BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is a relatively common dermatological disease and there have been several reports on the epidemiological study of herpes zoster in Korea. However there has not been any report on the epidemiology of herpes zoster in Chuncheon and the Northern Kangwon Province. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Chuncheon and the Northern Kangwon Province. METHODS: The authors evaluated about 461 cases of herpes zoster with retrospective methods with regard to annual, monthly and seasonal incidences, age, sex ratio, associated conditions, anatomical distribution and complications at the department of dermatology in Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University during a 3-Year-Period from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1996. RESULTS: The annual incidence of herpes zoster in new patients from our dermatology clinic ranged from 4.3% to 4.8%(mean 4.5%), and the ratio of male to female was 1:1.12. The peak incidence of monthly and seasonal analysis was in December and in the Fall. The majority of cases occurred most frequently over the 6th decade. The most common anatomical distribution of herpes zoster inpatients(211 cases) was thoracic dermatome(52.9%), followed by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve(17.0%), cervical(13.6%), lumbar(6.3%), sacral(4.4%), maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve(3.9%) and two different dermatomes (2.8%). Associated conditions of herpes zoster inpatients(211 cases) were observed in 108 patients (51.2%); hypertension(31.9%), gastritis(15.1%), diabetes mellitus(11.8%), hepatitis(9.2%), malignancy (8.4%), tuberculosis(4.2%), and so on. The complications including postherpetic neuralgia were observed in 58 patients(27.5%) and were common after the age of 50 years. The rnost common complication of herpes zoster inpatients(211 cases) was postherpetic neuralgia(14.7%), followed by ophthalmologic complications(8.1%), secondary bacterial infections(1.4%), neurogenic bladder(1.4%), otologic complications(0.9%), and so on. CONCLUSION: Most of the other results of our study were similar in comparison with reports from other regions in Korea, except for a higher annual incidence and significant differences in the monthly incidence. These differences reflected the regional characteristics of medical service delivery systems in Chuncheon and the Northern Kangwon Province.
Dermatology ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gangwon-do* ; Heart ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Sex Ratio

PURPOSE: There have been numerous retrospective and uncontrolled study of laparoscopic appendectomy. Although most of these have concluded that the laparoscopic appendectomy is at least as good as open appendectomy, there has been considerable controversy as to whether laparoscopic appendectomy is superior. METHODS: We performed total 47 cases of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) during one year from January 1997 to December 1997 and these were compared with 50 cases of open appendectomy (OA) in same period to assess the clinical usefulness. RESULTS: The sex, male to female ratio and severity of appendicitis were similar in both groups. The anesthetic time was longer in the LA group (P<0.05) but operative time was similar. Gas-passing time and diet-intake time in postoperative period were earlier in LA group (P<0.05). The LA group required less analgesics in postoperative period. In LA group, no case was converted to open appendectomy and overall complication rate was lower in LA group but this was not statistically significant. Among the postoperative complication, the wound infection rate was absolutely lower in LA group (P<0.05). The diagnostic rate for acute abdomen including acute appendicitis was superior in LA group, especially in reproductive women. The hospital stay was shorter in LA group (P<0.05) and hospital charges was not different in both group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendectomy offers considerable advantages over open appendectomy because this has ability to reduce postoperative complications and shorten recovery times and is useful for detecting the cause of acute abdomen other than acute appendicitis. So we expect this technique will be alternative operation or new standard operation in selected cases for suggestive acute appendicitis.
Abdomen, Acute ; Analgesics ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Female ; Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Wound Infection

Lichen nitidus is an uncommon chronic dermatosis characterized by its typical clinical and histopathologic findings and has rarely been described in association with other diseases. We observed a patient with an association of lichen nitidus and molluscum contagiosum, which to the best of our knowledge has not been previously reported in the literature. It remains to be further studied about a possible pathogenesis of lichen nitidus secondary to some viral infections such as molluscum contagiosum, etc.
Humans ; Lichen Nitidus* ; Lichens* ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Skin Diseases

The multiple lentigines syndrome or LEOPARD syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder with a variety of abnormalities and a familial occurrence. This syndrome is characterized by the presence of numerous dark brown macules on the skin but not the mucous surface, and by a marked increase in the number of lentigines from birth to puberty. The eponym LEOPARD stands for lentigines, EKG abnormalities, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonary stenosis, abnormalities of the genitalia, retardation of growth and deafness. We report a case of multiple lentigines syndrome in 7-year-old boy. He had numerous pinhead to pea sized, dark brownish macules scattered on the entire body and also had pulmonary stenosis, EKG abnormality, ocular hypertelorism and right exotropia. Interestingly, he also had a labial melanotic macule on the lower lip, which is usually spared in the multiple lentigines syndrome. Histologically, the biopsy specimen taken from the macule revealed an elongation of rete ridges, an increase of melanin pigments in the basal layer and mild inflammatory infiltrates intermingled with the melanophages in the upper dermis.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Child ; Deafness ; Dermis ; Electrocardiography ; Eponyms ; Exotropia ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Lentigo ; LEOPARD Syndrome* ; Lip ; Male ; Melanins ; Panthera ; Parturition ; Peas ; Puberty ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Skin

The management of supracondylar fractures of the femur remains controversial. Most studies over the past twenty years have attempted to compare the results of non-surgical with those of surgical methods. Until a few years ago, conservative treatment was considered superior to internal fixation of supracondylar fractures of the femur. However, the development of new fixation devices and techniques have, according to several investigations, improved the results of the treatment of these fractures. The following clinical results were shown by analysis of 96 cases of supracondylar fractures of the femur treated in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yonsei University, College of Medicine during the past 10 years from Jan. 1971 to Dec. 1980. 1. The prevalent age distribution was between 21 and 50 years of age (79.1%), and the ratio between males and females was 3.4:1. The most common cause of injury was car accidents (51.0%). 2. A classification of supracondylar fractures was unicondylar, simple supracondylar and intercondylar. Intercondylar which was subdivided into Type I, II-A, II-B, III according to Neer's classification. 3. Fifty nine patients (61.4%) were associated with injuries of other parts and the most frequent associated fracture was tibial fracture and the most common associated soft tissue injury was cerebral concussion or contusion. 4. The methods of treatment: conservative management by using skeletal traction for 34 cases, surgical treatment by open reduction and internal fixation for 58 cases and A-K amputation for 4 cases due to populiteral artery injury. 5. Fifty nine cases were suitable for result analysis. The satisfactory result of surgical treatment was 63.4% and conservative treatment was 50.0% respectively. The factors affecting the final results were Type of fracture, severity of injury, and rigid internal fixation. 6. The main complications of the supracondylar fractures of the femur were delayed union (10.2%), infection (10.2%), and traumatic arthritis (13.3%). 7. Finally, the results of treatment depend largely on anatomical reduction, rigid fixation, early joint motion.
Age Distribution ; Amputation ; Arteries ; Arthritis ; Brain Concussion ; Classification ; Clinical Study ; Contusions ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tibial Fractures ; Traction

Authors treated 86 cases of patella fracture during 3 year period from June 1989 to March 1992 at the Dept. of Orthopaedic surgery, Soonchunhyang University. Forty cases of patella fracture showed hypertrophy of longitudinal and transverse diameter of patella during follow-up which were checked by simple radiographs. Completely documented cases were only forty-six, which were followed more than a year and preop. and postop. and final follow-up radiographs were reviewed. Authors measured longitudinal and transverse diameter of patella using preop. and postop and final simple radiographs to observe the morphological changes of patella after treatemnt. The purpose of this paper is to observe. 1. How much the patella was hypertrophied. 2. What kind of factors influence the hypertrophy of the patella, 3. What is the clinical correlation between the hypertrophy of patella and the clinical outcome. The results were as follows 1. Average hypertrophy of longitudinal and transverse diameter were 1.0±2.3mm and 2.5±1.2mm respectively. 2. Only fracture type(simple. vs comminuted.) was significantly related with the changes of longitudinal and transverse diameter of patella(p < 0.1), Other factors(cast immobilization period, operation method and age) show no significant relationship statistically(p>0. 5). And there is no relationship between longitudinal and transverse diameter statistically(p>0.4). 3. Those who showed change of longitudinal diameter between 0-10mm had good knee joint motion(99°±2). But those who showed shortening or lengthening over 10mm of longitudinal diameter had poor knee joint motion(37°±3, 60°±8 respectively). And change of transverse diameter was not related with the clinical result (p>0. 7).
Clinical Study ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hypertrophy ; Immobilization ; Knee Joint ; Methods ; Patella

Twenty-seven consecutive patients who had post-traumatic stiffness of the elbow were treated by operative soft tissue release or by soft tissue release and distraction arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to describe the method of operation and postoperative management and to evaluate the results in the patients who had operative treatment for the post-traumatic stiffness of the elbow. The type of operative procedure was determined by whether the factors limiting motion were extra-articular (extrinsic) or intra-articular (intrinsic) and by pre-operative radiographic evaluation. The soft tissue release was performed by staged adhesiolysis through lateral or combined lateral and medial approaches. And if the factors limiting motion included a severe intraarticular lesions, distraction arthroplasty using the Judet or Oganesian apparatus was added to soft tissue release. The mean pre-operative arc of active motion was 42 degrees. At follow-up examination, nineteen to sixty-six months postoperatively, the mean post-operative arc of active motion was 103 degrees. There were nine complications (33 percent) in twenty-seven patients. All of them was transient ulnar nerve paresthesia. And we analysed the final results with Mayo elbow performance index for the evaluation of clinical outcome. Twenty-five (93%) of twenty-seven patients had satisfactory result according to Mayo elbow performance index. We conclude arthrolysis with or without distraction arthroplasty is useful for the treatment of posttraumatic elbow stiffness. However, the accurate anatomical knowledge, operative skill, and careful postoperative rehabilitation program were needed in the operative treatment of post-traumatic elbow stiffness.
Arthroplasty ; Elbow* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Paresthesia ; Rehabilitation ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Ulnar Nerve

No abstract available.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Lymphoma*

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and associated repair integrity in patients treated with arthroscopic repair for a transtendinous rotator cuff tear followed by resection of the remnant rotator cuff tendon. METHODS: Between July 2007 and July 2011, we retrospectively reviewed patients who were treated for transtendinous full-thickness tears in the tendinous portion of the rotator cuff by arthroscopic repair. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the Shoulder Rating Scale of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the Constant-Murley score, a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, and range of motion (ROM). The repair integrity was determined by magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasonography. RESULTS: There were 19 shoulders with transtendinous full-thickness tears in the tendinous portion of the rotator cuff. The ASES, UCLA, Constant-Murley, and VAS pain scores showed significant improvements in function and symptoms (all p<0.001). The active ROM for forward flexion and abduction was also significantly improved (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). The postoperative radiological examination showed cuff integrity without a re-tear in 68.4% of patients. However, the UCLA, ASES, and Constant-Murley scores were not significantly different between healed and re-torn group (p=0.530, p=0.885, and p=0.262, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although repair of transtendinous rotator cuff tears followed by resection of the remnant rotator cuff tendon in the footprint has a relatively high re-tear rate, no significant difference was observed in the short-term clinical results between the re-tear and healed groups.
Arthroscopy ; California ; Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Surgeons ; Tears* ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography

It has been postulated that environmental factors, such as mechanical and sun injury, psychological stress, drugs, and infection, may play an important part in the development of psoriasis. The clinical picture and course in certain psoriatic patients, particularly in the palmo-plantar psoriasis and inverse or flexural psoriasis, may suggest involvement of an underlying trigger in the form of an irritant or a contact allergen. We report a case of flexural psoriasis in a 15-year-old man who had whitish scaly patches on the erythematous base on the inner aspects of the thighs and the buttocks including the inguinal areas and the perianal areas. The skin lesions had developed two days after wearing a diving suit overnight. The histopathological features were typical for psoriasis. The positive material by Korean standard patch test was p-phenylenediamine, i.e the ingredients of a diving suit. Therefore, our case strongly suggests involvement of an underlying trigger in the form of a contact allergen.
Adolescent ; Buttocks ; Diving* ; Humans ; Patch Tests ; Psoriasis* ; Skin ; Solar System ; Stress, Psychological ; Thigh