The usual form of neurofibromatosis is characterized by cafe-au-Iait skin pigmentation and pedunculated fibrous skin tumors but in the severe form, malformations and tumors of the central nervous system may be associated with von Recklinghausen's disease. Schwannoma of the spinal sensory roots, of the vestibular part of 8th cranial nerve, and of the sensory root of the 5th cranial nerve are particularly common. Outside the central nervous system, other neuroectodermal tumors may develop including renal, pancreas, and suprarenal tumors. Recently, neurofibromatosis is subdivided into type 1 and 2, according to the site of involvement. Type 1 is classic von Recklinghausen's disease, and type 2 represents bilateral acoustic neurinomas. The authors experienced 2 cases neurofibromatosis type 1 and 1 case of neurofibromatosis type 2 in which neurofibromas involve both cerebello-pontine angles, multiple levels of spinal cord and cauda equina.
Cauda Equina ; Central Nervous System ; Cranial Nerves ; Neurilemmoma ; Neuroectodermal Tumors ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Neurofibromatosis 2 ; Pancreas ; Skin ; Skin Pigmentation ; Spinal Cord

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma are rare disease and the cause of bleeding in epidural hematoma remains unknown in most of the cause. The most frequently identified risk factor is coagulopathy or treatment with anticoagulants. Recently, authors experienced I case of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma at thoracic location. Laboratory examination showed no evidence of coagulopathy and hepatic disease. The patient had good surgical outcome after emergent decompressive laminectomy.
Anticoagulants ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Rare Diseases ; Risk Factors

Peripheral cementifying fibroma is histomorphologically similar to the central cementifying fibroma, but this lesion is unique to the gingival mucosa and is only rarely seen in edentulous area. In most instances, it arise from interdental papilla, with 80% occurring anterior to molar region. This lesion appears to involve the maxilla and mandible equally, demonstrates the highest occurrence rate during the second decade of life, and affects female more frequently than male, with 4.3:1 to 3:2. Peripheral cementifying fibroma presents as firm, pedunculated or sessile mass with an intact or ulcerated surface depending on the presence of trauma. Microscopically, it reveals a highly cellular mass of connective tissue containing numerous plump, proliferating fibrolasts and several forms of calcification. Effective treatment requires deep excision, which includes the ligament and periosteum, followed by a thorough root scaling of the adjacent teeth. A reveiw of the literature and a report of a case of peripheral cementifying fibroma are presented.
Connective Tissue ; Dental Scaling ; Female ; Fibroma* ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Male ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Mucous Membrane ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Periosteum ; Tooth* ; Ulcer

Among all of the spontaneous TCH(intracerebral hemorrhage), the presence of IVH(intraventricular hemorrhage) is showing higher mortality and morbidity. Since the introduction of EVD(extraventricular drainage) and direct intraventricular infusion of Urokinase as a effective therapeutic methods of IVH, it's mortality and morbidity has been decreased. But, in cases of hemorrhage extended into all ventricular chambers showes poor prognosis even the EVD and infusion of Urokinase. Authors analyzed 40 cases of IVH treated with simple EVD or direct intraven-tricular infusion of Urokinase. The results were as follows: 1) The most common age groups of IVH patients were 5th and 6th decades and 22 patients were male, 18 patients were female. 2) All 15 cases of Urokinase treated group revealted over the 7 point of Graeb score. 3) On admission, Glasgow coma scale scores were under the 8 at the 11 cases(73%) of Urokinase treated group and 18 cases(72%) of simple EVD group. 4) Time of cleared ventricles showed fast at the Urokinase treated group than simple EVD group. 5) Incidence of complications were similar on both groups. 6) Prognosis revealed lower morbidity and mortality at the Urokinase treated group than simple EVD group. 7) In cases of high Graeb score and low Glasgow coma scale on admission showed poor prognosis in both groups.
Female ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infusions, Intraventricular ; Male ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

Diastematomyelia is an uncommon dysraphic condition in which the spinal cord is split, with or without a fibrous, cartilaginous, or bone septum. The septum usually occurs in the lower thoracic or lumbar regions. Most of the patients with this condition are children of less than the years old. The condition is much less common in adults. Congenital tumor associated with diastematomyelia is more uncommon finding. Now, authors report one case of diastematomyelia combined with intradural cystic teratoma who is eighteen years old female patient.
Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbosacral Region ; Neural Tube Defects* ; Spinal Cord ; Teratoma*

BACKGROUND: We studied the incidence of trauma caused by alcohol related accidents, and the effects that has on the occurrence, the extent, and the outcome to the patient. METHODS: In our study we studied trauma patients excluding pediatric patients(15 years old and under) who came to the Emergency department of Korea University Medical School Anam Hospital from the 1st of january 1996 to 30th of June 1996, looked into their medical records, and studied the records in a retrospective manner. The trauma patients were divided into two groups, a) alcohol-related and b) alcohol-non-related. The two groups were then subdivided according to their sex, age, the time they came in, the anatomical part of the trauma, the mechanism of their injury, the extent of the injury, the length of their hospital stay, the length of their ED stay and were seperately compared and analysed. Statistically, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis using SAS were used in the study and then was assessed in Chi-square analysis methods. RESULTS: The total of the trauma patients, added up to 832 people, 577: male and 255: female. Among this sum, 16 trauma patients were alcohol related(male:127 & female 36). 115 people were in the age group of 21-40. Compared to the non-alcohol related trauma group, the alcohol-related group had more facial & scalp injuries and tended to come in the hours between 0-6 AM. The cause of the injuries were mossy by fast-fighting and suicide, compared to mostly accidental-slipping injuries in the non alcohol-related group. There were no difference in the degree of the injury(ISS) and the length of hospital stay between the two groups, whereas the length of the stay at the ED was longer alcohol-related trauma patients. CONCLUSION: Alcohol related trauma patients were mostly in their 20s and 30s, came to the hospital at a late time it the reason for their visit were mossy because of fist fighting. In the Emergency department, because prompt and correct diagnosis is quite difficult to make in this group, their ED stay tended to be longer. We can conclude that measuring the blood alcohol level of these patients, continuing the psychological therapy and educating people is needed.
Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Scalp ; Schools, Medical ; Suicide

Eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schuller-Christian and Abt-Letterer-Siewe syndrome are known to be the same disease entity involving the reticulohistiocytic system of the body, although their clinical manifestations are different. So they were included under the term of Histiocytosis X and this concept has been generally accepted. The authors have experienced one case of Hand-Schuller-Christian disease and that of eosinophilic granuloma. The former was a 23 years old man with complaints of exophthalmos, polyuria and a tender palpable mass on the right parietal area and in the latter a soft pulastile mase located on the left parietal area in a 3 year old boy. There was no neurological deficits on their admission. We managed them with radiation and steroid therapy following surgical curettage.
Child, Preschool ; Curettage ; Eosinophilic Granuloma ; Exophthalmos ; Histiocytosis* ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell* ; Humans ; Male ; Polyuria ; Rabeprazole ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to review findings of gray-scale ultrasonography and to assess the diagnostic value of the resistive index (RI) in patients with acute epididymitis by comparing with that in normal volunteers. MATERIALS & METHODS: Gray-scale ultrasonogram was reviewed in nine patients with acute epididymitis for echogenicity, size and reactive hydrocele. Normal values of resistive index (RI) were obtained in 20 epididymides from 10 volunteers (aged 20-28, mean 23.7). Nine patients of epididymitis (aged 18-67, mean 37.2) were examinated with color Doppler sonography and RI was measured at 11 sites on epididymal arteries. For the prediction of acute epididymitis, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated at the cut-off value of RI in 0.65 and 0.70. RESULTS: Gray-scale ultrasonography showed echogenicity that was variable among the 9 cases (hype- rechoic 2 cases, isoechoic 2, hypoechoic 5), enlargement of epididymis in 8, and reactive hydrocele in 8 cases. Normal volunteers displayed color Doppler signals in 14 out of 20. The range of RI in normal volunteers were between 0.64 and 1.00 (mean, 0.79 +/- SD 0.10). In patients with acute epididymitis, color Doppler signals were detected in all patients. The range of RI in epididymitis were 0.40-0.68 (mean, 0.56 +/- SD 0.10). At cut-off RI value of 0.65, accuracy was 88%, sensitivity 81.8%, and specificity 92.7%. At cut-off value of 0.70, accuracy was 92%, sensitivity 100%, and specificity 85.7%. CONCLUSION: In addition to the findings of gray-scale ultrasonography, resistive index and color flow changes are valuable in diagnosing acute epididymitis.
Arteries ; Epididymis ; Epididymitis* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography ; Volunteers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of smoking on the clinical, radiographic outcome of surgical peridontal therapy. The outcome of periodontal surgery was evaluated in 51 systemically healthy subjects that had received maintenance care. The study subjects consisted of 26 smokers and 25 non-smokers. The average age of smoking patients was 51 years old and non-smoking patients was 48 years old. Changes of probing pocket depth(PPD) and radiographic bone height, and number of missing teeth compared between smokers and non-smokers during maintenance period after surgical therapy. The clinical parameters were less favorable in the smoking group compared with non-smoking group. The number and percentage of missing teeth were greater in smokers(21.6%) than non- smokers(12.4%), especially in molars. The mean presurgery PPD was similar in smokers and non-smokers, molars and premolars, but significantly decreased at least 2 years after surgery. The mean PPD reduction was significantly greater in nonsmokers than smokers. Both in the smoking and non-smoking group, the mean PPD reduction was significantly greater in premolars than molars. The radiographical evaluation was also less favorable in the smoking group than non-smoking group. The radiographic evaluation of bone height in smokers showed bone loss. On the contrary, bone height of nonsmokers showed bone gain during the period of maintenance. But there was no significant difference between molars and premolars. The clinical and radiographic outcomes of the smoking group was less favorable than those of the nonsmoking group. Therefore, smoking seems to influence on the clinical and radiographic outcomes of surgical periodontal therapy.

The authors analyzed 52 cases of spinal cord tumor who had been operated upon at the department of neurosurgery of the Koryo General Hospital from 1983 to 1992. The results were summerized as followings: 1) The spinal cord tumor was most common in the 6th decade of age(52 cases, 28.8%) and the ratio of male to female was 1.26:1. 2) The pathologic diagnosis was neurogenic tumor in 25 cases(48.1%), metastatic tumor in 12 cases(23.1%), glial tumor in 6 cases(11.5%), and meningeal tumor in 3 case(5.7%) in order frequency. 3) The tumors were located most frequently in the thoracic area(19 cases, 36.5%) and in the intradural extramedullary space(28 cases, 53.9%). 4) The most common initial presentation was pain(27 cases, 51.9%) and on admission 14 cases(26.9%) showed paraparesis. 5) The rate of abnormality of the plain radiologic study was 59.6% and the most common positive finding was the pedicle erosion(15 cases, 28.8%). 6) The computed tomographic scanning with water soluble contrast media was useful in planning of operation to provide the exact relationship between the tumor, spinal cord and location of dura. 7) The total removal was possible in 27 cases(51.9%). 8) The follow-up results after 19.4 months of the mean follow-up duration in 46 cases were recovery in 29 cases(63.0%), improvement in 12 cases(26.0%), stationary state in 3 cases(6.5%), worse in 2 cases(4.3%). It was excellent particulary in cases of intradural-extramedullary tumor. 9) The incidence of metastatic tumor was 23.1%(12 cases) and the lung was most common primary focus. The follow-up result of metastatic tumor was poor than the other tumors.
Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; Neurosurgery ; Paraparesis ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms* ; Spinal Cord*