No abstract available.
Appendix* ; Intussusception*

Epidermolytic keratosis palmaris is a rare disease which shows clinical findings of Unna Thost keratoderma and histopathologic of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. We report herein a case of epidermolytic keratosis palmaris et plantaris in a 16-month-old female baby. Light microscopy shows marked hyperkeratosis, large irregular keratohyalin granules, and large clear spaces in the granular and upper spinous layers. Eletron microscopic findings shows that the clear spaces are areas of cytoplasm filled with a fibrillar material and cellular organelles. Abnormal clumping of tonofilament and keratohyalin is also present.
Cytoplasm ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic ; Infant ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar* ; Keratosis* ; Microscopy ; Organelles ; Rare Diseases

OBJECTIVE: It is debatable whether an anterior oblique fracture orientation is really a contraindication to anterior odontoid screw fixation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of anterior odontoid screw fixation of type II and rostral shallow type III fracture with an anterior oblique fracture orientation. METHODS: The authors evaluated 16 patients with type II and rostral shallow type III odontoid fracture with an anterior oblique fracture orientation. Of these 16 patients, 8 (group 1) were treated by anterior odontoid screw fixation, and 8 (group 2) by a posterior C1-2 arthrodesis. RESULTS: Of the 8 patients in group 1, seven patients achieved solid bone fusion (87.5%), and one experienced screw back-out of the C-2 body two months after anterior screw fixation. All patients treated by posterior C1-C2 fusion in group 2 achieved successful bone fusion. Mean fracture displacements and fracture gaps were not significantly different in two groups. (p=0.075 and 0.782). However, mean fracture orientation angles were 15.3+/-3.2 degrees in group 1, and 28.6+8.1 degrees in group 2 (p=0.002), and mean fragment angulations were 3.2+/-2.1 degrees in group 1, and 14.8+/-6.7 degrees in group 2 (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Even when the fracture lines of type II and rostral shallow type III fractures are oriented in an anterior oblique direction, anterior odontoid screw fixation can be feasible in carefully selected patients with a relatively small fracture orientation angle and relatively small fragment angulation.
Humans ; Odontoid Process ; Orientation

Enlargement of the extraocular muscles may cause diplopia and exophthalmos. The most common cause of the exophthalmos is thyroid associated ophthalmopathy(TAO), followed by inflammatory diseases and orbital tumors. TAO has the classical features of proptosis and lid retraction. However, the diagnosis is frequently confused with other eye diseases due to various symptoms and signs. Therefore, measurement of the size of extraocular muscles in both normal and TAO patients will make diagnosis and treatment plan easier in TAO and other muscular diseases of the orbit. For the clinical application, we measured the size of muscle with and without magnification and the results were compared. Normal mean values of cross sectional length and thickness of the extraocular muscles measured by CT scan showed 8.83x 3.60 in the inferior rectus, 9.20x3.20 in the superior muscle group, 9.45x 3.48 in the medial rectus and 9.65x3.23 mm in the lateral rectus muscle with no sex differences. All four muscles showed statistically significant enlargement in TAO and the thickness showed greater increase than the length. Superior muscle group(superior rectus and levator muscle)was the most frequently involved in TAO in both sexes. There was no significant statistical difference in the methods of measurement.
Diagnosis ; Diplopia ; Exophthalmos ; Eye Diseases ; Graves Ophthalmopathy* ; Humans* ; Korea* ; Muscles* ; Muscular Diseases ; Orbit ; Sex Characteristics ; Thyroid Gland* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Troleandomycin

BACKGROUND: To obtain reference values for the ambulatory blood pressure, 30 normotensive Korean young males, aged 22-28 years(mean age: 25 years) were investigated. METHODS: The ambulatory blood pressure was recorded with SpaceLabs Model 90207 monitor over 24 hours at 20 minutes intervals during day-time(6 am-10pm) and at 30 minutes intervals during night-time (10 pm-6 am). RESULTS: The ambulatory blood pressure of the 30 subjects averaged 119/74mmHg over 24 hours, 122/78 mmHg during day-time and 112/68 mmHg during night-time. The upper limit of normal ambulatory blood pressure was suggested as the value of mean+/-2SD which revealed 131/84mmHg for 24 hours, 134/90 mmHg for day-time and 126/80 mmHg for night-time. CONCLUSION: Reference values for the ambulatory blood pressure, in normotensive Korean young men, were obtained by SpaceLab model 90207 monitor.
Blood Pressure* ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values*

Immunohistochemical studies of the molecules associated with gastric tumor progression and metastasis were done to evaluate their relationship with known prognostic factors and their usefulness in assessment of the progression of gastric carcinoma in 127 gastric carcinoma tissues. The 4 antibodies used in this study were CD44H, CD44v6, erbB-2, and p53. The CD44H expression was detected in 76 (59.8%), CD44v6 in 63 (49.6%), erbB-2 in 18 (14.2%), and mutant p53 in 98 (77.2%) out of 127 cases of gastric carcinomas. There was no significant correlation between the expression rates of each four proteins. The expression rates of all 4 proteins were not significantly correlated with age and sex of the patients and lymph node metastasis, but the correlation between CD44v6 expression and the depth of tumor invasion and tumor stage was significant (p<0.05). These results suggest that CD44v6 is closely associated with tumor invasion, and high levels of CD44H, erbB-2 and p53 are associated with tumorigenesis of the stomach as they are highly expressed in early as well as in advanced gastric carcinomas. The findings also support the conclusion that the loss of control of alternative CD44 mRNA splicing resulted in production of CD44v6 splicing variant in tumor cell facilitates tissue invasion by increased adherence of the tumor cell to an extracellular matrix or by tumor cell migration. It can be expected that CD44v6 overexpression in tumor cells appears to be an important prognostic indicator for gastric tumor progression.
Neoplasm Metastasis ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Stomach Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Behcet Syndrome ; Myelitis, Transverse*

A pulmonary thromboembolism usually results from deep vein thrombosis as a serious and fatal complication. It is well known that several risk factors are predisposed to these thrombotic events, causing sudden death. Recently, new variant forms of pulmonary thromboembolism, termed as "economy class syndrome or e-thrombosis" were reported in association with sitting for long time in aircraft seat or at computer. The authors experienced a case of death developed after prolonged gambling at casino in 46-year-old man and concluded that the cause of death was fatal pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep vein thrombosis, associated with prolonged sitting. Therefore, the author thought that this case may be contribute to another possible risk factor of life-threatening pulmonary thromboembolism and highlights the importance of predicting deep vein thrombosis after prolonged gambling in sitting position at casino in the similar mechanism of aforementioned reported cases.
Aircraft ; Autopsy* ; Cause of Death ; Death, Sudden ; Gambling* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Risk Factors ; Venous Thrombosis

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to validate the effects of a titanium mesh cage and dynamic plating in anterior cervical stabilization after corpectomy. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 31 consecutive patients, who underwent anterior cervical reconstruction with a titanium mesh cage and dynamic plating, from March 2004 to February 2006. Twenty-four patients had 1-level and 7 had 2-level corpectomies. Ten patients underwent surgery with a cage of 10-mm diameter and 21 with 13-mm diameter. Neurological status and outcomes were assessed according to Odom's criteria. Sagittal angle, coronal angle, settling ratio, sagittal displacement, and cervical lordosis were used to evaluate the radiological outcomes. RESULTS: In overall, 26 (83.9%) of 31 showed excellent or good outcomes. Thirteen percent (4 cases) of the patients developed surgical complications, such as hoarseness, transient dysphagia, or nerve root palsy. Seven (22.6%) patients had reconstruction failure : 5 (20.8%) in the 1-level corpectomy group and 2 (28.5%) in the 2-level corpectomy group. Revisions were required in 2 patients with plate pullout due to significant instability. However, none of 5 patients who demonstrated cage displacement or screw pullout, underwent a revision. Radiographs revealed bony consolidation in 96.3% of the patients, including 6 patients with implantation failure during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Based on our preliminary results, the titanium mesh cage and dynamic plating was effective for cervical reconstruction after corpectomy. The anterior cervical reconsrtruction performed with dynamic plates is considered to reduce stress shielding and greater graft compression that is afforded by the unique plate design.
Animals ; Deglutition Disorders ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Lordosis ; Paralysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine* ; Titanium* ; Transplants

Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is an unusual condition compared to lower extremity DVT, and it represents about 10% of all DVTs. We report a case of upper extremity DVT after clavicle fracture and immobilization.