The majority of cystic lesions of the pancreas are psudocysts and a small fraction neoplastic. Failure to recognize the true nature of neoplastic cyst will lead to an incorrct treatment strategy. Ultrasonography, computerized tomography and angiography were used to distingish these lesions, but diagnostic value of ERCP is in controversy. To evaluate the diagnostic value of ERCP in cystic lesions of the pancreas, we analysed 33 cases of pancreatic cystic lesions (pseudocyst 18 cases, retention cyst 3 cases and cystic, neoplasm l2 cases) between Apr. 1985 and June 1993. In 18 cases of pseudocysts, ERP findings were communication with cyst in 8 cases (44.4%), chronic pancreatitis in 8 cases (44.4%), obstruction in 4 cases (22.2%) and displscement of pancreatic duct in 2 cases (11.1%), and ERC findings, which were perfomed in 8 cases, showed cholangitis in 3 cases (37.5%), CBD stone in 2 cases (25%), mass effect in 1 case (12.5%) and normal in 2 cases (25%). There was no communication with the cyst and pancreatic duct, except two mucinous ductal ectasia, in 12 cases of cystic neoplasms, and the other findings were displacement of pancreatic duct in 4 cases (33.3%), obstruction in 2 cases (16.7%) and normal in 4 cases (33.3%). ERC findings of cystic neoplasm were almost normal (85.7%) except 1 case of cholangitis. In conclusion, ERCP findings of pseudocysts were communication with pancreatic duct, chronic pancreatitis and biliary tract abnormality. In contrast, ERCP findings of cystic neoplasms were displacement or obstruction of pancreatic duct without communication and chronic pancreatitis, and biliary tract abnormality were rare.
Angiography ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Cholangitis ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Mucins ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Cyst* ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires*

Cutaneous mycobacterial infection can occur with Mycobacterium tube culosis or other mycobacterial agents. The commonest of the group IV rapidly growing mycobacteia Mycobacterium fortuitum, has widespread distribution in natur, and is an uncommon causative agent of human mycobacterial infection. We report herein a case of Mycobacterium fortuitum infection follcwiiig an antibiotics susceptibility test. This 24-year-old man suffered fram ulcerative itchy nodules on the left forearm where the antibiotics susceptibility test was don. The skin biopsy specimen revealedly. iphohistiocytic granulomatous infiltration in the dermis. Culture of the tissue specimen revealed rapicly growing yellowish colonies, which was isolated to Mycobacoterium fortuitum. Among 3 biovariants of M. fortuitum, our case was revealed to he biovariant fortuiiam: Surgical excision was performed followed by the administration of antiliiiitics, and no sign of relapse was noted until now, 1 year since.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Forearm ; Humans ; Mycobacterium fortuitum* ; Mycobacterium* ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Ulcer ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Differential diagnosis of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus( SA) and scleroderma is occasionally difficult. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to attempt differentiation between the two diseases using imrnunohistochemical stain and lectins. MEHTODS: Paraffin-embeddred sections of 4 cases of LSA and 11 cases of scleroderma were evaluated for this study. Using lectins, such as peanut agglutinin(PNA), siybean agglutinin(SBA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I(UEA-I) and Dolichos biflorus agglutinin(DBA) and the avidin-biotin-peroxi-dase complex(ABC) technique, differential lectin binding patterns betv een the two diseases were examined. RESULTS: In the case of LSA, PNA and SBA stained the upper and lower spinous layer of the epidermis, and UEA I also stained the spinous layer of the epidermis weakly, but no DBA was stained. In the case of scleroderma, PNA stained not only the spinous layer but also the basal layer, SBA stained the upper half of the spinous layer but not the lower half of the pinous layer of epidermis. But UEA-I stained the vascular endothelial cells of dermis instead of epidermis, and DBA stained only the basal layer of epidermis. CONCLUSION: Staining of these 4 lectins on paraffin-embedded sectians using ABC teehnique could be helpful in differenting LSA and scleroderma.
Dermis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dolichos ; Endothelial Cells ; Epidermis ; Lectins* ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus* ; Lichens* ; Ulex

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Use of custom tray and tray adhesive is clinically recommended for elastomeric impression material. However there is not clear mention of drying time of tray adhesive in achieving appropriate bonding strength of tray material and impression material. PURPOSE: This study is to investigate an appropriate drying time of tray adhesives by evaluating tensile bonding strength between two types of polyvinylsiloxane impression materials and resin tray, according to various drying time intervals of tray adhesives, and with different manufacturing company combination of impression material and tray adhesive. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Adhesives used in this study were Silfix (Dentsply Caulk, Milford, Del, USA) and VPS Tray Adhesive (3M ESPE, Seefeld, Germany) and impression materials were Aquasil Ultra (monophase regular set, Dentsply Caulk, Milford, Del, USA) and Imprint II Garant (regular body, 3M ESPE, Seefeld, Germany). They were used combinations from the same manufacture and exchanged combinations of the two. The drying time was designed to air dry, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and 25 minutes. Total 240 of test specimens were prepared by auto-polymerizing tray material (Instant Tray Mix, Lang, Wheeling, Il, USA) with 10 specimens in each group. The specimens were placed in the Universal Testing machine (Instron, model 3366, Instron Corp, University avenue, Nowood, MA, USA) to perform the tensile test (cross head speed 5 mm/min). The statistically efficient drying time was evaluated through ANOVA and Scheffe test. All the tests were performed at 95% confidence level. RESULTS: The results revealed that at least 10 minutes is needed for Silfix-Aquasil, and 15 minutes for VPS Tray Adhesive-Imprint II, to attain an appropriate tensile bonding strength. VPS Tray Adhesive-Imprint II had a superior tensile bonding strength when compared to Silfix-Aquasil over 15 minutes. Silfix-Aquasil had a superior bonding strength to VPS Tray Adhesive-Aquasil, and VPS Tray Adhesive-Imprint II had a superior tensile bonding strength to Silfix-Imprint II at all drying periods. CONCLUSION: Significant increase in tensile bonding strength with Silfix-Aquasil and VPS Tray adhesive-Imprint II combination until 10 and 15 minutes respectively. Tray adhesive-impression material combination from the same company presented higher tensile bonding strength at all drying time intervals than when using tray adhesive-impression material of different manufactures.
Adhesives ; Collodion ; Dental Impression Materials ; Elastomers ; Head ; Polymers ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Polyvinyls ; Siloxanes

No abstract available.
Amputation* ; Replantation*

BACKGROUND: Generalized immune aetivation occurs early in the course of many infectious diseases. Clinical investigations have known that immune activation can be qiantified by the measurement of soluble immune activation products, neopterin and elastase-a-antitypsm in serum. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess macrophage and neutrophil activation in patient with leprosy by measurement of neopterin and elhstase-a-antitrypin. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 patients with subculoid leprosy and 71 patients with lepromatous leprosy (39 cases of M. leprae positive patients and 32 cases of M. leprce negative patients). Serum samples and clinical and laboratory data were collected form each patient and control. The levels of serum neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin were masured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The serum neopterin levels were significantly raised in patients with leprosy and significantly higher in lepromatous leprosy than tuberculoid leprosy. The sejum elastase-a-antitrypsin levels were significantly increased in pat,ients with leprosy, but did not vary significantly between tuberculoid and lepramatous leprosy. There was also no significant correlation between the neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin levels and bacterial index in patients with lepromatous prosy. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that non-specific activation of macrophages and neutrophiles occurs in leprosy and high titers of ineopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin alore, in the absenee of a functioning T cell response, do not appee,r to confer resistance against Mycobacterium leprae.
Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Macrophages ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Neopterin* ; Neutrophil Activation ; Neutrophils ; Pancreatic Elastase* ; Syphilis ; Treponema pallidum

BACKGROUND: Generalized immune aetivation occurs early in the course of many infectious diseases. Clinical investigations have known that immune activation can be qiantified by the measurement of soluble immune activation products, neopterin and elastase-a-antitypsm in serum. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess macrophage and neutrophil activation in patient with leprosy by measurement of neopterin and elhstase-a-antitrypin. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 patients with subculoid leprosy and 71 patients with lepromatous leprosy (39 cases of M. leprae positive patients and 32 cases of M. leprce negative patients). Serum samples and clinical and laboratory data were collected form each patient and control. The levels of serum neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin were masured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The serum neopterin levels were significantly raised in patients with leprosy and significantly higher in lepromatous leprosy than tuberculoid leprosy. The sejum elastase-a-antitrypsin levels were significantly increased in pat,ients with leprosy, but did not vary significantly between tuberculoid and lepramatous leprosy. There was also no significant correlation between the neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin levels and bacterial index in patients with lepromatous prosy. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that non-specific activation of macrophages and neutrophiles occurs in leprosy and high titers of ineopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin alore, in the absenee of a functioning T cell response, do not appee,r to confer resistance against Mycobacterium leprae.
Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Macrophages ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Neopterin* ; Neutrophil Activation ; Neutrophils ; Pancreatic Elastase* ; Syphilis ; Treponema pallidum

We report a case of Mycobacterium(M.) fortuitum infection in a 65-year-old female who presented with erythematous to purplish colored tender nodules and plaques with curst and purulent discharge on both upper and lower extremities along the sites of acupuncture. The culture of surgically excised specimen in 3% Ogawa media yielded slightly yellowish colored colonies within 2 days. Several tests for identification of the species were performed and growth on 5% NaCl, negative niacin test, positive results in nitrate reduction, catalase, urease and iron uptake tests were noted. Excision of the lesions followed by administration of minocycline and ciprofloxacin showed no sign of relapse to data a year after treatment.
Acupuncture* ; Aged ; Catalase ; Ciprofloxacin ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Lower Extremity ; Minocycline ; Mycobacterium fortuitum* ; Mycobacterium* ; Niacin ; Recurrence ; Urease

We report CT and MR findings in tow cases of primary malignant melanoma of the vagina, one arising from cervicovaginal junction mimicking squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and the other one recurring at vagina after resection. Two cases of malignant melanoma had high-attenuation on CT and high signal intensity on T1-weighted MR images and enhanced well after gadopentetate dimeglumine administration.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Melanoma* ; Vagina*