Maxillary bone defects may follow surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors, trauma, and infection. Palatal defects often lead to problems with swallowing and pronunciation from the leakage of air into the nasal cavity and sinus. Obturators have been commonly used to solve these problems, but long-term use of the device may cause irritation of the oral mucosa or damage to the abutment teeth. Utilizing implants in the edentulous area for the fabrication of the obturators has gained attention. This case report describes a patient, who had undergone partial resection of the maxilla due to adenocarcinoma, in need of a new obturator after losing abutment teeth after long-term use of the previous obturator. Implants were placed in strategic locations, and an implantretained maxillary obturator was fabricated, showing satisfactory results in the rehabilitation of multiple aspects, including palatal defect, masticatory function, swallowing, pronunciation, and aesthetics.

A accidental spills of phenol(100%) to the river Nakdong with subsequent contamination of the tap water for about two million consumers in Taegu city of Korea were occurred in March 1991. A historical cohort study of 6,913 individuals was undertaken to determine the associated with illness. Population subjects were divided into two groups of exposed and unexposed. Exposed subjects were reported to be phenol associated symptoms significantly higher than those in a nearby unexposed area(39.6% vs 9.4%, p<0.01). Especially, in the related symptoms, highly significant differences were noted in the number of subjects reporting gastrointestinal illness such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. During the accident, study subjects who experienced peculiar taste or odor in the tap water were significantly higher in the exposed areas(92% vs 34.3%). Chlorophenols formed from chlorination of water may have aggravated the problem.
Abdominal Pain ; Chlorophenols ; Cohort Studies ; Daegu ; Diarrhea ; Drinking Water* ; Drinking* ; Equipment and Supplies* ; Halogenation ; Korea ; Nausea ; Odors ; Phenol* ; Rivers ; Vomiting ; Water

We report two cases of cutaneous Mycobacterium(M.) marinum infections in a 43-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman who had multiple subcutaneous nodules on the left upper extremity and an erythematous ulcer on the right elbow, respectively. Skin biopsy specimens revealed chronic granulamatous inflammation and AFB positive bacilli in the dermis. The culture from tissue specimens on Lowenstein-Jensen media at 30'C for 10 days, yielded cream-colored colonies, which became yellow when exposed to light. The organism was identified as M. marinum by selected biochemical reactions. The patients were treated with surgical excision followed by administration of minocycline and administration of minocycline, respectively.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Elbow ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Minocycline ; Mycobacterium marinum* ; Mycobacterium* ; Skin ; Ulcer ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to evaluate F-18 FDG uptake in pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) according to CT findings and histology of lung cancer. Materials and METHODS: Thirty-three lung cancer patients with PLC were enrolled in this retrospective study. All the patients had a CT-based diagnosis of PLC. Chest CT findings of PLC were classified on the basis of involvement of axial interstitium. We categorized the involvement of axial interstitium as group 1, and the involvement of peripheral interstitium only as group 2. Visual and semiquantitative analyses by F-18 FDG PET/CT were performed in the PLC lesions. At first, we analyzed the F-18 FDG uptake in the PLC by visual assessment. If abnormal uptake was seen in the PLC, we drew regions of interest in the PLC lesions to obtain the maximum SUVs (maxSUVs). RESULTS: Of the 33 patients, 22 had abnormal F-18 FDG uptake in the visual assessment. There was no significant difference in the frequency of abnormal F-18 FDG uptake between group 1 and group 2 (p=0.17), although the frequency of group 1 tended to be higher than group 2 (15/19 (78.9%) in group 1, 7/14 (50.0%) in group 2). However, group 1 had a higher maxSUV than group 2 (p<0.01, group 1: 2.9+/-1.4, group 2: 1.5+/-0.6). There was no significant difference in the frequency of abnormal F-18 FDG uptake and maxSUV among the histology of the lung cancers. CONCLUSION: The involvement of axial interstitium in the PLC by lung cancer has a higher maxSUV than the involvement of only peripheral interstitium.
Carcinoma ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To evaluate contrast enhancement patterns of hemangioma according to size, as seen during thearterial and portal venous phase of spiral CT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During a recent six month-period, 52patients with hemangiomas underwent two-phase spiral CT examination with 10mm collimation at 10mm/sec table speed,and with 100mL of contrast material(37g iodine) injected at a rate of 2.5 mL/sec. CT images of the hepaticarterial and portal venous phase were obtained with 30-second and 65-second delay, respectively. In 52 patients,82 hemangiomas were seen. The diameter of the tumors were as follows ; < or =10 mm(n=31), 11-20 mm(n=19), and> or =21mm(n=32). The enhancement patterns of tumors compared with attenuation of surrounding liver parenchyma weredivided into four types : peripheral high, uniform high, iso, and low. RESULTS: Overall, the most commonenhancement pattern was peripheral high(44/82, 53.7%), during the arterial and portal venous phase. The second andthird most common patterns were uniform high(11/82, 13.4%) and peripheral high-uniform high(9/82, 11.0%), alsoduring the arterial and portal venous phase. Sixty-one(74.4%) showed peripheral high attenuation andeleven(13.4%), uniform high attenuation, during the arterial and/or portal venous phase. In tumors smaller than20mm, low-low attenuation was seen in eight(9.8%), and iso-low attenuation in two(2.4%), during the arterial andportal venous phase, respectively. CONCLUSION: On two-phase spiral CT, the most common enhancement pattern ofhemangioma was peripheral high, seen during the arterial and portal venous phase. However, a small hemangioma lessthan 2 cm may show atypical patterns, including low and iso attenuation.
Hemangioma* ; Liver ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

BACKGROUND: Clinical concern and incidence of mycotic keratitis in ophthalmic practice has been increasing. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical and mycological feature of mycotic keratitis. METHODS: We evaluated the clinical and mycological aspect of mycotic keratitis in 14 patients from October 1993 to March 1997 in Dongguk Unversity Hospital. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Mycotic keratitis showed high incidence in fifth (42.9%), sixth (35.7%), and fourth decade (14.3%). The ratio of male to female patient was 1:3.6. The seasonal prevalence was highest in autumn. A scratch or abrasion from vegetation was the most common type of the eye trauma in mycotic keratitis. The positive rate of KOH examination and culture was 92.9%, respectively. The common causative organisms of mycotic keratitis were Fusarium sp. (38.5%) and Alternaria sp. (38.5%), followed by Curvularia sp. (7.7%), Aspergillus flavus (7.7%) and Acremonium sp. (7.7%).
Acremonium ; Alternaria ; Aspergillus flavus ; Female ; Fusarium ; Humans ; Incidence ; Keratitis* ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seasons

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if short-term serum thyroglobulin (Tg) elevation after radioiodine administration can predict successful radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) and whether comparable RRA effectiveness is exhibited between a group administered with recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) and a group experiencing thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW), in preparation for RRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on 39 patients in the rhTSH group and 46 patients in the THW group. They were treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma by total or near total thyroidectomy, and referred for RRA between 2003 and 2006 (the rhTSH group) and between January and June of 2006 (the THW group). They were assessed for serum Tg levels just before I-131 administration (TgD0), reassessed 9 days later (TgD9), and again 6-12 months later. RESULTS: RRA was successful in 64 (37 from the THW group and 27 from the rhTSH group) of the total 85 patients. The success rates of RRA had no statistically significant differences between the two groups. In both groups, TgD9/TgD0 values were significantly higher in the RRA success group (the rhTSH group; P=0.03, the THW group; P=0.04). By combining cutoff values of TgD0 and TgD9/TgD0, the successful RRA value was determined to be 96.7% (29/30) with TgD0< or =5.28 ng/mL and TgD9/TgD0>4.37 in both groups (the rhTSH group; 100% (16/16), the THW group; 92.9% (13/14)). Using logistic multivariate analysis, only TgD0 was independently associated with successful RRA. CONCLUSION: We may predict successful ablation by evaluating short-term serum Tg elevation after I-131 administration for RRA, in both rhTSH and THW patients.
Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin ; Thyrotropin Alfa

Ciliated hepatic foregut cyst (CHFC) is a rare disease that originates from the tracheobronchial tree of the foregut. Most patients with CHFC, which is believed to be a non-malignant neoplasm, are clinically asymptomatic. However, there have been some case reports that identify it as changing to malignant in the last decade of the condition. Surgical excision is, therefore, preferred to observation as the treatment of CHFC. However, surgical excision of CHFC in asymptomatic elderly patients is controversial. We experienced a rare case of a 73-year-old female patient who was accidentally diagnosed with CHFC while being diagnosed for cholecystitis and cholangitis. The patient simultaneously underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and resection of CHFC, which was finally diagnosed as benign. We report asymptomatic CHFC in elderly patient, focusing our discussion on whether surgical excision of CHFC is necessary for asymptomatic elderly patients. According to a review of case reports, surgical excision of CHFC is not necessary for asymptomatic elderly patients.
Aged ; Cholangitis ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis ; Female ; Humans ; Rare Diseases

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (Af) after open heart surgery may result in hypotension, heart failure, embolic complication and prolongation in length of hospital stay. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of pharmacological prophylaxis in reducing the incidence of Af after cardiac surgery. The pericardial sac represents a natural physical barrier and provides a drug receptacle to restrict drug delivery to the heart. The overall objective of this study was to determine whether the pericardial sac could function as a delivery chamber for antiarrhythmic drugs. We investigated whether quinidine delivered into the pericardial sac exerted an effect on atrial and ventricular refractoriness, impulse generation, and conduction. METHODS: All animals were anesthetized with alpha-chloralose. After a sternotomy, the pericardium was opened and cradled to produce a "container" of approximately 30 ml. Experimental animals received quinidine, 3.33 mg/ml, dissolved in Krebs-Henseleit solution instilled into their pericardial sacs for 30 minutes. Baseline and 5, 10 and 30 minutes postinstillation electrophysiologic studies were performed. Plasma quinidine levels were measured at each of the time intervals in three different sites i.e., right ventricle (RV), aortic root and femoral vein (FV). RESULTS: Baseline systolic (SAP) and diastolic aortic pressure (DAP) were 148+/-16.8 mmHg, and 111+/-23.9 mmHg, respectively. Both SAP and DAP were significantly decreased at 5, 10 and 30 minutes after instillation of quinidine solution into pericardial sac. In electrocardiographic parameters, the increase in sinus cycle length and corrected QT interval were significantly greater compared with baseline at each of the time intervals after instillation of quinidine solution into pericardial sac. All electrophysiologic parameters including 1:? AV conduction, effective refractory period (ERP) of RA and RV were significantly increased compared with baseline at three time points. Quinidine concentrations in RV and aorta were significantly higher than in FV at three time points. In RV and aorta, quinidine concentrations at 30 min were significantly lower than those at 5 and 10 min postinstillation periods. There were significant correlations between plasma quinidine levels and corrected QT interval or RAERP. CONCLUSION: Above results showed that quinidine instilled into the pericardial sac migrates transmurally and produces significant prolongation of effective refractory period and may appear to prevent various arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.
Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Aorta ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arterial Pressure ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Chloralose ; Electrocardiography ; Electrophysiology ; Femoral Vein ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Pericardium ; Plasma ; Quinidine* ; Sternotomy ; Thoracic Surgery

PURPOSE: The objective of this clinical presentation was to present a clinical case series report of socket preservation, sinus augmentation, and bone grafting using a horse-derived biomaterial. METHODS: A horse-derived biomaterial was used in 8 patients for different indications including socket preservation following tooth extraction, osseous bone grafting, and sinus augementation procedures. Surgeries were performed by a well trained specialist and clinical radiographs were obtained at designated intervals. Biopsy cores of 2 x 8 mm prior to implant placement was obtained following a healing interval of 4 - 6 months. A clinical and histologic evaluation was performed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and biocompatibility of the biomaterial. RESULTS: All surgeries in 8 patients were successful with uneventful healing except for one case with membrane exposure that eventually resulted with a positive outcome. Radiographic display of the healing phase during different intervals showed increased radiopacity of granular nature as the healing time increased. No signs of adverse effect or infection was observed clinically and the tissues surrounding the biomaterial seemed well-tolerated with good intentional healing. The augmented sinuses healed uneventfully suggesting in part, good biocompatibility of the biomaterial. Dental implants placed following socket preservation were inserted with high initial torque suggesting good initial stability and bone quality. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that at least on a tentative level, a horse-derived biomaterial may be used clinically in socket preservation, sinus augmentation, bone grafting techniques with good intentional healing and positive results.
Biocompatible Materials ; Biopsy ; Bone Substitutes ; Bone Transplantation ; Dental Implants ; Humans ; Membranes ; Specialization ; Tooth Extraction ; Torque ; Wound Healing