Eosinophils play a major role in the airway inflammation in asthma. to verify an association between airway responsiveness of asthmatics and eosinophil and/or ECP, we measured serum ECP in 23 children with atopic asthma during acute attacks and stable states, and in 10 normal healthy controls. Peak flows were monitored in 15 children. The data suggest that serum ECP levels were higher in acutely ill asthmatics than in stable state. With successful therapy for asthma, serum ECP levels were mostly decreased. However, rising ECP values after treatment may suggest unsatisfactory results with conventional therapy despite a predicatable PEFR. ECP should prove a helpful for monitoring airway responsiveness which had been evoked by inflammation and/or late phase reaction in asthma.
Asthma* ; Child* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate

In case of the large bone defect due to severe varus or valgus deformity in total knee replacement, there are many different methods for reconstruction of the bone defect for insertion of the tibial component after resection of the proximal tibia. Total knee replacement using the autogenous bone graft were performed in 27 knees (18 patients) with tibial bone defect. Authors report the methods and results with an average 23 months follow-up. We used the bone removed from distal femur and calculated the size of the proximal tibia. We used the screws, if necessary, for rigid fixation of the grafted bone. l. According to the type of bone defect, central defect type were 3 knees, peripheral defect type were 13 knees and combined type were 11 knees. 2. In A-P view of x-ray, the size of bone defect of the tibial plateau ranged 5mm to 25mm (average 11.1mm) in height. 3. Screws were used for fixation of grafted bone in 14 knees and the average size of the screws was 27.8mm. 4. Bony union of the grafted bone achieved from 3 months to 12 months (average 5.7months). 5. Average knee ROM was 105 degrees and improved post-operatively 121 degrees, and average flexion contracture was 22.4 degrees and improved post-operatively 7.5 degrees. 6. Post-operative tibiofemoral angle was average 7.5 degrees valgus. 7. Average knee rating score was 54.5 and improved post-operatively 89.2. 8. The comlication of bone graft was partial resorption in 1 case and the loosening or displacement due to screw were abscent.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee ; Tibia ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Foot* ; Hand*

Glial choristoma is defined as a mass that is composed of mature, normal brain tissue, isolated from the cranial cavity or spinal canal. The involvement of an extracranial non-midline location, especially the middle ear or mastoid region, is quite exceptional. We report here on a case of glial choristoma of the middle ear in a 2-year-old boy. He presented with otalgia and otorrhea that had lasted for 6 months, and radiological studies revealed a mass-like lesion with soft tissue density in the middle ear cavity. The patient underwent simple mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty. Histologically, the mass was composed of disorganized but mature, normal glial tissue with immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein. The patient had no previous history of head trauma or surgery, and no evidence of central nervous system connection was noted on the radiological or operative findings. This mass was regarded as a primary glial heterotopia rather than an acquired encephalocele.
Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Child, Preschool ; Choristoma* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Ear, Middle* ; Earache ; Encephalocele ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Humans ; Male ; Mastoid ; Neuroglia ; Spinal Canal ; Tympanoplasty

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and associated repair integrity in patients treated with arthroscopic repair for a transtendinous rotator cuff tear followed by resection of the remnant rotator cuff tendon. METHODS: Between July 2007 and July 2011, we retrospectively reviewed patients who were treated for transtendinous full-thickness tears in the tendinous portion of the rotator cuff by arthroscopic repair. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the Shoulder Rating Scale of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the Constant-Murley score, a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, and range of motion (ROM). The repair integrity was determined by magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasonography. RESULTS: There were 19 shoulders with transtendinous full-thickness tears in the tendinous portion of the rotator cuff. The ASES, UCLA, Constant-Murley, and VAS pain scores showed significant improvements in function and symptoms (all p<0.001). The active ROM for forward flexion and abduction was also significantly improved (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). The postoperative radiological examination showed cuff integrity without a re-tear in 68.4% of patients. However, the UCLA, ASES, and Constant-Murley scores were not significantly different between healed and re-torn group (p=0.530, p=0.885, and p=0.262, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although repair of transtendinous rotator cuff tears followed by resection of the remnant rotator cuff tendon in the footprint has a relatively high re-tear rate, no significant difference was observed in the short-term clinical results between the re-tear and healed groups.
Arthroscopy ; California ; Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Surgeons ; Tears* ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hematuria* ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do* ; Prevalence*

No abstract available.

Hemorrhagic cystitis is potentially life-threatening sequellae of chemotherapy using oxazaphosphorine alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide). Mesna contains a sulfhydryl group that is believed to bind acrolein within the urinary collecting system and reduce the hemorrhagic cystitis without affecting the chemotherapeutic potential. To date, about thirty cases of hypersensitivity or allergic reactions of the delayed and urticarial type associated with mesna have been reported. We reported two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed facial rash and flushing associated with mesna which imitate malar rash.
Acrolein ; Alkylating Agents ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cystitis ; Drug Therapy ; Exanthema* ; Flushing ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mesna*

PURPOSE: To analyze the characteristies of traumatic brainstem injury by CT and MR MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT and MR studies of 10 patients with traumatic brainstem lesion in MR were retrospectively reviewed, particularly attended to location, signal intensity and associated lesions. RESULTS: CT failed to depict 8 of 10 brainstem lesions. All lesions were detected in MR images with T2-weighted images showing higher detection rate (n=10) (100%) than Tl-weighted images (n=3) (30%) or CT (n=2) (20%). The brainstem lesions located in the dorsolateral aspects of the rostral brainstem(mid brain and upper pons)in 7 (70%) cases, in ventral aspects of rostral brain in 2 (20%) cases and in median portion of pons in 1 (10%) case. Corpus callosal (n=5), Iobar white matter(n=5) diffuse axonal injury, and 2 hemorrhagic lesions in basal ganglia were the associated findings. CONCLUSION: MR imaging is more helpful than CT in the detection of brainstem injury, especially T2 weighted images. Primary brainstem lesions were typically located in the dorsolateral aspect of rostral brainstem(midbrain and upper pons). Corpus callosum and white matter lesions were frequently associated.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Brain Stem* ; Corpus Callosum ; Diffuse Axonal Injury ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pons ; Retrospective Studies

Immunohistochemical studies of the molecules associated with gastric tumor progression and metastasis were done to evaluate their relationship with known prognostic factors and their usefulness in assessment of the progression of gastric carcinoma in 127 gastric carcinoma tissues. The 4 antibodies used in this study were CD44H, CD44v6, erbB-2, and p53. The CD44H expression was detected in 76 (59.8%), CD44v6 in 63 (49.6%), erbB-2 in 18 (14.2%), and mutant p53 in 98 (77.2%) out of 127 cases of gastric carcinomas. There was no significant correlation between the expression rates of each four proteins. The expression rates of all 4 proteins were not significantly correlated with age and sex of the patients and lymph node metastasis, but the correlation between CD44v6 expression and the depth of tumor invasion and tumor stage was significant (p<0.05). These results suggest that CD44v6 is closely associated with tumor invasion, and high levels of CD44H, erbB-2 and p53 are associated with tumorigenesis of the stomach as they are highly expressed in early as well as in advanced gastric carcinomas. The findings also support the conclusion that the loss of control of alternative CD44 mRNA splicing resulted in production of CD44v6 splicing variant in tumor cell facilitates tissue invasion by increased adherence of the tumor cell to an extracellular matrix or by tumor cell migration. It can be expected that CD44v6 overexpression in tumor cells appears to be an important prognostic indicator for gastric tumor progression.
Neoplasm Metastasis ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Stomach Neoplasms