We report one case with the occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery and the left renal artery in the mitral stenosis with the review of the literatures.
Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Renal Artery*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a rare compressive neuropathy. Reported cases of the tarsal tunnel syndrome in Korea were diagnosed by conventional nerve conduction and EMG studies, so their sensitivity was low and the differentiation from similar disorder such as lumbosacral radiculopathy was difficult. We report the usefulness of the interdigital nerve conduction study by using needle recording electrodes in the tarsal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: Sensory compound nerve action potentials were recorded orthodromically using the near-nerve needle and signal averaging techniques. Active and reference recording electrodes were inserted behind the medial malleolus above the flexor retinaculum. When the great toe was contracting minimally with less than 3mA for a stimulus of 0.05ms duration, the needle was considered to be adequately positioned. The first and fifth digital nerves were stimulated with ring electrodes and various interdigital nerves with interdigital stimulating surface electrodes which were specially designed. Averaged sensory action potential were recorded 3 times and superimposed after 64 stimuli per each time of recording. Amplitude of sensory nerve action potential, sensory nerve conduction velocity, and the presence of the temporal dispersion were checked. The results were as follow, 1. The causes of the 775 were trauma in 3 cases, sprain in 2 cases, unknown in 5 cases. 2. Associated disease were radiculopathy in 6 cases, rheumatoid arthritis In 1 case, carpal tunnel syndrome In 1 case. 3. Clinical findings included pain on the in 5 cases, tingling sensation in 4 cases, hyperesthesia in 4 cases, numbness in 2 cases and Tinnel's sign in 2 4. Five cases showed absent potential, 5 cases low amplitude, 4 cases dispersion, 2 cases slow nerve conduction velocity and 2 cases low amplitude and slow nerve conduction velocity by Interdigital nerve condution study. 5. Five lumbosacral radiculopathy without tarsal tunnel syndrome showed normal results in interdigital nerve conduction test. We concluded that interdigital nerve conduction test using needle recording electrode is useful methods of diagnosing tarsal tunnel syndrome as well as differentiating to other disorders having similar symptoms.
Action Potentials ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Electrodes ; Hyperesthesia ; Hypesthesia ; Korea ; Needles ; Neural Conduction ; Radiculopathy ; Sensation ; Sprains and Strains ; Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Toes

We had a retrospective study for taumatic fracture of spines with simple X-ray and CT. During the period of 2years from June 1983, the radiological and clinical evaluation had been made on 36 patients suffered from traumatic fracture of spines which were confiremd by the radilgocial examination. The results were as follows; 1.Among 36 patients, single spinal injury was 26 cases(72.2%), multiple level injuries was 10 cases(27.7%). 2. Levelof spinal injuries were as follows; Most frequent site was thoracolumbar junction (T11-L2) in 19 cases(52.7%), andlower cervical spine(C3-C7) in 9 cases(25%). 3. Simple fracture was in 15 cases(41.6%), burst fractures was in 21cases(58%). Neurologic symptoms were appeared in 11 cases(52%) in 21 cases of burst fractures. 4. Manifestationsof spinal canal narrowing: 2 of 15 cases in simple fracture, all of 21 cases of burst fractures,and we were foundexactly posterior element fractures with CT, which were difficult to detect with simple X-ray film. 5. Multiplanar reconstruction images were more favorable to detect the distraction of facet joint, fracture through the vertebralendplate, subluxation and kyphosis, which were difficult to detect with axial CT images.
Humans ; Kyphosis ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Fractures ; Spinal Injuries ; Spine ; X-Ray Film ; Zygapophyseal Joint

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fibroblasts interact with eosinophils and play a key role in the pathogenesis of airway diseases. The aims of this study were to investigate whether Th1 or Th2 type cytokines can induce mRNA and protein expression of eotaxin and RANTES in human nasal fibroblast (HNF) and to verify the correlation between the stimulation of different cytokines and chemokines in HNF. Materials and Methods: Cultured HNF were stimulated by IL-13, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-13 with TNF-alpha, IL-13 with IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha with IFN-gamma for 6, 24 and 48 hours. In addition, HNF were stimulated by different concentration of IL-13 (0.2, 2, 20, 200 ng/ml). MRNA expression of eotaxin and RANTES were revealed by RT-PCR and protein of eotaxin and RANTES were revealed by ELISA. RESULTS: TNF-alpha and IFN-gammar induced mRNA and protein expression of RANTES in HNF and they synergistically induced protein expression of RANTES. RANTES expression increased in a time dependent manner. IL-13 induced mRNA and protein expression of eotaxin in HNF and it synergistically reacted with TNF-alpha or IFN-gamma. The effects of IL-13 on mRNA and protein expression of eotaxin increased in a concentration dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Th1 or Th2 type cytokines induce mRNA and protein expression of eotaxin and RANTES in human nasal fibroblasts. TNF-alpha or IFN-gamma induce more RANTES than eotaxin but IL-13 induces more eotaxin than RANTES. There may be some synergic effects of cytokines for mRNA and protein expression of chemokines.
Chemokine CCL5* ; Chemokines ; Cytokines* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophils ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans* ; Interleukin-13 ; RNA, Messenger* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Placenta* ; Pregnancy*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Measuring the therapeutic effect of tympanoplasty is usually dependent on the surgeon's view-point and the results of pre- and post-operative pure tone audiometry (PTA). But there is considerable discrepancy between the subjective hearing benefit and the PTA, so the aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between them among the patients who had tympanoplasty for chronic suppurative otitis media. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred patients who had tympanoplasty between 2000 and 2001 were studied. Patients were divided into two groups, improved and not-improved group, according to their answers to the questionnaire asking his or her subjective hearing benefit. The pre and postoperative air conduction threshold (AC), bone conduction threshold (BC), air-bone gap (ABG) and the amount of increment or decrement of these parameters were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Analysis of the data showed significant differences between the two groups with respect to preoperative ABG, postoperative AC, postoperative ABG, AC decrement and ABG decrement. Especially, when the amount of AC decrement was more than 10 dB or the ABG decrement was more than 20 dB, the rate of improved subjective hearing group was increased very strongly. CONCLUSION: Among the pre- and post-tympanoplasty PTA results, the most useful indicators of patient's subjective hearing benefit are the amount of AC decrement (more than 10 dB) and ABG decrement (more than 20 dB).
Audiometry* ; Bone Conduction ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Otitis Media, Suppurative ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tympanoplasty*

Angiomyoma is a benign myogenic tumor which can be found wherever smooth muscle is present. They are most commonly found in the alimentary tract, female genito-urinary tract, skin and subcutaneous tissues, but are rare in the area of the head and neck due to the scarcity of smooth muscle tissue. Because of their rarity, these tumors are often clinically misdiagnosed and identified only after histological examination. We present a case of angioleiomyoma which was found in the nasal dorsum and was excised by open rhinoplasty approach.
Angiomyoma* ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neck ; Rhinoplasty ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

A lesion in the cervico-thoracic junction can be of interest to neurosugeons, not only because its incidence is quite low, but also because there is not a published proper anterior approach. Currently the authors have experienced two cases of degenerative disease and one case of traumatic dislocation of the cervico-thoracic junction, in which the main lesions were located in the interspace or posterior portion of vertebral bodies at the junction between the cervical and thoracic spines and an anterior approach to the lesions should be considered. A supraclavicular approach has applied to these cases, by which a good surgical field was obtained. Furthermore the surgical results were good without any serious complication.
Dislocations ; Incidence ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine

No abstract available.
Fractures, Compression* ; Vertebroplasty*

PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term characteristics of cataracts among adults aged 30 to 49 years in Korean over a span of 10 years. METHODS: Subjects between the ages of 30 to 49 years who underwent cataract surgery at St. Mary's Hospital from 1995 to 2004 (n = 976) were included. Patients with a history of ocular trauma, uveitis, other ocular or systemic diseases, and congenital cataracts were excluded. Additional information including type of lens opacity, urban/rural region, and pre- and postoperative visual acuities were analyzed. Lens opacity grading was conducted using Lens Opacity Classification System III. The Cochran-Armitage proportion trend test was used to analyze vision changes with the passage of time. RESULTS: Among the patients who had undergone cataract surgeries, 8.8% (976 / 11,111) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 41.7 +/- 5.45 years. Gender breakdown of the patient population included 79.0% male and 21.0% female. In terms of home environment, 60.9% were from an urban region and 39.1% from a rural region. Opacity type included anterior polar (AP), posterior subcapsular (PSC), AP and PSC, cortical, and nuclear in 35.7%, 35.1%, 7.0%, 6.0%, and 5.4% of patients, respectively. At a 2-month postoperative follow-up appointment, 92.7% of patients showed a best-corrected visual acuity of more than 20 / 40. CONCLUSIONS: Predominance of AP and PSC opacities as well as male patients was observed in this study population.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Age Factors ; Cataract/*epidemiology/pathology ; *Cataract Extraction ; Female ; *Forecasting ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lens Capsule, Crystalline/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies