BACKGROUND: Pruritus, which is a frequent accompanying symptom of dermatological diseases, is also common during pregnancy, either localized or generalized. It may be related to specific dermatoses of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: A clinical study was performed to know the exact nature of pruritus in pregnancy. METHODS: Subjects with systemic diseases, or laboratory abnormalities were excluded. People who have had pruritic dermatologic diseases before pregnancy were also excluded. One hundred and fifty five pregnant women were interviewed with physical examinations and followed up to the date of delivery. Pruritus was graded. RESULTS: Pruritus was present in 31.6%. Most affected subjects had mild or moderate severity. The abdomen was the most common site. There was a tendency for the duration of itching to increase with the duration of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: These findings may provide basic and useful data on pruritus during pregnancy.
Abdomen ; Clinical Study* ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Pruritus* ; Skin Diseases

Although basic mechanisms of atopic dermatitis remain largely speculative, many studies on pathogenesis suggest the importance of food and inhalent allergens. To evaluate the frequency of food and house dust mite hypersensitivity and differences in this frequency according to ages, we measured the levels of specific IgE antibodies to egg white, egg yolk, milk, soy, and house dust mites in 119 children with atopic dermatitis. The results showed that 53% of patients had positive RAST to any one kind of allergens. The frequency of food and house dust mite hypersensitivity were 34.5%, 30.3 %, respectively. Among allergens, house dust mites and egg white are the most prevalent allergens in all atopic dermatitis patients. The Prevalence of egg white is most common under the age of 2 years, but those of house dust mites are the dust mites are the highest in the ages of 5-12 years. In conclusion, we recommend an egg restriction diet in atopic dermatitis patients who are less than 2 years old when their symptoms do not improve with general skin care.
Allergens ; Antibodies ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diet ; Dust* ; Egg White ; Egg Yolk ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mites ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin Care ; Soy Milk

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Nephrons*

The effects and interactions of metabolic and respiratory acid-base changes on electrically-evoked twitch response, train-of-four and tetanic stimulation with pipecuronium (Pip), vecuronium (Vec) and atracurium (Tra) were studied in the isolated rat hemi-diaphragm preparation. pip (3X10(-7) - 4X10(-6) M), Vec (3X10(-6) - 15X10(-6) M) and Tra (10(-6) - 3X10(-5) M) decreased the electrically-evoked (phrenic nerve stimulation, 0.1 Hz, 0.2 ms, 10 V) twitch response in a dose related fashion and Pip was more potent than Vec and Tra. In the alkali state (pH 7.6 or high HCO3 ), the decrements of twitch response, train-of-four and tetanus ratio induced by Pip (1.5uM) were potentiated, but the effects of Vec or Tra were markedly intensified by acid midium (pH 7.2 or low HCO3 ). And also, decreasing pH by increasing PCO2 or by decreasing HCO3 intensified the effects of Vec and Tra, whereas it reversed by Pip. Conversely, increasing pH by decreasing PCO2 or by increasing HCO3 antagonized the effects of Vec and Tra, whereas it potentiated the Pip effect. On the basis of these finding, the result of the present study suggest that neither PCO2 nor HCO3 has a specific action, but that changes in pH may be responsible for the results. In addition, the differences of the above results by each drugs may not be due to the number of quaternary ammonium of the agents. And also, indicate that the effective site of the influence of the acid-base change upon the neuromuscular blocking effects might be prejunctional nerve terminal.
Alkalies ; Ammonium Compounds ; Animals ; Atracurium ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Pipecuronium ; Rats* ; Tetanus ; Vecuronium Bromide

Background: The importance of establishing a regional stroke safety net for the treatment of acute stroke is increasingly emphasized. In this study, we analyzed effectiveness of transferring the suspected acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients through the 1899-0215 hotline system from 119 ambulances and nearby hospitals. Methods: From July 2015 to July 2022, we analyzed data from 632 suspected acute stroke patients through the hotline. Furthermore, we investigated the proportion of patients in the target population who were eligible for reperfusion therapy and compared cases transferred by 119 emergency services (EMS) with those transferred from nearby hospitals. Results: Six hundred thirty-two suspected acute stroke patients were transferred to our stroke center through the 1899-0215 hotline system. The accuracy of diagnosing acute stroke among transferred patients is 81.0% for 119 EMS and 80.5% for cases transferred from nearby hospitals. Of the 200 patients transferred from hospitals, they were transferred from 47 nearby hospitals with an average transfer distance of 38.2 km and an average transfer time of 65 minutes. Among 291 patients diagnosed with AIS, The onset-to-door time was significantly shorter (p<0.01) for patients transferred by 119 EMS. The proportion of patients who received reperfusion therapy was significantly higher (p<0.01) for those transferred by 119 EMS. Conclusions The hotline service will become a useful tool for establishing a regional stroke network in the Busan area, and its effectiveness will be particularly useful for 119 EMS. Measures are needed in the Busan metropolitan region to ensure the speediness of transferring acute stroke patients between hospitals.

Vesicocolonic fistula is an uncommon but significant complication of inflammatory and neoplastic disease. We report two cases of vesicocolonic fistula in adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon with turbid urine and irritative voiding symptoms. A literature review of vesicoenteric fistula is presented.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Fistula*

The purpose of this study provides measurements of radiation dose from MDCT of head, chest, abdomen and pelvic examinations. A series of dose quantities that are measured of patient weight to compare the dose received during MDCT examinations. Data collected included: weight together with CT dose descriptors, volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP). The effective dose was also estimated and served as collective dose estimation data. Data from 1,774 adult patients attending for a CT examination of the head (n=520) or chest (n=531) or abdomen (n=724) was obtained from spiral CT units using a same CT protocol. Mean values of CTDIvol was a range of 48.6 mGy for head and 6.9, 10.5 mGy for chest, abdomen examinations, respectively. And mean values of DLP was range of 1,604 mGy.cm for head, 250 mGy.cm for chest, 575 mGy.cm for abdomen examinations, respectively. Mean effective dose values for head, chest, abdominal CT were 3.6, 4.2, and 8.6 mSv, respectively. The degree of CTDIvol and DLP was a positive correlation with weight. And there was a positive correlation for weight versus CTDIvol (r2=0.62), DLP (r2=0.694) in chest. And head was also positive correlation with weight versus CTDIvol (r2=0.691), DLP (r2=0.741). We conclude that CTDIvol and DLP is an important determinant of weight within the CT examinations. The results for this study suggest that CT protocol should be tailored according to patient weight.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Cytarabine ; Gynecological Examination ; Head ; Humans ; Subject Headings ; Thioguanine ; Thorax ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

Acute disseminated encepahalomyelitis(ADEM) is acute monophasic infammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous systems occurring several days to two weeks after viral illness or vaccination. ADEM following rubella infection is very rare. We experienced a case of 24-years old man who developed confusion, nysmgmus, paraparesis, and voiding difficulty three days after the recovery form rubellar infection expressing skin rash and fever. CSF study showed pleocytosis(119cells/mm3), increased titer of [gM and IgG for rubella,, and myelin basic protein, whereas the level of the glucose and protein is normal. MRI of brain, cervical and thoracic spinal cord showed multiple high signa] intensities in the deep white matter of brain, entire cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord. He had been treated with high dose solumedrol intravenously for six days, and then oral prednisolone for ninteen days. Follow-up CSF study after seven days showed normal profiles and MRI after three weeks demonstrated remarkably decreased size of the previous lesions. He showed much improvement of neurologic symptoms except mild voiding difficulty. We report a case diagnosed as ADEM with good prognosis following rubella infection.
Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate ; Myelin Basic Protein ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paraparesis ; Prednisolone ; Prognosis ; Rubella* ; Spinal Cord ; Vaccination ; Young Adult

Painful nociceptive informations are well known to be transferred from nociceptors through spinal dorsal horn not only in different pathways but also in diverse nature depending on the type of noxious stimuli. There have been some controversies about the role of neuropeptide somatostatin in the transmission of the nociceptive information to the dorsal horn cells of the spinal cord. We performed the study in order to elucidate the effects of somatostatin on transmission of noxious stimuli in the spinal dorsal horn, comparing with those of morphine. Using carbon-filamented microelectrode, the single cell activities of wide dynamic range(WDR) neuron were recorded extracellularly at the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord in cats after noxious mechanical(squeeze), thermal(heat lamp), and cold(dry ice) stimulation to the receptive field. The sciatic nerve was stimulated electrically to evoke, A4-fiber and C-fiber each other. Data were compiled into single pass time histograms or postsimulus time histograms. Twenty micro-gram of somatostatin was injected intravenously to study the changes of single cell activities in 20 minutes, which were compared with the effects of morphine(2m/kg). Then naloxone was administrated(0.1mg/kg) to know whether it antagonized the effects of somatostatin and morphine And those finding were also observed in inverted WDR cells. In WDR cell, somatostain decreased the cellular responses to noxious heat stimuli in 6cell(n=9), but increased those to cold stimuli in 4 cells(n=6). And the responses to noxious mechanical stimuli were so diverse that they were slightly increased in 7 cells(164%), decreased in 5 cells, and were not changed in 6 cells(n=18). A-response, the response to peripheral Ad-afferent activation, showed a tendency to be facilitated(n=6/9), while C-response had a slightly depressed tendency(n=4/9). Morphine strongly suppressed the responses of dorsal horn neurons to noxious heat(n=9/13), cold(n=2/2), mechanical stimuli(n=16/19) and electrical A-response(n=7/10), C-response(n=6/7). Following subsequent injection of naloxone, the effects of morphine on noxious stimuli evoked response were fully reversed but those of somatostatin were not antagonized. There was significant difference between the reversal effects of naloxone on morphine and somatostatin(p<0.05). From the above results it is concluded that somatostatin suppresses the transmission of nociceptive heat stimuli, especially via C-fiber, while facilitates that of nociceptive mechanical and cold stimuli via Adelta-fiber in spinal dorsal horn cells. Also the somatostatin appears to have different nociceptive mechanism from morphine.
Animals ; Cats* ; Horns ; Hot Temperature ; Microelectrodes ; Morphine* ; Naloxone ; Neurons ; Neuropeptides ; Nociceptors ; Peripheral Nerves* ; Posterior Horn Cells* ; Sciatic Nerve ; Somatostatin* ; Spinal Cord

Meningioma is a common brain tumor and the associated calcification is frequently found in imaging study. However, calcification of entire tumor bulk in meningioma is very rare finding. We present the clinical and radiological summery of our case which showed totally calcified meningioma and discuss the pathogenesis and clinical significance of such a tumoral calcification.
Brain Neoplasms ; Meningioma*