No abstract available.
Animals* ; Clone Cells*

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent cessation of breathing due to complete or partial upper airway occlusion during sleep. The incompetent tone of palatal, pharngeal, and glossal muscles which fail to maintain airway patency during sleep causes narrowing of the airway dimension and increased resistance of breathing. The identification of the sites of upper airway obstruction in patients with OSA is important in understanding the pathogenesis and deciding the treatment modality of snoring and/or OSA. Various upper airway imaging modalities have been used to assess upper airway size and precise localization of the sites of upper airway obstruction during sleep. Dynamic imaging modalities enabled assessment of dimensional changes in the upper airway during respiration and sleep. This article focused on reviews of various upper airway imaging modalities, especially dynamic upper airway imaging studies providing important information on the pathogenesis of OSA.
Airway Obstruction ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Muscles ; Respiration ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Snoring

No abstract available.
Erythema Infectiosum*

PURPOSE: We have examined the utility of 99mTc-MAG3 perfusion indices for assessing renal graft function in early post-transplantation period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 80 renal transplant recipients (48 men and 32 women, mean age: 40.3 years). Diagnosis was based on biopsy, laboratory data and clinical course. Renal scintigraphy (RS) was obtained using 100 MBq of 99mTc-MAG3 from 11 days to 23 days of kidney transplantation. We measured 5 indices in whole-kidney (WK) and cortical (C) renograms; Hilson's perfusion index (PI), transplant perfusion index (TP) and transplant function index (TF) as perfusion parameter, and the time to peak activity (Tmax) and the ratio of renal counts at 20 min to that at 3 min (K20/3) as functional parameter. RESULTS: The diagnoses at the day of RS were normal graft (NG) in 44, acute rejection (AR) in 14, acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in 10, and Cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity (CsA) in 12. TP and TF were significantly decreased in AR, ATN and CsA, compared to those in NG. K20/3 of AR and ATN were significantly greater than that of NG. WK-Tmax of AR was significantly longer than that of NG. K20/3 of AR and C-K20/3 of ATN were significantly prolonged relative to those of CsA. There were no statistically significant perfusion indices among complication groups. CONCLUSION: TP and TF reflecting microperfusion and initial tubular extraction are reliable in assessing graft function. However, it is required to correlate perfusion indices with functional indices and clinical course in differentiating from one another among complication groups.
Biopsy ; Cyclosporine ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Necrosis ; Perfusion* ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide* ; Transplantation ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: The proportion of patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus(SCLE) is considered to be 10% among the total LE population in western countries. The morphology of LE-specific skin lesions in SCLE : appear as papulosquamous erythema or annular erythema developing mostly on the exposed areas. Among Korean patients with LE the prevalence and the pattern of cutaneous eruption of SCLE may be different from those patients of western countries. OBJECTIVE: To obtain the prevalence and the morphological characteristics of cutaneous lesions in Korean patients with SCI E v;ere the main objectives. METHODS: With 7 cases of SCLE, clinical dermatologic examinations for the character, the distribution, and the clinical course of those cutaneous lesions, and for the extent of systemic symptoms and LE-related laboratory abnormalities in each patient were performed. Results/Coeclusion. The prevalence of SCLE among Korean patients with LE or latent LE was much lower than those seen in Caucasians. The pattern of cutaneous lesions were papular/ papulosquamous erythemas with no (or rare) cases of annular erytherna among those patients diagnosed as SCLE. ~Other cl~inica! features were similar to Caucasian patients. It seems that there are some racial differences in the cutaneous manifestat.ions of LE, which may be relevant to the dissimilarities in immunogenetic backgrounds between different racial groups.
Erythema ; Humans ; Immunogenetics ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous* ; Prevalence ; Skin

No abstract available.
Cholesterol* ; Dyslipidemias*

To establish whether an association exists between low blood pressure and common symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, headache, and palpitation, we analysed the data of health center in Yeungnam medical college from January 1993 to June 1993. Total 1,133 subjects were taken and results were analysed by combined stratification and logistic regression. The results were as followed : 1. True confounders were sex, age, and body mass index. 2. No association was found between low blood pressure and all symptoms. 3. Positive associations were found between high blood pressure and self reported palpitation and headache, which persisted after adjusted for confounders. The results suggest that low blood pressure and all neurasthenic symptoms such as fatigue, palpitation, headache and dizziness have no association, but the validity is limited.
Body Mass Index ; Dizziness ; Fatigue ; Headache ; Hypertension ; Hypotension* ; Logistic Models ; Self Report

No abstract available.
Hernia, Inguinal*

Degloving injuries of the fingers result in avulsion of skin and subcutaneous tissue from the underlying deep fascia, the arterial supply is embarrassed and necrosis may result. Theoretically primary microvascular replantation may be a complete solution, however, the prognosis in terms of both immediate and long term function following avulsed digits is poor. The ideal reconstruction aims at retension of mobility and restoration of a skin cover that is adherent, has a sensibility approaching the norm, and is free from pain. A method of finger reconstruction for an avulsion injury using a free neurovascular wrap-around flap from the big toe may be a choice of treatment for both esthetic and functional aspects.
Fascia ; Fingers ; Hallux ; Methods ; Necrosis ; Prognosis ; Replantation ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

This article introduces a new method of thumb reconstruction with the use of an iliac bone graft and a free neurovascular wrap-around flap from the big toe, previously reported by Morrison et al. in 1980. Using this method it is possible to reconstruct a thumb similar to the missing part without total sacrifice of the toe. There is no mobile portion in the reconstructed thumb and motion is provided only by intact joint of traumatized thumb. In thumb reconstruction, it is possible to preserve the nail and its pulp, thus preventing swivelling of the nail and loss of pulp sensation as well as ensuring continued nail growth. This is achieved by free tissue transfer from the 1st web space of the foot, innervated by the deep peroneal nerve and supplied by the dorsalis pedis artery with relatively large diameter. Three cases of thumb reconstruction were performed with this method. Follow up was done for an average of 11.3 months; the rate of viability was 100% with excellent appearance; the 2-point discrimination averaged 8.3 mm.
Arteries ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Hallux ; Joints ; Methods ; Peroneal Nerve ; Sensation ; Thumb ; Toes ; Transplants