseases(such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction or peripheral vascular disease) are rather limited. The Russian doctors made the observations through the autopsy studies that there is a good correlation between the degree of atherosclersis or the cholesterol content of the aorta and the cholesterol content of the skin. We tried to investigate whether there is a significant degree of differences in the cholesterol content of the skin between the patietns with atherosclerotic disease(disease group), the patients who have not developed the clinical atheroscleric disease but have risk factors for atherosclerosis(risk group), and the normal control patients(normal group). METHODS: The skin choleterol was extracted from the palm of the hands by the closed contact with the chemicals. RESULTS: 1) The skin cholesterol was 2.77+/-1.08/microg/cm2in the disease group, 2.47+/-1.13microg/cm2in the risk group, and 1.84+/-0.60microg/cm2in the control group, The difference between the disease group and the normal group was significant(p<0.001), but the difference between the disease group and the risk group was not significant. 2) When the skin cholesterol of 2.1microg/cm2was used as a criterion. its sensitivity and specificity to predict either the disease gorup or the risk group was 66.1% and 70.8%. 3) In addition to the skin cholesterol of 2.1microg/cm2or more, if we add a criteria of cholesterol >220mg/dl, or TC/HDL-C ratio >4:1, or Apo B/A ratio >0.9, these separated the normal group from either the disease group or risk group much beter. 4) There was no significant correlation between the skin cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Also there were not any significant correlations between the skin cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol, TC/HDL-C ratio or Apo B/A ratio. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the above mentioned observations made by the Russian doctors and the present data showing significantly higher skin cholesterol level in the disease and risk group compared with normal control group, and little significant correlation between the skin cholesterol and the blood cholesterol level, it is likely that the skin cholesterol can be considered as an independent risk index for the atherosclerotic disease. Measuring the skin cholesterol by extraction of cholesterol from the palms of the hands may help predicting the presence or the risks of the atherosclerotic diseases.
Angina Pectoris ; Aorta ; Atherosclerosis* ; Autopsy ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cholesterol* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Hand ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Embryonic Structures* ; Extremities*

No abstract available.
Diazepam* ; Seizures, Febrile*

No abstract available.
Diazepam* ; Seizures, Febrile*

We experienced one case of tuberous sclerosis occurred in brothers. Case 1 is 8-year-old male patient who presented seizure, mild mental retardation, subependimal nodule and Shagreen patch. Case 2 is 9-year-old male patient who presented adenoma sebaceum, Shagreen patch, subependymal gient cell astrocytomas. Diagnosis was confirmed by brain CT and biopsy. Brief review and related literatures were also presented.
Astrocytoma ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Male ; Seizures ; Siblings* ; Tuberous Sclerosis*

The hindfoot in the human body is known to play an important function for weight bearng, shock absorption and locomotion. The defect of hindfoot presents serious problems of the leg length discrepancy and weight bearing. Therefore, it is essential to reconstruct the defect of hindfoot. Up to date, many surgical modalities from a skin graft to the innervated osteocutaneous flap have been developed, but a completely satisfactory method of reconstruction has not been found. The ideal reconstructive method should provide sufficient padding tissue and sensibility. In the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, capital Armed Forces General Hospital, two cases of hindfoot defect due to explosion were reconstructed by the midplantar fasciocutaneous flap with free iliac bone graft. The results of our procedure were very acceptable one year after the operations.
Absorption ; Arm ; Explosions ; Hospitals, General ; Human Body ; Leg ; Locomotion ; Methods ; Shock ; Skin ; Transplants ; Weight-Bearing ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: Good compliance with an anticonvulsant medication regimen is essential for the successful management of epilepsy. However, pediatric compliance with anticonvulsant therapy did not well be studied. The aim of this study was to identify the following key in noncompliance in pediatric out patients receiving anticonvulsant therapy determining factors. METHODS: Eighty-one epileptic outpatients under fifteen years of age with anticonvulsant therapy from the pediatric department of Kang-Dong Sacred Heart Hospital was enrolled for the study. Variables such as age, sex ratio, the reason of poor compliance, medication regimen and seizure frequency were extracted from each patients'medical record. RESULTS: Up to 37% of the patients was labeled as a poor compliant group. Compliance was low at the under 6 year and over 13 year-old patient group, and was also low for those who hadn't had a seizure in a while and for those who had a low seizure rate since last year. The mean plasma level of anticonvulsants was higher in the good compliant group than in the poor compliant group. The most reported obstacle to good compliance was forgetfulness. Side effect and drug rejection were also reported. CONCLUSION: To the high risk group of poor compliance, reminding, decreasing side effects, making simple administration adjustments have been reported to be useful in promoting compliance with medication regimens.
Adolescent ; Anticonvulsants ; Child* ; Compliance* ; Epilepsy ; Heart ; Humans ; Medication Adherence ; Outpatients ; Plasma ; Seizures ; Sex Ratio

No abstract available.
Seizures, Febrile*

PURPOSE: We used MRI to retrospectively analyze the brain of patients suffering from cerebral palsy. Our aim is to determine MRI's role in the assessment of brain damage, the relationship of gestational age. METHODS: A total of 66 patients(29 preform group and 37 term group), who visited Kang-Dong Sacred Heart Hospital from January, 1994 to July, 1998, were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Among the 29 in the preform group, 13 patients showed MR images of hypoxic ischemic injury in which periventricular leukomalacid(PVL) and multifocal ischemic necrosis in 12(41.3%) and 1(3.4%) respectively. Neuronal migration disorders were 6(20.8%), other congenital malformations 5(17%) and normal MR images 5(17%) in this preform group. Among the 37 in the term group, 22 patients showed MR images of hypoxic ischemic injury in which selective neuronal necrosis were 11(29.7%), PVL 4(10.8%), focal and multifocal ischemic necrosis 4(10.8%) and status marmoratus 3(8.1%). Neuronal migration disorders were 4(10.8%), other congenital malformations 5(13.5%) and normal MR images 6(16.2%) in the term group. CONCLUSION: MRI provided useful information in a majority of children with cerebral palsy. Hypoxic ischemic injury was significantly different in preform and term groups. PVL was frequent in the preterm group and selective neuronal necrosis was statistically common in the term group.
Brain* ; Cerebral Palsy ; Child* ; Gestational Age ; Heart ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Movement Disorders ; Necrosis ; Neuronal Migration Disorders ; Neurons ; Paralysis* ; Retrospective Studies