No abstract available.
Drug Therapy*

No abstract available.
Jaundice

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare, distinctive, highly malignant, and undifferenciated carcinoma of unknown cullular lineage. It tends to occur in young women, and there is an associated paraneoplastic hypercalcemia in as many as two-thirds of reported cases. It has very poor prognosis and has been exceedingly difficult to treat. Thus a proven regimen of adjuvant therapy is not defined yet. We report here the two cases of primary small cell carcinoma of the ovary, which is presented with a brief review of the literature.
Carcinoma, Small Cell* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Ovary* ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: The previous reports have demonstrated that coronary artery flow profiles might change in patients with aortic valve disease. Our objective was to assess phasic coronary artery flow and velocity characteristics and coronary flow reserve in patients with severe aortic vale disease. METHOD: We studied six patients (4 men and 2 women, mean age 61.3+/-6.3 years) with aortic regurgitation and seven patients (3 men and 4 women, mean age 66.3+/-10.3 years) with aortic stenosis. Coronary flow velocity was measured at the proximal portion of left anterior descending artery with 0.014-inch Doppler tipped guide wire and intracoronary injection of adenosine. Nineteen patients (11 men and 8 women, mean age 52+/-9.8 years) with normal coronary artery were served as normal control. Result: The velocity-time integral of systolic coronary flow (SPVi) was significantly higher in patient with severe aortic regurgitation than control (21.1+/-5 vs 9.4+/-3.1, p<0.05, respectively) and ratio of diastlic to systolic the velocity-time integrals (DSiR) was significantly lower in patient with severe aortic regurgitation than control subject (1.5+/-0.5 vs 3.7+/- 0.8 p<0.05, respectively). Patients with severe aortic stenosis had significantly higher velocity-time integral of diastolic coronary flow (DPVi) than control subject (17+/-9.7 vs 8.8+/-3.0 p<0.05, respectively) and slighly higher DSiR than control subject (4.0+/- 2.5 vs 3.7+/-0.8 p<0.05, respectively). Coronary flow reserve was significantly decreased in patient with aortic valve disease compared with control subject (2.1+/-0.8 vs 3.2+/-0.4 p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Coronary flow reserve decreased significantly in patients with AR and with AS compared with normal control. Coronary blood flow profiles in patients with AR was characterized by systolic flow predominance and reduced diastolic flow whereas patients with AS was a tendency toward decreased systolic flow and increased diastolic flow.
Adenosine ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Aortic Valve* ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Humans ; Male

This study investigated the method to adjust acquisition time(a) and injection dose(i) to make the best basal and subtraction images in consecutive SPECT. Image quality was assumed to be mainly affected by signal to noise ratio(S/N). Basal image was subtracted from the second image consecutively acquired at the same position. We calculated S/N ratio in basal SPECT images(S1/N1) and subtraction SPECT images(Ss/Ns) to find a(time) and i(dose) to maximize S/N of both images at the same time. From phantom images, we drew the relation of image counts and a(time) and i(dose) in our system using fanbeam-high-resolution collimated triple head SPECT. Noise by imaging process depended on Poisson distribution. We took maximum tolerable duration of consecutive acquisition as 30 minutes and maximum injectible dose as 1,850MBq(50 mCi)(sum of two injections) per study. Counts of second-acquired image(S2), counts(Ss) and noise(Ns) of subtraction SPECT were as follows. C1 was the coefficient of measurement with our system.
Acetazolamide* ; Brain* ; Head ; Noise ; Perfusion* ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: Although computed tomography (CT) with contrast media (CM) is often performed in patients with renal failure, caution has been exercised due to the supposed risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The aim of this study was to examine to true impact of CT with CM on patients with elevated serum creatinine (sCr) levels. METHODS: A total of 216 patients with renal insufficiency who underwent intravenous (IV) contrast CT, with available sCr measurements before and after CT, between January 2008 and March 2012 were included. Patient demographic, biochemical, physiological, and CM data, fluid and drug administration, causes and prognostic factors of CIN, and previously described risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: The most significant risk factor of CIN in patients with elevated sCr was an acute disease causing pre-renal acute kidney injury (AKI) (p=0.01, odds ratio 4.2), typically related to severe sepsis and septic shock (p<0.001). The factors of fatality related to sCr at day 14 were acute diseases causing pre-renal AKI (p<0.001, p=0.001 respectively). Iodine amounts, chronic kidney disease, prophylactic treatments, and other supposed risk factors did not greatly affect the risk of CIN. CONCLUSION: Although risk factors of CIN are not fully understood, CIN in patients with elevated sCr may be the result of acute progressing diseases, such as AKI in severe sepsis. CIN following IV contrast CT may therefore be less serious than previously thought. We suggest that CT can be performed when needed, even in patients with elevated sCr.
Acute Disease ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Contrast Media ; Creatinine* ; Humans ; Iodine ; Odds Ratio ; Renal Insufficiency ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic

Displaced fracture of the ankle are probably the most common skeletal injury managed today by open reduction and internal fixation. But, it is recommended that metallic implant might be removed to restore normal biomechanical forces on hone and to reduce discomfort directly under the skin. in order to reduce the resources needed for the removal of metallic fixation devices, absorbable impiants of biodegradable synthetic polymers were deveioped. However reports of clinical application of such implants have so far been very few. This prospective study represents the good resuits in 15 displaced non-comminuted closed malleolar fractures of the ankle treated using hiodegradahle internal fixation in department of orthopedic surgery of Kwang Myung Sung Ae general hospitai from June I 995 to December 1996. The results were as follows 1. All cases were united and the average time for union was 7.6 weeks. 2. As a results of comparison with normal side, a restriction of 10 degrees or more of dorsiflexion of the ankle joint was present in 4 cases, a restriction of 20 degrees or more of plantar tlexion was present in 2 cases, a restriction of supination was present in 3 cases and a restriction of plantar flexion was present in 4 cases. 3. According to Phillips functional scoring scale, 4 cases were excellent, 7 cases good, 4 cases fair and no cases were poor. 4. There were no complications in all cases.
Ankle ; Ankle Joint ; Orthopedics ; Polymers ; Prospective Studies ; Skin ; Supination

Treatment of Rupture of Achilles tendon was first reported by Pare, 1575 and thereafter the various causes, diagnostic & therapeutic method of the ruptured tendon have been described by many authors. The two options of treatment are conservative management and surgical treatment and currently surgical intervention has been more popular. There are various surgical techniques which have been reported by many surgeons to treat the acute rupture of the Achilles tendon. In this report, 18 cases ( 11 male & 7 female ) of injuried Achilles tendon had been treated by the modified Lindholm method and follow-up study of 18 cases had been made during 28 months from august. 1993 to december, 1995. The results as follows; 1. After repair by the modified Lindholm method, a long leg cast was applied, and then aweight bearing was started average 8 weeks postoperatively. It can be demonstrated to shorten hospitalization and early ambulation compared to other surgical techniques 2. Postoperative power of triceps surae muscle was improved to normal in 15 patients ofthe 18 patients, and muscle power was good in 3 patients, but, all cases was improved to nearly normal whithin the last follow up. 3. Heel to floor distance was 0.6cm less on the operated side than on the normal side, and the difference decreased to 0.2cm at the last follow up. 4. The calf atrophy was minimal, and active range of motion of ankle was within normal limit. 5. We suggest that the procedure is recommended for one of the methods of the treatment of acute rupture of the Achilles tendon, because it is easy to do and permits early weight bearing and the complication is less.
Achilles Tendon* ; Ankle ; Atrophy ; Early Ambulation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heel ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rupture* ; Tendons ; Weight-Bearing

It is important to follow strict indications for surgery and recognize prognostic factors in order to get good results in the surgical treatment of herniated nucleus pulposus. 55 patients with herniated nucleus pulposus were studied who had had laminectomy and discectomy and were followed up for more than 1 year in order to analyze the correlation between various factors including history, physical examination and radiologic finding and surgical results. Age, sex, symptom duration, location of the herniation, smoking, occupation, physical examination, disc height change, MRI findings, operation time and bleeding volume were evaluated as prognostic factors that seemed to influence surgical result. The results are as follow 1. Female had significantly better surgical results than male (P<0.05). 2. Non-smokers had significantly better surgical result than smokers (P<0.01). 3. In MRI finding, protruded disc had significantly better surgical result when it had involved spinal canal posterolaterally than centrally (P<0.01). 4. The less bleeding volume, the better surgical result (P<0.05).
Diskectomy ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Occupations ; Physical Examination ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spinal Canal

BACKGROUND: The type of the infiltrating cells in alveolitis may be determined by the chemokines in the lesion. MIP-1alpha, a C-C type chemokine, stimulates proliferation and cytokine secretion from macrophages and induces early neutrophilic and later monocytic inflammation in vivo. IL-8, a C-X-C type chemokine is known to attract neutrophils and T-lymphocytes. This study is performed to find out the relative role of two different chemokines in diffuse interstitial lung disease. SUBJECT AND METHOD: We measured the secretion of MIP-1alpha and IL-8 from alveolar macrophages(AM), and their level in BAL fluid of 26 patients with DILD (10 IPF, 4 collagen disease, 10 sarcoidosis, and 2 hypersensitivity pneumonitis) and 7 normal control. RESULT: IL-8 secretion was significantly increased in patients with DILD (8.15+/-4.58 ng/ml) than in normal (1.10+/-0.93 ng/ml, p=0.0003). Significant correlation was found between IL-8 secretion and total cell number in BAL fluid (r=0.484, p=0.0068), %(r=0.592, p=0.0004) and No. (r=0.516, p=0.0042) of lymphocyte, and % of AM (r=-0.505, 0.0032). MIP-1alpha secretion was also increased in DILD (2.41+/-1.45 ng/ml) compared to control (0.63+/-0.30 ng/ml, p=0.0031), and showed a tendency of correlation with total cell number (r=0.368, p=0.0456) and No. of alveolar macrophages (r=0.356, p=0.0579) in BAL fluid. The concentration of IL-8 in BAL fluid was significantly increased in the patients with DILD (40.4+/-34.5 pg/ml) compared to control (3.90 +/- 2.47 pg/ml, p=0.0094) and it showed a significant correlation with the total cell number(r=0.484, p=0.0068), %(r=-0.505, p=0.0032) of AM, and % (r=0.592, p=0.0004) and No. (r=0.516, p=0.0042) of lymphocyte in BAL fluid. But there was a no significant difference in MIP-1alpha concentration in BAL fluid between normal control group and the patients with DILD. Conclusion: From the above results, we concluded that AM of DILD releases increased amount of both IL-8 and MIP-1alpha but IL-8 has better correlation with the type of alveolitis.
Cell Count ; Chemokine CCL3 ; Chemokines ; Collagen Diseases ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-8 ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung* ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Neutrophils ; Sarcoidosis ; T-Lymphocytes