BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is an important and troublesome disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was the elucidation of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of herpes zoster through patient assessrnent. METHODS: During a 5- Year period, January 1990 to December 1994, 215 patients with herpes zoster were assessed with regard to annual and monthly frequency in occurrence, age and gender incidence. Associated conditions, dermatomic distributions, the relationship of onset of pain and skin lesions, Multi-CMI test and complications were also evaluated. RESULTS: 1. The annual freguency of herpes zoster ranged from 0.88% to 1.78% (mean 1.23%) during the 5-year period. The highest number of herpes zoster patients was observed in winter (p<0.001) especially in January. 2. Herpes zoster was found to most frequently afflict persons aged 50-59 (27.9%). 71% of the patients were over 40 years of age. 3. In 76 patients (41.8%), neuralgia occurred several days (4 days mean) before the development of skin lesions. In 92 patients (50.5%), pain and skin lesions developed simultaneously while skin lesion development occurred before the onset of pain in 14 patients (7.7%). 4. Among the patients, 42.8% had associated conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, pulmonary tuberculosis, liver diseases, peptic ulcer, hypothyroidism, pharyngitis, fracture, etc. 5. The dermatomic invclvement of herpes zoster patients having one dermatome was most frequent in thoracic dermatome ca. es (52.6%). Others included cervical (16.7%), trigeminal (11.6%), sacral (6. 0%), lumbar (4.2%), facial (0.5%). Cases having two different dermatomes constituted 8.4%. 6. The most common complication of herpes zoster was postherpetic neuralgia although instance of ophthalmologic compiications, secondary bacterial infection, scar formation, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, keloid formation, and urinary difficulty were also documented. 7. Multi-CMI (Cell-mediated immunity) tests were done on 88 herpes zoster patients. Thirteen of them (14.8%) were found to have comparatively depressed scores. Ten of the 79 single dermatome involvement patients (12.7%) and three of the 9 two dermatome involvement patients (33.3%) exhibited similar scores. CONCLUSION: These results are in accordance with those of previous reports with the exception of the higher incidence ot two different dermatome involvements and seasonal variation.
Bacterial Infections ; Cicatrix ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Hypothyroidism ; Incidence ; Keloid ; Liver Diseases ; Neuralgia ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Peptic Ulcer ; Pharyngitis ; Seasons ; Skin ; Tuberculosis

Accurate reproduction of intraoral tissue is essential in the fabrication of fixed prosthesis. This selection of impression material and method is very important. In this study, vinyl polysiloxane type impression material Panasil was used. Three impression methods ; one-step technique, individual tray technique, and individual tooth tray technique using the vinyl polysiloxane type bite registration material Futar Occlusion, were used to take horizontal and vertical impression. Improved stone models were fabricated. The amount of occlusal surface discrepaneies, interabutment distance discrepancies, amount of marginal defect were evaluated with the X-PLAN360d and photoscanning. The results were as follows. 1. There was no significant difference in occlusal surface according to the directions and techniques of impression taking. 2. There was no significant difference in interabutment distance discrepancies according to the directions and techniques of impression taking 3. There was no significant difference in marginal discrepancies according to the direction of impression taking but there was significant difference between one-step technique and individual tray technique, individual tooth tray technique (P<0.05). Taken together, these results suggest that individual tray technique and individual tooth tray technique are more accurate for impression taking than one-step technique.
Jaw Relation Record ; Prostheses and Implants ; Reproduction ; Siloxanes ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: If the corrections of the cryptorchid testes are delayed, it may lead the patients to suffer loss of testes or fertility. So we purposed to analyze the present status of correction and the causes of delay and tried to emphasize the needs to educate and inform the ideal age for correction. METHODS: Total 363 cryptorchid patients who visited our hospital in 10 years from January 1987 to December 1996 were divided into 3 groups according to their ages at visit as under 2, 3 to 5 and over 6 years groups. We analyzed the operative findings of the 3 groups, compared the ratio of the over 6 group during the half ten years till 1991 to the same ratio after 1992 and also analyzed the causes of delay in 81 patients for whom the causes of delay could be identified in over 6 years group. RESULTS: The age distributions showed 88 patients(24.2%) of under 2 years group, 118 patients(32.5%) of 3 to 5 years group and 157 patients(43.3%) of over 6 years group. When we compare the former 5 years till 1991 to the latter 5 years after 1992, the number of the patients who underwent orchiopexy under the age of 2 were increased from 34 (19.1%) to 54(29.2%) and those over the age of 6 were decreased from 88(49.4%) to 69 (37.3%) but still in higher proportion. The intraoperative findings showed that the rate of atropic or smaller testes than normal size in over 6 years group(128 testes, 73.1%) were higher than those of under 2 years(10 testes, 9.8%) and 3 to 5 years group(28 testes, 20.2 %). The most common causes of delay in over 6 years group was recommendation by relatives or neighbors(36 patients, 48.1%) and the remainders were advices of doctors other than urologists(27 patients, 33.3%), poor economic status(8 patients, 9.9%) and unawareness of the anomaly(7 patients, 8.6%). CONCLUSIONS: To prevent the loss of testicular function or testis itself in patient with cryptorchidism, the early correction should be performed because the recommended age for the correction tends to be decreased. The public information for the recommended age should be provided and also educational programs for the primary physicians are supposed to be performed.
Age Distribution ; Cryptorchidism ; Fertility ; Humans ; Male ; Orchiopexy ; Testis

Dental porcelain should have adequate strength and similar esthetics as natural teeth. Recently esthetics has become a high priority in clinical dentistry. Thus the evaluation of color stability of dental porcelain has become an important part in dental research. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in color stability of 3 types of porcelain (Vintage, VMK 95, CERAMCO II). The porcelain were divided into groups by 2 types of treatment (Glazing or non-glazing and thermocycling or non-thermocycling). The porcelain wee dyed with methylene blue and distilled water, and then the color stability was evaluated with a spectrophotometer. The results were as follow ; 1. The color change of porcelain increased in the order of VMK 95, Vintage, CERAMCO II. But there was no significant difference. 2. The color change decreased in the glazing group compared to the non-glazing group(p<0.05). 3. The color change increased after thermocycling But there was no significant difference. 4. The color change according to dye method was significantly larger with methylene blue copared to distilled water(P<0.05).
Crowns* ; Dental Porcelain* ; Dental Research ; Dentistry ; Esthetics ; Methylene Blue ; Tooth ; Water

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation* ; Urinary Diversion*

No abstract available.
Alopecia* ; Tissue Expansion Devices*

The mirtazapine is a relatively new antidepressant that has noradrenergic and specific serotonin antagonist action(NaSSAs). This has been known as one of the most safest drugs because of its few side effects. Until now, there have been only one case report that mirtazapine causes a EPS side effect(restless leg syndrome). But the peculiar mechanism of this drug makes it impossible to explain the exact reasons why the mirtazapine could induce EPS symptoms. Authors obseved three cases of mirtazapine indeced akathisia. We could not explain the phenomenon the other way except akathisia. So here we presents the three case of mirtazapine induced akathisia and a few possible hypothesis of this phenomenon.
Leg ; Psychomotor Agitation* ; Serotonin

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is associated with a characteristic neuropathology. The major hallmarks of AD are senile plaques(SPs) and neurofibrillary tangles(NFTs). beta-amyloid protein(Abeta) is derived from the proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein(APP) and then converted to SPs. Mature SPs produce cytotoxicity through direct toxic effects and activation of microglia and complement. NFTs are composed of paired helical filaments(PHFs) including abnormally phosphorylated form of the microtubule-associated protein(MAP) tau and increased tau level in cerebrospinal fluid may be observed in most AD. The aggregation of Abeta and tau formation are thought to be a final common pathway of AD. Acetycholine, dopamine, serotonin, GABA and their receptors are associated with AD. Especially, decreased nicotinic acetylcholine receptors(nAChRs) in AD are reported. Genetic lesions associated with AD are mutations in the structural genes for the APP located on chromosome 21, presenilin(PSN)1 located on chromosome 14 and PSN2 located on chromosome 1. Also, trisomy 21, Apo-E gene located on chromosome 19, PMF locus, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein and alpha-macroglobulin increase risk of AD. In this article, we will review about the neurobioloby of AD and some newly developed research areas.
Acetylcholine ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Amyloid ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Apolipoproteins E ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; Complement System Proteins ; Dopamine ; Down Syndrome ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Genetics ; Lipoproteins ; Microglia ; Neurobiology* ; Proteolysis ; Serotonin

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Drug Therapy ; Head