BACKGROUND: We can diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis with sputum AFB smear and culture, but sputum AFB smear has low sensitivity and culture needs long period, and they are not available in the patients who can not expectorate effectively. Recently developed, PCR is a fast diagnostic tool in tuberculosis, but false positive and false negative are important problems. So, we studied the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR through the bronchoscopy. METHODS: The 67 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 43 non-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were analyzed with their sputum specimen AFB smear and culture. Also, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage were done, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture and PCR were done. RESULTS: 1) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of sputum AFB smear and culture were 32.8% and 57.4%, respectively. And the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture were 47.8% and 80.6%. respectively. 2) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 80.6% and 81.5%, respectively. 3) In the cases of sputum AFB smear-negative and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR, and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 23.1%, 100%, 88.5%, and 82.4%, respectively. 4) The specificity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR was 77.0%. 5) The median number of days between obtaining a specimen and starting therapy was 5 days for sputum AFB smear, 9 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, 26 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR, 32 days for sputum culture, 56 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture are higher than sputum AFB smear and culture. So, the bronchoscopy must be considered for evaluating suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients from whom smears of expectorated sputum do not reveal mycobacteria or from whom no sputum can be obtained. Especially, combined with PCR, it is expected that pulmonary tuberculosis can be diagnosed more rapidly and more accurately, so bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and PCR can be helpful in the early treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage* ; Bronchoscopy ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

PURPOSE: To determine the MR and CT imaging findings of inflammatory pseudotumor of the extraorbital head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the MR (n=10) and CT (n=9) imaging studies of 11 patients with this condition (M:F=5:6, age range: 35-75 years), analysing each case in terms of location, occupying space, signal intensity, intracranial involvement, degree of contrast enhancement and adjacent bone change. Follow-up images were obtained in nine cases, and the response of each patient to steroid treatment was reviewed. RESULTS: Lesions involved the masticator space (n=8), the buccal space (n=6), the nasopharynx (n=5), the paranasal sinus (n=4), the parapharyngeal space (n=3), the prevertebral space (n=2), the orbit (n=2), the carotid space (n=2), the paravertebral space (n=1), parotid space (n=1), and the oral cavity (n=1). In ten of eleven cases, there was adjacent bone change. In three cases, the cavernous sinus was involved, and in two, the dura. One case involved both of them. At T2-weighted imaging, the lesions showed hypointensity in nine of ten cases; in four of nine, signal intensity was markedly low, and in no case was it diffusely high. In five of nine cases, the mass decreased in size after steroid therapy. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory pseudotumor showed iso-to hypointensity at T2-weighted imaging. Lymphadenopathy was not apparent.
Cavernous Sinus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Head* ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mouth ; Nasopharynx ; Neck* ; Orbit

Recently the change in medical informatics enabled us to use medical information whenever we want and wherever we are. There are many homepages on the web, which provide hospital information, medical counseling. Our multimedia center began its service as a internet Hospital in MIDAS Dongailbo, one of the major daily newspaper in Korea, on March 25th, 1997. The aim of this study is to examine the content and purpose of medical counseling on the web. The subjects consisted of 1,000 counsellings which were called 'Dongailbo Internet Hospital' for March, 25th, 1997 through October 30th, 1997. Many questioners wanted to know treatment principles, to make a diagnosis, and to know specific medical knowledges. The most common questions are as follows: general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, skin, digestive, respiratory, neurological problems.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Diagnosis ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Multimedia ; Periodicals* ; Skin

Recently the change in medical informatics enabled us to use medical information whenever we want and wherever we are. There are many homepages on the web, which provide hospital information, medical counseling. Our multimedia center began its service as a internet Hospital in MIDAS Dongailbo, one of the major daily newspaper in Korea, on March 25th, 1997. The aim of this study is to examine the content and purpose of medical counseling on the web. The subjects consisted of 1,000 counsellings which were called 'Dongailbo Internet Hospital' for March, 25th, 1997 through October 30th, 1997. Many questioners wanted to know treatment principles, to make a diagnosis, and to know specific medical knowledges. The most common questions are as follows: general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, skin, digestive, respiratory, neurological problems.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Diagnosis ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Multimedia ; Periodicals* ; Skin

No abstract available.
DNA*

Two cases of ureteral reconstructive surgery experienced recently are presented : left complete ureteral duplication associated with ureterocele and vesicoureteral reflex and left ureteral stricture due to urinary tract tuberculosis. In the first case, left ureterocelectomy was performed with ureteroureterostomy and ureteroneocystostomy. In the second case, portion of the left ureteral stricture was excised followed by end-to-end anastomosis of the same ureter with good result.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Reflex ; Tuberculosis ; Ureter ; Ureterocele ; Urinary Tract

Statistical observation was made on in-patients in the Department of Urology. Presbyterian Medical Center, Taegu, Korea, during the period from August 1. 1970 through July 31, 1978. 1. Among 1.987 cases of in-patients, 1,505 cases were male and 481 cases were female with a ratio of 3.1: 1. Most common diseases were ureter stones (14.88%), renal tbc. (7. 74%) , bladder tumors ( 7.18%), and B. P. H. (5.7 %) in order. 2. Of 1.987 in-patients, operation was done in 1.532 cases ( 76. 3 %).3. Of 1.532 operation cases, T. U. R. ( 15. 27%) was the most common operation : nephrectomy (11.49%), ureterolithotomy (10.31%) and hydrocelectomy (6.72 %) were performed.
Daegu ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Protestantism ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urology*

Tumor of the ureter is malignant and rare, but recently the incidence rate was progressively increased due to developed methods of diagnostic procedures. Here, we report two cases of ureteral cancer combined with urinary stones in the department of urology, Seoul Red Cross Hospital, with some literatures.
Incidence ; Red Cross ; Seoul ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Neoplasms ; Urinary Calculi ; Urology

This case report involves tracheal intubation using i-gel(R) in combination with a lightwand in a patient with a difficult airway, classified as Cormack-Lehane grade 3. I-gel(R) was used during anesthesia induction to properly maintain ventilation. The authors have previously reported successful tracheal intubation on a patient with a difficult airway through the use of i-gel(R) and a fiberoptic bronchoscope. However, if the use of a fiberoptic bronchoscope is not immediately available in a patient with a difficult airway, tracheal intubation may be performed by using i-gel(R) and a lightwand in a patient with difficult airway, allowing the safe induction of anesthesia.
Airway Management ; Anesthesia ; Bronchoscopes ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Laryngeal Masks ; Transillumination ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The expression of sonic hedgehog (Shh) in the colon cancer cell has been implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. However, the association between Shh expression in the normal colonic mucosa and the recurrence of colorectal neoplasm after tumor resection has not been well documented. The aim of the study was to determine the association between Shh expression in the normal colonic mucosa and in the recurrence of colorectal neoplasm. METHODS: Fifty-five patients who underwent a long-term follow-up colonoscopy after the colorectal neoplasm resection were included. At the time of the tumor resection, Shh expression in the normal colonic mucosa was examined. The association between Shh expression in the normal colonic mucosa and the recurrence of colorectal neoplasm was analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 97 colorectal neoplasms were detected among 41 subjects after a mean follow-up period of 63 weeks (range 27-254 weeks). Of 55 subjects, 26 (47.3%) exhibited positive Shh expression in the normal colonic tissue, and the recurrence rate did not differ with the degree of Shh expression (P=0.238). The degree of Shh expression was not associated with the number (P=0.389), size (P=0.928), location (P=0.410), pathologic types (P=0.127), or time of recurrence (P=0.711) of the recurred colorectal neoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: Most colorectal neoplasm patients show recurrence after the resection and exhibit Shh expression in the normal colonic tissue. The degree of Shh expression in the normal colonic mucosa does not predict the recurrence of colorectal neoplasm.
Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hedgehogs ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Recurrence