The choice of operative procedures was determined by many factors, but the levator function is considered as the most important factor. Fox recommended that when the levator function was 2 to 9 mm, the patient should be treated by the levator resection and when the levator function was below 2 mm, the patient should be crated by frontalis suspension. But Collin recommended that when the levator function was below 4 mm, the brow suspension procedure got the better result. Beside that, many other authors recommended various opinions. Therefore, when levator function of the patients was between 2 and 4 mm, the choice of operative procedure was much confusing us. The aim of this study is to clarify which is better Procedures between levator resection and the frontalis transfer or orbicularis oculi muscle transfer among the patients with 2 to 4 mm of levator action. From Jan. of 1991 to Dec. of 1994, among 26 patients with 2 to 4 mm levator function, 13 cases of 10 patients were operated by levator resection, 21 cases of 16 patients were teated by frontalis transfer or orbicularis oculi muscle flap. The results were evaluated with the average 27 months of follow-up and we compared the result of the levator resection procedure with that of frontalis muscle transfer or orbicularis oculi muscle transfer. The preoperative average amount of ptosis is about 2.7 mm in cases with levator resection, about 4.0 mm in cases with frontalis muscle transfer or orbicularis oculi muscle flap transfer. The postoperative average amount of ptosis is about 1.7 mm in cases with levator resection about 2.14 mm in cases with frontail muscle transfer or orbicularis oculi muscle flap transfer and so the postoperative improvement of amount of ptosis is about 1.0 mm in cases with levator resection, about 1.86 mm in cases with frontails muscle transfer or orbicularis oculi muscle flap transfer. The major complication of levator resection method is undercorrection. However, the eyelid deformity due to excessive upward traction was more frequent in frontalis muscle flap technique.
Blepharoptosis* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Eyelids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Traction

The patient was a 34-year-old male who had the dorsum of his right foot burned with strong alkali. Subsequently, the wound changed to an ulcer 3 days after the accident, and it was resistant to conventional treatment. After seventeen days of a granulation tissue-forming period, we applied a suction blistered epidermal graft using an intrinsic heating system we had devised. Suction blistered epidermal grafting is a less painful method with minimal scarring that is applicable to various skin diseases and researches. However, currently used techniques require patients to be immobile for some time and it makes physicians and patients feel uneasy and uncomfortable. The time needed for the suction blister formation is dependent on many factors. Among them, the temperature and the suction pressure are the important factors that can be modified easily. So, we devised a suction device having the capability to heat itself and used a suction machine with a pressure meter. We applied this to the above patient. We present a case of a chemical burn wound treated with suction blistered epidermal grafting.
Adult ; Alkalies ; Blister* ; Burns ; Burns, Chemical* ; Cicatrix ; Foot ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Skin Diseases ; Suction* ; Transplants* ; Ulcer ; Wounds and Injuries*

BACKGROUND: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetic disorder of the melanin pigment system in which melanin synthesis is reduced or absent in the skin, hair, and eyes. OCA is classified into two major types, and tyrosinase-related OCA can be produced by mutations of the structural gene for tyrosinase enzyme (TYR gene). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the segregation of mutant alleles of the TYR gene in tyrosinase-negative and tyrosinase-positive Korean OCA patients and families. METHODS: We amplified exon I, II, and III of the TYR gene of Korean OCA patients and their families by polymerase chain reactions (PCR), and analyzed the mutations by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in exon I and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses in exon II and exon III. RESULTS: Two tyrosinase-negative cases showed mutations in exon I. Four tyrosinase-nega-tive cases and one tyrosinase-positive case showed mutations in exon II, and one tyrosinase-neg- ative case showed mutations in exon III. In summary, we found three kinds of mutation in four tyrosinase-negative OCA patients and one tyrsinase-positive OCA patient. CONCLUSIONS: RFLP and SSCP analysis can provide a basis for a rapid and sensitive screening system to detect TYR gene mutations of Korean OCA patients and their families.
Albinism, Oculocutaneous* ; Alleles ; Exons ; Hair ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Melanins ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Skin

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Thoracic Injuries* ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Early MRI and arthroscopic findings were compared to evaluate the efficacy of the former for patients, who upon physical examination, were diagnosed with possihle acute ACL tears. MRI, taken between 1-21 days after injury, had to reveal complete ACL tears and arthroscopic surgery should have taken place 3-12 weeks after the injury for patients of this prospective study. Fifty such cases were initially catagorized according to five MRI patterns. Types I to V were separated by the following ACL tear characteristics: Enlarged and diffusely increased in signal, horizontally oriented, non-visualized, discontinuous and vertically oriented. The cases were then divided into two groups of arthroscopic findings; Group A included cases of complete ACL tearing and group B included those with intact or minimally torn ACLs. Of MRI types I through V, there were 31, 9, 5, 4, and I cases of each respectively. 37 cases resulted in complete ACL tears (21 type I, 6 type II, 5 type III, 4 type IV and 1 type V) and 13 cases were catagorized into group B, 10 of which had pattern type I and 3 of which had pattern type II. As result, types III, IV and V had a 100% Positive Predictive Value (PPV) whereas types I and II together had a 67% PPV vaiue. Division of the cases into the five pattern types in early MRI proved valuble for possible cases of acute ACL tears. MRI pattern types III, IV and V were correlated with definite complete ACL tears. However, caution must be taken for types I and II, the majority of the cases, for which there exists a significant possibility for misdiagnosis and consequently unnecessary arthroscopic surgery.
Arthroscopy ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Knee ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies

We experienced a case of mitral incompetence due to rupture of anterolateral papillary muscle in a 56-year-old male who complained of abdominal pain and mild dyspnea after being struck by car. Clinical manifestation immediately following injury was minimal, but heart failure progressed rapidly 3 days after injury. Echocardiopraphic evaluation revealed ruptured anterolateral papillary muscle and severe mitral regurgitation on color flow imaging. There was no evidence of coronary artery disease on coronary angiography. Operation revealed that the haed of anterolateral papillary muscle was torn out of its insertion. Mitral valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis was performed on the 50th day after injury.
Abdominal Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Dyspnea ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Papillary Muscles* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rupture* ; Thorax*

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, which invades a wide range of hosts including humans. The exact mechanisms involved in its invasion are not fully understood. This study focused on the roles of Ca2+ in host cell invasion and in T. gondii replication. We examined the invasion and replication of T. gondii pretreated with several calcium modulators, the conoid extrusion of tachyzoites. Calmodulin localization in T. gondii were observed using the immunogold method, and Ca2+ levels in tachyzoites by confocal microscopy. In light microscopic observation, tachyzoites co-treated with A23187 and EGTA showed that host cell invasion and intracellular replication were decreased. The invasion of tachyzoites was slightly inhibited by the Ca2+ channel blockers, bepridil and verapamil, and by the calmodulin antagonist, calmidazolium. We observed that calcium saline containing A23187 induced the extrusion of tachyzoite conoid. By immunoelectron microscopy, gold particles bound to anti-calmodulin or anti-actin mAb, were found to be localized on the anterior portion of tachyzoites. Remarkably reduced intracellular Ca2+ was observed in tachyzoites treated with BAPTA/AM by confocal microscopy. These results suggest that host cell invasion and the intracellular replication of T. gondii tachyzoites are inhibited by the calcium ionophore, A23187, and by the extracellular calcium chelator, EGTA.
Animals ; Calcium/*physiology ; Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology ; Calmodulin/antagonists & inhibitors ; Chelating Agents/pharmacology ; Hela Cells ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Humans ; Ionophores/pharmacology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxoplasma/drug effects/pathogenicity/*physiology

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis, characterized by dry, flasky, easily irritated skin, is the most common form of dermatitis seen during childhood. Infants with atopic dermatitis and other eczematous conditions need special dermatologic care to hydrate their skin and to minimize contact with irritants or allergens. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the skin products developed for children. METHODS: Twenty-eight normal children and 26 children with atopic dermatitis were evaluated clinically after using following commercal skin products : (lotion, cream, shampoo, soap, face wash wash) for 2 weeks. Water content of the skin of 14 volunteers was measured serialy over 8 haurs at 2 hour intervals after the application of each skin product. The skin pH of 16 volunteers was also measured serialy over 60 minutes at 30 minute intervals after application. We performed visual skin erythema grading, skin erythema grading by dermaspectrometer, transepidermal water loss measurement, skin water content measurement, and keratinocyte morphology observation by D-squame after the application of the skin products to 13 volunteers for 4 days.
Allergens ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Child ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Erythema ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infant ; Irritants ; Keratinocytes ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Skin* ; Soaps ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: Although vitamin D deficiency is more commonly found in cancer patient than in non-cancer patients, there have been little data regarding the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in cancer patients at the very end of life. We examined vitamin D deficiency in terminally ill cancer patients and related factors. METHODS: This study was based on a retrospective chart review of 133 patients in a hospice ward. We collected data regarding age, sex, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, cancer type, physical performance, current medications and various laboratory findings. We investigated factors related to serum vitamin D levels after multivariate adjustment for potential confounders. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D<20 ng/mL was considered deficient and <10 ng/mL severely deficient. RESULTS: Ninety-five percent of the patients were serum vitamin D deficient. Severe vitamin D deficiency was more common in male patients, non-lung cancer patients, H2 blocker users and non-anticonvulsant users. Elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were also associated with low serum vitamin D levels. Multiple regression analysis showed that severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with male gender (aOR 3.82, 95% CI: 1.50~9.72, P=0.005), H2 blocker users (aOR 3.94, 95% CI: 1.61~9.65, P=0.003) and elevated serum ALT levels (aOR 4.52, 95% CI: 1.35~15.19, P=0.015). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent among terminally ill cancer patients. Severe vitamin D deficiency was more common in male patients, H2 blocker users, and patients with elevated ALT levels.
Alanine Transaminase ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Terminally Ill ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency*

PURPOSE: Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection is a rare disease. Many such patients are overlooked in the emergency department (ED), and are sent home with a diagnosis other than SMA dissection. In this study, we analyzed clinical findings for patients with isolated SMA dissections, and attempted to identify those ED patients for whom the diagnosis should be considered. METHODS: A retrospective observational case series of nineteen patients diagnosed with spontaneous isolated SMA dissection in the ED was done. Demographic data, information regarding pain, the nature and number of cardiovascular risk factors, and laboratory and physical examination findings were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age at which SMA was diagnosed was 54 (44-71) years; 78.9% were male. The most common symptom was sudden onset of severe epigastric pain with cramping. Variations in location of pain included the periumbilical area (31.6%), and the whole abdomen and lower abdomen (10.5% each). Besides cramping (57.9%), dull ache (31.6%) and abdominal fullness (10.5%) were other symptoms. Pain radiation was not noticed in 13 (68.4%) subjects, but 3 complained of their pain radiating to their back. Direct tenderness was present in 9 (47.4%) patients and rebound tenderness in 3 (15.8%). In 10 (52.6%), there was no tenderness. CONCLUSION: Physicians who assess patients with severe abdominal pain, especially men in their fifties, should generate a high index of suspicion regarding SMA dissection. Contrast enhanced CT scans should be performed in patients with sudden onset of severe epigastric pain, regardless of its nature, radiation, or associated symptoms, and especially whose abdominal physical examination was unremarkable.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Muscle Cramp ; Physical Examination ; Rare Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors