BACKGROUND: There are several ways to treat for recurrent pericardial effussion and cardiac tamponade due to malignancy. They are repeated pericardiocentesis, pericardial instillation of sclerosing and chemotherapeutic agents, surgical creation of a pericardial window and transthoracic pericardiectomy. Surgical techniques are usually effective but bear a significant morbidity and mortality especially in chronic debilitating cancer patients. So percutaneous balloon pericardial window as an alternative to surgery in these patients. METHODS: After pericardiocentesis was performed, a 0.035 inch J-tip guidewire was advanced into the pericardial space. And a pigtail catheter was advanced over the wire. A moderate amount of pericardial fluid were removed. A nd then the pigtail catheter was withdrawn and 8F sheath was inserted. A20mm diameter, 4cm long(Single balloon method) or two 10mm diameter, 4cm long balloon dilating catheter(Double balloon medium) was advanced over the wire to straddle the parietal pericardial border though the sheath. Several inflations of the balloon with a solution containing 50% radiographic contrast medium were performed until disappearance of the balloon waist. After balloon dilation, contrast medium from the pericardial space to subcutaneous tisse suggesting successful PBPWF. Single ballon method was employed in 4 patients and Dould balloon method in 2 patients. RESULT: We performed percutaneous balloon pericardial window formation in 6 patiemts with malignant pericardial effusion. We did percutaneous balloon pericardial window formation successfully in 5 patients and failed due to adhesion of parietal pericardium in 1 patient. One patient developed recurrent pericardial effusion with tamponade at a mean follow-up of 11.49.6 months(1.5-26 months). Conclusion: These results suggest that PBPWF is an alternative method less invasive than subxiphoid surgical windowing, espesially in critically ill patients with recurrent malignant pericardial effussion. It carries less risks and has more constant effect than repeated pericardiocentesis.
Cardiac Tamponade ; Catheters ; Critical Illness ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Pericardiectomy ; Pericardiocentesis ; Pericardium ; Rabeprazole

Three rare tumors of the oral cavity are presented. Lingual chondromas, approximately twenty to thirty cases appear to have been reported since the lesion was first described by Berry in 1892, which are usually seen on the lateral borders in the anterior two thirds of the tongue, while the ventral surface and the posterior third are rarely involved. Chondromas of the tonsil are of very rare occurrence, which are thought to arise as a result of metaplasia, rather than from embryonic rests, with chronic fibrosing inflammation being the inciting factor. Because of its rarity, the following cases of chondroma of the tongue and tonsil are being added to small list of such case reported in the literature.

No abstract available.
Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C Antibodies* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Prevalence*

No abstract available.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Arthroplasty*

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease resulting from infection of oligodendrocytes with JC virus. PML was a rare disease, but nowadays not uncommon as AIDS prevailed. Histopathologic features of the affected lesion shows infiltrations of foamy macrophages and hyperchromatic, pleomorphic, reactive astrocytes that may raise the suspicion of a brain tumor. We recently met with 3 cases of PML. Two of the patients had AIDS and the other had been treated for lymphoma. All cases were diagnosed by histopathologic examination in stereotactic brain biopsies.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Astrocytes ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host* ; JC Virus ; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal* ; Lymphoma ; Macrophages ; Oligodendroglia ; Rare Diseases

OBJECTIVES: To determine if hysterectomy with or without ovarian preservation is asso-ciated with obesity in premenopausal women. METHODS: 581 women for routine check up from Jan. 1985 to Dec. 1995 in the depart-m ent of Gynecology at Korea Veterans Hospital were included. The obesity was evaluated by BMI(body mass index) scores. 80% of hysterectomy were confirmed from the hospital records. The age, weight, height, blood pressure, menstr- ual history, history of DM and hypertension, social history of alcohol and smoking and other cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides were checked. The 248 women with natural postmenopausal status before hysterectomy, taking hormonal replacement therapy after hysterectomy and having performed hysterectomy due to malign- ancy were excluded. RESULTS: All women performed hysterectomy were in premenopausal status in this study. Therefore, the final numbers of subjects included in the analysis was 333. Hysterectomy wit- hout ovarian preservation were performed in 58 cases and hysterectomy with ovarian pres- ervation were in 57 cases. The 218 premenopausal cases which did not performed hystere- ctomy were considered control group. BMI scores were higher in cases without ovarian pres- ervation than with ovarian preservation. And BMI score was associated with the postoper- ative duration in hysterectomy with ovarian preservation. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that hysterectomy without ovarian preservation in premeno- paussal women were associated with increased obesity, especially BMI scores.
Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Female ; Gynecology ; Hospital Records ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hysterectomy* ; Korea ; Obesity* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Pleural Effusion*

Metaphyseal cysts are common findings in Legg-Calv Perthes(LCP) disease, though usually disappear within 6-12 months. Several studies have described the MR imaging findings of these cysts, though serial MRI findings have not been documented. In this report, therefore, we report the serial MRI results of metaphyseal cyst in LCP patients.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Gastric bezoars are large masses or concretions, composed with plant fiber, hair and miscellaneous foreign bodies, found in the stomach and occur usually as sequele of gastric surgery. We experienced 2 cases of fat bezoars which developed after drinking of melted beef fst. They had postprandial epigastric fullness and pain, those were relieved on supine and left recumbent position. Upper gastrointestinal series showed a large movable mass in the stomach in hoth cases. On gastrofibercopic examination, a large egg sized white bezoar was cordirmed in both cases and a gastrie ulcer at antrum associated in one case. In attempt to removal of the bezoars, we tried to break them, but failed because of its character. The patients were treated with pancreatic lipase containg digestives, Pancreon-F and Azintal. From one day after this treatment, symptoms were completely relieved. Five days later, we confirmed disappearance of bezoars by gastrofiberscopy. and upper gastrointestinal barium
Barium ; Bezoars* ; Drinking ; Foreign Bodies ; Hair ; Humans ; Lipase* ; Ovum ; Plants ; Stomach ; Ulcer

Acute peripheral vestibulopathy, of which the chief complaint is positional vertigo, comprises benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), labyrinthitis, labyrinthine fistula, and cerebellopontine angle tumors. Since the typical presentation of labyrinthine fistulas may be sensorineural hearing loss, positional vertigo, or disequilibrium, it is often difficult to distinguish from BPPV or Meniere's disease. Herein we report a 61-year-old female patient with typical symptoms and signs attributable to geotropic type variant of the lateral semicircular canal BPPV on the left side, who eventually was confirmed as having a labyrinthine fistula from chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma on the left side. This is another case where, even in the presence of isolated vertigo showing typical findings of acute peripheral vestibulopathy, other otologic symptoms and signs must not be overlooked.
Cholesteatoma* ; Ear, Inner ; Female ; Fistula* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Labyrinthitis ; Meniere Disease ; Middle Aged ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Otitis Media ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo* ; Vestibular Neuronitis