No abstract available.
Animals ; Cadmium Poisoning* ; Cadmium* ; Olfactory Mucosa* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

Peripheral nerve injury occurs mostly in company with tendon and muscle injuries, fractures, or dislocations. Because of the disabilities and socioeconomic loss caused by such injuries, much attention must be paid to the initial treatment, and later to the reconstruction and rehabilitation. At department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, 336 patients of nerve lesion were treated from Jan, 1980 to Dec, 1988. Among them 128 patients were nerve compression syndrome (carpal tunnel 52 patients, cubital tunnel 40 patients, thoracic outlet 16 patients, others 20 patients), and 50 patients were brachial plexus injury, and 168 cases were peripheral nerve injury. 50 patients of the peripheral nerve injury were treated with reconstruction and 118 patients were treatred with neurorrhaphy, nerve graft, and neurolysis. Of the 118 patients, 94 patients were followed up for more than one year, and the results of neurorrhaphy, nerve graft and neurolysis were analyzed. In 46 patients (73.0%) of the patients treated with neurorrhaphy, 7 patients (58.3%) with nerve graft, and 15 patients (78.9%) with neurolysis, good or excellent results were obtained.
Brachial Plexus ; Dislocations ; Humans ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; Orthopedics ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Peripheral Nerves ; Rehabilitation ; Seoul ; Tendons ; Transplants

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease of young or middle aged adults, characterized by destructive and proliferative changes in the synovial membrane, periarticular structures, skeletal muscle and perineural sheath. Eventually, the joints are destroyed, ankylosed and deformed. Therfore, the aim of treatment is to keep the inflammatory process at a minimum, thereby preserving the joint motion, maintaining the health of muscle supplying motor power about the joint and preventing secondary joint stiffness and deformity. Surgical treatment in rheumatoid arthritis has progressed and there have been advances in the relief of pain and increase in the range of motion. Among them the results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have improved steadily during the past decade due to refinements in design, fixation, and surgical technique. At orthopedic department of seoul national university hospital, we performed 31 total knee replacement in 18 patients who had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis during the period from Aug. 1982 to Dec. 1988. Following results were obtained. 1. Knee score increased from 37.8 to 76.9. 2. Tibio-femoral angle was corrected from 0.9° valgus to 5.3° valgus. 3. Conplications were peroneal nerve palsy in 3 knees, instability in 1 knee, tuberculous arthritis in 1 knee. 4. In 25 out of 31 knees, good functional results were obtained.
Adult ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Orthopedics ; Paralysis ; Peroneal Nerve ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Seoul ; Synovial Membrane

The specific aims of this prospective survey were to determine the accuracy of traditional diagnostic tools, such as pneumatic otoscopy, otomicroscopy, and tympanometry, and evaluate the usefulness of myringotomy as a diagnostic method; also to determine the significance of myringotomy in treating otitis media with effusion (OME). The status of middle ear of 51 children (85 ears) from November 2002 to February 2003 was examined using pneumatic otoscopy, otomicroscopy, and tympanometry, and the presence/absence of middle ear effusion was confirmed by myringotomy. The otomicroscopy was the most sensitive and specific one among three diagnostic tools. But, it had some false positive cases. This study failed to show the therapeutic efficacy of myringotomy. Otomicroscopy seems to have the potential to become the standard for diagnosis of OME and for validation of pneumatic otoscopy in children. However, when otoscopic, otomicroscopic findings and tympanogram of suspected ear show poor correlation, myringotomy can be used to confirm the presence of OME, as the diagnostic modality. As the therapeutic modality, we think that it is proper to limit indications of myringotomy to some selected cases.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Ear Ventilation/*standards ; Otitis Media with Effusion/*diagnosis/*therapy ; Otoscopy/*standards ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recurrent vestibulopathy is defined a disease characterized by more than a single episode of vertigo of duration characteristic of endolymphatic hydrops but without auditory or clinical neurological symptoms or signs. To investigate the clinical characteristics and the efficacy of combination therapy, we analyzed the clinical records of the patients diagnosed as recurrent vestibulopathy. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Clinical records of sixty four patients diagnosed as recurrent vestibulopathy were retrospectively reviewed. The data on age, sex distribution, natural history, family history of recurrent vestibulopathy, concurrent headache, caloric response was analyzed. The efficacy of combination therapy for vertigo control in the patients with a minimum 24-month follow-up was also evaluated. RESULTS: Mean onset age of recurrent vestibulopathy was 43 years and there was a female preponderance. Concurrent headache and elevated SP/AP ratio in electrocochleogram was frequently observed in these patients. After the combination medical therapy, patients with severe recurrent vestibulopathy showed significant decrease in the number of vertigo spells with 37.5% of complete control of vertigo. CONCLUSION: As a distinctive clinical disorder with unknown cause, recurrent vestibulopathy should be always considered to the patients complaining recurrent episodic vertigo. Combination therapy individualized to the symptoms and signs of the patients with recurrent vestibulopathy might be effective in reducing the frequency of vertigo attacks. Further case-control studies with large population should be necessary.
Age of Onset ; Case-Control Studies ; Endolymphatic Hydrops ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Natural History ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Distribution ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Neuronitis*

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of forward head posture on the flexion-relaxation ratio (FRR) and muscle activity during sustained neck flexion and to investigate the correlation between craniovertebral angle and FRR. Methods: Nineteen subjects participated in this study and were allocated to a forward head posture (FHP) group or a non-forward head posture (NFHP) group. Craniovertebral angle (CVA) and FRR were measured in all subjects, and all participants performed a standardized cervical flexion-extension movement in two phases: Phase I, sustained cervical full flexion for 5s; and Phase II, cervical extension with the return to the starting position for 5s. The value of CVA has calculated three times, and the value of FRR was measured three times in order to obtain the mean value. Results: FRR values in the FHP and NFHP group were significantly different (p<0.05). Phase I was significantly different, but the Phase II was not significantly different between the FHP and NFHP group (p>0.05). There was a significant correlation between the muscle activity of Phase I and CVA (p<0.05). However, FRR and the muscle activity of the Phase II were not a significant correlation with the CVA (p>0.05). Conclusion FHP increases the muscle activity of the cervical erector spinae during sustained neck flexion and reduces FRR, which can cause fatigue in the cervical erector spinae. In addition, for those with a smaller CVA, muscle activity of the cervical erector spinae is increased during sustained neck flexion, which can increase neck muscle tension.

Purpose: The subjective visual vertical (SVV) test is used to evaluate the otolith function in the inner ear. This study compared the different balance ability according to the results of the SVV in healthy adults. Methods: This study recruited 30 normal healthy subjects who did not have neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. The subjects were divided into experimental and control groups based on the results of SVV: experimental group, >2°; control group, <2°. The static balance ability was evaluated using the Fourier Index, which could evaluate the balance capacity objectively and quantitatively. Results: The mean angle of the SVV in the experimental and control groups was 4.44° and 0.59°, respectively. In the result of the Fourier series, the F1 frequency band in the experimental group showed a significantly higher value under one condition compared to the control group (p<0.05). In the F2-4 and F5-6 frequency bands, the experimental group showed a significant increase in the Fourier series value under the four conditions compared to the control group (p<0.05). In the F7-8 frequency band, significantly higher values of the Fourier series were observed in the experimental group under the three different conditions (p<0.05). Conclusion These results showed increased trunk sway while maintaining static balance in the experimental group who showed a larger SVV angle compared to the control group. The SVV can be applied to evaluate the vestibular system and balance ability in normal adults.

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effect of dorsal neck muscle fatigue on the cervical range of motion (CROM) and proprioception in adults with the forward head posture (FHP). Methods: Thirty pain-free subjects were enrolled in this study. All subjects were measured the forward head angle by taking the capture of the sagittal plane of their upper body to determine the FHP. Subjects were distributed into two groups: the FHP group (n=14) and Control group (n=16). All subjects were measured the CROM and the Head repositioning accuracy (HRA) for joint proprioception before and after inducing muscle fatigue of the dorsal neck. The CROM and HRA were measured in neck flexion, extension, right-left lateral flexion, and right-left rotation. Sorenson’s test was used to induce muscle fatigue of the dorsal neck. Results: Total CROMs were significantly decreased after dorsal neck muscle fatigue in both groups (p<0.05). Total HRAs were significantly increased after dorsal neck muscle fatigue in the FHP group (p<0.05), but there were no significant differences in the control group (p>0.05). Total CROM changes were not significant differences between groups (p>0.05), but total HRA changes were significant differences between groups (p<0.05) except for right and left lateral flexion (p>0.05). Conclusion Immediate CROM and proprioception reduction after the dorsal neck muscle fatigue were observed in adults with the FHP. Therefore, FHP can significantly affect the CROM and positioning consistency of cervical proprioception.

To evaluate the immunological role in the etiopathogenesis of sudden deafness, sera from 44 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss were analyzed by 1) immunologic screening tests such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), C-reactive protein(CRP), immunoglobulin(IgG, IgM) levels, complement(C3, C4) levels, autoantibody(rheumatoid factor, anti-DNA antibody, antinuclear antibody) levels, cryoglobulin and FTA-ABS 2) Western blotting immunoassay against cow's inner ear proteins 3) viral marker assay(serum IgG and IgM titer against cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, measles virus, mumps virus and rubella virus). Thirteen(29.5%) of 44 patients displayed positive responses on immunologic screening tests. Significantly higher incidences of immunological abnormalities were found in the parameters such as levels of IgG, ESR, IgM and anti-nuclear antibody. Of 41 patients whose sera were analyzed by Western blot against fresh bovine inner ear antigen preparation, nobody showed the antibody against 68kD protein, and 1(2.4%), 4(9.8%), and 4(9.8%) had antibody which reacted with 60kD, 50kD and 33-35kD protein. On viral marker assay, 8(44.4%) of 18 patients showed positive IgG titers against herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus, measles virus, mumps virus and rubella virus. But any of 10 patients did not show significant IgM titers against those viruses. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between the results of immunologic screening tests and the age of the patients(p<0.05 by chi-square), but no correlations with other clinical parameters such as sex, bilaterality, initial hearing level, and recovery(p>0.05 by chi-square respectively). There was no correlation between the results of viral marker assay(IgG) and recovery(p>0.05 by chi-square). The results suggest that viral infection may play a role in development and progress of sudden deafness, while the immunologic disorder may not affect the etiopathogenesis of sudden deafness.
Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Biomarkers ; Blood Sedimentation ; Blotting, Western ; Cytomegalovirus ; Ear, Inner ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Immune System* ; Immunoassay ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Measles virus ; Mumps virus ; Rubella ; Rubella virus ; Simplexvirus