Fibronectin(FN) is a physiologic glycoprotein presenton cell surface and in connective tissue, extracellular matrix and plasma. Increased plasma FN levels have been reported in the patients with psoriasis, connective tissue disease, internal malignancy, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. The author investigated the plasma FN levels in 30 patients (males 13, female 17) with psoriasis and 23 healthy subjects (male 13, female 10) by gelatin sepharose 4B affinity chromatography and Laurells rocket immunoelectrophoresis method. The results were as follows : Plasrna JN levels were 450.4+/-80.3pg/ml in the patients with psoriasis and 334.0-51.3pg/ml in healthy subjects. There was no relationship between age graups and sex. Plasrna FN levels in the patients with psoriasis were higher than those of healthy subjects(p<0.001). There was no relationship between the levels of plasma FN and clinical severity of psoriasis.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Connective Tissue ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Fibronectins* ; Gelatin ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Plasma* ; Psoriasis* ; Sepharose

The accidental swallowing of foreign bodies by infants and children is a common problem. The proper methods of therapy must be carefully selected according to the age of the patient, the type of forei gn body, the location of impaction, the duration of ingestion, and the available medical resources and skills. This report reviews 41 cases of ingested foreign bodies in the upper GI tract at the Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine between January 1981 and June 1991. The results were as follows: 1) The ages ranged from 3 months to 13 years with 34 cases less than 5 years of age, 5 cases between 5 to 10 years of age, and 2 cases greater than 10 years of age. 2) The male to female ratio was 1.9:1 with 27 male and 14 female patients. 3) The types of ingested foreign bodies were coins in 15 cases(36.6%), pins in 9 cases(22.0%), rings in 3 cases, food in 3 cases, nails in 2 cases, and others. 4) presenting symptoms were varable with vomiting in 8 cases(19.5%), coughing in 4 cascs(9.8%), dysphagia in 4 cases(9.8%), poor oral intake in 2 cases(4.9%), diarrhea in 2 cases(4.9%), and others. 5) Ingested foreign bodies were located in the esophagus in 14 cases(34.2%), stomach in 24 cases(58.5%), duodenum in 1 cases(2.4%)and uncertain locations in 2 cases. 6) Methods for the removal of ingested foreign bodies included 15 cases of endoscopic removal(53.6%), 1 surgical removal (3.6%), and 12 spontancous removals(42.8%). 10cndoscopic removals were carried out in 12 esophageal cases(83.3%), but 10 out of 16 stomach cases were removed spontaneously (62.5%). 7) Duration from ingestion to removal of foreign bodies renged from 19 hours to 2 years. All 12 spontaneous removal cases were within 2 weeks, and 1 surgical case was performed 2 years after ingestion. 8) Endoscopic findings of patients with esophageal foreign bodies included 3 normal cases(30.0%)and 7 moderate to severe abnormal cases(70.0%), and those patients with gastric foreign bodies included 3 normal cases(60.0%)and 2 mild superficial mucosal lesion cases.
Child* ; Cough ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diarrhea ; Duodenum ; Eating ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Female ; Foreign Bodies* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Infant* ; Male ; Numismatics ; Pediatrics ; Stomach ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Vomiting

Refractory deformity in ankylosing spondylitis is caused by loss of normal lordotic curvature in lumbar spine. For the correction of deformity, monosegmental osteotomy, intracorporal decancellation and multisegmental osteotomy are used. Among them, multisegmental osteotomy is reported to be safe because of its small correction amount at each level. Since 1989, authors treated 5 cases of ankylosing spondylitis with severe kyphotic deformity by multisegmental osteotomy and transpedicular instrumentation. All were young males between 22 and 35 years of age. Preoperative kyphotic deformity was 80°, 105°, 72°, 35°, 55° (Av. 70°) and amount of correction was 55°, 105°, 72°, 20°, 40° (Av. 58°) respectively. Levels for osteotony were 4 to 8 segments and correction at a level was 5° to 13° (Av. 8.3°). Normal standing upright posture and vision for straight forward were obtained in all. Instrumentation was Zielke in three Cotrel-Dubousset in two. One case of Zielke instrumentation showed rod failure. However, all showed solid bony union without any loss of correction or pseudoarthrosis. From the above experience, multisegmental osteotomy for the treatment of kyphotic deformity in ankylosing spondylitis was believed to be a safe and effective method of treatment.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Osteotomy ; Posture ; Pseudarthrosis ; Spine ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing

It is essential to define the accurate location and extent of bony bridge in relation to the epiphyseal plate for operation of partial epiphyseal plate closure by bony bridge resection. Since magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) provides excellent tissue contrast and multiplaner image, it could be applied to the diagnosis and mapping of bony bridge of epiphyseal plate. A thirteen year old female with post-traumatic epiphyseal injury of ankle was diagnosed by MRI. We could assess the bony bridge accurately by direct sagittal and coronal images and excellent tissue contrast of MRI.
Ankle ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

No abstract available.
Lower Extremity ; Saphenous Vein

In order to compare the effects of the flexible external fixations with the rigid one on fracture healing, rabbits tibiae were fractured surgically and each fracture were immobilized with external devices using graphites (the group I), plastics (the group II) and stainless steel (the group III). At six weeks after fracture, clinical and radiological union rates in group I, II and III were 91% 73% and 60% respectively. The rabbits tibiae were load in 4-point bending test to determine the mechanical properties of the fracture healing. The means and standard errors of maximum bend moment of the fractured tibiae were 11. 30±2.33kg.f. cm., 8.55±2.02kg.f. cm. and 9.79±2.09kg.f. cm. in group I, II and III respectively. These data may suggest that a certain amount of the flexibility (ex, graphite) or motion is better than the rigidity (ex, stainless steel) in fracture healing by the method of the external immobilization).
Fracture Healing ; Graphite ; Methods ; Plastics ; Pliability ; Rabbits ; Stainless Steel ; Tibia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of the laparoscopic L5-S1 fusion, its perioperative parameters and long-term outcome are compared with those of open anterior surgical approach. METHODS: Data of 54 consecutive patients who underwent anterior approach for L5-S1 fusion either by laparoscopic or open mini-anterior lumbar interbody fusion(ALIF) from 1997 to 1999 were analyzed. Among them, 47 cases were available with more than 2-years follow-up data. In all cases, carbon cage and autologous bone graft were used. RESULTS: Twenty five patients underwent a laparoscopic procedure and twenty two a open mini-ALIF. Three laparoscopic procedures were converted to open ones. For perioperative parameter, only the operative time was statistically different(p=0.001) while length of postoperative hospital stay and blood loss were not. The incidence of operative complication was three in laparoscopic group and two in open mini-ALIF group. After the follow-up of at least two years, the two groups showed no statistical difference in visual analog scale for pain, Oswestry disability index, and patient satisfaction index. The fusion rate was 91% in each group. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that laparoscopic ALIF has similar effectiveness and safety with open mini-ALIF. However, the advantage of laparoscopic approach as a minimally invasive surgery should be reconsidered because no objective additional benefit was found.
Carbon ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Patient Satisfaction ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Transplants ; Visual Analog Scale

It is essential to define the mechanical and morphological characteristics of bone in undrestanding the mechanism and treatment of fractrues of bone. We already reported the results of bending study in 1983 and tension study in 1987 to assess the mechanical and morphological changes of bone according to the growth. Following these studies, we performed torsion study on growing long bone to have better understanding of the characteristics of bone. In order to assess the mechanical and morphological properties of fracture of growing bone by torsion, we divided 100 Newzealand white rabbits(40 1-month-old rabbits, 20 3-months old rabbits and 40 5-months-old rabbits) into 6 experimental groups according to their maturity and side : Group 1(right femur of 1 month old), Group 2( left femur of 1 month old), Group 3(right femur of 3 months old), Group 4(left femur of 3 months old), Group 5(right femur of 5 months old), Group 6(left femur of 5 months old). Each group of femora were loaded in torsion with varing distance and the following results were obtained: 1. Fracture shapes were composed of the spiral component and the vertical component which connected the two ends of the spiral component. 2. Younger bones revealed greater deformation angle and apex angle but less obliquity than older bones. 3. When the gap between the grips were lengthened three times, there was a very signi ficant increase of deformation angle and obliquity but apex angle was decreased and the fracture angle showed little change. 4. It was necessary to measure the apex angle and obliquity in the morphological description of fractures by torsion. 5. We observed when a certain degree of angular deformity was applied on a bone at a certain age, the fracture was occured through the tension failure regardless of types of loading forces.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Femur ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Rabbits

In order to appreciate the incidence of scabies, the authors conducted an observation of ll,848 cases of scabies in 152,254 outpatients at Chilgok Catholic Skin Clinic from January 1968 to December 1979 and the following results were obtained; The incidence of scabietic patients was 7.78% among total outpatients and the annual frequency increased progressively from 1972 (3.86%), showed maximal incidence in 1975(12. 35%), and thereafter decreased. In sexual distribution, males predominated over female 1.9: 1. In age distribution, 2nd and 3rd decades occupied 64 of total scabietic patients. The monthly distribution of total scabietic patients was highest in December (10.85%) and lowest in August (4.57%) but no seasonal variation was observed. Over half(54.9%) of 5,273 scabietic patients visited within 2 months after their infection. 1,031 cases(10.27%) of 10, 036 scabietic patients revealed the complications such as infection (5.04%), eczematization (3.37%) and nodule (1.86%).
Age Distribution ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Outpatients ; Scabies* ; Seasons ; Skin

No abstract available.
Animals ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Rats*