BACKGROUND: Statistical errors have been noted in a large percentage of articles appearing in medical journals. Their incidence in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology, however, has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of statistical methods in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology. METHOD: Original papers using the t test in the Annals of Dermatology(AD) and in the Korean Journal of Dermatology(KJD) from January 1990 to July 1994 were analyzed for correctness of statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 376 original papers in the period considered, 78(20.7%) presented t tests and 43(55.1%) of these also contained some errors. Of the 9 papers from the Annals of Dermatology, 4(44.4%) included at least one error. Of the 69 papers from the Korean Journal of Dermatology, 39(56.5%) included at least one error. CONCLUSION: Misuse of statistical methodology may not be uncommon in the two Korean Dermatology journals, and it would be prudent to give more attention to statistical methodology.
Dermatology* ; Incidence ; Methods

No abstract available.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was made of patients undergoing posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine. OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical outcomes of the patients who underwent posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine with commercially available allogeneic bone graft with those patients in a similar consecutive control group who underwent posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine with autogenic bone graft and to determine whether the commercially available allogeneic bone is useful for postero-lateral fusion of the lumbar spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Major differences exist in the ability of an allogeneic bone graft to regenerate a viable cellular network as compared to an autogenic bone graft. This is related to the immunologic response of the host to the foreign bone. The fusion rate of deep freezing allogeneic bone graft was reported as 80-100%. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with spondylolisthesis treated with decompression, fixation with pedicle screws and posterolateral fusion were retrospectively reviewed. Nineteen patients (group 1) were treated with commercially available allogeneic bone (Tutoplast) graft mixed with autogenic bone and the remaining 60 patients (group 2) were treated with autogenic bone graft. Operating time, amount of transfusion, duration of hospital stay, symptom improvement, fusion rate, duration of fusion, and complications were studied. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of duration of hospital stay, amount of transfusion, symptom improvement, and complications . However, there were significant differences between the allogeneic and autogenic groups in terms of operating time (212.3 versus 230.9 minutes), fusion rate (36.8% versus 98.3%), and duration of fusion (10.2 versus 6.4 months), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Commercially available allogeneic bone is less useful for posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine.
Decompression ; Freezing ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine* ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

Dermatologist should be aware of the practical importance of proper selection of ski.n lesions for histologic examination, the correct methods for performing biopsy, and steps involved in tissue preparation. They should be acquainted with factors producing various artifacts and ways to prevent these changes. This study was undertaken to investigate the artifacts of 300 dermatopathologic tissue sections which prepared by 3 general hospitals in Seoul in 1983. The results were summarized as follows. [.The percentage of artifacts produced by selection of inapropriate lesion was 4. 0% artifacts during biopsy procedure was 18. 3% inadequate size and depth of specimen was 7. 3%, faulty embedding was 12. 0%, tissue tearing or loss was 49. 3% artifactal dermoepidermal separation was 3.0%, linear knife marking was 17.0% thick or thin section was 8. 3% tissue overlapping was 12. 0% uneven stiining or precipitation was 3. 7%, and foreign body contamination was 3, 7% The percentage of good specimen was 21, 7% diagnostic was 56. 3% not diagnostic but suggestive was 8.7% and reading impossible was 13. 3% 3. The major causes of reading impossible specimen which attributed to the procedures of dermatologist were 40.0% to the proccss of technician were 47.5% and to both were 12. 5%
Artifacts* ; Biopsy* ; Foreign Bodies ; Hospitals, General ; Seoul ; Skin*

Some of the techniques for bone grafting for delayed union or nonunion of the long bone are used currently. In 1991, at arthroscopy workshop in Phoenix, Arizona, Lanny L. Johnson, M.D. reported a case of endoscopic bone grafting for the delayed union on the humerus. He suggested the possibilities of endoscopic bone grafting such as minimal incision, magnified visualization, accurate debridement, accurate graft placement, vascular preservation, outpatient surgery and reduced cost. The author performed endoscopic bone grafting and extra-articular adhesionlysis on the delayed union of femur with extra-articular ankylosis. The patient was a 28 year old housewife with blood type Rh(-). The duration after initial operation was more than 9 months. The result of the graft was satisfactory. In the future endoscopic bone grafting could be performed for nonunion, delayed union and congenital bone defect.
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures ; Ankylosis ; Arizona ; Arthroscopy ; Bone Transplantation ; Debridement ; Education ; Femur ; Humans ; Humerus ; Transplants

To elucidate the clinical avaiability of FNAB, we reviewed retrospectively medical records of 30 patients who had infiltrative pulmonary lesion or pulmonary nodule or mediastinal mass, and got percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy using Westcott needle, 20~22 gauge, at the department of Pediatrics, Hanyang university hospital from July, 1986 to June, 1993. The obtained results were as follows: 1) There were 30 patients, aged 6 months to 15 years. 2) There were 17 male patients and 13 female patients with sex ratio of 1.3:1 3) Among 30 cases, we discovered 16 cases of infiltrative lesions, 7 cases of pulmonary nodules and 7 cases of mediastinal mass lesions. In mediastinal there were 4 cases of anterior mediastinum and 3 cases of posterior mediastinum. 4) Overall success rate on fine needle aspiration biopsy was 60% (18/30). The success rate was 50% (8/16) in infiltrative lesions, 50% (8/15) in pulmonary nodules and 71% (5/7) in mediastinal mass lesions, respectively. 5) Eight infiltrative lesione were diagnosed as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Five pulmonary nodules were diagnosed as aspergillosis (2 cases), tuberculosis (1 case), mucormycosis (1 case), lung metastasis of metastasis of neuroblastoma (1 case). Five mediastinal mass lesions were diagnosed as teratoma (2 cases), lymphoma (1 case), malignant neurogenic tumor (1 case), ganglioneuroblastoma (1 case). 6) The complications occured in 20% (6 cases) among 30 procedures. All cases were due to pneumothorax: 3 cases spontaneously resolved, and 3 cases needed chest tube insertion. There were no death related with this procedures.
Aspergillosis ; Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Chest Tubes ; Child* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Ganglioneuroblastoma ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Medical Records ; Mucormycosis ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroblastoma ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis ; Pneumothorax ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Teratoma ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: As co-factors of metalloenzymes, zinc(Zn) and copper(Cu) have a considerable effect on nearly all the metabolism that takes place in organs of the body, including the skin. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate zinc and copper status in alopecia areata patients. METHODS: We measured serum levels of zinc and copper in 30 cases of alopecia areata patients and 10 normal individuals by atomic absorption spectrometry. Furthermore, we studied the significance of the ratio between serum levels of the two metals. RESULTS: The serum levels of zinc were significantly lower in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. The serum levels of copper were slightly lower in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. Ratios of Cu/Zn were slightly higher in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. But their differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a serum Zn assay should be included in the chemical assessment of patients with alopecia areata.
Absorption ; Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Copper* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Metals ; Skin ; Spectrum Analysis ; Zinc*

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to describe and interpret the nature of the experience inherent in the sex life of female breast cancer patients after treatment and understand the meaning behind it. METHODS: The participants were 10 female breast cancer patients who were married. Data were collected from March to September 2010. Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology was adopted in this qualitative study as a research method. RESULTS: There were 4 essential topics in the participants' experience of sex life; 'Sex life alert' was a result of negative changes in sexual relationships with spouse that they had never experienced before the breast cancer diagnosis; 'Precarious situation for pending divorce' was an experience of deteriorated sex life because of the failure to overcome 'sex life alert'; 'Sublimation of the difficulties by discovering an alternative solution' was an experience of discovering a solution to overcome the 'sexlife alert'. 'Leaving it as unsettled' was an experience of a condition in which the participants did not have any intension to resolve the difficulties in sex life due to the lack of appropriate support, thus tried to ignore the challenges faced. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates the necessity to develop proper nursing intervention on the issues related to sex life among breast cancer patients. Given the fact that the sexual topics are often considered taboo in day to day nursing practice, special attention and efforts need to be given in this area to build up nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Evidence-Based Practice ; Female ; Humans ; Qualitative Research ; Sexual Behavior ; Spouses ; Taboo

We evaluated MR imaging of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis degenerative spondylolisthesis and retrolisthesis in 14, 9 and 20 patients respectively. Sagittal and axial spin echo and gradient echo images were obtained with 25-30cm FOV and 5mm/0.5mm thickness/gap by using spine surface coil. Sagittal images showed defects of pars interarticularis just inside of the pedicles of spines in all the cases of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis with relatively variable signal intensity. Displaced vertebrae were commonly observed at L5 (8/14) in spondylolytic spondylolisthesis, at L4 (5/9) in degenerative spondylolisthesis and at variable locations in retrolisthesis. The mean length of displacement of vertebrae in spondylolytic spondylolisthesis was about 7mm and less displacement was onserved in degenerative spondylolisthesis and retrolisthesis. Seven, four and six cases of pseudobulging of disk at displaced level were observed in cases of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and retrolisthesis respectively. Seven, five and 14 cases of true disk lesions were onserved in cases of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis, degenertive spondylolisthesis and retrolisthesis respectively. Grade II neural foraminal stenoses (obliteration of one half epidural fat of neural foramen) were commonly (8/14) seen in spondylolytic spondylolisthesis, however the other two types showed less severe neural foraminal stenosis. In conclusion, MR imaging is a highly accurate method for the diagnosis and evaluation of spondylolisthesis and associated lesions of spine and disks.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Methods ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis*

Secondary osteoarthritis of hip joints is a common disease and is frequently followed by chronic sublexation and dislocation. Twenty four case of the secondary osteoarthritis associated with chronic subluxation and dislocation of the hip joints were evaluated with plain radiography and computed tomography. We retrospectively analyzed 1) the ossification and calcification of the acetabular labrum, 2) the thickeness of the quadrilateral plate of the ilium, and 3) anteroposterior diameter of the acetabulum. The changes of the hip joints in subluxation (n=14) revealed ossification of the acetabular labrum in 12 cases (86%), thickening of the quadrilateral plate of the ilium in 11 cases (78%) but anteroposterior diameter of the acetabulum was not changed. The changes of the hip joints in dislocation (n=10) revealed no evidence of the ossification of the acetabular labrum, thickening of the quadrilateral plate of the ilium in 10 cases (100%) and decreased anteroposterior diameter of the acetabulum. We conclude that CT findings of subluxation and dislocation of the hip joints can be helpful in the evaluation of the secondary osteoarthritis of the hip joints.
Acetabulum ; Dislocations* ; Hip Joint* ; Hip* ; Ilium ; Joints ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteoarthritis, Hip ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies