Influence of intravesical prostatic protrusion on preoperative lower urinary tract symptoms and outcomes after 120 w high performance system laser treatment in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) with the 120 W Greenlight high performance system (HPS) laser for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP).

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted on 389 BPH patients who underwent PVP with the 120 W HPS laser from April 2009 to August 2011. The patients were divided into groups according to IPP: group I was defined as IPP of 0 to 5 mm (n=216), group II as IPP of 5 to 10 mm (n=135), and group III as IPP above 10 mm (n=38).

Recent incidence of congenital heart disease in neonatal care unit of secondary medical center: a single center study.

Purpose: With feasibility in the diagnoses of congenital heart disease (CHD) in the antenatal period, we suspect changes have occurred in its incidence. No data have been reported about the current incidence of simple forms of CHD in Korea. We have attempted to assess the recent incidence and characteristics of CHD in the neonatal care unit of a secondary referral medical center.

Susceptibility of gastric cancer according to leptin and leptin receptor gene polymorphisms in Korea.

Purpose: Leptin plays an important role in the control of body weight and also has a growth-factor-like function in epithelial cells. Abnormal expression of leptin and leptin receptor may be associated with cancer development and progression. We evaluated the relationship among leptin and leptin receptors polymorphisms, body mass index (BMI), serum leptin concentrations, and clinicopathologic features with gastric cancer and determined whether they could be the risk factor of gastric cancer.

Clinical feasibility of temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging as a prognostic tool in idiopathic acute facial palsy.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating the severity and prognosis of idiopathic acute facial nerve palsy.

Methods: Forty-four patients with idiopathic acute facial nerve palsy who had undergone gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were selected retrospectively. The degree of radiological facial nerve enhancement was determined using quantitative analysis (with region-of-interest measurements for separate facial nerve segments) and using subjective visual analysis.

Two cases of lower body contouring with a spiral and vertical medial thigh lift.

Massive weight loss results in skin excess, leading to an unsatisfying body contour. Various thigh lift procedures can correct flabby skin in the lower leg. We present a lower body contouring technique with a report on two patients.

Statistical trends in family medicine journals.

Background: This study proposed a desirable direction for the future development of the Korean Journal of Family Medicine (KJFM) by comparing with the overseas SCI journals, Family Medicine (FM) and The Journal of Family Practice (JFP) based on the statistical viewpoints.

Methods: All of the original articles published in KJFM from January 1981 to June 2011, FM from January 1998 to June 2011, and JFP from January 1978 to June 2011, were reviewed and compared in terms of content, data size, research design, and statistical method.

Results: Of 3,226 total original articles, KJFM published 1,549, FM 322, and JFP 1,355, respectively.

The Relationship between Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Function.

Background: Metabolic syndrome has been reported to have adverse effects on cognitive function, although the results are conflicting. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cognitive function in elderly Korean participants older than 60 years.

Methods: We examined elderly participants who visited the health promotion center in Gyeonggi-do province.

The Relationship between Menopausal Symptoms and Heart Rate Variability in Middle Aged Women.

Background: The study of the correlation of menopausal symptoms with heart rate variability (HRV) has not been adequate. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postmenopausal symptoms measured by the menopause rating scale (MRS) and HRV.

Methods: We assessed postmenopausal symptoms (using MRS) with age, BMI, educational status, occupation, marital status, alcohol and caffeine consumption, smoking history, exercise, duration of sleep and amenorrhea, degree of anxiety and depression, menarcheal age, and heart rate variability.

Epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in infants 3 months of age and younger.

Purpose: This study investigated the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease (KD) in infants ≤3-month-old.

Methods: To study the epidemiology of KD in Korea, data for 27,851 KD patients were collected on a 3-year basis between 2000 and 2008 in a retrospective survey. From this, data for 609 KD patients ≤3-month-old were analyzed and compared with the data for KD patients >3-month-old.

Perspectives on stem cell therapy for cardiac regeneration. Advances and challenges.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) accelerates cardiomyocyte loss, but the developing stem cell research could be useful for regenerating a variety of tissue cells, including cardiomyocytes. Diverse sources of stem cells for IHD have been reported, including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, skeletal myoblasts, bone marrow-derived stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and cardiac stem cells. However, stem cells have unique advantages and disadvantages for cardiac tissue regeneration, which are important considerations in determining the specific cells for improving cell survival and long-term engraftment after transplantation.

How Does Speaking Clearly Influence Acoustic Measures? A Speech Clarity Study Using Long-term Average Speech Spectra in Korean Language.

Objectives: To investigate acoustic differences between conversational and clear speech of Korean and to evaluate the influence of the gender on the speech clarity using the long-term average speech spectrum (LTASS).

Methods: Each subject's voice was recorded using a sound level meter connected to GoldWave program. Average long-term root mean square (RMS) of one-third octave bands speech spectrum was calculated from 100 to 10,000 Hz after normalizing to 70 dB overall level using the MATLAB program.

Osteochondroma of the distal tibia complicated by a tibialis posterior tendon tear.

Osteochondroma of the bone can irritate the overlying soft tissue, resulting in pain and discomfort. Rarely, a tendon tear can occur by an impinging bony mass. We report a case of osteochondroma of the distal tibia in a 23-year-old female patient that was complicated by a partial tear of the tibialis posterior tendon.

A case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor originated from the greater omentum in young adult.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic (IMF) tumor is a rare solid tumor that often affects children. IMF tumors occur primarily in the lung, but the tumor may affect any organ system with protean manifestations. A 22-year-old woman was evaluated for palpable low abdominal mass that had been increasing in size since two months prior.

Avulsion fracture of the calcaneal tuberosity: classification and its characteristics.

Background: Not much is known regarding avulsion fractures of the calcaneal tuberosity. We propose a modified classification scheme that presents the four types of calcaneal avulsion fracture as described by surgical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and evaluation of their specific features.

Methods: Out of 764 cases of calcaneal fractures, we examined 20 cases (2.

Nestin expressing progenitor cells during establishment of the neural retina and its vasculature.

In order to test if nestin is a useful marker for various types of progenitor cells, we explored nestin expression in the retina during development. Nestin expression was co-evaluated with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin B4 (GSIB4) histochemistry. Nestin immunoreactivity appears in cell soma of dividing neural progenitor cells and their leading processes in retinas from embryonic day (E) 13 to E20, in accordance with a BrdU-labeled pattern.

Usefulness of continuous renal replacement therapy for correcting hypernatremia in a patient with severe congestive heart failure.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is used as an alternative to intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) in patients who have acute kidney injury (AKI) and cannot tolerate IHD. Several studies have reported the usefulness of CRRT in treating sepsis, which is a non-renal indication for CRRT. Recently, CRRT was also introduced as a useful tool for treating severe congestive heart failure (CHF).

Circulating total glutathione in normal tension glaucoma patients: comparison with normal control subjects.

Purpose: Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Glutathione is a major antioxidant molecule present in intracellular or extracellular space. Herein, we aimed to examine circulating glutathione level in normal tension glaucoma (NTG), which comprises the largest proportion of glaucoma disease in the Korean population.

Immunohistochemical Expression of DCUN1D1 in Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma: Its Relation to Brain Metastasis.

Purpose: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) comprises 75-85% of all lung cancers, and approximately 25% of all NSCLC patients develop brain metastasis. There are no reliable markers for predicting in which patients this metastasis will occur. DCUN1D1, also known as squamous cell carcinoma-related oncogene, is associated with tumor progression and poor outcomes in NSCLC.

A case report of primary breast angiosarcoma with fatal pulmonary hemorrhage due to thrombocytopenia.

Primary angiosarcomas of the breast are rare malignancy that account for fewer than 0.04% of all malignant breast tumors. The prognosis is poor.

Long-term follow-up results in 142 adult patients with moyamoya disease according to management modality.

Background: To clarify the most beneficial treatment of the management modality based on our experience with adult moyamoya disease (MMD).

Methods: From 1998 to 2010, clinical results of 142 patients (ischemic, 98; hemorrhagic, 44) with adult MMD were investigated according to management modality. Revascularization surgery (direct, indirect, and combined bypass) was performed in 124 patients.

Palatal myoclonus associated with orofacial buccal dystonia.

Palatal myoclonus is a rare condition in which there are rhythmic jerky movements of the soft palate and sometimes of the other muscles innervated by the brainstem A particularly annoying symptom is a rhythmic clicking sound in the ear due to the opening and closing of the Eustachian tube. Orofacial buccal dystonia is a focal dystonia with sustained spasms of the masticatory, facial or lingual muscles. The frequent symptoms of this disease have mainly been reported to be involuntary and possibly painful jaw opening, closing, deflecting and retruding, or a combination of the above.

Comparison of laparoscopy-assisted and totally laparoscopic Billroth-II distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Purpose: In laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer, most surgeons prefer extra-corporeal anastomosis because of technical challenges and unfamiliarity with intra-corporeal anastomosis. Herein, we report the feasibility and safety of intra-corporeal Billroth-II anastomosis in gastric cancer.

Methods: From April 2004 to March 2011, 130 underwent totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with intra-corporeal Billroth-II reconstruction, and 269 patients underwent laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with extra-corporeal Billroth-II reconstruction.