No abstract available.
Osteosarcoma*

Calcium channel blockers are used to treat hypertension. Unwanted side effects associated with calcium channel blockers are facial flushing, headache, palpitation, dizziness, peripheral edema, constipation, indigestion, nausea, gingival hyperplasia, facial edema and fatigue. Gingival hyperplasia is a rare adverse effect of calcium channel blockers. Calcium channel blockers are known to contribute to gingival hyperplasia. Among all calcium-channel blockers, the prevalence of gingival hyperplasia is highest with nifedipine. Amlodipine is used extensively for the management of hypertension. Several cases have been published since 1994 indicating that amlodipine may also promote gingival hyperplasia. Amlodpine-induced gingival hyperplasia has not reported yet in Korea. We report a case of gingival hyperplasia caused by amlodipine.
Amlodipine* ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Constipation ; Dizziness ; Dyspepsia ; Edema ; Fatigue ; Flushing ; Gingival Hyperplasia* ; Headache ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Nausea ; Nifedipine ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Adenoids* ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic* ; Lacrimal Apparatus*

PURPOSE: Hepatic hemangioendothelioma (HET) is a rare benign vascular tumor in infants. The clinical manifestations are variable from asymptomatic to life-threatening heart failure or Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (KM SD). We report our non-surgical treatment experience for infantile HET. METHODS: We analyzed 15 infants (5 males, 10 females) of HET retrospectively, from January 1989 to December 2007. RESULTS: All except 2 were full-term babies and median birth weight was 3,140 g. The median age at diagnosis was 15 days of life (0~157 days). Three of 5 patients diagnosed prenatally presented heart failure symptoms and the remaining 2 showed KM SD. Among 6 neonates, 3 showed cyanosis due to congestive heart failure. Nine patients showed multiple nodules at both liver lobes. Three asymptomatic patients were followed with radiologic examinations, thus HETs regressed spontaneously in two and decreased in one. Four cases that showed hepatomegaly or increase in size of subcutaneous hemangioma, were treated with prednisolone. All patients improved from tumor related symptoms and tumor size decreased. Four patients (2 patients of heart failure, 1 with rapid progressive hepatomegaly and 1 with congenital heart disease) received interferon-alpha. Among them, 3 showed regression of tumor and the remaining 1 showed decrease of tumor size. Two patients who suffered from severe heart failure received prednisolone and interferon-alpha, and then recovered. In the 2 patients with KM SD, we tried hepatic artery embolization with medical treatment. One survived but the other is not followed after failure of embolization. CONCLUSION: We experienced that many patients who had clinical symptoms associated with HET very early in their life treated with an aggressive nonsurgical treatment in symptomatic patients showed favorable outcome.
Birth Weight ; Cyanosis ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Hemangioendothelioma ; Hemangioma ; Hepatic Artery ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Interferon-alpha ; Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome ; Liver ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Retrospective Studies

This study was designed to investigate the effects of buthanol (BuOH) fraction of pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb et Zucc) needle on cholesterol and lipofuscin (LF) accumulations, acetylcholine (ACh) and its related enzyme activities such as choline acetyltransferase (CAhT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and monoamone oxidase-B (MAO-B) activity, which destroyed the catecholamine-related neurotransmitters in brain membranes of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Male SD rats were fed basic diets (control group) or experimental diets (BuOH-25, BuOH-50 and BuOH-100) for 45 days. Cholesterol accumulations in mitochondria and microsomes were significantly inhibited (about 14 - 17% and 23 - 34%, respectvely) in BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups, whereas LF levels were significantly inhibited (about 10 - 14%) in BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups compared with control group. ACh levels and ChAT activities were significantly increased (about 11 - 17% and 11 - 23%, respectively) in membranes of BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups compared with control group. AChE activities were significantly increased (about 14 - 17%) in membranes of BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups. There was no significant difference in MAO-B activities between control and experimental diet groups. The results suggest that butanol fraction of pine needle may play an effective role in an antiaging effect and improving a learning and memory impairments.
Acetylcholine* ; Acetylcholinesterase ; Animals ; Brain* ; Cholesterol ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase ; Diet ; Humans ; Learning ; Lipofuscin ; Male ; Membranes ; Memory ; Microsomes ; Mitochondria ; Monoamine Oxidase ; Needles* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare disorder, characterized by a decreased aortomesenteric angle that causes a duodenal obstruction. It usually occurs after a period of weight loss, nausea or vomiting due to a partial obstruction of the third portion of the duodenum. If conservative management fails, then a laparotomy, with a duodenojejunostomy, is indicated. A minimally invasive laparoscopic approach to the retroperitoneum, or duodenal, operation has recently been introduced. Although the role of laparoscopy in the management of SMA syndrome is not clearly defined, a laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy may be an alternative approach for its surgical treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed and analysed our experience of 8 cases of SMA syndrome, and included another 45 cases that had previously been reported in the Korean literature since 1967. RESULTS: There was no gender predominance, but SMA syndrome was more common in younger patients. There were several diseases, or underlying conditions, associated with gastrointestinal, or other general conditions, in SMA syndrome. With respect to its surgical management, most cases in Korea were treated with a duodenojejunostomy. We recently experienced two cases of superior mesenteric artery syndrome, which were treated laparoscopically. The operation time and lenghth of hospital stay were acceptable, with no complications. CONCLUSION: SMA syndrome shows a greater predominance in young age, and is associated with many other diseases, or conditions, in Korea. A duodenojejunostomy is the best choice of operative procedure for the treatment of SMA syndrome. A laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy is also a feasible, alternative option in the treatment of SMA syndrome, providing the benefits of a definitive and minimally invasive surgical technique for a duodenal obstruction.
Arteries* ; Duodenal Obstruction ; Duodenum ; Humans ; Korea ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Length of Stay ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Mesentery* ; Nausea ; Retrospective Studies ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

Intussusception in adults, a rare disease, constitutes approximately 5% of all intussusceptions and accounts for 5% of all cases of intestinal obstruction. In the pathologic findings of the causative lesion, metastatic tumors of the small intestine with intussusception are extremely rare. Because of the high prevalence of underlying lesions in intussusception in adults, surgical management is mandatory. We report two cases of intussusception; one was an adult patient who developed an ileo-ileal type, metastasis from lung cancer, and the other patient was an adult who was developed jejuno-jejunal type, metastasis from a malignant melanoma of the thumb.
Adult ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intestine, Small ; Intussusception* ; Lung Neoplasms ; Melanoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Thumb

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ischemic injury is the most common and important cause of myocardial damage. Over past decades, a number of studies have identified a protective mechanism known as ischemic preconditioning, which can block or delay cell death from ischemic injury. Protein kinase C (PKC), especially theepsilonisoform has been proposed as a key factor in the signaling pathway of ischemic preconditioning. However, whether PKCepsilon expression in cardiomyocytes can offer such protection from acute ischemia has not been explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To demonstrate a direct effect of PKCepsilon expression, a lentiviral vector system was established. Using the lentiviral vector, PKCepsilon was introduced to neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) cultured under ischemic conditions, and also to adult rat myocardium subject to left coronary artery ligation. RESULTS: Compared to control, PKCepsilon expression in cultured NRVM under ischemia resulted in preserved cell density and morphology, and a reduction in cell death (77.6+/-12.8% vs 58.1+/-7.2%, p<0.05). In adult rats, the infarcted area after coronary artery ligation was markedly reduced in myocardium injected with PKCepsilon vector compared to control (11.4+/-5.3% vs 20.5+/-11.3%, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These results provide direct evidence that PKCepsilon is a central player in protection against cell death from acute ischemia.
Adult ; Animals ; Cell Count ; Cell Death ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Lentivirus ; Ligation ; Muscle Cells ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Cardiac* ; Protein Kinase C ; Protein Kinase C-epsilon ; Protein Kinases* ; Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies suggest possibility of continuous and prolonged liver ischemia exceeding one hour. We compared mortality rates, liver function, serum Interleukin-6(IL-6) concentration and liver cell necrosis after continuous and intermittent hepatic ischemia in rats. METHODS: Sixty rats were divided into 6 groups to compare 7 day mortality rate. Continuous and intermittent left hepatic inflow occlusion was performed for a total period of 45, 60 and 90 minutes. In a separate study, following 90 minutes continuous or intermittent ischemia, systemic blood was sampled at 0 minute, 6 hours and 24 hours after final clamp release for measurement of SGOT, SGPT and IL-6. Pathologic examination was performed 24 hours or 7 days after reperfusion accordingly. RESULTS: There were no differences in the mortality rates within seven days. There were no differences in the level of SGOT, SGPT and IL-6 between each experimental group. In a pathologic examination, similar liver cell necrosis was found in each group until 24 hours of reperfusion. However, at 7 days after reperfusion, significantly higher grade of hepatic necrosis was noted in the group having continuous ischemia compared with intermittent ischemia of 90 minutes(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Continuous ischemia is associated with significant risk in the aspect of pathologic study, although it did not affect short term mortality rates.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Interleukin-6 ; Ischemia ; Liver ; Mortality ; Necrosis ; Rats* ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury*

No abstract available.
Cerebellopontine Angle* ; Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring* ; Neuroma, Acoustic*