No abstract available.

Thirty cases of rhabdomyosarcoma in patients under the age of 15 years were reviewed retrospectively to find out characteristics of histologic subtypes related to prognosis. Histologic diagnosis were embryonal in 21(70%), alveolar in 7(23%) and mixed type in 2(7%). Cellular anaplasia was noted in 6 cases. Round to polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasmic rim or globules were most characteristic cytologic feature or rhabdomyosarcomas, being followed by myofibrils. Myxoid and edematous stroma in embryonal type and alveolar pattern in alveolar type wee nost characteristic growth pattern. Immunohistochemically, tumors were positive for desmin, actin and myoglobin in 97%, 27%, and 40%, respectively. Consequently, characteristic cytologic features are important to differentiate rhabdomyosarcomas form other kinds of small round cell tumor and growth pattern is more critical in categorizing histologic subtypes. Desmin is far more useful than actin or myoglobin in the diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans

Tetanus is a neurologic disease which features the muscle spasm as the hallmark. It is an infectious disease with high mortality rate triggered by tetanospasmin produced by Clostridium tetani. This report concerns incidence of tetanus consequent to oriental medical care such as acupuncture and moxibustion. Although the tetanus occurrence has shown a remarkable decline since nationwide vaccinations in some of the developed countries, including Korea, it still remains to be an important issue, to be dealt within Korea, as the majority of the patients are old aged and Korean population is rapidly becoming an aging society. Furthermore, since more elders are coming to rely on Oriental medicine in Korea, the Korean elders are at a higher risk than elsewhere. The lack of medical experiences, including those in oriental medical field, has been hindering early diagnosis of Tetanus. This study aims to encourage rapid and accurate decisions in diagnosis and treatment through reviewing symptoms particularly specific to tetanus, and also to arouse attention to the riskiness of invasive procedures involving skin puncture.
Acupuncture ; Aged ; Aging ; Clostridium tetani ; Communicable Diseases ; Developed Countries ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Metalloendopeptidases ; Moxibustion ; Punctures ; Skin ; Spasm ; Tetanus ; Tetanus Toxin ; Vaccination

No abstract available.
Bone Regeneration* ; Bone Substitutes*

The most common cause of small bowel obstruction is postoperative adhesion, and besides a hernia, metastatic or primary cancer and small bowel tumors are possible causes. Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal obstruction and is associated with debilitating conditions with marked weight loss. SMA syndrome results from the compression of the third part of the duodenum due to the narrowing of the aortomesenteric angle. We report a 28-year-old woman with SMA syndrome after acute gastroenteritis. Her stomach was severely dilated due to the duodenal obstruction and computed tomography showed the compression of the third portion of the duodenum by SMA. She was conservatively cared for and thus favorably improved.
Adult ; Duodenal Obstruction ; Duodenum ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Hernia ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Stomach ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Doxorubicin* ; Membrane Potentials* ; Membranes* ; Papillary Muscles*

PURPOSE: Side firing laser prostatectomy(VLAP) is now considered as alternative promise of transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP). This study was designed to compare VLAP to conventional TURP in the efficacy and safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There was no significant differences in preoperative clinical characteristics between the TURP group and VLAP group. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of VLAP, we compared the results of transurethral resection of prostate(TURP, n=115) to laser prostatectomy(VLAP, n=45) in international prostate symptom score(IPSS), maximal flow rate(Qmax), post-voiding residual urine at preoperative, after 1 month, 6 months and 12 months postoperatively. For the VLAP procedure, Nd: YAG was used. Patient was treated with 600micrometer internal reflector fiber covered by crystal glass cadding(SideTrackTM). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the results between TURP group and VLAP group. TURP group; IPSS of preoperative, after 1 month, 6 months, 12 months was 23.8, 9.0, 9.1, 9.0 and Qmax was 7.8ml/s, 17.0ml/s, 17.1ml/s, 17.6ml/s and residual urine was 159.3ml, 52.7ml, 40.0ml, 34.6ml. VLAP group; IPSS of preoperative, after 1 month, 6 months, 12 months was 22.8, 9.7, 9.8, 9.3 and Qmax was 8.1ml/s, 16.0ml/s, 16.7ml/s, 17.1ml/s and residual urine was 135.7ml, 46.8ml, 34.5ml, 28.1ml. Postoperative period of catheter indwelling and hospitalization was shorter in VLAP group than TURP group(3.7+/-2.0 days vs 5.3+/-1.9 days, 4.5+/-1.6 days vs 6.8+/-3.5 days). CONCLUSIONS: VLAP has no siginificant complications such as postoperative bleeding, TURP syndrome. VLAP would be recommended as following: 1) prostate weight is smaller, 2) physical status is poor, 3) anticoagulant treatment, 4) when patient wants more safe treatment. We had a good results by means of VLAP. The good results come from the use of internal reflecting type laser fiber. These results suggest that VLAP is considered the most promising alternative to TURP.
Catheters ; Fires* ; Glass ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Postoperative Period ; Prostate* ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy in human and rodents is associated with dramatic matemal metabolic changes. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are mitogenic peptides that are essential for fetal and maternal tissue growth during pregnancy. They circulate complexed primarily with a serum IGF-binding protein (IGFBP-3) which regulates the availability of the IGFs to their specific target tissues. METHODS: To examine the changes of IGFs and IGFB-3 during pregnancy, we measured serum total IGF-I, free IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3 by using specific radioimmunoassay, immunoradio-metric assay, western ligand blot and western immunoblot. Blood samples were obtained from 88 pregnant women between 6-40 weeks gestation. RESULTS: While serum IGF-I levels increased up to 50% in late pregnancy, serum IGF-II levels remained unchanged. However, serum free IGF-I levels were significantly higher during pregnancy than in nonpregnancy. Western ligand blot analysis revealed that IGFBP-3 in pregnancy serum was significantly decreased at 6 weeks of gestation, continued decreased level until term, and returned to a nonpregnant level by postpartum 10 day. Serum IGFBP-3 profiles in Western immunoblot analysis revealed that 30 kDa fragments of IGFBP-3 were detectable in pregnancy serum but not in nonpregnancy serum. In contrast, serum IGFBP-3 levels using radioimmunoassay was significantly increased in late pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: 1) serum IGF-I was significantly elevated in late pregnancy 2) serum IGF-II was not significantly changed 3) free IGF-I significantly elevated throughout gestation 4) intact IGFBP-3 was markedly reduced after 6 weeks of gestation.
Blotting, Western ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Peptides ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rodentia ; Somatomedins

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction(MI) in the rat is a model of ventricular dysfunction which is associated with activation of compensatory neurohumoral systems. This stydy was designed to determine the temporal evolution of the regulatory factors-atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP), endothelin(ET), plasma renin activity(PRA) in rats with more than moderate sized MI at 1,4,8 weeks in comparison to normal rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: MI was created in female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 250gms to 300gms by ligating the anterior descending artery. Before sacrifice, hemodynamics were measured and blood was drawn in control rats(n=8) and rats with MI(n=7), 4(n=10), and 8 weeks(n=9) after surgery. Heart weight index increased from 329.0+/-7.3mg/gm at baseline to 380.6+/-18.4mg/gm, 441.1+/-23.2mg/gm at the 1st, 4th, and 8th weeks after MI. Plasma ANP increased in the 1st weeks and remained elevated(16+/-7, 259+/-65, 404+/-72, 494+/-73pg/ml at baseline, 1st, 4th, 8th weeks after MI respectively). Plasma endothelin was suppressed at 4th weeks but elevated at 8th week(7.8+/-0.2, 5.3+/-0.3, 11.9+/-1.3pg/ml at baseline, 4th, 8th weeks respectively). PRA, indirect index of plasma angiotensin also decreased at 4th week but elevated at 8th week(14.9+/-0.3, 9.8+/-1.0, 20.3+/-1.8ng/ml/hr at baseline, 4th, 8th weeks resepctively). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate a biphasic response of endothelin and PRA after MI despite the inhibitory effects of ANP. These data support the important differential regulation of humoral factors in the evolution of acute MI.
Angiotensins ; Animals ; Arteries ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Endothelins ; Female ; Heart Failure* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Models, Animal* ; Myocardial Infarction ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Renin ; Ventricular Dysfunction

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal*