Constrictive pericarditis is caused by fibrosis of the pericardium leading to decrease in ventricular compliance. The diagnosis is often delayed due to nonspecific signs and symptoms. The authors experienced eight cases of constrictive pericarditis detected on chest CT scan while being treated for considerable length of time under the clinical impressions of intrathoracic tumor, tuberculous pleural effusion, liver cirrhosis, etc. Constrictive hemodynamics of these patients were confirmed by echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization. Among them five cases were due to tuberculosis. In four cases with pathologically proven tuberculous granuloma, the pericardium was markedly thickened and intensely enhanced. Associated pericardial effusion (n=3), and mediastinal lymphadenitis (n=3) were present, but pericardial calcifications were not seen. On the other hand, the fibrosis group (n=3) displayed mild pericardial thickening. All the three patients showed pericardial calcifications, mild or absent enhancement of pericardium, but no mediastinal lymphadenitis. The cardiovascular changes such as inferior or superior vena caval distension, left ventricular deformity, interventricular septum angulation, and biatrial enlargements were more severe than those in patients with active granuloma. In patients with constrictive pericarditis with nonspecific signs and symptoms, CT scan is very helpful in making the diagnosis and can give informations about the evolution of the disease.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Compliance ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis* ; Fibrosis ; Granuloma ; Hand ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Lymphadenitis ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericarditis, Constrictive* ; Pericardium ; Pleural Effusion ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis

Constrictive pericarditis is caused by fibrosis of the pericardium leading to decrease in ventricular compliance. The diagnosis is often delayed due to nonspecific signs and symptoms. The authors experienced eight cases of constrictive pericarditis detected on chest CT scan while being treated for considerable length of time under the clinical impressions of intrathoracic tumor, tuberculous pleural effusion, liver cirrhosis, etc. Constrictive hemodynamics of these patients were confirmed by echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization. Among them five cases were due to tuberculosis. In four cases with pathologically proven tuberculous granuloma, the pericardium was markedly thickened and intensely enhanced. Associated pericardial effusion (n=3), and mediastinal lymphadenitis (n=3) were present, but pericardial calcifications were not seen. On the other hand, the fibrosis group (n=3) displayed mild pericardial thickening. All the three patients showed pericardial calcifications, mild or absent enhancement of pericardium, but no mediastinal lymphadenitis. The cardiovascular changes such as inferior or superior vena caval distension, left ventricular deformity, interventricular septum angulation, and biatrial enlargements were more severe than those in patients with active granuloma. In patients with constrictive pericarditis with nonspecific signs and symptoms, CT scan is very helpful in making the diagnosis and can give informations about the evolution of the disease.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Compliance ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis* ; Fibrosis ; Granuloma ; Hand ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Lymphadenitis ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericarditis, Constrictive* ; Pericardium ; Pleural Effusion ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Atelectasis*

No abstract available.
Gastric Juice* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

Closed loop onstruction represent a surgical emergency, because this lesion leads to small boweel infarction, perforation, and peritonitis if not treated in time. We analyzed the CT and ultrasonographic findings of 4 patients prospectively and 2 patients retrospectively with surgically proven closed loop obstruction of the small boweel to evaluate the characteristic findings, the cause of the closed loop obstruction and predictive criteria for the viablity of the involved bowel loop. The characteristic CT and sonographic features of the closed loop obstruction of the small bowel included; dilated fluid-filled bowel loops, the thickened bowel wall, absence of peristalsis, and ascites. In one case, closed loop obstructio originating from umbilical hernia was documented by CT and sonography. The possible criteria for the gangrenous changes could be the maximal thickness of bowel more than 7mm, and infiltration in the mesentery/omentum.
Ascites ; Emergencies ; Hernia, Umbilical ; Humans ; Infarction ; Peristalsis ; Peritonitis ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

The skin lesions of leprosy have a great similarity to various other lesions. Fasal has called it the great imitator. Sometimes these skin lesions can b misdiagnosed because the physician does not consider leprosy. We reported a case of early lepromatous leprosy in 42 year old male. His skin lesions were similar to secondary syphilid. There were no sensory changes on the skin lesions and no enlargement of the peripheral nerves. Numerous AFB(+) bacilli from the skin smear confirmed our diagnosis of leprosy.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerves ; Skin Manifestations* ; Skin* ; Syphilis, Cutaneous

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Sinusitis*

Numerous experimental and clinical studies of brain metabolism have reported since last 10 years, and many authors have concentrated their efforts on the metabolism of gas, glucose, electrolytes and enzymes. Glutamic acid that is utilized in the brain is one of the most important metabolites and plays very important role in the brain to detoxify the ammonia which is toxic to the nervous tissue even with minute amount. Authors have attempted to measure the level of ammonia in the diseased brain tissue of rabbits as the first step believing that there may be some derangement in the process of production or detoxication of the ammonia in the brain. The experiments were carried out on adult rabbits weighing between 1.5 and 2.2kg. The specimens were grouped into 3:contrast group of normal rabbits compression group of animals with expanding laminaria in the intracranial epidural space and ischemic group of animals with bilateral liation of common carotid arteries. Although we could'nt find any helpful references to the study of the ammonia measurement in the rabbit's brain and were facing a little difficulty to conclude whether the result of this experiment is significant or not, it was the fact that there was a strong tendency of increase in the ammonia level at an acute stage of brain compression and ischemia and then, as the time elapsed, the decreasing, level of ammonia near the contrast group was studied. Therefore, as a second step further research on the substances which relate to the ammonia metabolism has to be done in the above mentioned experimental media.
Adult ; Ammonia* ; Animals ; Brain* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Electrolytes ; Epidural Space ; Glucose ; Glutamic Acid ; Humans ; Ischemia* ; Laminaria ; Metabolism ; Rabbits

The HLA-DR molecule is a polymorphic membrane glycoprotein and one of the key molecules causing allograft rejection and graft-versus-host disease in organ transplantation. Serologic typing using DR specific alloantisera has long been used, but several problems have limited its application. The purpose of this study was to establish an efficient reverse-SSO typing system that detects DRB1 and DRB3/B4/B5 alleles on a single membrane. A DR typing membrane was prepared by immobilizing 21 dT-tailed sequence specific oligonucleotides (SSOs) on a nylon membrane and was used in a hybridization assay with digoxigenin-labeled PCR-amplified target DNA. The positive signals were detected on X-ray film using chemiluminescence. A comparison study with serology using DNAs from 105 unrelated individuals demonstrated that the reverse-SSO typing system was superior to serologic typing in terms of accuracy (100% vs 90.5%), simplicity, range of application, rapidity, and cost of the test. These data indicate that the reverse-SSO typing system can replace serology as a routine DR test, and will be useful in time-restricted solid organ transplantation and in selection of an unrelated marrow donor prior to bone marrow transplantation.
Base Sequence ; Cell Line ; Comparative Study ; HLA-DR Antigens/*classification/genetics/immunology ; Human ; Human ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Oligonucleotides/*genetics