No abstract available.
Calcium* ; Diet* ; Hypercalciuria* ; Osteocalcin*

Ovulation induction in hypothalamic amenorrhea using gonadotropin- releasing hormone(GnRH) pulse therapy is complicated by widely variant patient responses ranging from anovulation to multiple pregnancy. Route of administration(intravenous vs subcutaneous), pulse therapy, GnRH dose, infusion interval, or hormone preparation may contribute. We evaluated the bioactivity of 4 GnRH preparations(Relisorm,Serono; Lutrelef,Ferring; Factrel,Ayerst; GnRH,Sigma) in a rat anterior cell bioassay. Dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells were placed for 48 hrs at 5x105 cells/well, washed and incubated with GnRH. The GnRH was diluted according to the manufacturer's culture medium(10(-12) to 10(-5)M). GnRH stimulated immunoreactive luteinizing hormone(LH) production was assested in culture medium after 4 hrs by radioimmunoassay(RIA). A linear dose-response relationship was exhibited by all preparations from 10(-10) to 10(-7)M. Msximal LH production was 249+/-24 ng/ml/4hrs(mean+/-SEM) and was not different among the preparations tested(ANOVA, p>0.05). The minimal effective dose of GnRH was 10-10M for all preparations(basa1=27+/-4ng/ml/4hrs:mean+/-SEM). No significant differences were noted for MED, or dose-response slope(p<0.05, ANOVA and slope test for parallelism, respectively). In addition, bioactive LH and immuno and bioactive follicular stimulating hormone(FSH) dose responses were confirmed. We concluded that the principal variability of patient response seen with GnRH pulse therapy cannot be attributed to the bioactivity of these commercial GnRH preparations. But rather, most of the variability is due to the inherent individualism in patient response or other factors of the treatment protocol.
Amenorrhea ; Animals ; Anovulation ; Biological Assay ; Clinical Protocols ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Lutein ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Multiple ; Rats

PURPOSE: The study tried to suggest the ways to improve the national disability welfare information projects with evaluating the present condition of the projects. METHOD: Firstly, the study analyzed the disability information system and disability websites. Secondly, the study found out the problems of the registration of disability and management system through the situation analysis. Finally, the study conducted a survey of the disabled and the information system workers and performance evaluation of the information system. RESULTS: The study offered a proposal of The Disability Unity Management System(DUMS) for the disability registration and management. When the disabled visit the hospital or the public health center, their information is registered automatically in The Disability Unity Management System(DUMS), which helps not to miss out the disability registration. Through this system, they are given the proper service which they need, and the information can be shared with the facilities providing the service for the disabled. CONCLUSION: The Disability Unity Management System(DUMS) contributes significantly in avoiding the repetition of the support for the disabled and improving the quality of service.
Disabled Persons ; Humans ; Information Systems* ; Public Health ; Registries

Urinary retention is a common complication after abdominal surgery. Urinary retention causes infection and damage to the urinary system, prolonging hospital stays and increasing health care costs in the end. Because medical personnel tend to regard urinary retention as not being a serious problem, it is hard to find any method which decrease the postoperative urinary retention. There are few papers reporting the incidence and the factors which influence the postoperative urinary retention. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of postoperative urinary retention and to identify the factors which affect the postoperative urinary retention. We retrospectively reviewed 296 patients out of 338, who had been undergone laparotomy under spinal or general endotracheal anesthesia during a three month period from January to March 1998. We reviewed nursing, anesthetic and operative records. Among the 296 patients, male were 189(63.9%) and female were 107(36.1%). Postoperative urinary retention occurred in 71 patients(24%). The incidence rate was higher in female patients than in male (M : F=18% : 35%). Factors that in fluence the incidence of postoperative urinary retention were sex, duration of operation, the amount of fluid given the patient, preoperative history of dysuria, and preoperative insertion of a urinary catheter. Among those factors, preoperative urinary catheter insertion is the most effective preventive measure in lowering the incidence of postoperative urinary retention (Spearman correlation coefficient, r=-.462). Shortening the operation time and sparing the fluid which is infused during operation are important in preventing postoperative urinary retention. Preoperative urinary catheter insertion may be helpful in lowering urinary retention in those patients who have a possibility of postoperative urinary retention.
Anesthesia ; Dysuria ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparotomy* ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Nursing ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Retention*

PURPOSE: Sexual differences in the incidence and crystalline composition of urinary stones in humans are well-known, but it is unclear why men have a higher incidence of calcium oxalate stones than women. We investigated the effects of male sex hormones on stone formation using an ethylene glycol (EG) - induced urolithiasis model in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, each containing 10 rats. One group of rats was left untreated and served as control. The other 3 groups were fed a 1% ethylene glycol (EG) lithogenic diet for 4 weeks. Among these, one group was non-castrated, one group was castrated and one group was non-castrated and given finasteride orally. Serum testosterone, creatinine, electrolytes, 24-hour urine levels of oxalate and citrate, and creatinine clearance were measured. The crystal deposits were examined by light and polarizing microscopes. RESULTS: Testosterone promoted calcium oxalate stone formation in EG - treated rats. Finasteride administration significantly decreased urinary oxalate excretion and calcium oxalate deposition, compared with controls. Urinary citrate was significantly decreased in EG-treated rats, but was not influenced by castration or administration of finasteride. There were no significant differences in serum concentrations of creatinine, sodium, or potassium among the control and experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that testosterone promotes calcium oxalate stone formation, and that dihydrotestosterone may be partially responsible for the exaggerated hyperoxaluria in EG-treated rats. Additionally, male sex hormones have a lesser influence on urinary citrate than oxalate.
Adult ; Animals ; Calcium Oxalate* ; Calcium* ; Castration ; Citric Acid ; Creatinine ; Crystallins ; Diet ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Electrolytes ; Ethylene Glycol ; Female ; Finasteride ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones* ; Humans ; Hyperoxaluria ; Incidence ; Male* ; Nephrolithiasis* ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium ; Testosterone ; Urinary Calculi ; Urolithiasis

We report a case of hyperkeratosis of the nipple and areola occuing in 33 year old woman. She did not have a history of endocriruipathy, horrnonal therapy and other ceatoses, so this case seems to be the nevoid form by Levy-Franckel classification. Interestingly, however the lesion which had developed before marriage suddenly aggr avated during pregnancy. This may be a unique feature which has not been reported elsewhere. Histapathologic findings are compatible with breviously reported eases. There was no response to topical steroid and retinoic acid treatrnent.
Adult ; Classification ; Female ; Humans ; Marriage ; Nipples* ; Pregnancy* ; Tretinoin

No abstract available.
Hemodynamics* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland*

Sternoclavicular joint posterior dislocations are considered a very uncommon, and type of injury where if esophagus or airway injury occurs behind the clavicle, it poses a high risk to the patient. In addition, if epiphyseal fracture occurs as a result of the sternoclavicular joint posterior dislocation, surgical treatment is often required. However, in the absence of a complete ossification of the clavicle, it is difficult to differentiate between a simple dislocation and epiphyseal fracture-dislocation solely based on simple radiographs or computed tomography scans. In this case report, the authors present a case in which a sternoclavicular joint posterior dislocation was diagnosed in a 14-year-old male athlete. The case report discusses how the posterior dislocation without epiphyseal fracture was diagnosed using an ultrasound and subsequently treated with successful outcomes using manual reduction. The case report presents our findings along with discussion that includes a literature review of relevant research.
Adolescent* ; Athletes ; Clavicle ; Dislocations* ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Male ; Sternoclavicular Joint* ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: To compare the functional and radiographic results of the treatment in unstable intra-articular fractures of distal radius by closed reduction and external fixation versus open reduction and internal fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty cases of unstable intra-articular fractures of distal radius were treated either by application of closed reduction and external fixation (CREF) or by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) between March 1989 and June 1997. They were followed up for more than one year. To assess the functional results, we used Green and O' Brien' s score system and for the radiographic results, measured volar tilt, radial inclination and radial length. RESULT: In functional results, excellent to good results were obtained in 19 cases (76%) in the CREF group and 10 cases (80%) in the ORIF group, and the average score was 81.4 and 82.8 by the Green and O' Brien' s score system. In radiographic results, mean loss of volar tilt, radial inclination and radial length were 1.4 degree (13.4%), 2.0 degree (9.0%), 1.3 mm (10.3%) in the CREF group and 1.2 degree (10.8%), 1.6 degree (6.1%) and 1.2 mm (11.5%) in the ORIF group on last follow-up radiographs. There was no evidence of statistical difference between two groups in functional and radiographic results (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: If an appropriate operative method is selected according to the presence of several properties, including the pattern of fracture, the general condition and activity of patient and the degree of soft tissue injury, the two operative managements are considered useful to restoring articular congruity and alignment and to allow early postoperative range of motion exercise
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intra-Articular Fractures* ; Radius* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Soft Tissue Injuries