No abstract available.
Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*

No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Polychondritis, Relapsing*

No abstract available.
Polychondritis, Relapsing*

We investigated the electrophysiological changes in the cerebral cortical evoked potentials(CEP's) and subsequent changes in the regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) following increased intracranial pressure(ICP) in cats. A small balloon connected to a fine polyethylene tube was placed on the epidural space of the left parietal region through a small burr hole and inflated with saline in increment of 0.2 ml to simulate the expanding mass. The ICP was maintained at 150 mmH2O and 250 mmH2O levels during the experimental period. The study was conducted with 30 adult cats, weighing between 2.7 and 4.5kg. The animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital (50mg/kg) intraperitonially and tracheostomy was performed to maintain self respiration. Two small burr holes were made on both frontal regions for rCBF measurement and a small burr hole was made on the right primary sensorimotor cortex for a cerebral cortical stimulating electrode. A recording electrode for CEP's was placed on the dura of the left cerebellar hemisphere. For experiments, animals were divided into 3 groups. Group I:Animals(n=10) with 80mmH2O of ICP, Group II:Animals(n=10) with 150 mmH2O of ICP, Group III:Animals(n=10) with 250mmH2O of ICP. The CEP's and rCBF measurements were carried out in each animal before and immediately after increased ICP(IICP), at the 30th min, 60th min, 90th min, 120th min, 150th min and 180th min after IICP. The rCBF was measured by hydrogen clearance method. The results were as follows ; 1. A significant elevation of the systolic blood pressure was observed after the 60th min in both IICP groups. 2. 1) Group II animals showed a significant reduction of rCBF by 10.5% and 39.5% in the right frontal lobe at the 60th min and 180th min after IICP, and by 19.8% and 57.7% in the left frontal lobe at the 60th min and 180th min after IICP, respectively. 2) Group III animals showed also a significant reduction of rCBF by 18.2% and 54.4% in the right frontal lobe at the 60th min and 180th min after IICP, and by 62.9% and 84.7% in the left frontal lobe at the 60th min and 180th min after IICP, respectively. 3) Reductions of the rCBF of the left frontal lobe in the Group III animals were greater than those of the Group II animals. 3. 1) Changes of amplitude and latency in the CEP's were more prominent in the Group III animals than those of the Group II animals. 2) Changes of the late components of CEP's(N2) might represent derangements of the neural activity of the descending reticular formation in brainstem. 4. A close correlation was found between CEP's and rCBF changes, which suggested being a threshold relationship. In conclusion, it is assumed that the detection of CEP's in the cerebellum is a quite valuable prognostic tool to evaluate the neural activity of the non-specific reticular formation and specific somatosensory pathways in the acute intracranial hypertension. The prolongated latencies and suppressed amplitude in the CEP's indicate the presence of damages in brainstem multisynaptic pathways.
Adult ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Brain Stem ; Cats ; Cerebellum ; Electrodes ; Epidural Space ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Intracranial Hypertension ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Pentobarbital ; Polyethylene ; Rabeprazole ; Respiration ; Reticular Formation ; Tracheostomy

PURPOSE: To describe the CT findings of primary liposarcoma of the mediastinum, and to correlate these with the pathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, chest radiographs and CT scans of four male patients with histopathologically proven primary liposarcoma of the mediastinum treated between September 1996 and April 2002. The CT scans were analyzed by two radiologists, and final decisions were reached by consensus. They were analysed in terms of tumor size and location, enhancement pattern, the pattern of the fat component, calcification, mass effect, pleural effusion, lymph node enlargement, pericardial effusion, tumor extension to the costophrenic junction, and adjacent organ invasion. RESULTS: All patients presented with dyspnea and chest pain. Pathologic subtypes, which were well-differentiated and pleomorphic, were myxoid (n=2) and mixed (n=2). The transverse diameter of the mass ranged from 10.5 to 21 cm. All tumors were located in the anterior mediastinum, and all had lobulated margins. Soft-tissue attenuation predominance (n=2) occurred in the myxoid type, and roughly equal amounts of fat and soft-tissue attenuation (n=2) were present in the mixed type. A small area at calcification was seen in the mixed type (n=1). Mass effect on mediastinal structures was demonstrated in all patients. In three patients, the tumor draped around and conformed to the shape of the costophrenic junction. Chest wall invasion occurred in one patient. CONCLUSION: Findings of an anterior mediastinal location, fat attenuation, mass effect, the invasion of adjacent organs, and a lobulated margin strongly suggested mediastinal liposarcoma. CT attenuation of the lesions correlated closely with the degree of histologic differentiation.
Chest Pain ; Consensus ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Liposarcoma* ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mediastinum* ; Medical Records ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Wall ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We injected tPA into the anterior chamber of 43 pesudophakic eyes with moderate to severe fibrinous membrane which had developed following cataract surgery from January, 1990 to August, 1990 at St. Mary's hospital. The results were as follows: 1. Intraocular tPA injection was resulted in complete fibrinolysis within 1 hour in 38 of 43 eyes and patial fibrinolysis in 5 of 43. 2. No corneal endothelial cell loss was found, and tPA did not appear to cause a significant rise in intraocular pressure. 3. Complications of tPA injection included mild, transient, periocular pain(3 eyes), anterior chamber fibrin debris(2 eyes) and anterior chamber hemorrhage(1 eye). The results indicated that tPA is dramatically effective for the clearance of fibrinous membrane after cataract surgery.
Anterior Chamber ; Cataract* ; Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss ; Fibrin* ; Fibrinolysis ; Intraocular Pressure ; Membranes* ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator*

Spinal hemangioma is the uncommon, slowly growing benign tumor that arises from the blood vessels and commonly located in thoracic spine. We have recently experienced a caseof capillary Hemangioma in intradural extramedullary space of thoracic spine level. The patient presented with a slowly progressive weakness of both lower extremities and hypesthesia below T6 dermatome. The plain X-ray films, thoracic spine myelography and CT scan disclosed an intradural mass at T5 level. The mass was surgically removed and conformed by histological examination.
Blood Vessels ; Capillaries* ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary* ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Lower Extremity ; Myelography ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; X-Ray Film

Although evolution and time course of ischemic brain infarct should be a matter of interest to investigators in the research of brain ischemia as well as traumatic brain injury, few papers have ever been reported. Authors observed quantitatively sequential changes of infarct size and regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) to assess the evolution of focal ischemic brain infarct in the rat following left MCAO. Fifteen rats, weighting 250 g to 370 g, were used in this experiment. The experiment animals were divided into three groups: 6, 24 and 48 hours groups(HG) after MCAO. The rCBF of bilateral caudate nuclei was measured by hydrogen clearance methods. Areas of brain infarction were delineated by tripheny-tetrazolium chloride(TTC) at the preselected 8 coronal levels of forebrain. The areas of brain damage were drawn on scale diagrams(x4 actual size) of forebrain and measured by a plannimeter. In the experimental groups, just after MCAO, rCBF of the ipsilateral caudate nucleus was reduced to 29.4+/-6.5 to 24.5+/-7.9 ml/100 g/min from the basal value of around 117 to 121 ml/100 g/min and showed a tendency of getting more reduced to 19.4+/-7.6 ml/100 g/min by 48 hours. The rCBF of the contralateral caudate nucleus was maintained in the basal value throughout the experiment. Comparing the total amounts of ischemic damage of 48 HG to those of 5 and 24 HG, the infarction size was significantly increased in cerebral hemisphere as well as cerebral cortex and caudate nucleus(p<0.05). But there was not any significant difference between 6 and 24 HG. The experiment provides evidence for the evolution of focal ischemic brain infarct without any further change of decreased rCBF. The data suggest that it is desirable to observe the change of pathologic findings by not less then 48 hours following the arterial occlusion in the study of ischemic brain infarction in the rat, particularly as long as ischemic damage is delineated by TTC.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Infarction ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Caudate Nucleus ; Cerebral Cortex ; Cerebrum ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Infarction* ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Prosencephalon ; Rats* ; Research Personnel

Preliminary studies have evaluated the effects of interferon beta formulations in the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) because of pathogenic similarities between CIDP and multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the efficacy of Interferon, which has been widely used for relapsing-remitting MS, is controversial in CIDP. We report here a 31year old woman with relapsing-remitting type MS treated with IFN beta-1b over 2 years who developed overt CIDP. She responded favorably to steroids. This case suggests that IFN beta-1b treatment may not prevent development of CIDP.
Female ; Humans ; Interferon-beta* ; Interferons ; Multiple Sclerosis* ; Polyneuropathies* ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating ; Steroids