Neither the cause nor the correct treatment of Kienbocks disease has been clearly established, but its clinical and radiologic presentations have been distinctly defined. There are many controversies concerning therapeutic guidelines for the treatment of Kienbocks disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical result of triscaphe fusion with radial styloidectomy of Kienbocks disease. Ten cases of stage III Kienbocks disease by Lichtmans classification were treated by triscaphe fusion with radial styloidectomy from September 1991 to March 1997. We followed up over 24 months and evaluated clinical results. In all cases, pain was relieved. The postoperative results according to Kuschners method revealed three excellent, six good and one fair. The triscaphe fusion and radial styloidectomy was considered as useful method of treatment which has clinical efficacy in Kienbocks disease.
Classification ; Osteonecrosis*

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are regarded as one of essential cell sources for treating regenerative diseases. Among many stem cells, the feasibility of using adult-derived hematopoietic stem cells in therapeutic approaches is very diverse, and is unarguably regarded as an important cell source in stem cell biology. So far, many investigators are exploring HSCs and modified HSCs for use in clinical and basic science. In the present review, we briefly summarized HSCs and their application in pathophysiologic conditions, including non-hematopoietic tissue regeneration as well as blood disorders. HSCs and HSCs-derived progenitors are promising cell sources in regenerative medicine and their contributions can be properly applied to treat pathophysiologic conditions. Among many adult stem cells, HSCs are a powerful tool to treat patients with diseases such as hematologic malignancies and liver disease. Since HSCs can be differentiated into diverse progenitors including endothelial progenitors, they may be useful for constructing strategies for effective therapy.

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic vasculitic disease of the aorta, its major branches and the pulmonary arteries, resulting in stenosing, occlusive or aneurysmal lesion. While the precise etiology of Takayasu's disease is unknown, an autoimmune mechanism or active tuberculous inflammation have been suggested. It is more common in young oriental women but has a rare incidence in children. We experienced a case of Takayasu arteritis type IV in an 8years old girl. The diagnosis was made by physial examination and digital substraction aortography(DSA) which showed narrowing of left common carotid artery, right subclavin artery and left renal artery. The perfusion defect at posterior segment of right upper lobe was noted in lung perfusion scan. Medical treatment and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA) were performed. In addition to case report, a brief review of literature was added.
Aneurysm ; Angioplasty* ; Aorta ; Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Artery ; Renal Artery ; Takayasu Arteritis*

BACKGROUND: It is important to avoid the direct contact with water of detergents as possible for the treatment and prevention of hand eczema. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of skin protector, Marly skin on housewifes eczema, METHODS: The patients with hand eczema apply skin protector, Maly skin, four times a day on their both hands. They are evaluated with the scores of subjective symptor is(itch, dryness, smarting) and objective signs(erythema, scaling, fissures), and skin replica which are taken from the specified site are analysed by using an image analyser and, scanning electron micrascipe. RESULTS: 4 weeks after application of skin protector, there are statstically significant decrease of total clinical symptom scores. Scanning electron microscopic findings of the skin replicas show marked changes between the beginning and the end of the study. On quantive image analysis of the skin replicas, the length of fissure is a little decreased and the depth of rrows is slightly increased than before application of skin protector, but these are not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Skin protector, Marly skin, has a protective effect on the development of hand eczema.
Detergents ; Eczema* ; Hand ; Humans ; Mali ; Skin

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of combined transvaginal ultrasound and beta-hCG discriminatory zone for diagnosing intrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy in early abnormal pregnancy. METHODS: Initial ultrasound findings and beta-hCG level were compared with final pregnancy outcome in 164 early pregnant women who visit our hospital with vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value by the combination of two diagnostic tools were calculated. Statistic analysis of collected data used x2 of SPSS(9.0). RESULTS: Of 90 women with normal outcome, 64(71.1%) had a gestational sac 5mm, and in 47 cases, the hCG level was above 1,800 mIU/ml. Transvaginal ultrasound was non-diagnostic in 47(28.6%) of 164 women, and especially, 43(53.1%) of 81 cases with beta-hCG levels below 1,800 mIU/ml. The portion of accurate ultrasound diagnosis was significantly higher in women above 1,800 mIU/ml (85.5%, 71 of 83 cases) compard with levels below 1,800 mIU/ml (37.0%, 30 of 81 cases) : P < 0.001; Relative Risk(RR) 2.31; CI 95%. Sensitivity of transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis of intrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy was 90.2%, 79.3%, and 66.7% in women who presented with beta-hCG levels above 1,800 mIU/ml, and 41.0%, 23.5%, and 75% below 1,800 mIU/ml, respectively. And, negative predictive value was 83.9%, 89.7%, and 98.8% in each of intrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy above 1,800 mIU/ml, and 64.6%, 60%, and 97.3% below 1,800 mIU/ml, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of transvaginal ultrasound for diagnosing abnormal early pregnancy were poor except cases of ectopic pregnancy when beta-hCG levels were low than discriminatory zone. Ultrasound impressions were well related with beta-hCG levels.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gestational Sac ; Humans ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Pregnant Women ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography* ; Uterine Hemorrhage

No abstract available.
Rheumatic Diseases* ; Spondylarthropathies

Discrete subaortic stenos is one of the subtype of congenital left ventricular outflow obstruction and frequently associated with other defect such as ventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, inturrupted aortic arch, double-chambered right ventricle and atrioventricular canal. It is progressive disease from the neonatal period and can be a cause of secondary endocarditis or aortic regurgitation. The authors have experienced a case of discrete subaortic stenosis without other associated lesions in 8 years old male patient who has complained chest discomfort. The diagnosis was established by the findings of echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. We report this case with a brief review of related literatures.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Coarctation ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Discrete Subaortic Stenosis* ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Thorax ; Ventricular Outflow Obstruction

Kawasaki disease is described by fever lasting five days or more, bilateral conjunctival injection, changes of lips and oral cavity, polymorphous exanthema, acute non-purulent cervical lymphadenopathy, and changes of extremities. Atypical Kawasaki disease is defined as fewer than 4 of 6 criteria described above including coronary artery abnormalities. Especially, atypical clinical manifestations of Kawasaki disease appear in infants younger than 6 months old of age. Thus we recommend echocardiography in early infancy who has prolonged fever in order to diagnose atypical Kawasaki disease and treat early. We have experienced three cases of atypical Kawasaki disease with coronary aneurysm who were admitted because of fever and revealed coronary aneurysm on echocardiography.
Coronary Aneurysm* ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Lip ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mouth ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a well-known neuropeptide in primary sensory neurons carrying noci-ceptive information, includes two different peptides of similar structure, the alpha- and beta-CGRP. The distribution of these two peptides in the central nervous system is known to be similar and no functional differences have been reported. The aim of this study is to investigated the changes of alpha- and beta-CGRP expression following efferent or afferent disconnection of anterior horn cells in the rat spinal cord. One week after ventral rhizotomy (left L4-6), dorsal rhizotomy (left L4-6) or spinal cord transection (at lower thoracic level), the animals were sacrified and the L5 segments of the spinal cord were excised to perform immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization histochemistry. In the control group, 4.45+/-1.51 anterior horn cells showed CGRP immunoreactivity per tissue section in one side. After ventral rhizotomy, the number of CGRP immunoreactive neurons increased to 9.12+/-2.52 at the ipsilateral ventral horn. After dorsal rhizotomy, CGRP immunoreactive neurons increased to 7.29+/-3.69 at the ipsilateral ventral horn and 6.26+/-1.53 at the contralateral ventral horn. In cases of spinal cord transection, almost all the anterior horn cells lost CGRP immunoreactivity in both sides. Neurons expressing alpha- or beta-CGRP mRNA could be distinguished by in situ hybridization histochemistry. In the control group, anterior horn cells expressing alpha-CGRP mRNA numbered 4.16+/-1.32 per section and beta-CGRP cells numbered 5.50+/-1.38. After ventral rhizotomy, the number of cells expressing alpha-CGRP mRNA increased to 10.07+/-2.86 in the ipsilateral side without any changes in beta-CGRP mRNA expression. After dorsal rhizotomy, no significant changes in alpha-CGRP mRNA expression were detected, but the number of cells expressing beta-CGRP mRNA increased to 7.45+/-2.04 in the ipsilateral side and to 7.02+/-1.38 in the contralateral side. In cases of spinal cord transection, the anterior horn cells lost alpha- and beta-CGRP mRNA signals almost completely in both sides. These results showed that alpha-CGRP expression increased in axotomized anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, and that beta-CGRP expression increased in anterior horn cells which had lost their afferent input through the primary sensory neurons. These findings provide evidence showing the functional difference of the two peptides in anterior horn cells of the spinal cord.
Animals ; Anterior Horn Cells ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Central Nervous System ; Horns ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Neurons ; Neuropeptides ; Peptides ; Rats* ; Rhizotomy* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*