PURPOSE: To evaluate the differential features of complete and partial- thickness tears of the posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) and to describe associated knee injuries at magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four subjects were studied, including 15 with complete PCL tears and 9 with partial PCL tears. The PCL status was determined at arthroscopy in all cases. Knee MRI were perfomed at 1.0 Tesla using a dedicated knee surface coil. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed MR images and correlated MRI findings to results of arthroscopy. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between complete tears and partial tears with regard to thickness, margination, and signal intensity of the PCL. However, complete tears were more likely to show focal areas of ligamentous discontinuity(13/15:3/9, p=0.0073). Associated knee injuries were seen in 22 (92%) patients and were seen more frequently in patients with complete PCL tears, which were bony injuries (n=16, 67%), tears of the medial collateral ligament(n=12, 50%) and menisci(n--11, 46%), and stage III joint effusion(n=17, 71%). CONCLUSION: The most useful MRI criteria for distinguishing complete from partial PCL tear is focal area of ligamentous discontinuity, that is, complete tears are more likely to show focal areas of discontinuity, whereas partial tears are more likely to show at least some intact fibers.
Arthroscopy ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Knee Injuries ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Retrospective Studies

We report a case of Waardenburgs syndrome in 18-year-old male patient who has total deafness of the right ear, heterochromia irides, hypopigmented patches on the face and trunk, and disseminated lentigines on the entire body surface since birth. His 51-year-old mother also has total deafness, heterochromia irides, white foreloek, and disseminated lentigines on the entire body surface. The patient with this disorder may complain of pigmentary abnormalities, and we believe dermatologists should pay more attention to systemic signs of the congenital pigmentary disorders.
Adolescent ; Deafness ; Ear ; Humans ; Lentigo ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mothers* ; Parturition ; Waardenburg Syndrome*

This study investigated the stress of community residents in Kwang-Ju and Chonnam areas by using the General Health Questionnaire(GHQ-60) as a instrument of stress measurement. The number of subject were 445 residents who lived in three areas (large city, middle city, and rural area) and they were individually interviewed in March, 1994. The result of study showed that the degrees of stress measured by GHQ-60 were statistically significant in the residents' area, age. sex variables: (a) the residents in middle city among three area had the highest level of stress: (b) the resident who were more than 60 in age had the highest level of stress: (c) the female resident had more stress than male residents: (d) particularly, the residents who were more than 60 years old in the middle city had the highest level of stress. Further, the results of factor analysis showed that there were three factors of social dysfunction, depression and anxiety, and psychosomatic symptom. The social dysfunction factor was statistically significant in both age and resident area variables. The depression and anxiety factor was statistically significant in the residents' area, age. sex variables. The psychosomatic symptom factor was statistically significant in both age and sex variables. The study suggested that they should give a special attention to solve the old people's stress because stress was closely related to residents age.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis, Autoimmune* ; Polyneuropathies*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Shock, Septic*

The study was undertaken to examine the intensity of involvement of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and cyclic GMP signal transduction pathway as one of the mechanisms of vaso-relaxative action of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the canine femoral artery strips. Canine femoral arteries were isolated and spiral strips of 10 mm long and 2 mm wide were made in the Tyroad solution of 0-4degrees C. The strips were prepared for isometric myography in Biancani's isolated muscle chamber contaning 1 ml of Tyrode solution, which was maintained with pH 7.4 by areation with 95% O2/5% CO2 at 37degrees C and nitric oxide (NO) production was measured simulltaneously with isolated nitric oxide mrter. LPS induced NO production, suppressed the phenylephrine (PE) induced contraction and enhanced the acetylcholine (ACh) induced relaxation. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an NOS inhibitor, methylene blue, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, potentiated PE induced contraction and suppressed ACh induced relaxation on the LPS treated strips. The inhibitory potency of methylene blue for LPS induced vascular hyporeponsiveness was stronger than that of L-NAME. These result suggest that in canine femoral artery, both iNOS and cyclic GMP signal transduction pathway are related with LPS indused vascular hyporeponsiveness, but in minor with iNOS and in major with cyclic GMP signal transduction pathway.
Acetylcholine ; Cyclic GMP ; Femoral Artery ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Methylene Blue* ; Myography ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Nitroarginine* ; Phenylephrine ; Relaxation ; Signal Transduction

Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor(PBR) has been identified in various peripheral tissues including kidney. The physiological and pharmacological functions of PBR are still uncertain, although it has been suggested that these are associated with the regulation of stress/anxiety response. Diazepam progeny, which were exposed to diazepam perinatally, was reported to be an animal model of chronic anxiety. However, PBR in the diazepam progenies are not known yet. In the present study, therefore, we examined the changes of PBR in the stress/anxiety response. Dams of rats were given injection of diazepam or vehicle during puerperium. Diazepam progenies showed increased level of anxiety on the performance of elevated plus maze, and increased Bmax of PBR. Saturation experiments followed by scatchard analysis of the results showed that the increase in the density of PBR and the affinity of the PBR remained unchanged. Forced swim stress increased anxiety on the plus maze in both groups of rats. In contrast to control, diazepam progenies did not show further upregulation of renal PBR immediately after swimming stress, but still higher than control. From the above results, it may be concluded that upregulation of renal PBR is associated with chronic anxiety as well as stress-induced response.
Animals ; Anxiety ; Benzodiazepines* ; Diazepam ; Kidney ; Models, Animal ; Postpartum Period ; Rats ; Receptors, GABA-A* ; Swimming ; Up-Regulation

This study examined the effects of calcium (Ca) gluconate on collagen-induced DBA mouse rheumatoid arthritis (CIA). A single daily dose of 200, 100 or 50 mg/kg Ca gluconate was administered orally to male DBA/1J mice for 40 days after initial collagen immunization. To ascertain the effects administering the collagen booster, CIA-related features (including body weight, poly-arthritis, knee and paw thickness, and paw weight increase) were measured from histopathological changes in the spleen, left popliteal lymph node, third digit and the knee joint regions. CIA-related bone and cartilage damage improved significantly in the Ca gluconate- administered CIA mice. Additionally, myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in the paw were reduced in Ca gluconate-treated CIA mice compared to CIA control groups. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of oxidative stress, decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the Ca gluconate group. Finally, the production of IL-6 and TNF-alpha, involved in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis, were suppressed by treatment with Ca gluconate. Taken together, these results suggest that Ca gluconate is a promising candidate anti-rheumatoid arthritis agent, exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immunomodulatory effects in CIA mice.
Animals ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Body Weight ; Calcium Gluconate* ; Calcium* ; Cartilage ; Collagen ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunomodulation ; Interleukin-6 ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred DBA ; Oxidative Stress ; Peroxidase ; Spleen ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Water*

Background :The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)is increasing recently, but medical management for GERD has many limitations.Therefore,variable surgical treatments have been introduced. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective study was done in 10 patients who underwent the Belsey Mark IV operation at Korea university Guro hospital between 1996 and 2001.Preoperative diagnoses were hiatal hernia with gasroesophageal reflux in 8 patients and achalasia in 2 patients. RESULT: Mean age of the patients was 54.3 +/- 19.0 years.Belsey Mark IV operation was performed on patients where preoperative medical failed and mean hospital days were 13.1 +/- 2.6 days.We routinely practiced follow-up endoscopy on postoperative 3rd,6th,9th,and 12th months.After remission for reflux and esophagitis,they were transferred to internal medicine department.Six patients of hiatal hernia with reflux (one patient who lost follow-up and the other patient who didn't practice the follow-up endoscopy due to short postoperative follow-up period were excluded)had lowered endoscopic gradings and two patients of achalasia did not complained of reflux symptoms,postoperatively.We experienced 10%operation failure rate. CONCLUSION: We experienced satisfactory operation results with Belsey Mark IV in hiatal hernia with GERD and achalasia patients.
Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Achalasia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Hernia, Hiatal* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Retrospective Studies

Formaldehyde (FA) used for preserving the body for anatomy dissection is harmful to the human body. In many countries, for the purpose of protecting the health of workers in the industrial field, the maximal allowable air concentration of FA has been set. The threshold limit values of time weighted average (TLV-TWA) and short-term exposure limit (TLV-STEL) of FA recommended by Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) of Korea are less than 0.5 and 1 ppm, respectively. In the United States and Europe, TLV-TWAs of FA are recommended at between 0.3 and 2 ppm. In this study, we compared the air concentration of FA to domestic and foreign standards of FA in an anatomy laboratory equipped dissecting tables with inbuilt exhaust and an air diffuser/return system. We installed ten elevated dissection tables, 18 air diffusers on the ceiling, and 10 air returns at the bottom of both side walls. The concentration of FA was measured at five sites in the anatomy laboratory and above the cadavers on the dissecting tables at a height of 1.5 m from the floor using a Formaldemeter. The average concentration of FA in the anatomy laboratory (five sites) was 0.31 ppm (0.45 mg/m³), range 0.21 to 0.41 ppm (0.26~0.51 mg/m³). The average concentration of FA above the cadavers was 0.45 ppm (0.56 mg/m³), range 0.31 to 0.64 ppm (0.39~0.80 mg/m³). The average TWA of FA in the anatomy laboratory was 0.19 ppm (0.24 mg/m³), range 0.13 to 0.26 ppm. The average TWA of FA above the cadavers was 0.28 ppm (0.35 mg/m³), range 0.19 to 0.40 ppm. The anatomy laboratory dissecting tables equipped with inbuilt exhaust and air diffuser/return system met the criteria of the FA concentration recommended by MOEL of Korea and most foreign countries. This study was the first evaluation of the air concentration of FA in an anatomy laboratory equipped dissecting tables with inbuilt exhaust and an air diffuser/return system in Korea. We expect it will be not only used as a standard of comparison for anatomy laboratories, but as a reference for design and construction to improve air quality in Korean Medical Colleges.
Cadaver ; Employment ; Europe ; Formaldehyde* ; Human Body ; Korea ; Threshold Limit Values ; United States ; Ventilation