Manganese is an essential element in the body. It is mainly diposited in the liver and to a lesser degree in the basal ganglia of the brain and eliminated through the bile duct. Rapid turnover of manganese in the body makes it difficult to evaluate the manganese exposure in worker, especially in those with irregular or intermittent exposure, like welder. Therefore, conventional biomarkers, including blood and urine manganese can provide only a limited information about the long-term or cumulative exposure to manganese. Introduction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) made a progress in the assessment of manganese exposure in the medical conditions related to manganese aculmulation, e. g., relaxation time on MRI due to its paramagnetic property, resulting in high signal intensity(HSI) on T1-weighted image(T1WI) of MRI. Manganese deposition int he brain, therefore, can be visualized as an HSI in the globus pallidus, the substantia nigra, the putamen and the pituitary. Clinical and epidemiologic studies regarding the MRI findings in the cases of occupational and non-occupational manganese exposure were reviewed. Relationships between HSI on T1WI of MRI and age, gender, occupational manganese exposure, and neurological dysfunction were analysed. Relationship between biological exposure indices and HSI on MRI were also reviewed. Literatures were reviewed to establish the relationships between HSI, manganese deposition in the brain, pathologic findings, and neurological dysfunction. HSI on T1WI of MRI reflects regional manganese deposition in the brain. This relationship enables an estimation of regional manganese deposition in the brain by analysing MR signal intensity. Manganese deposition in the brain can induce a neuronal loss in the basal ganglia but functional abnormality is supposed to be related to the cumulative exposure of manganese is relatively too short to reflect the long-term cumulative exposure of manganese in the brain, use of brain MRI for the assessment of exposure in a group of workers seems to be hardly rationalized, while it can be a useful adjunct for the evaluation of manganese exposure in the cases with suspected manganese-related health problems.
Basal Ganglia ; Bile Ducts ; Biomarkers ; Brain* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Globus Pallidus ; Liver ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Manganese* ; Neurons ; Putamen ; Relaxation ; Substantia Nigra

No abstract available.
Korea* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Rickettsia*

No abstract available.
Lymphoma*

PURPOSE: We investigated the direct labeling method of antibody with 99mTc and 188Re and examined the stability and function of these labeled compounds in in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disulfide bond of nonspecific human IgG was reduced to -SH group by 2-mercaptoethanol. Stannous ion was used to reduce 99mTc and 188Re. The stability of 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG was estimated upto 24 hrs. Biodistribution was evaluated in abscess bearing rats at 4 and 24 hr post-injection of 99mTc or 188Re labeled IgG. RESULTS: The number of -SH group per reduced IgG molecule was 2.34. The labeling yield of 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG were 90% and 95%, respectively. The stability of 99mTc-IgG at 1, 4, 6 and 24 hr was 91%, 83%, 78%, 7% and that of 188Re-IgG, high uptake was found on kidney, blood, stomach and abscess (9.42+/-0.68, 1.43+/-0.24, 0.86+/-0.18, 0.72+/-0.10 %ID/g, respectively). The uptakes at 24 hr were kidney, abscess, stomach, and blood in descending order. In case of 188Re-IgG, high uptake at 4 hr post injection appeared on kidney, blood, abscess and stomach (3.92+/-0.62, 1.32+/-0.08, 0.88+/-0.01, 0.26+/-0.06, respectively). The upatkes at 24 hr were kidney, abscess, blood abd stomach in descending order. The abscess to blood uptake ratio of 99mTc-IgG was 0.5 at 4 hr and 2.02 at 24 hr and that of 188Re-IgG was 0.67 and 1.29. CONCLUSION: 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG and 188Re-IgG canbe labeled efficiently with direct labeling method. However, 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG, labeled with direct method, was unstable. Further study in needed to enhance the stability of the antibody labeling.
Abscess ; Animals ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Mercaptoethanol ; Rats ; Stomach

We studied three patients in whom otorrhea occurred without bacterial infection following ventilation tube (VT) insertion. These patients took oral steroids since the conventional therapy was not effective; however, the oral steroids produced temporal effect since sticky otorrhea occurred when the oral steroids were stopped. We collected ear discharge from each patient and consulted the pathologist about histopathologic findings of it. We identified the predominant eosinophilic infiltration at specimen. We tried to relate this type of otitis media with eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) and treated the patients with intratympanic steroid injection.
Bacterial Infections ; Dexamethasone ; Ear ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Middle Ear Ventilation ; Otitis ; Otitis Media ; Polymethacrylic Acids ; Steroids ; Ventilation

Twenty-nail dystrophy is an idiopathic nail dystrophy in which all twenty nails are uniformly and simultaneously affected with excess longitudinal ridging and loss of lustre. The pathogenesis is controversial, and the treatment is unsuccessful. It is thought to have a self-limiting and reversible nature when it develops in childhood, but in adults, it is unusual and exists persistently. We re-port here two cases of adult patients with dystrophy of all twenty nails, whose ages were 58 and 55. The disease had been present for one year and may be associated with alopecia areata in the 58 year old and an idiopathic condition in the 55 year old. Negative results were obtained on mycological studies. Biopsies taken from the nail bed revealed marked hyperkeratosis consistent with nail dystrophy.
Adult ; Alopecia ; Alopecia Areata ; Biopsy ; Humans

No abstract available.
Dysgerminoma* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Pregnancy*

Fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNA) for diagnosis of a variety of breast tum- ors has been proven to be a simple, safe, and cost saving diagnostic methodology with high accuracy. Cytologic specimens from 1,029 fine needle aspirations of the breast during last 3-year period were reviewed and subsequent biopsies from 107 breast lesions were reevaluated for cytohistological correlation. FNA had a sensitivity of 81.6% and a specificity of 98.3%. One out of 107 cases bio- psied revealed a false positive result (0.9%) and the case was due to misinterpretation of apocrine metaplastic cells in necrotic backgound as malignant cells. A false negative rate was 8.4% (9 of 107 cases biopsied). Six of 9 false negative cases were resulted from insufficient aspirates for diagnosis, and remaining three of 9 false negative cases revealed extensive necrosis with no or scanty viable cells on smears. The results indicate that for reducing false positive and false negative rates of FNA, an experienced cytopathologist and a proficient aspirator are of great importance.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Aspirations (Psychology) ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; Child* ; Cost Savings ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Needles ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux*

The safety and efficacy of the CO2laser as a replacement for the steel scalpel is well documented in plastic surgery, but the use of the laser blepharoplasty has been controversy. This study compares and contrasts the use of the CO2 laser with conventional method in cosmetic upper eyelid blepharoplasty. Thirteen Patients underwent blepharoplasty in a paired comparison study. Four patients(Group A) underwent blepharoplasty by laser, another four patients (Group B) underwent blepharoplasty by conventional method, and the other five patients(Group C) underwent upper eyelid blepharoplasty using the laser on one eye and a conventional method on the other side. Preoperative factor(set up time, equipment), intraoperative factor(actual operation time, bleeding, visibility), postoperative factor(swelling, ecchymosis, immediate & short term result) were evaluated. The advantage of using the CO2 laser rather than the steel scalpel in blepharoplasty are less bleeding and superior intraoperative visibility. The disadvantage of using the laser compared with steel scalpel include the cost of purchasing and maintaining the laser equipment, the need for additional and extensive laser training for surgeons and assistants, and the need for two assistants rather than the one needed for scalpel surgery There were no complications with either the scalpel or the laser.
Bleeding Time ; Blepharoplasty* ; Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Ecchymosis ; Eyelids* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas* ; Matched-Pair Analysis ; Steel ; Surgery, Plastic

For many years the standard surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome has been division of the transverse carpal ligament under direct vision through a palm incision. Although the effectiveness and Patient acceptability of the conventional open carpal tunnel release are good, disability from a painful palm cutaneous neuroma, and prolonged swelling are reported Endoscopic carpal tunnel release seems to result in less postoperative morbidity, and minimal serious complications. Because endoscopic carpal tunnel release leaves the overlying skin, the subcutaneous fat and the palmer fascia and its attachments to the thenar and hypothenar musculature intact its proponents maintain that their patient have less scar tenderness, quicker recovery of grip strength, and earlier to return activities of daily living and work The endoscopic approach(Agee single portal technique), which includes specific localization of the hook of hamate, flexor retinaculum and the superficial palmar arch utilizing topographical landmarks, avoids entry into Guyon's canal and common digital nerves. We experienced four cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. In four cases, patients with carpal tunnel syndrome have been performed endoscopic carpal tunnel release with minor complication.
Activities of Daily Living ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Cicatrix ; Fascia ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Neuroma ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Fat