No abstract available.
Quality of Life*

No abstract available.
Gait* ; Humans ; Spinal Cord Diseases*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ablation of the slow pathway in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) can be performed by using a specific intracardiac electrogram findings predicting a successful radiofrequency catheter ablation. The purpose of the present study is to recognize a specific intracardiac electrogram findings predicting a successful sites of radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with AVNRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of the 18 patients (7 males, mean age:46 yr) to undergo successful catheter ablation using radiofrequency current in order to eliminate AVNRT from January 1993 to september 1994. We have analyzed local intracardiac electrogram at successful and unsuccessful sites of radiofrequency catheter ablation before the radiofrequency application: Atrial electrogram amplitude, duration, number of peaks in atrial electrogram, atrial/ventricular (A/V) electrogram amplitude ratio, and presence of His potential and/or slow potential. RESULTS: Of 18 patients, 16 patients underwent a slow pathway ablation, the other 2 patients a fast pathway ablation. The mean A/V electrogram amplitude ratio at successful and unsuccessful sites was 0.69+/-0.91 and 1.86+/-2.03, respectively. The mean atrial electrogram duration and number of peaks at successful and unsuccessful sites was 57+/-16 msec vs 69+/-16 msec and 1.7+/-0.5 vs 2.2+/-0.7, respectively. His bundle electrogram was seen in one slow pathway ablated and one fast pathway ablated patient. No slow potential could be identified in any of these 18 patients. CONCLUSION: We think that A/V electrocardiogram amplitude ratio below 0.5 at posterior interatrial septum along tricuspid annulus is important marker indicating a successful ablation sites.
Catheter Ablation* ; Electrocardiography ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac* ; Humans ; Male ; Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry*

Choriocarcinoma associated with a normal pregnancy is rare. Futhermore, choriocarcinoma coexistent with a viable pregnancy is even rarer and associated with a greater risk of hepatic and cerebral involvement. So timely diagnosis of the disease is important for successful treatment and aggressive diagnostic procedures may therefore warranted. The patient should be treated with primary intensive combination chemotherapy(EMA-CO) and the selective use of irradiation and surgical therapy. We experienced a case of metastatic choriocarcinoma of lung and kidney following preterm delivery at 34th week of pregnancy and so present it with brief review of literature.
Choriocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lung ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

Maligant melanomas of the oral or nasal cavity, and the vulvovaginal area are relatively common among the melanomas of non-ocular mucosa. But, primary malignant melanoma arising in the mucosa of the palatine tonsil is rare. We present a case of primary malignant melanoma arising in the mucosa of the palatine tonsil. A 36-year-old male was admitted for evaluation of a recurrent sore throat. Tonsillectomy was performed on the basis of clinical suspicion of chronic tonsillitis. Grossly, the left tonsil was focally dark. Microscopically, the tonsillar mucosa was diffusely infiltrated with tumor cells. Tumor cells revealed numerous melanin pigments. Intraepithelial nests of tumor cells were noted, but pagetoid spread of tumor cells was not found. Tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein and HMB45 stain. There was no evidence of melanoma in the skin or eye.
Male ; Humans

We report a 72-year-old female patient with spontaneous rupture of the left external iliac vein. She visited our hospital for abdominal and back pain. She had the abnormal finding of hemoperitoneum. We performed an emergency operation with diagnosis of left ovarian cyst rupture though she suffered from spontaneous rupture of the left external iliac vein. This case provides insight to the experience of spontaneous rupture of the left external iliac vein.
Aged ; Back Pain ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Iliac Vein ; Ovarian Cysts ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

No abstract available.
Arthroscopy* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Temporomandibular Joint*

Since the introduction in 1996 of the novel antipsychotic risperidone in Korea, clinical experiences with this agent for the treatment of schizophrenia have been accumulated. This article attempts to review the published literature on clinical effects of risperidone in Korean patients with schizophrenic disorder. All available clinical articles by Korean authors or involving Korean patients were searched through electronic databases (KISEP and KMBASE) or manually. Retrieved articles were primarily written in Korean and were of several types (original article, case report, review and tutorial), and addressed various issues:efficacy, safety and tolerance, quality of life and subjective well-being, pharmacoeconomics, optimal dose and titration rate, etc. The main results are as follows. Many clinical trials to date have shown that risperidone is an effective antipsychotic agent in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms, with a milder side effect profile, in particular much less EPS than haloperidol. The effects were favorable even in chronic or treatment-resistent patients. It appears to have additional effects on quality of life and subjective well-being. Preliminary evidence suggested that risperidone may improve some types of cognitive function. Weight gain was a major problem although the weight increase was less severe than that seen with clozapine and olanzapine. Some experimental studies demonstrated prolactin elevation in patients treated with risperidone;however, clinical significance of hyperprolactinemia was unclear. Various specific cases of adverse events were reported during risperidone therapy, including new onset of manic symptoms, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, stuttering, premature ventricular contraction and hepatotoxicity;however, the numbers of cases were very few, the causal relationship was not clear in some cases, and there were no fatalities or life threatening events. At present the medication costs for risperidone are much greater than those for conventional drugs. However, risperidone therapy may be associated with substantial cost benefits, when total health service costs and quality of life were taken together into account. The target dose found to be effective was lower than the originally proposed target dose of 6 mg/day. A slower titration was also found to be preferable. Taken together, in spite of lacking in randomized controlled clinical trials and long term studies, Korean literature on risperidone use for schizophrenia provides valuable information to clinicans regarding the effective use of risperidone. Risperidone should be a first line drug for the treatment of Korean patients with schizophrenic disorder.
Clozapine ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Economics, Pharmaceutical ; Haloperidol ; Health Services ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Korea ; Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome ; Prolactin ; Quality of Life ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia* ; Stuttering ; Ventricular Premature Complexes ; Weight Gain

[Objective] To determine the long term survivorship and establish the idea I correction angle in proximal tibial osteotomy for primary osteoarthritis. [Method] Seventy-nine patients suffering from primary osteoarthritis (111 knees) were performed with proximal tibial valgus osteotomy from 1985 to 1997, among which 74 women (106 knees) and 5 men (5 knees). The age ranged from 37 to 70 years (mean, 55 years). Postoperatively, hospital for Special Surgery knee score (HSS) was used for clinical assessment. The femorotibial angle (FTA) was measured to classifiy patients to group Ⅰ of 61 knees with less than 7 of valgus; group Ⅱ of 23 knees with 7～9 of valgus; group Ⅲ of 27 knees with over 10 of valgus. Closed wedge osteotomy was performed in all cases. HSS was assessed pre-and post-operatively. [Result] The average follow-up period was 9 years and 6 months (2 years and 4 months to 14 years and 1 month). The HSS knee score averaged 60 points preoperatively, 94 after 1 year and 87 at the last follow-up. Falure I was the need for conversion of a proximal tibial osteotomy to a total knee arthrop lasty, and Failure Ⅱ was the need for conversion of HSS knee score of less than 60 points. The 4 and 14 years survival rates were 99% and 85% using the first definition of failure, and 96. 4% and 75.1% using the second. [Conclusion] Proximal tibial osteotomy is reliable for treating unicompartmental osteoarthritis, providing that the postoperative femorotibial angle is corrected to more than 7° of valgus and falls in the range of 10°～15°.