Death by drowning is a major cause of unnatural death worldwide. It is therefore important to conduct forensic examination of immersed bodies following drowning, in order to determine the diagnosis of drowning, because no specific methods have been established thus far. Therefore, we performed a series of rat experiments to compare autopsy findings between seawater and fresh water drowning cases, which included the presence of pleural effusion and histologic findings of the lung. The results showed that the volume of pleural effusion increased in the seawater drowning group compared to the fresh water drowning group, and the total weight of lung was affected by the type of drowning medium and postmortem interval. However, histologic findings of the lung showed no significant difference between the 2 types of drowning mediums.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Drowning ; Fresh Water ; Lung ; Pleural Effusion ; Rats ; Seawater

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Schizophrenia ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Clinical observation was made on 131 cases of the unstable spine injury treated at the Orthopedic Surgery Department of Busan National University Hospital during the period from January 1974 to December 1981. The results obtained were as follows: 1. More than two-thirds of patients were between the age of 20 and 40, and the proportion of males to females showed a ratio of 5.9 to 1. The most common cause of injury was falling at an industrial area, rating 64.1% of all cases. 2. Fracture level was observed 31.3% in the first lumbar level, 24.4% in the twelfth thoracic vertebra, and 67.9% between the twelfth thoracic vertebra and the second lumbar vertebra. 3. Mechanisms of injury were 44.3% by pure flexion, 26.7% by flexion and rotation, 15.3% by direct shearing force, and 13.7% by vertical compression. 4. The fracture with lower extremity paralysis was due to the rotational fracture dislocation, which comprised 66% of all. 5. Kyphosis increased to the average of 10.6 degree in the case of decompressive laminectomy and of 3.4 degree in the case of spinal fusion. 6. The anatomical alignment and a definite stability could be obtained by the use of Harringtons rod in the cases of the unstable thoracolumbar fracture and fracture-dislocation. In 3 cases of all, we could get satisfactory results 1 month after the day injury occured. 7. In case of complete paralysis of lower extremity, it was found only 9.4% showed partial recovery, neurologically, and 61.9% of the patients with incomplete paralysis were also partly recovered. 8. The most common complication was urinary tract infection, which comprised 83% of the cases. With the use of intermittent urinary catheterization, the voiding reflex recovered within 4 months in most cases.
Accidental Falls ; Busan ; Dislocations ; Female ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Laminectomy ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Paralysis ; Reflex ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract Infections

We treated three cases of bone tumors-giant cell tumor, chondroblastoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma-with a custom-made prosthetic replacement. The patients were followed from 10 months to 18 months, postoperatively. The results of these study are as follows: 1. Satisfactory anatomic restoration 2. Early ambulation 3. Good function 4. Biomechanically sound reconstruction
Chondroblastoma ; Early Ambulation ; Humans

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Primary Health Care*

We have reviewed malignant lymphomas in children (15 years and less) that were diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul National University Children's Hospital over the last 10 years, 1979~1989, trying to find any significant histological difference between childhood and adult lymphomas. After critical review by 3 pathologists, the lymphomas are classified according to Rappaport, Lukes-Collins and NCI (working formulation) classifications for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and Reye classification for Hodgkin's disease. Fifty mine non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 18 Hodgkin's disease (HD) was the material that this study was based. NHL vs HD was 3 : 1, this HD being 23.4% of all malignant lymphomas in children.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Risk Factors*

BACKGROUND: The Amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis Direct Test (AMTDT) has been developed for the direct detection of M. tuberculosis complex in respiratory specimens. Traditional methods for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis such as the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain have their well-known limitations. We investigated the usefulness of the AMTDT for a wide range of non-respiratory specimens to establish early diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: 346 specimens (219 urine, 117 pleural fluid, 6 ascitic fluid, 2 lymph node, 1 gastric aspirate, and 1 pus specimens) from 340 patients referred from November 1997 to September 1998 were tested by the AMTDT. The AMTDT results were evaluated by comparing with clinical diagnosis and smear results. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the AMTDT were 82.9%, 93.8%, 64.2%, and 97.6%, respectively. There were no difference in sensitivity and specificity between pleural fluid and urine specimens. In 31 specimens from tuberculosis patients concurrently tested with AMTDT and stain, 15 were only AMTDT positive and 4 were only stain positive. Among the results considered to be false positive, 47.2% of cases were shown as being less than 150,000 relative light units (RLU). In 30 specimens from tuberculosis patients during or after treatment, all six of the patients with reactivation or aggravation were AMTDT positive, and one case was considered to be false positive. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the efficacy of the AMTDT in diagnosing extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Prudent interpretation of the AMTDT's results is recommended in case of that being less than 150,000 RLU.
Ascitic Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Suppuration ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Headache*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of revision endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (EDCR) and the causes of postoperative failure after primary endoscopic DCR in patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 32 patients (32 eyes) who had undergone revision of endoscopic DCR with the diagnosis of obstruction of nasolacrimal system after primary EDCR between October 1997 and February 2003. RESULTS: The most common cause of revision operation after primary EDCR was granuloma, followed by membranous obstruction and common canalicular obstruction. The success rate of the cases with granuloma was 69.2%, and that with membranous obstruction was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Revision EDCR success rate can be improved by reducing the frequency of granuloma as this was the most common factor for revision EDCR. The effect of antimetabolites in revision EDCR success rate is to be further evaluated.
Antimetabolites ; Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Diagnosis ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Prospective Studies