No abstract available.
Humans ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic* ; Urodynamics*

No abstract available.
Needles* ; Prostatitis*

PURPOSE: We performed this study to elucidate whether patient`s satisfaction and improvement of clinical parameters after transurethral resection of prostate(TURP) correlate with the degree of preoperative obstruction. We investigated the role of urodynamic studies as a predictor of outcome after TURP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Parameters including pre-operative symptom scores(IPSS), uroflow rate, prostate volume and urodynamic studies, were assessed in 27 patients undergoing TURP due to BPH. Bladder outlet obstruction was assessed by pressure-flow study(PFS). Post-operative evaluation was performed with IPSS and uroflowmetry 3 months after surgery. Post-operative patient`s satisfaction was determined by subjective responses to the questionnaires. The subjective responses, clinical and urodynamic parameters were compared and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Eighteen patients(67%) had preoperative bladder outlet obstruction(BOO; defined as L-PURR> or =3), while 14(52%) demonstrated associated detrusor instability(DI). Significant improvements in IPSS, quality of life, peak flow rate and residual urine were noted in all patients post-operatively(p<0.05). Significant improvements in voiding symptom scores were demonstrated in patients with good results(p<0.05). Good results(16 patients) were more frequently noted in the patients with BOO than those without BOO. 60% of the patients who showed only DI had poor results. The positive predictive value for the good and poor results were 76.9%(L-PURR> or =3) and 91%(L-PURR<3). CONCLUSIONS: No differences in the improvements of clinical parameters except voiding symptom scores were noted between obstructive and non-obstructive BPH. However, patient`s satisfaction after surgery was higher for patients in whom preoperative pressure-flow study confirmed obstruction. Also, obstructive parameters such as L-PURR or URA may be useful in predicting postoperative results.
Humans ; Prostate ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; Urodynamics

No abstract available.
Cystectomy*

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the effects of the alpha1A adrenoceptor antagonist on the urethral perfusion pressure (UPP), and also to assess its therapeutic potentials for female bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Materials and Methods: A cannula was placed in the femoral artery for drug administration and systemic blood pressure monitoring in each female rat. The UPP and vesical pressure (Pves) were monitored using a triple-lumen catheter. Tamsulosin (group I), doxazosin (group II) and phentolamin (group III) were injected into female rats via the femoral cannula. Tamsulosin was also injected to male rats (group IV) for comparison with Group I. Results: After administration of tamsulosin in group I, the frequency was significantly decreased and the duration of minimal urethral relaxation with high frequency oscillations (Dhfo) was significantly prolonged. None of the parameters were significantly different compared with groups II and III, with the exception of the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). The changes of MAP after tamsulosin were significantly lower than those after doxazosin and phentolamin. In the male rats (group IV), prior to the administration of tamsulosin, the UPP and Pves curves were similar to those of the female rats, but the maximal Pves was significantly higher than in group I. After the administration of tamsulosin to group IV, the prolongation of the frequency and Dhfo were significant. Conclusions: In the female rat urethra, the alpha1A adrenergic receptor may be a functional subtype. The alpha1A adrenoceptor antagonist was found to prolong the Dhfo and decrease the frequency of involuntary bladder contraction. It might be possible that the alpha1A adrenoceptor antagonist improves not only the obstructive symptoms, but the bladder irritative symptoms also, by prolonging the Dhfo and frequency of an involuntary bladder contraction.
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitors ; Catheters ; Doxazosin ; Female* ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Male ; Perfusion* ; Rats* ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; Relaxation ; Urethra ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction

PURPOSE: To evaluate the chronological change of serum anti-type II collagen antibody level according to the type of immunoglobulin (i.e. IgG, IgM) in chronic arthritic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The serum levels of anti-type II collagen antibody were determined in three groups (control, degenerative arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) with ELISA method. In each person, the serum levels of antibody IgG, IgM against human, bovine and chicken type II collagens were determined separately. RESULTS: Since correlation coefficients of ELISA showed high values except in the case of denatured human collagen, ELISA test is regarded as reliable. In terms of denatured human collagen, no constant denaturation pattern induced variable results. With regards to chronological changes, there was no change of IgG titer in all three groups. IgM titer of control group was not varied according to time change. But IgM titer of arthritis group changed from time to time. Chronological changes of antibody titers depended on the types of antigen. In case of human collagen, there were changes of antibody titer in the degenerative arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis groups. And in the case of bovine collagen, change of antibody titer was observed only in the rheumatoid arthritis group. CONCLUSION: Chronological change of IgG titer was not observed in the arthritis group but IgM titer changes are observed in that group. Thus, it might be a topic of future research to evaluate the relationship between the chronological change of IgM antibody and disease aggravation.
Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Chickens ; Collagen Type II ; Collagen* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Osteoarthritis*

Mycobacterium marinum, group I photochromogen, is an atypical mycobacterium living in an aquatic environment including swimming pools, lagoon, lake, or fish tanks. Infections with M. marinum are not common, so only three cases have been reported in Korea. In general, skin lesions evolve as a solitary nodule or pustule but occasionally sporotrichoid spreading along the course of lymphatic vessels occurs. A 46-year-old woman visited our department with 2X1.5cm sized erythmatous ulcerated nodule on her right hand dorsum and several rice-sized subcutaneous nodules along the ascending course of lymphatic vessels on her right forearm. She had cleaned fish tank two months before the skin lesion developed. A AFB-positive microorganism was isolated by culture of the tissue specimen, which grew slowly at 30degrees C and those colonies showed yellowish color after light exposure on Ogawa medium. This microorganism was confirmed as M. marinum by polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of sporotrichoid granuloma due to M marinum infection occurred in association with fish tank in Korea.
Female ; Forearm ; Granuloma* ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea ; Lakes ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium marinum ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Restriction Mapping ; Skin ; Swimming Pools ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Brain ; Brain Abscess ; Lateral Sinus Thrombosis ; Otitis ; Otitis Media ; Petrositis ; Transverse Sinuses

No abstract available.
Brain ; Brain Abscess ; Lateral Sinus Thrombosis ; Otitis ; Otitis Media ; Petrositis ; Transverse Sinuses

Despite recent advances in understanding of the pathobiology and targeted treatments of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), epidemiologic data from large populations have been limited to western countries. The aim of the Korean Registry of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (KORPAH) was to examine the epidemiology and prognosis of Korean patients with PAH. KORPAH was designed as a nationwide, multicenter, prospective data collection using an internet webserver from September 2008 to December 2011. A total of 625 patients were enrolled. The patients' mean age was 47.6 +/- 15.7 yr, and 503 (80.5%) were women. The diagnostic methods included right heart catheterization (n = 249, 39.8%) and Doppler echocardiography (n = 376, 60.2%). The etiologies, in order of frequency, were connective tissue disease (CTD), congenital heart disease, and idiopathic PAH (IPAH) (49.8%, 25.4%, and 23.2%, respectively). Patients with WHO functional class III or IV at diagnosis were 43.4%. In total, 380 (60.8%) patients received a single PAH-specific treatment at the time of enrollment, but only 72 (18.9%) patients received combination therapy. Incident cases during the registry represented 297 patients; therefore, the incidence rate of PAH was 1.9 patients/yr/million people. The 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-yr estimated survival rates were 90.8%, 87.8%, and 84.4%, respectively. Although Korean PAH patients exhibited similar age, gender, and survival rate compared with western registries, they showed relatively more CTD-PAH in the etiology and also systemic lupus erythematosus among CTD-PAH. The data suggest that earlier diagnosis and more specialized therapies should be needed to improve the survival of PAH patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Connective Tissue Diseases/complications ; Data Collection ; *Databases, Factual ; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension/*epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital/complications ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Artery/*physiopathology ; *Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult