Recently autogenous nerve graft was usually used for segmental defect of peripheal nerve injury. In case of inappropriate size or amount of donor nerve graft, there were many studies included nerve regeneration with special nerve conduit material. To compare the result of autogenous nerve graft with that of silicone tubing method in segmental defect of sciatic nerve, the experiments were carried out on adult rats with autogenous nerve graft on the left side and silicone tubing on the right side. The results were as follows; 1. Myelinated nerve fibers were larger in silicone tubing method than autogenous nerve graft at postop. 4 weeks. 2. There was no difference in nerve regeneration in both groups at postop. 12 weeks. 3. Some atrophic changes were showed in denervated muscles in both groups at postop. 4 weeks. Skeletal muscle changes between the two groups were meagre. 4. Perineural adhension was rare in silicone tubing group in contrast to autogenous nerve graft group. 5. Nerve Conduction Velocity was similar between autogenous nerve graft and silicone tubing method after 4 weeks postoperatively. In conclusion, this study suggests that silicone tubing can be useful method to repair the large nerve gaps and has a potential clinical utilization in large segmental nerve defect.
Adult ; Animals ; Autografts ; Humans ; Methods ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; Nerve Regeneration ; Neural Conduction ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve ; Silicon ; Silicones ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

Nuclear medicine imaging is widely used in pain medicine. Low back pain is commonly encountered by physicians, with its prevalence from 49% to 70%. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are usually used to evaluate the cause of low back pain, however, these findings from these scans could also be observed in asymptomatic patients. Bone scintigraphy has an additional value in patients with low back pain. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is defined as a painful disorder of the extremities, which is characterized by sensory, autonomic, vasomotor, and trophic disturbances. To assist the diagnosis of CRPS, three-phase bone scintigraphy is thought to be superior compared to other modalities, and could be used to rule out CRPS due to its high specificity. Studies regarding the effect of bone scintigraphy in patients with extremity pain have not been widely conducted. Ultrasound, CT and MRI are widely used imaging modalities for evaluating extremity pain. However, SPECT/CT has an additional role in assessing pain in the extremities.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Extremities ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nuclear Medicine ; Prevalence ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography

Bone defect of the long bone continues to challenge orthopedic surgeons. It is usually very difficult to obtain union. Ilizarov ext. fixation has recently gained popularity as a multifactorial approach to the management of tibial bone defect because nonunion, bone defects, limb shortening, and deformity can all be addressed simultaneously with the Ilizarov apparatus. From February 1992 to May 1993 at the department of orthopedic surgery, Inje University Pusan Paik Hospital, 9 patients aged from 8 to 37 years were treated for tibial bone defect. The causes were open comminuted fractures with initial bone loss and bone defect after removal of infected necrotic bone. Bony defect size was ranged from 2cm to 14cm, averaging 7.2cm. Bony defects were gradually closed by the Ilizarov's internal bone transport technique, and final equalization of leg length discrepancy was achieved by means of external lengthening technique. Soft tissue defects were treated with secondary closure, split thickness skin graft, and muscle flap. The average healing index was 42.8 days/cm. According to Paley's classification the complications were developed as follows; The problem included pin tract infection(9), knee flexion contracture(4), and intractable pain(1), the obstacles included delayed union(3) and premature consolidation(1), the complication included nonunion(9) and equinus ankle(1). At an average 1 years follow up, according to Paley and Catagnl's classification, body and functional results were either excellent or good in 7 cases. So, we recommend that Ilizarov technique is very useful treatment for open fracture with bone loss, bone defect after removal of infected necrotic bone and limb shortening.
Busan ; Classification ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Comminuted ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Ilizarov Technique ; Knee ; Leg ; Orthopedics ; Skin ; Surgeons ; Tibia ; Transplants

The Kallmanns syndrome is the most common form of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in which anosmia or hyposmia resulting from agenesis of hypoplasia of the olfactory lobes is associated with LHRH deficiency, This syndrome is genetically heterogeneous and can be trans-mitted as an X-linked, autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive trait. The hypogonadotropic hypogonadism results in absent or incomplete pubertal development and may be associated with anosmia or hyposmia, mid-line defect(color blindness, cleft-lip or
Blindness ; Cryptorchidism ; Epiphyses ; Femur Neck ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Growth Plate ; Head ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Kallmann Syndrome ; Male ; Olfaction Disorders ; Olfactory Cortex ; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The ballooning time in endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of the ballooning time comparing an immediate balloon deflation method with a conventional ballooning time of > 45 seconds. METHODS: Between January 2010 and December 2010, 126 patients with bile duct stones treated with EPLBD and endoscopic sphincterotomy were divided according to the ballooning time: the immediate deflation group (n=56) and the conventional inflation group (ballooning time 45s to < 60s) (n=70). RESULTS: The overall success rate and the success rate of the first attempt of ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography) were 96.4% (54/56) and 80.4% (45/56) in the immediate group and 97.1% (68/70) and 77.1% (54/70) in the conventional inflation group. There were no statistically significant differences in the overall success and the first attempt of ERCP success rate (p=0.99, p=0.66). The frequency of mechanical lithotripsy was 0% in the immediate deflation group and 7.1% in the conventional inflation group (p=0.065). Complications occurred in 3.6% (2/56) patients in the immediate deflation group and 8.6% (4/70) patients in the conventional inflation group (p=0.298). CONCLUSIONS: The ballooning time in EPLBD does not affect the outcomes of the treatment for bile duct stones. And the feasibility of the immediate deflation method in EPLBD is acceptable.
Bile Ducts* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledocholithiasis ; Humans ; Inflation, Economic ; Lithotripsy ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic

The intubating laryngeal masK airway is a newly available device designed to allow for blind endotracheal intubation and treatment of patients with difficult airways. Emergency tracheostomies are required for oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and laryngeal tumors acutely obstructing the airway. Patients with an airway obstructive tumor maintain their airway by a very active inspiratory effort in a sitting position. In these patients, it may be impossible to position them for a tracheostomy with shoulder extension. We report a case where a patient was tracheostomized successfully under general anesthesia with blind intubation via ILMA insertion in a sitting position.
Anesthesia, General* ; Emergencies ; Equipment Design ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngeal Masks ; Shoulder ; Tracheostomy*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the true extent of non-responsiveness in full-term infants born from HBsAg-negative or HBsAg-positive mothers and vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV) at 0, 1, and 6 months of age and to evaluate the effect of revaccination among non-responders. METHODS: The study included 716 full-term infants born in 2004-2007. Of 716, 662 infants (A group) were born to HBsAg- negative mothers and 54 infants (B group: 50, except HBsAg-positive infants) were born to HBsAg-positive mothers. All infants were administered DNA recombinant vaccines at 0, 1, and 6 months of age. B group infants received hepatitis B immunoglobulin at birth. Anti-HBs titers were tested at 7-12 and 9-15 months in A and B groups, respectively. Three revaccination doses were administered to non-responders whose anti-HBs titers were under 10 mIU/ml; revaccinated infants were retested at 1-3 months after last vaccination. The association between HBeAg seropositivity of mother and the failure of HBV immunoprophylaxis was evaluated. RESULTS: The seroconversion rates after primary hepatitis B vaccination were higher in A group (94.1%) than in B group (78%, P<0.001). The seroconversion rates were high in revaccinated infants (A group non-responders: 96.9%, B group non- responders: 87.5%). The failure of HBV immunoprophylaxis was significantly associated with maternal HBeAg seropositivity (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The seroconversion rates after primary hepatitis B vaccination were low in B group infants. Revaccination of non-responders in B group was very effective. Therefore, anti-HBs testing and revaccination of B group is very important. Revaccination of non-responders in A group was also very effective. Thus, testing the immune status of infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers even after primary hepatitis B vaccination should be considered. However, to realize this, further studies on the cost-effectiveness of anti-HBs testing in healthy full-term infants are necessary.
DNA ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Immunization, Secondary ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, Synthetic

X-linked agammaglobulinemia is attributed to the genetic defect for Bruton's tyrosine kinase at Xq22 region and the developmental arrest of pre-B lymphocytes. The characteristics of the disease are as follows; 1) male sex, 2) onset in infancy or early childhood, 3) severe panhypogammaglobulinemia, 4) normal cell mediated immunity, 5) recurrent, hardly controlled infection. The most common sites of infection are the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. The disease must be suspected when the recurrent, hardly controlled infection or the unusual, multiple sites of infection are present. Regular intravenous immune globulin approved the preventive effect against severe infection and fatal complication. But the final outcome remains grave in spite of intensive care. We report an adult case, 20 years old male patient, of X-linked agammaglobulinemia. He has been suffered from recurrent pneumonia and other sites of infection including meningitis and cellulitis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cultured from blood. X-linked agammaglobulinemia was diagnosed based on clinical history, severe panhypogammagloblinemia, lack of the gamma-fraction on the serum protein electrophoresis and absence of B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood. The clinical course waxed and waned until intravenous infusion of immune globulin, which dramatically improved pneumonia.
Adult ; Agammaglobulinemia* ; B-Lymphocytes ; Cellulitis ; Electrophoresis ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Critical Care ; Male ; Meningitis ; Pneumonia ; Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Respiratory System ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Diffuse panbronchiolitis(DPB) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the respiratory bronchioles which was first described in Japan in 1966. DPB is prevalent in Japan and is known to be very rare in western countries. The first cases of DPB were reported in Korea in 1992 and the number of the patients has been increasing. The prognosis of DPR had been very poor because there had been no effective treatment for the disease. Hut it has been dramatically changed since the introduction of low-dose long-term erythromycin therapy. In Korea, there is rare experience of 1ong-term follow-up of DPH patients and we presents the results of mean 21.6 months of follow-up after erythromycin treatment. METHODS: We analyzed the long-term follow-up data of 25 DPH patients who were diagnosed in Seoul National University Hospital during the period from September 1989 to December 1994 and followed up more than 6 months with erythromycin therapy. We tried erythromycin 250mg b.i.d. on all the patients and analyzed the changes of subjective symptoms, physical signs, pulmonary function tests, and chest X-rays. RESULTS: 1) The mean follow-up period was 21.6 months. 2) Subjective symptoms improved in 96% of the patients within 3 months and 76% of the patients showed no symptom after 18 months of treatment. 3) Crackles and wheezing decreased in all patients within 3 months and completely disappeared in 76% of the patients after 18 months of treatment. 4) Diffuse small nodular lesions on chest X-ray decreased in 56% of the patients within 3 months and chest PA was normal in 32% of the patients after 12months of treatment. 5) FVC and FEV1 increased remarkably during the first 3 months and slowly increased thereafter, reaching normal level after 12 months of treatment. FEV1/FVC was 60.4% before treatment and in- creased slowly reaching 76.1% after 24 months of treatment. 6) Erythromycin therapy could be finished in 7 patients. The mean duration of medication was 26 months and no evidence of recurrence was found in 6 months of follow-up. 7) No patients had experienced the side effect of erythromycin, CONCLUSION: The prognosis of DPR is very goad when treated with erythromycin. And at least 2 years of erythromycin treatment seems to be needed for DPB patients.
Bronchioles ; Erythromycin* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds ; Seoul ; Thorax

In this study of the physical anthropological characteristics of the Akha and Lahu in northern Thailand, whose customs are similar to the Koreans, the authors examined the finger and palm prints of the Akha (male 107, female 114) and Lahu (male 92, female 101) using qualitative methods, and compared them with those of various ethnic groups including Koreans. The results were as follows : The whorl types (Akha 57.7%, Lahu 58.1%) were the most common finger prints, followed by ulnar loop types (Akha 39.7%, Lahu 38.7%), arch types (Akha 2.6%, Lahu 2.8%), and radial loop types (Akha 1.7%, Lahu 1.2%). Of the palm print types, 9-7-5 (Akha 32.7%, Lahu 21.3%) and 7-5-5(Akha 25.4%, Lahu 21.3%) were most common, followed by 11-O-7 (Akha 2.0%, Lahu 11.3%), 9-O-5 (Akha 1.5%, Lahu 10.0%), 11-9-7 (Akha 6.0%, Lahu 5.7%), 7-5-4 (Akha 7.0%, Lahu 2.2%). The finger and palm print patterns of the Akha and Lahu did not correspond closely to the patterns of those classified as White, Negro, or Oriental, although they were closest to the patterns of the latter, particularly Chinese (rather than Korean or Japanese).
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Anthropology ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Dermatoglyphics ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Fingers* ; Humans ; Thailand*