BACKGROUND: The measurement of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity is valuable for diagnosis and management of bronchial asthma. Methacholine or histamine is used for the pharmacologic provocation test. Usually a methacholine bronchial provocation test is performed by a dosing technique with counted number of breaths. A dosimeter is indispensable in the dosing technique. Recently a timed tidal breathing technique which dose not need an expensive dosimeter was introduced. We measured the degree of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine using a simple timed tidal breathing technique. METHOD: Forty two healthy volunteers, 12 patients with bronchial asthma(BA), 10 patients with rhinitis(RH) and 10 patients with upper respiratory infection(URI) participated in the study. The subject's nose was clipped and inhalation continued during tidal breathing for 2 minutes via a face mask. FEV1 was measured at 30 seconds, 90 seconds after inhalation and inhalation of next solution was continued until there was a fall in FEV1 of 20%. Histamine PC20 was defined as the concentration at 20% fall of FEV1 and it was obtained from the log dose-response curve by linear interpolation. RESULTS: Inhalation of serial dilution of histamine could be performed in all patients without significant side of effects. The geometric mean±standard deviation of histamine PC20 in healthy volunteers is 8.27±2.22mg/ml, BA group 0.33±3.02mg/ml, RH group 0.85 ±3.24mg/ml, and URI group 1.47±1.98mg/ml. CONCLUSION: Histamine bronchial provocation test using timed tidal breath method is a simple and suitable tool for management of patients with bronchial hyperreactivity.
Asthma ; Bronchial Hyperreactivity ; Bronchial Provocation Tests* ; Diagnosis ; Healthy Volunteers ; Histamine* ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Masks ; Methacholine Chloride ; Nose ; Respiration*

Benign tumors and tumor like lesions in the foot are uncommon and those that are malignant are rare. Metastatic cancer of bone distal to the knee and elbow is unusual. By contrast, non-tumorous lisions that cause swelling, pretuberance, or deformity are common. Fifty two cases of tumors on foot were treated at our department from Jan. 1970 to Dec. 1991, we have treated fifty two cases of foot tumor and analysed their clinical characteristics. Bone tumors were more frequent than soft tissue tumors (2:1). Among soft tissue tumors benign tumors were frequent than malignant(1.4:1), and fibroma was the most frequent tumor(30%). Benign soft tissue tumors occured frequently at Edward and Michael's Zone 3(57%). Benign bone tumors has higher incidence than malignant(20:1). Osteochondroma was the most frequent tumor (48%). Predilection sites for osteochondroma and enchondroma of foot was distal phalanges and mitatarsal bone, respectively.
Bone Neoplasms ; Chondroma ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Elbow ; Fibroma ; Foot ; Incidence ; Knee ; Osteochondroma

BACKGROUND: It is important to avoid the direct contact with water of detergents as possible for the treatment and prevention of hand eczema. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of skin protector, Marly skin on housewifes eczema, METHODS: The patients with hand eczema apply skin protector, Maly skin, four times a day on their both hands. They are evaluated with the scores of subjective symptor is(itch, dryness, smarting) and objective signs(erythema, scaling, fissures), and skin replica which are taken from the specified site are analysed by using an image analyser and, scanning electron micrascipe. RESULTS: 4 weeks after application of skin protector, there are statstically significant decrease of total clinical symptom scores. Scanning electron microscopic findings of the skin replicas show marked changes between the beginning and the end of the study. On quantive image analysis of the skin replicas, the length of fissure is a little decreased and the depth of rrows is slightly increased than before application of skin protector, but these are not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Skin protector, Marly skin, has a protective effect on the development of hand eczema.
Detergents ; Eczema* ; Hand ; Humans ; Mali ; Skin

No abstract available.
Craniopharyngioma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

PURPOSE: To investigate the difference in donor corneal cell changes after penetrating keratoplasty in various corneal diseases. METHODS: Subjects included 36 eyes from 35 people with at least 6 months of follow-up who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty between August 2000 and December 2002. The patients were classified into three groups based on the state of the corneal endothelium. Changes in cell density, polymorphisms, and polymegathism of the donor cornea were compared between groups. Results were analyzed by ANOVA. RESULTS: The overall corneal endothelial cell density after grafting was lower, but the differences in endothelial cell states between the recipient cases were not statistically significant. The change in corneal endothelial cell density showed a significantly higher difference (p=0.0013) when patients had either undergone a rejection episode during recovery or recurred herpetic uveitis. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative state of the corneal endothelium may affect the survival of donor corneal endothelium after grafting. However, rejection of the transplant contributes more significantly to the survival of the donor corneal endothelium than other factors. We suggest close observation and keen therapy with respect to rejection after grafting.
Cell Count ; Cornea ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants ; Uveitis

PURPOSE: To investigate the difference in donor corneal cell changes after penetrating keratoplasty in various corneal diseases. METHODS: Subjects included 36 eyes from 35 people with at least 6 months of follow-up who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty between August 2000 and December 2002. The patients were classified into three groups based on the state of the corneal endothelium. Changes in cell density, polymorphisms, and polymegathism of the donor cornea were compared between groups. Results were analyzed by ANOVA. RESULTS: The overall corneal endothelial cell density after grafting was lower, but the differences in endothelial cell states between the recipient cases were not statistically significant. The change in corneal endothelial cell density showed a significantly higher difference (p=0.0013) when patients had either undergone a rejection episode during recovery or recurred herpetic uveitis. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative state of the corneal endothelium may affect the survival of donor corneal endothelium after grafting. However, rejection of the transplant contributes more significantly to the survival of the donor corneal endothelium than other factors. We suggest close observation and keen therapy with respect to rejection after grafting.
Cell Count ; Cornea ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants ; Uveitis

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy*

BACKGROUND: With the recent development in arterial reconstructive procedure such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or atherectomy, the incidence of vascular complications involving femoral artery is increasing due to greater use of larger percutaneous instruments(including arterial sheath) and periprocedural anticoagulant therapy. Femoral pseudoaneurysm requires rapid diagnosis and management to prevent limb ischemia, worsening of the arterial injury or repair of the arterial defect. Recently, accurate diagnosis of these injuries can be made nonivasively with duplex sonography and Doppler color flow imaging, and nonsurgical treatment may be possible by using external compression guided by ultrasound even in patients requiring prolonged anticoagulant therapy. METHOD: Three patients, one undergoing coronary angiography and two undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, developed expansile groin masses at the vascular access sites diagnosed as femoral artery pseudoaneurysm s by Doppler ultrasound. All patients were hypertensives, taking aspirin and two patients who underwent PTCA received intravenous heparin after procedure. After diagnosis of femoral pseudoaneurysm, all patients underwent mechanical(C-clamp) external compression guided by ultrasound for 3 hours. RESULT: Follow up color flow scans were obtained after 24 hours and in one patients, blood flow in the tract was eliminated but persistent blood flow was observed in two patients who underwent PTCA. Before closure of pseudoaneurysm, one patient needed another 6 hours of ultrasound guided compression and the other needed more 12 hours. All patients were discharged without complication or recurrence of pseudoaneurysm. CONCLUSION: These cases suggest that nonsurgical closure of femoral pseudoaneurysms is feasible even in patients requiring prolonged antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy.
Aneurysm, False* ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Aspirin ; Atherectomy ; Cardiac Catheterization* ; Cardiac Catheters* ; Coronary Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Heparin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ischemia ; Recurrence ; Ultrasonography

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue(gland and stroma) outside the uterus. The incidence of scar endometriosis is quite rare, and must differentiate with cellulitis and abscess. We have experienced one case of perineal endometriosis and one case of abdominal wall endometriosis at the site of postoperative wound scar. The possible pathogenesis of endometriosis and treatment were discussed.
Abdominal Wall ; Abscess ; Cellulitis ; Cicatrix* ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Incidence ; Uterus ; Wounds and Injuries

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a serious postoperative complication. Prompt diagnosis of PTE is important but it is difficult because clinical manifestations of PTE are not obvious in most cases. If a patient had tachypnea, cold sweating and hypoxemia in postoperative period, PTE must be thought to be one of possible causes of tachypnea. We have experienced one case of PTE after operation. A 40 year-old woman underwent total hystrectomy and partial omentectomy due to huge, bizarre shaped and inflammatory myoma presenting as an abdominal mass with abscess pocket accompanied by severe and adhesion. At the 5 th postoperative day tachypnea and hypoxemia were developed suddenly. PTE was confirmed with lung perfusion scan and leg edema with deep vein thrombosis occurred later. Proper cardiopulmonary support and anticoagulant therapy were done and the patient was recovered and discharged in improved condition.
Abscess* ; Adult ; Anoxia ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Leg* ; Leiomyoma* ; Lung ; Myoma ; Perfusion ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Tachypnea ; Venous Thrombosis*