Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) has emerged as a useful technique for the study of pulmonary interstitial disorders. Several types of information are provided by the evaluation of lavage fluid. Identification of cellular constituents helps to separate inflammatory process. Recently we have studied cellular constituents of BAL from three cases with histologically confirmed pulmonary sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and hypereosinophilic syndrome. Pulmonary sarcoidosis showed a marked increase in lymphocytes, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis revealed a predominance of neutrophils, and hypereosinophilic syndrome presented a marked increase in eosinophils in the lavage fluids.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Child* ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Lymphocytes ; Neutrophils ; Sarcoidosis ; Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary ; Therapeutic Irrigation ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

In order to prevent cross-infection, the sterilization of used and/or contaminated anesthetic- apparatus is still a difficult problem in clinical practice, particularly, following anesthesia for known advanced pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Therefore the antibacterisl activities of, an amphoteric detergent, Dodecyl diaminoethyl glycin hydrochloride (Hygien 51) were tested in vitro as a disinfectant against mycobacteria (M. tuberculosis H37 Rv, M. bovis, M. avium, M. tuberculosis H37 Ra, M. phlei, B.C.G.) The antimycobacterial activity tests were performed according to the modified Kolmer method. The testing organisms were cultured in Dubos broth at 37 degrees C, and the detergent, Hygien 51, was: diluted with sterile distilled water to 1,3,5 and 10%. One half milliliter of culture was pipetted into each tube containing 4.5 ml of diluted detergent, and at intervals of 3, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes, a 4mm loopful of the material was removed from each tube, and transferred to Ogawa media. The tests were carried out at two different temperatures, 20 degrees C and 50 degrees C. The subcultures were incubated at 37 degrees C for more than 8 weeks. The results were obtained as follows: 1) At room temperature (20 degrees C), all mycobateria, except M. bovis, were destroyed by treatment- with 10% solution of the detergent for more than 60 minutes. M. bovis was relatively sensitive to the detergent, and was killed by 5% solution for 30 min. and 10% for 15 min., but M. avium. was very resistant, and was not killed by 10% solution for 240 min. 2) By treatment with the detergent at 50 degrees C, the antimycobacterial activities of the detergent were highly increased. All mycobacteria were destroyed by 1% solution for 180 min, and by 10% for less than 30 min at 50 degrees C. In the comparison of the antibacterial activities against mycobacteria and other bacteria, it shows that mycobacteria are generally more resistant to the detergent, Hygien 51.
Anesthesia ; Bacteria ; Detergents ; Sterilization ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Water

In 97 cases of uncomplicated Cesarean section proceeding under 0.5% fluothane anesthesia with N2O and O2, 2.5% Pentothal sedium(clinical induction doses) was enough until umbilical cord clamp without any supplemental doses but muscle relaxation from succinylcholine might not be potentiated with 0.5% fluothane. On the other hand, Apgar score and postpartum uterine contractility was depending upon duration of anesthesia but it was not so serious problem. Also, anesthesia induction and recovery was rapid, and post operative pulmonary and other complication, even vomiting, did not occur. Conclusively, it is interesting that low concentration of fluothane with nitrous oxide are probably ideal anesthesia method for Cesarean section.
Anesthesia* ; Apgar Score ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Halothane* ; Hand ; Muscle Relaxation ; Nitrous Oxide ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Umbilical Cord ; Vomiting

Clinical experience using different anesthetic methods for intravenous regional anesthesia in extremities was compared, To group 1 (22 cases, 20 for upper extremity and 2 for lower extremity surgery, with 5 min. limb elevation) 1.5mg/kg Lidocaine hydrochloride was administered and a single pneumatic tourniquet applied. For both group 2 (15 patients, 10 for upper limb and 5 for lower limb operations with limb elevation) and group 3 (11 cases, all for upper extremity operations, but Esmarch bandages instead of pre tourniquet elevation) 3. 0 mg/kg Lidocaine hydroehloride was used and a second tourniquet placed distal to the first. In all groups the anesthetic concentration was 0. 5 and 0. 25 per cent for the upper and lower extremities respectfully. Pneumatic tourniquet pressure applied was 250 mmHg for the upper limb and 500mmHg for the lower. Excellent anesthesia resulted in 68. 2 per cent in group 1, 73.3 per cent in group 2, and 100 per cent in group 3. No serious complications were encountered. Incidence of incomplete anesthesia and/or tourniquet pain could be decreased by increasing the anesthetic concentration, using a secondary tourniquet, and by selecting the region to be anesthetized (upper extremities in favor of the lower). It is concluded that intravenous regional anesthesia is simple, effective and safe and is recommended for ambulatory patients, emergency operations and for patients for whom general anesthesia is deferred.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Conduction* ; Anesthesia, General ; Bandages ; Emergencies ; Extremities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lidocaine ; Lower Extremity ; Tourniquets ; Upper Extremity

In 1938 Cerletti described a method of producing convulsions by eleetricity and began its use in the treatment of schizophrenias. In avoider to avoid fractures or dislocation and to diminish the risk, convulsion may be modified by means of drugs which inhibit the action of acetylcholine at neuro-muscular junctions and often the muscular contractions combining ultra short acting barbiturate especially thiopental sodium. Since ultra short acting barbiturat, like thiopental, require postanesthesia supervision of the patient for up to an hour, the recentlyintroduced ultrashort-acting nonbarbiturate anesthetic agent, propanidid, was investigated for comparison with thiopental sodium. One hundred psychiatric patients under the diognosis of involutional melancholia, manic depressive psychosis, schizophrenia and neurotic depression, divided into two equal groups, were subjected to electroconvulsive therapy by thiopental-succinylcholine (Group 1) and propanidid-succinyl choline (Group 2). In our study, there were no definite change in blood pressure and heart rate after electroconvulsive therapy in both group. Duration of apnea in Group 2 averaged 63 seconds longer than in Group 1, but awakening and ambulation averaged 5 minutes and 40 minutes shorter than in Group 1. Complications after E.C.T. were minimal and not significant different between two groups.
Acetylcholine ; Anesthesia, General* ; Apnea ; Bipolar Disorder ; Blood Pressure ; Choline ; Depressive Disorder ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Dislocations ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Organization and Administration ; Propanidid ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures ; Thiopental ; Walking

The authors have experienced a case of acute hyperpyrexia with convulsion during diethyl ether anesthesia, which is rare and its etiology not well known.
Anesthesia* ; Ether* ; Seizures

Cytogenetic analysis of 4 cases of meningiomas from 3 male and 1 female patients is reported. One of male patients suffered from neurofibromatosis type 2. Histologically, the meningiomas were meningotheliomatous (1), transitional (2), and psammomatous (1). Chromosomal abnormalities were found in all cases with a karyotype 45,XY,-22, 45,XY,-16, 45,XX,-2, and 45,XY,t (15p;22q), respectively. Monosomy of chromosome 22 was detected only in the patient with neurofibromatosis type 2. These cytogenetic analysis demonstrates that variable clonal karyotype aberrations exist in meningiomas.
Adolescent ; Adult ; *Chromosome Aberrations ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms/*genetics ; Meningioma/*genetics ; Neurofibromatosis 2/genetics

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's varicelliform eruption (KVE) is a viral infection with disseminated skin involvement, superimposed on a pre-existing dermatosis. A monomorphic eruption of dome-shaped blisters and pustules in the eczematous lesions, along with severe systemic illness, leads to clinical diagnosis. However, there is no data on the clinicopathologic study of KVE in Koreans. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify clinicopathologic features of KVE. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records and biopsy slides of 21 patients who had previously been diagnosed as having KVE at the National Medical Center between 1990 and 2004. RESULTS: The study results are summarized as follows: 1. The most common pre-existing disease was atopic dermatitis, followed by seborrheic dermatitis and Darier's disease. 2.Men were more commonly affected than women, and the mean age at diagnosis of eczema herpeticum was 30.8 years. 3.Face involvement was seen in 4 patients, and systemic involvement in 6 patients. 4. Histopathologically, common findings included ballooning degeneration (76.1%), reticular degeneration (47.6%), multinucleated giant cell (57.1%), and inclusion body (28.6%), and leukocytoclastic vasculitis (47.6%). CONCLUSION: KVE is a secondary viral infection that can affect patients who suffer from a primary dermatologic condition. In many instances, the history and clinical findings may be sufficient for diagnosis of KVE. However, the clinicopathologic features can help also diagnose KVE and pre-existing dermatosis.
Biopsy ; Blister ; Darier Disease ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption* ; Medical Records ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: Although atopic dermatitis (AD) is a very common disease, there is no specific diagnostic or prognostic marker for it. Minor clinical features and a few laboratory findings can be used as ancillary diagnostic criteria and reflect the present state of AD, but cannot predict the disease severity. OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to find out if there is any correlation among minor clinical features, laboratory findings such as blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels, and the severity of AD. METHODS: One hundred patients with AD were involved in the study. They were divided into two groups by the age of 12 years; group 1(< or = 12-year-old, n=47) represented childhood AD and group 2 (> or = 12-year-old, n=53) represented adolescence and adult AD. Subsequently, the severity of AD was assessed by the SCORAD index, and then all the patients were classified into 3 subgroups; mild, moderate and severe groups. They were evaluated for 28 minor clinical features of AD. In addition, blood samples were measured for blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels. RESULTS: The pattern of minor clinical features correlated significantly with the disease severity was quite different between the two groups, except ventral wrist eczema and eyelid eczema. Blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels increased significantly as the SCORAD index increased. While perifollicular accentuation was a significant minor clinical feature that correlated with blood eosinophil count in the both groups, there were no minor features showing statistically significant correlation with serum IgE levels. In group 1, keratosis pilaris and infragluteal eczema appeared more frequently as all 3 variables such as the SCORAD index, blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels, increased simultaneously. However, no minor clinical features which correlated significantly with all variables were observed in group 2. CONCLUSION: We concluded that minor clinical features such as keratosis pilaris and infragluteal eczema reflect the disease severity and can be used as an anticipating sign of severe disease, especially in childhood AD.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Eczema ; Eosinophils ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Keratosis ; Wrist

In this study, we isolated scopoletin from Cirsium setidens Nakai (Compositae) and tested its effects on melanogenesis. Scopoletin was not toxic to cells at concentrations less than 50 microM and increased melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. As melanin synthesis increased, scopoletin stimulated the total tyrosinase activity, the rate-limiting enzyme of melanogenesis. In a cell-free system, however, scopoletin did not increase tyrosinase activity, indicating that scopoletin is not a direct activator of tyrosinase. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that scopoletin stimulated the production of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase expression via cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Based on these results, preclinical and clinical studies are needed to assess the use of scopoletin for the treatment of vitiligo.
Blotting, Western ; Cell-Free System ; Cirsium* ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; Melanins* ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Phosphorylation* ; Scopoletin* ; Vitiligo