A clinical evaluation has been undertaken of 41 patients with urethral stricture who have been treated with visual urethrotomy in the Department of Urology, Seoul National University Hospital during 3 years periods from 1983 to 1985. The over all success rate was 54%. The results were unrelated to the sites of the lesion, the causes of the stricture and the durations of the catheter drainage. However, the results of the obliterated strictures (12.5%) are more poor than the non-obliterated strictures (64%), and patients with nonobliterated stricture less than 2cm long had the best results (22%). The overall morbidity rate was 20%, six cases of false way, one case of incontinence, one case of penile hematoma. Twenty seven cases were followed up over 6 months and its success rate showed 44.4%.
Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drainage ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Seoul ; Urethral Stricture ; Urology

PURPOSE: To investigate the difference of the epidemiological, microbiological, and clinical characteristics and risk factors of inpatients with infectious keratitis between an elderly group (group I > or = 60 years) and a younger group (group II < 60 years). METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 255 eyes (male/female: 158/97 eyes, I/II: 116/139 eyes) with infectious keratitis hospitalized at Yeungnam University Hospital between January 2004 and December 2008 was performed. RESULTS: The proportion of bacterial/fungal/herpes viral keratitis was 42/31/27% in group I and 74/8/17% in group II. The proportion of fungal keratitis in relation to bacterial keratitis was higher in group I, as compared to group II (p < 0.001). The ratio of Gram-positive/negative bacteria was 43/30% in group I and 48/46% in group II. The proportion of Gram-positive bacteria in relation to Gram-negative bacteria was higher in group I, as compared to group II (p = 0.025). The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis (I/II: 9/10 eyes) among Gram-positive bacteria, Enterobacter species (I: 6 eyes) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (II: 9 eyes) among Gram-negative bacteria, and Candida species (I: 6 eyes, II: 2 eyes) among fungi. Clinical aspects and treatment outcomes, such as previous ocular surgery (I/II: 23/9%), hypertension (26/7%), diabetes mellitus (17/7%), presentation at our clinic after 1 week (43/16%), initial visual acuity less than 0.1 (54/32%), hypopyon (28/15%), epithelial healing time (16/10 days), corneal perforation (18/5%), operative treatment (23/7%), and final visual acuity less than 0.1 (36/14%) were statistically significantly poorer in group I, as compared to group II. Risk factors for unimproved visual outcomes included fungal keratitis in group I and previous ocular surgery and ocular surface disease in group II. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that clinical aspects and treatment outcomes are poor in elderly inpatients with infectious keratitis, special efforts are necessary for a more accurate differential diagnosis and appropriate early treatment to achieve successful treatment outcomes.
Aged ; Bacteria ; Candida ; Corneal Perforation ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Enterobacter ; Eye ; Fungi ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inpatients ; Keratitis ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Angina, Unstable*

PURPOSE: It has been stressed that age itself as well as multiple organ failure are important prognostic factors in acute renal failure (ARF) in children. This study was performed to find out the significance of age factor and underlying disease of ARF in children. METHODS: We tried to review 58 pediatric ARF cases, retrospectively, in the pediatric intensive care unit (excluding the neonatal and surgical intensive care unit cases) of the Samsung Seoul Hospital of Sung Kyun Kwan University from Sept., 1994. to Dec., 1996. RESULTS: We classified the enrolled 58 cases into 5 age groups and more than half were younger than 1 year old. As underlying causes, heart and gastrointestinal disease were predominant in less than 1 month of age group. After 1 year of age, intrinsic renal disease was the most common cause (43-50%). Among the renal disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (10-15 year group), hemolytic uremic syndrome (1-10 year group), and obstructive uropathy (less than 1 year age group) were common etiologies. The mortality was the highest (46.7%) in less than 1 year group and lowest (21.4%) in 10-15 year age group. CONCLUSION: The underlying disorders of ARF in children were different among the age group. Among intrinsic renal diseases, hemolytic uremic syndrome was the most common cause. The difference in the mortality was dependent on age and underlying disease.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Age Factors ; Child* ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Heart ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mortality ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

PURPOSE: To report a case of keratoconjunctivitis induced by Dieffenbachia plant sap. CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-old woman presented with severe ocular pain and decreased visual acuity which developed after she accidentally got Dieffenbachia plant sap in her left eye. During her initial evaluation, visual acuity was 0.4 in her left eye. On slit lamp examination, we found that she had moderate injection of the conjunctiva, an epithelial defect, and fine needle-like blue crystals in the stromal layer of the cornea. The patient was treated with topical steroids and antibiotics. We checked the treatment response using a regular slit lamp examination. Six days after the injury, all of the findings which were observed on the first day had resolved except the needle-like blue crystals in the stromal layer of the cornea. These gradually disappeared from the cornea 11 days after the accident. After six weeks, the crystals in the stromal layer had completely resolved. She maintained good visual acuity during this time. There was no opacity noted in her cornea. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a case of keratoconjunctivitis induced by Dieffenbachia plant sap. This sap caused severe ocular pain and a reversible decrease in visual acuity when in contact with the eye.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Eye ; Female ; Humans ; Keratoconjunctivitis ; Plants ; Steroids ; Visual Acuity

BBACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Borderzone(BZ) infarcts located between two main arterial territories can be classified into several subtypes. Anterior and posterior BZ and internal junctional infarcts. We performed this study to describe the different clinical features between each subtypes. Method : Thirty-five (29 men, 6 women) acute stroke patients whose brain imaging (CT/MRI) showed BZ infarcts were included in this study. BZ infarcts were classified into three types : anterior and posterior BZ and internal junctional infarct. And we tried to describe different clinical features such as mode of onset, positive neurologic findings, and neuroanatomical correlation with clinical manifestations. Result : All BZ infarcts were 51. Anterior 9(18%), posterior 23(45%); and internal junctional 19 (37%). Most common type were posterior BZ and internal junctional infarct alone (11 each). Twenty-eight (80%) patients presented the symptoms correlated with BZ infarct. Asymptomatic patients whose symptom was not correlated with BZ infarct were 7(20%). Clinicoradiologic classification in symptomatic group were reclassified into P'(posterior BZ) in 16 (57%) ; I'(internal junctional BZ) in 8(29%), N(not classified) in 4. None was included to A'(anterior BZ). We could not find any different clinical features according to each subtype but only the group P' characteristically showed transient loss of consciousness, Gerstman syndrome, hemianopsia, and limb shaking. Conclusion : Most frequently involved areas were posterior BZ and internal junctional infarct alone. In follow-up of combined anterior and posterior BZ infarct, posterior almost always preceded anterior. The patients with symptoms correlated with radiological localization of BZ infarct is 80%. Fifty percent of them had acute onset. In pure internal junctional infarct, 45 % showed symptoms not correlated with radiological localization. None had the anterior BZ symptomatology.
Classification ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemianopsia ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Male ; Neuroimaging ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Stroke ; Unconsciousness

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to establish the distribution and obstetric outcomes in women with congenital uterine malformations. METHODS: A review of the medical records from the department of obstetrics and gynecology from January 1995 to June 2004 were diagnosed 79 patients with congenital uterine malformations. All of the cases were divided into groups according to classification of ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine), which is based on the degree of failure of normal development of the female genital tact. The obstetric outcomes were compared between the groups. Statistical processing of the material was carried with Pearson chi square test. RESULTS: 79 patientss with congenital uterine malformations were diagnosed by operation or imaging studies. Symmetric congenital uterine malformations, consisting of bicornuate uterus (45.6%), septate uterus (19.0%), and uterus didelphys (31.6%), were the most common, constituting 96.2% of the malformations. Two patients (2.5%) had unicornuate uterus and one patient (1.3%) had arcuate uterus. No cases of the agenesis type and T-shaped uteri were found. 196 pregnancies occurred in the 74 patients. Only 43.4% of the pregnancies reached term, while 8.2% resulted in preterm delivery, and 48.4% terminated as miscarriages. CONCLUSION: Obstetric complications occur more frequently among women with congenital uterine malformations than among women in general. Knowledge concerning of congenital uterine malformations is important in recognizing and managing the obstetric complications that may result.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Classification ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy ; Uterus

BACKGROUNDS: Recently, the cases with transient neurologic deficit and brain MRI abnormalities similar to hypertensive encephalopathy or eclampsia were reported in the organ transplanted patients, during the administration of cyclosporine with the hypothesis as "capillary lack syndrome". But in addition to cyclosporine, other immunosuppressive agents as cytabine and ant-lymphocyte globulin(ALG) may induce similar transient neurologic manifestations such headache, seizure, altered mental state and change of signal intensities in brain MRI. METHODS AND CASES: 11 patients who had suffered form hematologic disorder were included in the study. The patients were presented with a reversible transient neurologic manifestations and brain MRI abnormalities during administration of various immunosuppressant,. We analysed neourologic symptoms and signs, anatomic localizations and laboratory findings. RESULTS: The underlying hematologic disorder were severe aplastic anemia acute lymphocyte leukemia, multiple myeloma, chronic myelocytic leukemia and acute myelocytic leukemia. The cyclosporine was prescribed in six. ALG in three, idarubicin in two and prednisolone in one patient. The accompanied neurologic symptoms and sign were seizure(11/11), visual disturbance or cortical blindness(5/11) and mental status change(3/11). All the symptoms were spontaneously improved by conservative management. The insidious increase on blood pressure, hepato-renal impairment, sepsis, and hepatopathy were noted in some cases just before and after the neurologic manifestation. The ESR was elevated in all examined cases and the cholesterol level was normal. Serum cyclosporine was elevated in 2/6 cases. They showed typical MRI findings which were high signal intensity an T2WI and iso- to low signal intensity on TIWI with blunding of cortical sulci and with no enhancement. The involved lesions were the parieto-occipital area, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and basal ganglia in series. One patient showed a petechial hemorrhage in the occipital area on both CT and MRI. In six cases, follow-up MRI showed nearly complete resolution of the lesions correlated with the clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION: We can't explain the exact mechanisms of the neurologic complication of immunosuppressants, but the characterstics of transient neurologic deficits and the corresponding reversible brain image are similar to those of hypertensive encephalopathy or eclampsia. It is suggested that the mechanism of clinical syndrome maybe a capiliary leak due to the cytokine-induced vasculopathy but future studies are warranted.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Basal Ganglia ; Blood Pressure ; Brain ; Capillaries* ; Capillary Leak Syndrome* ; Cholesterol ; Cyclosporine ; Eclampsia ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Lobe ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertensive Encephalopathy ; Idarubicin ; Immunosuppressive Agents* ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymphocytes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiple Myeloma ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prednisolone ; Pregnancy ; Seizures ; Sepsis ; Temporal Lobe

OBJECTIVE: Day hospital program for the brain injured patients has been developed and conducted as a model project in the National Rehabilitation Hospital of Korea since August 1998. This article is to present our 1-year experience and evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of the program. METHOD: All patients treated in day hospital from August 1998 to July 1999 were included. Functional Independence Measure (FIM), ESCROW (Environment, Social support, Cluster of family members, Resources, Outlook, Work or School status), Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) were assessed at admission and discharge. Patient satisfaction was surveyed at discharge. Program cost was compared with that of inpatient control group. RESULTS: 1) Among 51 subjects (32 males, 19 females, mean age 57), 48 suffered stroke and 2 had traumatic brain injury. Average length of stay was 10 weeks and 45 patients (88.2%) were discharged to home. 2) FIM total score, motor subtotal score and cognitive subtotal score were all incresed significantly (p<0.01). 3) ESCROW score was also improved significantly (p<0.01). 4) SF-36 showed significant improvement in physical functioning, role limitation-emotional, mental health and general health (p<0.05). 5) 95.1% answered satisfaction with the program and 73.2% reported health enhancement. 6) Program costs were significantly lower than the inpatient group (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Day hospital seems to be a useful program for comprehensive rehabilitation for the brain injured, and needs to be pervaded throughout the country with proper payment.
Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mental Health ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Patient Satisfaction ; Rehabilitation* ; Stroke

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in post-acute stroke patients. METHOD: Forty-four patients who had shoulder subluxation as a consequence of their first stroke were included and randomly assigned to either a control group (22 subjects) or a study group (22 subjects). Patients in both groups received physiotherapy and used an arm sling. The study group received, FES therapy to shoulder muscles (supraspinatus and posterior deltoid) for 30 minutes, five days a week for 6 weeks. The effect of FES therapy was evaluated by assessment of the severity of subluxation using radiologic measurements before and after treatment. RESULTS: 1) The severity of subluxation was significantly increased after 6 weeks (p<0.05) in the control group. In the study group, it was reduced but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). 2) In the group of patients with early treatment (onset duration, less than 6 months), the control group showed a significant increase in subluxation (p<0.05), but the study group showed significantly reduced (p<0.05) shoulder subluxation after treatment period. 3) In the group of patients with mild shoulder subluxation before treatment (less than 1 finger breadth), the control group showed a significant increase in subluxation (p<0.05), but the study group showed significantly reduced (p<0.05) shoulder subluxation after treatment period. CONCLUSION: The FES therapy is effective in preventing and reducing the severity of hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in post-acute stroke patients, especially if duration since stroke onset was less than six months and the severity of subluxation before treatment was mild.
Arm ; Electric Stimulation* ; Fingers ; Humans ; Muscles ; Shoulder* ; Stroke