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

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to light at night has become pervasive in modern society. The impact of dim artificial light at night (dALAN) exposure on sleep and fatigue is not well recognized. We aim to study the impact of dALAN exposure during sleep on human fatigue. METHODS: 30 healthy young male volunteers from 21 to 29 years old were enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups depending on light intensity (Group A : 5 lux and Group B : 10 lux). Data were gathered from each participant after each night with no light (Night 1) followed by the next night (Night 2) with two different dim light conditions (5 or 10 lux) by means of self-reported fatigue scale. RESULTS: Exposure to dALAN during sleep was significantly associated with increased overall fatigue (F = 19.556, p < 0.001) and ocular discomfort (F = 5.671, p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: We found that dALAN during sleep likely affects human fatigue in some aspects. These findings indicate that dALAN during sleep exerts a negative effect on human fatigue.
Fatigue* ; Humans* ; Male ; Volunteers

The timing of puberty onset varies greatly among individuals, and much of this variation is modulated by genetic factors. This study aimed to identify the kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) gene variations and to investigate the associations between these variations and central precocious puberty (CPP). Korean girls with CPP (n = 194) and their healthy controls (n = 99) were included in this study. The entire coding region and the exon-intron boundaries (exon 1 through 5) of the KISS1R gene were directly sequenced. Seven polymorphisms were identified in the KISS1R gene. A missense change c.1091T>A, and an intron variant c.738+64G>T showed significantly higher allele frequencies in CPP patients than in controls (c.1091T>A: 30.7% vs. 22.2%, P = 0.031; c.738+64G>T: 45.6% vs. 35.9%, P = 0.023). The missense variant (c.1091T>A) was a nonsynonymous polymorphism that induces amino acid substitution of p.Leu364His. The haplotype CAGTGTC was detected more frequently in the CPP group (P = 0.042). The sequence variants of the KISS1R gene can be inducible factors in the development of CPP. The association between sequence variants and CPP should be validated by further evidence obtained from larger samples of children with CPP.
Adolescent ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Child ; Clinical Coding ; Female* ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation* ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Introns ; Puberty ; Puberty, Precocious*

During the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest in the impact of oral health on atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD). To date, some periodontal pathogens including Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) have been reported to be relevant to CVD. Porphyromonas endodontalis (P. endodontalis), which shares approximately 87% sequence homology with P. gingivalis, is mostly found within infected root canals. However, recent studies reveal that this pathogen also resides in the dental plaque or periodontal pocket in patients with periodontitis. It has been shown that P. endodontalis invades human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMC). To evaluate whether P. endodontalis can participate in the progression of atherosclerosis and CVD, we examined the changes in transcriptional gene expression profiles of HCAEC responding to invasion by P. endodontalis in this study. The following results were obtained. 1. Porphyromonas endodontalis was invasive of HCAEC. 2. According to the microarray analysis, there were 625 genes upregulated more than two-folds, while there were 154 genes downregulated by half. 3. Upregulated genes were relevant to inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, coagulation and immune response. Enhanced expression of MMP-1 was also noticeable. 4. The transcription profiles of the 10 selected genes examined by real-time PCR agreed well with those observed in the microarray analysis. Thus, these results show that P. endodontalis presents the potential to trigger and augment atherosclerosis leading to CVD.
Apoptosis ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Vessels ; Cytokines ; Dental Plaque ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Endothelial Cells ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Microarray Analysis ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Pocket ; Periodontitis ; Porphyromonas ; Porphyromonas endodontalis ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Homology ; Transcriptome