We report a case of acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus in a 28-year-old female. The patient showed unilateral, asymptomatic, grouped, 2 mm sized, brownish, follicular ant non-follicular, keratotic papules disposed along Blaschko´s lines on the right side of th back, flank and abdomen. She had had this condition for 4 years. The biopsy specimen obtaine, from the abdomen showed hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, acanthosis, acantholytic suprabasal clefts, corps ronds, and grains. Although cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen was per formed on half of the lesions, the whole skin lesions healed with focal hypertrophic scars 4 weeks later. There was no recurrence after a 12 months follow-up period. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus in Korean dermatologi, literature.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Ants ; Biopsy ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Cryotherapy ; Darier Disease* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nitrogen ; Parakeratosis ; Recurrence ; Skin

No abstract available.
Animals ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mortality of patients over eighty years old with femoral neck fractures that have been treated with bipolar endoprostheses. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied 37 patients out of a total of 83, who suffered from hip fractures and were treated with surgery from 2000 through December 2004. We attempted to distinguish the differences between the 8 patients who died (Group A) and the 29 patients who lived (Group B). The variables that we analyzed, were: age, sex, operative time, the time period from admission to surgery, the time period from admission to discharge, the ASA score, and any medical comorbidities. Results: In Group A, 2 patients died within 1 month, 2 died between 1 and 6 months, 1 died between 6 and 12 months, and 3 died after 1 year. There were statistical differences between Group A and Group B with respect to two variables: the time period from admission to, and medical comorbidities. Conclusion: There were significant correlations with an increase in the mortality rate among patients with lung disease, female patients in general, and delays in surgery. Therefore, particular care should be paid to patients with these variables.
Comorbidity ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Hip Fractures ; Hip* ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Mortality* ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies

We recently experienced a case of an elderly patient with mediastinal abscess, which is a rare complication of esophageal perforation, in whom dyspnea, chest pain and odynophagia were main clinical symptoms after eating cooked fish. During evaluation, upper mediastinal widening, with air-fluid level, and eaophageal perforation plugged with pus were detected by chest X-ray films and endoscopic examinatien. After draining of pus(about 300 cc) through the perforation site by careful manipulation of endoscope, inner wall of abacess cavity communicating with esophagus could be observed through esophago-mediastinal fistula. For further management, drainage procedure of mediastinal abscess, esophageal diversion and feeding gastrostomy were done.
Abscess* ; Aged ; Chest Pain ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Eating ; Endoscopes ; Esophageal Perforation* ; Esophagus ; Fistula ; Gastrostomy ; Humans ; Suppuration ; Thorax ; X-Ray Film

PURPOSE: A varicocele is the most common correctable cause of infertility in men. Conventional techniques of varicocele repair are associated with substantial risks of hydrocele formation, varicoele persistence and recurrence. The inguinal approach with classic Palomo technique was used to be simplified the procedure and to get the same good results with the Palomo technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 1990 to March 1997, we experienced surgical corrections of 54 patients with varicocele(A mean age 20.3 years) The most of patients were left-sided(96.3%). Until March 1996, surgical correction with Palomo(6 patients) and modified Palomo(13 patients) technique by retroperitoneal approach and Ivanissevich techrique(20 patients) by inguinal approach have been performed, and since April 1996, Palomo technique(15 patients) with inguinal approach has been performed, in which the entire vascular pedicle is ligated superior to the entrance of the was deferens through the inguinal incision. RESULTS: The postoperative recurrences in the modified Palomo technique occurred In two of the 13 patients(15%) and in the Ivanissevich technique in three of the 20 patients(15%). But there were no recurrences In the retroperitoneal Palomo and modified inguinal Palomo techniques. The modified inguinal Palomo technique was completed within 45.3minutes in mean duration, but the standard retroperitoneal Palomo technique within 55.2minutes, modified Palomo technique within 57.2minutes and Ivanissevich technique within 51.4minutes. There was no varicocele recurrence, hydrocele and atrophy of testis in modified inguinal Palomo techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The modified inguinal Palomo technique was easily approachable and relatively fast in our experience and had no recurrence.
Atrophy ; Humans ; Infertility ; Male ; Recurrence ; Testis ; Varicocele*

OBJECTIVE: To establish the evaluation system of the quality of oocytes on the basis of the incidence of cumulus cells apoptosis, to investigate the relationships between the incidence of cumulus cells and the outcomes of IVF-ET. METHOD: Thirth-four cycles undergoing controlled ovarian hypersimulation for IVF-ET with tubal infertility (23 cycles) or unexplained infertility (11 cycles) were included in this study. Cumulus cell masses surrounding mature oocyte and co-culture of embryos with autologous cumulus cells during IVF-ET process. The incidence of apoptosis in cumulus cells was assessed by apoptosis detection kit fluorescein. The effect of co-culture using cumulus cells and the incidence of cumulus cells apoptosis. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1. The incidence of apoptosis in cumulus cells markedly increased in patients aged 40 or over, while the fertilization rate was greatly decreased in those age group. 2. Apoptosis in cumulus cells was found in both the fertilized oocytes and unfertilized oocytes, but the incidence of apoptosis was higher in unfertilized oocytes. 3. There is no clear correlation between apoptosis in cumulus cells and the number of oocytes retrieved. However, the incidence of apoptosis was increased when the number of oocytes retrieved was 5 and fewer in comparison with 6~10. 4. Embryo grade was significantly affected by the incidence of apoptosis in cumulus cells. 5. Pregnancy rate of IVF-ET per cycle was 29.4%, and the pregnant group had the higher fertilization rate and a significantly lower incidence of apoptosis in cumulus cells compared with the nonpregnant group. 6. When cumulus cells were used as helper cells in the co-culture of the embryo, in vitro activity of cumulus cells based on morphological change and proliferation did not influence the quality of embryo, but was closely associated with the implantation rate and pregnancy rate, which was enhanced when morphological changes and proliferation of cumulus cells was more active. 7. This difference in the outcome of IVF-ET according to in vitro activity of cumulus cells used for co-cultue was not associated with the incidence of apoptosis in cumulus cells, but rather had likely relations with the different secretion pattern of protein, which may be an embryotrophic factor by cumulus cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the incidence of apoptosis in cumulus cells can be used in predicting oocyte qualities and the outcomes of IVF-ET. And the effect of co-culture largely depends on the in vitro activity of cumulus cells as well.
Apoptosis ; Coculture Techniques ; Cumulus Cells* ; Embryonic Structures ; Fertilization ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

Apolipoprotein E-epsilon4(APOE4) is recently known as a susceptibility gene or risk factor associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Association between APOE4 and probable AD was determined in Korean population. Twenty patients met the NINCDS-ADRDA probable AD criteria (M:F=7:13, Mean age: 70.1 yr)were compared with 146 controls without dementia (M:F=83:63, Mean age:63.6 yr). APOE genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction and allele specific hybridization technique. APOE4 allele frequency (0.33 vs. 0.11, p<.01) and proportion of carriers with APOE4(60% vs. 19%, p<.01) were significantly increased in patient group. APOE4 genotype is also associated with late-onset sporadic AD in Korean, and APOE genotyping may be useful for differential diagnosis of AD for patients with dementia.
Alleles ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Apolipoprotein E4 ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; Dementia ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Risk Factors

The object of this study is to investigate the routes of the introduction of the western psychiatric knowledges and practices in Korea. The historical documents including newspapers and governmental bullettins as well as articles and books on the history of the Korean medicine were examined and the results are as follows: The western knowledge about the brain anatomy and physiology was introduced from China by the enlightened Confucian and Taoistic scholars of Korea in the mid seventeenth century through the Chinese translations of the western science and medicine. Due to the lack of support for the scholars and even persecution by the ruling power to those who had great interests in the western thoughts including sciences, the western medical knowledges could not be actualized in practice. Thus, the active practices of western medicine were started in the late 19th century in Korea through the two routes ; one, via Japanese military physicians and the other one, via the western missionary physicians. The psychiatry was lectured by Japanese psychiatrist in 1910 at the medical school of Tai-Han Ui-won, the Korean governmental clinic and in 1913 at the Severance medical school by the Australian psychiatrist, McLaren. As the independent department with the psychiatric ward, the first Dept. of Psychiatry was established in 1913 at the colonial governmental clinic, Chosun Chondokbu-Uiwon, the former Tai-Han Ui-won. Medicine as well as psychiatry was introduced into Korea under the political atmosphere of onesided admiration for the western science. The attempts to combine the western medicine with the traditional Korean medicine could not be tolerated by both missionary physicians and the colonial regime.
Colonialism/*history ; English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 17th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 18th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 20th Cent. ; Japan ; Korea ; Missions and Missionaries/*history ; Psychiatry/*history ; Western World/*history

No abstract available.
Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy*