No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Biopsy*

A 46-year-old male patient developed jaundice after 23 days' treatment of propylthiouracil (PTU) for Graves' disease. Serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated markedly with moderate increase in serum aminotransferase, and the peak level of total bilirubin was 7.3 mg/dL. After withdrawal of PTU, serum aminotransferase and bilirubin began to decrease simultaneously, and completely normalized. One week after the discharge from hospital, he received radioiodine treatment for Graves' disease, but he showed aggravation of hyperthyroidism and ophthalmopathy. So we prescribed methimazole inevitably 16 days' after the radiodiodine treatment. He developed jaundice again after 69 days' treatment of methimazole, but the pattern of hepatotoxicity was slightly different from that of the previous PTU-nduced hepatotoxicity. Serum aminotransferase increased slightly and quickly normalized after discontinuance of methimazole, but serum total bilirubin increased continuously and reached to 24.6 mg/dL. Eosinophilia was prominent and the result of liver biopsy was compatible with cholestatic jaundice. The patient was treated with prednisolone and recovered from jaundice rapidly.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bilirubin ; Biopsy ; Eosinophilia ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Liver ; Male ; Methimazole* ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Propylthiouracil*

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to examine early radiographic findings and clinical signs of failure of the microstructure surface HA-coated acetabular cup. Material and methods: This study included 41 revisions of 204 THA with hydroxyapatite-coated acetabular cup from April 1992 to November 1996. Radiolucent line around cups, change in the cup angle and osteolysis were evaluated in serial radiographs. Acetabular cup was defined as loosening if any movement occurred at the bone and socket interface by manual rotation and extension force intraoperatively or migration of more than 2 mm and change of the cup angle by more than 5 degrees in radiographs. Results: The radiolucent line was observed in 12 of the 41 hips at an average of 55.4 months postoperatively and was most commonly located in zone III. All of the 12 hips showing radiolucent lines were classified as loosening by radiographically in 8 cases and intraoperatively in 4 cases. Radiographic loosening occurred at an average of 28.8 months after the appearance of a radiolucent line. Inguinal pain was noted in 18 of the 19 cases revised for acetabular cup loosening. Conclusion: The most important radiographic finding for the early diagnosis of loosening was progressive radiolucent lines, which occurred most frequently in zone 3.
Acetabulum* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Early Diagnosis ; Hip ; Osteolysis

Tuberculous spondylitis is not rare disease. Today the posterior instrumentation and posterior or posterolateral fusion concomitant with the anterior decompression and anterior interbody fusion have been used for the treatment of spinal tuberculosis. The authors experienced a case of tuberculous spondylitis complicated with descending aortic pseudoaneurysm. An aneurysm is defined as a localized dilatation of an artery that is at least one-half the size greater than is expected for that artery. Pseudoaneurysm occurring after previous operation, trauma, and infection. Erosion of the thoracic aorta with the development of an fistula in the presence of infection is an unusual and difficult problem to manage. We report a case and review related articles briefly.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Arteries ; Decompression ; Dilatation ; Fistula ; Rare Diseases ; Spondylitis* ; Tuberculosis, Spinal

PURPOSE: This study intended to examine the effect of pamidronate, when it was administrated in early estrogen deficiency period, by examining biomechanically bone mass generated in trunkal and extremity bone with bone strength examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 17-weeks-old 95 mice of Sprague-Dawley lines were divided into 1st group 28mice, 2nd group 25mice and 3rd group 42mice. The 1st group was sham-operated group, 2nd group underwent bilateral ovariectomy and then injected intravenously normal saline 0.05cc, and 3rd group underwent bilateral ovariectomy and then injected intravenously pamidronate 0.1mg/Kg. RESULTS: The strength of femur, tibia and spine was surveyed with Young' modulus. Femur and spine had a statistically significant difference between 1 and 2 group, 2 and 3 group, and tibia had between 2 and 3 group. CONCLUSION: In early osteoporosis, pamidronate administration is supposed to prevent or decrease osteoporosis and fracture resulting from osteoporosis.
Animals ; Estrogens ; Extremities ; Female ; Femur ; Mice ; Osteoporosis* ; Ovariectomy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spine ; Tibia

Although the management of fractures of the calcaneus still remains controversial, open reduction and internal fixation is gaining in popularity as the method of choice for the treatment of displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures. However, open methods can make several complications such as neurovascular injury and infection. Thus we have performed the new technique of arthroscopic reduction and minimal internal fixation for displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures in 5 cases. The results were evaluated between 12 and 16 months after surgery. A Bohler angle was restored to 25degrees-40degrees in all cases. Anatomical reduction of articular surface were obtained from 4 cases out of 5. No complications were found except 1 peroneal tendinitis. The clinical results by Creighton-Nebraska health foundation assessment for fractures of the calcaneus were 3 excellent, 1 good and 1 fair. Even though this was a few case and a short term follow-up study, the arthroscopic assisted management of displaced intraarticular calcaneal fracture induced a little complications and satisfactory results.
Calcaneus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Tendinopathy

No abstract available.
Giant Cell Tumor of Bone* ; Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The incidence of inflammatory heart diseases is not yet as high as those of other cardiovascular diseases; however, inflammatory heart diseases do have relatively high mortality rate. Therefore, update information on the economic burden of inflammatory heart diseases are necessary in order to appropriate policy making on these diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used a number of resources to obtain data, national health insurance statistics, the Korean Health Panel, and the causes of death report by the Korean National Statistical Office. The total costs of inflammatory heart diseases were estimated as the sum of direct medical care costs, direct non-medical care and indirect costs. RESULTS: The total direct cost of inflammatory heart disease was higher in Korean men than that of Korean women and cost due to inpatient was higher than that of outpatients cost. The costs to cover premature death were highest among all of the components used to determine the total costs for inflammatory heart disease, representing 66.3% of these costs in Korea. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory heart disease has a relatively high mortality rate, and the costs that are associated with premature deaths consume the greatest proportion of the costs associated with this disease. In spite of some limitations of study, this could be a reliable evidence of economic burden of inflammatory heart disease.
Cause of Death ; Cost of Illness ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality, Premature ; National Health Programs ; Outpatients ; Policy Making

AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compounds), which was at first extracted from cultured broth of Basidiomycotina, is known to be one of the Biological Response Modifiers (BRM). We examined the protective effects of AHCC on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury in mice. The AHCC pretreatment prevented the suppression of several physiological and biochemical parameters in the mice injected with CCl4 or TAA for 5 days. The liver weights and serum ALT and AST levels were increased by CCl4 or TAA, the degree of which was significantly reduced with the AHCC pretreatment. The AHCC pretreatment induced increasing activity of GST (glutathione s-transferase) and showed an increasing tendency of P450 and EROD (ethoxyresorufin o-dealkylation). The AHCC pretreatment also showed negative effects against the suppression of drug metabolizing enzymes, such as P450, EROD, and GST induced by CCl4 or TAA. AHCC pretreatment showed protective effects with significant inhibition of fatty change, inflammation, and necrosis in CCl4 and TAA intoxicated mice liver. The present study suggests that the protective effect of AHCC pretreatment might be related to the protection of liver from the drug induced liver injury in mice model.
Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury* ; Immunologic Factors ; Inflammation ; Liver ; Mice* ; Necrosis ; Thioacetamide ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The thickening of the gallbladder wall is a valuable finding for the diagnosis of cholecystitis, butmay be seen in non-cholecystic disease as well as in acute or chronic cholecystitis. The purpose of this study isto determine the value of color Doppler sonography in differentiating the causes of thickened gallbladder wall. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety eight patients with thickened gallbladder wall(more than 3mm) which was not due to gallbladder cancer were prospectively evaluated with color Doppler sonography. Sixty-six cases, confirmed bypathologic reports and clinical records, were analyzed for correlation between thickened gallbladder wall andcolor flow signal according to the underlying causes. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients, 28 cases were cholecystitisand 38 cases had non-cholecystic causes such as liver cirrhosis, ascites, hepatitis, pancreatitis, renal failure,and hypoalbuminemia. Of the 28 patients with cholecystitis(12 acute, 16 chronic), 23(82%) had color Doppler flowsignals in the thickened gallbladder wall. Of the 38 patients with non-cholecystic causes, eight(21%) had color Doppler flow signals. There was a statistically significant difference of color Doppler flow signals between the cholecystitis and non-cholecystic groups(p=0.0001). No significant difference of color Doppler flow signals was found between cases of acute and chronic cholecystitis. Of the 23 patients with color Doppler flow signals in 28cases of cholecystitis, 18(78.3%) showed a linear pattern and five(21.7%) showed a spotty pattern. Of the eight patients with color Doppler flow signals in the 38 non-cholecystic cases, four(50%) showed a linear pattern andfour(50%) showed a spotty pattern. In cholecystitis, a linear color Doppler flow signal pattern is a much more frequent finding than a spotty pattern. CONCLUSION: Color Doppler sonography is a useful and adequate method for determining whether a thickened gallbladder wall is the result of cholecystitis or has non-cholecystic causes.
Ascites ; Cholecystitis ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder* ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Pancreatitis ; Prospective Studies