It is obvious that the examination of nerve conduction as a diagnostic tool is a relatively new field of interest with a state of still undergoing evaluation and improvement. Problems of technique and interpretation notwithstanding, determination of nerve conduction has progressed to a level where it is now used routinely as a part of the electrodiagnostic examination. The present study has been undertaken to determine the normal range of the motor nerve conduction velocity, distal motor latency, amplitude of the muscle action potentials, sensory nerve conduction velocity, distal sensory latency, amplitude and duration of the sensory nerve action potentials of median and ulnar nerves in healthy Korean. One hundred twenty healthy subjects (sixty male and sixty female) were examined. Their ages ranged from 5 to 69 in years and the subjects were arranged in three age groups of 5–9 years, 10–49 years and 50–69 years. The results obtained were as follows: l. In median nerve, mean values for motor nerve conduction velocity, distal motor latency, and amplitude of the muscle action potantials were 56.57± 4.55 (45.2–69.4) m/sec, 3.02±0.48 (1.6–4.5) msec, and 14.2±5.0 (4–28) mV, respectively. 2. In ulnar nerve, mean values for motor nerve conduction velocity, distal motor latency, and amplitude of the muscle action potentials were 58.60±5.06 (43.5–71.4) m/sec, 2.35±0.50 (1.3–4.1) msec, and 11.7±3.7(4–22) mV, respectively. 3. In median nerve, mean values for sensory nerve conduction velocity, distal sensory latency, amplitude and duration of the sensory nerve action potentials were 63.50±5.63 (53.1–75.9) m/sec, 2.37±0.38 (1.0–3.4) msec, 45.5±16.9 (13–120)u V, and 1.68±0.29 (0.9–2.5) msec, respectively. 4. In ulner nerve, mean values for sensory nerve conduction velocity, distal sensory latency, amplitude and duration of the sensory nerve action potentials were 65.34±5.16 (50.6–78.1) m/sec, 2.09±0.38 (1.3–3.2) msec, 45.6±17.5 (12–118) uV, and 1.54±0.32 (0.8–2.5) msec, respectively. In comparison of the obtained values of two nerves. 5. A significant difference was observed between motor nerve conduction studies of the median and ulnar nerves. 6. A significant difference was observed between sensory nerve conduction studies of the median and ulnar nerves except amplitude of the sensory nerve action potentials. 7. Nerve conduction velocity was significantly faster in sensory nerve than in motor nerve. In comparison of conduction velocities among 3 age groups. 8. Motor nerve conduction velocity of the median and ulnar nerves was slow in age groups of 5–9 years and 50–69 years as compared with that of age group of 10–49 years. 9. Sensory nerve conduction velocity of median nerve was slow in age groups of 5–9 years and 50–69 years as compared with that of age group of 10–49 years, and sensory nerve conduction velocity of ulnar nerve was slow in age group of 50–69 years as compared with that of age groups of 5–9 years and 10–49 years.
Action Potentials ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Median Nerve ; Neural Conduction ; Reference Values ; Ulnar Nerve

BACKGROUND: Polyarteritis nodosa(PAN) is a disease of necrotzing vasculitis which has a clinical spectrum encompassing those cases of multisystem involveme it and skin-limited variant. The clinical course of cutaneous PAN has been considered to be a benign one, however there is sorne controversy regarding its nosological entity. OBJECTIVE: To characten the clinical course of the patients with cutaneous PAN and determine whether or not it is a benign disease or something more sever. METHODS: Clinical and laboratory findings in 8 patients with Logy-proven cutaneous PAN but without any detectable visceral involvement were observed periochelly during a follow-up period over 18 months. Meticulous physical and pertinent laboratory earinations were performed each time during their visits. RESULTS: Livedo reticulari, on the lower legs was the mostorenon cutaneous findings with these patients. During the follow-up periods there were no suspected abnormal physical and laboratory findings to have other organ involvement in all 8 patients Serologic examinations for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and hepatitis-B surface antigen revealed negative in all patients tested. CONCLUSION: The follow-up periods of 2 years or so does not seem to be long enough in characterizing the clinical features of PAN. However, the cutaneous: on of PAN can be regarded as a benign cutaneous variant of the disease having no visceral lesion of arteritis, even though mild degrees of constitutional symptoms and a few laboratory abnormlites could be seen.
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic ; Antigens, Surface ; Arteritis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg ; Polyarteritis Nodosa* ; Vasculitis

No abstract available.

Caffeine has been known to induce the contraction of rabbit aortic ring resulting from Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores. But in contrast, contraction of aortic ring induced by depolarizing agents or agonist was reported to be suppressed by caffeine. The present study was intended to examine the effect of caffeine on Ca2+ movement across the plasma membrane and actomyosin ATPase activity of vascular smooth muscle to elucidate the modes of action of caffeine on the vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparation were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and the endothelial cells were removed from the ring by gentle rubbing. The contractilty of the aortic ring was measured under varying conditions, and Ca2+ influx across the membranes of the aortic ring was measured with Ca2+ sensitive electrode with and without caffeine and the effect of caffeine on actomyosin ATPase activity were measured by modified Hartshrone's method. 45Ca wash out curves with and without caffeine were studied by Richard's method. The results were summarized as follows: 1) Caffeine inhibited the contractilty induced by norepinephrine. high K+, and histamine. but caffeine alone induced a transient contraction of vascular smooth muscle. The caffeine induced contraction was demonstrable even in the absence of external Ca2+. 2) Caffeine increased 45Ca efflux from vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of propranolol, the inhibitory effect of caffeine on epinephrine induced contraction still persisted. 4) Caffeine decreased norepinephrine induced Ca2+ influx through the plasma membranes of aortic ring. 5) Caffeine decreased the actomyosin ATPase activity of vascular smooth muscle. From the above results, it is suggested that caffeine induces the contraction of vascular smooth muscle by release of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stone, but inhibits drug-induced contraction by decrease of Ca2+ influx across the plasma membranes and a decreased Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile protein in vascular smooth muscle.
Actomyosin* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Caffeine* ; Cell Membrane ; Electrodes ; Endothelial Cells ; Epinephrine ; Histamine ; Membranes ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Myosins* ; Norepinephrine ; Propranolol

No abstract available.
Meningioma* ; Neurilemmoma*

No abstract available.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins*

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Humans* ; Mice*

PURPOSE: We retrospectively performed this study to evaluate the characteristic findings of maxillomandibular ameloblastomas on CT and MR imaging. MATERIAS AND METHODS: We reviewed histologically proved 12 cases of ameloblastomas, of which 7 cases were postoperative recurrent tumors. one of twelve cases was presumed ameloblastic carcinoma. Eleven cases were examined with CT and 3 cases with MR. RESULTS: The types were solid in 4, unicystic in 4, and mixed in the rest 4. CT and MRI of 11 ameloblastomas showed concentric expansile mass(n=11), cortical bone thinning and focal bone destruction by the tumors(n=9), well-margined, expansile destruction of surrounding sturctures(n=9), focal bulging of the tumors(n=6) and focal poorly-marginated invasion of tissue planes(n=4). Ameloblastic carcinoma showed ill defined irregular margin, aggressive invasion of surrounding structures and hematogeneous lung metastasis. Unerupted teeth or mural nodules were found in unicystic ameloblastomas. All three tumors examined by MRI showed isointensity to muscle on T1 weighted images and slight hyperintensity on T2 weighted images. The wall, septa and solid portions of the tumors were strongly enhanced on MR imaging. There was no difference in CT or MR finding between primary and recurrent tumors. CONCLUSION: Ameloblastomas showed solid, cystic or mixed pattern, and commonly well marginated expansile contour with local aggressiveness. Presence of mural nodules on CT in unicystic ameloblastoma with unerupted tooth was helpful in distinguishing ameloblastoma from dentigerous cyst.
Abdominal Pain ; Ameloblastoma* ; Ameloblasts ; Body Temperature ; Catheters ; Dentigerous Cyst ; Ethanol* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Retreatment ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Stages ; Tooth, Unerupted ; Ultrasonography

Leiomyomas of vagina and vulva are rare solid tumors, but most common mesenchymal tumors in adult woman. Most of the reported cases have been benign. The tumors were firm, well-defined submucosal masses in a majority of patients. We experienced two cases of vulvar and vaginal leiomyoma, thus it is presented with a brief review of the cases and its literatures.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Vagina* ; Vulva*

To elucidate the complex of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGF-BPs) in short stature patients, we carried out a prospective study on three patients who were diagnosed as complete GH deficiency at the department of pediatrics from July 1992 to June 1993. The results were summarized as follows: 1) Two circulating IGFs complexed to specific binding protein existed in normal serum. Binding activity was found to be in the 150,000 molecular weight area (the large complex) and 50~60,000 molecular weight area (the small complex). 2) Binding activity for the large complex was seen to be dependent on advancing age, level of large IGF-BP3 complex peacked at the age of 15~16 years. 3) The binding activity for large complex diminished in three GH deficient patients and increased after hGH injection to near or above normal level. 4) Increased growth rate after GH treatment in GH deficient patient was closely related with increasing level of the large IGF-BP3 complex. Therefore we suggest that the large IGF-BP3 complex is regulated by GH. Estimating its serum level is useful for screening of GH deficiency and the monitoring of response to GH therapy.
Carrier Proteins ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I* ; Mass Screening ; Molecular Weight ; Pediatrics ; Prospective Studies