STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: In spite of the progress in techniques and materials in complete denture prosthodontics, patients still complain of discomfort after the insertion of complete dentures. For the last several decades many prosthodontists tried to find factors influencing patient complete denture satisfaction, however the reported results became a controversy. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to verify the factors influencing patient satisfaction with complete dentures using multiple regression analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 patients who visited the department of prosthodontics, dental hospital of Yonsei University, 4 to 6 weeks after the complete denture delivery, were asked to complete the questionnaires on complete denture satisfaction, social variables and psychological variables. The Prosthodontists who treated the patients with complete dentures were also asked to complete the questionnaires on evaluation of patients' oral condition and technical quality of dentures. The factors influencing patients' satisfaction with their complete dentures were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the patients' sociodemographic variables, the variables of relationship with children, economic status, housing condition, other people's opinions of dentures and gender were the influential factors on patients' satisfaction with complete dentures. Patients showing the symptoms of depression, one of the psychological variables, were dissatisfied with their complete dentures. In spite of the good oral condition, patients were dissatisfied with complete dentures, whereas the technical quality of dentures did not influence patients' complete denture satisfaction. CONCLUSION: According to the results above, patients' sociodemographic and psychological variables rather than clinical variables including oral condition and technical quality of dentures were the influential factors on complete denture satisfaction. The results of this study may not only enable prosthodontists to predict the success and failure of complete denture treatment, but also help both prosthodontists and patients be informed of the essentials of increasing satisfaction with complete dentures.
Child ; Denture, Complete* ; Dentures ; Depression ; Housing ; Humans ; Patient Satisfaction* ; Prosthodontics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective: To investigate the effect of latanoprost in IOP after laser iridectomy or filtering surgery Methodology: Patients of chronic angle closure glaucoma post laser iridectomy or filtering surgery were given latanoprost 0.005 percent eye drop in the evening for 2-6 weeks after a washout period ranging from 5 days - 28 days. IOP was measured at 9:00 a. m., 1:00 p.m. and 5: 00 p.m. per patient using a calibrated goldmann applanation tonometer Results: 29 patients were enrolled in study. There was a significant reduction in IOP among these patients Conclusion: Latanoprost 0.005 percent provides a significant reduction in IOP among patients with residual angle closure after laser iridectomy or filtering surgery. (Author)
Human ; Male ; Female ; LATANOPROST ; INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE/DRUG EFFECTS ; GLAUCOMA, ANGLE-CLOSURE ; GLAUCOMA, ANGLE-CLOSURE/DRUG THERAPY ; HUMANS ; MALE ; FEMALE ;

Over the past three decades, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been rapidly increasing in the African, South American, and Asian countries, including Korea. However, in Korea, the public awareness of IBD remains low, and diagnostic delay is not uncommon due to the physicians' lack of clinical experience. It is essential to understand the trends and regional differences in the epidemiology of IBD for proper diagnosis and treatment.Current Concepts: Although lower than those of the West, the prevalence and incidence of IBD in Korea rank among the highest in Asia and are steadily increasing. In the past 10 years, the prevalence of IBD has almost doubled, while its incidence has decreased gradually. As compared to Western IBD patients, Korean patients have higher proportion of proctitis in ulcerative colitis, male predominance, more ileocolonic involvement, and higher incidence of perianal fistula in Crohn disease. There is no single gold standard for the diagnosis of IBD. Thus, diagnosis can be made by clinical evaluation, including a detailed history taking, physical examination, and a combination of endoscopic, radiologic, laboratory, and histologic findings.Discussion and Conclusion: Population-based studies have revealed the current trends and characteristics of the epidemiology of IBD in Korea. Continued education and development of diagnostic tools will help clinicians to diagnose IBD accurately and differentiate it from other diseases such as intestinal tuberculosis.

Over the past three decades, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been rapidly increasing in the African, South American, and Asian countries, including Korea. However, in Korea, the public awareness of IBD remains low, and diagnostic delay is not uncommon due to the physicians' lack of clinical experience. It is essential to understand the trends and regional differences in the epidemiology of IBD for proper diagnosis and treatment.Current Concepts: Although lower than those of the West, the prevalence and incidence of IBD in Korea rank among the highest in Asia and are steadily increasing. In the past 10 years, the prevalence of IBD has almost doubled, while its incidence has decreased gradually. As compared to Western IBD patients, Korean patients have higher proportion of proctitis in ulcerative colitis, male predominance, more ileocolonic involvement, and higher incidence of perianal fistula in Crohn disease. There is no single gold standard for the diagnosis of IBD. Thus, diagnosis can be made by clinical evaluation, including a detailed history taking, physical examination, and a combination of endoscopic, radiologic, laboratory, and histologic findings.Discussion and Conclusion: Population-based studies have revealed the current trends and characteristics of the epidemiology of IBD in Korea. Continued education and development of diagnostic tools will help clinicians to diagnose IBD accurately and differentiate it from other diseases such as intestinal tuberculosis.

Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (cystitis) is the most common bacterial infection among women visiting primary care clinics, and approximately 50% experience recurrence. Recurrent cystitis represents a substantial burden on the patients’ quality of life, healthcare costs, and antibiotics overuse.Current Concepts: Symptoms remain the cornerstone of cystitis diagnosis, and urine culture is necessary if recurrent cystitis is suspected. Antibiotics (typically nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin) are the first-line treatment. Based on the resistance data, cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate are the second-line treatment recommendations. Fluoroquinolones are not the first-line options because of safety concerns and rising resistance rates. In considering patients with recurrent cystitis, it is important to assess the patient’s risk factors. Postmenopausal women may present differently and require different diagnostic and treatment approaches from that of younger women. Non-antimicrobial approaches to prevent recurrent cystitis are preferred due to tolerability, safety, antimicrobial resistance concerns, and patient choice. Oral immunostimulant is effective for any age, and vaginal estrogen therapy is additionally recommended in postmenopausal women. Self-start and post-coital antibiotic therapy and non-antimicrobial prophylaxis may be combined. Low-dose continuous antibiotic therapy may be considered for women in whom other regimens fail.Discussion and Conclusion: To improve the quality of life and medical care of women, closing the gap between the physicians’ perceptions and patients’ needs is necessary. Furthermore, various preventive therapies for recurrent cystitis should be fully utilized.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and outcome of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) compared with ureteroscopy (URS) in the treatment of lower ureteric calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of patients treated primarily by SWL and URS were analysed retrospectively. Treatment with SWL included 198 patients (103 men and 95 women). All patients received 2500-3000 shocks waves at a mean energy setting of 16-20kV. URS was used in 194 patients (91 men and 103 women), with 7Fr, 8Fr, 9.5Fr rigid Storz ureteroscope. All ureteroscopies were performed with the patient under general or spinal anesthesia. The outcome was assessed by stone-free rates, retreatment rates, auxiliary treatment, Efficiency quotient (EQ), complications. RESULTS: SWL and URS for lower ureteric calculi resulted in a success rate 75.3% and 95.8%, respectively. Including the number of auxiliary procedures, we calculated the Efficiency Quotient (EQ) as 66.6 for SWL and 72.3 for URS. The mean treatment time for SWL was 30 minutes and for URS 38.1 minutes. General anesthesia was more frequently needed in URS patients. Complications occurred more often in the URS group. These were mostly mild, and all could be treated with a double-J stent, antibiotics, or analgesics. A lower stone-free rate was achieved in patients with larger(> OR = 10mm) stones (56.9% vs 82.9%) for smaller stones (<10mm) in the SWL group and 90.0% vs 97.9% for smaller stones in the URS group. Compared with SWL, URS was more time consuming; entailed placement of a ureteral stent and more often led to hospitalization. On the other hand, stone clearance was rapid after URS. CONCLUSIONS: The stone-free rate after URS is much higher than after SWL. Our study demonstrates that URS is highly effective treatment option for lower ureteral stones.
Analgesics ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Calculi ; Hand ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Lithotripsy* ; Male ; Retreatment ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock ; Stents ; Ureter* ; Ureteroscopes ; Ureteroscopy*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the electric-acoustic interactions within the inferior colliculus of guinea pigs and to observe how central masking appears in invasive neural recordings of the inferior colliculus (IC). METHODS: A platinum-iridium wire was inserted to scala tympani through cochleostomy with a depth no greater than 1 mm for intracochlear stimulation of electric pulse train. A 5 mm 100 microm, single-shank, thin-film, penetrating recording probe was inserted perpendicularly to the surface of the IC in the coronal plane at an angle of 30-40degrees off the parasagittal plane with a depth of 2.0-2.5 mm. The peripheral and central masking effects were compared using electric pulse trains to the left ear and acoustic noise to the left ear (ipsilateral) and to the right ear (contralateral). Binaural acoustic stimuli were presented with different time delays and compared with combined electric and acoustic stimuli. The averaged evoked potentials and total spike numbers were measured using thin-film electrodes inserted into the central nucleus of the IC. RESULTS: Ipsilateral noise had more obvious effects on the electric response than did contralateral noise. Contralateral noise decreased slightly the response amplitude to the electric pulse train stimuli. Immediately after the onset of acoustic noise, the response pattern changed transiently with shorter response intervals. The effects of contralateral noise were evident at the beginning of the continuous noise. The total spike number decreased when the binaural stimuli reached the IC most simultaneously. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that central masking is quite different from peripheral masking and occurs within the binaural auditory system, and this study showed that the effect of masking could be observed in the IC recording. These effects are more evident and consistent with the psychophysical data from spike number analyses than with the previously reported gross potential data.
Acoustics ; Animals ; Ear ; Electrodes ; Evoked Potentials ; Guinea ; Guinea Pigs ; Inferior Colliculi ; Masks ; Noise ; Scala Tympani

The effects of an intracranial aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are devastating. Therefore thorough consideration for pathophysiology of SAH is fundamental step of vascular neurosurgeon. The cigarette smoking and hypertension are well-known risk factors of its growing and rupture. Medial defect and disruption of internal elastic lamina are prerequisite of initial budging of aneurysm formation. Many laboratory and simulatory experiments confirmed these pathologic and hemodynamic causes of aneurysm evolution. Some hydrodynamic studies contributed to understanding of commonly encountered various characteristics of aneurysm. After ictal bleeding, suddenly increased intracranial pressure elicit marked decrease of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) and these events decide on the grade of neurologic state. In case of SAH of young age, in is beneficial to rule out familial type. In this modern genetic engineering age, the significance of molecular and genetic approach of aneurysm is gathering strength.
Aneurysm* ; Genetic Engineering ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Hydrodynamics ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Intracranial Pressure ; Oxygen ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Smoking ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage*

The wrist joint is formed by the distal end of the radius and ulna proximally, and eight carpal bones distally. It has many ligaments to maintain stability of the complex bony structures. The incidence of ligament injuries of the wrist has increased due to sports activities. However, diagnosis and management of these injuries are sometimes difficult because of the anatomic complexity and variable injury patterns. Among them, scapholunate ligament injury and triangular fibrocartilage tears are the two most common injuries resulting in chronic disabling wrist pain. Thorough understanding of the wrist anatomy and physical and radiologic examination is mandatory for proper diagnosis and management of these conditions. This article will briefly discuss the wrist joint anatomy and biomechanics, and review the diagnosis and management of the scapholunate ligament injury and triangular fibrocartilage injury.
Carpal Bones ; Diagnosis* ; Incidence ; Ligaments* ; Radius ; Sports ; Tears ; Triangular Fibrocartilage ; Ulna ; Wrist Joint ; Wrist*