Six patients with twenty histologically proven neurilemmomas of the extremities were studied using magnetic resonance(MR) imaging. The size, number, signal intensity on spin-echo T1WI(TR 500-650ms/TE 14-25ms)and gradient -echo (TR 200-600ms/TE 14-20ms; flip angle 25-30)image, enhancement pattern, detectability of nerve of origin, nerve-lesion relationship, and presence of a capsule were analyzed. The masses ranged from 1 to 12cm in longitudinal diameter and originated from the median nerve, ulnar nerve, sciatic nerve, radial nerve, and tibial nerve. All the nerve tracts except for those of 5 lesions, which could not be detected due to their small diameter, were visualized as low intensity tubular structures. All visible nerve tracts were situated along the periphery of the lesion and this finding was considered to be specific for neurilemmona. All neurilemmomas were isointense with the surrounding muscle on spin-echo T1WI and hyperintense on gradient-echo image. After a GD-DTPA injection, all masses showed moderate or marked enhancement and more prominent inhomogeneity than that on nonenhanced scan. In 19 out of 20 lesions(95%), a low signal intensity capsule surrounding the masses could be seen. Four of the six patients showed multiple masses, which was unusual as neurilemmoma usually arises as a solitary mass. In conclusion, the MR findings, especially the eccentric location of the mass lesion from the nerve of origin and the presence of a capsule, were useful in making a diagnosis of neurilemmoma of the extremity and that multiple neurilemmomas were not uncommon.
Diagnosis ; Extremities* ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Neurilemmoma* ; Radial Nerve ; Sciatic Nerve ; Tibial Nerve ; Ulnar Nerve

PURPOSE: Nowadays pharmacologic provocation tests and physiologic tests are usually used to determine growth hormone(GH) deficiency in short stature. But this method has many problems. We know GH stimulates the release and synthesis of insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) and measuring the level of IGF-I is relatively simple. So we measured plasma IGF-I to watch the correlation with the GH levels and to determine it may replace the complicated stimulation tests. METHODS: At the department of Pediatrics in Dong San Hospital from Dec. 1996 to Aug. 1998, childrens who visited for evaluation of short stature and measured GH and IGF-I simultaneously were reviewed. After clonidine and insulin administration, exercise and sleep, we measured their peak GH level and IGF-I level by the immunoradiometric assay(IRMA) kit. RESULTS: The ratio of boys and girls were 22 to 31 and the cases below 3 rd percentile were 26 which was the most. With phamacologic provocation test, there were 43 cases whose level of peak GH below 7 ng/mL(group I) but with combined phamacologic provocation and physiologic tests there were 27 cases of group I. The mean IGF-I level showed correlation with aging in both male and female(r=0.53, P<0.05). The relationship between peak GH and IGF-I level are found when we tested both phamacologic and physiologic combined tests. The mean IGF-I level did not correlate with height percentile. CONCLUSION: Measuring the IGF-I value was useful to detect GH deficient children but combined tests were more helpful.
Aging ; Child* ; Clonidine ; Female ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I* ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Plasma

Primary role of ultrasound in patients with thyroid nodule is to determine the multiplicity and detect occult carcinoma. We analyzed US findings of 53 thyroid carcinomas with multiple nodular lesions from january 1988 to december 1991. The results were as follows: 1. 109 malignant nodules in 53 cases and 24 benign in 23 were comfirmed. 2. The nature of the masses were solid in 72 malignant nodules (74.2%), and complex in 25 (25.8%) of which 19 were predominantly solid. 3. The echo pattern of the solid and solid predominant masses were hypoechoic in 78 malignant nodules (80.4%), hyperechoic in 10 (10.3%), and isoechoic in 3 (9.3%) 4. Internal punctate calcifications within the masses were observed in 31 malignant nodules (31.9%). 5. Halo sign was present in 16 malignant nodules(16.5%). 6. The preoperative sonographic diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma was made in 39.4% of 53 cases with multiple nodules on US. In conclusion, the number, and halo formation of nodules were insignificant to differentiate the benign nodule from the malignant. The heterogeneous hypoechoic nodules with size greater than 4cm, multiple stippled calcifications, displacement of the trachea or other surrounding structures of combined lymph node enlargements seem to indicate the possibility of malignancy.
Diagnosis ; Goiter* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroid Nodule ; Trachea ; Ultrasonography

For the last 20 years, several different techniques of fat injections have been developed. However, a standard technique of fat grafts has not yet been adopted for all practitioners. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and long-term results of fat grafts using the modified Colman's technique. A total of 234 patients who underwent fat injections were retrospectively reviewed. The results were evaluated by patient satisfaction and photographs. The patient satisfaction was assessed using visual analogous scale(VAS), and photographs were evaluated by medical professionals. The fat was harvested using tumescent liposuction with a two hole Coleman harvesting cannula, and centrifuged at 3000rpm for 3 minutes. The refined fatty tissue was then transferred into a 1-ml syringe, and injected subcutaneously using 17-gauge cannula. The amount of fat tissue placed with each withdrawal of a cannula was 0.3~0.5mL. This technique showed good results with long-lasting volume consistency and few complications. The average value of VAS scored by patients was 8.7, and that by surgeons was 8.5, showing statistically no significant difference between the values evaluated by patients and surgeons. Author's fat injection procedure is a good choice for the correction of cosmetic defects and facial rejuvenation.
Adipose Tissue ; Catheters ; Cosmetics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lipectomy ; Patient Satisfaction ; Rejuvenation ; Retrospective Studies ; Syringes ; Transplants

OBJECTIVES: This study examined how ethanolamines (EAs) with the same functional alcohol group (HOCH2CH2), such as mono-EA (MEA), di-EA (DEA), and tri-EA (TEA), in water-based metalworking fluids (wbMWFs) are vaporized, condensed, and transformed by heat generated during metalworking. METHODS: Two types of experimental apparatus were manufactured to achieve these objectives. RESULTS: Vaporization tests using a water bath showed that the vaporization rate increased markedly from 0.19 mg/m2.min at 23.5degrees C to 8.04 mg/m2.min at 60degrees C. Chamber tests with a heat bulb revealed that "spiked" MEA was fully recovered, while only 13.32% of DEA and no TEA were recovered. Interestingly, non-spiked types of EAs were detected, indicating that heat could convert EAs with more alcohol groups (TEA or DEA) into other EAs with fewer group(s) (DEA or MEA). The EA composition in fresh fluid was 4% DEA, 66% TEA, and 30% MEA, and in used fluids (n = 5) was 12.4% DEA, 68% TEA, and 23% MEA. Conversion from TEA into DEA may therefore contribute to the DEA increment. Airborne TEA was not detected in 13 samples taken from the central coolant system and near a conveyor belt where no machining work was performed. The DEA concentration was 0.45 mg/m3 in the only two samples from those locations. In contrast, airborne MEA was found in all samples (n = 53) regardless of the operation type. CONCLUSION: MEAs easily evaporated even when MWFs were applied, cleaned, refilled, and when they were in fluid storage tanks without any metalworking being performed. The conversion of TEA to DEA and MEA was found in the machining operations.
Baths ; Ethanolamines ; Hot Temperature ; Tea ; Volatilization ; Water

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have a higher burden of seizures, but few studies have examined seizures in HIV-infected individuals in Korea. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of seizures in patients with HIV infection. Among a total of 1,141 patients, 34 (3%) had seizures or epilepsy; 4 of these individuals had epilepsy before HIV infection, and the others showed new-onset seizures. Most patients exhibited moderate (200 to 500, n = 13) or low (below 200, n = 16) CD4 counts. The most common seizure etiology was progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (n = 14), followed by other HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) complications (n = 6). Imaging studies revealed brain lesions in 21 patients. A total of 9 patients experienced only one seizure during the follow-up period, and 25 patients experienced multiple seizures or status epilepticus (n = 2). Multiple seizures were more common in patients with brain etiologies (P = 0.019) or epileptiform discharges on EEG (P = 0.032). Most seizures were controlled without anticonvulsants (n = 12) or with a single anticonvulsant (n = 12). Among patients with HIV infection, seizures are significantly more prevalent than in the general population. Most seizures, with the exception of status epilepticus, have a benign clinical course and few complications.
Adult ; Aged ; Anticonvulsants/therapeutic use ; Causality ; Comorbidity ; Electroencephalography/*statistics & numerical data ; Female ; HIV Infections/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Seizures/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice*

OBJECTIVE : Mammalian embryos undergo changes of energy environment for transfer from oviduct to uterus. Also, the human reproductive organ (oviduct, uterus) contains energy sources of different concentration (oviduct - glucose: 0.5 mM, pyruvate: 0.32mM, lactate: 10.5 mM; uterus - goucose: 3.15 mM, pyruvate: 0.1mM, lactate: 5.87 mM, respectively). This study was conducted to examine the effect of these energy sources added in DMEM with glutamine on the mouse embryo development. METHODS: There was used ICR female mouse. Two cell embryos of mouse are collected by method of 'flushing'. Flushing fluid was used Ham's F-10 added to 20% FBS. The collected 2 cell embryos were cultured in media such as Control (only DMEM), group A and B (DMEM supplemented with 0.5 mM and 3.15 mM glucose), and group C and D (DMEM supplemented with 0.1 mM and 0.32 mM pyruvate), and group E and F (DMEM supplemented with 5.87 mM and 10.5 mM lactate). All experimental media supplemented with 20% hFF, respectively. Pattern of embryo development was observed to interval at 24hr during 96hr. RESULTS : The media with glutamine added glucose (group A: 51.0%; group B: 48.4%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than other experimental group in development into the morula stage after 24 hr in culture, but not significantly different compared with control and the rate of development into the blastocyst was significantly (p<0.05) low in the both of pyruvate (group C: 7.9% group D: 6.8%) and lactate (group E: 7.1%, group F: 7.1%) treatment group after 48 hr in culture. Development into the hatched and attached balstocyst after 96hr in culture revealed similarly in control (81.9%) and glucose treatment group (group A: 83.3%, group B: 82.8%). However, development into the hatched and attached blastocyst after 96hr in culture revealed significantly (p<0.05) development in the glucose treatment group (group A: 82.3%, group B: 78.5%) than control (63.2%), and its of pyruvate (group C: 34.1%, group D: 34.1%) and lactate (group E: 25.9%, group F: 33.3%) treatment group were significantly (p<0.05) lower than control similar to previous observations. CONCLUSION : The glucose added to the DMEM with only glutamine, as energy source, was highly to the rate of development compared with control, but the other energy sources were not, synthetically. Above refer to, the human reproductive organ (oviduct, uterus) contains energy sources of different concentration. Thus, further studies are will examine continuously to effects by interaction of different energy sources in the mouse embryo culture.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Eagles* ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Embryonic Development* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Flushing ; Glucose ; Glutamine ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Mice* ; Morula ; Oviducts ; Pregnancy ; Pyruvic Acid* ; Uterus

We report the results of field operation of TELEACE system between Kyung-Pook National University Hospital and Ul-Jin Goon Health Care Medical Center from December, 1990 to September, 1991, which had been operated as a kind of Integrated Services Digital Nework projects by KOREA TELECOMMUNICATION Inc. Ul-Jin Goon Health Care Medical Center transmitted 414 plain radiographs to our hospital in speed of 9600BPS. Each image was composed of 1024X1024 pixelsX8 bits/pixel. In our hospital, the image files were displayed on high resolution monitor (1280×1024 pixets). Text files of image interpretations were transmitted to the health care medical center. The two radiologists who had interpreted the transmitted images, went to the health care medical center and read radiographic film with blind test method. We obtained the following results: false negative rate of 6.3%, false postitve rate of 2.4%, mean sensitivity of 81.4%, mean specificity of 96.3%, and mean accuracy of 91.3%. In predictive value of 0.05, there was no significant difference between results of these two types of radiographs. In conclusion, TELEACE system was valuable to the clinicians isolated from services of radiologists.
Delivery of Health Care ; Korea ; Methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Telecommunications ; X-Ray Film

OBJECTIVE: Our present studies were conducted to examine more effective isolating method of preantral follicles from mouse ovaries. METHODS: ICR mice (3-6 weeks old) were sacrificed through cervical dislocation and their ovaries were removed and put into watch glasses containing Hams F-10 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Preantral follicles were isolated by three different methods; 1) enzymatical method and 2) mincing method, and 3) scraping method. Enzymatical method was carried out as following. Ovaries were bisected with a pair of fine 30G needles. Bisected ovaries were incubated at 37degrees C and 5% CO2 incubator in 2-well dish containing Hams F-10 supplemented with collagenase 600 IU/ml. After 20 min.,follicles were isolated by repeated pipetting. Isolated preantral follicles were collected, and the remnant of tissues was placed in incubator and previous procedure was repeated. Mincing method was carried out with a pair of fine 30G needles attached to 1 ml syringes and mined ovary. Scraping method was carried out wit a pair of fine 30G needles and scratched to surface of ovary. The differences between isolating methods were analyzed using Student's t-test and Chi-square. Results were considered statistically significant when P value was less than 0.05. RESULTS:In handling time, mincing or scraping method (28+/-3.42 min or 16+/-1.58 min) were significantly (p<0.00001) shorter than enzymatical method (72+/-1.69 min), and scraping method was significantly (p<0.01) shorter than mincing method. Total number of isolated follicles was significantly (p<0.0001) higher in enzymatical method (49.8+/-3.91) than in mincing or scraping method (25.3+/-2.33 or 20.5+/-1.75). Isolated follicles in < or =90 micrometer were significantly (p<0.005) higher in enzymatical method (15+/-1.71) than in mincing or scraping method (7.8+/-0.98 or 8.1+/-1.31). In 91~130 micrometer, isolated follicles were significantly (p<0.0005) higher in enzymatical method (33+/-3.27) than in mincing or scraping method (16.3+/-1.82 or 10.7+/-1.38). In > or =131 micrometer, isolated follicles were not significantly differences between all groups. In equal sizes, the rate of isolated follicles in < or =90 micrometer was highest in scraping method (39.6% vs. enzymatical method:30.1%, p<0.05; mincing method: 30.9%, p=0.11719, NS). Rate of follicles in 91~130 micrometer was significantly (p<0.05) lower in scraping method (52.7%) than in emzymatical or mincing method (66.3% or 64.5%). Rate of follicles in > or =131 micrometer was highest in scraping method (8.3% vs. enzymatical or scraping method: 3.6%, p<0.05)or 4.6%, p=0.19053, NS). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that scraping method is simple and useful for isolation of preantral follicles, because this method reduced handling time and recovered enough follicles. The recovered rate of isolated follicles in diameter of 91~130 micrometer was highest in all methods.
Animals ; Collagenases ; Dislocations ; Eyeglasses ; Female ; Glass ; Incubators ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Needles ; Ovary* ; Syringes