BACKGROUND: For the treatment of generalized vitiligo patients with oral PUVA, we can use two different methods; one is to treat the lesions while the whole body is exposed. Another one is to treat the lesions while only the lesions are exposed. PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine whether lesional and whole body exposure in oral PUVA for generalized vitiligo show any therapeutic differences in effectiveness. METHODS: The vitiligo lesions were distributed over the whole body skin of the subjects and the lesion area was less than 6% of the whole skin area. PUVA was done to the subjects more than 20 times after oral administration of psoralen. The patients were classified into two different groups. One is the lesional exposure group in which the patient exposed only the vitiligo lesion. The other is the whole body exposure group in which the patient exposed almost their whole body. RESULTS: Our results show that there is no statistical difference of the therapeutic effectiveness between the two methods. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend lesional treatment rather than whole body treatment to prevent the oral PUVA side effects.
Administration, Oral ; Ficusin ; Humans ; Skin ; Vitiligo*

PURPOSE: We tried to outline the incidence and characteristics of meniscal tears in recent lesions and chronic insufficiency of the ACL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through this retrospective study of 103 reconstructions of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) performed between Jun 1996 to Sep 1998, according to a more accurate evaluation, ACL-deficient knees can be classified into two different stages (recent, chronic injuries). RESULTS: Overall, there was a significantly increasing incidence of meniscal tears in chronic injuries (P<0.05). A predominance of lateral meniscal tears were demonstrated with recent injuries, whereas the incidence of medial meniscal tears increased significantly with chronic injuries (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the increase of lateral meniscal lesion in recent ACL rupture and increase of severe meniscal lesion, especially medial meniscus, with progressive worsening of knee instability after an ACL injury. Although not significant, meniscal tears in the recent injuries were more amenable to repair. The results suggest that maximal meniscal preservation is best achieved with ACL reconstruction shortly after injury.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Incidence ; Knee* ; Menisci, Tibial ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture*

We report two human cases of tick bite. A 63-year-old male had a pruritic pea-sized brownish nodule on the left popliteal area. Another 41-year-old male had an asymptomatic bean-sized black nodule in the pubic area. The ticks were identified as Ixodes nipponensis, which are the 18th and the 19th cases in Korea.
Adult ; Animals ; Bites and Stings/*parasitology/pathology ; Human ; *Ixodes/anatomy & histology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin/*parasitology/pathology ; Tick Infestations/*parasitology/pathology

No abstract available.
Epidermis* ; Psoriasis

No abstract available.
Caroli Disease*

OBJECTIVES: We performed anterior spinal fusion and instrumentation in treatment of spinal tuberculosis. The clinical results of this operation and metal-related complications were evaluated to determine the rationale of anterior instrumentation in active tuberculous lesion. METHODS: From July 1989 to February 1993, we treated twenty-one patients with spinal tuberculosis by radical resection of the tuberculous lesion and bone grafting, followed by anterior instrumentation using Zielke rod system. The changes in spinal deformity were measured from lateral spinal radiographs obtained preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and final follow-up. The recurrence of infection and possible complications were also observed clinically and radiologically. RESULTS: The mean kyphotic angle was decreased preoperatively from 21 degrees to 16 degrees at final follow-up in patients with thoracolumbar tuberculous lesions. The mean deformity angle was corrected 7 degrees in thoracolumbar tuberculosis and 12 degrees in lumbar tuberculosis compared with the preoperative deformity angle. There was not any persistence or recurrence of infection possibly related to the instrumentation. All patients were allowed early ambulation with the aid of a light brace. CONCLUSION: The clinical and radiological results suggested that the anterior instrumentation seemed to be one of the rational approaches for providing immediate stability in treating severe spinal tuberculosis without any significant risk of persistence or recurrence of infection.
Bone Transplantation ; Braces ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Early Ambulation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Spinal Fusion ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Spinal*

The use of self-expanding metal stent has been widely reported that its utility can make a palliative decompression treatment and one stage operation without doing colostomy in the patient with unresectable and resectable obstructive colorectal cancer, respectively. It, however, can sometimes cause complications such as intestinal perforation. We report that the conservative treantment could be possible without removing stent or performing laparotomy in case of intestinal perforation during chemoradiotheraphy after insert of stent for relieving colonic obstruction in the 53 years old female patient with stage IV rectal cancer.
Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Colostomy ; Decompression ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; Laparotomy ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Stents*

Vitamin D deficiency rickets is a metabolic disorder of growing bone, which is still important nutritional problem in developing countries. Recently we had expirienced 2 cases of typical vitamin D deficiency rickets, who were fed with only thin rice gruels and not fed any nutrient diets, breast milk, vitamin D supplements and almostly not to be exposured to sunlight for a long period of time due to poor socio-economic condition. Treatments were consisted of 600,000 units of vitamin D injection, high protein, high calorie diets and frequent exposures to sunlight. All of two were improved in clinical and laboratory findings after above therapy.
Developing Countries ; Diet ; Milk, Human ; Rickets ; Sunlight ; Vitamin D Deficiency* ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of proximal femoral nail in the treatment of intertrochanteric fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors investigated the classificaton of fracture, operation time, the amount of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, the amount of transfusion, postoperative ambulation status, bone union time and the complication among 45 cases who were treated with proximal femoral nail from Jan. 2001 to June 2002. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 116 minutes, and the amount of bleeding was 524 ml in average. The amount of intraoperative transfusion was 1.4 pints and that of postoperative transfusion was 1.1 pints. The complications were the intraoperative penetration of antirotational screw through the femoral neck in 2 cases, separation of the fracture fragment while inserting the nail in 4 cases, irritation of skin by retropulsion of antirotation screw in 2 cases, and penetration of antirotation screw through femoral head in 1 case. CONCLUSION: Proximal femoral nail was effective for the treatment of intertrochanteric fracture, however the surgeon should be carful about collision of the insertion handle against pelvis when the fracture line coincides with the insertion point of nail, especially in obese patients.
Femur ; Femur Neck ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pelvis ; Skin ; Walking

STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS: The heat produced during polymerization of polymer-based provisional materials may cause thermal damage to the vital pulp. PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the exotherm reaction of the polymerbased provisional materials during polymerization by differential scanning calorimetry and to compare the temperature changes of different types of resins. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three dimethacrylate-based materials (Protemp 3 Garant, Luxatemp Plus, Luxatemp Fluorescence) and five monomethacrylate-based material (Snap, Alike, Unifast TRAD, Duralay, Jet) were selected. Temperature changes of polymer-based provisional materials during polymerization in this study were evaluated by D.S.C Q-1000 (TA Instrument, Wilmington, DE, USA). The following three measurements were determined from the temperature versus time plot: (1) peak temperature, (2) time to reach peak temperature, (3) heat capacity. The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and multiple comparison Bonferroni test at the significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The mean peak temperature was 39.5 degrees C (+/- 1.0). The peak temperature of the polymer-based provisional materials decreased in the following order: Duralay > Unifast TRAD, Alike > Jet > Luxatemp Plus, Protemp 3 Garant, Snap, Luxatemp Fluorescence. The mean time to reach peak temperature was 95.95 sec (+/- 64.0). The mean time to reach peak temperature of the polymer-based provisional materials decreased in the following order: Snap, Jet > Duralay > Alike > Unifast TRAD > Luxatemp Plus, Protemp 3 Garant, Luxatemp Fluorescence. The mean heat capacity was 287.2 J/g (+/- 107.68). The heat capacity of the polymer-based provisional materials decreased in the following order: Duralay > TRAD, Jet, Alike > Snap, Luxatemp Fluorescence, Protemp 3 Garant, Luxatemp Plus. CONCLUSION: The heat capacity of materials, determined by D.S.C., is a factor in determining the thermal insulating properties of restorative materials. The peak temperature of PMMA was significantly higher than others (PEMA, dimethacrylate). No significant differences were found among PEMA (Snap) and dimethacrylate (P > 0.05). The time to reach peak temperature was greatest with PEMA, followed by PMMA and dimethacrylate. The heat capacity of PMMA was significantly higher than others (PEMA, dimethacrylate). No significant differences were found among PEMA and dimethacrylate (P>0.05).
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning* ; Crowns* ; Denture, Partial, Fixed* ; Fluorescence ; Hot Temperature ; Polymerization ; Polymers ; Polymethyl Methacrylate