The nerve root block or selective nerve root block is one of the primarily preoperative diagnostic tool to identify and confirm the lesion site of primary cause of pain and that is considered as one component of a comprehensive treatment program. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the effect and duration of the pain control by selective spinal nerve root block as a conservative treatment in patients presenting with chronic or recurrent sciatica. The authors performed 95 selective nerve root blocks in 72 patients from Sep. 1994 to May. 1996, (mean follow up 11.6 month) at the department of orthopedic surgery, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, and the results were as follows: 1. Among 72 cases, spinal stenosis was in 45 cases (62.5%), HIVD in 19 cases (26.4%), failed back syndrome in 5 cases (6.9%), spondylosis in 2 cases (2.8%), and spondylolisthesis in I case (1.4%). 2. In 72 cases, improved more than 50% of sciatica were 61 cases (84.7%) at 3 hours, 53 cases (73.6%) at I week, 35 cases (48.6%) at 1 month, 33 cases (45.8%) at 3 months, and 33 cases (45.8%) at 6 months respectively. 3. At last follow-up, excellent and good results were 35 cases (48.6%), fair results were 25 cases (34.7%) and poor results were 12 cases (16.7%) by the Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. 4. Complications were 1 case of transient hypotension, 2 cases of severe paresthesia, but subsided without residual complication. Therefore, the selective nerve root block is one of the valuable procedure that is helpful and extremely safe in useful treatment for radicular pain associated with lumbar disease. And the trial of selective nerve root block was recommended before deciding surgical intervention on an outpatient basis.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Orthopedics ; Outpatients ; Paresthesia ; Sciatica* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves* ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spondylolisthesis ; Spondylosis

No abstract available.
Bronchogenic Cyst*

Benign tumors of the esophagus occur rarely as compared with the incidence of carcinomas. Among the benign tumors of the esophagus such as leiomyoma, lipoma, hemangioma, papilioma. polyp, cystetc. leiomyoma is the most common, although less than 10 percents of leiomyomas of the gastrointestinal tract are found in the esophagus. Most of leiomyomas of the esophagus present as solitary lesions but multiple tumors occur in about 4 percents of cases. Leiomyomas of the esophagus are diagnosed by thorough clinical evaluation, esophagogram and upper gastrofiberscopic examination but histological confirmation requires surgical or necropsy specimens. Occasionally gastrofiberscopic polypectomized specimens are used. We report one case of multiple leiomyomas of the esophagus located in between 25 cm and 40 cm distance from the incisor in a 38-year-old man who complained of vague substernal discomfort for about 10 years. Gastrofiberscopic polypectomized specimen was used for preoperative histological confirmation. The pathologic examination of the specimen showed leiomyoma of the esophagus.
Adult ; Esophagus* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Incisor ; Leiomyoma* ; Lipoma ; Polyps

The choristoma is a tumor like mass of normal cells in an abnormal location. Intraoral osseous and cartilaginous choristoma is distinctly uncommon. The etiology of choristoma is unknown. It is suggested that the intraoral choristoma is a developmental lesion. Correct diagnosis can be obtained only after histopathologic examination. The treatment of choice is surgical excision. We present a case of osseous and cartilaginous choristoma, occurred on the tongue base and treated by peroral excision, with review of the literatures.
Choristoma* ; Diagnosis ; Tongue*

The authors have experience of a case of prolonged paresis following administration of galamine triethiodide to a patient undergoing reoperation. The muscular weakness continued for 20 hours, necessitating artificial ventilation intermittently. It was reversed by neostigmine.
Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Neostigmine ; Paresis* ; Reoperation* ; Ventilation

The authors have experienced a case of incompatible blocd transfusion during general anesthesia, which was mostly due to technical error, lack of knowledgeoble handling and universal doncr "0" type blood.
Anesthesia, General* ; Blood Transfusion*

Graves disease occur in association with myasthenia gravis is rare. We report a case of Graves disease and myasthenia gravis treated by bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy and total thymectomy simultaneously. A 37 year old woman was admitted with anterior neck mass and ptosis. Various examinations were compatible with combined Graves disease and myasthenia gravis. The bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy and total thymectomy were done simultaneously. The pathologic diagnosis was Graves disease and thymic hyperplasia. The patients postoperative course was uneventful. The thyroid function of patient became euthyroid and the clinical symptoms related with myastenia gravis resolved during follow up period.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neck ; Thymectomy* ; Thymus Hyperplasia ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroidectomy*

We introduce a new silicone implanting method to correct facial depression caused by trauma or congenital anomaly. It resulted in good facial aesthetics in patients with facial depression. From August 1997 to January 1999, 5 patient (3 males and 2 females), in ages from 19 to 34 years, underwent silicone implantation for facial depression using our method. Three males were injured by traffic accident and had facial depression with or without bone defect. Two females had congenital forhead depression and requested aesthetic contouring. An impression of the face was taken with alginate backed with quick setting plaster. When set, a further stone plaster model was taken from the alginate-plaster, which was removed after fixation. Wax was then carved into the patient's stone model to fill the depression. Another stone cover was taken to cover this was-stone model. Then wax was melted away and medical implant grade room temperature vulcanized silicone adhesive was squeezed into the empty space. After cured, this precisely-shaped silicone imlant was inserted into the patient. We did not experience major complicaion such as infection, implant extrusion during 4 to 18 months' follow-up periods. All patients were satisfied with the results. The clinical result of this technique would be useful for accurate and excellent aesthetic implantation.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adhesives ; Depression* ; Esthetics ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Silicones*

BACKGROUND: Recently, using propofol as intravenous anesthetic agent is increasing. And it is known that propofol has little effects on liver function even after long operation such as plastic surgery. But its effect on liver functon after hepatobilliary operation which may damage liver was not studied. Thus, authors carried out this study to evaluate the effect of propofol on liver function by comparing with enflurane in the patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: Patients's anesthesia records and hospital charts from January 1994 to June 1996 were anlaysed retrospectively. Three hundred and thirty three patients who had normal liver function preoperatively and had no complications during and after operation were selected. They were divided into two groups ; propofol group (n=191) and enflurane group (n=142). The preoperative values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were compared with those of 1 and 3 days after operation. RESULTS: One day after operation, both propofol and enflurane group showed significant increase in AST and ALT (p<0.05) and decrease in ALP (p<0.05). But there was no difference between two groups. CONCLUSION: Concerned to liver function, propofol is as useful as enflurane to the patients who scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Alanine Transaminase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anesthesia* ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Enflurane* ; Humans ; Liver* ; Propofol* ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgery, Plastic

OBJECTIVES: It has been known that the contents of dreams change according to neuro-developmental differences in sex, progression of age and various environments, unlike the established psychoanalytic theory. To investigate the changes, we collected "most recent dream report" and analyzed the contents of dreams by using Hall/Van de Castle System. METHOD: Most recent dream reports were gathered from age 12-14 years old, 2,673 middle school students (1,544 male 1,129 female) and analyzed those reports using Hall/Van de Castle System. The data were sorted in SAS and dream SAT. RESULT: There were prominent differences between male and female middle school students in Male/Female Percentage (male/female; 56%/35%), Familiarity Percentage (57%/69%), Aggression/Friendliness Percentage (79%/65%), Befriender Percentage (50%/33%), Physical Aggression Percentage (90%/70%), Indoor Setting Percentage (40%/55%), Negative Emotion Percentage (56%/68%) and Torso/Anatomy Percentage (51%/36%). There were significant differences in Male/Female Percentage (65%/44%), Friendliness, Physical Aggression and Self Negativity Percentage in male and there were significant differences in Friendliness, Familiarity and Friends Percent in female between 1st and 2nd grade. But, it showed much similar dream patterns between 2nd and 3rd grade in both gender. In male, Aggression/Character Index with male character is significantly increased by 2nd grade (1st/ 2nd/ 3rd; 0.48/1.04/0.98), In female, Friendliness/Character Index with male character had significantly decreased by 2nd grade (0.38/0.19/0.20). CONCLUSION: There were apparent differences between age 12-14 years old male and female. Male adolescents have differences mostly in categories related with aggression, but female adolescents have differences in categories related with environment or character. It shows that developmental level of male are slower than female as of yet and male needs more active interpersonal relationship to find identity. Otherwise, the influences of passive attitude and actual circumferential environment are reflected in female's dream. There are no prominent differences among ages, but age 12-13 years old adolescents shows significant differences in interacting with the other gender. It means that circumferential environment and interpersonal relationship affect the contents of dreams and also the cognitive development related to age and sex. Afterwards, the development of dreams could be better understood through the neurocognitive study and dream analysis between other ages and nations.
Adolescent* ; Aggression ; Dreams* ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Male ; Psychoanalytic Theory ; Recognition (Psychology)