Lumbar hernias are rare posterolateral abdominal wall defects that may be congenital or acquired. There are two types of lumbar hernia, the superior lumbar hernia through Grynfeltt triangle, and the inferior lumbar hernia through Petit triangle. Many techniques have been described for the surgical repair of lumbar hernias including primary repair, local tissue flaps, and conventional mesh repair. But these open techniques require a large skin incision. We report a case of superior lumbar hernia, which was successfully repaired using a laparoscopic approach.
Abdominal Wall ; Hernia ; Skin

PURPOSE: This study examines the change in distance from the corneal limbus to the insertion of the rectus muscles before and after disinsertion and retraction with a pair of fixation forceps during strabismus surgery. METHODS: In 38 strabismus patients, on 30 medial rectus muscles and 38 lateral rectus muscles, before and after disinsertion and retraction with a pair of fixation forceps, the distances from the corneal limbus to the upper, middle and lower parts of the insertion of the medial and lateral rectus muscles marked with methylene blue solution were measured. RESULTS: The distances between the corneal limbus and upper, middle and lower parts of the insertion after the disinsertion were reduced on, average 0.23 mm, 0.28 mm, and 0.18 mm, for the medial rectus muscle, respectively, and 0.21 mm, 0.28 mm, and 0.15 mm, for the lateral rectus muscle, respectively (P<0.05). The percentage of cases in which the advance from the corneal limbus to the insertion was greater than 0.5 mm was 33.3% for the medial rectus muscle, and 21.1% for the lateral rectus muscle. The lateral rectus muscle was disinserted, fixed with a pair of forceps, and subsequently, the distance from the upper, middle and lower parts to the corneal limbus were reduced to 0.36 mm, 0.43 mm, and 0.30 mm, respectively (P<0.05). The percentage of cases that advanced more than 1.0 mm was 13.2 %. The changes in distance from the upper, middle, and lower parts of insertion toward the limbus after disinsertion and retraction were 0.15 mm 0.15 mm, 0.16 mm, respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: When performing the recession of the lateral rectus muscle, disinsertion of the rectus muscle, may result in a change of the site of insertion, which in turn might influence the outcome of strabismus surgery.
Humans ; Limbus Corneae ; Methylene Blue ; Muscles* ; Strabismus ; Surgical Instruments

PURPOSE: We report a case of Type 3 Waardenburg syndrome accompanied by intermittent exotropia, which had not previously been encountered in Korea along with the literature study. METHODS: A 5-year-old boy visited as a result of hypochromic heterochromic iridum in the right eye. Suspecting Type 3 Waardenburg syndrome, plain radiography, a hearing test, an alternate prism cover test and fundus examinations were performed and the presence of lateral displacement of the lacrimal puntum was evaluated. RESULTS: The presence of hypochromic heterochromic iridum, dysplasia of the left thumb, sensorineural deafness, dystopia canthorum along with a lateral displacement of the lacrimal puntum, albinism of the posterior pole upon a fundus examination, and intermittent exotropia with a 20 prism diopters of deviation were found. CONCLUSIONS: This patient showed the 4 criteria for a diagnosis of Type 3 Waardenburg syndrome including hypochromic heterochromic iridum, dystopia canthorum along with lateral displacement of the lacrimal puntum, sensorineural deafness, and a muscular system abnormality, i.e., dysplasia of the left thumb. He also showed intermittent exotropia.
Albinism ; Child, Preschool ; Deafness ; Diagnosis ; Exotropia ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Radiography ; Thumb ; Waardenburg Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Drainage* ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Pneumothorax* ; Suppuration*

To delineate the coronary anatomy and left ventricular function during early myocardial infarction, coronary arteriography and left ventriculogrphy were performed, prospectively in 23(22%) of 105 patients who were admitted to the coronary care unit at Masan Koryo Hospital from June 1986 to June 1988 within 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms(medium:21 days, range:18 days to 25 days). 1) Among 23 patients, male is 20 patients and female is 3 patients. The ratio of male to female was 6.6:1. The mean age was 55.4+/-10.3 years(range:34-77 years). 2) Coronary artery narrowing state which related to myocardial infarction was as follows; 2 patients(7%) had normal, 1 patients(4%) had insignificant narrowing(below 50%) 5 patients(22%) had moderate narrowing(50-75%), 10 patients(43%) had severe narrowing(75-99%), 5 patients(22%) had complete occlusion(100%). 3) The range of coronary artery disease was as follows; 9 patients had one vessel disease, 10 patients had two vessel disease, 1 patients had three vessel disease, and ejection fraction had no significant difference among 3 groups but lowest in three vessel disease. Among 23 patients, 13 patients had anterior infarction, 10 patients had inferior infarction. 4) Left ventricular ejection fraction and multiple vessel disease had no significant difference between i) the young(under 45 years old) and the old(over 45 years old) age groups, ii) presence or non presence of previous angina, iii) Killip classification I, II and III, IV) anterior infarction and inferior infarction. 5) In left ventriculography, akinesis and dyskinesis were shown at similar ratio in anterior infarction and inferior infaraction. Dyskinesis was shown in 27% of patients who have 0-1 vessel disease, 50% of patients who have 2-3 vessel disease, 62% of patients who have collateral circulation, 26% of patients who dose not have collateral circulation. 6) Collateral circulation was found in 8 patients(35%). Age and left ventricular ejection fraction were high in patients without collateral circulation than with collateral circulation, but there is no significant difference and collateral circulation exists regardless of infarction site and range of coronary artery disease. 7) As for the complication of angiocardiography in this study, there was ventricular tachycardia in 3 patients(13%) without mortality. It is concluded that coronary arteriography can be safely performed in early stage after acute myocardial infarction. Also good prognosis is anticipated since three vessel disease and complete occlusion were low in acute myocardiaol infarction of Korean People. Since these are not much case performed study, however more study on this area is required.
Angiocardiography ; Angiography* ; Classification ; Collateral Circulation ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Care Units ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke Volume ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Ventricular Function, Left

No abstract available.
Airway Resistance* ; Respiration*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to assess and compare the thicknesses of the fovea and the retinal nerve fiber layer in normal children and children with amblyopia. METHODS: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was performed on 26 children (52 eyes total) with unilateral amblyopia that was due to anisometropia or strabismus. OCT was also performed on 42 normal children (84 eyes), for a total of 136 eyes. Retinal thickness measurements were taken from the fovea, and the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements were taken from the superior, inferior, nasal and temporal quadrants in the peripapillary region. RESULTS: The average age of the normal children was 8.5 years, and the average age of the children with amblyopia was 8.0 years. The average thickness of the fovea was 157.4 micrometer in normal eyes and was 158.8 micrometer in amblyopic eyes. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p=0.551). The thicknesses of the superior, inferior, nasal and temporal quadrants of the retinal nerve fiber layer between the normal children and the children with amblyopia were also not statistically significant (p=0.751, 0.228, 0.696 and 0.228, respectively). However, for the children with anisometropic amblyopia and the children with strabismic amblyopia, the average thicknesses of the fovea were 146.5 micrometer and 173.1 micrometer, respectively, and the retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were measured to be 112.9 micrometer and 92.8 micrometer, respectively, and these were statistically significant differences (p=0.046, 0.034, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Normal thicknesses of the fovea and the retinal nerve fiber layers were established, and there were no differences in the fovea and the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness found between normal children and children with amblyopia.
Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Severity of Illness Index ; Retrospective Studies ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/*pathology ; Nerve Fibers/*pathology ; Male ; Humans ; Fovea Centralis/*pathology ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Amblyopia/*pathology ; Adolescent

STUDY DESIGN: A review of related literatures of diagnosis and treatment of spinal tuberculosis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to discuss treatment strategies by understanding of emerging problems related to spinal tuberculosis. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Owing to modern diagnostic modalities, development of prevention and chemotherapy, the incidences of tuberculosis infection including spinal tuberculosishave been decreasing. Moreover, these medical these improvements of medical and surgical treatments the improvement of surgical techniques for spinal tuberculosis reduced the incidence of kyphosis or neurologic complications such as Pott's paralysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of related literatures. RESULTS: Recently,the occurrence of multi-drug resistant strain, an increasing number of opportunistic infections and an atypical presentation in spinal tuberculosis are emerging as new challenges. CONCLUSIONS: An appropriate diagnosis and surgical interventions are our obligation as clinicians dealing with this unique infectious disease to minimize the complications for the treatment of spinal tuberculosis.
Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Incidence ; Kyphosis ; Opportunistic Infections ; Paralysis ; Spine* ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Spinal

Branchio-oto-renal(BOR) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder. The pathophysiology of this syndrome is unknown. BOR syndrome has a wide range of clinical manifestations affecting the branchial, auditory and renal systerns. Associated abnormalities of the face, lacrimal duct, palate and ureters have also been described. However, the major clinical findings associated and/ or ear pits, and renal anormaly. We experienced a case of a 15-day-old rnale newborn who had visited our hospital for deformed auricle and atresia of external auditory canal found at birth. We report this case with a review of the related literatures.
Branchial Region ; Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome* ; Ear ; Ear Canal ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Palate ; Parturition ; Ureter

PURPOSE: Alexithymia, defined as a deficit in the ability to recognize and describe one's own feelings, may be related to the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and alexithymia in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 244 patients with OCD (169 males, 75 females). Alexithymia was assessed using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and genotyping of the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients with the COMT Val/Val genotype had significantly higher total and "difficulty identifying feelings" (DIF) subdimension scores than those with the Val/Met or Met/Met genotypes. Patients with the COMT Val/Val genotype had significantly higher "difficulty describing feelings" (DDF) subdimension scores than those with the COMT Val/Met genotype. However, there were no differences in the scores for the "externally oriented thinking" (EOT) subdimension among the three genotypes. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the high-activity Val allele of the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism is associated with increased alexithymic traits in patients with OCD. The present finding suggests that alexithymia is an endophenotype of OCD that is mediated by the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism.
Adult ; Affective Symptoms/*diagnosis/genetics/psychology ; Alleles ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase/*genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/*diagnosis/genetics/psychology ; Phenotype ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Republic of Korea