No Abstract Available.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Receptors, LHRH*

BACKGROUND: Propafenone is effective in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Propafenone has been shown to be also useful in preventing the recurrence of atrial fibrillation. But to date, date concerning the efficacy of propafenone for patients experiencing paroxysmal and chronic atrial fibrillation have not been examined in Korea. METHODS: In patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation propafenone was given at a dose of 450mg daily without dose titration and symptomatic recurrences were evaluated by patient interview during follow-up. In patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, who had no previously attempted cardioversion, propafenone was given at a dose of 450~675mg daily without dose titration, and after a minimum of 3 days pharmacological cardioversion was assessed. Those patients in whom sinus rhythm had been restored pharmacologically or by combined direct current cardioversion were followed with maintaining propafenone therapy also at a dose of 450~675mg daily. RESULTS: Of 7 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 4 (57%) patients had marked symptomatic improvement and they were followed for 197 to 460 (mean 286) days Of 13 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, 7 patients incuding 4 pharmacologically converted patients were initially controlled to sinus rhythm. In 5 (38%) patients maintenance of sinus rhythm was followed for 90 to 415 (mean 224) days. CONCLUSION: Although these observations were made in small number of patients and are so limited, the results are comparable to the previous studies which showed the potential role of propafenone in the management of atrial fibrillation.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Electric Countershock ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Propafenone* ; Recurrence ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Radiculopathy*

Eighty four patients with 104 calcaneal fractures which were treated at the dept. of orthopaedic surgery, Inchon Christian Hospital from October, 1979 to September, 1983 were clinically analysed and the results were as follows; 1. 72 patients were male and 12 patients were female. The male were more injuried in the ratio of 6:l. 2. Their ages were ranged from 6 yrs. to 66 yrs. (average; 35.4 yrs.) and the half of the patients were occured at the 3rd and 4th decade. They admitted for average 7.6/7 weeks. 3. The main cause was a fall from a height in 62 patients (73.8%) and its average height was 4.5m. 4. The open fractures were occured in 13 feet (12.5%) and the spine fracture was associated in 16 patient (19%). 5. The 104 cases were classified according to the Rowe and Essex-Lopresti classification. Fractures involving subtalar joint were 74 feet (71.2%) and the Rowes type V were 58 feet(55.8%). 6. The 22 cases were treated by elosed reduction and axial pin fixation, 10 cases were treated by open reduction and the subtalar fusion was done at 2 cases. Others were treated by cast immobilization with or without closed reduction. The satisfactory result was obtained in 64 cases(61.5%). 7. The most common problem after any treatment was persistent foot pain, especially beneath the lateral malleolus.
Calcaneus ; Classification ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Foot ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Incheon ; Male ; Spine ; Subtalar Joint

With expanded and extended coverage of the national medical insurance and fast growing health care expenditures, appropriateness of health service utilization and quality of care are concerns of both health care providers and insurers as well as patients. An accurate patient classification system is a basic tool for effective health care policies and efficient health services management. A classification system applicable to Korean medical information-Korean Diagnosis Related Groups (K-DRGs)-was developed based on the U. S. Refined DRGs, and the performance of the developed system was assessed in this study. In the process of the development, first the Korean coding systems for diagnoses and procedures were converted to the systems used in the definition of the U. S. Refined DRGs using the mapping tables formulated by physician panels. Then physician panels reviewed the group definition, and identified medical practice patterns different in two countries. The definition was modified for the difference in K-DRGs. The process resulted in 1,199 groups in the system. Several groups in Refined DRGs could not be differentiated in K-DRGs due to insufficient medical information, and several groups could not be defined due to procedures which were not practiced in Korea. However, the classification structure of Refined DRGs was retained in K-DRGs. The developed system was evaluated for its performance in explaining variations in resource use as measured by charges and length of stay(LOS), for both all and non-extreme discharges. The data base used in this evaluation included 373,322 discharges which was a random sample of discharges reviewed ad payed by the medical insurance during the five-month period from September 1990. The proportion of variance in resource use which was reduced by classifying patients into K-DRGs-r-square-was comparable to the performance of the U. S. Refined DRGs: .39 for charges and .25 for LOS for all discharges, and .53 for charges and .31 for LOS for non-extreme discharges. Another measure analyzed to assess the performance was the coefficient of variation of charges within individual K-DRGs. A total of 966 K-DRGs (87.7%) showed a coefficient below 100%, and the highest coefficient among K-DRGs with more than 30 discharges was 159%.
Classification ; Clinical Coding ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis-Related Groups* ; Health Expenditures ; Health Personnel ; Health Services ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Insurance ; Insurance Carriers ; Korea

BACKGROUND: Determination of left ventricular(LV) myocardial mass with echocardioraphy is feasible and validated. American society of echocardiography(ASE) issued recommendations for the quantitation of the left ventricle by M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiography in 1978 and 1989, respectively. Although some controversies exist regarding the relative accuracy of M-mode and 2-dimensional techniques, many workers now agree that 2-dimensional methods are more accurate and can be applied to a higher percentage of patients. But sometimes the validated methods are not optimal when parasternal short axis view is difficult to obtain, when the ventricle is distorted, or when scar tissue constitutes a portion of the myocardial volume. METHODS: We measured left ventricular mass in 72 normal subjects using three different methods-ASE cube method with correction in M-mode(method A), area-length method from parasternal short axis view and apical four chamber view(method B), and the method using Simpson's rule from apical four chamber view(method C). RESULTS: 1) LV mass(index) was 161.8+/-30.3g(98.7+/-15.6g/m2) by method A, 166.2+/-32.8g(101.2+/-16.5g/m2) by method B, and 161.2+/-31.8g(98.2+/-15.5g/m2) by method C. 2) LV mass or index by method B was significantly different from that by method A(p<0.001) and from that by method C(p<0.001). However there was no significant difference in LV mass or index between by method A and C(p>0.05). 3) There was a strong correlation between LV mass or index by the method A and B(r=0.873, p<0.001), by the method B and C(r=0.923, p<0.001), and by the A and C(r=0.945, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the method using Simpson's rule can reliably assess LV mass, although it results in smaller value that that by area-length method.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cicatrix ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans

The origin of osteoclast-like giant cell tumor (OGCT) of the salivary gland has been debated because the prototypic cells of osteoclast-like cells and mononuclear stromal cells are largely unexplained in this gland. Bone marrow-derived CD14+ and CD45+ monocyte-derived multipotential cells (CD14+/CD45+ MOMC) may be one of the possible origins of OGCTs of salivary glands, which have never been explored in salivary OGCTs. We present a case of OGCT accompanied with carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma in the parotid gland of a 67-year-old Korean female. The tumor presented as a rapidly growing cervical mass comprising a central area of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma and a peripheral circumferential area of OGCT. The immunohistochemical staining pattern was phenotypically consistent with bone marrow-derived CD14+/CD45+ MOMC. This case is the first report of a salivary OGCT in Korea.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Aged ; Cytosine ; Female ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Korea ; Mixed Tumor, Malignant ; Monocytes ; Osteoclasts ; Parotid Gland ; Salivary Glands ; Stromal Cells

The origin of osteoclast-like giant cell tumor (OGCT) of the salivary gland has been debated because the prototypic cells of osteoclast-like cells and mononuclear stromal cells are largely unexplained in this gland. Bone marrow-derived CD14+ and CD45+ monocyte-derived multipotential cells (CD14+/CD45+ MOMC) may be one of the possible origins of OGCTs of salivary glands, which have never been explored in salivary OGCTs. We present a case of OGCT accompanied with carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma in the parotid gland of a 67-year-old Korean female. The tumor presented as a rapidly growing cervical mass comprising a central area of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma and a peripheral circumferential area of OGCT. The immunohistochemical staining pattern was phenotypically consistent with bone marrow-derived CD14+/CD45+ MOMC. This case is the first report of a salivary OGCT in Korea.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Aged ; Cytosine ; Female ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Korea ; Mixed Tumor, Malignant ; Monocytes ; Osteoclasts ; Parotid Gland ; Salivary Glands ; Stromal Cells

Of several possible configurations of pin fixation of a displaced supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children, the medial and lateral crossed pinning technique has been known to provide the greatest resistance to gross rotational displacement. A new technique with ipsilateral two lateral crossed pins was devised so as to avoid the ulnar nerve injury with good stability for fracture site. During the period from 1992 to 1994, 18 children with displaced supracondylar fracture of the humerus were treated by closed reduction and ipsilateral two lateral crossed pinning. Eighty nine percents of the final results were satisfactory. There were no ulnar nerve injuries and fixation loss in all cases from the treatment. This is a safe, simple and reliable technique for providing the good stability of fracture site as well as avoiding the ulnar nerve injury.
Child ; Humans ; Humerus ; Ulnar Nerve ; Ulnar Neuropathies ; United Nations