Parameters of the left ventricular performance were evaluated by echocardiographic examination in 66 normal subjects. Effects of pulse rate, systemic arterial pressure, peripheral resistance and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension on the parameters were also observed. Normal value(mean+/-SD) of fractional shortening was 34.0+/-5.2%, ejection fraction 0.71+/-0.07, mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening 1.15+/-0.19 circ/sec, mean posterior wall velocity 4.05+/-0.70cm/sec, maximal posterior wall velocity 6.31+/-1.26cm/sec, mean normalized posterior wall velocity 0.82+/-0.14/sec, and maximal normalized posterior wall velocity 1.28+/-0.24/sec. There were negative correlations of peripheral resistance to fractional shortening, ejection fraction and mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening. Pulse rate and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension did not have significant effects on these parameters. Mean and maximal posterior wall velocity had negative correlations to peripheral resistance and positive correlations to left ventricular end-diastolic dimension. But mean and maximal normalized posterior wall velocity had no correlations to any of them.
Arterial Pressure ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Vascular Resistance

No abstract available.
Amantadine* ; Benztropine* ; Double-Blind Method*

No abstract available.
Female ; HELLP Syndrome* ; Pregnancy

Canalith repositioning maneuver is effective to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). This case showed complicated form of the BPPV such as changes of canalolithiasis to cupulolithiasis, involvement of one canal to two canals and from unilateral to bilateral involvement during the reposition maneuver. This patient was diagnosed as left lateral canalolithiasis at first. After left barbecue maneuver, the type was changed to the right posterior cupulolithiasis. Semont maneuver was performed and then the type of BPPV was changed to combined type with right posterior canalolithiasis and left lateral canalolithiasis. We performed left barbecue maneuver and right Epley maneuver. Then the type of BPPV was changed to left lateral cupulolithiasis. After Brandt-Daroff maneuver and left barbecue maneuver, nystagmus and dizziness disappeared finally.
Dizziness ; Humans

No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Blood Transfusion*

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia refers to a specific disturbance in psychic functioning characterized by difficulties in capacity to verbalize affect and to elaborate fantasies. Although initially described in the context of psychosomatic illness, alexithymic characteristics may be observed in patients with a wide range of medical and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study was to evaluate the relationship between the alexithymia and bronchial asthma, and to compare the results with finding from a group of acute infectious illness subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Alexithymia was measured with on Korean translation of the TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymic Scale-20 Korea version) and the Scored Archetypal 9 Test(SAT9). Thirty patients with bronchial asthma and thirty patients with acute infectious illness completed these tests. The SAT9 and the TAS-20K scores were compared in the both group, considering the age, gender, education level, and duration of illness. RESULT: Bronchial asthma patients had significantly higher score of on the TAS-20K and SAT9 compared with those with infectious illness(p<0.05). The two scales correlated in expected direction. Alexithymia was significantly related to education level(SAT9: r=0.335, TAS-20K: r=-0.376, p<0.01) and duration of illness(asthma group, SAT9: r=-0.383, TAS-20K: r=0.288, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bronchial asthma patients had significantly higher alexithymic scores. This finding suggests that psycliathic consultation may be considered for the management of asthmatic patients with alexithyria.
Affective Symptoms* ; Asthma* ; Education ; Fantasy ; Humans ; Korea ; Weights and Measures

Testicular biopsy is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of male infertility. The increasing use of this procedure has permitted a rational classification of the testicular lesion responsible for infertility and provide an intelligent basis for the institution of corrective measures or the withholding of therapy in cases in which the biopsy indicates a hopeless prognosis for fertility. The testicular biopsy findings of 48 azoospermia cases were evaluated in aspects of testicular size and past history. The following results were obtained. 1. The biopsy findings of 8 cases with normal sized testes and no nodules of both epididymimides and vasa deferens were normal in 4 cases, germinal aplasia in 2 cases, maturation arrest in 1 case and hypospermatogenesis in 1 case. 2. The biopsy findings of 23 cases with small sized testes and no nodules of both epididymides and vasa deferens were germinal aplasia in 13 cases, generalized fibrosis in 6 cases, maturation arrest in 3 cases and hypospermatogenesis in 1 case. 3. The past history of 17 cases with normal sized testes and bilateral induration of epididymides of vasa deferens revealed nonspecific epididymitis in 6 cases, tuberculous epididymides in 6 cases, tuberculous epididymitis in 5 cases, vasectomy in 5 cases and trauma of scrotum in 1 case. The biopsy findings of these cases were normal in 10 cases, hypospermatogenesis in 3 cases, testicular blockage in 3 cases and atrophy in 1 case.
Atrophy ; Azoospermia* ; Biopsy* ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Epididymitis ; Fertility ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Oligospermia ; Prognosis ; Scrotum ; Testis ; Vasectomy

No abstract available.
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mitral valve repair is the main procedure for the treatment of mitral valve insufficiency. The aims of this study were to review the applied techniques. and to evaluate postoperative residual mitral valve insufficiency, to compare preoperative and postoperative cardiac functions and dimensions, to compare the effects of rigid and flexible ring annuloplasty, and to assess overall freedom from valve failure-related reoperation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From March 1996 to September 1999, 34 patients underwent mitral valve repair for the treatment of mitral valve insufficiency at our department. This group comprised ten males and twenty four females, aged 8 to 65 years. The causes of mitral valve insufficiency were of degenerative origin in 12 patients, rheumatic in 10, congenital in 9, cardiomyopathic in 2, and ischemic in 1. The applied valve repair techniques included annuloplasty, quadrangular resection, leaflet slicing, cleft repair, chordae shortening, chordae transfer, secondary chordae resection, new chordae formation, papillary muscle splitting, commissuroplasty, and commissurotomy. RESULTS: There was no early or late mortality. We encountered 8 residual mitral valve insufficiencies (more than grade II), 2 of which worsened and eventually required correction by valve replacement. There were no statistical differences seen between the effects of rigid and flexible ring annuloplasty on left ventricular function either before or 1 year following annuloplasty. The cardiac dimensions decreased significantly. The actuarial freedom from valve failure-related reoperation was 93.01% at 43 months. CONCLUSION: Mitral valve repair with preserved valvular apparatus showed that the repaired valves functioned well and cardiac dimensions recovered satisfactorily. There were no statistical differences between the effects of rigid and flexible ring annuloplasty on cardiac functions and dimensions either before or 1 year following annuloplasty.
Female ; Freedom ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Mitral Valve* ; Mortality ; Papillary Muscles ; Reoperation ; Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: The aims of this study are to examine clinical characteristics, patterns of medical care utilization, and factors which determine medical care utilization of elementary school children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP), to find possible factors influencing the onset and the course of the disorder. METHOD: We performed questionnaires in Kwangju on children from two primary schools from June, 1 1998 to June 30 and carried out statistical analysis. RESULT: 1) Total number of questionnaires were 1417. 715 were male and 702 were female and the ratio of male to female was 1.02 : 1. Average age was 10.3 years. 2) 268 children had RAP (18.9%), boys 132 (18.4%), girls136 (19.2%). 3) The duration of the pain within 10 minutes was 68.5%. 178 children with RAP (66.3%) visited the doctor, The utilization pattern of medical facilities of the pupils with RAP; the most frequently utilized medical facility was pediatrics (35.2%) and the order ran as infernal medicine (31.5%), and pharmacy (29.25). The utilization pattern of medical facilities for the older students; the utilization rate of pediatrics decreased, but internal medicine increased. The major factors affecting the selection of the medical facility were geographic accessibility, kindness of the personnel, good results and traffic convenience. 4) Symptoms which were accompanied with abdominal pain were headache (44.5%), chest pain (28.2%), dizziness (26.6%), vomiting (9%), and 119 children (44.5%) had no accompanied symptoms. 5) In 95 children (35.3%) abdominal pain, occured at postprandial time, in 55 children (20.5%) before meal and in 39 children (14.7%) at school. The highest incidence rate of RAP was observed on Monday (21.4%), and the lowest on Saturday (8.7%). 6) The most frequent involved part of the abdomen was periumbrical area (38%) and the order ran as epigastrium and suprapubic area. The most frequent characteristics of abdominal pain were burning pain (36.9%) and the order ran as dull, cramping and colicky pain. CONCLUSION: RAP is a frequent disease entitiy in children. Too many times children with RAP are treated by other departments instead of Pediatrics. A child has a peculiar growth and development which is different to those from an adult with advancing years. So, it is necessary to choose special medical care and an adequate medical facility.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain* ; Adult ; Burns ; Chest Pain ; Child* ; Abdominal Pain ; Dizziness ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Gwangju ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Internal Medicine ; Male ; Meals ; Muscle Cramp ; Pediatrics ; Pharmacy ; Pupil ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vomiting