BACKGROUND: Recently the number of elderly gallstone patients has increased, in Korea. The aim of this study is to analyze and to measure the risk factors associated with operation on elderly gallstone patients. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 206 gallstone patients who had been admitted and operated on in the department of general surgery. Konkuk University Hospital, between January, 1993 and December, 1999. The patients were divided into 2 groups, over and under age 65. In each group, analysis was done on sex distribution, the ratio according to location of gallstone, duration of hospital stay, duration of general anesthesia and operative mortality, and then the above factors of each group were compared. RESULTS: 1) The ratio of common bile duct stones in patients over age 65 was two times of that in patients under age 65(48%,24%) 2) The overall operative mortality was 1.9% and has no correlation with old age. 3) Severe coexisting disease may seem the risk factor for operative mortality. CONCLUSION: In the diagnosis and management of gallstones in the elderly, the possibility of common bile duct stone should be suspected. And in order to reduce the operative mortality, careful preoperative evaluation and treatment of coexisting disease should be done.
Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Common Bile Duct ; Diagnosis ; Gallstones* ; Humans ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Risk Factors ; Sex Distribution

No abstract available.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile*

No abstract available.
Gastroenteritis* ; Humans*

The author investigated the zinc concentrations in sera of 110 methamphetaimine abusers (male 87, female 23) and of 41 healthy official workers(male 29, female 12) using inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer. The serum zinc concentrations were analysed according to hepatitis C virus antibody(Anti HCV), hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) value in both groups. The analytical results were obtained as follows; 1. The mean zinc concentration of MAP abuser group(298.5+/-246.9 microgram/100 microliter) was 2.5 times higher than that of control group(118.8+/-25.4 microgram/100 microliter). 2. The distribution of zinc concentration in both groups were skewed pattern. 3. The zinc concentration were higher in Anti HCV-positive group and abnormal ALT value group than Anti HCV-negative group and normal ALT value group. But HBs-Ag positive group had lower zinc concentration than HBs-Ag negative group. 4. The number of anti HCV-positive subjects was increased and the zinc concentration were decreased in proportion to the abusing duration of MAP.
Alanine Transaminase ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Methamphetamine* ; Plasma ; Zinc*

No abstract available.
Bacillus* ; Mitomycin* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

OBJECTIVES: This research was intended to investigate the relationship between manganese and malodndialdehyde concentration in tissues of rats exposed to maganese chloride. METHODS: The study groups were 12 manganese treated rats and 9 control rats. Manganese treated rats were given intraperitoneally manganese chloride (Mn, 4 mg/kg) daily for a period of 30 days except Sunday. Control rats were injected 1ml of saline. The plasma manganese concentrations of rats were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The tissue manganese concentration was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Malondialdehyde, the product of lipid peroxidation was determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The plasma malondialdehyde was determined by gas chromatography with mass-detector. Protein concentration was quantified by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry and was used for the compensation of tissue malondialdehyde and manganese concentration. RESULTS: Manganese concentrations of plasma, brain, liver, and pancreas were very significantly higher in the manganese-treated rats than in the control rats. Malondialdehyde concentration of plasma, brain, and pacrease were significantly higher in the manganese-treated rats than in the control rats. The concentration of malondialdehyde was correlated with manganese levels in plasma, brain and pancreas. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained as above, it was concluded that the malondialdehyde, product of lipid peroxidation was related to the cell death due to dosing excess manganese.
Absorption ; Animals ; Brain ; Cell Death ; Chromatography, Gas ; Compensation and Redress ; Graphite ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Malondialdehyde* ; Manganese* ; Pancreas ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Spectrophotometry ; Spectrum Analysis

Maffuccis syndrome was first reported by Maffucci, an Italian, in 1881. It is manifested by unilateral multiple hemangiomas and enchondromas. It is congenital but is not hereditary. We encountered a case of this rare syndrome, with which bleeding tendency was combined. All who have multiple hemangioma on his unilateral side of the body should be checked with bone X-rays to rule out this syndrome. This syndrome is noted for transformation to malignant tumors. When there is pain or enlargenent of the tumor without any significant trauma, biopsy is in order. There can develop bleeding tendency due to microangiopathic coagulopathy which is associated with throm-bocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia.
Biopsy ; Chondroma ; Hemangioma ; Hemorrhage

n-Hexane and benezene are organic compounds which have been widely used as industrial solvents. However, they are also increasingly recognized as important pollutants in working environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze neurotoxicity of benzene and n-Hexane. In this study, tibial nerve of Sprague-Dawley rats were observed after exposing them to two different concentrations of these compounds (6000 ppm of n-Hexane and 2000 ppm of benezene) which were known to be the levels to cause subacute toxicity for the three different periods; two weeks, four weeks, and sex weeks. The following results were obtained from the analysis of variance, Duncan's multiple comparison test, and regression analysis: 1) Myelin sheath thickness of nerve fiber for two n-Hexane exposed groups (four weeks and six weeks) were both reduced compared with the control group and the benezene exposed group. 2) There were positive relationships between nerve fiber diameter and myelin sheath thickness for both exposed and control groups. 3) There were significant difference in myelin sheath thickness from equal diameter nerve fibers between benzene exposed group and control group, but the greater number of thin myelin sheath were observed for n-Hexane exposed group compared with control group. Thus, it is concluded that n-Hexane tends to reduce the rate of growth of nerve fiber more than the benzene and control group. While these results shed light on understanding the effects of benzene and n-Hexane, the duration of exposure was not long enough to apply these results to real working environments. In addition, to further understand the mechanism of nerve degeneration caused by organic solvents, both epidemiological and biochemical studies should accompanied by this kind of study.
Animals ; Benzene* ; Myelin Sheath ; Nerve Degeneration ; Nerve Fibers ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solvents ; Tibial Nerve*

No abstract available.
Asthma* ; Child* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Prevalence* ; Shigella*