To evaluate the intractability of partial epileptic patients by variables, the author studied 113 patients (uncontrolled: 45, controlled: 68) who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University from January, 1991 to August, 1993. The results were as follows. The items related to complex partial seizures, multiple seizure types and a histories of status epilepticus or clusters of seizures were significantly associated with drug-refractoriness (p<0.01). A high frequency of seizures before evaluation was associated with a poor outcome(p<0.01). The presences of known etiology of seizures, neurologic abnormalities and psychiatric disturbance were associated with limited treatment responses(p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.01). An abnormal EEG findings such as background slowing, focal slowing, epileptiform discharges or secondarily bilateral synchrony were statistically significant (p<0.01). Age at onset, sex, distribution of epileptic foci, duration of seizure before evaluation, family history and abnormal neuroradiologic findings were not statistically significant. By these results, it was suggested that having at least four factors of the above variables were associated with limited treatment response.
Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial* ; Humans ; Neurology ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus

Driving restrction for people with seizure disorder is intended to ensure the public's safety, but such resrictions may unduly harm the welfare of many people with seizures. There is a trend toward greater liberalization of driving standards for people with seizure disorder. The present survey indicates the current driving status of 194 male patients which were managed at the Yeungnam University Hospital from Jan. 1994 to JarL 1995. The result was as follows: 33% of the epileptic patients held traffic licences, 21% actually driving, 5% holding the licences and driving the truck and bus commercially; 72% of the patients took licences after onset of the disease, 29% disclosed by traffic authorities due to their military services; Over the half of the patients had complex partial seizure, 68% was seizure-free over one year, 91 % had no history of trabbic accident. Our traffic road regulations prohibited driving cars by epileptic patients, but practically the authorities permitted epileptic patients to drive cars case by case according to the medical certifications which were issued by the physician. In conclusion, we insist that new traffic road regulation, medical standards for permission and regulation, medico-legal- administrative committee, and thorough detection and regular follow-up of the patients were essential for safety of patients and other peoples.
Certification ; Epilepsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Motor Vehicles ; Seizures ; Social Control, Formal

The author studied 20 healthy adults (20 hands) as a control and 30 patients (40 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome to evaluate the clinical usefulness of measuring nerve conduction velocity after wrist flexion in diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The median nerve conduction velocity over wrist to finger segment was measured before and after wrist flexion for 1, 2 and 5 minutes, using belly-tendon method for motor nerve distal latency (MNDL) and antidromic method for sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV). The results were as follows: 1. In control group, MNDL increased in 1 hand and SNCV decreased in 2 hands after wrist flexion. In patient group, MNDL increased in 2 hands and SNCV decreased in 3 hands after wrist flexion. 2. In both control and patient group, there were no significant changes in mean values of SNCV and MNDL between before and after wrist flexion. 3. Phalen's wrist flexion test was positive in 5 percent of control and 60 percent of patient group. 4. Tinel's sign was present in 10 percent of control and 33 percent of patient group.
Adult ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Diagnosis ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Methods ; Neural Conduction* ; Wrist*

Clear cell acanthoma (CCA) is a rare benign epidermal tumor. It usually presents as a flat nodule or dome-shaped plaque and is often localized on the legs of the elderly. We observed an unusual case of polypoid CCA on the nipple of a 14-year-old girl. At present, a few cases of CCA on the nipple area have been reported in the literature. However, CCA presented as a polypoid tumor on the nipple area has been reported very rarely. We herein report the very rare case of polypoid CCA on the nipple and suggest that CCA should be included in the clinical differential diagnosis of polypoid lesions on the nipple.
Acanthoma ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Leg ; Nipples

Gastric volvulus can either present as an acute or chronic symptoms according to the degree of gastric rotation and subsequent obstruction. The diagnosis of gastric volvulus is often difficult and is mainly based on imaging studies. We describe a case of mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus associated with paraesophageal hernia, well demonstrated on upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series and coronal reconstructed CT image.
Diagnosis ; Hernia, Hiatal* ; Intestinal Volvulus* ; Stomach Volvulus ; Stomach*

We experinced 2 cases of reversible leukoencephalopathy, caused by 5-Fluorouracil derivatives(carmoful), presenting as akinetic mutism. Each patient was diagnosed as colon cancer and stomach cancer respectively and received operations. Their outcome was good without metastatic evidences, and carmoful was started orally 400mg in 1 case and 600mg in the other. Their clinical pictures were akinetic mutism, one and two months after the administration of carmoful. There were no metastatic lesions in the brain CT but bilaterally symmetric diffuse low densities of cerebral whites matter, predominantly in the frontal area, were noted. Carmoful was discontinued and replaced by conservative treatment. One and two months later, their clinical symptoms improved without specific treatment. Follow up brain CT was done in case 2, which revealed attenuation of the previous low densities.
Akinetic Mutism* ; Brain ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Fluorouracil* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies* ; Stomach Neoplasms

The Neuropsychiatric complications in acute viral hepatitis are uncommon. Despite the wide spread occurrence of this disease. Various complications of central and peripheral nervous involvement may arise during the course of viral hepatitis. Encephalitis, meningitis, neuritis, myelitis and mental disturbances such as depression, euphoria and insomnia complicating viral hepatitis has been reported several literatures. Also, bilateral facial nerve palsy is seen very infrequently in clinical practice and has an annual incidence of approximately 0.01% per total facial nerve palsy. The isolated cranial nerve palsy, especially facial nerve. Complicated by viral hepatitis has been suggested very rarely. This combination of bilateral facial nerve palsy and viral hepatitis B seems to be two phases of same disease. However, there were no such reports in Korea until now. Therefore, We present a case of bilateral peipheral facial nerve palsy associated with acute viral hepatitis type B.
Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Depression ; Encephalitis ; Euphoria ; Facial Nerve ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis* ; Incidence ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Myelitis ; Neuritis ; Paralysis ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Transient ischemic attacks or embolic strokes caused by the cardiac myxoma are very rare in its freguency. To detect cardiac myxoma, as a source of cerebral embolism originating from the heart, has a great significance because of the occurrence and recurrence of the possible stroke can be prevented by surgical procedure. We present a patient who showed typical clinical symptoms and signs of the left atrial myxoma which was subsequently diagnosed by 2-dimensional real time echocardiography and confirmed by sugery. Following the successful removal of the left atrial myxoma, now, the patient is in stable neurological condition.
Echocardiography ; Heart ; Humans ; Intracranial Embolism* ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Myxoma* ; Recurrence ; Stroke

The lesion of the global aphasia often involves both Broca's and Wernicke's speech area, and is shown as broad lesion in the Brain CT However, practically there were several reports about the Brain CT findings of the global aphasia, which suggested atypical patterns that did not involve both language centers, simultaneously. Therefore we subdivided the patterns of Brain CT finding of the 17 global aphasic patients into 4 subtypes according to whether or not the cortical language area was involved. We obtained the following results; 1. Type A : Involvement of the both language areas : 9 cases (53%) 2. Type B : Involvement of only Broca's area with sparing of Wernicke's area : 3 cases(17%) 3. Type C : Involvement of only Wernicke's area with sparing of Broca's area : 1 case (6%) 4. Type D : Involvement only of subcortical area with sparing of cortical language areas : 4 cases (24%).
Aphasia ; Brain* ; Humans

Primary cutaneous CD4 positive small/medium T cell lymphoma (PCSM-TCL) is a provisional entity in the new WHO-EORTC classification for cutaneous lymphoma, and it is a rare disease with a favorable clinical course. PCSM-TCL may present with different clinical and pathologic features associated with the biologic behavior of the disease. Herein we report on a 63-year-old woman with multiple, multifocal, erythematous to violaceous papules and plaques that progressed despite local radiotherapy.
Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; Middle Aged ; Rare Diseases