The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of heat treatment on mechanical properties in 0.016" x 0.022" blue Elgiloy wires and to measure the amounts of nickel and chromium released from the wires in artificial saliva. Ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation were measured with universal testing machine (Instron). and the amounts of nickel and chromium released from the sample were measured with atomic absorption spectrophotometer after one week immersion in the artificial saliva. Ultimate tensile strength and yield strength were progressively increased below 1000degreesF, but elongation was decreased. And the results were reversed above 1100degreesF. After heat treatment of the sample for 9 minutes at 1000degreesF, the maximum tensile strength and yield strength were 213.6kg/mm2, 140.1kg/mm2, respectively. Both tensile strength and yield strength were decreased progressively above 1100degreesF. Elongation was appeared the minimum value (8.6%) after heat treatment for 9 minutes and 12 minutes at 1000degreesF. There was a pronounced increase in nickel and chromium liberation with increasing time and temperature. The maximum amounts of nickel and chromium released form the sample were 4.947microgram/cm2, 3.088microgram/cm2, respectively after heat treatment for 12 minutes at 1300degreesF. Heat treatment is applied to orthodontic wires, especially cobalt-chromium alloys, for the purpose of stress-relievning and hardening. When the heat-treatment of orthodontic wires, the heating procedure should be well controlled in order to have no effect on corrosion resistance and mechanical properties.
Absorption ; Chromium ; Chromium Alloys ; Corrosion ; Heating ; Hot Temperature* ; Immersion ; Nickel ; Orthodontic Wires ; Saliva, Artificial ; Tensile Strength

No abstract available.
Humans ; Sinusitis*

In order to study the relationship between clinical group of cervical spondylosis and electrical activity, we traced somatosensory evoked potential(SSEP) by stimulating the median nerve(MN) from the upper extremities, and the posterior tibial nerve(PTN) from the lower extremities simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to test the clinical diagnostic utility of the method, whether any consistent relationship exists between the severity and type of neurological symptoms and the results of the SSEP responses, and between neurological improved patients after operation and improved SSEP results. In this study patients were clinically divided into three groups : combined myelopathy and radiculopathy, myelopathy alone, radiculopathy alone. Over a 3-year period from 1987 to 1989, SSEP were performed on 112 patients of Korean adults and summary of the results obtained are as follows : 1) Among patients with cervical spondylosis, those with cervical myelopathy showed more abnormal SSEP than those cervical radiculopathy. 2) In the group with myelopathy, MN-cervical latensy, Ep-C2 interpeak latency. PTN-P1 latency, and N1 latency were prolonged more than MN-C2 latency, Ep-C2 interpeak latency, PTN-P1 latency, and N1 latency of the group with radiculopathy. 3) The longer the duration of the symptoms, the more abnormal were the SSEP in patients with cervical spondylosis. 4) In patient with cervical myelopathy, the latency of SSEP was prolonged not only in those with sensory deficit, but also with motor deficit. 5) Half of clinically improved patients after operation showed improved SSEP in follow-up examinations. 6) Improvement in SSEP after operation was much affected by posterior approach.
Adult ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spondylosis* ; Upper Extremity

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare cause of spinal cord compression. Recently, at our hospital, the author et al had the opportunity of observing case with spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma in a 28 years old woman who had suddenly felt a strong pain in interscapular area. Rapidly after she noticed weakness in her legs and one day later she was completely paraplegia. The MRI of spine was done. There show tubular like low signal intensity at posterior epidural space of C7 level and ghigh signal intensity of cord at C7 level due to cord compression effect. In this article, we are adding one more rare case of spontaneous cervical spinal epidural hematoma confirmed by MRI.
Adult ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paraplegia ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Spine

No abstract available.
Cleft Palate* ; Humans

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a new and potentially curative method for treating gastrointestinal neoplasms, may have longer procedure time and the risk of complications when compared to conventional endoscopic mucosal resection. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ESD in patients with comorbid diseases. METHODS: The outcomes of 337 patients who underwent ESD for early gastric cancer at Samsung Medical Center from April 2003 to December 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. The Charlson comorbidity scale was used to divide the patients into low-risk (no risk factor) and high-risk (at least one risk factor) groups. The outcomes and complications were compared between the high- and low-risk groups. RESULTS: The low- and high-risk groups comprised 240 and 97 patients with mean ages of 61.1 and 64.7 years, respectively (p=0.002). Tumor location, tumor size, depth of invasion, procedure duration, and rates of en bloc resection, complete resection, complication, and recurrence did not differ significantly between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ESD may be a safe and effective treatment for early gastric cancer in patients with comorbid diseases.
Comorbidity ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy between fine needle and large cutting needle biopies. METHODS & MATERIALS: Chest lesion was biopsied consecutively by 19 G or 22 G fine needle and 14 G large cutting needle with interval of 10-20 min. 119 patients confirmed by operation or clinical follow-up were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 65 patient confirmed as malignant lesion and 54 confirmed as benign lesions. Diagnostic accuracy was 87.7%(57/65) for malignancy and 85.2%(46/54) for benign lesion with fine needle. With large cutting needle, it was 90.8%(59/65) for malignancy and 88.9%(48/54) for benign lesion. In the benign lesion, specific diagnostic accuray was 48.1%(26/54) with fine needle, and 64.8%(35/54) with large cutting needle biopsy, respectively. Complications were hemoptysis(n=13, 10.9%), pneumothorax(n=7, 5.9%) and mild to moderate chest pain. Although, it is impossible to compare the complications by the two types of biopsy on same lesion, 10 cases of immediate hemopytsis and more severe chest pain occurred when large cutting needle biopsy was done. CONCLUSION: No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between fine needle and large cutting needle biopsies was observed in malignant lesion. In benign lesions, larger sample volume may increase the chance of obtaining a specific diagnosis but has no influence on overall diagnostic accuracy of benignity. Thus, we believe that fine needle aspiration biopsy is an accurate, safe, and more tolerable means to be performed as first step for diagnosis of chest lesions.
Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Biopsy, Needle ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Needles* ; Thorax

PURPOSE: This study assessed the association between eye symptoms (enophthalmos or diplopia) and site of damage, volume, deviated inferior rectus muscle (IRM) and type of fracture with computed tomography (CT). The intent is to anticipate the prognosis of orbital trauma at initial diagnosis. METHODS: Forty-five patients were diagnosed with fractures of the inferior wall of one orbit. Fracture area, volume of displaced tissue, deviated IRM, and type of fracture were evaluated from coronal CT by one investigator. The association of those variables with the occurrence of eye symptoms (diplopia and enophthalmos) was assessed. RESULTS: Of 45 patients, 27 were symptom-free (Group A) and 18 had symptoms (Group B) of enophthalmos and/or diplopia. In Group B, 12 had diplopia, one was enophthalmos, and five had both. By CT measurement, group A mean area was 192.6 mm2 and the mean volume was 673.2 mm3. Group B area was 316.2 mm2 and volume was 1,710.6 mm3. The volume was more influential on symptom occurrence. Each patient was categorized into four grades depending on the location of IRM. Symptom occurrence and higher grade were associated. Twenty-six patients had trap-door fracture (one side, attached to the fracture), and 19 had punched-out fracture (both sides detached). The punched-out fracture was more strongly associated with symptoms and had statistically significantly higher area and volume. CONCLUSION: In orbital trauma, measurement of fracture area and volume, evaluation of the deviated IRM and classification of the fracture type by coronal CT can effectively predict prognosis and surgical indication.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Diplopia ; Enophthalmos ; Humans ; Orbit ; Orbital Fractures* ; Prognosis ; Research Personnel

Trichinosis is a food-borne zoonotic disease caused by the nematode, Trichinella spp., and had been reported several times in Korea. Recently, there was an additional outbreak, involving 5 patients, the findings from which are reported herein. On 30 November 2010, 8 persons ate sashimi of the meat of a wild boar. Then, 2-3 weeks later, they complained of myalgia and fever. Unfortunately, muscle biopsy was not performed, but ELISA was performed using their sera. Two people among 8 were positive for Trichinella on the 34th day post-infection (PI), and 3 patients who initially revealed negative ELISA were additionally proved to be positive for trichinosis on the 42nd day PI. Hence, the confirmed patients of trichinosis were 5 in total in the present outbreak. They were treated with albendazole and discharged uneventfully. This was the fifth outbreak of trichinosis in Korea.
Adult ; Albendazole/therapeutic use ; Animals ; Anthelmintics/therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Disease Outbreaks/*veterinary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Foodborne Diseases/drug therapy/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Humans ; Male ; Meat/*parasitology ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Sus scrofa/parasitology ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/parasitology/transmission ; Treatment Outcome ; Trichinella/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Trichinellosis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*epidemiology ; Zoonoses

OBJECTIVE: 1) To compare prolactin responses to (and related clinical manifestations of) haloperidol, risperidone, and other atypical antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, zotepine) with data from previous reports. 2) To investigate the association between changes in serum prolactin levels after the administration of antipsychotics and 44-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in 5-HT transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in Korean schizophrenics. METHODS: The subjects were 136 patients diagnosed schizophrenic according to the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia who had taken antipsychotics for at least 3 months. The 136 patients consisted of the following 82 taking haloperidol (48 males and 34 females), 25 taking risperidone (14 males and 11 females), and 29 taking other atypical antipsychotics (18 males and 11 females). We measured serum prolactin concentrations by radioimmunoassay and investigated the clinical manifestations. We examined the genotype distribution and allele frequency of the 5-HTTLPR in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction of genomic DNA with primers flanking the promoter regions of the 5-HTT gene. Chi-square test, ANOVA and tukey test were used for statistical analysis with SAS 8.1 and p values of 0.05 or less were regarded as significant difference. RESULTS: Serum prolactin levels of patients taking haloperidol and risperidone were significantly higher than those taking other atypical antipsychotics (p<0.05). Females showed significantly higher prolactin levels than males (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the genotype distribution and allele frequency of 5-HTTLPR among groups taking haloperidol, risperidone, and other atypicals. There was also no significant difference in genotype distribution and allele frequency of 5-HTTLPR between male and female schizophrenic patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there was no association between serum prolactin levels after the administration of antipsychotics and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in Korean schizophrenics.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; DNA ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Prolactin* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Radioimmunoassay ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Serotonin*