STUDY DESIGN: The purpose of this study was to determine whether facet joint orientation and/or tropism influences the prevalence of disc degeneration in MRI in young patients. OBJECTIVE: 41 patients with disc degeneration disease including HNP in MRI were assesed on facet joint angles and tropism between 18 and 30 years old. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUD DATA: The patients who had back pain had association between disc degeneration and facet tropism in adults. But some authors have suggested that facet tropism has no clinical relevance. Physiologic aging and premature disc degeneration induce a gradual loss of water and proteoglycan from nucleus pulposus. METHODS: We reviewed the 41 MRI of lumbar spine with disc degeneration and measured facet joint angles on the mid-disc cut, which was parallel to inferior vertebral end-plate of superior vertebra. In simple X-ray, we reviewed relation between the transitional vertebrae and disc degeneration. It was analyzed statistically the facet joint angles and facet tropism in each levels. RESULTS: The mean facet angles was more increased in upper vertebral facet joints but statistically nonspecific. The facet tropism was not significant in all lumbar levels and the effects of transitional vertebrae on disc degeneration were ignorable and unclear. CONCLUSIONS: No statistical relationship was found among the magnitude of the angle and facet tropism and the presence of disc degeneration at any levels in young patients.
Adult ; Aging ; Back Pain ; Equidae ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prevalence ; Proteoglycans ; Spine ; Tropism* ; Young Adult* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

No abstract available.
Colon ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate treatment results, toxicity and efficacy of hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel for paraaortic node recurrence in cervix cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 1997 to March 1999, 12 patients with paraaortic node recurrence in cervix cancer who previously received radical or postoperative radiotherapy were treated with hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel. Of these, 2 patients who irradiated less than 30 Gy were excluded, 10 patients were eligible for this study. Median age was 5 1 years. Initial FlGO stage was 1 stage IB1, 2 stage IIA, 7 stage IIB. For initial treatment, 7 patients received radical radiotherapy and 3 received postoperative radiotherapy. The paraaortic field encompassed the gross recur rent disease with superior margin at T 12, and inferior margin was between L5 and S 1 with gap for previously pelvic radiation field. The radiation field was initially anterior and posterior opposed field followed by both lateral field. The daily dose was 1.2 Gy, twice daily fractions, and total radiotherapy dose was between 50.4 and 60 Gy(median, 58.8 Gy). Concurrent chemotherapy was done with paclitaxel as a radiosensitizer. Dose range was from 20 mg/m to 30 mg/m (median, 25 mg/m'), and cycle of chemotherapy was from 3 to 6 (median, 4.5 cycle). Follow-up period ranged from 3 to 21 months. RESULTS: Interval between initial diagnosis and paraaortic node recurrence was range from 2 to 63 months (median, 8 months). The 1 year overall survival rate and median survival were 75% and 9.5 months, respectively. The 1 year disease free survival rate and median disease free survival were 30% and 3 7 months, respectively. At 1 month after treatment, 4 (40%) achieved a complete response and 6 (63%) experienced a partial response and all patients showed response above the partial response. There was distant metastasis in 6 patients and pelvic node recurrence in 2 patients after paraaortic node irradialion. There was 2 patients with grade 3 to 4 leukopenia and 8 patients with grade 1 to 2 nausea/ vom ting which was usually tolerable with antiemetic drug. There was no chronic complication in abdomen and pelvis during follow up period. CONCLUSION: Hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel as a radiosensitizer showed high response rate and few complication rate in paraaortic node recurrence in cervix cancer. Therefore, present results suggest that hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel chemotherapy can be used as optimal treatment modality in this patients.
Abdomen ; Cervix Uteri* ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paclitaxel* ; Pelvis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence* ; Survival Rate ; Tolnaftate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To report a case of a 9-year-old girl who complained of a floater symptom due to preretinal hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and arachnoid cyst. CASE SUMMARY: A 9-year-old girl presented to our clinic with floater symptom in her right eye and a headache. Her corrected visual acuities were 20/20 in both eyes. Preretinal hemorrhage around the optic disc in both eyes was observed. Brain MRI revealed subdural hemorrhage on the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, and the arachnoid cyst in the right fronto-temporal lobe. One year later, the preretinal hemorrhages were absorbed. CONCLUSIONS: Arare case of concomitant preretinal and spontaneous subdural hemorrhage with arachnoid cyst was presented. The utilization of brain MRI is recommended to determine underlying causes when fundus examination reaveals retinal hemorrhage without trauma, systemic disease and neurologic symptom.
Arachnoid ; Brain ; Child ; Eye ; Headache ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Parietal Lobe ; Retinal Hemorrhage ; Visual Acuity

Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in accurate staging, restaging, and treatment monitoring, and is essential in both planning adequate treatment and minimizing treatment-related toxicity and functional impairment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MRI and CT remains the primary imaging modalities for the assessment of HNSCC, but F-18 FDG PET/CT had emerged as a vital adjunct when used in the appropriate clinical setting, such as: delineation of extent of regional lymph node involvement, detection of distant metastasis, identification of an unknown primary tumor, detection of an occasional synchronous primary tumor, monitoring of the treatment response, and long-term surveillance for recurrence and metastases. In this manuscript, clinical application of F-18 FDG PET/CT on HNSCC in initial staging, radiotherapy planning, carcinoma of unknown primary of squamous cell origin, evaluation of response to radiation and/or chemoradiation therapy, and prediction of prognosis will be discussed and other promising PET radiotracers will be introduced.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Head* ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Unknown Primary ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography* ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Extracellular Fluid* ; Female ; Humans

Aneurysmal bone cysts are lytic lesions that have been described in virtually every portion of the skeleton but most commonly occur as solitary lesions in the metaphyseal portions of long bones. One fifth of aneurysmal bone cysts occur in the spine where they most frequently involve the posterior elements. In the spine, aneurysmal bone cyst have been reported to occur in the lower thoracic and lumbar regions, but their occurrence in the cervicodorsal area is uncommon. In this case, the second cervical vertebral body and posterior elements are affected. Fortunately, the lesion didn't invade into the spinal canal. The main symptom on admission was pressure pain, tenderness and motion limitation of the cervical spine. We removed the lesion involving posterior elements of second cervical spine and used horse-shoe shaped pediatric C-D device for occipito-cervical fixation. The clinical symptoms were resolved after operation. The clinical, radiologic, operative and pathological findings are reported and the corresponding literature are reviewed.
Aneurysm* ; Bone Cysts* ; Bone Cysts, Aneurysmal ; Lumbosacral Region ; Skeleton ; Spinal Canal ; Spine*

The purpose of this study is to compare tensile bond strength between Cr-Co alloy and three denture base resins after surface treatment. Following the manufacturer's instructions, 180 bonded specimens were made from three denture base resins (Lucitone 199, Paladent 20, POSS resin) and three surface treatment methods(sandblasting, metal primer, silicoating). 20 samples were made in each group and a half was thermocycled 1000 times between 5 celsius degrees and 55 celsius degrees. The tensile bond strength was measured using an Instron with 5mm/min crosshead speed. Data was analyzed with one-way ANOVA, T-test and Duncan test. The results were as follows: 1. Samples with metal primer coating had significantly high tensile bond strength than the other surface treated groups (p<.05). Significantly low tensile bond strength was shown in sand blasted groups (p<.05). 2. No significant difference was observed in metal primer coating groups before and after thermocycling (p>.05). 3. Tensile bond strength was decreased in silicoated samples after thermocycling (p<.05). 4. Of the surface treated groups with metal primer,Lucitone 199 had the greatest bond strength and POSS resin and Paladent 20 were followed (p<.05). 5. Of the surface treated groups with silicoating, POSS resin and Lucitone 199 had greater bond strength than Paladent 20 (p<.05).
Alloys ; Computer Simulation ; Dental Alloys* ; Denture Bases* ; Dentures* ; Silicon Dioxide

OBJECTIVE: Chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) occurs in 6% to 10% of population in Korea. In ethinic communities where prevalence of chronic infection is high such as Korea, transmission of hepatitis B infection is either vertical (ie, by perinatal infection) or by close family contact (usually from mothers or siblings) during the first 5 years of life. The development of chronic hepatitis B infection is increasingly more common the earlier a person is exposed to the virus, particularly in fetal and neonatal life. And it progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in severe liver damage and perinatal infection. Histopathology of CHB is important when evaluating the final outcomes. A numerical scoring system which is a semiquantitatively assessed objective reproducible classification of chronic viral hepatitis, is a valuable tool for statistical analysis when predicting the outcome and evaluating antiviral and other therapies. In this study, a numerical scoring system (Ludwig system) was applied and compared with the conventional histological classification of De Groute. And the comparative analysis of cinical findings, family history, serology, and liver function test by histopathological findings in chronic hepatitis B of children was done. METHODS: Ninety nine patients [mean age=9 years (range=17 months to 16 years)] with clinical, biochemical, serological and histological patterns of chronic HBV infection included in this study. Five of these children had hepatocelluar carcinoma. They were 83 male and 16 female children. They all underwent liver biopsies and histologic evaluation was performed by one pathologist. The biopsy specimens were classified, according to the standard criteria of De Groute as follows: normal, chronic lobular hepatitis (CLH), chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), mild to severe chronic active hepatitis (CAH), or active cirrhosis, inactive cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). And the biopsy specimens were also assessed and scored semiquantitatively by the numerical scoring Ludwig system. Serum HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc (IgG, IgM), and HDV were measured by radioimunoassays. RESULTS: Male predominated in a proportion of 5.2 : 1 for all patients. Of 99 patients, 2 cases had normal, 2 cases had CLH, 22 cases had CPH, 40 cases had mild CAH, 19 cases had moderate CAH, 1 case had severe CAH, 7 cases had active cirrhosis, 1 case had inactive cirrhosis, and 5 cases had HCC. The mean age, sex distribution, symptoms, signs, and family history did not differ statistically among the different histologic groups. The numerical scoring system was correlated well with the conventional histological classification. The histological activity evaluated by both the conventional classification and the scoring system was more severe as the levels of serum aminotransferases were higher. In contrast, the levels of serum aminotransferases were not useful for predicting the degree of histologic activity because of its wide range overlapping. When the histological activity was more severe and especially the cirrhosis more progressing, the prothrombin time was more prolonged. The histological severity was inversely related with the duration of seroconversion of HBeAg. CONCLUSIONS: The histological activity could not be accurately predicted by clinical and biochemical findings, but by the proper histological classification of the numerical scoring system for the biopsy specimen. The numerical scoring system was correlated well with the conventional histological classification, and it seems to be a valuable tool for the statistical analysis when predicting the outcome and evaluating effects of antiviral and other therapies in chronic hepatitis B in children.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Child* ; Classification* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Mothers ; Prevalence ; Prothrombin Time ; Sex Distribution ; Transaminases

We report a case of immature teratoma arising at the suprasellar region in a 18 year-old-male who presented with bitemporal hemianopsia, nausea and polydipsia. The teratoma is a rare neoplasm consisting of 0.5% to 1.2% of all intracranial tumors. The clinical presentation, radiologic finding, pathology and treatment are briefly described with a review of other cases from the literature in view of clinical features and management.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Hemianopsia ; Nausea ; Pathology ; Polydipsia ; Teratoma*