PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to illustrate MR patterns of bone marrow of calvarium and vertebral body in normal subjects according the age distribution and to understand the course of the fatty replacement from red marrow. METHODS AND MATERIAL: We retrospectively evaluated MR examinations of the calvaria(n=71), cervical spine(n=71), thoracic spine(n=65), Imbar spine(n =68) in subjects without bone marrow abnormality whose age ranged 3 weeks to 74 years. Three distinctive patterns were categorized on Tl-weighted images of the skull. In pattern 1, uniformly low signal intensity with or without very small areas of high intensity in frontal and occipital bones is noted. In pattern 2, frontal and occipital bones have uniformly high signal intensity, and patchy area of high intensity appears in parietal bone. In pattern 3, the entire skull has uniformly high signal intensity. In the spine, four patterns were categorized on Tl-weighted MR images. In pattern 1, the vertebral body has uniformly low signal intensity except for linear areas of high intensity superior and inferior to basivertebral vein. In pattern 2, bandlike and triangular areas of high signal intensity are found in the periphery. Pattern 3 and 4 have diffusely distributed areas of high signal intensity; pattern 3 consist of numerous indistinct dots measuring a few millimeter or less, and pattern 4 consist of fairly well marginated areas ranging in size from 5 to 1.5cm. RESULT:In the calvaria, 73% of pattern 1 were younger than 20 years, pattern 2 were evenly distributed, and 86% of pattern 3 were older than 40 years. In the spine, 87% of pattern 1 were younger than 40 years, 72% of pattern 3 were in 40 to 50 years, and 87% of pattern 4 were older than 50 years. Pattern 2 were evenly distributed in the cervical and thoracic spine, but in the thoracic spine 62% were younger than 30 years. CONCLUSION:It is concluded that younger age group shows mainly pattern 1, whereas elderly group has pattern 3 or 4 in the calvarial and vertebral body marrow. This suggests that conversion to fatty marrow begin locally and progress diffusely with age.
Age Distribution* ; Aged ; Bone Marrow* ; Humans ; Occipital Bone ; Parietal Bone ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull* ; Spine ; Veins

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to discover the related factors of neonatal suckling in the initiation of breastfeeding in primiparous mothers and to provide basic data for promoting nursing intervention strategies to improve the practice of breastfeeding. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 71 primiparous mothers who had normal vaginal deliveries at one obstetric hospital in P metropolitan city and one delivery center in J city. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS program. RESULT: The average IBFAT (Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool) score was 9.6+/-2.3. The general characteristics studied that had a significant influence on neonatal suckling in the initiation of breastfeeding were the place of delivery (ex: Hospital, Postnatal Unit), whether oxytocin was used, no usage of analgesic medication, amount of satisfaction after the first breastfeeding weight of the newborns and the Apgar score at one minute. CONCLUSIONS: A higher IBFAT score was related to primiparous mothers who had a hospital delivery, received oxytocin, received maternal labour analgesics, neonatal weight, Apgar score at one minute, and satisfaction after the first breastfeeding.
Analgesics ; Apgar Score ; Breast Feeding* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mothers* ; Nursing ; Oxytocin

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of rapid karyotyping from fetal ascitic fluid. METHODS: In three cases of isolated fetal ascites diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography, ultrasound guided fetal paracentesis and amniocentesis were performed and successfully obtained. Fetal karyotyping in each case at 29, 30 and 32 weeks gestation using modified lymphocyte culture method was conducted. RESULTS: The chromosomal analysis was successful within 72 hours and abnormalities were detected in two cases and revealed trisomy 21 in each case. Our study demonstrated that the majority distribution of white blood cells was lymphocytes which ranged from 2.1 * 10(6) cells/ml to 3.7 * 10(6) cells/ml and the cell density for culture was at least than 0.35 * 10(6) cells/ml. CONCLUSION: The use of ascitic fluid as a cell source to achieve rapid fetal karyotyping can be valuable when cordocenteis or amniocentesis would be technically more difficult, or when rapid result is required for planning of perinatal management at late second or third trimester gestational age.
Amniocentesis ; Ascites ; Ascitic Fluid* ; Cell Count ; Cytogenetics* ; Diagnosis* ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Leukocytes ; Lymphocytes ; Paracentesis ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pepsinogen A*

No abstract available.

Due to an increasing interest in esthetics and concerns about toxic and allergic reactions to certain alloys, patients and dentists have been looking for metal-free tooth-colored restorations. Recent improvement in technology of new all-ceramic materials and composite materials has broadened the options for esthetic single crown restorations. The aim of this investigation was to study the fracture strength of the metal-free posterior single crowns fabricated using two recently introduced systems, Empress 2 ceramic and Targis-Vectris. Forty premolar-shaped stainless steel dies with the 1mm-wide circumferential shoulder were prepared. Ten cylindrical crowns having a diameter of 8.0mm and total height of 7.5mm were fabricated for each crown system respectively (PFM, Empress staining technique, Empress 2 layering technique, and Targis-Vectris). The crowns were filled with cement and placed on the stainless steel dies with firm finger pressure. The crowns were then stored in distilled water at room temperature for 24 hours before testing. The crowns were tested for fracture strength in an Instron universal testing machine (Instron 6022). With a crosshead speed of 1mm/min the center of the occlusal surface of the crown was loaded using a 4mm-diameter stainless steel ball until fracture occurred. The fracture surfaces of the crowns were gold coated and examined using scanning electron microscopy (Jeol JSM-840 Joel Ltd., Akishima, Tokyo, Japan). Within the parameters of this study the following conclusions were drawn: 1. The mean fracture strength for PFM crowns was 5829(+/-906)N; for Empress staining technique the fracture strength was 1697(+/-604)N; for Empress 2 Layering technique the fracture strength was 1781N(+/-400)N, and the fracture strength for Targis-Vectris was 3093(+/-475)N. 2. The fracture strength of the PFM crowns was significantly higher than that of the Empress 2 and the Targis-Vectris crowns (P<0.05). 3. The fracture strength of the Targis-Vectris crowns was significantly higher than that of the Empress 2 crowns (P<0.05). 4. No statistical difference was found when Empress staining technique was compared with Empress 2 layering technique. 5. The SEM image of fracture surface of Empress 2 crown showed a very dense microstructure of the lithium disilicate crystals and the SEM image of fracture surface of Targis-Vectris crown showed indentations of Vectris and some fibers torn off from Vectris.
Alloys ; Ceramics* ; Crowns* ; Dentists ; Esthetics ; Fingers ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lithium ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Shoulder ; Stainless Steel ; Water

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal therapeutic range of serum carbamazepine concentration in agitated brain injured patients. METHODS: Five traumatic brain injured patients exhibiting agitated behavior were treated with carbamazepine during acute rehabilitation. Carbamazepine dose was increased from 400 mg to 1600 mg gradually and blood samples were analyzed for serum carbamazepine concentration. The presence and degree of posttraumatic agitation was measured by the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) developed by Corrigan. Therapeutic serum concentration of carbamazepine was defined as serum carbamazepine concentration at a point of time maintaining the ABS scores below 21. RESULTS: After carbamazepine therapy, ABS score was changed from 36.2 to 19.8 and the therapeutic serum concentration of carbamazepine was 10.18 ug/ml on average. Experienced adverse effects were drowsiness, gastrointestinal trouble, slurred speech, headache, leukopenia, abnormal liver function test, hair loss, skin rash, and double vision. But most of these adverse effects were mild, transient, and reversible with an adjustment in dosage or rate of dosage increase. CONCLUSION: In the agitated brain injured patient, success in controlling the agitated behavior requires raising the dose of carbamazepine to high serum concentration levels above 10 ug/ml, as long as adverse effects do not intervene. Therefore we suggest that the therapeutic range of serum carbamazepine concentration for agitated brain injured patients is above 10 ug/ml.
Brain* ; Carbamazepine* ; Dihydroergotamine* ; Diplopia ; Exanthema ; Hair ; Headache ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; Liver Function Tests ; Rehabilitation ; Sleep Stages

OBJECTIVE: To determine the differences of the tendon reflex responses (TRR) between medial and lateral heads of gastrocnemius muscles in healthy subject and spastic patients. METHOD: The TRR of medial and lateral heads were evaluated in 20 healthy subjects and 20 spastic hemiplegic patients. From 5 repeated trials on each subject, the shortest latency and duration, and the largest peak-to-peak amplitude of TRR were chosen for the representative value. RESULTS: 1. The evoked potentials by tendon reflex in medial head of gastrocnemius demonstrated significantly higher amplitude than in the lateral head of gastrocnemius in patients (P<0.05) and the evoked potentials in lateral head of gastrocnemius demonstrated significantly higher amplitude than in the medial head of gastrocnemius in healthy patients (P<0.05). 2. Mean latency of the evoked potentials by a tendon reflex in both heads of gastrocnemius in the spastic patients and healthy subjects were not significantly different (P>0.05). 3. Mean duration of the evoked potentials by a tendon reflex in both heads of gastrocnemius in spastic patients and healthy subjects were not significantly different (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the medial head of gastrocnemius is activated more than the lateral head of gastrocnemius by a tendon reflex in recording evoked potentials of the spastic patients.
Evoked Potentials ; Head* ; Hemiplegia* ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity* ; Muscles ; Reflex, Stretch* ; Tendons*

PURPOSE: Left renal vein entrapment syndrome has been suggested as an etiology for asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria since it was reported as a cause of unilateral gross hematuria. Reported diagnostic criteria has been controversial since various degrees of left renal vein entrapment was found in normal children. Some of asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria was not diagnosed even with renal biopsies but was usually known to have self-limited benign course. We analyzed the relationship between asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria of unknown origin and the degree of left renal vein entrapment phenomenon. METHODS: The renal doppler sonograpy of 92 children with asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria [gross hematuria(GH) N=44, microscopic hematuria (MH) N=48] were compared to 30 control children with normal renal function and urinalysis who underwent renal doppler sonography for abdominal pain and enuresis from January, 1999 to Febrary, 2000 at Ewha Womans Mokdong Hospital. The narrowed diameter(ND) of the left renal vein between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery and its maximal velocity(NV), and the dilated diameter(DD) of the left renal vein and its maximal velocity(DV) were measured and the DD/ND and NV/DV ratio were compared with those of the control children and the results of several previous reports. RESULTS: The DD/ND ratio was 3.9+/-1.89 in the GH group, 2.4+/-0.62 in the MH group, and 2.0+/-0.48 in the control group. There was a significant difference among GH, MH and control group(p<0.05). The NV/DV ratio was 3.6+/-2.37 in the GH group was significantly higher than 1.9+/-0.60 in the MH group and 1.7+/-0.55 in the control group(p<0.05). There was no significant differences between MH and control groups. Normal cut off values of DD/ND and NV/DV ratio in this study were 3.0 and 2.8 which was different to previous reports. CONCLUSION: Left renal vein entrapment phenomenon should be considered as one of the etiology of asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria in children and the sonographic diagnostic criteria for Left renal vein entrapment syndrome needs to be revised.
Abdominal Pain ; Aorta ; Biopsy ; Child* ; Enuresis ; Female ; Hematuria* ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Renal Nutcracker Syndrome ; Renal Veins* ; Ultrasonography ; Urinalysis

PURPOSE: Left renal vein entrapment syndrome has been suggested as an etiology for asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria since it was reported as a cause of unilateral gross hematuria. Reported diagnostic criteria has been controversial since various degrees of left renal vein entrapment was found in normal children. Some of asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria was not diagnosed even with renal biopsies but was usually known to have self-limited benign course. We analyzed the relationship between asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria of unknown origin and the degree of left renal vein entrapment phenomenon. METHODS: The renal doppler sonograpy of 92 children with asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria [gross hematuria(GH) N=44, microscopic hematuria (MH) N=48] were compared to 30 control children with normal renal function and urinalysis who underwent renal doppler sonography for abdominal pain and enuresis from January, 1999 to Febrary, 2000 at Ewha Womans Mokdong Hospital. The narrowed diameter(ND) of the left renal vein between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery and its maximal velocity(NV), and the dilated diameter(DD) of the left renal vein and its maximal velocity(DV) were measured and the DD/ND and NV/DV ratio were compared with those of the control children and the results of several previous reports. RESULTS: The DD/ND ratio was 3.9+/-1.89 in the GH group, 2.4+/-0.62 in the MH group, and 2.0+/-0.48 in the control group. There was a significant difference among GH, MH and control group(p<0.05). The NV/DV ratio was 3.6+/-2.37 in the GH group was significantly higher than 1.9+/-0.60 in the MH group and 1.7+/-0.55 in the control group(p<0.05). There was no significant differences between MH and control groups. Normal cut off values of DD/ND and NV/DV ratio in this study were 3.0 and 2.8 which was different to previous reports. CONCLUSION: Left renal vein entrapment phenomenon should be considered as one of the etiology of asymptomatic non-glomerular hematuria in children and the sonographic diagnostic criteria for Left renal vein entrapment syndrome needs to be revised.
Abdominal Pain ; Aorta ; Biopsy ; Child* ; Enuresis ; Female ; Hematuria* ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Renal Nutcracker Syndrome ; Renal Veins* ; Ultrasonography ; Urinalysis