Venous thromboembolic disease is a frequent complication after total hip arthroplasty. However, in Korea, the low incidence of deep vein thrombosis after total hip arthroplasty was reported. In this study, we present the results of 82 consecutive patients(90 hips) who had a cementless total hip replacement with a Anatomic Medullary Locking Component(AML: Depuy, Warsaw, Indiana, USA) between August 1995 and September 1996 at Inha University Hospital, Korea. Postoperatively, none of the patients were treated with any known prophylatic method for deep vein thrombosis except elastic stockings. Both preoperatively and six weeks after surgery, all patients were studied by an radiologist using a portable Doppler ultrasonic velocity detector with a transmission frequency of 5 megahertz. Contrast phlebography was also done in all patients at the same time as the Doppler ultrasound. In addition, coagulation assays, a complete blood count, blood typing, and serum chemical-profile tests were done for all patients. In comparing the results of these laboratory tests from the DVT group and from the non-DVT group, we found that only eight patients(9.8%) out of eighty-two patients had DVT after total hip arthroplasty. Thrombi were found in the superficial femoral vein in five cases and in the common femoral vein in three cases. Though two(2.4%) patients showed suspicious symptoms of pulmonary embolim, their perfusion lung scans were negative. The DVT group show a significantly shorter activated partial thromboplastin time than did the non-DVT group(P<0.05). In addition, the DVT group showed significantly higher serum total protein than the total protein level of the non-DVT group(P<0.01). In this two groups, there was no difference between the results of Doppler ultrasound and the results of contrast phlebography. Consequently, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis after total hip replacement arthroplasty in Korean patients is significantly lower than incidence in patients from countries other than Korea. Doppler ultrasound was a non-invasive and the most reliable diagnostic technique for deep vein thrombosis.
Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; Femoral Vein ; Humans ; Incidence ; Indiana ; Korea ; Lung ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Perfusion ; Phlebography ; Stockings, Compression ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography* ; Venous Thromboembolism ; Venous Thrombosis*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Tuberculosis, Renal*

PURPOSE: To compare chest radiographic findings of pulmonary tuberculosis in non-AIDS immunocom- promised adult patients with those in immunocompetent patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eighty six patients who had pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study. Of these, 41 were non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients and 45 were immunocompetent adult patients. Chest radiographs obtained from 86 patients were retrospectively evaluated with regard to the followings ;the anatomic distribution and extent of tuberculous lesions, typical or atypical patterns of radiographic findings. We then compared the results in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients with those in immunocompetent adult patients. RESULTS: The characteristic manifestation of pulmonary tuberculosis was a tendency of pulmonary lesions to localize in the apico-posterior segments of the upper lobe and the superior segment of the lower lobe in both groups but more wide distribution such as the anterior segment and the lingular segment of the upper lobe and the basal segments of the lower lobe was frequently identified in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients, and also bilateral, multisegmental and multilobular extents were common findings. in immunocompetent adult patients, more common findings were in local exudative and productive lesions and several cavities in preferential sites. Atypical plain radiographic findings were more common in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients, and which were multiple cavitary lesions, wide extent of bronchogenic spread and tuberculous pneumonia, and .miliary disseminations and mass like lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary tuberculosis in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients is characterized by frequent bilateral distribution, wide pulmonary extent, and atypical radiographic findings.
Adult* ; Humans ; Pneumonia ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cervix Uteri* ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Female

PURPOSE: To report a case of periorbital infantile capillary hemangioma treated with propranolol. CASE SUMMARY: A 6-month-old girl visited our clinic for a mass on the right upper eyelid, which had been present since birth. A dome-shaped, red-purple colored mass occupying almost the entire right upper eyelid was observed, and overlying branch-shaped telangiectases were also detected. The visual axis of the right eye was partially obscured, due to the ptotic eyelid, and her ability to fix and follow was poor in the right eye. The patient was diagnosed with infantile capillary hemagioma. Because amblyopia in her right eye was suspected, treatment with propranolol was initiated. After 2.5 months of propranolol treatment, the hemangioma decreased in size and volume dramatically, changed from red-purple to light red color, and softened. The ptosis of the right upper eyelid improved, as well as the ability of the right eye to fix and follow. No significant adverse effects (e.g. hypotension, bradycardia, hypoglycemia, bronchospasm, or elevated liver enzymes) were observed, except transient QTc prolongation during cotreatment with ibuprofen, due to an upper respiratory infection. CONCLUSIONS: Propranolol should be considered as a treatment option for periorbital infantile capillary hemangioma. Further clinical studies are required to establish the optimal guidelines and long-term outcome.
Amblyopia ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bradycardia ; Bronchial Spasm ; Capillaries ; Eye ; Eyelids ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Hypotension ; Ibuprofen ; Infant ; Light ; Liver ; Parturition ; Propranolol ; Telangiectasis

OBJECTIVE: Accelerometer is a convenient device that can easily measure human movement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its usefulness in the assessment of hemiparetic gait after stroke. METHOD: Twenty hemiparetic stroke patients were enrolled in the study. A portable accelerometer was attached between L3,4 intervertebral area. Vertical and medio-lateral acceleration was measured while walking 10 m. Walking ability of each subject was classified by Functional Walking Category (FWC). RESULTS: Accelerometric parameters, such as walking speed, a mean amount of peak vertical acceleration in one gait cycle, mean peak value of unaffected side, peak vertical acceleration ratio, step time ratio were significantly higher in groups of FWC 4, 5, 6 than in groups of FWC 2, 3. In subjects using cane there was an extra peak other than peaks observed in non-users. Mean peak value, step length of unaffected side and cadence were significantly higher in non-users than in users. CONCLUSION: Trunk accelerometer can be used as an objective method to evaluate walking ability in hemiparetic patients after stroke.
Acceleration ; Accelerometry* ; Canes ; Gait ; Humans ; Stroke ; Walking*

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess attenuation correction algorithms with the 137Cs point source for the brain positron emission tomography (PET) imaging process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four different types of phantoms were used in this study for testing various types of the attenuation correction techniques. Transmission data of a 137Cs point source were acquired after infusing the emission source into phantoms and then the emission data were subsequently acquired in 3D acquisition mode. Scatter corrections were performed with a background tail-fitting algorithm. Emission data were then reconstructed using iterative reconstruction method with a measured (MAC), elliptical (ELAC), segmented (SAC) and remapping (RAC) attenuation correction, respectively. Reconstructed images were then both qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. In addition, reconstructed images of a normal subject were assessed by nuclear medicine physicians. Subtracted images were also compared. RESULTS: ELAC, SAC, and RAC provided a uniform phantom image with less noise for a cylindrical phantom. In contrast, a decrease in intensity at the central portion of the attenuation map was noticed at the result of the MAC. Reconstructed images of Jaszack and Hoffan phantoms presented better quality with RAC and SAC. The attenuation of a skull on images of the normal subject was clearly noticed and the attenuation correction without considering the attenuation of the skull resulted in artificial defects on images of the brain. CONCLUSION: the complicated and improved attenuation correction methods were needed to obtain the better accuracy of the quantitative brain PET images.
Brain ; Noise ; Nuclear Medicine ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Skull

BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been an increase in the prevalence of syphilis in Korea and in case reports of treatment failures of syphilis. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explicate the clinical and laboratory features of syphilis, underlying diseases of the VDRL false-positive group, and responses to treatment of patients with syphilis. METHODS: Between January 2001 and June 2010, we selected 115 patients with reactive results on the VDRL test. We evaluated several characteristics including their age, gender, clinical stage, skin lesion, serologic result, the rate and the underlying diseases of the VDRL false-positive group, and their serologic responses to syphilis treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of syphilis by gender except in the case of primary syphilis. The annual incidence of syphilis has shown a significant upward trend, especially in the younger age group (10~39 years). Using a serum VDRL titer of 8 as a cut-off value, we found a significant difference between early and latent syphilis. The rate for the VDRL false-positive group was 24.3%. Treatment failures were not reported and the median time to a successful serological response for patients with early syphilis treated with penicillin was 106 days. The Jarish-Herxheimer reaction occurred in 13.7%, and these symptoms were self-limited without any treatment. CONCLUSION: The annual incidence of syphilis in Korea has shown a significantly upward trend, especially in the younger age group. All responses evaluated were reported for those treated successfully without having any significant adverse effects. Thus, continued surveillance and adequate treatment of syphilis is important not only to enhance disease control but also to improve public health.
Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Penicillins ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Skin ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Latent ; Treatment Failure

Depigmented halos surrounding cutaneous lesions have been the common description of many diseases, including benign melanocytic nevus, acquired blue nevi, malignant melanoma and neurofibromatosis. To the best of our knowledge, a halo around seborrheic keratosis has not been reported in the Korean dermatologic literature, and only two cases have been described abroad. Though vitiligo is known to be frequently associated with this halo phenomenon, the exact etiopathogenesis of vitiligo and the halo phenomenon is still unknown. Herein, we report on a case of halo seborrheic keratosis in a patient with vitiligo.
Humans ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Melanoma ; Neurofibromatoses ; Nevus, Blue ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Vitiligo

Symptomatic hepatic cysts are infrequently seen. A 82-year-old woman was admitted because of growing abdominal mass and pain. On admission, the mass was palpated on right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Ultrasonography and computed tomography disclosed a huge cystic lesion of the liver. It measured 22.5 x 19.0 x 18.0 cm and had a thick wall that was irregular. Because of the patient's symptoms and the radiologic findings, the decision was made to aspirate the cyst percutaneously under fluoroscopic guidance. Percutaneous drainage yielded approximately 3300 cc of yellow brownish fluid. A cytologic evaluation of the fluid was negative for malignant cells, and a fluid analysis was described as predominantly inflammatory in nature. Cultures revealed a growth of Klebsiella oxytoca. After drainage of the cystic fluid, we instilled contrast medium. No communication between the cyst and bile ducts was seen. Seven days later, the patient was discharged. Four months after treatment, no reaccumulated fluid was observed by ultrasonography. Ten months after treatment, the patient is healthy without abdominal discomfort. We report a case of the infected huge hepatic cyst successfully treated with fluoroscopic-uided percutaneous drainage.
Abdomen ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bile Ducts ; Drainage* ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella oxytoca ; Liver ; Ultrasonography