Angioedema is a disorder characterized by well-demarcated nonpitting edema involving the tongue, floor of the mouth, larynx, lips, and face. The incidence of angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitor related angioedema has been reported to be about 0.1% to 0.2%, and the time of onset is usually during the first week of therapy. These ACE inhibitors include captopril, enalapril, and lisinopril. A 53-year old man with an 8 month history of hypertension previously controlled with atenolol, was presented to the dermatologic department with angioedema of the face and tongue. He had begun therapy with captopril one day before this episode. Even though he was treated with epinephrine and methylprednisolone sodium succinate, the edema gradually progressed and finally dyspnea developed. He was urgently intubated and treated with steroids and pheniramine maleate in the intensive care unit. The edema resolved after 24 hours.
Angioedema* ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Angiotensins ; Atenolol ; Captopril* ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Enalapril ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Larynx ; Lip ; Lisinopril ; Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Pheniramine ; Steroids ; Tongue

BACKGROUND: Although most dermatologic laser systems were developed to damage target tissue selectively, the epidermal injury has been a major problem in treating skin lesions of colored people. Recently, to minimize the epidermal damage during laser treatment, superficial cooling is being used. Cooling is one of the well known methods to reduce pain sensation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an air cooling in reducing pain associated with Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and pulsed dye laser treatment. METHODS: We measured the temperature of normal skin during air cooling and studied 13 patients treated with a 1064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser or 585 nm pulsed dye laser treatment with and without air cooling system. The degrees of pain reduction rates with and without cooling were assessed by the visual analogue scales. RESULTS: 1. It was shown that cold air flow from 2 cm distance for 10 sec decreased skin temperature about 10.6 degreeC to 17.2 degreeC depending on the body sites. 2. The average of the pain scores was 38.08+/-21.05 on the cooled site as compared to 70.77+/-15.76 on the uncooled site. CONCLUSIONS: The cold air decreased the skin surface temperature like the other epidermal cooling system and it was very effective to reduce the pain on the cooled site associated with dermatologic laser treatment.
Humans ; Lasers, Dye ; Sensation* ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: Although most dermatologic laser systems were developed to damage target tissue selectively, the epidermal injury has been a major problem in treating skin lesions of colored people. Recently, to minimize the epidermal damage during laser treatment, superficial cooling is being used. Cooling is one of the well known methods to reduce pain sensation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an air cooling in reducing pain associated with Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and pulsed dye laser treatment. METHODS: We measured the temperature of normal skin during air cooling and studied 13 patients treated with a 1064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser or 585 nm pulsed dye laser treatment with and without air cooling system. The degrees of pain reduction rates with and without cooling were assessed by the visual analogue scales. RESULTS: 1. It was shown that cold air flow from 2 cm distance for 10 sec decreased skin temperature about 10.6 degreeC to 17.2 degreeC depending on the body sites. 2. The average of the pain scores was 38.08+/-21.05 on the cooled site as compared to 70.77+/-15.76 on the uncooled site. CONCLUSIONS: The cold air decreased the skin surface temperature like the other epidermal cooling system and it was very effective to reduce the pain on the cooled site associated with dermatologic laser treatment.
Humans ; Lasers, Dye ; Sensation* ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Weights and Measures

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors for the development of osteonecrosis in civilian professional divers by an epidemiologic study and to determine the correlation between osteonecrosis in divers and coagulopathy by analysis of serologic markers that are related to thrombophilia and hypofibrinolysis. Materials and Methods: Forty-two divers, who collected pen shells (Atrina pinnata), and among whom 10 had osteonecrosis (group 1), were compared with 32 divers without osteonecrosis (group 2). Both groups were evaluated based on the number of years of diving experience, number of dives per year, mean number of dives per day, mean diving time and depth, and diving methods. We determined any statistically significant differences among these variables. We measured the levels of serologic markers that were related to hyperlipidemia, thrombophilia, and hypofibrinolysis from the divers and a control group of 20 physicians (group 3). The levels of the serologic markers were compared between groups 1 and 2 and between the divers and the control group, in order to determine the relationship between the serologic markers and the development of dysbaric osteonecrosis. Results: None of the variables demonstrated any statistically significant differences, except for the mean diving time, in which group 1 had a mean diving time of 124 minutes and group 2 had a mean diving time of 62.1 minutes (P<0.05). In the analysis of the serologic markers, there were no statistically significant differences between groups 1 and 2; however, in comparison with the group 3, the divers demonstrated significantly decreased activity levels of proteins C and S (Protein C: P<0.05; Protein S: P<0.05), and an increase in the levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) (P<0.05). Conclusion: The divers with osteonecrosis had a longer mean diving time than did those divers without osteonecrosis. In the serologic marker analysis, the divers with osteonecrosis demonstrated significantly decreased activity levels of Proteins C, S and a significant increase in the levels of PAI-1, compared with the control group.
Biomarkers* ; Diving ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Epidemiology ; Hyperlipidemias ; Osteonecrosis* ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; Plasminogen Activators ; Protein S ; Risk Factors ; Thrombophilia

BACKGROUND: Smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic asthmatic bronchitis, which are the most important causes of chronic airflow obstruction (CAO), can occur together in a pat,ient and the prognoses of these two diseases are different each other. OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: To estimate the extent of asthmatic component in patients with CAO and to evaluate the role of atopy as a predictable index for reversibility of airflow obstruction, 89 CAO patients who were older than 40 years were examined retrospectively. RESULT: Only 15 patients (16.8%) showed an increase of >15% in FEV20 to inhaled salbutamol (short-term responder). However, 18 out of 32 patients (56.3%), who were not responded significantly to inhaled bronchodilator and performed a follow-up lung function study, showed an increase of ) 15% in FEV20 to anti-asthmatic therapy including corticosteroid for 3-4 weeks (long-term responder). Peripheral blood eosinophil count only was different between short-term responder and short-term nonresponder, and there was no difference in all of the measurements between short-term responder and long-term responder. However, there were significant differences in smoking, wheezing on auscultation, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, serum total IgE levels, and MAST atopy score between long-term responder and long-term nonresponder. The increase in FEV, following shortor long-term therapy was related to peripheral blood eosinophil counts and MAST atopy score, and it was significantly great,er in patients with high eosinophil counts or high atopy score. CONCLUSION: About 2/3 of patients with CAO who were older than 40 years had an asthmatic component ap atopy may be useful to predict good bronchodilator response to anti-asthmatic therapy.
Albuterol ; Auscultation ; Bronchitis ; Eosinophils ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Lung ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiratory Sounds ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking

STUDY DESIGN: The authors reviewed 14 patients with neurologic deficits caused by ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) of thoracic and thoracolumbar spine. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and roentgenographic characteristics and suggest the treatment method of the OLF in the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The reported OLF mainly developed at the thoracolumbar area. It compressed the spinal cord and resulted to the symptoms of thoracic myelopathy. The methods of treatment were posterior decompression including laminectomy or laminoplasty, and sometimes anterior and posterior decompression, with or without fusion. The OLF was not common disease yet and many surgeons have met a problem in making the decision of the extent of posterior decompression multiple or selective. METHODS: The authors reviewed 14 patients with the OLF using clinical reports and roentgenographic studies. We checked the plain roentgenograms, computed tomograms, and magnetic resonance imagings. We performed the posterior decompression using total laminectomy without fusion. We divided three groups according to the operative methods. Group I included the patients with one or two levels of OLF treated with posterior extensive laminectomy. Group II included the patients with OLF in three or more levels, or combined other cord-compressing diseases. They had been treated with multiple posterior or anterior decompression for the entire cord-compressing levels. Group III included the patients with same conditions as group II but they had been treated with selective decompression for the mainly symptomatic levels of OLF. RESULTS: We found the OLF at 54 segments of 14 patients. The involvement of OLF was 29 segments(53.7%) in thoracolumbar and 25 segments(46.3%) in thoracic area. The most commonly involved segment was T10-11(16.7%) and the second was T11-12(14.8%). Clinically the most common neurologic deficit was motor weakness and sensory deficit. The most symptomatic level of OLF was T10-11 and T12-Ll segment(28.6% at each) and the next was T11-12 segment(21.4%). We got the favorable results in group I and group III. But the final results of group II were not good. CONCLUSION: The OLF was most common at the thoracolumbar area and the symptoms and signs were revealed same as those of the thoracic myelopathy. We obtained favorable clinical results after posterior laminectomy without fusion in cases with the OLF in 1-2 segments. In the cases with multiple OLF in three or more segments, or the cases with other cord-compressing diseases, we could get more favorable results in the patients with the selective decompression than the patients with multiple decompression for the entire cord-compressing diseases.
Decompression ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Ligamentum Flavum* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine*

PURPOSE: Based on previous research findings, it is well-known that the timing of surgery is generally considered the most important prognostic factor for a Kasai portoenterostomy, the primary treatment for biliary atresia. This research aimed to identify the optimal timing of a Kasai portoenterostomy and to verify if the proposed optimal timing corresponds to previous studies. All patients were classified by the timing of surgery, and pre- and post-operative fibrotic changes of the liver were measured with the elasticity value from fibroscans. METHODS: The stiffness scores of the pre- and post-operative fibroscans in 34 patients who were treated by Kasai portoenterostomy from October 2007 to September 2010 in Severance children's hospital were reviewed. RESULTS: The earlier the patients were treated by Kasai portoenterostomy, the lower the fibroscan scores. When the patients were treated prior to the 8th week, the post-operative scores of the fibroscans were significantly better than those patients who were treated after the 8th week, and some even recovered partially. Moreover, when operated before the 8th week, the differences between each pre- and post-operative fibroscan score also showed statistical relevance (p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: The earlier the patient was treated by Kasai portoenterostomy, the less liver fibrosis that developed, the lower the level of post-operative fibrosis, and the less the degree of fibrotic progress before and after the operation. Thus, this research proposal reconfirms once more that the 8th week is the optimal timing for a Kasai portoenterostomy.
Biliary Atresia ; Elasticity ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Research Design

Rudimentary meningoceles represent a developmental anomaly in which meningothelial elements are found in the skin. The majority of rudimentary meningoceles occur on the scalp over the occiput or along cranial suture lines. They are present as a pink papule, nodule or an area of alopecia. Histologically, the lesion consists of scattered foci of meningothelial cells, an anastomosing network of empty spaces with psammoma bodies and collagen bodies, and small vessels, which may be located from the dermis to the subcutis. Immunohistochemically, the meningothelial cells are commonly positive for vimentin and often positive for EMA. We report the cases of two infants who were noted at birth to have scalp hair anomalies. One had a translucent, bald, slightly atrophic patch on the midline of the vertex and the other had a subcutaneous nodule surrounded by long hairs, so called "hair collar sign" on the midline of the occipital area. The latter had an underlying skull defect without a communication with intracranial spaces. Due to the occasional presence of connection to the central nervous system, any midline lesion in an infant, including rudimentary meningocele, deserves careful preoperative evaluation including imaging studies.
Alopecia ; Central Nervous System ; Collagen ; Cranial Sutures ; Dermis ; Hair ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningocele* ; Parturition ; Scalp ; Skin ; Skull ; Vimentin

Since 1957, when Walsh and Ogura introduced transantral orbital decompression, various surgical approaches have been introduced for the treatment of dysthyroid orbitopathy. With the development of endoscopic sinus surgery, orbital decompression can now be approached transnasally by endoscope alone. We reviewed the medical records of 10 patients who had received endoscopic orbital decompression. Of the 10 patients, four eyes from three patients were managed for decreased visual acuity, while 13 eyes from seven patients were managed for exophthalmos. Three patients who had initially complained of decreased vision demonstrated eventual improvement. An initial mean proptosis of 19.3 mm decreased to 16.5 mm. Six eyes with abnormal color vision were resolved after the decompression. Four patients with diplopia complained of continued diplopia after the decompression and were managed with extraocular muscle surgery or prism glasses. Compared to the conventional transantral approach, endoscopic orbital decompression features less morbidity and comparable ophthalmic results.
Color Vision ; Decompression* ; Diplopia ; Endoscopes ; Exophthalmos ; Eyeglasses ; Glass ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Orbit* ; Visual Acuity

STUDY DESIGN: The authors reviewed the dural tears in the thoracolumbar fractures treated surgically. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence and the predictive values for the presence of dural tears in the thoracolumbar fractures. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Many authors reported that the dural tear was usually related to the thoracolumbar fractures especially with laminar fracture and neurologic deficit. The dural tears may lead complications such as the entrapment of spinal nerve root, delayed wound healing, cerebrospinal fluid fistula, and myelomeningocele. Previous reports emphasized posterior approach to confirm and treat the dural tears using laminectomy. So it is very important that surgeons should identify the presence of dural tear preoperatiyely to determine the surgical approach and treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed 22 patients of thoracolumbar fractures treated with posterior laminectomy, posterior decompression, posterolateral fusion, and instntmentation from August 1993 to August 1996. The follow-up period was minimally 12 months. We checked the canal compromise, the injury of the posterior column including laminar fracture and ligamental injury, and neurologic deficits as the predictive values. The statistical analysis was done to evaluate the relationship between the dural tear and the predictive values. RESULTS: The incidence of dural tear was 54.4% of the thoracolumbar fractures. The canal encroachment, the injury of the posterior column, and the neurologic deficits were not significantly related with the dural tears in statistical analysis. But we could find the tendency that is related to the dural tear and posterior column injury. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded that we could find the possible presence of dural tears in the severe thoracoiumbar which were needed the surgical treatment and we could suggest the injury of posterior column was a possible value that could predict the presence of dural tear.
Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Decompression ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laminectomy ; Ligaments ; Meningomyelocele ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Tears* ; Wound Healing