No abstract available.
Cause of Death* ; Korea*

No abstract available.

To evaluate the potential contribution of high resolution ultrasonography(US) and 99mTc scintigraphy in the routine diagnosis of thyroid nodules, we performed thyroid function tests, US, thyroid scintigraphy, and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in all 54 patients who initially visit our surgical department for thyroid masses from March 1995 to February 1996. The final diagnoses were made by either repeated FNAC (n=39) or thyroid operations (n=15). Final diagnoses were adenomatous goiters (n=41), simple cysts (n=3), follicular adenoma (n=1), papillary carcinomas (n=8), follicular carcinoma(n=1). The diagnostic impacts of US and 99mTc scintigraphy in all 54 patients were assessed and scored according to the following criteria: when the information provided by either test supported or confirmed (and/or gave some other information for management of thyroid nodules) the final diagnosis, it received a scores of 2 or 3 respectively, while a score 1 was given when the test itself was useless for the differential diagnosis. The scores of US were higher than those of scintigraphy in the diagnoses of adenomatous goiters, cysts, adenomas and carcinomas. However, after statistical analysis with Wilcoxon's signed rank test, US was statistically superior to scintigraphy only in diagnosing adenomatous goiters. These results indicate that current findings in US for differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules are not absolutely superior to those in scintigraphy, but have some benefits in detection of occult nodules in malignancy and differential diagnosis of adenomatous goiters.
Adenoma ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Goiter ; Humans ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ultrasonography is the easiest, fastest procedure for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, but the diagnostic failure are mostly because of the intrapancreatic level of this condition and the absence of bile duct dillatation. Endoscopic ultrasonography is a promising procedure for the diagnosis of extrahepatic cholestasis due to noninvasiveness and accuracy in the digestive gas interposition. The aim of this study was to prospectively compare the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopie ultrasonography with abdominal ultrasonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in 66 patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. METHODS: All of the patients had abdominal ultrasonography, endoscopic ultrasonography ~and endoscopie retrograde cholangiography within 72 hours and final diagnosis was determined by endoseopic retrograde cholangiography with sphincterotomy. RESULTS: (l) Choledocholithiasis was confirmed in 45 patients: Thirteen patients had nondilated common bile ducts and 20 patients had stones with diamerer < 1 cm. (2) Endoscopic ultrasonography was more sensitive(95.5%) than abdominal ultrasonography (44.4%: P<0.0001) and similar to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (97.8%). Specificity was same as 100% in 3 diagnostic tools. (3) Endoscopic ultrasonography was superior to abdommal ultrasonography for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis with nondilated common bile duct(100% vs 15.3%, P<0.0001) and with less than 1cm sized small stone(100% vs 10.0%, P<0.0001). Endoscopic ultrasonography results did not depend on stone diameter or common bile duct dilatation. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic ultrasonography could be an accurate and safe diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis and could be promising especially in the cases with difficult cannulation of bile duct and gal1 stone pancreatitis.
Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract* ; Catheterization ; Cholangiography ; Choledocholithiasis* ; Cholestasis, Extrahepatic ; Common Bile Duct ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Endosonography* ; Humans ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatitis ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of argyrophilic nucleoalr organizer regions (AgNORs) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by using DMBA hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis which provides a good experimental model in reproducing steps from precancerous lesions to invasive squamous cell carcinomas. The buccal pouches of 50 Syrian hamsters were applied with 0.5% DMBA in mineral oil three times a week to reproduce various lesions from precancerous ones such as hyperkeratosis or epithelial dysplasia to invasive squamous cell carcinomas. Their sections were stained with H & E, and silver colloid, and processed immunohistochemically by being applied with monoclonal antibody to PCNA. The histopathologic examainations were done and the counts of AgNORs were evaluated. The PCNA labelling indices on each lesions were evaluated. The correlation between histopathological grades and counts of AgNORs or PCNA labelling indices were evaluated. The number of AgNORs was 2.22+/-0.22 in control group, 3.46+/-0.72 in carcinoma in situ (CIS), 3.78+/-0.63 in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), respectively. AgNORs significantly increased in severe epithelial dysplasia, CIS, and SCC compared with normal tissue (P<0.05). The PCNA Labeling Index (LI) was 39.47+/-6.68% in control group, 79.61+/-4.14% in CIS, and 85.43+/-6.25% in SCC, respectively. PCNA LI also significantly increased in epithelial dysplasia, CIS, and SCC compared with normal tissue (P<0.05). The number of AgNORs, AgNOR area, and PCNA LI slightly increased in the advancing front than in the center of SCC, but, it was not statistically significant. It appeared that there were a good correlation between the number of AgNORs and PCNA LI (Pierson correlation coefficient : 0.649, P<0.001). These results suggested that the number of AgNORs and the PCNA LI could be useful markers for evaluating the risk of malignant transformation and prognosis of SCC. It was thought that the clinical usefulness of these markers should be verified by using human tissue specimens.
9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene ; Animals ; Carcinogenesis* ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Colloids ; Cricetinae* ; Humans ; Mesocricetus ; Mineral Oil ; Models, Theoretical ; Prognosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Silver

In recent years,the state has a substantial increase in investment in Medical Research.The number of hospital-borne scientific research,funding amounts and types of projects is also increasing..Our hospital scientific management based oriented clinical needs,Construction Institute hospital as a work positioning,the whole process of quality management as the implementation of safeguards.Through a series of positive measures,gradually formed which are consistent with the management of the hospital research and development,and scientific research achievements into clinical practice.The research management changed from passive management model to proactively manage; from the emergency management to the whole process of managing; from the targeted management to guide the management of clinical needs.These measures effectively improve the level of scientific research in hospitals.

Calcinosis ; complications ; Decalcification Technique ; Humans ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; complications ; Meningioma ; complications ; Specimen Handling ; methods ; Ultrasonics

Objective To investigate the effects of low frequency ultrasound (LFU) on the proliferation and apoptosis of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in rabbits with carotid atherosclerosis(CA).Methods CA models were established in 30 New Zealand rabbits using a high fat diet and air-drying.They were randomly divided into a control group and four LFU groups:group A received 0.5 W/cm~2 LFU for 5 min/d,group B 0.5 W/cm~2 for 10 min/d, group C 1 W/cm~2,5 min/d,and group D 1 W/cm~2,10 min/d.The rabbits' carotid arteries were autopsied after 20 d of the LFU treatment.The expression of PCNA and TUNEL staining were used to explore the proliferation and apopto- sis of SMCs,and the proliferation rates (PRs) and apoptosis rates (ARs) were calculated.Results Compared with the control group,the PRs in groups B,C and D were significantly lower,while the ARs in groups B,C and D were significantly higher.There was no significant difference in ARs or PRs among groups B,C and D.Con- clusion LFU can induce SMC apoptosis and inhibit SMC proliferation in rabbits with CA.

Objective To compare the heart function and observe the clinical prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) in children treated with combination of prednisone and azathioprine and high dose intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG).Methods From Jan.1998 to May 2004,20 children who met the diagnostic criteria of DCM were divided into 2 therapeutic groups(groupⅠ,groupⅡ) according to the time of hospitalization.On the basis of traditional congestive heart failure(CHF) therapy,the children in groupⅠwere treated with immunosuppressive therapy(prednisone plus azathioprine) and the children in groupⅡ were treated with high dose IVIG.The course of treatment was 6 months for all children.Heart functions in all children were evaluated and echocardiographic parameters including left auricular diameter(LA),left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LV),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and cardiac index(CI) were measured before and after therapy,respectively.All children were followed up for 1 year to observe survival rate(%).The findings were analyzed by t test and ?~2 test.Results The percentage of heart function increased from Ⅲ-Ⅳ toⅠ-Ⅱin groupⅠ,which was lower than that in groupⅡ(P

Objective To determine the levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1(SICAM-1) in serum and induced sputum in children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP),and to investigate the role of SICAM-1 in pathogenesis of MPP.Methods The levels of SICAM-1 in serum and induced sputum and sputum cell count were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kit in 44/34 children with MPP in acute episode period,36/28 children in remission episode period and 38/30 healthy children.Results The levels of serum SICAM-1,sputum SICAM-1 and percent of neutrophil(N),lymphocyte(L),eosinophile(EO),mast cell(Ma) were significantly higher in acute episode period in MPP than those in remission episode period and control group,respectively((all P0.05);)the indexs in remission period and in controls showed no marked difference.The le-(vels of) serum and sputum(SICAM-1) in children with asthma attack in acute and remission episode periods in MPP increased significantly compared with those in children without asthma in both periods(P