The purpose of this paper is to present a form of aphasia test, Modified Western Aphasia Battery (MWAB), which can be a practical method of examing and classifying Korean aphasic patients. This scorable test has five subtests: information, fluency, comprehension, repetition and naming. The authors have examined 11 aphasics and 34 normal control with this test, and report its methods and results.
Aphasia* ; Comprehension ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests

PURPOSE: To determine follow-up results for elderly patients with osteoporosis that received standard cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty with double loop and tension band wiring for treatment of unstable intertrochanteric hip fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2000 and May 2006, 86 cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasties were done in elderly patients who had unstable intertrochanteric fractures. The mean age at the time of surgery was 82 years. The average follow-up period was 5.3 years. We evaluated post-operative results by clinical and radiographic methods. RESULTS: At the final follow-up, the mean Harris hip score was 79.2. The mean time needed for full weight bearing following surgery was 4.2 weeks and 82.5 % of patients regained their preoperative level of ambulation. All patients achieved union in the lesser trochanter fracture, but substantial trochanter displacement was observed in 4 cases. There was one case of acetabular erosion. Superficial infections were found Post-operatively in 2 cases. One case with stem subsidence (<5 mm) showed satisfactory results without subsidence in further follow-ups. CONCLUSION: If cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty is properly applied in the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric hip fractures in the elderly, systematic postoperative rehabilitation, and pain control can be achieved.
Aged ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Walking ; Weight-Bearing

No abstract available.
Factor VIII* ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length*

Septo-optic dysplasia is an uncommon developmental disorder consisting of septum pellucidum angenesis, optic nerve hypoplasia, congenital nystagmus, seizure and multiple endocrine dysfunction. Clinically mild forms of septo-optic dysplasia and syndrome of absent septum pellucidum are now easily detected by computed tomography. We report two cases of septo-optic dysplasia with consistent radiographic findings with the anomaly.
Nystagmus, Congenital ; Optic Nerve ; Seizures ; Septo-Optic Dysplasia* ; Septum Pellucidum

BACKGROUND: Dry eye is a disorder of the tear film caused by reduced tear production or excessive tear evaporation. A high incidence of sicca symptoms has been noted in fibromyalgia (FM) patients resulting in serious complications. This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of dry eye by pathogenic mechanisms and to investigate the relationship between dry eye and symptom severity in FM patients. METHODS: Fifty patients that visited Maryknoll Hospital between March 2006 and December 2006 were included in the study. Enrolled patients underwent a Korean fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (KFIQ), ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer test and tear break up test (TBUT). The KFIQ and OSDI are used to assess the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms and dry eye symptoms, respectively. The Schirmer test and TBUT are used to assess reduced tear production and excessive tear evaporation, respectively. We assessed the OSDI, Schirmer test, TBUT, age and disease duration in terms of the KFIQ. RESULTS: The incidence of dry eye was high in FM patients (12.0% by the Schirmer test and 92.0% by the TBUT test). The OSDI positively correlated with the KFIQ (p=0.006). A positive correlation was observed between the Schirmer test and the KFIQ (p=0.024), but not between the TBUT and the KFIQ. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, dry eye was found to be common in FM patients. Excessive tear evaporation was a more common cause of dry eye than reduced tear production. The patients with more severe dry eye symptoms tend to have more severe FM symptoms.
Fibromyalgia* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Tears ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Microphones designed to measure otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) from the human ear canal typically sample the sound field in the canal some 15-20 mm away from the tympanic membrane. Discrepancies inevitably arise at high frequencies between the sound pressure at the tympanic membrane and at the entrance to the emission probe from sound reflected by the tympanic membrane due to incomplete absorption. A previous work on the ear canal acoustics suggests the emission probe underestimate the sound pressure level of the stimulus at the tympanic membrane by as much as 15-20 dB for the stimulus frequencies near 5-7 KHz. Materials and Method: This study checked the variation of transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and distorsion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) for the situations of probe which were controlled by ear canal volume. RESULTS: All mean values on TEOAEs (stimulus level, echo response, reproducibility) significantly increased (p 0.05) as the ear canal volume decreased. The mean amplitude of DPOAEs significantly increased at 1.6, 2, 25, 3.2, 4 (F2 frequency) and the variation of the mean noise level was statistically significant at 1, 2, 4 KHz (F2 frequency). The mean signal to noise ratio on DPOAEs significantly increased at 1, 2, 3.2, 4, 6.3 KHz (F2 frequency). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the reliability of measurements of otoacoustic emissions should be improved when the probe is located nearer to the tympanic membrane.
Absorption ; Acoustics ; Ear Canal ; Humans ; Noise ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Tympanic Membrane

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Corrected transposition of the great arteries (C-TGA) is a rare congenital heart disease, of which prognosis depends on the associated cardiac defects, systemic ventricular function, competency of atrioventricular valves, and the presence of conduction disturbances. This study was aimed to assess the midterm follow-up status of C-TGA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review was performed on 89 cases with C-TGA and two ventricles of adequate size, which were diagnosed between January 1980 and June 1997. RESULTS: Study subjects consisted of 56 males and 33 females (average age at diagnosis, 9 months). Mean follow-up duration was 98 months (range, 2 months - 23 years 8 months). Based on the associated cardiac anomalies, there were 6 simple C-TGA and 83 complex C-TGA patients. Surgery including 19 palliative and 47 corrective operations was attempted on 61 cases at mean age of 69 months. Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) was noted at the time of first examination in 52 (mild in 39; moderate in 8; severe in 5) and progressed in 18 patients. TVR was done on 5 patients and double switch on 7 patients. Arrhythmia was noted preoperatively (complete AV block in 3) in 11 and postoperatively (postoperative complete AV block in 3) in 22 patients. A total of 13 cases died including 10 perioperative deaths during follow-up. Actuarial survival rate at 10 year was 84.5%. CONCLUSION: In this study, the midterm outcome of corrected TGA is acceptable. However, long-term follow-up is required in respect to the function of atrioventricular valve and the systemic ventricle.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arteries* ; Atrioventricular Block ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; Ventricular Function

PURPOSE:Many patients with atopic dermatitis have shown different responses to treatment or different prognosis dependenting on the kinds of offending allergens. We attempted to evaluate the difference of mechanism in allergic inflammation between food allergens and aeroallergens by measuring chemokines, including TARC (Thymus and activation regulated chemokine), MDC (Marcrophage-derived chemokine), IL-18, CCL-28 (Chemokine receptor ligand-28) and ECP (Eosinophil cationic protein), and to investigate the correlation between the clinical severity and chemokine levels induced by food allergens and aeroallergens in atopic dermatitis. METHODS:Sixty-seven children with atopic dermatitis (39 males and 28 females) were recruited. Thirteen nonatopic children without atopic dermatitis (6 males and 7 females) were selected as controls. RESULTS:We obtained SCORAD index cut-off points that were similar to those established by clinical criteria. Comparisons between the groups of mild, moderate and severe atopic dermatitis revealed significant differences in serum total IgE and ECP levels. SCORAD index significantly correlated with total IgE, TARC, MDC and ECP levels. Serum IgE levels correlated with TARC and ECP. SCORAD index and total IgE strongly correlated to HDM. While IL-18, TARC, MDC and ECP levels strongly correlated to egg white and milk. In soybean, IgE and TARC and ECP levels significantly correlated with specific IgE levels. CONCLUSION:TARC, MDC and ECP might play a crucial role in the chronic inflammatory process of food-specific atopic dermatitis. In contrast, IgE-mediated mechanisms might have implications for HDM, when compared with food specific atopic dermatitis. These results suggest that pathogenic mechanisms of atopic dermatitis might be different according to relevant allergens.
Allergens* ; Chemokine CCL17 ; Chemokines* ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Egg White ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-18 ; Male ; Milk ; Prognosis ; Soybeans

PURPOSE: This study aimed to characterize the autonomic and chaotic control of heart rate and circadian rhythm in asymptomatic patients with postoperative tetralogy of Fallot (pTOF). METHODS: Twenty-four-hour electrocardiogram recordings were obtained in 30 asymptomatic pTOF patients and in 30 age-and sex-matched controls, aged between 6 and 11 years. The data was digitized and partitioned into sections of 30- minute'durations. For each section, time-domain and frequency-domain measures (low- and high- frequency component) of heart rate variability and three measures based on chaotic dynamics- approximate entropy, correlation dimension and Lyapunov exponent-were calculated. RESULTS: In pTOF patients, 24-hour mean values of the time domain measures, high-frequency component, and all chaotic measures were significantly lower, while 24-hour mean value and all 6-hour mean values of the low-frequency component were significantly higher; all 6- hour mean values of high-frequency component, except from 6am to midday, were significantly lower. In pTOF patients, all 6-hour mean values of all three chaotic measures were significantly lower. In pTOF patients, the day- night circadian variation seen in controls was diminished (time- domain measures) or absent (low- and high- frequency component). CONCLUSION: Even in asymptomatic patients with pTOF, who are thought to be at minimal risk of fatal arrhythmia, a sustained increase in sympathetic activity and decrease in vagal activity, abnormal circadian rhythm of the autonomic activity, and decreased cardiac chaos were found. When other arrhythminogenic risk factors are superimposed, these abnormalities may contribute to the development of fatal arrhythmia and sudden death.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Child* ; Circadian Rhythm* ; Death, Sudden ; Electrocardiography ; Entropy ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Tetralogy of Fallot*

The Jarcho-Levin syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a short neck, short trunk, and a constricted thorax, and is due to multiple vertebral and rib defects. The small size of the thorax frequently leads to respiratory insufficiency and death in neonates or infants. This syndrome also combines with various kinds of anomalies, especially renal anomalies. We report an infant with Jarcho-Levin syndrome combined with fusion of both kidneys who was referred from a local obstetric clinic for cyanosis and respiratory difficulty.
Abnormalities, Multiple ; Cyanosis ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Kidney ; Neck ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Ribs ; Thorax