No abstract available.
Immobilization* ; Rib Fractures* ; Ribs*

No abstract available in English.
Talus

No abstract available.
Blood Transfusion, Autologous*

PURPOSE: Many investigators suggested that changes in hormonal environment in the postmenopausal women functionally or histologically effect the clitoris and vagina. We investigated the mechanism of female se xual dysfunction occurring in the decreased hormonal status, and aimed to establish and experimental base for the hormone replacement in postmenopausal women to correct sexual dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty mature female New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups; control group, oophorectomy group, estrogen replacement group after oophorectomy. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and the degree of expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS), collagen content in clitoral tissues were analysed. RESULTS: nNOS and eNOS were significantly increased in the oohporectomized group while decreased in the estrogen replacement group (p<0.01). NOS activity showed the similar pattern of change (p<0.05). Oophorectomy induced a significant increase in collagen content, while the ratio of smooth muscle content was increased significantly after the estrogen replacement (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen deficiency induces collagen synthesis and decreases the content of smooth muscle in clitoris, resulting in a structural relaxation difficulty. We believe that NOS becomes more active to improve the relaxation difficulty and that hormone replacement helps to restore the normal state of smooth muscle relaxation. Considering these findings, we suggest that estrogen down-regulates NOS and its activity.
Clitoris* ; Collagen ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Ovariectomy ; Rabbits ; Relaxation ; Research Personnel ; Vagina

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), also known as vascular permeability factor(VPF), is an angiogenic factor that plays important roles in tumor growth. Angiogenesis studies on VEGF deal with various types of malignant tumors, but little is known about the role or significance of VEGF in human thyroid neoplasms. Therefore, this study was performed to determine whether the VEGF expression in different histological types of thyroid tumors is altered and to see if there was a relationship between the expression of VEGF and either metastasis or the invasiveness of thyroid carcinomas. METHODS: Forty-two cases that underwent thyroidectomy at Kosin Medical Center, between March, 1999 and February, 2000, were included in this study. Of the 42 cases, 27 were malignant(26 papillary carcinoma, 1 Hurthle cell carcinoma) and 15 were benign lesions. The expression of VEGF was determined by immunohistochemistry using paraffin embedded thyroid tissue blocks, and was quantified as negative(absent), +(1~24%), ++(25~49%), +++(50~74%) and ++++(> or =75%), according to the extent of positive cells. RESULTS: VEGF was stained with red-brown colored granules in the cytoplasm of the thyroid tumor epithelium and was expressed in 27 of the 42 cases(+1, ++8, +++5, ++++13). Most malignant tumors(24 of 27 cases) were stained with VEGF, but only 3 of the 15 benign tumors cases were stained(P<0.001). When the VEGF expression was divided into ++ or below and +++ or above groups, the expression of VEGF was much more extensive in the malignant than benign tumors(P<0.001). Of the 27 malignant tumors cases, lymph node metastasis and/or invasion was noted in 13. VEGF expression was more extensive in malignant tumors with lymph node metastasis and/or invasion than in those without(P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, the rate and extent of VEGF expression were greater in the malignant than the benign thyroid tumors, and also the extent of VEGF expression was the extent of VEGF greater in the malignant tumors with lymph node metastasis and/or invasion than those without
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Capillary Permeability ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraffin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

This paper presents the results of a survey for the causes of sensori-neural hearing impairment in Korea. The subjects were 1,676 children of total 2,928 enrolled in 16 Deaf Schools; two schools in each area of Seoul, busan, Kyoungbook, Kyoungna, Kyounggi and Chunbug, and each one in Chungnam, Chungbug, Chunnam and Jaeju. The data were collected by questionnaire with 28 items distributed to their parents. The filling in the check lists were performed by their class teacher, interviewer, for 18 months from September, 1975 to February, 1976. The questionable or missed problems were reaffirmed. The results obtained were as follows. Most of the reasons, 78.5% were acquired characters that could be developed during pregnant period, the time of delivery and the time of after birth. The pure hereditary reasons except the cases complexed with one or two were only 11.3%. Those who could not be defined with any reasons were 10.2%. Among the acquired causes, 5.8% of total subjects were developed for pregnance; 3.3%, during delivery; and 69.7%, after birth. In the pregnant period, the drug intoxications were 2.4% of total subjects, several diseases such as influenza, bleeding, surgical operation, venereal disease and rubella etc. were about one percent, and the accompanied with some symptoms of pregnancy intoxication and traumatic events were 2.4%. During time, the cases with delayed rhythmical pain were 16 persons, the immaturities were 11, the asphyxial cases were nine, the errors of forceps delivery were seven, the cases of low body weight inspite of full term were our, the cases with cesarian section were three, the head injuries were two, and the accompanied with three kinds of above reasons were three. During after birth, the cases with acute communicable diseases were 35.4% of total subjects, the fever unknown origin were 16.1%, the chronic otitis media were 3.7%, the meningitis were 3.5%, the gastric and nutritional diseases were 3.5%, the drug intoxications were 4.8%, the blood diseases were 0.3% and the other causes were 2.2%. Here by acute communicable diseases, some importances were measle, 10.1% of total subjects; meningitis, 7.3%; convulsion with some reasons, 4.9%; poliomyelitis. 3.2%; encephalitis, 2.4%; and mumps, rubella, pertusis, scarlet fever, and small pox were somewhat played a role in. Among 59 cases with brain diseases, 53 were concussion by the accidents, such as traffic and falling or sliping down etc., the cerebral paralysis and hydrocephalus were two, respectively. And the blood diseases were severe newjaundice in all five cases. If we were summarized with the above mentioned, most of the hearing impairments were introduced by the combined reasons with familial or hereditary factors and the acquired, than by a simple disease. Among the congenital or hereditary hearing impairments classified to now a day, we suppose that the many cases with the acquired causes during pregnancy, delivery and after birth were complexed. Subsequently, the maternal and child health should be more and more developed in our country, also.
Body Weight ; Brain Diseases ; Busan ; Child Health ; Child* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Communicable Diseases ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Encephalitis ; Fever ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Hematologic Diseases ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Mumps ; Otitis Media ; Paralysis ; Parents ; Parturition ; Poliomyelitis ; Pregnancy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rubella ; Scarlet Fever ; Seizures ; Seoul ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Surgical Instruments

Echinococcal cyst is a rare disease in Korea. A 33 year old man who had lower abdominal discomfort for 4 months, and multiple cysts in intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal cavity on abdominal CT. scan. On abdominal exploration, the multiple were diagnosed for Echinococcal cyst. Thin case is the first documented case of multiple Echinococcal cysts among Koreans reported in the literature.
Adult ; Humans ; Korea ; Rare Diseases ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We tried to find out any differences between initial characteristics of androgen receptors and of relapse after castration in 6 stage D2 prostatic cancer (mean age, 68.7+/-4.6) (Gleason score 5, 8, 9 ; 1,3, 2 patients respectively), with immunohistochemical expression using the mouse monoclonal antibody against human androgen receptor. The prostate specimens were obtained by either transrectal needle biopsy or transurethral resection at the time of initial diagnosis and of relapse following castration. The age matched 6 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) specimens were used as control. 200 cancer cells were chosen and staining intensity of each nuclei was graded (O-absent, +1-weak, +2-moderate, +3-strong) from randomly selected and photographed from 10 different fields of each specimen. The means of staining intensity of nuclei from BPH and prostatic cancer before treatment were 1.93+/-0.03 and 1.59+/-0.03 respectively (p<0.05). At the time of relapse after bilateral orchiectomy (mean, 24.5+/-5.0 months), the mean staining intensity of nuclei of all cancer patients (1.38+/-0.03) was significantly different from that of before treatment (p<0.05). But in individual comparison, we could find the decrement in only 2 patients. The intervals of relapse from castration of these two patients (29 and 32 months) were longer than the mean of 6 patients. In conclusion, androgen receptors are still expressed significantly after castration in prostatic cancer. In some patients (2/6), castration down regulates the expression of androgen receptors and the down regulation closely correlated with the relapse time."
Animals ; Biopsy, Needle ; Castration* ; Diagnosis ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Orchiectomy ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Receptors, Androgen* ; Recurrence

Calcium plays a critical role in neuromuscular excitement and other cellular functions. Therefore, extracellular calcium concentration is maintained within a very narrow range through interaction of calcium regulating hormones such as parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and vitamin D. Thus, symptomatic severe hypercalcemia has rarely occurred in a clinical situation, particularly in patients with hypoparathyroidism. In general, a large amount of calcium and vitamin D should be supplied in order to avoid hypocalcemia in hypoparathyroid patients. A 63-year old female patient was admitted suffering from nausea, vomiting, and weakness for two weeks. She had a history of total thyroidectomy and subsequent permanent hypoparathyroidism and long-term calcium and vitamin D supplementation. For over 10 years she had not changed her daily amount of calcium and vitamin D intake. Her initial serum calcium was 17.5 mg/dL, creatinine was 2.57 mg/dL, and total CO2 was 33.1 meq/L. After thorough examination, we concluded that milk-alkali syndrome was the cause of severe hypercalcemia. Therefore, special pay attention should be paid to aged patients on calcium supplementation in situations of increased risk of dehydration and renal insufficiency, even though the usual amount of calcium intake was unchanged for several years.
Calcitonin ; Calcium* ; Creatinine ; Dehydration ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia* ; Hypocalcemia ; Hypoparathyroidism* ; Nausea ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Renal Insufficiency ; Thyroidectomy ; Vitamin D ; Vomiting

Many cases of RET proto-oncogene mutations of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) have been reported in Korea. However, MTC with V804M RET proto-oncogene germline mutations have not been reported in Korea. A 33-yr-old man was diagnosed with a 0.7-cm sized thyroid nodule. Laboratory testing revealed serum calcitonin was elevated. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with central compartment neck dissection for the thyroid tumor. RET gene analysis was performed in both the index patient and his family. There were no V804M RET mutation and abnormal laboratory findings within his family except the index patient. Therefore, this patient was a de novo V804M RET germline mutation.
Adult ; Calcitonin/blood ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Humans ; Male ; Pedigree ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*diagnosis/genetics/ultrasonography ; Thyroidectomy