BACKGROUND: Propofol is a rapidly acting alkylphenol compound. Pofol is another alkylphenol compound that was made by Dong-guk Pharm Co. in Korea. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and complications of pofol in comparison with diprivan. METHOD: Fourty three unpremedicated patients were randomly allocated to receive one of two i.v. anesthetic agents(pofol and diprivan). We assessed the induction dose, the time to loss of consciousness, time to opening eyes on command, changes of vital sign and various complications of the two drugs. RESULT: There were no differences in induction dose and maintenance dose between pofol group (P) and diprivan group (D). The induction times of P were shoter than those of D and the recovery times of P longer than those of D. Both groups produced a significant fall in mean arterial pressure(MAP) and heart rate(HR) but there were no differences in changes of vital sign between two groups. There was no difference in incidence of pain between D and P (83% Vs 80%). Even though the characters of adverse events to P and D, the incidence rate was not different between two groups. CONCLUSION: There is no differences in efficacy and complication of pofol in comparison with diprivan except differences in induction times and recovery times between two groups. So we can use the pofol as the i.v. anesthetics as diprivan and further evaluations in induction times and recovery times are needed.
Anesthetics ; Heart ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Propofol* ; Unconsciousness ; Vital Signs

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of the present study were to investigate the effect of gamma-radiation on the expression of inhibin-alpha proteins and genes for inhibin alpha, betaA, and betain the ovary. METHODS: Immature mice were whole-body gamma-irradiated with 25% of a lethal dose. At time 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the irradiation,the ovaries were collected and used for immunohistochemistry for inhibin-alpha, and RT_PCR for inhibin-alpha, betaA, and betaB. RESULTS: The expression of the immunoreactive inhibins-alpha was maintained at 12 hours post-irradiation and reduced thereafter. The expression of inhibin-alpha mRNA was significantly increased with the time after the irradiation. However there were no significant changes in the expression of betaA and betaB mRNAs. CONCLUSION: It might be thought that inhibin acts as one of the regulatory factors in the gamma-radiation-induced follicular atresia in mice
Animals ; Female ; Follicular Atresia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inhibins* ; Mice* ; Ovary* ; RNA, Messenger

Thelazia callipaeda is a slender, long, and cylindrical nematode which parasitizes in the conjunctival sac of human and causes conjunctivitis. The animals such as the dog, rabbit, horse, deer, and cow were revealed as its reservoir and some species of the fly suspected as its vector. We experienced a case of T. callipaeda isolated from human conjunctival sac of a 41-year old man who lived in Wanju-gun, Chonbuk province and raised the dogs. He complained of an irritation, itching and foreign body sensation on his right eye and the two worms were picked out of his right eye by forceps from conjunctival sac. General features of the worms were ivory colored and slender. Two worms were 15.2mm and 15.8mm in length and both have less than 1.0mm in maximum width. Microscopically, both of the worms were female. The vulva opening of the worms located anterior to esophago-intestinal junction. The uterus filled with the eggs an6 larvae encysted with oval membrane. The buccal cavity in head portion was tetrazoid and connected with well-developed esophagus. At the tails of the worms, anus and papillae were observed. Characteristic compact cuticular transverse striations were identified on the whole body surface.
Adult ; Anal Canal ; Animals ; Conjunctivitis ; Deer ; Diptera ; Dogs ; Eggs ; Esophagus ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Head ; Horses ; Humans* ; Jeollabuk-do ; Larva ; Membranes ; Ovum ; Pruritus ; Sensation ; Surgical Instruments ; Tail ; Thelazioidea* ; Uterus ; Vulva

This study has been conducted to identify and describe conceptual systems of uncertainty using qualitative data from a written association test with open ended questions of "Please list three items in order, as they occur to you, when you think about uncertainty". Two open ended questions were added to help the grouping process of the concepts to be more reliable. 336 listed words were collected from 53 non-patients(nurse, professionals, nurse-students, students) and 65 patients. And data analysis involved three levels of increasing complexity and abstractedness, which involved a grouping process of "concept" with "meaning and value" to encompass a more abstract grouping with greater scope. The initial level grouping of the 336 listed words yielded 28 distinct categories: change, time, life, health and illness, relationships, family and person, event, trenscendental being, luck, hope and expection, positive emotion, negative emotion, action, self, nature, information, society, success and failure, non-predictiveness, anxiety, conflict, powerlessness, vagueness certainty not known, undoubtful, incorrectness, undetermined, indefinite. In the 2nd level of abstraction with 28 distinct categories, change/ time/ life/ health and illness/ relationships/ family and person/ event/ trenscendental being classified under the category of objectivity of uncertainty. Self under the category of subjectivity of uncertainty. Luck/ hope and expection/ positive emotion/ negative emotion/ and action were categorized under the category of consequences, and nature under the category of natural environment. Information/ society/ success went into the category of social environment. Unpredictability/ anxiety/ conflict/ powerlessness/ vagueness/ certainty not known/ undoubtful/ incorrectness/ undetermined/ indefinite were classified into the category of concomittent. And finally, the 3rd level of abstraction, with 7 categories, yielded 3 categories of person/ environment/concomittent. The results are significant to refine the concept of uncertainty. These understanding will facilitate the development effective methods of nursing to the uncertainty in chronic illness.
Anxiety ; Chronic Disease ; Hope ; Humans ; Nursing ; Social Environment ; Statistics as Topic ; Uncertainty*

A 61-year-old female patient presented with the type III hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) in association with generalized eruptive and tuberous xanthomas. She had hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, and extensive coronary atherosclerosis. Further studies revealed a positive standing plasma test, abnormal beta-very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) on lipoprotein electrophoresis, markedly elevated very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) to plasma triglycerides (TG) ratio (0.86) and homozygosity for apolipoprotein E2. After about one year of therapy with lipid-lowering agents and diet restriction, a significant reduction of serum cholesterol and TG was observed and the yellowish orange discolorations of palmar creases disappeared from her palms.
Apolipoprotein E2 ; Cholesterol ; Citrus sinensis ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diet ; Electrophoresis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hyperlipoproteinemia Type III* ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Lipoproteins ; Middle Aged ; Plasma ; Triglycerides ; Xanthomatosis*

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of psoriasis remains uncertain. It is known that a variety of factors take a role in its pathogenesis. One of them is the alteration of keratinocytes differentiation. The terminal differentiation of keratinocytes includes the process of the synthesis of proteins such as involucrin, filaggrin, loricrin and cornifin, and produce keratohyaline granules and a structure termed cornified cell envelope finally. And the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes is known as a process of apoptosis, programmed cell death. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we tried to clarify the pathogenetic mechanisms of psoriasis by comparing the expression patterns of several proteins(involucrin, loricrin, filaggrin) associated with keratinocyte differentiation and of bcl-2 protein, known as inhibitor of apoptosis, between lesional and non-lesional psoriatic skin. RESULTS: The results were summarized as follows, firstly early expression of involucrin in lower epidermis, secondly no or reduced expression of filaggrin and loricrin in upper epidermis and lastly no expression of bcl-2 in basal layer of psoriatic skin. CONCLUSION: This study clarified that the accelerated terminal differentiation, the shortening of cell-cycle of keratinocytes, and the increased turnover of keratinocytes may be involved in the pathogenetic role of psoriasis.
Apoptosis ; Cell Death ; Epidermis ; Keratinocytes ; Psoriasis* ; Skin

Castleman disease rarely presents as an isolated retroperitoneal mass. We report two cases of retroperitoneal Castleman disease. Sonography showed hypoechoic mass. in two CT demonstrated homogeneously enhancing mass in two cases and calcifications in one case.
Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia*

PURPOSE: This study is to describe authors'experience on mammographic findings of breast cancer and to know if there is difference between 35 years of age or younger and older groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mammograms of 72 patients with breast cancer detected from January, 1991 to December, 1993 were retrospectively analysed. Mammographic findings were classified into mass only, mass with microcalcifications, microcalcifications only and others. Marginal characteristics of mass were classified into spiculated, poorly marginated and well marginated. Shape of microcalcifications were classified into casting, granular and mixed types. These findings were compared between 35 years of age or younger and older groups. RESULTS: Mammogram showed mass only in 33 patients(46%), mass with microcalcifications in 26 patients (36%), microcalcifications only in seven(10%) and other findings in six(8%). Other findings were architectural distortion, asymmetric high density and incidental breart carcinoma from paraffinoma in one patient respectively, and dense breast in three patients. The margins of the breast mass were spiculated in ten(17%) poorly marginated in 30(51%), well-marginated in 19(32%). Shape of microcalcifications were casting type in 13(40%), granular in 14(42%) and mixed in six(18%) cases. 3 patients had dense breast with which mammography did not demonstrate the lesion. 3 patients without mammographically demonstrable lesions due to dense breasts were under 35 years in age. and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups(p-value<0.05). Microcalcifications only was more common findings in 35 years of age or younger. CONCLUSION: The most important mammographic findings of breast cancer were mass and microcalcifications. Architectural distortion and asymmetric high density were additional findings. In 35 years of age or younger, microcalcifications only was an important finding because mass lesions are frequently masked by dense breast. Thus other imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography, were required.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans ; Mammography ; Masks ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: The relationship between menopausal status at diagnosis and the prognosis in breast carcinoma remains uncertain. However, it is widely considered that breast cancer in young women is more lethal than in older patients. We therefore attempted to determine whether menopausal status could be a useful prognostic factor for breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of premenopausal women who had undergone a definite operation between Jan. 1997 and Dec. 1998 in the Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center. Clinical features, histopathologic findings, and prognostic factors were evaluated and compared with those for the equivalent surgical group of postmenopausal women. RESULTS: There were 207 cases (86.3%) of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 10 (4.2%) of infiltrating lobular carcinomas, 6 (2.5%) of ductal carcinomas in situ, and 16 (6.7%) of special type cancers which showed good prognosis. There were some differences in these incidences from those of the postmenopausal women, but they were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Tumor size and lymph nodal status showed no difference between the two groups (P=0.288), nor were there any significant differences in terms of TNM stage, ER/PR status, nuclear or histologic grade (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were little differences in pathologic and prognostic factors between premenopausal and postme no- pausal breast cancer patients. Premenopausal status and young age did not have poorer prognostic factors and were predicted to have not worse prognosis.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Three patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the uterine cervix are reported and the literature is reviewed. All the three patients in the current study presented with vaginal bleeding. They were found to have diffuse large cleaved cell lymphoma, one of which was multilobated variant with marked sclerosis. Histologically, differential diagnsis from undifferentiated small cell carcinoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma & other sarcomas was difficult and requires special stains including immunobistochemical study. Vaginal pap smears were diagnosed as 'class V; malignant lymphoma' in only one patient. Immunologically, two cases were beta-cell lineage and one case was T-cell lineage. All the patients were treated with chemotherapy only and showed good responses.