No abstract available.
Risk Factors* ; Ventriculostomy*

OBJECTIVE: Appropriate antituberculosis chemotherapy may not prevent occurrence or progression of tracheobronchial stenosis and obstruction in the patients with endobronchial tuberculosis. The effect of corticosteroid treatment combined with antituberculosis chemotherapy was inconclusive. We evaluated prospectively the effect of corticosteroid treatment. METHODS: We diagnosed endobronchial tuberculosis by bronchoscopic examination and bronchial biopsy in the patients of tuberculosis within one month of antituberculosis chemotherapy. After randomization, we prescribed isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide with or without prednisolone 40 mg for 4 weeks. We carried out bronchoscopy in second month and ninth month of treatment. RESULTS: Edematous endobronchial tuberculosis showed significant improvement of bronchial stenosis after corticosteroid treatment(p<0.05). Corticosteroid treatment did not have advantage of improvement of bronchial stenosis in the patients with infiltrative endobronchial tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid is effective in the treatment of bronchial stenosis when endobronchial tuberculosis is edematous type, in the early period of antituberculosis chemotherapy.
Biopsy ; Bronchoscopy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drug Therapy ; Ethambutol ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Prednisolone ; Prospective Studies ; Pyrazinamide ; Random Allocation ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis*

OBJECTIVE: Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factors known to be secreted in murine and human reproductive tract. The development of human, bovine and murine embryos could be promoted by addition of GM-CSF in culture medium. However, the pregnancy and implantation rate of embryos cultured in GM-CSF have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of GM-CSF in embryo development, pregnancy and implantation rate. METHODS: A total of 191 IVF cycles were divided into control and GM-CSF supplement group (control =96, GM-CSF=95). The embryos were cultured for three day with or without 2 ng/ml of recombinant human GM-CSF. The quality of embryo, developmental velocity, pregnancy and implantation rates were compared. RESULTS: There was no difference in age, number of gonadotropin ampules used, number of oocytes and fertilization. The number of ICSI cycle was higher in GM-CSF group. In GM-CSF group, G-1 grade embryos were the highest in proportion (56.4%), while G-2 grade embryos were highest (44.3%) in control group. The developmental velocity of embryos were not different between GM-CSF and control group. The pregnancy and implantation rates were significantly higher in GM-CSF group than control (47.4% vs. 33.3%, 17.0% vs. 11.1% respectively). CONCLUSION: By adding GM-CSF in culture medium, the quality of embryo, pregnancy and implantation rate could be improved.
Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization ; Gonadotropins ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Humans* ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

OBJECTIVE: The aim of present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) and elevated pre-conceptional peripheral blood CD56+Natural Killer (NK) cell percentage. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty three women with RSA and elevated pre-conceptional peripheral blood CD56+NK cell percentage who had received low-dose IVIg therapy (400 mg/kg per day, every 4 week, until 20 gestational weeks) were included in this study. Controls were nine women with RSA and elevated pre-conceptional peripheral blood CD56+ Natural Killer (NK) cell percentage who had not received IVIg therapy were included in this study. Medical records of study and control groups were retrospectively analyzed and we compared the successful pregnancy outcomes between two groups. Successful pregnancy outcome was defined as pregnancy ongoing beyond 25 gestational weeks. RESULTS: Age, number of previous abortions, pre-conceptional CD56+NK cell percentage and type of RSA were not statistically different between two groups. Otherwise, twenty-five women who received IVIg therapy (25/33, 75.8%) but, only three women who had not received (3/9, 33.3%) had a successful pregnancy outcome and the rate difference between two groups was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Based on our study, low-dose IVIg therapy have a effective role in treatment of RSA patients with elevated pre-conceptional peripheral blood CD56+ Natural Killer (NK) cell percentage, but more larger scaled prospective study is needed for available of conclusive evidence.
Abortion, Induced ; Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Medical Records ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies

Hydrops fetalis is diagnosed when abnormal fluid collections are manifest in two or more fetal compartmnets including abdominal ascite, pleural effusion, percardial effusion, skin edema, polyhydroamniosis and placental edema. Although fetal hydrops was historically most commonly associated with Rh blood group isoimmunization, the availability of Rh immunoglobulin has increased the proportion of fetuses affected due to nonimmune etiologies. Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumor which originates in the autonomous nervous system. Congenital neuroblastoma is the most common solid malignant tumor of the neonatal period, incidence ranges 1:10,000 of all live births, retroperitoneal space being the most frequent localization. We have experienced a case of nonimmune hydrops fetalis with neuroblastoma at 32 weeks of gestation in 39 year old woman and reported that with brief review of related literatures.
Adult ; Edema ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Hydrops Fetalis* ; Immunoglobulins ; Incidence ; Live Birth ; Nervous System ; Neuroblastoma* ; Pleural Effusion ; Pregnancy ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Skin