Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare entity. Various definitions for spontaneous epidural hematoma have been reported in the literature. The expression of nontraumatic spinal epidural hematoma seems to be less ambiguous and includes idiopathic hematomas and hematomas secondary to coagulopathy, vascular malformations, and tumors. We report three cases of nontraumatic spinal epidural hematomas observed from 1991 to 2000. The causes of the spinal epidural hematomas were not clear in two cases among them, but in the another one case, the cause was determined to be an acquired coagulopathy. We reviewed 24 cases reported in the Korean Journal of Neurosurgery and our three cases with particular emphasis on the various causes such as coagulopathy, vascular malformations and tumors. Among the 27 cases, numerous causes were detected such as three cases of vascular malformation, one case of anticoagulant treatment, five cases of combined lumbar disc herniation, two cases associated with pregnancy and postpartum, one case associated with hypertension, and one case associated with ossification of ligamentum flavum. No causes were detected in the ten cases. The authors reviewed the literature.
Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Hypertension ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Neurosurgery ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Vascular Malformations

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of nifedipine gastrointestinal system push-pull osmotic pump formulation in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. METHODS: After 2 weeks placebo run-in period, nifedipine 60 mg was administered once daily for 8 weeks in thirty-two patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. RESULTS: At the end point of treatment, sitting blood pressure decreased as much as 33/16mmHg in average and rewarded 88% of efficacy and 69% of normalization. The ambulatoy blood pressure monitoring in 10 patients also revealed 11% decrease in 24 hr mean diastolic blood pressure and 32% decrease in % elevated blood pressure. The most frequent side reactions were constipation in 7 patients and polyuria in 6 patients which were tolerated during entire trial period. There were no significant changes in biochemical parameters and hematologic data, thus making the rate of safety 91% and overall rating of usefulness was 84%. CONCLUSION: Nifedipine GITS 60 mg once daily regimen is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitors ; Constipation ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Nifedipine* ; Polyuria ; Reward

BACKGROUND: To obtain reference values for the ambulatory blood pressure, 30 normotensive Korean young males, aged 22-28 years(mean age: 25 years) were investigated. METHODS: The ambulatory blood pressure was recorded with SpaceLabs Model 90207 monitor over 24 hours at 20 minutes intervals during day-time(6 am-10pm) and at 30 minutes intervals during night-time (10 pm-6 am). RESULTS: The ambulatory blood pressure of the 30 subjects averaged 119/74mmHg over 24 hours, 122/78 mmHg during day-time and 112/68 mmHg during night-time. The upper limit of normal ambulatory blood pressure was suggested as the value of mean+/-2SD which revealed 131/84mmHg for 24 hours, 134/90 mmHg for day-time and 126/80 mmHg for night-time. CONCLUSION: Reference values for the ambulatory blood pressure, in normotensive Korean young men, were obtained by SpaceLab model 90207 monitor.
Blood Pressure* ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values*

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer and to identify demographic variables and clinical characteristics impact on depressive symptoms and health related quality of life in patients with breast cancer in a university hospital. METHODS: Fourty-one patients with breast cancer were selected, who had visited the department of General surgery of the Wonkwang University hospital with a diagnosis of breast cancer regularly during the period November, 2010-May, 2011. All of subjects were evaluated for the depression, anxiety and the health related quality of life with Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), anxiety subscale of Personality Assessment Inventory(PAI) and Short-Form 36 Health Survey-Korean version(SF-36-K). Patients were divided into depressive symptoms and non-depressive symptoms group according to the BDI score. We compared SF-36-K between two groups, and analized multiple regression with depression and health related quality of life as criterion variables and demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression in patients with breast cancer in a University hospital was 36.4%. Compared to the non-depression, depressed patients with breast cancer appeared significantly lower mean scores on six subscales in SF-36-K : Physical function(p<.01), Role-physical(p<.001), General health(p<.05), Social function(p<.001), Role-emotional(p<.001) and Mental health(p<.001). But there was no significant difference between two groups in Vitality and Bodily pain. Anxiety, level of education and presence of enforcement of chemotherapy(63.6%) were significant explanation variables for depressive symptoms. And type of surgery and age (55.8%) were significant explanation variables for health related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer in a University hospital was 36%. The depressive symptoms had not only negative impact on the health related quality of life but also important explanation variable for health related quality of life. These results suggest that depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer should be evaluated and treated for improving patient's health related quality of life.
Anxiety ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Humans ; Personality Assessment ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life

No abstract available.
Animals ; Evoked Potentials, Motor* ; Rats*

No abstract available.

DNA aneuploid cells are poorly characterized in both biochemical and morphological terms. This study was performed to see the relationship between DNA ploidy and morphometric and photometric nuclear features. DNA contents of tumor cells were measured by image cytometry in 46 cases of micro- or early invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Also measured were nuclear area, perimeter, maximum diameter, chromatin pattern index, and staining intensity. Among the 46 cases, 20 cases which had both DNA diploid and aneuploid cell subpopulations were selected, and the two subpopulations were discriminated statistically. Multivariate discriminant analysis seperated clearly the two subpopulations, whereas univariate analysis failed. For canonical discriminant function, nuclear area was selected first, followed by staining intensity in each case. Other variables selected afterwards were nuclear perimeter, maximum diameter, and/or chromatin pattern index in random fashion. Correlation coefficient between the canoncial discriminant function and the variables were 0.20~0.40 for nuclear area and 0.25 or less for the others. The above results suggest that DNA ploidy is a parameter more or less independent on individual morphometric and photometric parameters.

No abstract available.
Knee* ; Popliteal Artery*

Lumbar ligimentum flava obtained from 21 patients of spinal stenosis and 10 patients who underwent surgery for vertebral fracture(control group) were studied with hematoxylin-eosin stain, Verhoff s elastic stain, and immunohistochemical stains for S-100 protein ad fibronectin. The chondroid metaplasia of ligamentum flavum found more frequently and widely in the group of spinal stenosis compared with control group. The elastic fibers were decreased in number and irregu- larly arranged at the bone attached area in the group of spinal stenosis. There was tendency to increase the amount of fibronectin in the stroma of the ligamentum flavum in the group of spinal stenosis. Above findings suggest that chondroid metaplasia and changes of the elastic fiber in the peripheral area of the ligamentum flavum are able to contribute the pathogenesis of spinal stenosis.
Coloring Agents ; Elastic Tissue ; Fibronectins ; Humans ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Metaplasia ; S100 Proteins ; Spinal Stenosis