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.
Gastric Juice* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Atelectasis*

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*

We investigated a unilocular mammary cyst occurring in a two and a half year old male baby. The cyst was lined by simple columnar epithelium and filled with a milky secretory material. These histologic features were consistent with galactocele. The child had enlarged left breast since birth, but it seemed to be noncontributory as the child had neither endocrine abnormalities nor perinatal disorders. Galactocele is an uncommon breast lesion usually occuring in females following lactation. It is rarely a cause of breast enlargement.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Cysts

No abstract available.
Asthma*

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

Primary success rate of endonasal DCR has been reported as lower than that of the conventional procedure. Endonasal DCR has been performed from July 1991 to October 1994, with a follow-up period of 6 to 37.3months(mean, 14.2months). According to the period of the operation, 156 eyes of 132 patients were classified into three groups: Group 1;47 eyes between July 1991 and June 1992. Group 2;44 eyes between July 1992 and June 1993, and Group 3;65 eyes between July 1993 and October 1994. Success rates of the primary operation were 68.1% in Group 1, 84.1% in Group 2, and 92.3% in Group 3 respectively. The success rate of Group 3 reached almost similar to that of the conventional procedure. Improvement of success rate may be owing to appropriate preoperative evaluation, skillful surgical technique, and careful postoperative management.
Dacryocystorhinostomy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans