PURPOSE: Sexual differences in the incidence and crystalline composition of urinary stones in humans are well-known, but it is unclear why men have a higher incidence of calcium oxalate stones than women. We investigated the effects of male sex hormones on stone formation using an ethylene glycol (EG) - induced urolithiasis model in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, each containing 10 rats. One group of rats was left untreated and served as control. The other 3 groups were fed a 1% ethylene glycol (EG) lithogenic diet for 4 weeks. Among these, one group was non-castrated, one group was castrated and one group was non-castrated and given finasteride orally. Serum testosterone, creatinine, electrolytes, 24-hour urine levels of oxalate and citrate, and creatinine clearance were measured. The crystal deposits were examined by light and polarizing microscopes. RESULTS: Testosterone promoted calcium oxalate stone formation in EG - treated rats. Finasteride administration significantly decreased urinary oxalate excretion and calcium oxalate deposition, compared with controls. Urinary citrate was significantly decreased in EG-treated rats, but was not influenced by castration or administration of finasteride. There were no significant differences in serum concentrations of creatinine, sodium, or potassium among the control and experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that testosterone promotes calcium oxalate stone formation, and that dihydrotestosterone may be partially responsible for the exaggerated hyperoxaluria in EG-treated rats. Additionally, male sex hormones have a lesser influence on urinary citrate than oxalate.
Adult ; Animals ; Calcium Oxalate* ; Calcium* ; Castration ; Citric Acid ; Creatinine ; Crystallins ; Diet ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Electrolytes ; Ethylene Glycol ; Female ; Finasteride ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones* ; Humans ; Hyperoxaluria ; Incidence ; Male* ; Nephrolithiasis* ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium ; Testosterone ; Urinary Calculi ; Urolithiasis

No abstract available.
Erythrocytes*

We present a case of angiographically-confirmed transverse and sigmoid sinus thrombosis, image with MR, in a 20 year old male with a history of otitis media and maxillary sinusitis. T1-weighted image demonstrated an isosignal intensity mass with tubular-shaped low signal intensity in right transverse and sigmoid sinus. The thrombus had high signal intensity on T2-weighted image. The signal intensity of the thrombus on Gd-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted image was unusually high similar to that of transverse sinus. Although dural sinus thrombosis has a non-specific MR signal intensity, findings of MRI in this case may serve as an aid in future evaluation of venous thrombosis.
Colon, Sigmoid ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; Maxillary Sinusitis ; Otitis Media ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial* ; Thrombosis ; Venous Thrombosis

There have been many reports regarding various operative methods for spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. However, there have been no reports regarding the comparison between posterolateral fusion (PLF) with pedicle screw fixation (PSF) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with PSF. The purpose of the current study was to compare the clinical outcomes of PLF with PSF and ALIF with PSF, and to help in the selection of treatment options. Fifty-six patients with spondylolytic spondylolisthesis who underwent PLF with PSF (group 1, 35 patients) or who underwent ALIF with PSF (group 2, 21 patients) were studied. Minimum follow-up was 2 years. Demographic variables and disease state were similar for the two groups. We studied operating time, amount of blood loss, duration of hospital stay, clinical outcomes, complications, time at which fusion was complete, fusion rate, and radiological measurements. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the amount of blood loss, duration of hospital stay, back pain, radiating pain, fusion rate, or complication rate. However, in group 2, the operation time and the time at which fusion became complete was longer, and in group 1 there was significant radiological reduction loss. In conclusion, PLF with PSF was just as effective as ALIF with PSF in terms of clinical outcomes, but ALIF with PSF was superior to PLF with PSF in terms of the prevention of reduction loss. Anterior support would be helpful for preventing reduction loss in cases of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Aged ; *Bone Screws ; Comparative Study ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Postoperative Complications ; Spinal Fusion/*methods ; Spondylolisthesis/radiography/*surgery

Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis may exhibit symptoms such as back pain, radiating pain, and neurogenic claudication. Although long-term outcome of treatments manifests similar results for both nonsurgical and surgical treatments, positive effects such as short-term improvement in symptoms and decreased fall risk may be expected with surgery. Surgical treatment is basically decompression, and a combination of treatments can be added depending on the degree of decompression and the accompanying instability. Recently, minimally invasive surgery has been found to result in excellent outcomes in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Therefore, better treatment effects can be anticipated with an approach aimed at understanding the overall pathophysiology and treatment methods of lumbar spinal stenosis.

Despite a recent trend toward increased screening and public awareness for colorectal cancer, 30% of patients present with incurable disease. This study was designed to identify objective criteria that might help surgeons decide which patients with incurable colorectal cancer will benefit from palliative resection. Among 33 patients considered incurable colorectal cancer, twenty one patients underwent palliative resection and twelve patients had bypass surgery. Incidence of postoperative complication after palliative resection was 61.9%(13 cases), and after bypass surgery was 58.3%(7 cases). Among patients treated by palliative resection, one patient required reoperation for postoperative bleeding. The operative mortality after palliative resection was 19%(4 cases), and after bypass surgery was 25%(3 cases). The median survival was 11.4 months for patients treated by palliative resection, and was 9.7 months for patients treated by bypass surgery. These results show that palliative resection can be done safely and effectively in patients with incurable colorectal cancer. We believe this approach improved the quality of the remaining life in these patients.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Reoperation

Lipoma is one of the unusual benign breast neoplasms and usually manifests at fatty breast of women at the age of 40 to 60. We experienced a case of large breast lipoma nearly replacing the whole left breast parenchymal tissue with mammographic finding of well-defined radiolucent mass, sonographic finding of hyperechoic mass with disorganized echopattern and computerized tomographic finding of very low attenuation mass, characteristic to adipose tissue, in a young woman of her dense breast.
Adipose Tissue ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Ultrasonography

The common errors in preoperative treatment plan for the orthognathic surgery can be occurred during cast impression, cast mounting procedure with face-bow transfer, surgical stent fabrication, and so on. One of the most common errors exists during mounting process of the model on the articulator. Accurate mounting of dental casts to articulator should be achieved by transferring the 3- dimensional spatial relationship of the maxillary arch to an articulator. A face-bow is used for transfer this relationship to articulator, usually by relating the face-bow to a plane of reference of maxillary cast. The purpose of this study is evaluation of the accuracy of face-bow transferring of maxillary model to the articulator. The maxillary casts of thirty patients for orthognathic surgery were mounted on articulator with an face-bow instrument. The relationship of occlusal plane angle to Frankfort horizontal plane relations were compared the cephalogram with the cast-mounted articulator. As a result of this study, the significant difference between the maxillary occlusal planes angle in the cephalogram and articulator were found . The results were followed,1. The mean occlusal plane angle in cast-mounted articulator was 13.5.(SD+/-5.4).2. The mean occlusal plane angle in cephalogram was 10.4.(SD+/-4.3).3. The mean difference of occlusal plane angle between cast-mounted articulator and cephalogram was 3.3.(SD+/-4.6).According to the result, we should suggest that the occlusal plane angle to Frankfort plane in cast-mounted articulator is more steeper than that of cephalogram.And then, maxillofacial surgeon should try to get a more predictable result by suggesting the proper correction method and mounting the cast accurately.
Dental Articulators ; Dental Occlusion* ; Humans ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Stents

Recently we have experienced 3 cases of IOL dislocations. There are 2 cases of PCL and a case of iridocapsular lens. In case 1 and 2, they received ECCE and PCL implantations and had managed well good visual acuity before the dislocation of the IOL had occurred. In case 1, he gained good vision by replacing with ACL but in case 2, he lost his vision due to secondary glaucoma with optic nerve atrophy which did not seem to be related directly with PCL dislocation. In case 3, the patient had received iridocapsular lens implantation 7 years ago and had three times of episodes of subluxation of his IOL. Last September he had another episode of subluxation of IOL loop inferiorly. The medical therapy of the reposition of IOL was failed and IOL was removed and replaced by ACL. Now he lost his vision due to bullous keratopathy as a result of repeated episodes of endothelial touch. The three cases of this report remind us that the patient can restore good vision if he or she visit to the ophthalmologist as immediately as possible when the blurred vision has developed as prodromal symptom of dislocation of IOL.
Atrophy ; Dislocations* ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Optic Nerve ; Prodromal Symptoms ; Visual Acuity

Mid-arm circumference and mid-arm circumference/head circumference ratio(MAC/HC) were measured in 207 AGA(appropriate for gestational age) infants delivered at 26 to 42 weeks of gestation from January 1990 to December 1993 in Yeungnam University Hospital, Taegu, Korea. There were linear relationships between MACs and MAC/HC ratios and gestational age(MAC : y=03181x -2.2069, r=0.81, p<0.001 ; MAC/HC ratio : y=0.049x+0.1128, r=0.62, ; < 0.001). Using standard curves of MAC and MAC/HC ratio according to the gestational age, measurement of MAC or MAC/HC ratio can be a noninvasive, simple method to evaluate the intrauterine growth of newborn infants and the nutritional status of growing premature infants.
Daegu ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Korea ; Methods ; Nutritional Status* ; Pregnancy