Authors report the radiologic findings of two cases of multiple bile-duct hamartoma in the liver. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the liver were performed in two female patients. In one patient, ERCP was performed. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed scattered multiple hypoechoic and low attenuated lesions, measuring up to 2cm in both lobe and ERCP showed communication of these lesions with the biliary system. Multiple bile-duct hamartoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of multiple small cystic lesions in the liver.
Biliary Tract ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hamartoma* ; Humans ; Liver ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Several abnormalities of the autonomic regulation of the heart have been noted after acute myocardial infarction(AMI). Measurement of heart rate(HR) variability has been reported to provide indirect, noninvasive estimate of the cardiac efferent parasympathetic activity. The purposes of this study were to get the information on heart rate variability after AMI and to determine its relation to clinical and hemodynamic data. METHODS: We measured HR variability in 28 patients(23 men and 5 women : mean age, 56.6+/-10.4 years) 3-15days after AMI, in 25 patients with unstable angina and in 21 normal subjects by using triangular interpolation of the frequency distribution histogram om normalto-normal RR intervals from Holter tapes. RESULTS: HR variability was lower in AMI than unstable angina patients(357.9+/-118.6 versus 426.1+/-122.5 msec : p<0.05) and normal subjects(525.1+/-137.4 msec : p<0.025). There was no difference for infarct site, thrombolytic therapy, presence of Q-wave. HR variability was significantly related to mean 24-hour HR, left ventricular ejection fraction(all p<0.0001), left ventricular end diastolic diameter(p<0.05). HR varability was lower in patients belonging to Killip class 2-4 and who reqired the use of diuretics or digitalis(all p<0.05). CONCLUSION: After AMI, HR variabillity was reduced and significantly related to clinical and hemodynamic indexes of severity. Measurement of HR variability early after AMI may offer important clinical information for the early high stratification of patients.
Angina, Unstable ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Diuretics ; Female ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Thrombolytic Therapy

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research is to determine the effects of depression and anxiety symptoms of schizophrenic psychopathology on the HPA axis. METHODS: Twenty patients with schizophrenia were included and divided into the medication non-exposed group(n = 10) and the medication exposed group(n = 10). Evaluated scales were the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms(SANS), Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms(SAPS), Hamilton Depression Inventory(HAM-D) and Hamilton Anxiety Inventory (HAM-A), and then the combined Dexamethasone/Corticotropin Releasing Hormone(DEX/CRH) test was conducted to determine the basal level, the peak level and the area under the curve(AUC) of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH). RESULTS: When the correlations between each psychopathology and cortisol level or ACTH AUC value were analyzed, HAM-D showed a negative correlation, whereas HAM-A showed a positive correlation. Also, the non-depression group(HAM-D < or = 18) showed higher cortisol and ACTH concentrations than the depression group(HAM-D > 18), and the anxiety group(HAM-A > or = 14) showed significantly higher concentrations than the non-anxiety group(HAM-D < 14)(p < 0.05). Also, as for the comparison between the medication non-exposed group and the medication exposed group, the non-exposed group showed significantly higher cortisol and ACTH concentration than exposed group(p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggest that anxiety symptoms rather than depression symptoms are related to the increased activity of the HPA axis of schizophrenics.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Anxiety ; Area Under Curve ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Depression ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of apoptosis related proteins and apoptotic cells on the human ovarian follicles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty five Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human ovarian tissue blocks were selected from the surgical pathology files of the department of pathology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, for the period from 1996 to 1998. All specimen were from premenopausal women aged from 32~45. Ovarian tissues were collected from the patients performing hysterectomy for benign uterine diseases. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for the detection of DNA fragmented cell, Bcl-2, Bax, Fas and Fas-ligand. RESULTS: Bcl-2 and bax were not expressed on the surrounding cells and oocyte of the primary, primordial and preantral follicles. Fas and Fas-ligand (Fas-L) were not expressed on the surrounding cells on the primordial and primary follicles. But expressed on the surrounding granulosa cells and oocyte in the primordial and primary follicles. In the healthy follicles, Bcl-2 was expressed on the granulosa cells, however, Bax was not expressed. DNA fragmented cells were expressed on the inner granulosa cell layer of atretic follicles. CONCLUSION: Fas, Fas-ligand, and Bax may be responsible for the follicular atresia and Bcl-2 may be involved in the follicular survival in the human ovary.
Apoptosis* ; DNA ; Female ; Follicular Atresia ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans* ; Hysterectomy ; Oocytes ; Ovarian Follicle* ; Ovary ; Pathology ; Pathology, Surgical ; Uterine Diseases

PURPOSE: To analysis of the clinical aspects of axillofemoral (AXFBG) and aortofemoral bypass (AOFBG) for aortoiliac occlusive disease. METHODS: Between June 1996 and May 2001, 23 patients underwent AXFBG or AOFBG for lower extremity ischemia caused by aortoiliac occlusive disease at Samsung Medical Center. The decision to perform AXFBG or AOFBG was based on an assessment of surgical risk and the patient's preference. We retrospectively analyzed the preoperative clinical status, risk factors and distal runoff scores affecting the patency rate as well as the clinical outcome following surgery. RESULTS: We performed 10 AXFBGs and 13 AOFBGs. The mean age was 67.8 years in AXFBG patients and 57.4 years in AOFBG patients. Limb salvage as an indication for surgery included 8 (80%) cases with AXFBG, as compared to 13(100%) cases with AOFBG. The mean follow-up period was 20.7 months in AXFBG and 21.8 months in AOFBG. The clinical improvement following surgery was statistically higher with AOFBG. The one-year and 2-year primary patency rates in AXFBG were 100% and 82% retrospectively. All of the grafts of AOFBG were patent during this follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The clinical improvement was higher with AOFBG as compared to AXFBG. However AXFBG is a safe practice in high-risk patients.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Limb Salvage ; Lower Extremity ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To analyze functional and radiological results and early motion after the stable fixation of fractures of the distal radius by using two small fragment plates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty cases were analyzed clinically and radiographically. Internal fixation was achieved using two 2.7 mm stainless steel small fragment plates on the radial and intermediate columns angled 60 degrees C apart in all cases. For functional evaluation, Green and O'Brien scores were analyzed. For radiological evaluation, volar tilting angle, radial inclination, and ulnar variance were analyzed. Arthroscopy was performed in all cases concomitantly. RESULTS: Functional results were excellent or good in 24 patients (80%) according to the modified system of Green and O' Brien. Radiological analysis showed that volar tilting angle, radial inclination or ulnar variance during the immediate postoperative to bony union period had no significant difference. Complications occurred in two wrists, namely reflex sympathetic dystrophy (1) and delayed union (1) needing an additional palmar plate and a bone graft. No case experienced implant failure or extensor tendinitis. CONCLUSION: Two 2.7 mm small fragment plates fixations provided good stability, and allowed early function. We report a series of 30 fractures treated by this method of internal fixation with satisfactory results.
Arthroscopy ; Humans ; Radius Fractures* ; Radius* ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy ; Stainless Steel ; Tendinopathy ; Transplants ; Palmar Plate ; Wrist

Two cases of familial asymmetric septal hypertrophy diagnosed by myocardial biopsy and clinical studies are reported with literature reviewed. Myocardial biopsy was done at right ventricular septal wall, and pedigree of family members was observed clinically and examined by noninvasive methods including chest X-ray and echocardiography.
Biopsy ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Pedigree ; Thorax

The in vivo photosensitizing efficacy of chlorophyll derivatives(CpD), which had been developed as a new photosensitizer, was compared with that of hematoporphyrin derivatives (HpD). A murine tumor model implanted subcutaneously with S-180 cells on the abdomen was used. The CpD or HpD was administered by intratumoral injection, and light of appropriate wavelength was irradiated on the tumor areas for 10 minutes at 1h and 24h or 24h and 48h after the injection of photosensitizer. When CpD was injected, the early irradiation group (1h and 24h) showed a 100% tumor cure rate; however, the late irradiation group (24h and 48h) showed a 60% tumor cure rate (p less than 0.01). This showed that the early irradiation with light after injection of CpD was an important factor for obtaining better results. With HpD, there was no difference in tumor cure rate between early (1h and 24h, 80%) and late irradiation (24h and 48h, 80%) groups. Thus, in early irradiation groups, the tumor cure rate using CpD (100%) was superior to that of HpD (80%) (p less than 0.05). However, in late irradiation groups, the tumor cure rate using CpD (60%) was inferior to that of HpD (80%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.1). Pathologic sections of these tumors were made before treatment and 48h and 3 weeks after treatment. These showed geographic necrosis at 48h after treatment and no viable tumor tissue at 3 weeks after treatment. Our results showed that CpD was as effective as HpD as a photosensitizer for in vivo photodynamic therapy.
Abdomen ; Animal ; Chlorophyll/*analogs and derivatives ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Photochemotherapy/*methods ; Sarcoma, Experimental/*drug therapy ; Skin Neoplasms/*drug therapy

The in vivo photosensitizing efficacy of chlorophyll derivatives(CpD), which had been developed as a new photosensitizer, was compared with that of hematoporphyrin derivatives (HpD). A murine tumor model implanted subcutaneously with S-180 cells on the abdomen was used. The CpD or HpD was administered by intratumoral injection, and light of appropriate wavelength was irradiated on the tumor areas for 10 minutes at 1h and 24h or 24h and 48h after the injection of photosensitizer. When CpD was injected, the early irradiation group (1h and 24h) showed a 100% tumor cure rate; however, the late irradiation group (24h and 48h) showed a 60% tumor cure rate (p less than 0.01). This showed that the early irradiation with light after injection of CpD was an important factor for obtaining better results. With HpD, there was no difference in tumor cure rate between early (1h and 24h, 80%) and late irradiation (24h and 48h, 80%) groups. Thus, in early irradiation groups, the tumor cure rate using CpD (100%) was superior to that of HpD (80%) (p less than 0.05). However, in late irradiation groups, the tumor cure rate using CpD (60%) was inferior to that of HpD (80%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.1). Pathologic sections of these tumors were made before treatment and 48h and 3 weeks after treatment. These showed geographic necrosis at 48h after treatment and no viable tumor tissue at 3 weeks after treatment. Our results showed that CpD was as effective as HpD as a photosensitizer for in vivo photodynamic therapy.
Abdomen ; Animal ; Chlorophyll/*analogs and derivatives ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Photochemotherapy/*methods ; Sarcoma, Experimental/*drug therapy ; Skin Neoplasms/*drug therapy

OBJECTIVE: Preterm birth is an important cause of infant death and morbidity but its pathophysiology still remains to be clear. The associations between preterm birth and the polymorphism of interleukin-1beta gene and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene have been suspected. And ethnic variations in the polymorphism of the genes were also reported. We decided to study polymorphisms of interleukin-1beta+3953 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in Korean pregnant women. METHODS: Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 is the control group of 33 subjects with uncomplicated term delivery : group 2 is the case group of patients who had spontaneous preterm delivery. Polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in gestational age and birth weight between two groups (P<0.001). No significant differences were found in genotypic frequencies and allelic frequencies in interleukin-1beta+3953 between two groups. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene had 5 alleles and the most frequent allele was IL1RN*1 (410bp), 66.7% in control group and 77.8% in case group. And significant differences were not found in genotypic frequencies and allelic frequencies between two groups, too. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in polymorphisms in interleukin-1beta +3953 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist between term delivery group and preterm birth group.
Alleles ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Interleukin-1* ; Interleukin-1beta* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth*