Previous observations have demonstrated that fibronectia (FN) is deposited high abundance in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) stroma. Since FN is a glycoprotein which promotes interaction between cells and extracellular matrix, it may been important component of slowly expansile carcinoma such as BCC. Furthermore, BCCs aggressiveness varies with it's histologic appearance. The authors investigated distribution of plasma FN (pFN) in 8 BCC cases with various histologic types (3 nodulocystic type, 2 infiltrative type, 2 keracotic type, 1 adenoid type) and 4 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), which have a more aggrcisive biologic behavior than BCC using immunohistochemical staining. In normal skin, pFN was strongly positive at the clenzoepidermal junction and perivascular area with a linear pattern, and in the papillary dermis with a reticular pattern, and was weakly positive in the reticular dermis. In BCC, pFN was strongly positive in nodulocystic BCC, with the highest concentration along the periphery of the tumor island in a filamentous pattern, .hereas, it was moderately positive in adenoid, keratotic, infiltrative BCC stroma. In SCC, pFN was weakly positive around tumor the margins with a thin, coarse deposition These results show that with epidermal tumors, the degree of the pFN expression in stroma is propotional to their aggressiveness.
Adenoids ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Dermis ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibronectins* ; Glycoproteins ; Plasma* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Bronchogenic Cyst*

No abstract available.
Vaccination*

Adrenal cortical carcinoma is a rare disease both in adults and in children. Most of these tumors are functional, especially in children, producing endocrine syndromes such as virilization, Cushing syndrome, hyperaldosteronism or feminization. We experienced a case of adrenal cortical carcinoma in a 7yr old boy who showed features of virilization such as rapid growth rate, penile enlargement, and pubic hair. This case was diagnosed with typical hormonal findings and abdominal MRI and confirmed by pathologic findings. He was successfully treated by total left adrenalectomy and has been followed up without problem over eight months.
Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocortical Carcinoma* ; Adult ; Child ; Cushing Syndrome ; Feminization ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Virilism

Porphyromonas gingivalis is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of adult periodontitis, the major cause of tooth loss in adults. Use of an antibacterial agent controlling P. gingivalis as a periodontal therapeutic agent has been rationalized. The present study was performed to observe the antibacterial effect of inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) on P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis 2561 was grown in half-strength brain-heart infusion broth containing hemin and vitamin K with or without polyP. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of polyP with various chain lengths was determined by measuring the absorbance of the grown cells at 540 nm. MIC of polyP for the bacterium was determined to be 0.05%. The effect of polyP with a chain length of 75 (polyP 75) was further examined. PolyP 75 added to the growing culture of P. gingivalis at its exponential phase was as effective in inhibiting the growth of P. gingivalis as polyP 75 added at the very beginning of the culture. More than 99% of the cells lost their viability determined by viable cell count when polyP 75 was added to the culture of growing P. gingivalis at the concentration of 0.06%, suggesting that polyP 75 has a bactericidal effect on the bacterium. Intracellular nucleotide release from the cells was increased by approx. 20% in the presence of polyP 75 but was not reversed by the addition of divalent cations like Ca++ and Mg++. Under the transmission electron microscope, only a small number of the growing P. gingivalis cells were actually lysed. However, the majority of the cells appeared to be atypical in their shape, demonstrating accumulation of highly electron-dense granules and bodies of condensed nucleic acid-like material in the cytoplasm. In the presence of polyP 75, the protein profile of P. gingivalis was changed as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot, and the proteolytic activity of the bacterium demostrated on the zymograms was decreased. The overall results suggest that polyP have a strong bactericidal activity against P. gingivalis in which lysis in relation to chelation may not play the major role but unknown mechanism that possibly affects the viability of the bacterium may be involved. PolyP may be used as an agent for prevention and treatment of periodontitis.
Adult ; Cations, Divalent ; Cell Count ; Chronic Periodontitis ; Cytoplasm ; Electrophoresis ; Hemin ; Humans ; Periodontitis ; Polyphosphates* ; Polyps ; Porphyromonas gingivalis* ; Porphyromonas* ; Tooth Loss ; Vitamin K

BACKGROUND: When it is difficult to insure adequate blood vessels, an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) graft has been accepted as an alternative although its long-term patency is not equal to that of an autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for the purpose of performing hemodialysis. There being no hemodynamic guidelines for creating an autogenous or e-PTFE AVF, we prospectively investigated the difference in blood flows between autogenous and e-PTFE AVFs after internal AVF creation in order to identify an ideal AVF. METHODS: We performed color doppler ultrasonography on 15 patients who experienced AVF creation between December 1997 and December 1998 at the Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital in Pusan and compared the volume flow per minute, the peak systolic velocity, and the cross-sectional area between an autogenous and an e-PTFE AVF. RESULTS: Eight (8) patients experienced an autogenous vein AVF creation, and seven (7) patients experienced an AVF creation using 4x6 mm graded e-PTFE (Impra(R)). 1. Average volume flow: 1611.87 +/-687.52 mL/min for autogenous AVFs and 1725.28+/-269.06 mL/min for e-PTFE AVFs (p=0.67). 2. Average peak systolic velocity: 128.98+/-52.83 cm/sec for autogenous AVFs and 81.71+/-8.93 cm/sec in e-PTFE AVFs (p=0.04). 3. Average cross-sectional area: 0.23+/-0.10 cm2 for autogenous AVFs and 0.34+/-0.02 cm2 for e-PTFE AVFs (p=0.02). 4. There were no postoperative complications, such as venous hypertension or distal ischemia, except for one puncture-site infection. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in volume flows between autogenous AVFs and 4x6 mm graded e-PTFE graft AVFs after internal AVF creation. In the e-PTFE graft AVFs, the cross-sectionalarea was greater and the peak systolic velocity was smaller compared with those of autogenous AVFs. These results suggest that, in e-PTFE AVF creation in order to maintain on adequate minute volume flow, it is important to minimized the cross-sectional area of the outflow vessel where the lower compliance of the e-PTFE graft increases outflow resistance. Also, we conclude that choosing the appropriate blood vessels and using a meticulous surgical technique are mandatory in establishing optimal hemodynamics for arteriovenous fistulae.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Blood Vessels ; Busan ; Compliance ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Ischemia ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Polytetrafluoroethylene* ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Protestantism ; Renal Dialysis* ; Transplants* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Veins

The carpal tunnel syndroms is the most common peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome. The typical symptom is pain, numbness and paresthesia in the median nerve territory of the hand and progressive thenar atrophy. When the symptom is mild and its duration is short, conservative treatment such as splinting or local steroid injection is considered, but when neurological deficit is promiment and conservative treatment is not effective, surgical decompression is indicated.Authors reviewed 15 patients (23 cases) of carpal tunnel syndrome treated with surgical decomression at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kyung-pook National University Hospital from March 1983 to October 1988. The follow up results are as follows; 1. Preoperatively, Tinel sign was present in 17 cases. Phalen test was positive in 17 cases. Sensory disturbance was present in 8 cases. Thenar muscle atrophy was present in 19 cases. Motor weakness was present in 13 cases. 2. Preoperatively, delay of motor conduction velocity of median nerve was noted in 15 cases (65.2%) and sensory nerve conduction velocity in 20 cases (86.9%). Denervation findings such as fibrillation or sharp waves were seen in 15 cases (65.2%). 3. The operative findings were as follows; Synovial hypertrophy in 12 cases, hypertrophy of transcarpal ligament in 4 cases, pseudoneuroma in 3 cases, ganglion in 2 cases, neurilemmoma in 1 case, gout in 1 case. 4. As the operative findings, median nerve had evidence of compression beneath the transcarpal ligament, consisting of flattening. narrowing and decreased epineurial vascularity. 5. External neurolysis was performed in all cases. 6. In case of long duration and severe thenar atrophy, internal neurolysis would be recommendable. 7. Fllow up period was ranged from 7 months to 6 years. 8. 19 cases (82.6%) were excellent or good results.
Atrophy ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Decompression, Surgical ; Denervation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglion Cysts ; Gout ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Hypesthesia ; Ligaments ; Median Nerve ; Muscular Atrophy ; Neural Conduction ; Neurilemmoma ; Orthopedics ; Paresthesia ; Peripheral Nerves ; Splints

BACKGROUNDS: Since the advent of MRI, cavernous angioma has been recognized as an important cause of chronic epilepsy. However, the natural course or optimal treatment strategies of chronic epilepsy with cavernous angioma have not been established yet. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the Yonsei Epilepsy Data Bank and found 13 patients with characteristic MR findings of cavernous angioma who have been followed at the Yonsei Epilepsy Clinics for longer than one year. The clinical variables and outcome of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The subjects consisted of 7 men and 6 women. The age of seizure-onset was approximately 21 years old and the duration of seizure were 9 years. All patients in this study had small(< 2cm) and single cavernous angioma and the majority of lesions(9/13) were located in the temporal lobe. One patient also had hippocampal atrophy and another two had combined venous malformations. After adequate trials of antiepileptic drug therapy, 5 patients became seizure free, 2 patients showed worthwhile improvement and the remaining 6 patients did not have any improvement. The withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs was tried in two patients after seizure free period of 3 years but seizure recurred in all patients. Epilepsy surgery had been performed in two patients. One patient who had the left hippocampal atrophy has been remain seizure free after a standard anterior temporal lobectomy but the other patient who had performed a lesionectomy alone did not improve after surgery. During the period of follow up for about 36 months, no symptomatic bleeding had been occurred in any patiet included to the study. CONCLUSION: The incidence of hemorrhagic events in chronic epilepsy patients with cavernous angioma is extremely low. About half of the patients can be adequately managed by antiepileptic drugs therapy but the chance of successful withdrawal of AEDs seems slim.
Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Anticonvulsants ; Atrophy ; Drug Therapy ; Epilepsy* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe ; Young Adult

Background AND PURPOSE: Status epilepticus (SE) is one of the major neurological emergency that requires immediate treatment to avoid significant morbidity and mortality. Thus, understanding the cause, features and prognosis of SE is important for the evaluation and treatment of this condition. We retrospectively reviewed the possible cause and clinical outcome of adult patients treated for SE at the Hallym Univrsity Hospital from 1994 to 1998. METHODS: For the identification of patients, we searched the data bank for patients meetinf criteria of SE who were 18 year or older, and their medical records were reviewed. We also investigated the relationships between cause, response to anticonvulsant therapy and short-term clinical outcome. RESULTS: The selected 127 patients wer 84 males and 43 females, aged 18 to 85 yeats (meen age: 49.5 years). The possible etiologies of SE were withdrawal of AED (n=27, 21.3%), anoxia (n=22, 17.3%), CNS infection (n=20, 15.7%), stroke (n=16, 12.6%), alcohol-related (n=15, 11.8%), metabolic (n=8, 6.3%), unknown (n=7, 5.5%), drug inroxicatio (n=5, 3.9%), trauma (n=4, 3.2%) and cerebral tumor (n=3, 2.4%). in 77 patients (n=77, 60.6%), SE was successfully aborted with first-line therapy, which usually included diazepam with or without phenytoin. The food responders to AEDs occurred in patients with AED withdrawal, alcohol-related, stroke, unknown, and trauma, The poor response related to anoxia, drug intoxication and CNS infection. Seventy nine patients (62.2%) had food outcome, but nineteen patients (14.9) were died. Anoxia, drug intoxication, CNS infection and metabolic abnormalities were associated with particularly poor outcome compared with other etiologies. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the etiology of SE may help predict both the intial response to drug therapy and short-term clinical outcome.
Adult* ; Anoxia ; Diazepam ; Drug Therapy ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Phenytoin ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Status Epilepticus* ; Stroke

Acute infarcts of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) territory are unusual. Furthermore incomplete AICA infarcts are perplexing because of its variations of vascular anatomy and inconsistent clinical features. We present a case with clinical features of AICA infarction, which consist of ipsilateral peripheral-type facial palsy, vertigo, and contralateral facial and upper limb sensory changes without motor weakness. The patient had hypertension and was a current smoker. The high signal intensity on inferior pontine tegmental area was found on MRI and the R2 interneuronal dysfunction was note on Blink reflex. The angiographic findings didn't show any focal vascular lesions, which is contrary to the pathogenesis of AICA infarction published previously. On the clinical ground, the present case reserves to attention in that patients with peripheral-type facial palsy should be properly evaluated and with thorough neurological examination and we could differentiate between the incomplete AICA infarcts such as Gasperini syndrome and Bell's palsy.
Arteries ; Bell Palsy ; Blinking ; Facial Paralysis* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Interneurons ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Upper Extremity ; Vertigo