A seroepidemiologic observation of anti-Spirometra erinacei plerocerciod (sparganum) antibody (IgG) in serum was made in normal adult and epileptic patients in Korea from February 1987 to September 1990. Sera were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti-spaganum antibody together with anti-Taenia solium metacestode, and anti-Paragonimus westermani antibodies. Sera reacted positively to sparganum antigen only were considered. Positive rate for anti-sparganum antibody in 850 normal adults was 1.9% (standardized rate by provincial population was 1.7%). In 2,667 randomly selected patients of epilepsy at 28 local centers of the Changmi Club, positive rate was 2.5%(standardized rate: 2.3%). In both normal adult and patient groups, the higher antibody rates were observed in Kangwon and Chonnam province. Positive rates were 10 times higher in male than in female in normal adults and 4.5 times in male epileptic patients. The rates were elevated especially with age over 30-year. Odd ratio of the antibody was 1.32 which indicated an ambiguous etiologic factor for epilepsy.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda

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

No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Humans

The medial collateral ligament(MCL) of the knee is the well established secondary restraint to the anterior displacement of the knee joint. However, there has been no report about the estimation of the anterior displacement in combined ACL(anterior collateral ligament) and MCL injures according to period when they were treated with conservative measures. This prospective study evaluated the changes of anterior displacement over time in combined ACL/MCL injury as the MCL injury heals after initial conservative measures. 19 patients who had combined ACL/MCL injury were followed during twelve months after injury. All patient had a positive Lachman test and were evaluated the side to side differences on KT-2000 knee arthrometer(Medmetric, San Diego, California) testing under 20 Ibs anterior tibial loading at 30 degree knee flexion. The stability of the knee was assessed using KT-2000 knee arthrometer every 8 weeks with clinical examination prospectively. They were treated with CI (Combined instability) brace (Smith & Nephew, Carlsbad, California) as conservative measures. Overall, Initial side to side difference of the anterior displacement was averaged 5.21mm (range,4.0-7.0mm) and 3.30mm (range,2.0-5.5mm) finally. According to the classification of MCL injury, in Grade III groups, they had the greatest initial anterior displacement about 6.4mm, but tight- ened the most to 3.08mm finally. In Grade II and Grade I groups they showed 2.97mm and 2.13mm side to side difference (p>0.01). However in Grade I, the anterior displacement were decreased by 4 months after injury but, it were increased at 6 months after injury. In Grade II and III, the decrement of the anterior displacement were continued by 6 months after injury, but they were not changed after that. The data was analyzed by General Linear Model Procedure method. Conclusively, the anterior displacement of knee in patients with combined ACL/MCL injury was diminished with the time in the majority of patients as the MCL healed. It means that the MCL was the stabilizer to the anterior displacement of the knee under the anterior tibial loading.
Braces ; Classification ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Linear Models ; Prospective Studies

The spinal fusion is used for correcting malformations, stabilizing unstable segments, and suppressing the progression of disease, but it causes more load on the adjacent segment and as a result, the degenerative changes accelerate. Furthermore, the accelerated changes case spinal stenosis, degradation of nucleus pulposus, degenerative spondylolisthesis, acquired isthmus defect, and arthritis of articular facet, it rarely needs surgical treatment. The purpose of this study is to know the effect of the fusion level and range on the adjacent segment, to be a standard for determining the fusion range prior to operation, and to help to find the complication like degenerative changes by measuring the range of motion on the adjacent segment after the spinal fusion. Authors analyzed the result of 29 cases of posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion which were operated from February 1989 and January 1994. The intervertebral angle was measured on the flexion and extension lateral radiographs, and the calculated angular motion and sagittal plane rotation at follow-up periods were compared with those of preoperative values. The results were as follows; 1. Among the adjacent segm0ent, the increment of angular motion of superior adjacent segment was 2.6°(-5°~15°) which was higher than that of inferior one with 1.5°(-3°~7°) 2. The increment of angular motion of superior adjacent segment for 1 segment rather than 2 or 3 segments was more than two times with 3.9°(-2°~15°) 3. Regardless of level and range of fusion, the increment of angular motion was 3.0°(-2°~8°) on 4.5th lumbar segment which was increased mostly and 1.5°(-3°~7°) on 5th lumbar and 1st sacral segment which was increased leastly. 4. There were 3 cases showed instability at the superior adjacent segment and no cases showed instability at the inferior adjacent segment among all the cases showing stability prior to operations. In conclusion, the sagittal plane rotation was increased in adjacent segment after posterolateral spine fusion. So, we would recommend that the adjacent segment is very important to the decision of fusion extent and level.
Arthritis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Spinal Fusion ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis

No abstract available.
Spine*

STUDY DESIGN: This retrograde study was designed to compare the clinical features and postoperative clinical results of diabetic and non-diabetic patients who had undergone decompression and postero-lateral fusion with instrumentation. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether diabetes affected the outcome of surgery and to identify the clinical features associated with a poor outcome. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Symptoms of peripheral angiopathy and neuropathy as long-term complications of diabetes closely mimic those of lumbar stenosis and there may be a risk of inappropriate surgical intervention in patients with both diabetes and spinal stenosis. In the presence of diabetes, a poor surgical outcome might be expected. But only a few literatures have been documented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 21 diabetic(mean age 58.2 years) and 21 non-diabetic patients(mean age 61.3 years) who had undergone decompression and postero-lateral fusion with instrumentation for lumbar spinal stenosis at a mean of 32 months after operation by reviewing the medical records such as clinical symptoms and results of objective examination(including electrophysiologic study). RESULTS: The preoperative symptoms were similar in the two groups except that abrupt onset of symptoms, the presence of night pain and the absence of any posture-related pain relief were recorded only by diabetic patients. The level of decompression, co-morbidity rate, and intra-operative blood loss were similar in two groups, too. Nerve-conduction velocity was lowered in 66.7% of the diabetic and in 25% of the non-diabetic patients. Polyneuropathy, which are highly suspicious of diabetic neuropathy was detected 46.7% in only diabetic group. The long-term result was excellent or good for thirteen(61.9%) of the twenty-one diabetic patients and for nineteen(90.5%) of the twenty-one non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Thus diabetic patients who haute spinal stenosis cannot be expected to have same clinical outcome as non-diabetic patients, which is consistent with the general belief of impression. Therefore, the selection of patient according to clinical and electrophysiologic findings would be the most important factor in determining the rate of success of surgical treatment.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Polyneuropathies ; Spinal Stenosis*

OBJECTIVE: Hyperprolactinemia is common side effect associated with antipsychotics use. Nevertheless, hyperprolactinemia is relatively neglected by clinician. Especially, there is no study related to amisulpride-induced hyperprolactinemia in korea. This study aimed to determine whether amisulpride can be induced hyperprolactinemia in Korean psychiatric patients. METHODS: This study methodology consisted of a retrospective review of medical charts and prolactin levels. Serum prolactin levels were measured in 24 Korean patients(12 males and 12 females) with psychosis who were treated over 400mg of amisulpride per day. RESULTS: All patients had hyperprolactinemia. Prolactin levels significantly increased after receiving amisulpride(z=-3.702, p=0.000). The prolactin level was significantly higher in females(156.29+/-63.75ng/mL) than in males(69.04+/-39.91ng/mL) after administering amisulpride(p=0.000). There was a correlation between dosage and prolactin levels(r=0.61, p=0.002). However, there was no correlation between duration of treatment and prolactin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Antipsychotics, especially amisulpride can increase serum prolactin levels and may results in short and long term side effects. Routine clinical assessment of initial and additional prolactin level and associated symptoms should be done.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Korea ; Male ; Prolactin ; Psychotic Disorders ; Retrospective Studies ; Sulpiride

Enlargement of bone tunnels has been noted on plain X-rays following arthroscopic ACL reconstruction. The cause of this widening is unclear, but it has been hypothesized that it may be due to either mechanical or biological cases. Ishibashi et al. reported anatomical proximal fixation resulted in the most stable reconstructed knee, with increasing instability as the level of fixation moved away from the tibial plateau. The purpose of this study is to determine if any difference exists in the amount of enlargement of the femoral tunnel following arhotoscopic ACL reconstruction with position of interference screw fixation and instability, and to know the factors which affected to the enlargement of the femoral tunnels. Total 39 patients were retrospectively reviewed for tunnel measurements radiologically at one year post-operation. (27 patients received bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft, 12 patients received bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft and Kennedy LAD-ligament augmentation device). The surgery was performed using an arthroscopic single and double incision technique. AP and lateral X-rays were obtained and the tunnels were measured by two independent observers using a digital caplper. The measurements were made at the widest part of the tunnel. Correction for magnification was performed by comparing the measured width of the interference screw used for fixation of the graft with its actual width. Statistical analysis was performed using a one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) and t-test. 1. Radiographic tunnel enlargement of femoral side was average 2.42 mm (bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft : 2.36 mm, Kennedy-LAD and autograft : 2.56 mm)(p>0.05). 2. According to the position of the interference screw, the femoral tunnel enlargement were 2.25 mm in anatomical fixation, 2.40 mm in mid-tunnel fixation, 2.62 mm in mid-tunnel fixation, 2.62 mm in outer-tunnel fixation(p < 0.05). 3. The femoral enlargement according to the overall results(Clancy, 1982) were 2.39 mm in above good result group and 2.50 mm in below fair result group(p < 0.05). Tunnel enlargement group of femoral side was related to a distance between femoral articular surface and the position of interference screw. We conclude that femoral tunnel enlargement following arthoscopic bone tendon-bone ACL reconstruction is related to the mechanical effect rather than the properties of grafts and the clinical results.
Autografts ; Humans ; Knee ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants

We evaluated 15 children with hypospadias or micropenis for the presence of 5 a-reductase deficiency. Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone(DHT) concentrations were measured before and 3 days after HCG stimulation. Also, testosterone : dihydrotestosterone (T:DHT) conversion ratios were calculated in each children in order to determine the activity of 5 a-reductase. DHT was abnormally low in 14 children, and T:DHT conversion ratios were abnormal in 12 children in basal state. But T:DHT conversion ratios were abnormal in 2 children after HCG stimulation. In children, 5 a-reductase deficiency can not be diagnosed low serum DHT or abnormal T:DHT conversion ratio, but diagnosed abnormally high T:DHT conversion ratio after HCG stimulation.
Child* ; Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase* ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Female ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; Male ; Testosterone