No abstract available.

As gastroduodenoscopy performed more frequently, case reports of human echinostomiasis are increasing in Korea. A Korean woman presented at a local clinic with complaints of abdominal pain and discomfort that had persisted for 2 weeks. Under gastroduodenoscopy, two motile flukes were found attached on the duodenal bulb, and retrieved with endoscopic forceps. She had history of eating raw frog meat. The two flukes were identified as Echinostoma hortense by egg morphology, 27 collar spines with 4 end-group spines, and surface ultrastructural characters. This report may prove frogs to be a source of human echinostome infections.
Animals ; Duodenal Diseases/*parasitology ; Duodenum/*parasitology ; Echinostoma/*isolation & purification ; Echinostomiasis/*diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged

Cavernous transformation of the portal vein that is resulted as a collateral vessel formation from a portal hypoplasia is very rarely to be observed in human being. Such an abnormal transformation can be caused by congenital defect of vein formation in the early embryonal development or congenital hematologic hypercoagulability which gives rise to the cavernous development of cavernous collateral branches. Acute thrombosis of portal vein can also be the cause of acquired cavernous transformation. In most cases it extends into the parenchyme of liver, and often has porto-systemic shunt (with left gastropiploic vein and varices around spleen) or porto-portal shunt (with varices around gallbladder). A 48 years old male patient underwent splenectomy at the age of 24 owing to splenomegaly. He had liver cirrhosis without hepatitis and alcohol history. Intrahepatic stone in left lateral lobe of liver was diagnosed in the course of medical treatment. The cavernous transformation of portal vein with right lobe hypoplasia was confrimed during the operation.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Vein* ; Splenectomy ; Splenomegaly ; Thrombophilia ; Thrombosis ; Varicose Veins ; Veins

No abstract available.
Byssinosis*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Prothrombin Time* ; Prothrombin*

No abstract available.
Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Dipyridamole* ; Perfusion*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Polyamines*

The vascular actions of local anesthetics are important in determining the uptake and distribution of these agents from their site of injection as well as influencing their hemodynamic effects once absorbed. Because of the importance of the endothelium in determining of modulating the vascular response of a wide variety of agents, cumulative dose-dependent vasular effects of lidocaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine on isolated rings of thoracic aorta in normotensive rats(NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) were studied in the presence and absence of intact endothelium. The results were as follows ; The body weight of NTR and SHR averaged 274.71+/-55.80(N = 38) and 241.43+/-17.73gm(N = 18) and mean arterial pressure was 74.4l+/-3.60 and 129.34+/-2.89mmHg respectively. The mean absolute value of the contraction induced by 5Xl0(-6) M phenylephrine was 3.27+/-0.98(N = 18) and 2.3l+/-50.64gm(N = 18) with intact endothelium and 3.12+/-0.92 and 2.46+/-0.87 gm without intact endothelium in aortic rings of NTR and SHR respectively. In the response to local anesthetics in preparation with resting tension(1.0 gm), lidocaine and mepivacaine in concentration of 10(-3) to 1.25X10(-2) M not produced dose dependent contraction in aortic ring with intact endothelium from NTR. but bupivacaine produced dose-dependent contraction in aortic rings with intact endothelium from NTR. In the aortic rings from NTR and SHR previously contracted with phenylephrine, lidocaine in contraction of 10(-3) to 1.25X10(-2) M caused dose related relaxation in aortic rings with or without endothelium but in concentration of 10(-3) to 510(-3) M, aortic rings with endothelium were more relaxed than those af without endothelium in NTR. In SHR, aortic rings without endothelium in concentration of 5X10(-3) to 1.25X10 M were more significantly relaxed than those of with endothelium. In aortic rings from NTR previously contracted with phenylephrine, mepivacaine caused dose-related relaxation, which was more profound in SHR. In aortic rings with endothelium from NTR previously contracted with phenylephrine, bupivacaine in concentration of 10(-3) to 1.5X10(-3) M caused a relaxation and in concentration of 2.5X10(-3) to 7.5X10(-3) M and 1.25X10(-3) M caused a relaxation again. But in the aortic rings without intact endothelium, bupivacaine caused dose-related relaxation. In the aortic rings without intact endothelium, bupivacaine caused dose-related relaxation in NTR. In the aortic rings from SHR previously contracted with phenylephrine, bupivacaine caused dose-related relaxation, which was more profound than those of NTR. The local anesthetics appear to exert their relaxant effect on endothelium independently and more profoundly in SHR.
Anesthetics, Local* ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Arterial Pressure ; Body Weight ; Bupivacaine ; Endothelium ; Hemodynamics ; Lidocaine ; Mepivacaine ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Phenylephrine ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Relaxation

Wilson's disease typically presents symptoms associated with liver damage or neuropsychiatric disturbances, while endocrinologic abnormalities are rare. We report an unprecedented case of hypopituitarism in a patient with Wilson's disease. A 40-year-old woman presented with depression, general weakness and anorexia. Laboratory tests and imaging studies were compatible with liver cirrhosis due to Wilson's disease. Basal hormone levels and pituitary function tests indicated secondary hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency due to hypopituitarism. Brain MRI showed T2 hyperintense signals in both basal ganglia and midbrain but the pituitary imaging was normal. She is currently receiving chelation therapy along with thyroid hormone and steroid replacement. There may be a relationship between Wilson's disease and hypopituitarism. Copper deposition or secondary neuronal damage in the pituitary may be a possible explanation for this theory.
Adrenal Insufficiency/diagnosis/etiology ; Adult ; Brain/diagnostic imaging ; Depression/etiology ; Female ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration/*complications ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Hypothyroidism/diagnosis/etiology ; Liver Cirrhosis/complications/diagnostic imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone/therapeutic use