Recently we experienced two cases of cerebral cavernous hemangioma in children at Pediatric Department of Yonsei Medical School. We are reporting these two cases with literature review.
Child* ; Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System* ; Humans ; Schools, Medical

No abstract available.
Glycogen Storage Disease Type II* ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: There is a well recognized interlaboratory variation in the results using the polymerase chain reaction(PCR) to detect the IS6110 sequence. The clinical utility of a commercially developed PCR test(Amplicor) in bronchial washings for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis in smear negative patients was evaluated. The sensitivity and specificity of Amplicor was compared with that of an in-house PCR test used for detecting the IS6110 sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tbc) in the bronchial washing fluid. METHODS: 66 patients whose sputum smear for M.tbc were negative or who could not produce any sputum were recruited from January 1999 to July 1999. They all had a bronchoscopy performed to determine if there were signs of hemoptysis, patients who could not cough up sputum, lung lesion that exclude pulmonary tuberculosis. Pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed on the basis of a positive culture or a response to anti-tuberculosis therapy. RESULTS: 19 patients with tuberculosis were identified and samples from 16 patients were later confirmed by culture. Bronchial washing for Amplicor PCR revealed a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 94.7%, 97.9%, 94.7%, 97.9%, respectively. Using IS6110 based PCR, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were of 73.7%, 87.2%, 70%, 89.1% respectively. CONCLUSION: Bronchial washing for Amplicor PCR proved to be more useful than IS6110 based PCR in rapidly diagnosing smear negative pulmonary pulmoary tuberculosis in patients where tuberculosis was likely to be differential and rapid diagnosis was essential for optimal treatment.
Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Diagnosis* ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Mycobacterium ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Recently, we experienced a case of myotonia dystrophy at Pediatric department of Yonsei Medical School. And we are presenting the case we experienced with reviewing the literatures.
Myotonia* ; Schools, Medical

We have analyzed clinical results of forty-five patients who had spondylolisthesis which were operated using transpedicular screw fixation devices (CD or Steffee VSP system) between June, 1987 and March, 1992 at the department of Orthopedic Surgery of Kwang-ju Christian Hospital. Simultaneously we compared the postoperative results between two groups. The results were as follows: 1. The ratio of man and woman was 1: 2.2 and mean age was 44.3 years (44.8 years in degenerative type and 42.5 years in isthmic type). 2. The most common level was L4 on L5 and two-third of all cases were isthmic type. 3. The clinical results were satisfactory in 91% (41 cases) according to anthors modified evaluation system. There was no significant difference between degenerative and isthmic type. 4. The mean % of slip was improved from 23.3% preoperatively to 7.4% postoperatively and the mean slip angle was improved from 3.5 degrees preoperatively to-5.4 degrees postoperatively. 5. The devices which were used for operation were C-D instrument in 21 cases and Steffee VSP system in 23 cases. There was no difference in radiographic examinaton and clinical result between two groups. 6. The anterior fusion was done for 9 active young patients. The results were significantly satisfactory. 7. We consider the transpedicular fixation system is the most recommandable method of treatment for spondylolisthesis in providing excellent reduction of slippage and maintenance of reduction with rigid fixation device.
Female ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Spondylolisthesis

No abstract available.
Muscle, Skeletal* ; Tibial Nerve*

GTP-Binding Proteins ; Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone*

PURPOSE: Small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) is a major problem in liver surgery, and splenectomy has been used to prevent SFSS. However, it is unknown whether splenectomy has the same effect on liver regeneration in both standard and marginal hepatectomy. The aim of this study is to see a difference in effect of splenectomy on liver regeneration according to the amount of liver resection. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (220 to 260 g) were divided into the following five groups: control (n = 6), 70% hepatectomy (n = 6), 70% hepatectomy with splenectomy (n = 6), 90% hepatectomy (n = 6), and 90% hepatectomy with splenectomy (n = 6). The animals were euthanized 24 hours after surgery and liver specimens were obtained. To assess liver regeneration, we performed immunohistochemistry of liver tissue using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and Western blot analysis of hepatic growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in the liver tissue. RESULTS: The splenectomized subgroup had a higher BrdU-positive cell count in the 90% hepatectomy group, but not in the 70% hepatectomy group (P < 0.001). Splenectomy significantly decreased TGF-beta expression (P = 0.005) and increased the HGF to TGF-beta ratio (P = 0.002) in the 90% hepatectomy group, but not in the 70% hepatectomy group. CONCLUSION: The positive effect of splenectomy on liver regeneration was greater in the group with the larger liver resection. This phenomenon may be related to the relative balance between HGF and TGF-beta in the liver.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Count ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; Liver Regeneration ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Splenectomy ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical therapeutic efficacy of finasteride and dutasteride as 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5-ARI) in the medical treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2007 to July 2010, 354 benign prostatic hyperplasia patients with combination medication : alpha blocker plus 5-ARI were enrolled. These patients were classified into a finasteride medication group (F group) and dutasteride medication group (D group) retrospectively. We initially measured the total prostate volume (TPV), prostate specific antigen (PSA), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), maximal flow rate (Qmax), and post-void residual urine (PVR). After at least twelve months of medication, we rechecked these clinical parameters and during medication, side effects related to medication were also recorded. RESULTS: The F group (n=129) and D group (n=225) showed no differences in baseline characteristics for age, TPV, IPSS, QoL scores, or PSA. After medication, decreases in TPV were relatively higher in the D group than the F group (28.2% vs 20.5%). In addition, the decrease in PSA (43.6% vs 39.2%) and IPSS score (4.6 vs 3.5) were also higher in the D group. There were no significant differences in QoL score, Qmax, PVR change, or side effects between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Dutasteride showed greater efficacy in reduction of TPV and PSA and in symptomatic improvement by IPSS score than finasteride. More large scale studies about the differences on clinical efficacy of finasteride and dutasteride are needed.
5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors ; Azasteroids ; Finasteride ; Humans ; Oxidoreductases ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Dutasteride

OBJECTIVE: The present study was performed to investigate the efficiency of partial laser assisted hatching (p-LAH; lased 1/2 ZP width from ZP edge) on hatching of mouse blastocysts. METHODS: We used non-contact 1.48 micrometer diode laser (MTM, Switzland) to create a precise hole on zona pellucida. 2-cell embryos were collected from the mouse (ICR) oviduct at 48 hours after hCG administration. Collected 2-cell embryos were cultured in the P-1 medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA. For experiments, embryos at 8-cell stage were used after 20~22 hours in culture. After conventional (c-LAH) or partial laser assisted hatching, the embryos were further cultured in P-1 medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA for 3 days. To compare efficiency of complete and partial laser assisted hatching, hatching rate, hatching time and blastocyst diameter and zona pellucida thickness at hatching time were investigated. Embryos were examined every 12 hours. Blastocyst diameter and zona pellucida thickness at hatching time were measured with an ocular micrometer. RESULTS: Hatching rates of p-LAH group (84.2%) was significantly higher than that of control group (39.3%), but there was no difference between the p-LAH (84.2%) and c-LAH (91.2%). p-LAH group was hatched 12 hours earlier than control group, but hatched 12 hours later than c-LAH group. The diameter of blastocyst at hatching time of p-LAH group (113.1+/-6.4 micrometer) was smaller than that of control group (122.2+/-5.0 micrometer), but larger than that of c-LAH group (102.2+/-2.7 micrometer). Zona pellucida thickness at hatching time of p-LAH group (6.4+/-0.9 micrometer) was thicker than that of control group (4.5+/-1.5 micrometer), but thinner than that of c-LAH group (10.0+/-0.8 micrometer). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that p-LAH may maintains the cell arrangement of early embryos to ensure successful development and prevent precocious hatching of blastocyst when compare to c-LAH and conventional (acidic tyrode) AH. Thus, p-LAH may provide a valuable and effective AH technique for human ART program.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Structures* ; Humans ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Mice* ; Oviducts ; Zona Pellucida