OBJECTIVE: Adult onset Still s disease is an acute systemic inflammatory disorder. There are no pathognomonic symptoms or specific laboratory abnormalities. In recent reports, serum ferritin concentration is increased in active disease phase and decreased after defervescence. Our purpose was to determine the clinical significance of serum ferritin as an indicator for disease activity. METHODS: Seven patients who were diagnosed as adult onset Still s disease at Samsung Medical Center between October 1994 and March 1997, were reviewed. In these patients we checked leukocyte count, ESR, CRP and serum ferritin concentrations at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up periods and recorded febrile events during follow-up periods. RESULTS: At the time of diagnosis and during febrile periods, the concentrations of ferritin were extremely high(927ng/ml to 96,650ng/ml normal 10-290.8 ng/ml). The values were unrelated to other manifestations of the disease or laboratory findings. The ferritin concentrations decreased rapidly after adequate treatment. Eleven febrile reattacks happened in 7 patients. Serum ferritin concentrations were increased in 8 febrile attacks, while leukocyte count, ESR, and CRP were increased in 5, 5, 6 febrile attacks respectively, There were 10 events of increased serum ferritin concentrations in 7 patients during follow-up periods and 8 events were related with fever. The increases of other laboratory tests were similar. CONCLUSIONS: In all patients, serum ferritin concentrations were increased at the time of diagnosis and closely related to fever. During follow-up periods, serum ferritin concentrations are helpful in monitoring disease activity and guiding decisions about treatment.
Adult* ; Diagnosis ; Ferritins* ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset*

Liver function tests before treatment showed abnormalities of liver function tests during treatment, while 15(68. 2%) of 22 patients who had abnormal liver function tests before treatment showed abnormalities during treatment. In 12 of the 25 patients who showed abnormalities of liver function tests during treatment with allopurinol, allopurinol was stopped and all patients showed improvement of liver function tests. In remaining 13 patients, 10 patients were improved and other 2 patients showed only mild abnormalities of liver function tests despite of continuing allopurinol and 1 patient was lost during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Abnormalities of liver function tests were common during treatment with allopurinol. Most patiensts who had mild abnormalities of liver functions tests during treatment with allopurinol were improved regardless of continuing allopurinol.
Allopurinol* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gout* ; Humans ; Liver Function Tests* ; Liver*

Accidental ingestion of foreign body is a common problems in pediatric emergencies. The majority of such cases occur in children between 6 months and 3 years of age. 80% of ingested foreign bodies which reach the stomach will pass uneventfully through the gastrointestinal tract, however the remainder may cause obstruction, perforation or hemorrhage. When several magnets are ingested, they can be attracted to each other through the intestinal wall, causing necrosis and intestinal perforation or fistula, so they should be removed while they are still in the stomach. The authors experienced 2 cases of unusual small bowel complication caused by the ingestion of magnets. The first case was a 10-month-old male with ileal perforation due to 2 ingested magnetic beads, and the second case was a 22-month-old male with ileo-ileal fistula due to 7 ingested magnetic beads.
Child ; Eating* ; Emergencies ; Fistula ; Foreign Bodies* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant ; Intestinal Perforation ; Male ; Necrosis ; Stomach

We measured the anterior chamber depth and chamber angle to understand the biological structure of anterior segment and find a possible relation between cataract and angle closure glaucoma on 235 eyes over 40 years old divided into two groups: 111 cataract eyes and 124 normal control eyes using the Scheimpflug Camera(EAS-1000, Nidek, Japan) and image analysis technique. The values of the anterior chamber depth and angle of the eye of the young person were greater than those of older person, and the values in the male were deeper(p<0.01) and larger(p<0.05) than those in female in both groups. In cata ract eyes, the mean anterior chamber depth was 2.77mm and mean anterior chamber angle was 30.36 degrees. The mean anterior chamber depth and angle of normal control eye were 2.67mm and 29.10 degrees. The anterior chamber depth and angle in cataract group was deeper(p<0.05) and larger(p<0.05) than in normal control group.
Adult ; Anterior Chamber* ; Cataract* ; Female ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure ; Humans ; Male

No abstract available.
Rhinoplasty*

In a completely edentulous patient who cannot have implant-retained overdentures due to medical history and economic circumstances, a suction-effective complete denture utilizing the closed-mouth impression technique is being used to secure high retention. In this case, both a conventional complete denture using the open-mouth impression technique and a suction-effective complete denture using the closed-mouth impression technique were fabricated for a single completely edentulous patient. The results demonstrated that both methods provided excellent outcomes in terms of function, esthetics, and patient satisfaction. Conventional complete dentures increase the area of denture-bearing pressure to ensure retention and stability, whereas suction-effective complete dentures achieve retention by sealing the entire border of the denture. Since there are characteristic differences in the clinical and laboratory procedures due to differences in the concept of denture fabrication, this was compared through this case report.

In a completely edentulous patient who cannot have implant-retained overdentures due to medical history and economic circumstances, a suction-effective complete denture utilizing the closed-mouth impression technique is being used to secure high retention. In this case, both a conventional complete denture using the open-mouth impression technique and a suction-effective complete denture using the closed-mouth impression technique were fabricated for a single completely edentulous patient. The results demonstrated that both methods provided excellent outcomes in terms of function, esthetics, and patient satisfaction. Conventional complete dentures increase the area of denture-bearing pressure to ensure retention and stability, whereas suction-effective complete dentures achieve retention by sealing the entire border of the denture. Since there are characteristic differences in the clinical and laboratory procedures due to differences in the concept of denture fabrication, this was compared through this case report.

In a completely edentulous patient who cannot have implant-retained overdentures due to medical history and economic circumstances, a suction-effective complete denture utilizing the closed-mouth impression technique is being used to secure high retention. In this case, both a conventional complete denture using the open-mouth impression technique and a suction-effective complete denture using the closed-mouth impression technique were fabricated for a single completely edentulous patient. The results demonstrated that both methods provided excellent outcomes in terms of function, esthetics, and patient satisfaction. Conventional complete dentures increase the area of denture-bearing pressure to ensure retention and stability, whereas suction-effective complete dentures achieve retention by sealing the entire border of the denture. Since there are characteristic differences in the clinical and laboratory procedures due to differences in the concept of denture fabrication, this was compared through this case report.

In a completely edentulous patient who cannot have implant-retained overdentures due to medical history and economic circumstances, a suction-effective complete denture utilizing the closed-mouth impression technique is being used to secure high retention. In this case, both a conventional complete denture using the open-mouth impression technique and a suction-effective complete denture using the closed-mouth impression technique were fabricated for a single completely edentulous patient. The results demonstrated that both methods provided excellent outcomes in terms of function, esthetics, and patient satisfaction. Conventional complete dentures increase the area of denture-bearing pressure to ensure retention and stability, whereas suction-effective complete dentures achieve retention by sealing the entire border of the denture. Since there are characteristic differences in the clinical and laboratory procedures due to differences in the concept of denture fabrication, this was compared through this case report.

In a completely edentulous patient who cannot have implant-retained overdentures due to medical history and economic circumstances, a suction-effective complete denture utilizing the closed-mouth impression technique is being used to secure high retention. In this case, both a conventional complete denture using the open-mouth impression technique and a suction-effective complete denture using the closed-mouth impression technique were fabricated for a single completely edentulous patient. The results demonstrated that both methods provided excellent outcomes in terms of function, esthetics, and patient satisfaction. Conventional complete dentures increase the area of denture-bearing pressure to ensure retention and stability, whereas suction-effective complete dentures achieve retention by sealing the entire border of the denture. Since there are characteristic differences in the clinical and laboratory procedures due to differences in the concept of denture fabrication, this was compared through this case report.