A new balloon dissector, a modification of a Foley catheter, was devised and it can be used either as a dissector or a tissue expander. Since most operating time was spent in balloon manipulation (inflation/deflation), the duct for saline injection was made to be wider than the Foley catheter. As a result, the balloon could be inflated faster than before. In order to reduce the scar at the donor site, harvest of the sural nerve using endoscopic technique is currently applied, but utilization of this method is technically difficult and requires a long operating time. For these reasons, new our method of using a balloon dissector was devised. The balloon dissector can also be used for immediate intraoperative tissue expansion for the reconstruction of small skin defects without distortion. We have found that the advantages of using the new balloon dissector include a reduction in operating time, preservation of the perforating vessels, and primary closure with less tension. In addition, this simple and inexpensive instrument is cost-beneficial to patients.
Catheters ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Skin ; Sural Nerve ; Tissue Donors ; Tissue Expansion ; Tissue Expansion Devices

This study examined the expression of the bcl-2 protein in 59 cases of transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) of the bladder and evaluated the relationship of bcl-2 and p53 with apoptosis. The cases were divided into 41 low-grade TCCs, 18 high-grade TCCs, 32 superficial TCCs, and 27 invasive TCCs. p53 and bcl-2 protein were detected by the immunohistochemical method and apoptosis was analysed by using hematoxylin-eosin stained slide. The results were as follows: bcl-2 protein was detected in 8 (14%) TCCs and all of these cases were low grade TCCs. Expression of bcl-2 protein was not correlated with clinical stage. There was no correlation between bcl-2 and p53 protein. According to the immunohistochemical results of bcl-2 and p53 protein, the cases were divided 4 groups. Apoptotic index (AI) was higher in p53 positive/ bcl-2 negative group than other groups but the significance was recognized only between p53 positive/bcl-2 negative group and p53 negative/bcl-2 negative group (p<0.05). p53 protein was detected in 20 (36%) TCCs and its expression was correlated positively with histologic grade and clinical stage (p<0.05). AI correlated positively with histologic grade and clinical stage (p<0.01). These data indicate that overexpression of bcl-2 protein is rare in TCC of the bladder and associated with low grade TCCs. Overexpression of p53 is associated with the tumor progression in the TCCs. AI correlates with p53 positivity but does not correlate with bcl-2 positivity.
Apoptosis* ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Urinary Bladder*

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the association between health risk factors and mortality in Juam cohort. METHODS: The subjects were 1,447 males and 1,889 females who had been followed up for 68.5 months to 1 January 2001. Whether they were alive or not was confirmed by the mortality data of the National Statistical Office. A total of 289 persons among them died during the follow-up period. The Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used for survival analysis. RESULTS: Age, type of medical insurance, self cognitive health level, habit of alcohol drinking, smoking, exercise and BMI level were included in Cox's proportional hazard model by gender. The hazard ratio of age was 1.07(95% CI: 1.05-1.10) in men, 1.09(95% CI: 1.06-1.12) in women. The hazard ratio of medical aid(lower socioeconomic state) was 1.43(95% CI 1.02-2.19) in women. The hazard ratios of current alcohol drinking and current smoking were respectively 1.69(95% CI: 1.01-2.98), 1.52(95% CI: 1.02-2.28) in women. The hazard ratio of underweight was 1.56(95% CI 1.08-2.47) in men. The hazard ratios of underweight, normoweight, overweight, and obesity were respectively 1.63(95% CI: 1.02-2.67), 1.0(referent), 0.62(95% CI: 0.32-1.63), 1.27(95% CI: 0.65-3.06), which supported the U-shaped relationship between body mass index and mortality among the men over 65. CONCLUSIONS: The health risk factors increasing mortality were age, underweight in male, age, lower socioeconomic state, current alcohol drinking, current smoking in female. To evaluate long-term association between health risk factors and mortality, further studies need to be carried out.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Status ; Humans ; Insurance ; Male ; Mortality* ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thinness

Cellular oncogenes are expressed as an intrinsic part of the transformed or neoplastic phenotype. More than 60 of the known cellular oncogenes play a specific role in normal cellular development and differentiation. To examine the correlation between ras oncogene expression and the development of cervical cancer, this study investigated the reactivity of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN) and carcinoma of the uterine cervix by using anti-ras P21 mouse monoclonal antibody. The expression of ras oncogene significantly increased with the grade of malignancy from 11% in severe dysplasia, 30% in carcinoma in situ, 43% in microinvasive carcinoma, to 53% in invasive cancer. The expression of ras oncogene was not correlated with histologic type, tumor size, and nodal status of cervical cancer. It was concluded that expression of ras oncogene is related to early phase of carcinogenesis and tumor invasion of carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
Animals ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Genes, ras* ; Mice ; Oncogenes ; Phenotype ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Albers-Schonberg's syndrome is rare familial disease. This syndrome is characterized by increasing roentgenographic density and bony fragility of all skeleton, optic nerve atrophy, nystagmus, anemia, because of abnormal bone growing and decrease hematopoietic system. The conservative theraphy is performed mainly. Anemia is improved by steroid theraphy, splenectomy, transfusion. Early optic canal decompression help to prevent optic nerve atrophy. The authors persented a 17 months old female with Albers-Schonberg's syndrome(malignant type), who was admitted because of epistaxis and growth retardation.
Anemia ; Atrophy ; Decompression ; Epistaxis ; Female ; Hematopoietic System ; Humans ; Infant ; Optic Nerve ; Skeleton ; Splenectomy

Fetal bilateral renal agenesis is a lethal congenital anomaly. An early and reliable prenatal diagnosis is extremely important as it may offer options for pregnancy termination as early as possible. The criteria for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of bilateral renal agenesis are severe oligohydramnios, nonvisualization of the bladder, and the empty renal fossa. However, severe oligohydramnios makes it difficult to diagnose the disease because of poor sonographic resolution. We present two cases of bilateral renal agenesis, one is diagnosed by ultrasonography after amnioinfusion at 24 weeks gestation, the other is diagnosed postnatally after term delivery.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Oligohydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder

No abstract available.
Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia* ; Neck*

PURPOSE: To compare clinical characteristics of ganglions in hand & Foot. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen cases of ganglions located in foot and fifty-five cases in hand. Excised from Mar.1988 to Apr.2003, were included in the study. The clinical characteristics and recurrence ratio were evaluated RESULTS: The mean size of 2.2 cm in hand and 2.5 cm in foot. The most common area of ganglions are dorsum of foot and wrist. The cosmetic problem of palpable mass is the primary chief complaint of ganglions on hand and the pain is that of foot. The recurrence was found in 5 cases in hand and 4 cases in foot. The recurrence was related to incomplete excision of ganglion in foot and the large size of ganglion and incomplete excision of ganglion in hand. CONCLUSION: recurrence ratio in the cases of foot is higher than that of hand. The ganglions in foot and hand need to treated by meticulous surgical excision to prevent the recurrence.
Foot* ; Ganglion Cysts* ; Hand* ; Recurrence ; Wrist

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and safety of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as initial and adjunctive treatment for ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma. METHODS: Twenty-four eyes with ocular hypertension and 63 eyes with open angle glaucoma were treated with a frequency-doubled, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured prelaser treatment, one week, one, two, three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months after treatment. RESULTS: The average pre-laser IOP of 87 eyes was 21.6 mmHg. The mean IOP percent reductions at 1 week, one, two, three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months were 15.3%, 20.0%, 21.3%, 19.6%, 23.4%, 23.4%, 20.5%, and 20.9%, respectively. The IOP percent reductions in the initial treatment group at one, 12, and 24 months were 21.1%, 24.8%, and 22.8% respectively. The IOP percent reductions in the adjunctive treatment group at 1, 12, and 24 months were 19.6%, 22.9%, and 20.2% respectively. There were no differences in IOP percent reduction between the initial treatment group and the adjunctive treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Selective laser trabeculoplasty has shown reasonable efficacy in lowering IOP over two-year follow-up period as initial and adjunctive treatment for ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma.
Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; Intraocular Pressure ; Ocular Hypertension ; Trabeculectomy