Dystonia is an abnormal movement characterized by sustained muscle contractions, frequently causing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. Torsion dystonia is characterized by torsion spasms of muscle contraction, which distorts the limbs and trunk into dystonic postures. We present a case of a patient with torsion dystonia who was recalcitrant to oral medication or even surgical operations. This patient was treated with motor point block using 5% phenol solution. Using electromyographical guidance, phenol was injected into the paraspinal and upper extremity muscles, respectively. He showed reduction of dystonia and improvement of functional abilities. Motor point block using phenol can be considered as a tool of the management for patients with torsion dystonia. MDVAQ@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
Dyskinesias ; Dystonia ; Dystonia Musculorum Deformans* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscles ; Phenol* ; Posture ; Spasm ; Upper Extremity

The Brunner's gland adenoma is characterized by a nodular proliferation of histologically normal Brunner's gland, accompanied by ducts and scattered stromal elements. First descrived by Salvioli in 1876, the tumor is relatively rare, with 119 cases reported by 1977, The most common benign tumor of the small bowel is the adenoma, 25% of which occur in the duodenum. They make up 30% to 50% of all hyperplastic polyps of the duodenum. Most frequently these tumors are discovered in patients in the fourth to sixed decades of life, though the age in reported caes ranges from l 1 days to 80 years. The benign tumors of the duodenum 30% to 50% contain elements of Brunner's gland and 10.6% of them are adenomas of Brunner's gland. We report a case of Brunner's gland adenoma treated by endoscopic polypectomy in 63 year-old woman, and reviewed the literatues of adenoma of the Brunne'r gland.
Adenoma* ; Duodenum ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Polyps

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate mivacurium in the pharmacokinetics of onset and offset. METHODS: In 127 adult patients of ASA physical status I or II without any factors involving the neuromuscular function under general anesthesia, onset time (lag and manifest time) and clinical duration were measured after bolus or divided doses of ED95 x 2 of succinylcholine (SCC), rocuronium (ROC), atracurium (ATR), mivacurium (MIV), pancuronium (PAN) or vecuronium (VEC). Recovery time was defined as the recovery index and total duration measured after subsequent ED95 of MIV at 25% recovery of control twitch height from neuromuscular block induced by ED95 x 2 of ATR, MIV, PAN or VEC. Plasma cholinesterase (PChE) levels were measured following PAN or ATR. RESULTS: Onset time was faster with SCC and ROC, the low potency drugs, than with ATR, MIV, PAN or VEC, the high potent drugs. Manifest time was shorter in low potency drugs but longer in high potency drugs than lag time after bolus or divided doses of muscle relaxants given. Divided doses of various drugs induced a shortened onset time, but the patterns of relationship between lag and manifest time associated with drug potency did not alter. The recovery times with administered MIV were slowest after PAN pretreatment, and fastest after MIV pretreatment. PChE levels decreased significantly from 3 min to over 180 min after PAN administeration but not ATR. CONCLUSIONS: The onset time of MIV was not improved due to high drug potency as other nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers. However, in spite of high potency, the recovery time of MIV was faster than other drugs. This results may be depend upon PChE activity rather than drug potency. Additionally, the prolonged recovery of MIV was not only under the influence of low PChE activity but also other some factors such as: the first relaxants administered before MIV dominated the neuromuscular block so that the duration of MIV given subsequently changed to resemble that of the first. The longer elimination half-life of the underlying relaxant prolonged the effects of subsequentshorter acting MIV. Structural similarities or dis-similarities between the interacting MIV and other drugs may have effects more potent in dis-similarity than in similarity.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Atracurium ; Cholinesterases ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Pancuronium ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma ; Succinylcholine ; Vecuronium Bromide

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori is considered as the main cause of failure of eradication therapy. Because resistance to metronidazole has been reported in 25.8% to 66.2% of H. pylori, a combination of proton pump inhibitors (PPI), amoxicillin, and clarithromycin is currently recommended as a primary therapy. We investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance to the primary drugs and the impact of antimicrobial resistance on eradication rates. METHODS: Between May and August 2005, H. pylori isolates from 93 patients were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility at Asan Medical Center. Susceptibility tests of clarithromycin and amoxicillin were performed by the disk diffusion method and those of metronidazole and tetracycline by Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). The medical records of the patients were reviewed to collect the data such as demographic findings, previous and current eradication therapies, and bacteriological outcome. The appropriate therapy was defined as three-drug-combination including susceptible drugs only, or four-drug-combination including metronidazole in the case of metronidazole-resistance. RESULTS: Resistance rates to clarithromycin and metronidazole were 17.2% and 33.3%, respectively, but there was no resistance to tetracycline and amoxicillin. The eradication was successful in 32 of the 36 patients (88.9%) who received the appropriate therapy, but none of 4 patients who received an inappropriate therapy (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Resistance to clarithromycin seemed to increase and contribute to the failure of eradication therapy. For the appropriate therapy of H. pylori infection, the susceptibility results should be reported before initiation of the eradication therapy.
Amoxicillin ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Clarithromycin ; Diffusion ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Metronidazole ; Prevalence ; Proton Pump Inhibitors ; Tetracycline

Objectives: This study aims to verify the effect of the use of a toothpaste containing 0.5% zinc citrate and 1,450 ppm fluoride on oral malodor. Methods: In this study, the experimental group using the experimental toothpaste and the control group using the standard toothpaste control toothpaste were allowed to use each toothpaste for 4 weeks and then a clinical test to measure the change in bad breath was conducted. A study was conducted to evaluate the reduction effect. Efficacy was evaluated by conducting BB checker test and Oralchroma test three times in total before the testing 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the test. Results: As a result of measuring the degree of bad breath using the BB checker, before the start of the test, the experimental group was 46.3 and the control group was 47.2. After 2 weeks of the test, the experimental group was 38.5 and the control group was 44.2 and after 4 weeks the experimental group was 29.6 and the control group was 39.2. There was a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group after 4 weeks of the test (P<0.05). The volatile sulfur compounds measured by Oralchroma were 0.825 ng/10 ml for the experimental group and 0.819 ng/10 ml for the control group after 2 weeks of the test, and they were 0.705 ng/10 ml for the experimental group and 0.860 ng/10ml for the control group after 4 weeks of the test. It was confirmed that a significant index change appeared after 4 weeks of the test compared to before the test (P<0.05). Conclusions It was confirmed that an improved effect of removing bad breath can be expected when a toothpaste containing 0.5% zinc citrate and 1,450 ppm fluoride is used.

BACKGROUND: The interactions between furosemide and muscle relaxants is controversial. In this study, the effects of furosemide on the recovery from neuromuscular blockade induced by vecuronium were investigated in thirty ASA class 1 or 2 adult patients undergoning elective orthopedic surgery under the general aneshtesia with O2-N2O-enflurane. METHODS: Furosemide was administered intravenously at 20% spontaneous recovery of first twitch height of TOF(T1) under the neuromuscular monitoring using Relaxograph?(Datex Co. Finland) as follows: placebo in control group, 5mg in group 1 and 20mg in group 2. Recovery index(RI) defined as the time from 25% to 75% recovery of T1, urinary output during this period and serum K+ levels at 10% and 75% recovery of T1 were measured. RESULTS: RI was shortened significantly in group 1 (11.2+/-3.4 min.) and group 2 (14.9+/-2.7 min.) compared with control group (19.3+/-4.0 min.)(P<0.05). The urinary output was significantly greater in the groups received furosemide than that in the control group(P<0.05), but serum K+ levels were not significantly changed after administration of furosemide. CONCLUSIONS: Furosemide facilitates recovery of neuromuscular blockade induced by vecuronium.
Adult ; Furosemide* ; Humans ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Neuromuscular Monitoring ; Orthopedics ; Vecuronium Bromide*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several studies from Western populations have recently shown that three mutations in NOD2 gene (C2104T, G2722C, and 3020insC) are associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD). However, three mutations were shown not to be associated with CD in Japanese and Chinese population. Here, we have analyzed the frequency of three NOD2 mutations in Korean patients to determine whether the NOD2 mutations are associated with susceptibility to CD in Korean population. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 128 patients with CD, 47 patients with ulcerative colitis, 19 Behcet's colitis, and 200 healthy controls. DNA in the region of three NOD2 mutations was sequenced by single base extension method, and the frequency of mutations were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the subjects in our study groups, including patients with CD, ulcerative colitis, Behcet's colitis, and healthy controls, none had NOD2 mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that although three NOD2 mutations are associated with susceptibility to CD in Western populations, these might be rare and may not be associated with susceptibility to CD in Korean patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Crohn Disease/*genetics ; English Abstract ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/*genetics ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

PURPOSE:We performed this study in order to investigate the clinical features and the therapeutic outcome of infants with torticollis according to the classification; congenital muscular torticollis(CMT), postural torticollis(PT) and, ocular torticollis(OT). METHODS:This study was conducted on 80 infants with torticollis who had been treated from March 2000 to July 2004 in the outpatient clinic of the pediatrics and rehabilitation medicine department of NHIC Ilsan Hospital. All the patients were physically and neurologically examined and took cervical X-rays and ultrasonographies. Based on the results the patients were classified into the subtypes of torticollis. Except OT, the patients underwent conservative treatment programs with physical therapy and home treatment programs. RESULTS:Among the three groups, the time of the first visit to the hospital was the fastest in CMT and the latest in OT. The appearance of facial asymmetry and plagiocephaly didn't show any difference between CMT and PT. The presence of asymmetric neck righting reaction was noted similarly between the two groups. The duration of the treatment was longer in the CMT group than that of the PT group. The outcomes of the treatment in CMT were not different from those of PT. CONCLUSIONS:There are no significant differences of the clinical features and the treatment results between the CMT and the PT groups except the duration of treatment. The ophthalmologic assessment is strongly recommended, if the age of an infant with torticollis is older than one year.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Classification ; Facial Asymmetry ; Humans ; Infant ; Neck ; Pediatrics ; Plagiocephaly ; Rehabilitation ; Torticollis*

Esophagea1 achalasia is a disease of unkown etiology characterized by abscenee of peristalsis in the body of the esophagus and failure of the lower esaphageal sphincter to relax in response to swallow. The cause has been suggested by the lack or abscence of ganglion cell in Auerbach's plexus. About 10% of patients with achalasis develop pulmonary complication such as aspiration pnuemonia, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, culosis, bronchiectasis, lung abscess and bronchial asthma. Although aspiration pneumonia is the most common pulmonary complication in patients with achalasia, lung abscess is the extremely rare complication. A 48 years old female, who has experienced dysphagia and regurgitation for several years, is hospitalized because of high fever, cough and sputurn for 2 weeks. Lung abscess in apicoposterior segment of left upper lobe is observed in X-ray and chest CT. The findings of esophagogram, esophagogastroscopy and esophageal manometry are consistent with achalasia. We report a case of lung abscess associated with achalasia.
Asthma ; Bronchiectasis ; Cough ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophageal Achalasia* ; Esophagus ; Female ; Fever ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Manometry ; Middle Aged ; Myenteric Plexus ; Peristalsis ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of the number of resected lymph nodes on the survival of gastric cancer patients who underwent curative resection, and to evaluate the cut-off values that can have an influence on survival on the tumor stage-stratified analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 949 gastric cancer patients who underwent curative resection at Korea University Medical Center from 1992 to 2002. They were classified according to the depth of tumor invasion, and the influence of the number of resected lymph nodes on survival was investigated. The cut-off value for the number of resected lymph nodes was determined as the smallest value that showed a significant survival difference. RESULTS: The tumor size, location, lymph node stage, the number of metastatic lymph nodes and the number of resected lymph nodes were significantly different according to the tumor stage. The average number of resected lymph nodes was about 39, and it showed linear correlation with the number of metastatic lymph nodes. On the Cox proportional hazard model, the cut-off values of the number of resected lymph nodes, as corrected by the number of metastatic lymph nodes, was 14 for all the patients, 15 for the pT1 patients, 28 for the pT2 patients and 37 for the pT3 patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Retrieving a number of lymph nodes that is more than the cut-off value could improve the survival of gastric cancer patients. Surgeons should also make efforts to perform an exact and thorough D2 lymph node dissection. Therefore, we urge surgeons to perform D2 dissection and pathologists should examine an certain exact number of lymph nodes.
Academic Medical Centers ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Stomach Neoplasms