No abstract available.
Scalp* ; Skin* ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities*

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics of traumatic posterosuperior rotator cuff tears involving the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. We hypothesized that traumatic rotator cuff tears may have MR characteristics distinguishable from those of non-traumatic tears. METHODS: Preoperative MR arthrography and intraoperative tear size measurements were compared in 302 patients who underwent MR arthrography and subsequent arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs for traumatic (group T, 61 patients) or non-traumatic (group NT, 241 patients) tears. The inclusion criteria for both groups were posterosuperior full-thickness rotator cuff tear and age between 40 and 60 years. For group T, traumas were limited to accidental falls or slips, or sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents; injuries were associated with acute onset of pain followed by functional shoulder impairment; and time between injury and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was 6 weeks or less. RESULTS: In group T, 72.1% of shoulders (44 patients) had tendon tears with blunt edges while 27.9% of shoulders (17 patients) had tears with tapering edges. In contrast, 21.2% of patients in group NT (51 patients) had blunt-edge tears, while 78.8% (190 patients) of tears had tapering edges. These results were statistically significant (p<0.001) and estimated odds ratio was 9.6. The size of tear did not vary significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found no exclusive MR characteristic to define traumatic tears. However, oblique coronal MRI of traumatic tears showed a significant tendency for abrupt and rough torn tendon edges and relatively consistent tendon thicknesses (without lateral tapering) compared to non-traumatic cuff tears.
Accidental Falls ; Arthrography* ; Arthroscopy ; Athletic Injuries ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Motor Vehicles ; Odds Ratio ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Tears* ; Tendons

The basic technique for total reconstruction of the microtia was established by Tanzer, who utilized autologous rib cartilages for constructing the auricular framework. In order to decrease the number of surgical stages and to achieve maximal convolution, we employed a surgical procedure with simultaneous three layered costal cartilage grafting for the high profiled auricle, concha formation and lobule rotation. However, we performed ear elevation as an additional procedure for some patients who had decreased helical height due to absorption of cartilage framework or postoperative trauma and who had wanted to wear the spectacles or to have more natural appearance of auriculocephalic sulcus. From August 1988 to October 1997 we had performed surgeries for the ear elevation of 58 patients in 177 patients with total ear reconstruction, using various elevation methods; skin graft, local flap, and local with costal cartilage block. When the ear elevation was performed with skin graft, postoperative contraction of the grafted skin was inevitable. In cases with two skin flaps, it was difficult to stabilize and maintain the correct projection of the constructed ear. So we elevated the reconstructed ear by utilizing a costal cartilage block, two skin flaps to cover the posterior region and skin graft. We conclude that the local flap with costal cartilage block is one of the most favorable methods in ear elevation which can maintain the adequate projection and make natural looking auriculocephalic sulcus.
Absorption ; Cartilage ; Ear* ; Eyeglasses ; Humans ; Ribs ; Skin ; Transplants

We built the hypothesis that the hypertrophic callus formation is mediated by beta-endorphin that stimulates secretion of GH and increase circulation growth factor activity in head injury patient. We classified 4 groups such as 5 normal person(control), group I;5 patients with only fracture, group II;5 patients with fracture and head injury, group III; 5 patients with only head injury, group IV. We obtained the samples of serum from each group at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks after trauma and assessed the serum level of GH, GHRH, somatostatin. The serum level of GH was statisticallyu higher in group III, IV than group I, II. There was not significant difference in serum level of GHRH. The serum level of somatostatin was higher in group II, III, IV than group I, but there was no statistical significance in each group. GH has a important role in hypertrophic callus formation in severe head injury patients, but there was no evidence that the mechanism is mediated by beta-EndorphinGHRH & somatostatin-GH-GF-1, beta-FGF axis. There may be a another mechanism in increasing GH that was stimulated by beta-endorphin in thalamus and lateral ventricle, and it should be necessary for further evaluation of it.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; beta-Endorphin ; Bony Callus ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Head* ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Somatostatin ; Thalamus

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the differences in career choice motives and moral reasoning ability between students in baccalaureate and graduate-entry medical programs. METHODS: Forty-five students from a baccalaureate program and thirty-eight students from a graduate-entry program participated in this study. The students were required to fill out both the Career Choice Motivation Inventory and Defining Issues Test(DIT). The Career Choice Motivation Inventory is a 20-item questionnaire, which investigates five dimensions: effect of others, job security, interest in science, service and working with people, and working condition. Independent t-test was performed to compare the two groups. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate the relationship among variables. RESULTS: There were significant differences in career choice motivations between the two groups. Students in the graduate-entry program were more likely to be motivated by scientific interest and opportunities to care for people. Status and job security were stronger factors in the baccalaureate students. For the students in this program, there were positive associations among their motives- interest in medical science, serving people, and working condition. There was no significant difference in moral reasoning ability between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Students in the graduate-entry medical program seem to have more professional and altruistic motivations for entering medicine. Although there is nostatistical significance, graduate students have numerically higher moral reasoning abilities compared to their counterparts. These results validate that a graduate-entry program provides an important alternative for student selection.
Career Choice* ; Humans ; Motivation* ; School Admission Criteria ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Doxylamine succinate(DS) is an antihistamine commonly used as an over-the-counter medication to relieve insomnia and frequently involved in overdoses. Its overdoses are dominated by anticholinergic effect. Recently it was revealed that DS had a direct effect on muscle, while its exact mechanism is not clear yet. We evaluated the patients with rhabdomyolysis induced by DS overdose for patients disposition based upon clinical decision, especially by creatinine phosphokinase(CPK). METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of patients admitted by DS overdose from Jan. 1998 to Oct. 1999. Seventy and nine cases of DS overdose were evaluated with respect to age and sex distribution, amount ingested, clinical symptomatology, time from ingestion to visit, pattern of CPK, amount of bicarbonate used as therapy, complication and prognosis, especially in patients complicated rhabdomyolysis. RESULTS: Rhabdomyolysis, diagnosed as more than 1,000I. U/L of CPK, has been noted in 25(31.6%) of 79 cases of DS overdose visited to our emergency department(ED). In patients diagnosed rhabdomyolysis, the number of man was 10 cases(40%) and the number aged between 20 and 40 years was 22 cases(88%). The average time from DS ingestion to ED visit was 459 minutes. The amount of DS ingested was 500-5,000mg(mean, 1,980mg). 13(52%) cases ingested less than 2,250mg of DS. The initial levels of CPK(range, 48-14900I. U/L; normal range, 26-200I. U/L) after admitting to our emergency department were normal in 15 cases(60%) of rhabdomyolysis patients. The range of peak CPK levels after ingestion was 607 to 412,500I. U/L(mean, 33,550I. U/L). Its peak time was 6 to 96 hours(mean, 28.96 hours). In 14 cases(67%) of 21 visiting within 24 hours after ingestion, peak time of CPK ranged 12 to 24 hours after ingestion. The amount of bicarbonate used as therapy of rhabdomyolysis ranged 100 to 2,740mEq(mean, 656mEq) and all patients was discharged after improvement without other complication including acute renal failure. CONCLUSIONS : Although patients ingested less than 2,250mg of DS, emergency physicians should observe them more than 24 hours after DS ingestion with CPK follow-up after gastric irrigation and charcoal administration.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Charcoal ; Creatinine ; Doxylamine* ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Lavage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Reference Values ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Sex Distribution ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Succinic Acid*

Neurofibromatosis is a complex hereditary disease involving many organs and systems. The incidence in pregnancy is less frequent and has been reported as 1/5000 to 1/18500 deliveries. Therefore, little is known about the interactions between neurofibromatosis and pregnancy. A survey of relevant literature suggests that patients with NF have an increased risk of perinatal complications (pregnancy induced hypertension, IUGR, preterm labor, abortion, stillbirth, high cesarean section rate) and maternal disease aggravation (rupture of an aneurysm, sarcomatous degeneration of neurofibroma, activation of pheochromocytoma). Refined ultrasound, flow studies and fetal monitoring allow us to provide improved pregnancy care for neurofibromatosis. However, It should be remembered that even now, neurofibromatosis places pregnant women and their fetuses in a high risk group with the potential to develop life threatening complications. We report a case of vertebral artery aneurysm and preeclampsia complicating a pregnancy with neurofibromatosis."
Aneurysm* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetal Monitoring ; Fetus ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Stillbirth ; Ultrasonography ; Vertebral Artery*

Tanzer reported microtia reconstruction using autogenous costal cartilage, thereafter so many plastic surgeons have tried various modification to get further refinement of reconstructed auricle. But the multiple stages of ear reconstruction required prolonged hospitalization and cost. In order to decrease the number of surgical stages and for the maximal convolution, we have employed a surgical procedure with three layered costal cartilage graft for the high profile auricle, concha formation and lobule transposition at the same time. However, it has still been difficult to reconstruct the tragus in cases of microtia that lack such component. We reconstructed the tragus using part of the microtic ear in addition to our above procedure simultaneously. This procedure is started with transposition of the lower two-thirds of the microtic ear to make lobule and then the upper third of the microtic ear is elevated as a chondrocutanenous flap which is then transposed 120-180degree C downwards to reposition at the area anterior to the conchal cavity. Using this technique, we have reconstructed 28 microtic ears. Adequate positioning of the auricle and tragus have been achieved and a more natural auricle obtained.
Cartilage ; Ear ; Hospitalization ; Transplants

A relationship between preceding acute paralytic poliomyelitis and the later development of motor neuron disease has only occasionally been suggested since it was first postulated by Charcot in 1875. The authors recently experienced a 20-year-old male who was considered to have postpoliomyelitis muscular atrophy. We report this case in view of its rarity and necessity of differential diagnosis from other neuromuscular disorders. Clinical presentation included slowly progressive muscle wasting of left thigh for 4 years, mild weakness of left arm and both thigh, intermittent fasciculation, and previous history of acute paralytic poliomyelitis. Electromyographic findings showed fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, fasciculations, giant motor unit potentials and reduced interference patterns. Muscle biopsy revealed scattered small angulated fibers, individual myofiber degeneration and mild inflammatory cell infiltration.
Arm ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciculation ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Neuron Disease ; Poliomyelitis ; Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome* ; Thigh ; Young Adult