Wernickes encephalopathy is an illness characterized by mental disturbance, paralysis of eye movements and ataxia of gait. The specific factor for most, if not all, of these symptoms is a deficiency of thiamine. Wemicke's encephalopathy mostly occurs in developing countries when the patient is in a state such as nutritionally deprived state, anorexia nervosa, stomach cancer, long duration of parenteral nutrition. Wernickes encephalopathy was recognized as a complication of hyperemesis of pregnancy in 1914. Unfortunately, cases continue to occur. We present here a case of Wernickes encephalopathy in a 36-year-old pregnant woman. We discuss the clinical picture, histopathology, radiology, therapeutic management and prognosis with review of the literature.
Adult ; Anorexia Nervosa ; Developing Countries ; Eye Movements ; Female ; Gait Ataxia ; Humans ; Hyperemesis Gravidarum* ; Hyperthyroidism* ; Paralysis ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Prognosis ; Radiation Oncology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thiamine ; Wernicke Encephalopathy*

Rectovagianl fistula(RVF) is a congenital or acquired communication between the two epithelial-lined surface of the rectum and the vagina. We present our experience with 62 patients with RVF. There were various etiologies and repair methods of rectovaginal fistula. The purpose of this study was to retospectively review the clinical course of the patients we treated and to evaluate the efficacy of various treatment options. The mean age was 40.5 yr, The type of RVF was classified to one of two(simple and complex), according to their location, size and etiology. RVF was developed most commonly after radiotherapy due to cervical cancer(n=17), then after pelvic surgery due to malignancy(n=16), obstetric trauma after episiotomy at delivery(n=7), congenital malformation(n=4), inflammatory bowel disease(n=1), Bechet's disease(n=1), infections such as perianal fistula or abscess(n=2), direct invasion of carcinoma(n=3), after chemotherapy(n=1), and idiopathic(n=6). Three cases of them associated with rectovesicovaginal fistula. Surgical therapeutic option was divided to local repair, abdominal approach and tissue transposition by the type of RVF. Most simple RVFs were repaired with local approach through the vagina or rectum. Most complex RVFs were repaired through abdominal approach or tissue transposition. With an average follow up of 20 months, the treatment results were as follows: completely healed(n=36, 58.1%), persistent symptom(n=6, 9.7%), recurrence after repair(n=5, 8.1%), loss of search or death(n=15, 24.1%). Therefore we assist that the management of RVF depends on size, location, and cause. anal sphincter function and overall health status of the patient. Careful preoperative assessment of the fistula, surrounding tissues, and anal sphincter and exclusion of associated disease are essential. With through evaluation, thoughtful consideration of treatment options, and meticulous operative technique, patient can be assured of an optimal outcome.
Anal Canal ; Episiotomy ; Female ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Radiotherapy ; Rectovaginal Fistula* ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Vagina

Osteotomy around the knee is a widely considered surgical procedure for osteoarthritis with lower extremity malalignment. High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is performed for varus deformity, while distal femur osteotomy (DFO) is performed for valgus deformity. However, if the correction is insufficient, double osteotomy can also be considered. This report included the basic principles and current concepts of patient selection and preoperative planning in osteotomy around the knee.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Femur ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Lower Extremity ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteotomy* ; Patient Selection

No abstract available.
Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Rickettsia* ; Ulsan*

The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized job description for dietitians working in the public health nutrition area. Work-oriented job analysis methodology was employed for the study purpose. Subjects of 38 dietitians currently working at health centers in 2002 were recruited. Based on the focus group interview with 7 public health nutritionists and 7 professors, information about task elements was collected. Questionnaires measuring work performance and self-perception of importance of the selected task elements were administered. Reliability and validity of this instrument were tested by Chronbach's alpha and factor analysis. SAS PC package program was used for the statistical analysis. The final developed job description for public health nutritionists included 5 duties, 20 tasks and 93 task elements. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1) 5 duty areas are A. plan and evaluation of public health nutrition services, B. developing nutrition education materials, C. implementing nutrition services, D. networking community, and E. self development. 2) Each duty area from A to E was composed with 6, 2, 6, 4, 2 tasks, respectively. 3) Each duty area from A to E was composed with 24, 8, 38, 14, 9, and 2 task elements, respectively.
Focus Groups ; Job Description ; Phenothiazines ; Public Health ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Concept

STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed nine patients of lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation which underwent conservative or surgical treatment. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the clinical characteristics, accuracy of diagnostic methods, and result of conservative or surgical treatment for the lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation represents an important component of lumbar disc herniation because of the difficulty in diagnosis and the difference in clinical characteristics and surgical approaches in contrast to usual intracanalicular disc herniation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine patients which we have experienced from March 1994 to February 1997 were evaluated by physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, EMG, and disco-enhanced computed tomogram. There were 4 males and 5 females, and average age was 42.4 years. RESULTS: The level of herniation was 4 cases at L4-5 and 5 at L5-S1. Radiating pain was chief complaint but low back pain was absent or mild. Accuracy of disco-enhanced computed tomogram was superior to that of magnetic resonance imaging. The results of conservative treatment were good in 2 cases(40%), fair in 2 cases(40%), and poor in 1 case(20%). And those of surgical treatment including partial laminectomy, medial facetectomy, and discectomy or extraforaminal approach were excellent in 3 cases(75%), good in 1 case(25%) according to the grading of MacNab. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar extraforaminal disc herniation represents compressive symptoms of upper lumbar root of the involved level characteristically. Location and degree of disc herniation is an important tractor for determining the surgical approach, and disco-enhanced computed tomogram is a definite diagnostic method.
Diagnosis* ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Retrospective Studies

This study was performed to describe the longitudinal management of recurrent temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis from infancy to adulthood in perspective of surgical and orthodontic treatment. A 2-year-old girl was referred with chief complaints of restricted mouth opening and micrognathia due to bilateral TMJ ankylosis. For stage I treatment during early childhood (6 years old), high condylectomy and interpositional arthroplasty were performed. However, TMJ ankylosis recurred and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) developed. For stage II treatment during early adolescence (12 years old), gap arthroplasty, coronoidectomy, bilateral mandibular distraction osteogenesis, and orthodontic treatment with extraction of the four first premolars were performed. However, TMJ ankylosis recurred. Because the OSA symptoms reappeared, she began to use a continuous positive airway pressure device. For stage III treatment after completion of growth (20 years old), low condylectomy, coronoidectomy, reconstruction of the bilateral TMJs with artificial prostheses along with counterclockwise rotational advancement of the mandible, genioglossus advancement, and orthodontic treatment were performed. After stage III treatment, the amount of mouth opening exhibited a significant increase. Mandibular advancement and ramus lengthening resulted in significant improvement in the facial profile, Class I relationships, and normal overbite/overjet. The OSA symptoms were also relieved. These outcomes were stable at the one-year follow-up visit. Since the treatment modalities for TMJ ankylosis differ according to the duration of ankylosis, patient age, and degree of deformity, the treatment flowchart suggested in this report could be used as an effective guideline for determining the appropriate timing and methods for the treatment of TMJ ankylosis.

Congenital absence of nails usually occur as a rare isolated anomaly or combined with other ectodermal defects. This anomaly is regarded as an inherited disorder either dominantly or recessively but quite a few cases were reported as sporadically developed. The patient was a 2-month-old girl who had no nails on both her 2nd, 3rd toes but had rudimentary nails on her left big toe and both 4th toes at birth. We could not find any other congenital deformity, any family history of inherited diseases related to anonychia. Radiological findings revealed no visualization of both 4th distal phalanges, only. We report this case as congenital anonychia of a sporadic type which may have developed independently from an underlying bone abnormality. We also review other reported cases in the literature.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Ectoderm ; Female ; Hallux ; Humans ; Infant ; Parturition ; Toes*

PURPOSE: The conventional surgical treatment for patients with potentially curable low rectal cancer is abdominoperineal resection. Recently there has been increasing interest in the use of preoperative radiation therapy and sphincter-saving procedure as primary therapy for selected low rectal cancers. We report our institutional experience with this approach. METHODS: From 1995 to 1997, Twelve patients with resectable distal rectal cancer were offered sphincter-saving procedure, excluding the patients whose pretreatment tumor presentation demonstrated fixation to anal sphincter or puborectalis muscle. The distance from the anal verge to the distal tumor margin at initial diagnosis ranged from 1 to 5 cm. Patients received a median 50.4 Gy and chemotherapy Surgery was carried out 4 to 8 weeks after radiation. RESULTS: No patient had toxic reaction that required interruption of chemoradiation. Four patients (33%) had complete pathologic response, but one patient with complete clinical response had residual cancer. Seven patients underwent hand-sewn coloanal anastomosis and five patients transanal excision en bloc. All patients were able to successfully undergo a sphincter-saving procedure. With a mean follow-up of 23 months (range, 6~32), the authors noted no recurrence or complication. Sphincter function was good in 92%. Daily bowel movements was two (range, 1~10). CONCLUSION: Preoperative chemoradiation appears promising in terms of better patient compliance, lesser toxicity, and downstaging tumor, making the sphincter-saving procedure feasible in carefully selected cases. Surgical resection remains essential to confirm and to achieve complete clinical remission. The results of preoperative chemoradiation and sphinctersaving procedure are encouraging, but more experience is needed to determine whether this approach ultimately has similar local control and survival rate compared to standard surgery.
Anal Canal ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Patient Compliance ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of interpersonal attitude (I+, I-, U+, U-) on communication competence in care workers for frail elderly. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey. The data were collected from 153 care workers for frail elderly using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: The interpersonal attitude style of subjects was I+U+, and the score of communication competence was 3.53. There were significant differences in interpersonal attitude (I+, I-), and communication competence depending on age, education level, experience of personality type test (yes). Factors influencing on communication competence in care workers were interpersonal attitude (I+, I-, U+) and experience of personality type test with R2 value of 48.5% (F=23.47 p<.001). The most influencing factor was I+ (beta=.36), followed by I- (beta=-.22), U+ (beta=.20), and experience of personality type test (yes) (beta=.16). CONCLUSION: It is needed to maintain the interpersonal attitude style (I+U+) of care workers. Continuing education program is needed for increasing communication competence especially for those fifties and over, and experienced care workers. Giving an opportunity for personality test is helpful to increase communication competence in care workers.
Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Continuing ; Frail Elderly ; Humans ; Mental Competency ; Personality Tests ; Surveys and Questionnaires