PURPOSE: Laparoscopic nephrectomy has become accepted as a method of simple nephrectomy replacing with open nephrectomy in patients in whom a kidney requires removal for benign disease. Laparoscopic nephrecto my is widely performed and extends its indications. We evaluated our experience with the laparoscopic nephrectomy to assess the clinical efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 1996 and September 1999, 23 patients (7 men and 16 women, mean age 44.1 years old) underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy, 16 by women, mean age 44.1 years old) underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy, 16 by the transperitoneal approach and 7 by the retroperitoneal approach. Operative and clinical records were reviewed. The underlying pathological conditions included 20 cases of non-functioning kidney, 2 cases of hypoplastic kidney with complete duplication and ectopic ureter, and 1 case of ureter tumor. Four ports (21 cases, two 12mm ports and two 5mm ports) or 5 posts ( 2 cases, two 12mm ports and three 5mm ports) were used. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedure were successful in 20 cases (87%). Three patients had open conversion due to unclear anatomy, severe adhesion, and adrenal bleeding. In successful cases, mean operative time was 253+/-83 minutes (range 140-545), mean hospital stay was postoperative 5.2 days. Intraoperative and perioperative complications were noted in 6 patients, including bleeding requiring transfusion in 3, wound infection in 1, severe subcutaneous emphysema in 1, diarrhea in 1. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic simple nephrectomy is feasible, effective, and safe treatment option. It is a less invasive alternative to open surgery providing a more rapid recuperation and superior cosmetic effect.
Diarrhea ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Nephrectomy* ; Operative Time ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Ureter ; Wound Infection

Cysticercosis which very rarly involves spinal canal, may show symptoms similar to herniated nucleus pulposus and cord tumor, and even myelogram may not be helpful for the accurate diagnosis. In this paper, a case in which free floating larvae of taenia solium mimicking intradural tumor by myelogram and clinical symptoms were presented. The present authors feel that cysitcercosis has to be considered as a cause when there is central filling defect of contrast media in myelogram.
Contrast Media ; Cysticercosis ; Diagnosis ; Larva ; Spinal Canal ; Spine ; Taenia solium

The treatment of acetabular fractures is composed of operative and conservative methods, however, they are still controversial. Generally, because the acetabular fracture involves the joint surface and one sequalae such as post-traumatic arthritis can follow treatment, therefore an accurate reduction and postoperative early mobilization to obtain the prevenation of joint stiffness and arthritis are required. In order to achieve these purposes, we have studied and done a comparative survey between conservative and operative treatment on 55 patients with acetabular fractures, who were treated at our department from Jan. 1982 to Dec. 1988. Results were obtained as follows. 1. The prevalent age was the third decade and the cause of injury was traffic accidents in the majority. 2. The most common type of fracture was a posterior wall by Letournel classification. 3. Satisfactory results of operative treatment were 76% and conservative treatment 47%. 4. The complications were post-traumatic arthritis, ectopic ossification, peroneal nerve palsy and skin infection. 5. In the majority of displaced acetabular fractures, ORIF was recommended.
Accidents, Traffic ; Acetabulum ; Arthritis ; Classification ; Early Ambulation ; Humans ; Joints ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Paralysis ; Peroneal Nerve ; Skin

No abstract available.
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the 3-dimensional position of the center of resistance of the 4 maxillary anterior teeth, 6 maxillary anterior teeth, and the full maxillary dentition using 3-dimensional finite element analysis. METHODS: Finite element models included the whole upper dentition, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. The crowns of the teeth in each group were fixed with buccal and lingual arch wires and lingual splint wires to minimize individual tooth movement and to evenly disperse the forces to the teeth. A force of 100 g or 200 g was applied to the wire beam extended from the incisal edge of the upper central incisor, and displacement of teeth was evaluated. The center of resistance was defined as the point where the applied force induced parallel movement. RESULTS: The results of study showed that the center of resistance of the 4 maxillary anterior teeth group, the 6 maxillary anterior teeth group, and the full maxillary dentition group were at 13.5 mm apical and 12.0 mm posterior, 13.5 mm apical and 14.0 mm posterior, and 11.0 mm apical and 26.5 mm posterior to the incisal edge of the upper central incisor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It is thought that the results from this finite element models will improve the efficiency of orthodontic treatment.
Crowns ; Dentition ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Finite Element Analysis ; Incisor ; Periodontal Ligament ; Splints ; Tooth ; Tooth Movement

Authors reviewed 264 cases of meconium aspiration pneumonia of the newborn at Sohwa Children's Hospital from July 1981 to June 1984. The radiologic findings were retrospectively analysed with particular attention to the degree of pulmonic infiltrations. The results were as follow: 1. The male to female ratio was 1.8:1 and clinical conditions which commonly associated were postterm infants (41.3%), placental dysfunction syndrome (33%) and perinatal asphyxia (11.4%). 2. There were improved (76.9%) and expired cases (12.1 %) as clinical course. 3. Radiologic findings were noticed .as pulmonic infiltration (68.2%), hyperinflation (35.2%), pneumomodiastinum (18.6%), pleural effusion (14.4%), pneumothorax (13.3%) and suggestive interstitial emphysema (6.8%). The more the degree of pulmonic infi ltration was been severe, the more the incidence of other pulmonic lesions was increased. 4. Pulmonic infiltrations were commonly occured in both lungs but pneumothorax, pleural effusion and hyperinflation in right. 5. Radiologic findings of 32 expired cases were noticed as pulmonic infiltrations (93.8%), hyperinflation (53.1 %), pneumomediastinum (37.5%), pneumothorax (18.8%), suggestive interstitial emphysema (18.8%) and pleural effusion (18.8%).
Asphyxia ; Emphysema ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung ; Male ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ; Meconium ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumonia ; Pneumothorax ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available in English.
Female ; Humans ; Urinary Incontinence*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to find out whether protein kinase C (PKC) may affect telomerase activity in human ovarian cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine whether PKC modulators influence PKC activities, NIH: OVCAR-3 and CUMO-2, cells were treated with PKC inhibitors, G 6976 and bisindolyl maleimide I, and PKC activator, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Telomerase acti vity was determined by telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP). Analysis of the expres sion of each telomerase subunits, human telomerase RNA (hTR) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), was performed by RT-PCR. We also examined the alternative splicing of hTERT. RESULTS: G 6976 and bisindolylmaleimide I inhibited PKC activity. Telomerase activities appeared to be affected in a time-dependent manner by these two PKC inhibitors. PKC activities were increased in parallel with telomerase activity by TPA at the low dose (10 nM), but their activities were down-regulated at the high dose (1 micrometer). RT-PCR demonstrated the presence of hTR and hTERT mRNA before and after the treatment of PKC modulators, respectively, and showed the presence of one alternatively spliced transcript and full-length hTERT transcripts. CONCLUSION: These results showed that telomerase activity was affected by PKC and suggested PKC modulation may serve as an useful tool in the regulation of telomerase activity.
Alternative Splicing ; Cell Line* ; Humans* ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Protein Kinase C* ; Protein Kinases* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Telomerase* ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate

Superficial gastritis has been classified as a type of chronic gastritis, since a report of Schindler in GASTRLTIS, 1947. Howev~er, Benedict reported that superficial gastritis is only acute gastritis or shows normal mucosa histologically. The com mon endopical findings of chronic superficial gastritis were adherent mucus, edema, redness. The common redness which were encounterd are patchy redness and comb-like redness(Kammrotung). We studied the relationship between the redness of superficial gastritis and acute inflammatory changes histologically. Each case of superfieial gastritis was biopsied to redening and non-redening mucosa respectively. We collected 24 cases with 48 biopsy specimens. The results are as follows: Acute inflammatory changes were found only one case in redness and none in non-redness groups. There was no difference in acute inflammatory changes in two groups. The degree of mucosal atrophy were 62.5%, 66.7% in normal mucosa, 12.5%, 16.7~% in mild atrophy, 25%, 12.5% in moderate atrophy, 0%, 4.l% in severe atrophy with respect to redness and non-redness mucosa respectively. There was no difference in degree of mucosal atrophy in two groups. Mucosal atrophies were higher in older ages above 41 years old than below 40 and with increasing age, there was increasing tendency of mucosal atrophy. In conclusion, There was no relationships between mucosal redness and acute in flammatory changes histologically and also between mucosal redness and degree of atrophy.
Adult ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Edema ; Gastritis* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Mucus

PURPOSE: To evaluate CT features of metastatic ureteral tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT findings in 16 patients with ureteral metastases were evaluated retrospectively ;there were eight cases of bilateral ureteral involvement. Primary tumors metastatic to the ureter were advanced gastric cancer (n=13), breast cancer (n=l), colon cancer (n=l), or adenocarcinoma of unknown primary (n=l). We analysed CT findings with regard to the site of ureteral obstruction, configuration of obstructed sites of ureter, presence or absence of periureteral soft tissue density, and status in other organs. RESULTS: Among 24 ureters involved, ureteral wail thickening was noted in 15, periureteral soft tissue density in 13. Small nodular enhancing lesions less than lcm, within the retroperitoneal space around the involved ureters were noted in seven patients, and four of them were multiple lesions. CONCLUSION: Among various primary tumors, gastric cancer was the most common cause of ureteral metastasis. The common CT findings of ureteral metastases were thickening of ureteral wall, periureteral soft tissue density, and small periureteral enhancing nodular lesions. The constellation of these CT findings may be helpful in making the diagnosis of ureteral metastases.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction