Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Infections ; Dental Caries ; Drainage ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ludwig's Angina ; Neck ; Penicillins ; Periodontal Diseases ; Suppuration ; Surgery, Oral ; Tracheostomy

BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster(HZ), caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus, is manifested by dermatomal distribution of skin rashes, acute pain and post-herpetic neuralgia by pathologic involvement of the sensory ganglia. Low-energy laser(LEL) deliver a small amount of energy without elevation of the tissue temperature. LEL is reported to have various biologic effects such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, regenerative, antiallergic, immunocorrective, and antibacterial effects. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of LEL on an acute phase of HZ. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with acute HZ were enrolled in the study. The control group(30 patients) received medications including analgesics, antihistamine, and topical care without LEL irradiation. The experimental group(30 patients) were irradiated with LEL daily for 7 days in addition to the same kinds of medications for the control group. The efficacy of LEL irradiation for HZ was assessed by analyzing changes in skin rashes, pain scores, and postherpetic neuralgia.
Acute Pain ; Analgesics ; Exanthema ; Ganglia, Sensory ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Neuralgia ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic

No abstract available.
Animals ; Nerve Regeneration* ; Rats* ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Transplants*

A 4-year-old boy has had a solitary sclerotic depressed plaque on the right anterior chest since birth. The histopathologic findings are consistent with morphea profunda: thickening, hyalinization, and homogenization of collagen bundles in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues, admixture with a prominent lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltrate, and sweat glands en-trapped between the thickened collagen bundles. We report a case of congenital solitary morphea profunda.
Child, Preschool ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Male ; Parturition ; Plasma Cells ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Sweat Glands ; Thorax

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze patients who developed deep wound infections after receiving PLIF for degenerative lumbar disease, and report the treatment outcomes. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Few studies have examined deep wound infections after PLIF, and there is some controversy regarding whether screws or cages need to be removed to treat infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine cases(spinal stenosis 6, spondylolisthesis 3) developed a deep wound infection after PLIF from 2001 to 2007. The mean follow up was 48 months (24-72). The clinical results were evaluated using MacNab's criteria. RESULTS: The diagnosis of infection was made based on the clinical symptoms and signs, and inflammatory markers, such as ESR and CRP. The time to diagnosis was less than one week (2), three weeks (2), six weeks (1) and three months or more (4). Bacterial identification was performed on seven cases. MRSA was detected in one of them, and no bacteria were identified in the other six. In two of them, the infection subsided with antibiotic therapy only. In 7 cases, removal of the cage and anterior iliac strut graft was needed for infection control. In four cases, loosened screws were removed during debridement. In 2 cases, additional surgery for pseudarthrosis was required after curing the infection. CONCLUSIONS: In deep infections after PLIF, early diagnosis and bacterial identification are important for reducing the need for a later radical operation. It is recommended that blood markers of infection be measured with a short follow-up period. In a case of persistent infection against prolonged antibiotics, removal of the cage or screw is needed to treat the infection earlier.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Debridement ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Pseudarthrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants ; Wound Infection

The authors underwent the serum lipid study, involving the lipoprotein fraction, and the HDL-cholesterol mean values in normal Korean adults visited to Hanyang University Hospital, and also compared with the previously reported serum lipid studies. The results are as follows; 1) The mean values of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and phospholipid were 103.3+/-17.1mg%, 188.9+/-18.2mg%, and 196.7+/-19.8mg%, respectively. 2) Compared with the past 7 years triglyceride showed increasing tendency with significance, and cholesterol and phospholipid showed slightly increasing tendency. 3) In the serum lipoprotein fraction, the mean values of alpha-lipoprotein, pre-beta-lipoprotein, and beta-lipoprotein were 37.2+/-5.9%, 16.0+/-4.2%, and 48.6+/-5.2%, respectively. 4) Compared with the past 10 years, the alpha-, and pre-beta-lipoprotein showed increasing tendency, meanwhile, beta-lipoprotein revealed decreasing tendency. 5) The mean value of HDL-cholesterol was 52.3+/-14.6mg%, and the ratio of HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol(HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol) was 28.2+/-7.9. 6) Compared with the past 2 years, HDL-cholesterol level showed slightly increasing tendency.
Adult ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Bentonite clay, which is a major component of mud pack, has been used for various purposes in cosmetics. Glycolic acid is known to be effective in the treatment of acne. Al-though those products are used widely, information on the mode of action and effects on the skin are little and controversial till now. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether bentonite alone, or bentonite with glycolic acid in mixed formulation affect the stratum corneum leading to alteration on cutaneous barrier function and whether those products alter the lipid lamellae and desmosomes of corneocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mud pack-type ointment of bentonite, bentonite and 5% glycolic acid formulation, bentonite and 10% glycolic acid formulation were applied on the volar fore-arm of the five healthy men and flank skin of five 6-8 week old hairless mice. Transepidermal water loss and capacitance were measured. Electron microscopic examination after ruthenium tetroxide postfixation was performed on the flank skin of the mice. RESULTS: Transepidermal water loss(TEWL) increased immediately and normalized 4 to 6 hours later after removal of vapor permeable membrane in both mouse and human. Capacitance did not show any evidence of change in the water content of the stratum corneum. Electron microscopic examination revealed that lipid lamellae and desmosome of corneocytes were not de-graded, but lamellar body secretion and partially electron-lucent material was-increased in 10% glycolic acid and bentonite mixture-treated area. CONCLUSION: Barrier function of stratum corneum is not disturbed by bentonite and glycolic acid formulations at the concentration used. Barrier structures are not disrupted, but lamellar body secretion and partially electron-lucent material was increased by bentonite and glycolic acid formulations at higher concentration.
Acne Vulgaris ; Animals ; Bentonite* ; Desmosomes ; Humans ; Male ; Membranes ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless ; Mud Therapy ; Ruthenium ; Skin ; Water

Split hand malformation is a rare malformation with various presentations. The current report describes a case of split hand malformation detected using 2D and 3D ultrasonography at 16 weeks` gestation. 2D ultrasonographic findings were split hand malformation in the right hand and monodactyly in the left hand , and those findings were confirmed and further clarified using 3D imaging. Postmortem X ray findings were consistent with the ultrasonographic findings. We conclude that 3D ultrasonography can assist in clarifying 2D ultrasonography findings of hand malformations during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Prenatal Diagnosis

This study was undertaken to evaluate the status of human paragonimiasis in Kang Hwa Gun, Kyunggi Do, Korea from March 1973 to October 1975 by the use of intradermal screening test with Veronal buffered saline antigen. A total number of 7,352 (male 3,936; female 3,4l6) consisting of 3,447 primary school children, 2,689 middle school students, l,008 high school students of 9 Myuns out of 13 Myuns of this County and 208 residents of all age group in Kilgeong-Ri, Yangdo Myun were examined by the intradermal test with Paragonimus antigen. In order to detect Paragonimus egg, the sputum and the stool examinations were undertaken on the residents in Kilgeong-Ri. The infestation rate of crayfish with Paragonimus metacercaria was also examined in Konneung and Jeongha village in Kilgeong-Ri. The following results were obtained in this survey: As a whole, 16.6 per cent of the examiners showed positive reaction with sexual difference of 16.1% in male and 14.8 per cent in female. In age groups, the highest positive rate showed in middle school age group (17.1 per cent) than primary school (14.0 per cent) and high school age group (11.4 per cent). In regional differences of positive rates, the highest rate (28.4 per cent) showed at Yangdo Myun followed by Kilsang Myun (27.0 per cent), Hwado Myun (25.0 per cent), and Naega Myun(20.8 per cent). In the result of 208 residents Kilgeong-Ri, the positive of 36.1 per cent in male and 20.2 per cent in female. The highest positive rate showed in 10 to 19 age group (41.5 per cent). Among the residents in Kilgeong-Ri, Paragonimus eggs were detected in 11 residents by the sputum and the stool examinations. The infestation rate of crayfsh with Paragonimus metacercariae was 100 per cent (41 out of 41 crayfishes) in Konneung village, and 84.6 per cent (9 out of 13 crayfishes) in Jeongha village, Kilgeong-Ri The fluctuation of the infection rate of crayfish with Paragonimus metacercariae was decreased in Konneung village in 2 years after the treatment with Bilevon against 10 paragonimiasis patients.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; epidemiology-paragonimiasis ; Paragonimus westermani ; crayfish-Cambaroides similis

Study of dentofacial structure relationships relative to TMJ internal derangement is required to increase the predictability of TMJ internal derangement. But few studies have been reported. The purpose of this study is to reveal any correlation of dentofacial characteristics with TMJ internal derangement by lateral cephalometric analysis. Patients were devided into two groups. (1) Symptomatic patients with TMJ internal derangement (2) Asymptomatic volunteers with no TMJ internal derangement. Twenty symptomatic patients with TMJ internal derangement(7male, 13female) were selected from our clinic and had undergone a standarized clinical examination, panorama, transcranical view, TMJ tomography. Twenty asymptomatic volunteers(9male, 11female) were selected from our clinic with no pain, no limitation of motion. All subjects had undergone lateral cephalometric analysis. The results were obtained as follows. 1. No significant difference between ID and normal group is detected in cranial base. 2. Maxilla position of ID group is located more posterioly than normal group. 3. Mandible position of ID group is located more posteriorly than normal group and facial profile is hyperdivergent. 4. Posterior facial height of ID group is less than normal group thus facial profile is hyperdivergent. The patients, as mentioned, have a high prevalance of ID thus it should be careful in TMJ ID diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Skull Base ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Volunteers*