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

The synthesis of histone mRNA is closely coupled with DNA replication. During the S-phase of the cell cycle, the level of histone mRNA increases over fifty fold then rapidly disappears at the start of G2-phase. The presence, therefore, of abundant quantities of histone mRNA provides a molecular marker of cycling cells. The expression of histone mRNA was investigated by in situ hybridization method in N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN) induced rat bladder tumor to determine the proliferation patterns. This method resulted in intense brown/black cytoplasmic staining of cells containing histone mRNA and extent and intensity of stain were increased in tumorigenesis (normal, simple hyperplasia, nodular or papillary hyperplasia, and transitional cell carcinoma-Ta,T1). The higher S-phase fraction indicated greater biological malignancy based on the fact that the extent and intensity of stain progressively increased with tumorigenesis.
Animals ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle ; Cytoplasm ; DNA Replication ; Histones* ; Hyperplasia ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

Electrogastrography (EGG) is a method of measuring action potentials on the abdomen. It is noninvasive, inexpensive and easy to measure. However, the EGG signal has a very low frequency (0.05 Hz) and an extremely low amplitude (10-100 microV). Consequently, its measured waveform is difficult to analyze and it is not yet completely understood. In this study, a four-channel EGG measurement system was built to measure the action potential of the stomach. This system was compared with the commercially available one-channel Digitrapper EGG. The 3 cpm percentages were compared between the best channel of the four-channel system and channel 1, whose electrode position was similar to the commercially available one-channel system for normal subjects. The average 3 cpm percentage of the best channel and channel 1 for preprandial measurement was 89.5% and 83.2%, respectively, and this was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Also the average 3 cpm percentage of the best channel and channel 1 for postprandial measurement was 90.4% and 76.5%, respectively, and this was statistically significant (p = 0.003). From these results, it can be concluded that a multi-channel EGG system is required for better EGG measurement.
Action Potentials* ; Adult ; Human ; Stomach/physiology*

BACKGROUND: To analyze the morphologic characteristics of low density lymph node in etiologic differentiation of lymphadenopathy, emphasizing the different features between tuberculosis and lung cancer, on contrast enhanced CT scan,. METHOD: A total of 64 patients who showed low density lymph nodes on chest CT scan were analyzed. Primary causes were tuberculosis (n=28), lung cancer (n=27), malignant lymphoma (n=5) and metastasis from extrathoracic malignancies (n = 4). CT scan was performed with 10mm slice thickness and 7 characteristic features were evaluated: location,size, presence or absence of the nonnecrotic lymph node, calcification, perinodal fat obliteration, thickness and evenness of the enhancing rim. RESULTS: In patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy, lymph nodes with uneven (68.0%) and thick (62.1%) enhancing rim were more common than lung cancer (p<0.05). Low density lymph nodes with less than 1cm in size were found only in tuberculous lymphadenopathy(n=10). In 48.2% of patients with lung cancer, more than 1 nonnecrotic enlarged lymph node were coexisted, whereas 21.4% in patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy(p=0.06). However, the size, location and calcification were not statistically significant between tuberculous lymphadenopathy and lung cancer. CONCLUSION: Tuberculous lymphadenopathy is strongly suggested when enhancing rim of enlarged lymph nodes is uneven and thick, when the coexisting nonnecrotic lymph nodes are few in number and when central low density is encountered in normal sized lymph nodes.
Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed* ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: To evaluate characteristic CT features of twisted ovarian tumors and to assess the diagnostic value of the existence of twisted vascular pedicle in torsion of ovarian tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weretrospectively reviewed the clinical and CT findings in eleven patients with ovarian tumor torsion confirmed bysurgery. Pre- and post-contrast CT were available in nine patients and post-contrast CT in two. All twisted ovaries, tubes, and tumors showed hemorrhagic infarction and necrosis. RESULTS: All patients had twisted vascular pedicle of the ovarian tumor evaluated by CT. Eight patients with left ovarian tumor had twisted vascular pedicleon the left side of the tumor, and three patients with right ovarian tumor on the right side of the tumor. Themorphologic characteristics of twisted vascular pedicle were coiled target appearance (4 cases), beak appearance(3 cases), doughnut appearance (3 cases), and mass with irregular margin (1 case). High density on precontrast CT scan was present in the pedicle in four cases and linear contrast enhancement was seen in the peripheral portionof the pedicle in four cases. The shape, density and location of ovarian tumors were inconsistent, however, contrast enhancement was not seen in all patients. Other findings were uterine deviation, loss of fat plane andpelvic fluid. CONCLUSION: Detection of twisted vascular pedicle by CT may be useful for the diagnosis of ovariantumor torsion.
Animals ; Beak ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infarction ; Necrosis

Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord is a rare tumor. Most are of a low-grade malignancy and recurrences tend to be localized. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Wide local excision with radical orchiectomy appears to be adequate treatment. A regional lymph node dissection is usually not advocated since the pattern of spread is hematogenous. We report a case of liposarcoma of the spermatic cord in 49-year-old male with brief review of the literatures.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liposarcoma* ; Lymph Node Excision ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orchiectomy ; Recurrence ; Spermatic Cord*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated with a xanthine(X) and xanthine oxidase (XO) system on sperm function, the change of sperm characteristics, lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation in bovine spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ROS were produced using a combination of 100 micrometer X and 50 mU/ml XO. The ROS scavengers: superoxide dismutase (SOD)(200mu/ml) and catalase (500mu/ml) were also tested. Spermatozoa were incubated for 2 hours in BWW medium with a combination of X-XO supplemented with or without ROS scavengers at 37degrees C under 5% CO2 incubator. Sperm movement characteristics by CASA (computer-aided sperm analysis), HOST (hypoosmotic swelling test), Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction, malondialdehyde formation for the analysis of lipid peroxidation, the percentage of DNA fragmentation using the method of TdT-mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) by flow cytometry were determined after 2 hours incubation. RESULTS: The action of ROS on bovine spermatozoa resulted in a decreased in capacity for sperm motility, Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction and membrane integrity, an increased in malondialdehyde formation and the percentage of sperm with DNA fragmentation. In the effects of antioxidant, catalase completely alleviated the toxic effects induced by the ROS in terms of sperm function and characteristics, however SOD exhibited no capacity to reduce the toxic effects. CONCLUSION: The ROS can induce significant damages to sperm functions and characteristics. The useful ROS scavengers can minimized the defects of sperm function and various damages of spermatozoa.
Acrosome Reaction ; Catalase ; DNA Fragmentation* ; DNA* ; Flow Cytometry ; Incubators ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Malondialdehyde ; Membranes ; Reactive Oxygen Species* ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Xanthine Oxidase

Endomyocardial fibrosis(EMF) is an unusual type of cardiomyopathy characterized by a restriction to the ventricular filling and an obliteration of the inflow portion in the ventricular cavity by a fibrosis and often by a thrombus formation. The atrioventricular valve may be involved, resulting in an atrioventricular valvular regurgitation. The only known effective treatments are endomyocardiectomy and replacement of regurgitant AV valves. We report the experience of a case of EMF which required surgical management.
Cardiomyopathies ; Endomyocardial Fibrosis* ; Fibrosis ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study are to investigate the incidence and characteristics of nasal obstruction and their association with the types and direction of external deviation among patients with a deviated nose. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with a deviated nose without mucosal diseases in the nose from January 2004 to July 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. The overall incidences of nasal obstruction were assessed. Incidences of nasal obstruction by the types and direction of deviation in the external nose and by the direction of the septal deviation were also assessed. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (81.8%) were found to suffer from various degrees of nasal obstruction. Left sided obstruction was more dominant irrespective of the direction of external nose. There was no relationship between the dominant sides of nasal obstruction and the type and the direction of the deviation of external nose. Among patients with a linear shaped deviated nose, the septum tends to deviate to the opposite side of the direction of the external nose. CONCLUSION: Nasal obstruction is commonly found among patients with a deviated nose. But not all patients suffer from nasal obstruction. To attain good aesthetic and functional results, a rhinoplastic surgeon should pay particular attention to this common findings among patients with deviated nose.
Humans ; Incidence ; Nasal Obstruction* ; Nose* ; Retrospective Studies

There has been a considerable controversy on the prognosis of the mucinous gastric adenocarcinoma(MGC). In this study we analyzed the clinicopathologic differences between MGC and non-mucinous gastric carcinoma(NMGC). In addition, the relationship between mucin content and other clinicopathologic variables, including prognosis in MGC was examined. We reviewed 2118 patients with pathologically confirmed gastric cancer who had underwent gastrectomy at the department of surgery of Yonsei University College of Medicine, during the period between Jan. 1987 and Dec. 1993. Among them, 130 patients had gastric cancer with extracellular mucin(MGC) and 1988 patients had gastric carcinoma without extracellular mucin(NMGC). We studied the MGC patients into two groups according to mucin content: mucin content involving over 50% of the tumor(dominant type, n=94) and mucin content involving less than 50% of the tumor area(partial type, n=36). The results are as follows: The MGC was more common in male then NMGC. The size of tumor in MGC was larger than that of NMGC. The patients with MGC had higher incidence of Borrmann type IV, more frequent serosal invasion, lymph nodes metastasis and peritoneal metastasis than the patients with NMGC. The patients with MGC had more advanced stage at the time of diagnosis and worse overall 5-year survival rate than the patients with NMGC. But the 5-year survival rate according to the stage of MGC was similar to that of NMGC. There were no significant differences between the mucin content and other pathologic variables including prognosis. So we suggested that MGC has worse prognosis than NMGC and it is reasonable to consider the carcinoma with mucin content involving less than 50% of the tumor area as MGC.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mucins* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate