A 40-year-old man attended our hospital with presenting symptoms of an acutely swollen, tender testicle and bulging mass on the inguinal area. Considered it as urgent conditions no demonstrating blood flow to the involved testicle on Color Doppler ultrasonography, we underwent scrotal exploration right away. On operative finding the right testis was so enlarged and engorged secondarily to the irreversible ischemic damage, but torsion of spermatic cord was not found. Another inguinal approach revealed herniated mass protruding from internal inguinal ring and compressing the spermatic cord. For further evaluation abdominal ultrasonography and CT scan was done and huge mass occupying right lower quadrant of abdomen and pelvic cavity was noted. The resected tumor through surgical exploration was proved to be a retroperitoneal liposarcoma pathologically. Herein we report an uncommon case of testicular infarct, mimicking torsion of spermatic cord that is a urological emergency, caused by herniated retroperitoneal mass. So the present report suggest that, when adult men attend with symptoms of acutely swollen painful testicle, we pay a more careful attention to patient,s physical findings and recommend further diagnostic evaluation.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Inguinal Canal* ; Liposarcoma* ; Male ; Spermatic Cord ; Testis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

Intracellular pH regulation of osteoblasts is of a great importance in the process of bone formation and resorption, and has been suggested to be mediated via intracellular Ca2+ and cAMP messenger systems. To elucidate the mechanism of modulation of intracellular pH by parathyroid hormone and PMA(Phorbo1-12-myristate-13-acetate), effects of these agonists on the individual transporter system, Na+-H+ antiporter and Cl−-HCO3-(−OH−) exchanger, were investigated. Intracellular pH and Ca2+ were measured by using the fluorescent dye BCECF and fura-2, respectively, in UMR-106 cell monolayer grown on glass coverslip. Addition of tumor promotor, PMA(luM) caused 0.14 unit pH rise of resting intracellular pH(pHi) and 38% increase of the initial rate of pHi recovery after cytosolic acid load. Perfusion of Cl−-free solution resulted in rapid cytosolic alkalinization of which the rate was increased 26% by preincubation of PMA. Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin (1uM) decreased resting pHi by 0.17 unit, but had no effect on the initial rate of pHi recovery after cytosolic acid load. However, the addition of ionomycin augmented the initial rate of pHi increase after Cl−-depletion outside the cells by 34% over the control. Stimulation of cells with parathyroid hormone(10-8M) caused an initial acidification (0.27 unit) followed by cytosolic alkalinization, with inhibiting effect on the initial rate of pHi recovery after acid load (42%). But parathyroid hormone did not have any significant effect on the rate of pHi increase after Cl−-depletion. PMA caused a sustained increase of intracellular Ca2+, of which the peak depended on the concentration of Ca2+ in extracellular medium. Ionomycin caused a transient increase of Ca2+ but PTH had no significant increase of intracellular Ca2+ in the concentration range of 10-6M to 10-12M tested. 10-8M PTH increased cAMP levels by about 10-fold and 10-10M PTH did by 1.6-fold. PMA, which increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, also had an stimulatory effect on cAMP production in the concentration range of 10-5M to 10-6M by 2-fold. These findings suggest that in UMR-106 cells Ca2+ and cAMP can influence pHi by altering the activity of pHi regulatory transporter system, and parathyroid hormones modulate pHi by inhibiting Na+-H+ antiporter via intracellular increase of cAMP, which is probably accounts for the inhibitory effect of parathyroid hormone on the proliferation of osteoblasts.
Cytosol ; Fura-2 ; Glass ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ion Transport ; Ionomycin ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Perfusion

We report a case of cecoureterocele with contralateral ureterovesical junction stricture in 1 month-old boy who presented with bilateral hydronephrosis detected by prenatal ultrasonography, Ultrasonography showed bilateral hydronephrosis, left complete duplex system and lect ureterocele. Voiding cystourethrography demonstrated reflux into the left upper moiety through ureterocele with prominent dilatation of the bladder neck and the proximal urethra. Ureteral stricture at right ureterovesical junction was suspected by intraoperative catheterization and retrograde ureteropyelography. Left upper pole nephrectomy with partial ureterectomy, transvesical unroofing of cecoureterocele and bilateral ureteroneocystostomy using Cohen's method were done. Convalescence was unevenful and postoperative voiding cystourethrography revealed no evidence of vesicoureteral reflux, dilated bladder neck or remnant cecoureterocele.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Convalescence ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Neck ; Nephrectomy ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Ureter ; Ureterocele ; Urethra ; Urinary Bladder ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that uptake of 18Fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose in head and neck cancer, as determined by the standardized uptake value (SUV) on positron emission tomography scan (PET scan), is associated with the biology of tumor. The aims of this study were to confirm the association with the biology of tumor and to establish whether a high SUV had prognostic significance. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Thirty patients with the head and neck cancer diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma underwent a PET scan before treatment. SUVs were analyzed for possibility correlated with diseasefree survival. RESULTS: In univariate survival analysis, when patients were divided into two groups based on the SUV cut-off value of 8, the group whose SUV was greater than 8 in the pre-treatment PET scan showed significantly worse outcome (p=0.029). Correlation analysis demonstrated that SUV provided prognostic information independent of the tumor size, pathologic differentiation and stage. CONCLUSION: We conclude that high FDG uptake on PET (SUV >8 in pre-treatment PET scan) is an important prognostic indicator for poor outcome. Identified patients are thought to require intensive treatment protocol and more careful follow up.
Biology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Head and Neck Neoplasms* ; Head* ; Humans ; Positron-Emission Tomography*

Primary extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma(SCC) is appearing with increased frequency in the literature. These tumors have been described in the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, larynx, hypopharynx, salivary gland, nasal cavity & paranasal sinus, thymus, small & large bowel, uterine cervix, endometrium, breast, prostate, urinary bladder and skin. Small cell carcinoma of the stomach is extremely rare and a total 9 cases have been reported in the English literature. Like SCC in the lung, SCC in the alimentary tract has a aggresive behavior and prognosis of the patient is poor. We are reported a case of advanced gastric cancer diagnosed as small cell type by endoscopic biopsy. Grossly, the lesion of small cell carcinoma of the stomach, located in the upper body and gastric angle, is ulcerated with irregular margin and dirty surface covered with blodd clots and exudates.
Biopsy ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Small Cell* ; Cervix Uteri ; Endometrium ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Larynx ; Lung ; Nasal Cavity ; Pancreas ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; Salivary Glands ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach* ; Thymus Gland ; Ulcer ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: Gastric emptying scan (GES) is usually acquired up to 2 hours. Our study investigated whether a fraction of meal-retention in the stomach at 120 minutes (FR120) was predicted from the data measured for 90 minutes by using non-linear curve fitting. We aimed at saving the delayed imaging by utilizing mathematical models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-six patients underwent GES immediately after taking a boiled egg with 74 MBq (2 mCi) Tc-99m DTPA. The patients were divided into Group I (T1/2 < or=90 min) and Group II (90 min< T1/2< or=120 min). Group I (n=51) had 21 men and 30 women, and Group II (n=45) 15 men and 30 women. There was no significant difference in age and sex between the two groups. Simple exponential, power exponential, and modified power exponential curves were acquired from the measured fraction of meal-retention at each time (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min) by non-linear curve fitting (MATLAB (R) 5.3) and another simple exponential fitting was performed on the fractions at late times (60, 75, and 90 min). A predicted FR120 was calculated from the acquired functional formulas. A correlation coefficient between the measured FR120 and the predicted FR120 was computed (MedCalc (R) 6.0). RESULTS: Correlation coefficients (r) between the measured FR120 and the predicted FR120 of each mathematical functions were as follows: simple exponential function (Group I: 0.8858, Group II: 0.5982, p< 0.0001), power exponential function (Group I: 0.8755, Group II: 0.6008, p< 0.0001), modified power exponential function (Group I: 0.8892, Group II: 0.5882, p< 0.0001), and simple exponential function at the late times (Group I: 0.9085, Group II: 0.6832, p< 0.0001). In all the fitting models, the predicted FR120 were significantly correlated with the measured FR120 in Group I but not in Group II. There was no statistically significant difference in correlation among the 4 mathematical models. CONCLUSION: In the cases with T1/2 < or=90 min, the predicted FR120 is significantly correlated with the measured FR120. Therefore, FR120 can be predicted from the data measured for 90 minutes by using non-linear curve fitting, saving the delayed imaging after 90 minutes when T1/2 < or=90 min is ascertained.
Female ; Gastric Emptying* ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Theoretical* ; Ovum ; Pentetic Acid ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Stomach

PURPOSE: Plasma cholinesterase is a sensitive measure determining the severity of organophosphate intoxication. The author evaluated the usefulness of the plasma cholinesterase level as a prognostic indicator of the severity of organophosphate intoxication. METHODS: From June 1999 to May 2001, 55 patients presented with organophosphate insecticide intoxication to the Emergency Medical Center of the Chonnam National University Hospital, and these were enrolled in this study. The plasma cholinesterase activities of these 55 patients were determined at the time of presentation. The relationships between the plasma cholinesterase level and the clinical variables of organophosphate toxicity, quantity of ingested poison, elapsed time to gastric lavage, and the APACHE score at the time of hospitalization were analyzed. RESULTS: The plasma cholinesterase activity significantly decreased in association with the degree of toxicity of the poison (p<0.001), elapsed time to gastric lavage (p<0.001), and the quantity of organophosphate ingested (p=0.013). In the 55 patients, lower plasma values of cholinesterase were observed in patients with longer durations of mechanical ventilation (r=-0.717, p<0.001) and in patients who developed pneumonia during treatment (r=-0.538, p<0.001). Also, decreased cholinesterase activity correlated with a higher APACHE score (r=-0.672, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that immediate determination of the plasma cholinesterase level at the time of hospitalization may be useful as a prognostic indicator in patients with organophosphate intoxication.
APACHE ; Cholinesterases* ; Eating* ; Emergencies ; Gastric Lavage ; Hospitalization* ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Plasma* ; Pneumonia ; Respiration, Artificial

PURPOSE: As Gwangju Wide Regional Emergency Medical Center was newly opened during February 2001, a comparative analysis was performed of patients who had visited the emergency department before and after the opening in order to measure the difference and to provide basic data for its management. METHODS: The 9,995 patients who had visited between February 1, 1999, and July 31, 1999, before the opening and the 12,457 patients who visited between February 1, 2001, and July 31, 2001, after its opening were compared according to sex, age, non-trauma or trauma, means and form of visit, attending department, length of stay in the emergency department, form of discharge, and time of death verification (dead-on-arrival (D.O.A) versus deadafter-arrival (D.A.A)). RESULTS: The total number of patients increased by 24%. The admission rate was 31.8% before the opening and 40.6% after the opening; the mean length of stay in the emergency department was 15.7 hours before the opening and 12.2 hours after the opening. The mean length of stay of admitted patients decreased from 26.6 hours before the opening to 18.3 hours after the opening. CONCLUSION: The decrease in the mean length of stay in the emergency department from 15.7 hours before the opening to 12.2 hours after the opening is viewed as a positive result, but is still not satisfactory. Accordingly, it is considered urgent that every clinical department take an active part in improving circulation of patients both in the Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU) on the second floor and in the emergency ward on the fifth floor, as well as in providing rapid medical care and decisions on treatment strategies in the emergency department on the first floor.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Gwangju* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay

Congenital prepubic sinus(CPS) is an extremely rare congenital anomaly of the external genitalia of uncertain etiology. Herein, a case of CPS, where immunohistochemical staining was performed to elucidate the etiology of the sinus, is reported. The results of the immunohistochemical study demonstrated the lining epithelium was transitional proximally and squamous distally. These findings suggest that CPS is a variant form of dorsal urethral duplication.
Epithelium ; Genitalia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Urethra

The majority of flexible bronchoscopies are performed under topical anesthesia with lidocaine being the most commonly used agent. Anaphylaxis rarely occurs after local administration of lidocaine, but can be a fatal complication. We experienced a case of unexpected anaphylaxis. A 66-year-old woman was scheduled for flexible bronchoscopy to evaluate a tracheal mass and stenosis. The oral and nasal mucosa were pretreated with lidocaine. About 2~3 minutes later, the patient developed hypotension and we treated for anaphylaxis in the emergency room. Then, we decided to perform rigid bronchoscopy in this patient, under conditions of general anesthesia. A rigid bronchoscopy was performed in this patient, safely and successfully. The tracheal mass was determined to be squamous cell carcinoma.
Aged ; Anaphylaxis ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Bronchoscopy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Lidocaine ; Nasal Mucosa