No abstract available.
Korea* ; Moyamoya Disease*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Rhabdomyoma*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rarely identified entity whose exact incidence, etiology, pathogenesis, medium-term evolution and optimal treatment have not yet been firmly estabilished. The cause of spontaneous disection remains unclear but theories of etiology include a medial eosinophilic angiitis, pregnancy induced degeneration of collagen and rupture of the vasovasoum. Most paients die suddenly, but a clinical spectrum is seen including and unstable angina, myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. We experienced 4 cases with spontaneous coronary artery dissection found angiographically which caused myocardial infarction and unstable angina. Our patients were treated medically.
Angina, Unstable ; Collagen ; Coronary Vessels ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Pregnancy ; Rupture ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Vasculitis

With a surge in the population of immunocompromised patients, the incidence of laryngeal fungal infection has also been increased. Infection by aspergillus, which is a kind of mold, or a filamentous fungus, occurs rarely in larynx. Furthermore, most aspergillosis of the upper airway is an extension of the pulmonary or systemic aspergillosis in the immunocompromised host. So, the primary laryngeal aspergillosis that occurrs as an isolated laryngeal infection of aspergillus without other aerodigestive tract extension is very rarely encountered. We present a case of primary laryngeal aspergillosis misconceived as a vocal cord cyst in a 24-year-old female who had no past history of immune deficiency, voice abuse or steroid use.
Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus ; Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Incidence ; Larynx ; Vocal Cords ; Voice ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Cardiac tamponade is associated with the expiratory increase and the expira-tory decrease in left ventricular filling flow. With Doppler echocardiography, we analyzed the respiratory variations of mitral and tricuspid inflows, and pulmonary and hepatic venous flows in patients with cardiac tamponade. METHODS: Respiratory hemodynamic changes in mitral and tricuspid inflows and pulmonary and hepatic venous flows were evaluated using Doppler echocardiography in 13 patients (6 men and 7 women; mean age 51+/-13 years) with large pericardial effusion and clinical cardiac tamponade, and compared the results with those of 11 control subjects (3 men and 8 women, mean age 53+/-13 years). Doppler examination was repeated after pericardiocentesis in 6 patients. RESULTS: Peak velocity of early diastolic mitral inflow (E velocity) decreased during inspiration compared with expiratory increase; the mean percentage change was 40%. Peak velocity of late diastolic mitral inflow (A velocity) decreased 13% during inspiration. E/A ratio decreased 31% during inspiration. Deceleration time (DT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) increased by 26% and 44%, respectively, during inspiration. But respiratory variations of tricuspid inflow were opposite to those of mitral inflow. Tricuspid E velocity increased during inspiration and decre-ased during expiration. The mean percentage change was 123%, which was larger than thte 40% of mitral inflow. The most characteristic findings of pulmonary venous flow during respiration were the expiratory increases of peak diastolic velocity (DV) and diastolic time-velocity integral (D-TVI). The mean percentage changes of peak systolic velocity (SV), DV and D-TVI during respiration were 27%, 45% and 53% respectively. In contrast, the SV and DV of hepatic venous flow increased during inspiration and decreased during expiration. The respiratory variations of peak systolic reverse flow velocity (SR) and peak diastolic reverse flow velocity (DR) were opposite to those of SV and DV. DR notably increased during expiration, and the mean percentage change was 61%. The ratio of RFI (Inspiratory reverse flow integral) to FFI (forward flow integral) of the tamponade group was 270%. The mean percentage changes of each parameters decreased after pericardiocentesis. CONCLUSION: Patients with cardiac tamponade showed inspiratory increases of diastolic tri-cuspid filling flow and hepatic forward flow. Expiratory increases included diastolic mitral filling flow, pulmonary venous systolic and diastolic flow, and hepatic venous reverse flow. Such res-piratory variations decreased after pericardiocentesis.
Cardiac Tamponade* ; Deceleration ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardiocentesis ; Relaxation ; Respiration

BACKGROUND: Low levels of serum vitamin D is associated with several lung diseases. The production and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of emphysema. The aim of the current study therefore is to investigate if vitamin D modulates the expression and activation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in human lung fibroblasts (HFL-1) cells. METHODS: HFL-1 cells were cast into three-dimensional collagen gels and stimulated with or without interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in the presence or absence of 100 nM 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) for 48 hours. Trypsin was then added into the culture medium in order to activate MMPs. To investigate the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, gelatin zymography was performed. The expression of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1, TIMP-2) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression of MMP-9 mRNA and TIMP-1, TIMP-2 mRNA was quantified by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: IL-1beta significantly stimulated MMP-9 production and mRNA expression. Trypsin converted latent MMP-2 and MMP-9 into their active forms of MMP-2 (66 kDa) and MMP-9 (82 kDa) within 24 hours. This conversion was significantly inhibited by 25(OH)D (100 nM) and 1,25(OH)2D (100 nM). The expression of MMP-9 mRNA was also significantly inhibited by 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D, 25(OH)D, and 1,25(OH)2D play a role in regulating human lung fibroblast functions in wound repair and tissue remodeling through not only inhibiting IL-1beta stimulated MMP-9 production and conversion to its active form but also inhibiting IL-1beta inhibition on TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 production.
Collagen ; Emphysema ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibroblasts* ; Gelatin ; Gels ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; Lung Diseases ; Lung* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; Trypsin ; Vitamin D* ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Blood Flow Velocity*

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), in general, can be diagnosed by detecting blasts in peripheral blood or bone marrow. Some of the cases of ALL do not show typical leukemic features, and only manifest as refractory anemia, thrombocytopenia, myelofibrosis and lymphocytic infiltration into bone marrow. Several months after presentation, they may reveal typical leukemic features and are diagnosed as ALL. This kind of leukemia is called ALL with aleukemic prodrome. Although the incidence of ALL with aleukemic prodrome is 1.5~2.2% of childhood ALL cases, it is rarely reported in Korea. We experienced a 6 month-old female infant who presented with refactory anemia and thrombocytopenia, and two serial of bone marrow examination revealed only myelofibrosis. She subsequently developed ALL 3 months later. We report this case with a brief review of related literatures.
Anemia ; Anemia, Refractory ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Korea ; Leukemia ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Primary Myelofibrosis ; Thrombocytopenia