No abstract available.
Adaptation, Psychological* ; Conversion Disorder* ; Somatoform Disorders*

No abstract available.
Adaptation, Psychological* ; Conversion Disorder* ; Somatoform Disorders*

Microsatellites are short nucleotide repeat sequences present throughout the human genome. Alterations of microsatellites, comprising extra or missing copies of these se quences, have been termed microsatellite instability(MSI, genetic instability, replication errors, RER(+) phenotype). To date, at least four genes involved in DNA mismatch repair, hMSH2, hMLH1, hPMS1 and hPMS2, are thought to account for the observation of microsatellite instability in tumor from Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) patients. The genetic defect responsible for the MIN+ phenotype in sporadic colorectal cancer, however, has yet to be clearly delineated. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of MSI in sporadic cancer and to correlate its occurrence with clinicopathological parameters, we have studied six microsatellite loci by use of polymerase chain reaction amplification and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We found that 20%(9 of 46 cases) sporadic colorectal cancers showed RER at two or several loci(RER+). Microsatellite instability was associated with location of the tumor in the proximal colon 66%(6 of 9 cases) and with poorly differentiated tumor phenotype 56%(5 of 9 cases). In order to better understand the role of somatic alterations within hMSH2 in the process of colorectal tumorigenesis, we examined the most conserved regions(codon 598~789) of this gene in nine patients with MIN spotadic colorectal cancer. 6 patient of RER(+) colorectal ca. patients had a polymorphism which was a T to C base change in the intron sequence at -6 position of the splice acceptor site at the 5'end of exon 13. This particular sequence variation is a polymorphism rather than a mutation which increase cancer susceptability. These data suggest that the genetic instability is detect ed in some colorectal cancers and play an important role in the pathogenesis of sporadic colorectal cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis ; DNA Mismatch Repair ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Exons ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Introns ; Microsatellite Instability* ; Microsatellite Repeats* ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Splice Sites

OBJECTIVE: To describe normal postoperative MR findings and MR findings of postoperative discitis in patients who underwent operation due to herniated intervertebral disc. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed normal postoperative MR findings and MR findings of discitis in 30 patients(21-61yrs.) (13 cases dignosed as discitis and 17 cases as normal) who previonsly underwent laminectomy and discectomy, or bony fusion. We analyzed signal intensity of end plate and disc, end plate destruction, and enhancement of end plate and disc on T1- and T2-weighted images(WI) of 1.5T MRI. RESULTS: Among 14 out of 17 patients with no evidence of discitis, 7 patients showed high signal of the posterior portion of disc on T1- and T2-WI and 11 patients revealed enhancement at the same sites. In all 13 patients suspected of having discitis, end plate and disc showed low signal on T1-WI, high signal on T2-WI, heterogeneous enhancement, and irregular destruction of end plate. Meanwhile, 3 cases with no evidence of postoperative discitis clinically who underwent bony fusion showed similiar findings to those of the above 13 patients, except for homogeneous enhancement of end plate and vertebral body. CONCLUSION: The MR findings of postoperative discitis were low signal on T1-WI, high signal on T2-WI, and heterogeneous enhancement of and plate and disc, and destruction of end plate.
Discitis* ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Laminectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Ligaments* ; Polytetrafluoroethylene*

OBJECTIVE: Various lesions including tumors occupying in the presellar and suprasellar regions have been traditionally removed by the transcranial approach. The new modified transsphenoidal approaches(TSAs) have been proposed to avoid the craniotomy and to get better surgical view. MATERIALS AND PATIENTS: The sellar floor and presellar anterior cranial fossa were removed through the sublabial transseptal transsphenoidal technique in the "transsphenoidal supradiaphragmatic intradural approach". One tuberculum sella meningioma and a suprasellar Rathke's cleft cyst confined to the pituitary stalk were removed via this approach. RESULTS: The dissection of the anterior intercavernous sinus, diaphragma sella, and arachnoid membrane allowed a wide surgical field of pre- and suprasellar areas and facilitated a safe removal of lesions without significant surgical complications in our cases. CONCLUSION: From the authors' limited experience, the advantages of this technique are as follows: 1) it can be easily applicable through a minor modification of the standard TSA, 2) excellent anatomical exposure of the structures located in the supradiaphragmatic suprasellar cistern, and 3) might be suitable to remove small lesions located in the presellar and adjacent to the pituitary stalk region.
Arachnoid ; Cranial Fossa, Anterior ; Craniotomy ; Humans ; Membranes ; Meningioma ; Pituitary Gland

With porcine vertebrae, the static and dynamic holding power of the pedicle screws under various conditions were measured to understand the biomechanical nature of the transpedicular screw fixation in spine. The objectives of the present study were; (1) to find the correlation between the insertion depth of the screw and the resulting holding power, (2) to determine the effect of bone cement augmentation on the screw fixation in a loosened hole, and (3) to assess the load-sharing mechanism between the cortical and the cancellous one surrounding the screw in this fixational system. The geomorphological characteristics of each porcine vertebra was measured directly with a micro-caliper. The bone mineral density of the specimens was also measured. Material with screw was holded in the fixed cross head of material testing system(Autograph E-10T). Testing force was applied and graph was obtained in the chart record. The results of the static pull-out tests in this study showed that there was a statistically-significant positive correlation between the screw diameter and the pull-out resistance(p < 0.05). The strength of the fixation did not actually increase as much as the insertion depth of the screw increased in these tests(r=0.457). In low-cycle fatigue tests, the increased number of cycles was required to clinical failure in the deeper-inserted crews. Considering the mechanical failure, a statistically-significant positive correlation between the failure cycle and the insertion depth was observed in both deep and shallow insertion groups(p < 0.05). Nonpressurized PMMA augmentation appeared to restore the ability of the screws to withstand pullout loading of the original value. On the effect of the cortical and cancellous bone, the most important factor was the cortical bone of the entrance near the screw.
Bone Density ; Fatigue ; Head ; In Vitro Techniques ; Pedicle Screws ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Spine

PURPOSE: The PerFix(R) plug is preformed as a Marlex mesh hernia plug, and consists of a fluted outer layer combined with an inner arrangement of eight mesh "petals." In contrast to hand-rolled hernia plugs, which can collapse on themselves, the PerFix(R) plug's petals maintain the device's open conelike shape. The fluted design allows the plug to more readily conform to the configuration of any indirect or direct defect. METHODS: Bewteen January 1996 and April 2000 126 conventional herniorrhaphies (C group: Bassini: 23, Shouldice: 15, McVay: 5, Lichtenstein: 83) were performed, and between May 2000 and April 2002, 124 PerFix(R) plug repairs (P group) were completed. The operation times, lengths of hospital stay, visual analogue pain scales, time of analgesics use, and complication and recurrence rates were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: The operation times and lengths of hospital stay for groups C and P were 56.4 vs. 31.1 minutes and 4.4 vs. 2.8 days, respectively, so where significantly shorter in the P group (P<0.01). The times of use for the analgesics, AAP and Nubaine, were 6.6 vs. 0.6 times and 1.7 vs. 0.9 times, in group C and P, respectively, so were significantly fewer in the P group (P<0.01). There were 5 recurrences (3.9%) in the C group during the follow up period (2~6 years), but there were none in the P group during the follow up period (5 months~2 years). The complications were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional surgical techniques, including the Lichtenstein tension free method, the PerFix(R) plug method is the most simple, and shows superiority in the following areas; the operation time, length of hospital stay, times of analgesics use and recurrence. However, with regard to the recurrence, longer follow up and observation periods are required.
Analgesics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hernia ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Herniorrhaphy* ; Length of Stay ; Nalbuphine ; Pain Measurement ; Polypropylenes ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Mastoid* ; Mastoiditis* ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of sonohysterography on exact submucosal myoma. methods: Transvaginal sonohysterography was performed on 45 patients who diagnosed as submucosal myoma and 29 patients who diagnosed as endometrial polyp by classic abdominal or vaginal sonogram, and then they received the diagnostic hysteroscopy at all. RESULTS: In 24 of 45 patients on sonohysterogram, submucosal myoma was diagnosed that was protruded to uterine cavity more than 2/3 of mass. Nine patients had intramural myoma and 12 patients had myoma that protruded only lesser than 1/3 of mass on sonohysterogram. These 21 patients revealed the same finding on hysteroscopy. On hysteroscopy, submucosal myomas were in 20 of 24 patients and polyps were in 3 patients and synechia was in one patients. In 8 of 29 patients on sonohysterogram, endometrial hyperplasia was found and confirmed by hysteroscopy. In 16 of 21 patients whose finding was polyp on sonohsyterogram, polyp was confirmed by hysteroscopy. However hysteroscopic findings were myomas in 3 of 21 patients and synechia in one patients. Therefore in 29 of 74 patients (39.2%), further hysteroscopy was not needed by sonohysterogram. In 65 of 74 patients (87.8%), sonohysterographic findings were same as hysteroscopic findings. CONCLUSION: Sonohysterogram for diagnosis of submucosal myoma and polyp is essential procedure in order to avoid unnecessary hysteroscopy. However differentiation between polyp and submucosal myoma has still some difficulty.
Diagnosis* ; Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Female ; Humans ; Hysteroscopy ; Myoma* ; Polyps