No abstract available.
Extracorporeal Circulation* ; Heart* ; Potassium* ; Thoracic Surgery*

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Aspergillosis*

No abstract available in English.
Clinical Study ; Femur ; Hip Fractures

PURPOSE: Tension-free hernioplasty has become the most popular procedure for the repair of groin hernias in the United States and United Kingdom. The purpose of this study is to describe a 7-year personal experience with Lichtenstein's tension-free groin hernia repair under local anesthesia. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the clinical outcome of 321 cases of Lichtenstein repairs, performed consecutively by an experienced surgeon between Jan. 1994 and Dec. 2000. RESULTS: Of the 321 cases, 242 (75.4%) were indirect, 34 (10.6%) were direct, 8 (2.5%) were femoral, 7 (2.2%) were pantaloon, and 30 (9.3%) were recurred hernias. The mean age was 55 years; 91% were male. The mean number of injections of analgesics required in the postoperative period was 3.2. The mean hospital stay following repair was 2.7 days. Complications occurred in 23 cases (7.1%). Most of these were minor, consisting of five cases of bruising or hematomas (1.6%), four superficial infections (1.3%), three seromas (0.9%), two hydroceles (0.6%), six patients with persisting groin pain for more than a month (1.8%), one foreign body granuloma, one urinary retention, and one testicular atrophy. There were no recurrences or operative deaths. CONCLUSION: Lichtenstein's tension-free hernioplasty is an easy and simple technique with less pain, minor complications and only rare instances of recurrence. This procedure can be performed on a same-day basis under local anesthesia. Lichtenstein repair may be the most promising technique for the repair of groin hernias.
Analgesics ; Anesthesia, Local ; Atrophy ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body ; Great Britain ; Groin* ; Hematoma ; Hernia* ; Herniorrhaphy ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seroma ; United States ; Urinary Retention

No abstract available.

24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring has been examined for the evaluation of heart rate and longest pause in 34 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (20 patients treated with digoxin and 14 patients without treatment). Following results were obtained: 1. In 34 patients, the mean of average heart rates was 75.7±13.8/minute, fastest heart rates 148.0±32.4/minute, slowest heart rates 48.1±8.4/minute, difference between fastest and slowest heart rates in individual patients 99.9±29.0/minute and longest pauses 2.95±1.06seconds. The longest pauses of more than 4.0 seconds occurred in 4 of the 34 patients and made an exception of comparison groups. 2. In 27 of the 34 patients, ventricular premature contractures were developed and in 11 of 27, mainly occurred less than 100/24 hours and aberrant conduction occurred in all patients. 3. In 20 patients treated with digoxin (0.25 mg/day), the mean of average heart rates was 78.4±13.7/minute, fastest heart rates 152.5±33.1/minute, slowest heart rates 48.9±8.5/minute, difference between fastest and slowest heart rates in individual patients 103.6±31.7/minute and longest pauses 2.55±0.50 seconds. 4. In 10 patients without treatment, the mean of average heart rates was 78.0±10.7/minute, fastest heart rates 154.5±26.8/minute, slowest heart rates 50.6±7.1/minute, difference between fastest and slowest heart rates in individual patients 103.9±22.2/minute and longest pauses 2.66±0.39 seconds. 5. The difference of heart rates and longest pauses between patients with treatment and without treatment were statistically not significant (P>0.05). In summary, authors seemed to consider that 24-hour ambulatory ECG was useful and safe method for clinical evaluation of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Contracture ; Digoxin ; Electrocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Methods

We observed 2 cases of multiple trichoepithelioma, which occured in 25-year- old male and 20-year-old female. They visited our department for multiple skin rashes on the face of 8 years duration in male and 7 years' duration in female patient. Both of them have similar skin lesions characterized by multiplel waxy gshiny, skin colored, firm papules scattered on the nasolabial folds, both eyelids and forehead. Each one of them has a history of similar skin lesions in the family. Literatures are briefly reviewed for discussion of clinical and histopathologicl findings in this disease.
Exanthema ; Eyelids ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Male ; Nasolabial Fold ; Skin ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Female ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the histopathologic changes after insertion of polymer made of poly- glycolic acid(PGA) and poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)/5-FU following filtering surgery in the rabbit. METHOD: A polymer with 0.3 mm thickness made of PGA and PLGA/5-Fluorouracil(5-FU, 10% by weight) composite were made in a size of 3 x 7 mm. After full-thickness filtration surgery performed, PGA was inserted under the conjunctiva in group I, PLGA/5-FU was inserted in group II and none in control group. Twelve rabbit eyes were enrolled in each group. RESULT: Postoperatively, no serious complication was found in anterior segment. In the control eyes inflammatory cell reaction was minimal at 2 weeks after surgery and decreased thereafter. While severe fibrovascular tissue reaction with loss of conjunctival filtration space was noted at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery in group I, the filtration space was well maintained without fibrovascular tissue reaction until 4 weeks after surgery in group II. At 8 weeks after surgery, fibrous tissue reaction was observed in group I, but not in group II and contol. The polymer was not found and the filtration space was obliterated at 8 weeks after surgery in group I and II. CONCLUSION: PLGA/5-FU may be used as an effective adjunct to improve the success rate of the filtration surgery, without inducing serious fibrous tissue reaction. PGA was not suitable.
Conjunctiva ; Filtering Surgery* ; Filtration ; Polymers*

To investigate the effects of prostaglandin E1(PGX1) in prevention of proliferative scar formation, we cultured fibroblasts of normal skin (NS), hypertrophic scar (HS) and keloid (KL) tissues obtained from patients. We have compared type I collagenase production of cultured fibroblasts from normal skin, hypertrophic scar, and keloid tissues under various concentrations of PGE1. Our results demonstrate that type I collagenase production was significantly increased after addition of PGE1 in HS and KL, but not NS. Type I collagenase production of HS and KL fibroblasts were increased similarly in 10M and 10M of PGE1 and maximally increased in the concentration of 10M. This promotive effects of PGE1 on the production of type I collagenase was larger in KL than in HS. These results also suggest that PGE1 may play the promotive effects on type I collagenase production in dose-dependent manner. PGE1 may have a role in the prevention of hypertrophic scar and keloid by enhancing the production of type I collagenase of HS and KL fibroblasts. The promotive effects of PGE1 on type I collagenase production was variable depending on its concentration, and its effects was maximum in certain optimal condition. The maximally effective concentration of PGE1 in the prevention of proliferative scar formation should be searched in further investigations for clinical use.
Alprostadil ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Collagenases* ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Keloid* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin