PURPOSE: To cmpare the clinical results of complex tibial plateau fractures treated by hybrid external fixation and dual plate fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied forty patients with Schatzker type V and VI fractures respectively and selected twenty seven patients who were followed at least one year between January 2000 and December 2005. We evaluated the clinical results in which fourteen fractures with hybrid external fixation were compared with thirteen fractures with dual plate fixation. The clinical results were evaluated according to Knee Society Clinical Rating System and the statistical analysis was performed by Student t-test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in terms of bone union time (average union time: dual plate fixation 13.8 weeks, hybrid external fixation 14.2 weeks). The quality of osseous reduction was superior in the fractures with dual plate fixation than those with hybrid external fixation. There were significant differences in functional score (average functional score: dual plate fixation 73, hybrid external fixation 62), but not in average knee score. CONCLUSION: The hybrid external fixation can be a useful modality for treatment of complex proximal tibial plateau fractures. But the good quality of the fracture reduction by dual plate fixation may be a indicator for favorable prognosis for satisfactory knee function.
Chimera ; External Fixators ; Humans ; Knee ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Echocardiography* ; Heart Ventricles* ; Tendons*

No abstract available.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Pepsinogen A*

The endemic status of clonorchiasis and metagonimiasis along the Geum-gang (River) in Okcheon-gun (County) in Korea was examined. From February to December 2000, stools of total 1,081 inhabitants living in 5 villages were examined. Each stool specimen was examined by both the cellophane thick smear method and the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. Egg-positive cases were further analyzed by Stoll's egg-counting technique, and praziquantel was administered to positive cases. The egg-positive rates for Clonorchis sinensis and Metagonimus species were 9.3% and 5.5%, respectively, and the double infection rate was 3.5%. The numbers of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces of C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. were 918 +/-1.463 and 711+/-947, respectively. The egg-positive rates for C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. in the riverside area were 14.2% and 8.4%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the inland area (3.2% and 1.7%, respectively). The egg-positive rates of C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. in males (16.7% and 10.0%) were significantly higher than those of females (3.5% and 1.8%). However, there were no significant differences of EPG values between localities and sexes. The prevalence of clonorchiasis and metagonimiasis in this survey was significantly lower than that in the previous reports. However, there is still a high prevalence of infection with C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. in this region, especially in the riverside area.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Child ; Clonorchiasis/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Clonorchis sinensis/isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Heterophyidae/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasite Egg Count ; Prevalence ; Rural Population ; Sex Factors ; Time Factors ; Trematode Infections/*epidemiology/parasitology

Submacular hemorrhage from various causes induces the irreversible damage to the retina, leading to poor visual outcome. Surgery for removal of submacular hemorrhage was performed but the general results were not satisfactory in spite of better surgical technique. We took this study to identify the effectiveness and safety of intravitreal injection of tissue plasminogen activator(tPA) and SF6 for displacement of submacular hemorrahge. Thirteen patients who have submacular hemorrhage had undergone intravitreal injection of tPA and SF6 and positioned face down for about 1 week. Postoperative complication, best corrected visual acuity, final visual acuity, amount of displacement related to the duration of submacular hemorrhage and causal diseases were checked retrospectively. The average age of the patients was 64. Six eyes(46.2%) improved visual acuity by 2 lines or more, and 2 eyes(15.4%) lost visual acuity 2 lines or more. Complications included vitreous hemorrhage in 2 eyes, increased intraocular pressure in 2 eyes. Causes were trauma in 3 eyes and age-related macular degeneration in 10 eyes. The final visual results after 5 months or longer were related with macular lesion. Complete displacement was achieved in 10 eyes, partial displacement in 4 eyes at 1 month. The authors concluded that brief prone position after intravitreal injection of tPA and SF6 is rapid and effective method for displacement of submacular hemorrhage.
Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Intravitreal Injections* ; Macular Degeneration ; Plasminogen ; Postoperative Complications ; Prone Position ; Retina ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

We experienced a case of congenital goiter with congenital hypothyroidism in 45 day-old male, who complained of respiratory difficulty and anterior neck mass. After admission, he was diagnosed congenital hypothyroidism by the clinical manifestations and laboratory tests including biochemistry, radioimmunoassay, radioisotope study, perchlorate discharge test, and bone radiography. We obtained positive finding at the perchlorate discharge test and found that his congenital goiter with congenital hypothyroidism was manifested by organification defect. We started treatment with L-thyroxine orally at 6th hospital day. The case was presented with brief review of literatures.
Biochemistry ; Congenital Hypothyroidism* ; Goiter* ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Radiography ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thyroxine

No abstract available.
Spine*

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*

Short umbilical cord syndrome, also known as the limb-body wall malformation complex and the body stalk anomaly, is a poorly defined sporadic group of congenital anomaly charaterized by a complex set of disruptive abnormalities having in common the failured closure of the ventral body wall. This disorder is charaterized by a short or absent umbilical cord and disruption of the lateral body wall, spine, limbs, face, and cranium, isolated or in combination. Recently, we present a case of short umbilical cord syndrome which found in a term baby, so we report a case of short umbilical cord syndrome with brief review of literature.
Extremities ; Skull ; Spine ; Umbilical Cord*

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of two-dimensional echocardiogrphy(2-D echo) in ventricular septal defect, location and size of the defects, estimated right ventricular systolic pressure and associated cardiac anomaly were compared to the operative findings in 139 children operated for correction of ventricular septal defect at Severance Hospital from Jan. 1983 to June 1987. In addition, postoperative complications and mortality cases were anlysed. The following results were obtained; 1) Perimembranous defects were 82 cases(66.1%), subarterial infundibular defects 33 cases(26.6%), and muscular defect was found in only 1 case(0.8%). The accuracy of 2-D echo in localizing the defects was 84.2%. 2) In 79.2% of the patients, the defects were moderate to large in size, and actual size measured at operation was larger than that obtained by echocardography in general. 3) The estimated right ventricular systolic pressure was correlated(r=0.650) with that measured at the operating field. 4) Combined cardiac anomalies were patent ductus arteriosus(22 cases), atrial septal defect(3 cases), valvular pulmonic stenosis(2 cases) and interventricular septal aneurysm(2 cases). The sensitivity of 2-D echo in detecting these anomalies was 65.5% and the specificity was 96.4%. 5) Among 32 patients who had postoperative complications, in two thirds, there were pulmonary complication including lung atelectasis(16 cases), pleural effusion(5 cases)and pneumonia(5 cases). 6) Operative mortality was 2.9%(4 cases). The causes of death were low cardiac output state due to left ventricular myocardial failure in 3 patients and respiratory failure from asphyxia in one case. In conclusion, with close cooperation with cardiac surgeons, there will be few problems in diagnosing and operating patients with ventricular septal defect on the basis of two-dimensional echocardiographic findings without invasive procedures, such as cardiac catheterization, even with pulmonary hypertension, unless Eisenmenger syndrome is complicated.
Asphyxia ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Catheterization* ; Catheters* ; Cause of Death ; Child* ; Echocardiography* ; Eisenmenger Complex ; Heart Failure ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Lung ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sensitivity and Specificity