No abstract available.
Humans ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Paralysis*

BACKGROUND: Transepidermal water loss(TEWL) measurement is widely used in monitoring the degree of skin irritation. There have been many reports of site variation of TEWL between different body sites. However, there have been no reports concerning site variation on the different parts of the hand, which is important for the evaluation of hand eczema. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to better understand site variation of TEWL on the hands. METHODS: TEWL measurement has been performed on the mid-forearm and seven different sites of the hands in 20 normal human volunteers using an evaporimeter. RESULTS: A marked site variation has been observed and high values observed on most parts of the hands compared to forearms. CONCLUSION: Site selection should be seriously considered in any kind of study concerning TEWL measurement of hands.
Eczema ; Forearm ; Hand* ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Humans* ; Skin* ; Water*

BACKGROUND: To assess the clinical utility of new DNA extraction method, the authors attempted PCR using mycobacterial DNA extracted by Chelex 100 ion exchange resin method for 63 clinical samples in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and compared with proteinase K method, simultaneously. METHODS: We used Chelex 100 ion exchange resin for preparation of DNA. Decontaminated sputums were mixed with resin and incubated at 56degrees C and 100degrees C without opening tube. After centrifugation, supernatants were used directly as template for PCR. 245 bps in primary PCR and 188 bps in nested PCR were amplified and analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis EtBr staining. RESULTS: Chelex 100 ion exchange resin method is more simple, rapid and reliable than proteinase K method, and during sample preparation, carry-over contamination loss of amplificated DNA, influence of organic solvents and cross-contamination are diminished. The results of PCR products are interpreted more distinctively in Chelex 100 ion exchange resin method than proteinase K method. CONCLUSIONS: In the basis of the results, it could be suggested that extraction of mycobacterial DNA by Chelex 100 ion exchange resin is more simple, rapid reliable method than that of conventional method for detection of mycobacterial DNA in patients with tuberculosis by polymerase chain reaction.
Centrifugation ; Diagnosis* ; DNA* ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Endopeptidase K ; Humans ; Ion Exchange ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Solvents ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Isolated angiitis of central nervous system is a rare clinicopathologic entity characterized by vasculitis restricted to the vessels of the central nervous system without other apparent systemic vasculitis. We report a 57-year-old female patient who had suffered from repeated episodes of headache, vomiting and mental confusion. There was no evidence of systemic vasculitis. Brain CT scan showed multiple infarcts, and CSF showed mild pleocytosis and increased protein level. Cerebral angiogram confirmed the diagnosis by revealing multiple narrowing of small and medium sized arteries. Steroid and cyclophosphamide were tried with apparent benefit. Literatures are briefly reviewed.
Arteries ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Middle Aged ; Nervous System* ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vasculitis* ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The ictal perfusion patterns of cerebellum and basal ganglia have not been systematically investigated in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Their ictal perfusion patterns were analyzed in relation with temporal lobe and frontal lobe hyperperfusion during TLE seizures using SPECT subtraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three TLE patients had interictal and ictal SPECT, video-EEG monitoring, SPGR MRI, and SPECT subtraction with MRI co-registration. RESULTS: The vermian cerebellar hyperperfusion (CH) was observed in 26 patients (78.8%) and hemispheric CH in 25 (75.8%). Compared to the side of epileptogenic temporal lobe, there were seven ipsilateral hemispheric CH (28.0%), fifteen contralateral hemispheric CH (60.0%) and three bilateral hemispheric CH (12.0%). CH was more frequently observed in patients with additional frontal hyperperfusion (14/15, 93.3%) than in patients without frontal hyperperfusion (11/18, 61.1%). The basal ganglia hyperperfusion (BGH) was seen in 11 of the 15 patients with frontotemporal hyperperfusion (73.3%) and 11 of the 18 with temporal hyperperfusion only (61.1%). In 17 patients with unilateral BGH, contralateral CH to the BGH was observed in 14 (82.5%) and ipsilateral CH to BGH in 2 (11.8%) and bilateral CH in 1 (5.9%). CONCLUSION: The cerebellar hyperperfusion and basal ganglia hyperperfusion during seizures of TLE can be contralateral, ipsilateral or bilateral to the seizure focus. The presence of additional frontal or basal ganglia hyperperfusion was more frequently associated with contralateral hemispheric CH to their sides. However, temporal lobe hyperperfusion appears to be related with both ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheric CH.
Basal Ganglia* ; Cerebellum* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Perfusion ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Bacterial meningitis results in significant neurologic dificits despite in spite of much effort in the treatment of the disease. This study was performed to determine the incidence of caustive organisms and to correlate between the organisms and computed tomographic (CT) findings with clinical outcome of bacterial meningitis in newborns and infants. We analyzed the brain CT and clinical records of 15 infants who had been diagnosed as bactrial meningitis by CSF culture. We found that the most common organisms were Group B streptococcus in neonates withou no neurologic complications in all but one and Hemophilus influenza in infants whose clinical outomes were poor in all except one. CT findings related with poor prognosis in this study were cerebral edema, basal cistermal obliteration & enhancement, and cerebral infarction on initial CT and ventriculomegaly on follow-up CT. We concluded that CT diagnosed intracranial complications of bacterial meningitis well and could contributed to better treatment of bacterial meningitis.
Brain ; Brain Edema ; Cerebral Infarction ; Follow-Up Studies ; Haemophilus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Influenza, Human ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial* ; Prognosis ; Streptococcus

No abstract available.
Heel* ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Weight-Bearing* ; Zea mays

No abstract available.
Blood Donors* ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Humans

PURPOSE: To evaluate the extent of lesion by using ultrasound biomicroscopy in eyelid tumor. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients with eyelid tumor, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound biomicroscopy to access the extent of the lesion and the depth of involvement, excision and biopsy. These data were compared to the histopathologic findings. RESULTS: On ultrasound biomicroscopic examination, the eyelid tumor showed greater homogeneous hypoechoic density or heterogenous echo density than that of the surrounding tissue, leading to identifying the lateral margin of the lesion and depth of involvement. The mean maximum thickness of the lesion measured by ultrasound biomicroscopy was 2.26 +/- 0.49 mm and that of the histopathologic depth was 2.22 +/- 0.56 mm. Linear regression demonstrated that lesion depth measured by ultrasound biomicroscopy was correlated with histopathologic depth. CONCLUSIONS: In eyelid tumor, ultrasound biomicroscopy is helpful in assessing the extent of the lesion and the depth of involvement preoperatively, and in obtaining good postoperative results.
Biopsy ; Eyelids* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Microscopy, Acoustic* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome and safety of vaginal delivery after previous cesarean birth. METHODS: This study was based on 303 cases of delivery with previous cesarean birth at Masan, Fatima Hospital from May, 1997 to April, 1998. Among them, 62 cases had performed trial of labor. We had made a comparison between elective repeat section group and trial of labor group by analizing the frequency, successful rate, maternal morbidity, perinatal morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Among 303 cases with previous cesarean birth, trial of labor was done in 62 cases(20.5%). Among trial of labor group, vaginal delivery was done in 54 cases (87.1%) and repeat section was done in 8 cases(12.9%). Indications for elective repea section before the onset of labor were refuse trial of labor(51.9%), request for tubal ligation(17.4%), and previous section > or =2(7.5%), etc. The successful rate of vaginal delivery according to indication for previous cesarean birth was 85.0%(17/20) in the cases of dystocia and 88.1%(37/42) in the cases except dystocia. The successful rate was not influenced by the indication for previous cesarean birth(P>0.05). There were no maternal death or uterine rupture in the cases of trial of labor. There were no significant difference between elective repeat section group and trial of labor group in maternal morbidity, perinatal morbidity and mortality(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Under strict indications, vaginal delivery subsequent to cesarean birth may be safe, and can reduce the rate of cesarean section that was increased constantly.
Apgar Score ; Cesarean Section ; Dystocia ; Eclampsia* ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Maternal Death ; Mortality ; Parturition ; Parturition* ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Respiration, Artificial ; Rheology ; Trial of Labor ; Umbilical Arteries* ; Uterine Rupture