BACKGROUND: Fibrostenosis of large airway due to tuberculosis is one of the most perplexing clinical problems not only because it can lead to respiratory failure but also because of difficulty in the management. No one technique, such as balloon dilatation or insertion of self expandable metallic steno, has proved totally satisfactory in the management of fibrostenosis. We evaluated the effect of laser therapy in patient with severe fibrostenosis due to tuberculosis. METHOD: We classified the fibrostenosis to three types by bronchoscopic finding - the diaphragm type: stenosed by fibrous diaphragm, sparing the tracheobronchial wall, the collapse type: stenosed by collapse of the wall due. to destruction of the cartilage, and the combined type: stenosed by nonspecific inflammatory scar tissue within internal lumen with collapse of the wall. We have treated 10 patients complaining dyspnea due to with severe fibrostenosis of the diaphargm or the combined type using a neodymiumyttrium aluminum garnet(Nd-YAG) laser through a flexible bronchoscopy. RESULTS: Eight of the 10 cases improved after laser therapy and maintained during a follow up period of average 31.9 months. All of the cases undergoing laser therapy showed no serious complication to need the therapy. CONCLUSION: The results of our present study indicate that the Nd-YAG laser therapy is an effective and safe method for the management of selective tuberculous fibrostenosis.
Aluminum ; Bronchoscopy ; Cartilage ; Cicatrix ; Diaphragm ; Dilatation ; Dyspnea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Tuberculosis

The purpose of this study is to analyze degree of geographic maldistribution of physicians and changes in the distributional pattern in Korea over the years 1980-1985. In assessing the degree of distribution and in identifying changes in the distribution pattern, the Gini index of concentration was used. The geographical units selected for computation of the Gini index in this analysis are districts (Gu), cities (Si), and counties (Gun). Locational data for 1980 and 1985 were obtained from the population census data in the Economic Planning Board and regular reports of physicians in the Korean Medical Association. The rates of physician located countries to whole physicians were 10.4% in 1980 and 9.6% in 1985. In term of the ratio of physicians per 100,000 population, rural area had 9.18 physicians in 1980 and 12.95 in 1985, 7.13 general practitioner in 1980 and 7.29 in 1985, and 2.05 specialists in 1980 and 5.66 in 1985. Only specialists of general surgery and preventive medicine were distributed over 10% in county and distribution of every specialists except chest surgery in county increased in 1985, comparing with that rates of 1980. The Gini index computed to measure inequality of physician distribution in 1985 indicate as follows; physicians 0.3466, general practitioners 0.5479, and specialists 0.5092. But the Gini index for physicians and specialists fell -15.40% and -10.42% from 1980 to 1985, indication more even distribution. The changes in the Gini index over the period for specialists from 0.3639 to 0.4542 for districts, from 0.2510 to 0.1949 for cities, and 0.5303 for countries indicate distributional change of 24.81%, -22.35%, and 10.65% respectively. The Gini indices for specialists of neuro-surgery, chest surgery, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, tuberculosis, preventive medicine, and anatomical pathology in 1985 were higher than Gini indices in 1980.
Censuses ; General Practitioners ; Humans ; Korea ; Ophthalmology ; Pathology ; Preventive Medicine ; Rural Population ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Specialization ; Surgery, Plastic ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

The increase of health care expenditures is an important problem in the almost countries. Also, suppression of the health care expenditures is an important problem in the health field of Korea since the national health insurance for total people in 1989. Thus, it is very important to grasp the change of the health care expenditures of family and proportions of the health care expenditures to total expenditures of family, because they are the basis of national health care expenditures in Korea. While the health care expenditures of urban family were increased during 1980-1993 by 12.8% annually, the total expenditures of urban family were increased by 14.8% annually. consequently, the proportions of health care expenditures to total expenditures were decreased from 5.98% to 4.76%. The proportions of health care expenditure for 3 years to come were predicted to 4.75% in 1994, 4.67% in 1995, and 4.63% in 1996 by the time-series ana]ysis. That is, it was predicted that they would be decreasing slowly. The product elasticity of health care expenditure was less than 1 in the multiple regression analysis, so the health care is normal good rather than superior good. Therefore, it seems that the household economy is able to bear the expense pursuing the improvement of quality of health care by actualizing the medical insurance fee.
Delivery of Health Care* ; Elasticity ; Family Characteristics ; Fees and Charges ; Hand Strength ; Health Expenditures* ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Quality of Health Care

The osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor, of which the typical form is a cartilage-capped bony projection, far often found at the metaphysis of the long tubular bones, and may arise from any bone preformed in cartilage. To our knowledge, however, osteochondroma of accessory bones has not been reported, but we experienced a rare case of osteochondroma located in the position normally occupied by a tarsal accessory bone(Os Tibiale Externum). The mass was treated by excisioa and it discloeed typical microscopic findings of ostechondroma as shown in the pictures.
Cartilage ; Osteochondroma

No abstract available.
Bronchiectasis*

A case of fibroepithelial polyp with stromal atypia in a 25-year-old female is described. The tumor arose from the vaginal wall and measured 3.5 cm in maximal diameter. It was composed of hypercellular connective tissue stroma and focal myxoid area containing numerous atypical mono- and multinucleated stromal cells. These cells may mislead to make a diagnosis of sarcoma, particulary of botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma.
Adult ; Connective Tissue ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Polyps* ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Sarcoma ; Stromal Cells* ; Vagina*

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Arteries* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Rheology*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To cmpare the clinical results of complex tibial plateau fractures treated by hybrid external fixation and dual plate fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied forty patients with Schatzker type V and VI fractures respectively and selected twenty seven patients who were followed at least one year between January 2000 and December 2005. We evaluated the clinical results in which fourteen fractures with hybrid external fixation were compared with thirteen fractures with dual plate fixation. The clinical results were evaluated according to Knee Society Clinical Rating System and the statistical analysis was performed by Student t-test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in terms of bone union time (average union time: dual plate fixation 13.8 weeks, hybrid external fixation 14.2 weeks). The quality of osseous reduction was superior in the fractures with dual plate fixation than those with hybrid external fixation. There were significant differences in functional score (average functional score: dual plate fixation 73, hybrid external fixation 62), but not in average knee score. CONCLUSION: The hybrid external fixation can be a useful modality for treatment of complex proximal tibial plateau fractures. But the good quality of the fracture reduction by dual plate fixation may be a indicator for favorable prognosis for satisfactory knee function.
Chimera ; External Fixators ; Humans ; Knee ; Prognosis