Spontaneous Subcapsular hematoma of the kidney is relatively uncommon. Although several cases have been recorded in the literature, the diagnosis was seldom made preoperatively. Selective renal angiography provide an excellent means of diagnosing this lesion prior to surgery. Case I: A 37 years male was admitted with the right flank pain and hematuria. Excretory urogram showed moderate hydronephrosis and a cystic shadow compressing upper calices. Selective renal angiography showed strip-like curvilinear capsular density outside the nonopacifying mass. By exploration, blood clots, about 300 c. c., between renal parenchyma and renal capsule was evacuated. The cause of the hematoma is uncertain whether it is from ruptured aneurysm or due to hydronephrosis. Case II : A 54-year-old woman was hospitalized with right flank discomfortness and mild fever. Intravenous pyelogram revealed increased size of the right kidney and angiogram demonstrated the compressed and flattened renal parenchyma by a nonopacifying mass and renal capsule on the outer margin of the mass. Blood clots, about 200 c.c., inside the renal capsule which compressed renal parenchyma was evacuated.
Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Flank Pain ; Hematoma* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Kidney* ; Male ; Middle Aged

We diagnosed 48 babies as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among 438 premature infants from April 1995 to March 1996 in Gil General Hospital. Among 48 ROP babies, 16 (30 eyes) infants progressed to stage 3+ ROP. Mean birth weight was 1474.0 gm, mean gestational age was 29.7 weeks and mean oxygen inhalation duration was 471.2 hours. Among 30 eyes of stage 3+ ROP, 25 eyes progressed to threshold stage and 5 eyes regressed spontaneously. Ten eyes were treated with cryotherapy and 15 eyes with diode laser photocoagulation and the treatment depends on random selection. Four eyes progressed to stage 5 ROP in spite of photocoagulation and encircling scleral buckling. Favorable outcome was achieved in all eyes treated with cryotherapy, and in 73. 3% of eyes laser-treated.
Birth Weight ; Cryotherapy ; Gestational Age ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Inhalation ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Light Coagulation ; Oxygen ; Retinopathy of Prematurity* ; Scleral Buckling

We analyzed corneal astigmatism 2 months after extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation using scleral pocket incision to minimize postoperative corneal astigmatism. Among the patients who were operated between July 1993 and April 1994, 25 eyes of 20 patients could be followed up over 2 months. Keratometric and refractive measurements were obtained before and at every week after operation. The mean postoperative refractive astigmatism was +1.42D at 1 week, +0.02D at 8 weeks and mean postoperative keratometric astigmatism was +1.58D at 1 week, -0.17D at 8 weeks. Our results suggest that extracapsular cataract extraction using scleral pocket incision has the advantage of decreasing early postoperative astigmatic change.
Astigmatism ; Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular

No abstract available.
Maxillary Sinus*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electrocardiography (ECG) is a cost-effective and useful method for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in a large-scale study or in clinical practice. Among ECG criteria, the Cornell product (Cor P) and Sokolow-Lyon criteria were adopted by the European Society of Hypertension-European Society of Cardiology Guidelines but have different performances among races. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of two voltage criteria in Korean patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Electrocardiography and echocardiographic LV mass of 332 (159 male, 173 female) consecutive patients were analyzed. Cornell voltage criteria and the Cor P were compared with Sokolow-Lyon voltage (Sok V) and the Sokolow-Lyon product (Sok P). The sensitivities and specificities were estimated using a receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve in relation to the LVH diagnosis. The sensitivities and revised cut-off values were derived at specificity levels of 90, 95, and 100%. RESULTS: The Cornell-based criteria generally showed better performance than that of the Sok V criteria and Sok P in the area under the ROC curve analysis. The revised cut-off values for the Cornell voltage criteria (20 and 16 mm for males and females, respectively) showed an improved sensitivity (19.7 and 30.3% for males and females, respectively), with a high specificity of 95%. CONCLUSION: The Cornell-based criteria had better performance than that of the Sokolow-Lyon criteria in both Korean men and women. However, revised cut-off values are needed to improve accuracy.
Cardiology ; Continental Population Groups ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Male ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

As wireless network technology and various mobile communication equipments have widely used and rapidly developed, many research workers are studying about a measurable system for several medical data or bio-signals, such as electrocardiogram, pulse-oximetry and so forth, by wireless. And, even generic people who are in a good state of health as well as patients in the hospital, whose concern and care about healthcare has increased greatly, so many research workers are studying about Ubiquitous Healthcare of new technology. This technology will offer natural medical services freely in anywhere and in a quiet way, even if people can not go to hospital. Our research made a possibility to measure environment data in each infant incubator by using temperature and humidity sensor, prior to measure directly bio-signals of patients. Each sensor was composed of wireless network based on TinyOS, and that wireless network connected to Personal Digital Assistants(PDA). So we were studied about telemetry system by using wireless sensor network. It was researches about telemetry system to measure environment data in infant incubator before, by web-based RF modules. But they has problems that incubator's movement restriction by wire, wire net's limitation. We solved these problems by organizing wireless sensor network that connected together sensors and measurement devices. This wireless sensor network organization, based on TinyOS, is possible to receive sensor's data of long distance by a relay station and to save power. In future, this network will be basic of Ubiquitous Healthcare as well as medical information system in hospital.
Delivery of Health Care ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Humidity ; Incubators, Infant* ; Infant* ; Information Systems ; Telemetry*

OBJECTIVE: A sleep apnea is the most frequent symptom among sleep disorders. As the number of aged people are increasing, research activities are also increasing to monitor sleeping disorders of the elderly who lives alone. We proposed a new processing algorithm to measure the quantity of breaths accurately. METHODS: We improved the conventional center-of-mass method and further apply the projection profile method. RESULTS: In this study a system that can monitors respiration non-invasively and automatically, by identifying the movement of the chest and abdomen using image processing technique during sleep, was implemented. We can see breathing status in real time based on the acquired breathing waves. To verify the designed system, the values from the polysomnography were compared and analyzed to validate the system accuracy. As a result, the mean accuracy is 96%. CONCLUSION: We can simply monitor the sleep apnea with no sleep interferences.
Abdomen ; Aged ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Respiration ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes* ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Although the net atrioventricular compliance can be obtained by invasive catheterization (Ccath) in mitral stenosis (MS), feasibility of noninvasive echocardiographic calculation of the compliance (Cecho) and its hemodynamic significance were not tested. METHODS: Using valve area by 2D planimetry (A2D) and deceleration slope (dv/dt) of transmitral velocity decay in continuous wave Doppler echocardiographic tracing, Cecho was defined as -A2D/(gamma dv/dt), which was compared with Ccath obtained directly during the catheterization in 30 MS patients with sinus rhythm. Exercise Doppler echocardiography with symptom-limited treadmill was performed in 66 patients with moderate to tight MS: mean mitral gradient (MG) and peak pressure gradient of tricuspid regurgitation (PGTR) at baseline and immediately after exercise were obtained using continuous wave Doppler echocardiographic tracing. Hemodynamic variables including Cecho, MG, PGTR and mitral valve area were analyzed to determine the association with patients' exercise tolerance. RESULTS: Cecho in 30 patients with tight MS (valve area 0.9+/-0.2 cm 2) was 4+/-1 ml/mmHg (2-7 mmHg), which showed a significant correlation with Ccath (r=0.48, p=0.01). Exercise time in 66 patients with moderate to tight MS showed significant negative correlation with resting MG, resting and postexercise PGTR, and positive correlation with Cecho: exercise time in those patients did not show any significant correlation with resting valve area. In multivariate analysis, Cecho and postexercise PGTR were independent factors determining exercise time in MS. CONCLUSIONS: The net atrioventricular compliance in MS can be calculated by noninvasive echocardiography, and it is an important hemodynamic factor determining exercise tolerance in MS.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Compliance ; Deceleration ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Exercise Tolerance ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to examine indoor concentrations of air pollutants in socioeconomically disadvantaged houses and to investigate relationships between indoor air pollutant levels and the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: A total of 54 children who had a past history or current symptoms of AD were enrolled in the study. To evaluate the levels of indoor air pollutants, we measured concentrations of CO2, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde, particulate matter with diameter less than 10 microm (PM10), airborne mold and numbers of house dust mite (HDM) in dust of the children's houses. All studied subjects completed physical examination for the severity of AD and blood tests. RESULTS: Although the mean (+/-standard deviation [SD]) concentration of indoor CO2 (600.6+/-179.4 ppm) was lower than the standard recommended levels of multiplex buildings in Korea, there was a significant correlation between CO2 concentrations and the severity of AD (r=0.302, P=0.030). The geometric means (range of 1 SD) of TVOC (42.5 microg/m3 [22.2-81.5]), formaldehyde (24.3 microg/m3 [15.0-39.9]), PM10 (26.6 microg/m3 [14.6-48.4]), and airborne mold (49.9 CFU [colony forming unit]/m3 [26.3-94.6]) were not significantly higher than the standard recommended levels of multiplex buildings. Two-thirds of the subjects were sensitized to at least 1 of the common allergens. CONCLUSION: Generally, indoor air pollution was not serious in socioeconomically disadvantaged households. However, indoor CO2 concentrations are closely related to the severity of AD in children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged houses. Environmental amelioration targeting vulnerable population may improve the quality of life and decrease the prevalence of environmental allergic diseases.
Air Pollutants* ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; Allergens ; Child* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dust ; Family Characteristics ; Formaldehyde ; Fungi ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Korea ; Particulate Matter ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Pyroglyphidae ; Quality of Life ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; Vulnerable Populations*

The diaphragm is especially important in sustaining minute ventilation in the neonate. Consequently, diaphragmatic paralysis is not tolerated well by the neonate and often results in prolonged respiratory failure. We experienced a case of unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis with the brachial plexus palsy in a male newborn infant who presented with apnea and cyanosis due to birth asphyxia. After endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilaton was started. At two weeks after therapy, chest X-ray showed atelectasis and elevation of the right hemidiaphragm. The diagnosis of unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis was confirmed by real-time ultrasonography. At 4 weeks old, after several unsuccessful attempts at weaning from ventilatory support, right hemidiaphragm was plicated. On the second postoperative day, he could be weaned from ventiatory support without difficulty. He was doing well at follow-up 3 months later.
Apnea ; Asphyxia ; Brachial Plexus* ; Cyanosis ; Diagnosis ; Diaphragm ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Male ; Paralysis* ; Parturition ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Paralysis* ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Ventilation ; Weaning