PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of balloon catheter dilatation in the treatment of esophageal achalasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients(three males and four females) with esopha-geal achalasia were treated with balloon catheter dilatation. Balloon catheters of variable sizes were used depending on patient's conditions. The patients were followed up over a period of 12-39months. RESULTS: Balloon catheter dilatation in esophageal achalasia was successful in all patients without esophageal perforation. All patients were relieved from dysphagia. Recurrence was not found in 5 patients on long term follow-up study, but was seen in 2 patients after 18 and 21 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Balloon catheter dilatation was a safe and effective method in the treatment of esophageal achalasia with low recurrence rate of 29% on follow-up study.
Catheters* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dilatation* ; Esophageal Achalasia* ; Esophageal Perforation ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: To evaluate the health status of institutionalized handicapped children, a general health assessment was done in an asylum in Taegu in May 1998. METHODS: Body measurements, including height, weight, head circumference, skin fold thickness and mid-arm circumference, were done with physical examination on 53 children. Blood tests and chest radiography were done, and fat impedance was measured. RESULTS: Of the 53 children, height, weight and head circumference were below the third percentile in 37(69.8%), 35(66%) and 28(52.8%) children, respectively. Body mass index, skin fold thickness and mid-arm circumference were below the third percentiles in 77.3, 50.9% and 56.6% of the children, respectively. Although serum protein levels were within normal range, anemia was detected in 31 children(58.5%). Two children showed interstitial pneumonia on chest radiograms. And HBsAg was detected in three but their liver enzymes were within normal limits. CONCLUSION: Due to the poor nutritional status of handicapped children in the asylum, the prevalence of anemia was high. Evaluation of the nutritional status and hemoglobin measurernent must be included in the routine health assessment of these children.
Anemia ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Daegu ; Disabled Children ; Disabled Persons* ; Electric Impedance ; Head ; Hematologic Tests ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Nutritional Status ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Radiography ; Reference Values ; Skin ; Thorax

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

Primary small cell carcinoma of the salivary gland is a rare neoplasm that accounts for approximately 1.8% of all primary major salivary gland malignancies. Because of its rarity, it is difficult to diagnose small cell carcinoma of the parotid gland by fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC). We experienced a case of primary small cell carcinoma of the parotid gland in a 72-year-old woman who presented with two palpable masses of the left infraauricular and ocular regions of two to three month's duration, respectively. Aspirate smears from the left infraauricular area were highly cellular on necrotic and lymphocytic background and showed individually dispersed cells or three-dimensional clusters of small cells. The tumor cells were round to oval with a very high nucleocytoplasmic ratio. Nuclei were about two times the size of lymphocytes and had uniformly dispersed but hyperchromatic to pyknotic chromatin. Nucleoli were occasionally visible but were generally inconspicuous. Numerous mitotic figures were detected. The clusters of these small tumor cells exhibited angular nuclear molding, irregular nuclear outlines, and occasionally rosette like arrangement. The tumor was confirmed by histology and immunohistochemistry.
Aged ; Animals ; Benzodiazepines* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Chromatin ; Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immobilization* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphocytes ; Parotid Gland ; Rats* ; Receptors, GABA-A* ; Salivary Glands ; Thyroid Gland

The cytologic findings in fine needle aspiration of a case of myxoid liposarcoma of the mediastinum are described. The smear and cell block of the aspirate revealed solid clusters with background of amorphous material and scattered single tumor cells. The clusters were moderately cellular and consisted of atypical lipoblasts in varying stages of differentiation and delicate plexiform capillaries. Good correlation was found between the histologic and cytologic findings in the fine needle aspirates. The differential diagnosis between myxoid liposarcoma and other myxoid soft tissue tumors is discussed,
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Capillaries ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Liposarcoma, Myxoid ; Mediastinum ; Needles ; Neural Tube Defects* ; Urological Manifestations*

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Female ; Iron* ; Meconium* ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

No abstract available.
Infection Control*

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Primary Health Care*

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine the correlation between the amount of pain reduction after local anesthetic injection into the subacromial space preoperatively and clinical outcome after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. METHODS: A total of 127 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and followed up at least 1 year were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperatively, a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was measured in all patients before and after the ultrasound guided impingement test. The participants were divied into four groups according to pain reduntion ater impingement test (Group A: >75%, Group B: 50%–75%, Group C: 25%–50%, Group D: <25%). VAS for pain, shoulder range of motion, shoulder isometric strength, ASES score were evaluated preoperatively and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: After surgery, the amount of pain reduction shows significantly at 3, 6 months in Groups A, B as compared to Groups C, D (p<0.05). Among the range of motion of shoulder joint, forward flexion was significantly improved in Group A at 3 months (p<0.05). The ASES score significantly improved at 3, 6 months in Groups A, B as compared to Group C, D (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative degree of pain reduction after impingement test correlates with the improvement of pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, especially in the early phase. Therefore, the impingement test could be effectively used.
Humans ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder Pain ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Gastroschisis*