Anesthesia, General ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Palatine Tonsil ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Tonsillectomy

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective radiological assessment was conducted. OBJECTIVES: An attempt to analyze the degenerative change of an intervertebral disc for adjacent segment degeneration in lumbar degenerative diseases. LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY: A review of the literature failed to uncover any documented study examining the quantitative analysis of the degenerative change of the intervertebral disc for adjacent segment degeneration. METHODS: This study was based on 45 patients, treated operatively or conservatively at this hospital, between April 1995 and July 2004. 39 and 6 cases of operative and conservative treatments, respectively, were performed. In the 39 operative treatments, there were 34 cases of fusion and 5 of discectomy. Dynamic X-ray and MRI were performed at the initial evaluation, and again more than 2 years later. In the 34 fusion cases, the upper and lower adjacent segments of the fused level were studied, and in the 11 non-fusion cases (conservative treatment or discectomy), the L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 level were studied. The instability of the dynamic X-ray and Thompson grade changes of the disc on MRI were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Adjacent segment degeneration was found in 10 of the 34 cases (29.4%) on plain X-ray. The average Thompson grades of the 33 upper segment cases were 2.6 and 3.4 preoperatively and postoperatively (P=0.000), and for the 24 of the lower segment cases were 2.9and 3.2 (P=0.033), respectively. No statistical increase in the Thompson grade was found in the non-fusion group. CONCLUSIONS: The adjacent discs of the fusion group showed statistically meaningful degeneration on MRI, but this was not correlated with adjacent segment degeneration on plain X-ray. Various anatomical and functional factors must be considered in the evaluation of adjacent segment disease.
Diskectomy ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion*

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective radiological assessment was conducted. OBJECTIVES: An attempt to analyze the degenerative change of an intervertebral disc for adjacent segment degeneration in lumbar degenerative diseases. LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY: A review of the literature failed to uncover any documented study examining the quantitative analysis of the degenerative change of the intervertebral disc for adjacent segment degeneration. METHODS: This study was based on 45 patients, treated operatively or conservatively at this hospital, between April 1995 and July 2004. 39 and 6 cases of operative and conservative treatments, respectively, were performed. In the 39 operative treatments, there were 34 cases of fusion and 5 of discectomy. Dynamic X-ray and MRI were performed at the initial evaluation, and again more than 2 years later. In the 34 fusion cases, the upper and lower adjacent segments of the fused level were studied, and in the 11 non-fusion cases (conservative treatment or discectomy), the L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 level were studied. The instability of the dynamic X-ray and Thompson grade changes of the disc on MRI were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Adjacent segment degeneration was found in 10 of the 34 cases (29.4%) on plain X-ray. The average Thompson grades of the 33 upper segment cases were 2.6 and 3.4 preoperatively and postoperatively (P=0.000), and for the 24 of the lower segment cases were 2.9and 3.2 (P=0.033), respectively. No statistical increase in the Thompson grade was found in the non-fusion group. CONCLUSIONS: The adjacent discs of the fusion group showed statistically meaningful degeneration on MRI, but this was not correlated with adjacent segment degeneration on plain X-ray. Various anatomical and functional factors must be considered in the evaluation of adjacent segment disease.
Diskectomy ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion*

To elucidate iron utilization patterns of Staphylococcus aureus according to the growth, we checked the residual iron concentration and the production of siderophores at the indicated times while culturing S. aureus ATCC 6538 and 25923 strains in brain heart infusion broth. By using streptonigrin susceptibility test and investigating growth curves in three culture media of which iron concentration is 0.2, 20, 45 uM, respectively, we found out that iron metabolism of 6538 strain was more active than that of 25923 strain. In point of tendency of iron consumption, 6538 strain steeply consumed iron just before the onset of stationary phase, but 25923 strain did gradually iron throughout the growth phase. Nevertheless, total amount of iron consumed by each strain during the growth was almost no difference between the strains. CAS diffusion assay in detecting siderophores showed that siderophore production followed iron consumption. These results suggest that the siderophores play significant role in iron utilization in vitro.
Brain ; Culture Media ; Diffusion ; Heart ; Iron* ; Metabolism ; Siderophores ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Streptonigrin

PURPOSE: Despite the use of improved therapeutic modalities, long-term survival remains poor in patients in stage lll or lV of neurobalstoma and for over 1 year olds at diagnosis. We evaluated the long-term survival rate and related prognostic factors in advanced neuroblastoma. METHODS: Twenty-nine children diagnosed with stage lll or lV neuroblastoma after 1 year of age, between May 1987 and December 1996, were enrolled. Therapy included surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, DTIC, and vincristine (CDV) for stage lll, and CDV or intensified regimen for stage IV. RESULTS: Of the 25 patients, 18 male and 7 female, 23 (92%) were<5 years of age at diagnosis. The most commonly appearing initial presentation was abdominal mass, which was observed in 14 patients. Abdominal primary was found in 21 patients (84%) including 17 (68%) of adrenal origin and mediastinal primary in 4 (16%). The 5Y-EFS was 44% in all study patients with 80% for stage lll and 20% for stage lV. The age< years, mediastinal primary, low serum NSE, and low serum ferritin were associated with better outcome. In stage lll, progression of disease was observed in only two, both with unfavorable prognostic factors. In stage lV, no difference in long-term survival was noted between those treated with CDV regmen and those with intensified chemotherapeutic regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term event free survival (EFS) rate for stage III was 80% with poor outcome for stage lll including certain unfavorable prognostic factors and for stage lV, which might need more effective innovative therapies, such as autologous bone marrow transplantation or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Child* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Male ; Neuroblastoma ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate* ; Therapies, Investigational ; Vincristine

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the cognitive function of the elderly and to delineate the effects of sex, age and education on cognitive function. METHODS: The Cognitive Impairment Diagnosing Instrument(CIDI) was administered to the residents aged 70 years or more in Jookjang-Myun, Pohang City, Kyungpook. RESULTS: Mean percent decline were different among the CIDI subtests: concentration/calculation showed the greatest deterioration, performances on abstract thinking, higher cortical functions, and orientation in time declined by 20.3 to 29.5%, and long-term memory, memory registration, judgement object naming, and orientation in place showed modest decline. Performances on all the CIDI subtests were significantly correlated with age with correlation coefficients between -0.262 and -0.477. All subtest, but for short-term memory, scores were shown to be affected by education. Men scored better than women on all the CIDI subtests except for short-term memory and memory registration. CONCLUSION: All total and subtest performances of the CIDI were shown to be affected by sex, age, and education. However, memory registration and short-term memory revealed different pattern of decline according to the demographic factors.
Aged* ; Cognition ; Demography ; Education ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; Memory, Long-Term ; Memory, Short-Term ; Rural Population* ; Thinking

In order to investigate the efficacy and safety of oral fosinopril, a new phosphorus containing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, a single dose of 10 to 20mg was administered in 23 hypertensive patients with diastotic blood pressure above 95mmHg and all other anti-hypertensive agents were not administered during 4 weeks of study. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured on the 2nd and 4th week of therapy. The complete blood count with platelet count, blood chemistry by SMA-12 and serum electrolytes were performed at the begining and 4th week of therapy. The urinalysis and electrocardiography were performed at the beginning and 4th week of therapy. Any kinds of side effects were actively questioned by the examining physicians. The following results were obtained : 1) At the beginning and 4th weeks of therapy, the average systolic and diastolic pressure were 170.0+/-17.6/101.6+/-6.1mmHg, 142.7+/-15.1/87.3+/-6.7mmHg respectively. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were declined statistically significantly(p<0.05) throughout the period of treatment and diastolic blood pressure of all subjects except 3 patients(86%) was maintained below 90mmHg after 4th week of treatment. 2) There was no significant change in the pulse rate before and after therapy. 3) There were no significant changes in blood chemistry, serum electrolytes, hematologic findings, urinalysis and electrocardiographic findigns. 4) side effect were developed in 5 patients(23%) with dry cough, 3 patients(13%) with headache and 2 patients with facial edema but side effects were mostly mild in nature without potenitally serious episodes. These results suggested that antihypertensive therapy with onec-daily fosinopril was effective and well tolerated in essential hypertensive patients.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Pressure ; Chemistry ; Cough ; Edema ; Electrocardiography ; Electrolytes ; Fosinopril* ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Phosphorus ; Platelet Count ; Urinalysis

9p Tetrasomy is rare chromosomal aberration that was described in approximately 30 previous patients in the world and this is the first described in Korea. Here we report a 3 month-old boy who was referred for genetic evaluation because of facial dysmorphism, such as wide fontanells, hypertelorism, bulbous nose, low set ears, cleft lip and palate. He had also psychomotor retardation and hypotonia. He was diagnosed as tetrasomy 9p syndrome by clinical feature and chromosomal study. Thereafter, increased growing of head size compared with body weight and height was observed and brain MRI shows hydrocephaly associated with remarkable hypertrophy of choroid plexus and mild Dandy Walker syndrome.
Body Weight ; Brain ; Choroid Plexus* ; Choroid* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cleft Lip ; Dandy-Walker Syndrome ; Ear ; Head ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Hypertelorism ; Hypertrophy* ; Infant ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Nose ; Palate ; Tetrasomy*

PURPOSE:There are some cases of false positive in neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. To understand its significance of the increased 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone(17 alpha-OHP) levels in the cases of positive result, we followed its levels during infancy. METHODS:From July 1997 to June 1998, totally 1,730 babies were screened for congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) measuring 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone(17 alpha- OHP) using an enzyme immunoassay(EIA) on dried blood spots. In infants of positive result, the radioimmunoassay(RIA) was used measuring 17 alpha-OHP in serum. And we followed up the levels of 17 alpha-OHP during infancy. Cortisol and ACTH were also measured and followed up in the morning simultaneously. RESULTS:No CAH was detected during the study period. With the 13 ng/mL cutoff limit for 17 alpha-OHP before March 1998, the recall rate was 3.09%. With the 20 ng/mL cutoff limit after March 1998, the recall rate was decreased to 1.58%. Follow-up of the high levels of 17 alpha-OHP in positive cases showed a sharply decreased curve according to age. CONCLUSION: In clinically normal neonates, the high levels of 17 alpha-OHP at screening decreased continuously during infancy.
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone* ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening*

PURPOSE:There are some cases of false positive in neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. To understand its significance of the increased 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone(17 alpha-OHP) levels in the cases of positive result, we followed its levels during infancy. METHODS:From July 1997 to June 1998, totally 1,730 babies were screened for congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) measuring 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone(17 alpha- OHP) using an enzyme immunoassay(EIA) on dried blood spots. In infants of positive result, the radioimmunoassay(RIA) was used measuring 17 alpha-OHP in serum. And we followed up the levels of 17 alpha-OHP during infancy. Cortisol and ACTH were also measured and followed up in the morning simultaneously. RESULTS:No CAH was detected during the study period. With the 13 ng/mL cutoff limit for 17 alpha-OHP before March 1998, the recall rate was 3.09%. With the 20 ng/mL cutoff limit after March 1998, the recall rate was decreased to 1.58%. Follow-up of the high levels of 17 alpha-OHP in positive cases showed a sharply decreased curve according to age. CONCLUSION: In clinically normal neonates, the high levels of 17 alpha-OHP at screening decreased continuously during infancy.
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone* ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening*