33 years ago, since the first liver transplantation was performed by STARZL, until now transplantation has travel a long road technical, legal, sociological development. There are now, more than 30,000 liver transplantations having been performed throughout the world. The results has improved since the introduction of cyclosporin. The long-term survival rate are approximately 70-80% at 1 year, 60-70% at 5 years. Some of the patients have now survival for over 20 years-long-term surviving liver transplan patients have a better quality of life. Nervertheless there are the problems limiting the development of liver transplantation: - the inadequate supply of donor organ. - The legal, sociological, ethical and cost effectiveness
liver ; Liver Transplantation

Giant cell tumor is a predominantly benign condition but often the tumor is locally aggressive and tends to have high rate of recurrence and it can evolve into a malignant tumor. Thus the lesions have a practically difficult therapeutic problem for the orthopaedic surgeon and any method of treatment has not been satisfied. Between March 1984 and March 1993, clinical observation was carried out on 22 cases of giant cell tumor of bone to analyse the recurrence rate and functional evaluation of the joint according to the treatment methods, pathological grade and cortical destruction. The mean follow-up time was 75. 2 months. The recurrence rate of the intralesional excision group was 54.5% and that of the wide excision group was 9%, There was no relationship between the pathologic grade and recurrence rate. There was no recurrent case in the grade I cortical destruction but almost all of recurrence was occurred in the grade I or II cortical destruction. The functional result of the giant cell tumor occurred around the knee joint was that the mean ratings in the intralesional excision group were 79% and in the wide excision group were 51%. In conclusion, to achieve better joint function and less recurrence rate, intralesional or marginal excision with heat using bone cement or with chemical cauterization using phenol and alcohol can be used for cases of radiological grade I or II, and wide excision for grade III.
Cautery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Giant Cells ; Hot Temperature ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Methods ; Phenol ; Recurrence

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by excessive bone loss or osteopenia particulary in the axial skeleton at the site of fracture, such as the spine and proximal femur. Since the strength of both spine and femur is directly proportional to the bone mass, this osteoporosis always increases the risk of fracture. In this study, to evaluate whether a simple measurement of femoral geometry and BMD value are related with hip fracture, we obtained DEXA Scan (Lunar Expert-XL) of hip by retrospective study. DEXA scan was measured on 70 control people and 17 hip fracture patients aged 50 or older. The result is I. The mean Ward BMD value of hip fracture group is significantly lower than control group (Hip fracture group: 0.52g/cm2, Control group: 0.67g/cm2 P=0.0001) 2. The mean L-spine BMD value of hip fracture group is significantly lower than control group (Hip fracture group: 0.81g/cm, Control group: 0.97g/cm2 P=0.0002) 3. The mean femur axis length of hip fracture group is longer than control group (Hip fracture group: 6.77g/cm2, Control group: 6.57g/cm2 P=0.006) As a conclusion, the measurement of BMD and hip axis length in DEXA scan is an effective method for screening the hip fracture risk patient and BMD value of femur, hip axis length and L- spine BMD value are strongly associated with hip fracture.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra* ; Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Femur ; Hip* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Osteoporosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skeleton ; Spine

The proposed factors that affect the prognosis of osteosarcoma are the patient's age, site and size of the primary lesion, pathologic features(type and grade), duration of symptoms, spread of disease (local or regional extension, distant metastasis) at diagnosis, the patient's sex, serum alkaline phos- phatase(ALP) and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) levels, chromosomal number or DNA index, response to initial chemotherapy, location of the lesion on the bone, presence or absence of pathologic fracture, and mode of therapy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that affect the 5-year survival rates of osteosarcoma. Total 25 patients were included in this study who had treated form Jan. 1988 to Apr. 1994. The overall 5-year survival rate of 25 patients was 65.43%, and the 5-year survival rates were sig- nificantly higher(P < 0.1) in the groups in which limb salvage operation with neoadjuvant chemothera- py were performed(66.67%), with longer duration of symptoms(>2 months; 83.33%), with lower serum level of LDH( < 300 U/L; 100%), and with smaller mass size( < 10cm; 72.92%). However there were no significant differences in the 5-year survival rates according to age and sex of the patients. We also suggest that the better prognosis will be observed in the patients with the favorable radiologic response to the preoperative chemotherapy.
Diagnosis ; DNA ; Drug Therapy ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Humans ; Limb Salvage ; Osteosarcoma ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma* ; Recurrence* ; Survival Rate*

No abstract available.
Extremities* ; Sarcoma*

To characterize the immunopathologic phenotype of the cells in the lesional ti.:sue and to further examine the mechanism of the development of the annular lesions in leprosy, we have studied immune cells (T lymphocyte and its subsets, Langerhans cells, and HLA-DR antigen expressing cells) at different anatomical sites inside, active border, and outside normal skin in the annular lesions of leprosy. We took biopsy specimens from 4 patients of BT type, then processed the specimens by the staining methods eif indirect immunoperoxidase with monoclonal antibodies. In the active border the number of T cell was over 50g of the total cells infiltrated in the dermis. Helper T cells were dominant in number, and about three fourths of the cells were positive for HLA-DR staining. In two patients they had expression of DR antigen on the surfaces of the keratinocytes in the epidermis, in contrast to that of the inside, even the intensities were not. strong. At the inside of the annular lesions T cells were about 40% and the ratio of helper/suppressor T cell was approxiinately 1: 1, However, HLA-DR positive immune cells were not more than 10g among the total infiltrates. Langerha,ns cells were increased in number and in size either in the border or at the inside of the annular lesions. With these results we presume that the T cell mediated imrnune responses against Mycobacterium leprae may play an important role in the formation and extension of the annular lesions in leprosy.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; HLA-DR Antigens ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Langerhans Cells ; Leprosy* ; Lymphocytes ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Phenotype ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

OBJECTIVE: To assess overall quality of life (QOL) in lower limb amputees and identify the factors affecting their quality of life. METHOD: This study was designed as an interview survey using the questionnaire. The subjects were 78 lower limb amputees (male 76, female 2) and the age matched 39 healthy adult males consisted control group. Interview questionnaire included level of education, religion, marital status, occupation and income. Depression was measured by the Beck depression inventory (BDI). The QOL was measured by the MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). The SF-36 scores of amputee group were compared with that of control group, and were compared according to the various factors. RESULTS: The mean overall scores of QOL in amputee and control group were 50.2+/- 21.7, 73.6+/- 12.7 respectively (p<0.05). The mean scores were significantly reduced in amputee group as compared with the control group in entire dimension (p<0.05). Depression and numbers of combined diseases had a negative effect on multiple areas of QOL (p<0.05), however, occupation, income, amputation level, and time after amputation had no significant effect (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The QOL assessed by SF-36 indicated relatively low functional and well-being status in amputees. Depression and combined diseases would be a most important factors on QOL.
Adult ; Amputation ; Amputees* ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Male ; Marital Status ; Occupations ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Osteopetrosis is a very rare bone dysplasia characterized by failure of resorption and persistence of calcified chondroid and primitive bone. In 1904 Albers-Schonberg first described the radiological appearance of marble bone. This is named osteopetrosis by Karshner in 1926. A fulminating form is manifested from birth in which fractures and deformity, hydrocephalus and cranial nerve palsies lead to early death from intractable anemia and intercurrent infection. In other cases the stigmata are delayed until later childhood, when retardation of growth and of mental and sexual development occurs, and not infrequently accompanied by rickets, dental caries and osteomyelitis. We have experienced a familial osteopetrosis, father and three siblings, which was thought to be a autosomal dominant inheritance. One of those family, 20 years old man, has been complained of anemia and low back pain without radiating pain to the lower extremities. The other 3 patients has not been complained of any other clinical symptoms. But X-Ray examination of the entire skeletal survey of those members of the family have revealed the uniform opacity of long bones and flat bones.
Anemia ; Bone Diseases, Developmental ; Calcium Carbonate ; Christianity ; Clothing ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Dental Caries ; Fathers ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Low Back Pain ; Lower Extremity ; Osteomyelitis ; Osteopetrosis ; Parturition ; Rickets ; Sexual Development ; Siblings ; Wills

Opacification of the cornea due to the deposition of lipids may be primary without evidence of previous corneal vascularization, or secondary to either preexisting corneal disease or systemic disturbances of lipid metabolism. If the deterioration of vision continues, penetrating keratoplasty may be needed. We evaluated a 19 year-old female patient referred to our department due to progressive corneal opacity in the left eye. She did not have significant past or family histories of corneal diseases. Ocular examinations revealed the whitish corneal deposits with deep stromal vascularization in her left eye. For confirmation of the diagnosis, lamellar keratectomy with amniotic membrane transplantation was performed and deep stromal vessels were photocoagulated using an argon laser. Histologic findings were compatible with lipid degeneration. The corneal opacities reduced markedly and did not show any evidence of recurrence during the follow up period of six months. Therefore, we report this case with the review of the literature.
Amnion* ; Argon ; Cornea ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Opacity ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Light Coagulation* ; Lipid Metabolism ; Recurrence ; Young Adult