No abstract available.
Diagnosis*

No abstract available.
Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Tuberculosis*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the sensitivity of MR imaging in determining tear sites and degrees in acute anterior cruciate ligament tear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imagings were undertaken in 19 patients who had trauma on their knee joints. All imaging studies were performed within 2 weeks after trauma and compared with operative findings. The degrees of ligament tear were divided into complete and incomplete, and sites of tears were divided into superior middle and inferior portions. MR findings were compared with operative findings. RESULTS: There were 14 cases of complete ligament tear and 5 cases of partial ligament tear. We could diagnose correctly in all 14 cases with complete tear and in 3 of 5 cases with partial tear. The tear sites were correctly predicted in 10 of 14 cases with complete tear(71%) and 1 of 5 cases with par In complete tears, MR findings were transversely or obliquely coursed band-like high signal intensity within the ACL or abrupt Switch over to as indistinct signal intensity. In partial tears, the tear sites could not be evaluated mostly and the tear appeared as linear low signal intensity lesions in posterolateral bundles of AC/. CONCLUSIONS: MR revealed higher sensitivity in determining the degree and sites of ACL tear in complete tear as compared with partial tear.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the characteristic findings in tears of the anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) and associated injury at MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the findings of MR images and the corresponding arthroscopic results of 32 patients with ACL tears. we evaluated the signal intensity and contour of ACL surrounding bony structures, menisci and associated injury of the knee joint. RESULTS: Complete ACL tears were present in 25 patients and partial ACL tears were in 7 patients. Complete ACL tears showed heterogenously increased signal intensity with contour bulging of the ACL in 14 patients (56%) and without bulging or absence in 11 patients(44%). Most patients torn ACL with contour bulging(12/14) had bone bruise, but only one patient torn ACL without bulging contour had bone bruise. ACL with thin continuous low signal band surrounding heterogenously increased signal intensity suggests partial tear, which was seen in three patients of seven proved partial ACL tears. Combined bone injury in ACL tear were in 23 patients (73%) and most of these(22/23) were at midportion of lateral notch of femur and/or posterior portion of lateral tibial plateu. Deepening of lateral notch of femur were noted in 17 patients(53%). Associated injuries of the other ligaments of knee joint were buckling of the posterior cruciate ligament(16/32, 50%) and tears of the medial collateral ligament(11/32, 34%). Posterior horns of menisci were more frequent site of combined injury within menisci in patients with ACL tear. CONCLUSION: Acute tearing of ACL in MRI is seen as heterogenously increased signal intensity with contour bulging of ACL and combined bone bruises. Patients with torn ACL frequently have various combined injury. In patient with knee injury, these associated or ancillary findings suggest that ACL tear is present.
Animals ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Contusions ; Femur ; Horns ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long term outcome and the factors contributing to treatment outcome for chronic functional constipation in children. METHODS: Sixty three children were enrolled who had chronic functional constipation and could be followed by telephone contact. They were treated at the Bucheon Soonchunhyang Hospital for more than 1 month and observed from March 2001 to June 2005. We analyzed the clinical features, symptoms and signs, as well as the course and results of treatment. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 35 (55.6%) : 28 (44.4%). The mean age at the onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 21.1+/-23.5 (1.9~84.0) months and 47.1+/-34.2 (6.9~138.0) months, respectively. The mean defecation frequency before treatment was 3.2+/-2.3 (0.5~10.0) times per week. The symptoms associated with constipation were as follows: soiling 34 (54.0%) which was more common in males than females, large stools in 30 (47.6%), decreased bowel movements less than three times a week in 20 (31.7%), straining during defecation in 19 (30.2%) and retentive posturing 19 (30.2%). The mean duration of follow-up was 34.2+/-14.6 (3.6~60.0) months and 44 (69.8%) patients had their symptoms resolve ("success") and 19 (30.2%) were not resloved ("fail") from the constipation. The time for recovery from soiling, straining during defecation and retentive posturing after treatment was 4.3+/-2.4 (1.0~36.0), 5.0+/-1.4 (0.8~36.0) and 5.0+/-3.1 (1.0~36.0) months, respectively. A relapse of the constipation occurred in 15 (23.8%) patients, 9 (60%) boys and 6 (40%) girls. The time to relapse after cessation of treatment was 2.9+/-1.9 (1.0~6.0) months and the only risk factor associated with relapse was the initial duration of treatment. CONCLUSION: Most of the patients had resolution of symptoms within five months after treatment; relapse occurred within three months after the interruption of treatment. The duration of treatment was important for recovery and for the prevention of relapse in the constipated children. Thus a long term maintenance of therapy and follow-up is necessary for chronic functional constipation in children.
Child* ; Constipation* ; Defecation ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Soil ; Telephone ; Treatment Outcome ; Withholding Treatment

No abstract available.
Humans ; Tuberculosis*

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to deterrnine the efficacy of maternal corticosteroid therapy on the morbidity of premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks' gestation. METHOD: A total of 62 premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks gestation admitted to pediatric department of National Medical Center from Nov, 1990 to June 1996 were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of prenatal corticosteroid therapy on the morbidity such as hyaline membrane disease, intreventricular hernorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, neonatal death, days on ventilation and hospital days. RESULT: Among 62 women who delivered premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks, 22 received betamethasone before delivery and 40 did not. 1) The rate of hyaline membrane disease was less in the betamethasone group (41% vs. 70%, P<0.05). 2) The rate of intracranial hemorrhage was less in the betamethasone group (0 vs. 20%, P<0.05). 3) The days of ventilator care was less in the betamethasone group among survival cases (27+/-3.2 vs. 5.2+/-4.6, P<05). 4) Arnong 14 women who delivered at 26 to 28 weeks, 4 received betamethasone before delivery and 10 did not. The rate of neonatal death was less in the betamethasone group (o% vs. 80%, P<0.05). 5) Among 48 women who delivered at 29 to 31 weeks, 18 received betamethasone before delivery and 30 did not. The rate of hyaline membrane disease was less in the betamethasone group (39% vs. 73%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Betamethasone appears to reduce hyaline membrane disease, intraven- tricular hemorrhage, neonatal death and the morbidity significantly in premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks' gestation.
Betamethasone ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyaline Membrane Disease ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Pregnancy ; Sepsis ; Ventilation ; Ventilators, Mechanical

No abstract available.
Breast Diseases* ; Breast*

Early MRI and arthroscopic findings were compared to evaluate the efficacy of the former for patients, who upon physical examination, were diagnosed with possihle acute ACL tears. MRI, taken between 1-21 days after injury, had to reveal complete ACL tears and arthroscopic surgery should have taken place 3-12 weeks after the injury for patients of this prospective study. Fifty such cases were initially catagorized according to five MRI patterns. Types I to V were separated by the following ACL tear characteristics: Enlarged and diffusely increased in signal, horizontally oriented, non-visualized, discontinuous and vertically oriented. The cases were then divided into two groups of arthroscopic findings; Group A included cases of complete ACL tearing and group B included those with intact or minimally torn ACLs. Of MRI types I through V, there were 31, 9, 5, 4, and I cases of each respectively. 37 cases resulted in complete ACL tears (21 type I, 6 type II, 5 type III, 4 type IV and 1 type V) and 13 cases were catagorized into group B, 10 of which had pattern type I and 3 of which had pattern type II. As result, types III, IV and V had a 100% Positive Predictive Value (PPV) whereas types I and II together had a 67% PPV vaiue. Division of the cases into the five pattern types in early MRI proved valuble for possible cases of acute ACL tears. MRI pattern types III, IV and V were correlated with definite complete ACL tears. However, caution must be taken for types I and II, the majority of the cases, for which there exists a significant possibility for misdiagnosis and consequently unnecessary arthroscopic surgery.
Arthroscopy ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Knee ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies

The degenerative arthritis following total menisectomy has led to consideration of the need for meniscal transplantation, this study evaluates the morphologic and histologic changes fol lowing fresh meniscal autograft and allograft in therabbits. Transplantation of the medial meniscus was carried out in two groups of 32 rabbits(autograft group=16 rabbits, allograft group=16 rabbits). The morphological and histological changes of the transplanted auto-and allografted menisci and the articular cartilage of the medial femoral and tibial condyle were observed at 2,4,6,8,10,12,22,28 weeks postoperatively. There were no significant differences between auto and allograft groups in gross appearance. Histologically, the fibrous adhesion was noted between grafted meniscus and joint capsule 2 weeks after operation, but complete healing was seen at the suture sites without rejection phenomenon at 6 weeks in both groups. There were prominent inflammatory reactions such as lymphocytes and inflammatory cells infiltration during early postoperative stages(2,4 weeks) only in the allograft group, and more prominent fibrotic reactions in the allograft group than auto-graft group. The results of this study suggest that meniscal allografts are able to adapt to the host tissues, survive within the joint environment, and provide a functional replacement for the removed meniscus, but further studies for graft-host immune response and a method to take the maintenance and deposits of graft must be needed to perform the meniscal allograft in human.
Allografts ; Autografts ; Cartilage, Articular ; Humans ; Joint Capsule ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Lymphocytes ; Menisci, Tibial ; Methods ; Osteoarthritis ; Rabbits ; Sutures ; Transplants