No abstract available.
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the urinary concentrations of hydroxyridinium crosslinks of collagen in patients with osteoarthritis(OA) or rheumatoid arthritis(RA), and to compare its clinical correlation with the classic indices of the disease activity of RA. METHODS: Concentrations of urinary pyridinoline (Pyd) and deoxypyridinoline(Dpd) were measured in urinary samples collected from 18 control patients, 35 patients with OA, 45 patients with RA by competitive enzyme immunoassay using microplate coated with monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: 1) Mean urinary concentrations of Pyd in OA patients were 33.5nmol/mmol creatinine, in RA patients were 50.0nmol/mmol creatinine which were higher than the values in controls (25.1 nmol/mmol creatinine). Also, mean concentrations of Dpd in OA patients were 9.2nmol/mmol creatinine, in RA patients were 10.1nmol/mmol creatinine which were higher than the values in controls(5.6nmol/mmol creatinine)(p<0.01). 2) Mean urinary concentration of Pyd was 50.0 nmol/mmol creatinine in RA patients, which was significantly higher than the values in OA(33.5 nnmol/mmol creatinine)(p<0.05), but the mean Dpd concentratians were not significantly different between the two groups. 3) The concentrations of urinary Pyd in RA patients was significantly correlated with the biologic markers indicating inflammatory activity such as ESR(r=0.68, p<0.001), CRP(r=0.72, p<0.001) and the number of tender joint(r=0.66, p<0.01) CONCLUSION: Urinary concentrations of Pyd and Dpd were significantly higher in OA and RA patients than in controls, Especially urinary Pyd concentrations were significantly increased in RA patients than in OA patients, and strongly correlated with disease activity index of rheumatoid arthritis. The mean Dpd concentration, bone specific analogue, in RA patients was not significantly different from that of OA patients and it was not correlated with disease activity index Thus measurement of urinary Pyd might provide a sensitive, noninvasive biochemical marker for studying activity of RA.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biomarkers ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Osteoarthritis

No abstract available.
Dandy-Walker Syndrome*

The diagnosis of soft tissue osteochondroma should be considered when a well-defined osseous mass is located in the soft tissues. The differential diagnosis includes myositis ossificans, tumoral calcinosis, synovial chondromatosis, and soft tissue osteosarcoma, true osteochondroma which arises from bone. One case of soft tissue osteochondroma in the knee, a lesion of uncertain pathogenesis is reported.
Calcinosis ; Chondromatosis, Synovial ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Knee ; Myositis Ossificans ; Osteochondroma* ; Osteosarcoma

Lipiodol, lipid soluble contrast media, was applied to 59 patients, who was clinically suspected to havehepatic tumor, in the department of Diagnotic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital. The results of theclinical use of Lipiodol were as follows: 1. The clinical diagnosis was hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in 50 cases,cavernous hemangioma in 4 cases, metastasis in one case and others in 4 cases. 2. After hepatic arteriography,Lipiodol only was injected in 28 cases, mixture of Lipiodol and Mitomycin was injected in 22 cases andtranscatheter arterial embolization was performed additionally after injection of Lipiodol and Mitomycin in 9cases. 3. Among the 50 cases of HCC, Lipiodol was accumulated in the lesion in 49 cases. However, similaraccumulation of Lipiodol occured in a metastatic cancer and cavernous hemangiomas. 4. Plain radiographic patternsof Lipiodol accumulation could be divided into fine granular type, nodular type and linear or branching type. Thelinear or branching pattern disappeared in follow-up radiography after one week. 5. As minor complication afterLipiodol Injection. GOY &GPT were transiently elevated in 30 cases and normalized in a week. Abdominal pain andfever developed but subsided in a week too. 6. When an appropriate lipid-soluble chemotherapeutic agent orradioisotope is applied to this phenomenon in which Lipiodol is selectively accumulated in hepatic tumor, thediagnostic and therapeutic values will be more enhanced.
Abdominal Pain ; Angiography ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Ethiodized Oil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Mitomycin ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiography ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Sorbitol fermenting Escherichia coli O157 were reported. And E. coli O157:H7 produce various Shiga toxin (Stx) such as Stx1, Stx2, or variants of Stx2. In this study, we tried to establish laboratory methods that detect E. coli O157:H7 quickly and precisely by analyzing sensitivity of colony hybridization test and PCR technique. METHODS: Stx1-producing E. coli ATCC 43890, Stx2-producing E. coli ATCC 43889, and Stx2vha- producing E. coli ATCC 51435 were tested. Three strains of E. coli were diluted with 0.1 g of diarrheal stools from 107 CFU to 101 CFU respectively. The stool samples were incubated overnight in MacConkey agar plates. A mean of 63 colonies were hybridized by stx1- and stx2-specific oligonucleotide probes. PCR for stx1 gene and stx2 gene was done after overnight- incubation of stool samples in the LB broth with vancomycin (6 ug/mL). Positive colonies by colony hybridization were confirmed by PCR for stx1 gene and stx2 gene. RESULTS: Colony hybridization test could detect Stx1-producing E. coli at 103 CFU per 0.1 g of stool, Stx2-producing E. coli at 105 CFU per 0.1 g of stool, and Stx2vha-producing E. coli at 104 CFU per 0.1 g of stool. PCR technique after enrichment in LB broth with vancomycin (6 ug/mL) could detect stx1-, stx2-, and stx2vha-containing E. coli at 10 CFU per 0.1 g of stool respectively. CONCLUSOIN: A combination of colony hybridization and PCR after enrichment in broth with vancomycin (6 ug/mL) is useful for the rapid and precise diagnosis of infections of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7.
Agar ; Diagnosis ; Escherichia coli O157 ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Shiga Toxin ; Sorbitol ; Vancomycin

Pulmonary blastoma is a rare lung tumor resembling fetal lung tissue. Pathologically the tumor can be classified to 2 groups, well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma(WDFA) and biphasic blastoma. WDFA has more favorable prognosis with fewer metastasis at initial presentation and fewer recurrence after treatment. We experienced a case of pulmonary blastoma in 32-year-old female patient. The patient was referred to our hospital because of abnormal mass shadow in right middle lobe. The diagnosis of pulmonary blastoma(WDFA type, Stage I T2NOMO) was confirmed after right middle lobectomy. We followed up 22 months without an evidence of recurrence.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Blastoma* ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Animals ; Rats* ; Reperfusion*

The treatment of choice for Cushing's disease is surgical removal of tumor, the source of ACTH overproduction. In occasional patients in whom a surgical approach including total adrenalectomy is not feasible or surgical removal of tumor is not complete, medical treatment may be necessary because pituitary irradiation requires a long 1ag time to remission. Although ketoconazole, an imidazole derivative with inhibitory activity on adrenal steroidogenesis has been reported to be effective in the treatment of Cushing's disease, the limited effectiveness in lowering very high level of cortisol and occasional hepatotoxicity restrains its wide use. In this report, we describe a woman with Cushing's disease due to pituitary microadenoma. Transsphenoidal pituitary adenomeetomy followed by ketoconzole treatment had been unsuccessful in achieving remission of the disease, but combined treatment with ketoconazole and octreotide accomplished successful reduction in cortisol production.
Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Ketoconazole* ; Octreotide* ; Pituitary Irradiation

PURPOSE: We wanted to analyze the influences of risk factors on avascular necrosis and nonunion after multiple pinning for a femoral neck fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the cases of multiple pinning for a femoral neck fracture that were seen at our department from June 1995 to May 2006, we analyze 102 cases that had more than 2 years of follow-up. We evaluated the influence of such factors as the age, gender, injury on the right- or left-side, the degree of displacement, the time to operation, the angle of fracture, the accuracy of reduction and posterior cortex comminution on avascular necrosis and nonunion after multiple pinning for a femoral neck fracture. RESULTS: The incidences of AVN and nonunion were 13.7% (14/102) and 10.7% (11/102), respectively. The degree of displacement was a significant factor that influenced the development of nonunion (p<0.05). The time to operation and the angle of fracture were significant factors that influenced nonunion (p<0.05 & p<0.05) and avascular necrosis (p<0.05 & p<0.05). The posterior cortex comminution was a significant factor that influenced nonunion (p<0.05) and avascular necrosis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The important risk factor for avascular necrosis was the angle of fracture over 60 degrees. The important risk factors for nonunion were the time to operation (over 24 hours), posterior cortex comminution and an angle of fracture over 60 degrees.
Displacement (Psychology) ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur Neck ; Follow-Up Studies ; Incidence ; Necrosis ; Risk Factors