We treated 160 patients with ureteral stones using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (Siemens Lithostar, Germany) and evaluated many factors which influence the results of ESWL such as stone size, location, degree of ureteral obstruction. duration of impaction and adjuvant procedure. Our results showed that. in case of large stones (more than 1 cm in diameter), mid-ureteral stones, long-standing impacted stones or in-situ treatment, the success rates of ESWL were relatively poor. Therefore in cases accompanying the above-mentioned factors, in is necestary to recognize that the patients may be required to repeat ESWL. The results also suggest that the use of an ureteral catheter or stent may contribute to a slightly higher success rate. But we prefer in-situ extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy to an ureteral stent because it is an invasive procedure.
Humans ; Lithotripsy* ; Shock* ; Stents ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Urinary Catheters

Computed Tomograms of 45 patients with or without lung mass were reviewed to determine the characteristics of the major and minor fissures. Also pulmonary vascular distibutions were analyzed to localize each pulmonary lobe. The results were as follows; 1. Each major fissure area was imaged frequently as lucent band, less frequently dense band. 2. The minor fissure areas were imaged as oval or triangular lucent zones. The oval or triangularlucent zones were as same frequency. 3. Avascular planes without above mentioned lucent zones were also correspond to minor fissure areas. 4. Slices of avascular zones were observated between pulmonary arteries to posterior segment or apicoposterior segment of upper lobe and to superior segement of lower lobe on both lungs.
Humans ; Lung ; Pulmonary Artery

Primary malignant lymphomas of bladder are very rare and most of them are secondary neoplasm occurring by direct extension or by metastatic spread. We report a case of malignant lymphoma showing gross involvement of bladder arising from the terminal ileum with a brief review of literature.
Ileum ; Lymphoma* ; Urinary Bladder*

BACKGROUND: Surgery has been considered the most effective and standard treatment modality in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). However in stage IIIA lung cancer, the role of surgery is still controversial. To evaluate the role of surgery for stage IIIA NSCLC, we investigated the survival after surgery and the prognostic factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We evaluated 158 consecutive cases of stage IIIA NSCLC patients operated on between 1990 and 1996. There were 130 male patients and 28 female patients, and the mean age was 58.5 years. All patients except one underwent lung resection beyond lobectomy and extended mediastinal dissection. Postoperative adjuvant therapy were undertaken in 145(94.8%) patients. All patients(153) were followed and the mean follow-up period was 21.4months. RESULT: Twenty nine cases of the postoperative complications developed in 25 patients (15.8%). There were 5 operative mortality cases(3.2%) and the main cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Local or distant recurrences developed in 84 patients(54.9%). The 5-year survival of 153 patients was 29.6% and the median survival time was 18.0 months. The 5-year survival of non N2 disease group(36.8%) was better than that of N2 disease group(26.6%)(p=0.35) and the 5-year survival of squamous cell carcinoma (38.1%) was better than that of adenocarcinoma(25.7%)(p=0.39) however there were no significant differences. Regarding the postoperative adjuvant therapy, in combined therapy group(84 patients), radiotherapy group(37 patients) and chemotherapy group(24 patients), the 5-year survival were 31.3%, 32.4%, and 14.6% respectively. There was no difference of survival between radiotherapy and combined therapy group(p=0.31), however the survival of the combined therapy group was better than the chemotherapy group(p=0.005). The survival of the complete resection group(31.9%) was better than the incomplete resection group(16.6%) however there was no significant difference(p=0.19). CONCLUSION: These observations indicate that the good 5-year survival(29.6%) in patients with stage IIIA NSCLC result from the agressive surgical treatment including extensive mediastinal nodes dissection.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cause of Death ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma*

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD), or sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, is a rare idiopathic histiocytosis that most commonly involves the cervical lymph nodes, Extranodal involvement occurs in 30- 40% of cases, most often in the head and neck. Characteristic histological findings include emperiopolesis (intracellular engulfment) of lymphocytes and S-100 protein positivity. Treatment of Rosai-Dorfman disease is unnecessary unless the disorder becomes life-threatening, since the disease will resolve spontaneously in most patients. We experienced a case of extranodal RDD at the nasal cavity as the initial lesion prior its nodal involvement. The patient was a 18-year-old woman who complained of nasal obstruction for 4 years and had a submandibular mass that persisted during the last 3 months. Histologically, all specimens taken from the left nasal cavity, the left submandibular mass and the left upper jugular lymph node showed heavy infiltration of plasma cells, lymphocytes and sheets of macrophages with abundant pale cytoplasm which replaced the existing organ architecture.
Adolescent ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Head ; Histiocytosis ; Histiocytosis, Sinus* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Nasal Cavity* ; Nasal Obstruction ; Neck ; Plasma Cells ; S100 Proteins ; Salivary Glands*

Osteoma is defined as a benign neoplasm of bony tissue. Osteomas are divided into two groups: central and peripheral by origin, compact and cancellous by histopathologic findings. Solitary osteoma of jaw bone, not related with Gardner syndrom, is relatively uncommon. We present two cases of huge solitary peripheral osteomas: compact type exophyting osteoma on the inferolingual side of mandibular angle and cancellous type on the residual ridge of posterior maxilla, which is extremely rare.
Jaw ; Maxilla ; Osteoma*

PURPOSE: Abnormalities of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of the brain occur in some patients with phenylketonuria(PKU). The purpose of this study was to evaluate relation between MR findings, age and serum phenylalanine level. METHODS: We investigated sixteen patients with biochemically documented PKU who also underwent MRI. Typical classic form was in thirteen patients, atypical in other two patients and malignant hyperphenylalaninemia in the other two patients. We evaluated signal intensity, the distribution of abnormal signal intensity, and the extent of the brain atrophy in MRI, and possible clinical correlation between age and serum phenylalanine level and abnormal signal intensity. RESULTS: MRI scans revealed areas of abnormally increased signal intensity on T2- weighted images in 10(62%) patients, preferably involving the parieto-occipital lobes. In one advanced case, the high signal intensity of both the parietal and frontal lobes was seen on T2-weighted images, and brain atrophy and gyriform enhancement on contrast enhanced T1-weighted images. In six(38%) patients, the findings were normal. No abnormalities were found in the basal ganglia, brain stem and cerebellum. Nine patients were under age of 5 years old. There were no remarkable difference in the average serum phenylalanine levels for the various groups having different degree of MRI abnormalities(normal, mild, moderate, and severe - 26,4 mg/dL, 27.6 mg/dL, 28.2 mg/dL, and 20.8 mg/dL, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although MR findings were not specific, PKU patients showed symmetrical high signal intensity, predominantly in the peritrigonal region. In the advanced case, on T2-weighted images, high signal intensity extended to the periventricular and subcortical white matter. There was no correlation between age, serum phenylalanine level and severity of high signal intensity.
Atrophy ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain Stem ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Child, Preschool ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Phenylalanine ; Phenylketonurias ; Rabeprazole

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the clinical characteristics and vestibular function of patients with direction changing vibration induced nystagmus (DC VIN) and unilateral vestibular hypofunction and suggest clinical implication and a proposed mechanism of DC VIN. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The records of 315 patients who underwent the VIN test were reviewed retrospectively. Among these, 18 patients (5.7%) showed DC VIN, and out of whom, 15 patients (4.8%) were diagnosed as unilateral vestibular hypofunction by caloric, rotation chair (RCT), and video head impulse test (vHIT). We analyzed the relationship between DC VIN and the dizziness characteristics, duration of disease, and the outcome of the vestibular function test. RESULTS: The mean age of 15 patients was 67.4±10.7 years and the mean duration of dizziness was 13.6±29.7 months. The caloric test revealed 25% of the patients to have significant canal paresis [Caloric vestibular neuritis (VN)], while 75% showed normal caloric response. However, unilateral vestibular hypofunction was observed by abnormal results in RCT or vHIT (Non-caloric VN). Seven patients showed ipsilateral DC VIN (nystagmus to vibrated side) and eight patients contralateral DC VIN (nystagmus to opposite side of vibration). Patients with ipsilateral DC VIN were shown to have a significant longer duration of dizziness than those with contralateral DC VIN. CONCLUSION: Although rare, DC VIN can also be found in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. Patients with DC VIN had a mild vestibular asymmetry with Non-caloric VN or Caloric VN in the process of compensation. The mechanism of ipsilateral DC VIN seems to be due to the small amount of vestibular asymmetry, which is smaller than the interaural attenuation of vibration.
Caloric Tests ; Compensation and Redress ; Dizziness ; Head Impulse Test ; Humans ; Methods ; Paresis ; Retrospective Studies ; Vestibular Function Tests ; Vestibular Neuronitis ; Vibration*

Direct exposure of renal tubular brush-border membranes (BBM) to free cadmium (Cd) causes a reduction in phosphate (Pi) transport capacity. Biochemical mechanism of this reduction was investigated in the present study. Renal proximal tubular brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were isolated from rabbit kidney outer cortex by Mg precipitation method. Vesicles were exposed to 50~200 muM CdCl2 for 30 min, then the phosphate transporter activity was determined. The range of Cd concentration employed in this study was comparable to that of the unbound Cd documented in renal cortical tissues of Cd-exposed animals at the time of onset of renal dysfunction. The rate of sodium-dependent phosphate transport (Na+-Pi cotransport) by BBMV was determined by 32P-labeled inorganic phosphate uptake, and the number of Na+/-Pi cotransporters in the BBM was assessed by Pi-protectable 14C-labeled phosphonoformic acid ((14C)PFA) binding. The exposure of BBMV to Cd decreased the Na+-Pi cotransport activity in proportion to the Cd concentration in the preincubation medium, but it showed no apparent effect on the Pi-protectable PFA binding. These results indicate that an interaction of renal BBM with free Cd induces a reduction in Na+-Pi cotransport activity without altering the carrier density in the membrane. This, in turn, suggest that the suppression of phosphate transport capacity (Vmax) observed in Cd-treated renal BBM is due to a reduction in Na+-Pi translocation by existing carriers, possibly by Cd-induced fall in membrane fluidity.
Animals ; Cadmium ; Cadmium Chloride ; Foscarnet* ; Kidney ; Membrane Fluidity ; Membranes* ; Phosphate Transport Proteins*

Chronic exposure to cadmium (Cd) results in an inhibition of protein endocytosis in the renal proximal tubule, leading to proteinuria. In order to gain insight into the mechanism by which Cd impairs the protein endocytosis, we investigated the effect of Cd on the acidification of renal cortical endocytotic vesicles (endosomes). The endosomal acidification was assessed by measuring the pH gradient-dependent fluorescence change, using acridine orange or FITC-dextran as a probe. In renal endosomes isolated from Cd-intoxicated rats, the Vmax of ATP-driven fluorescence quenching (H -ATPase dependent intravesicular acidification) was significantly attenuated with no substantial changes in the apparent Km, indicating that the capacity of acidification was reduced. When endosomes from normal animals were directly exposed to free Cd in vitro, the Vmax was slightly reduced, whereas the Km was markedly increased, implying that the biochemical property of the H -ATPase was altered by Cd. In endosomes exposed to free Cd in vitro, the rate of dissipation of the transmembrane pH gradient after H -ATPase inhibition appeared to be significantly faster compared to that in normal endosomes, indicating that the H -conductance of the membrane was increased by Cd. These results suggest that in long-term Cd-exposed animals, free Cd ions liberated in the proximal tubular cytoplasm by lysosomal degradation of cadmium-metallothionein complex (CdMT) may impair endosomal acidification 1) by reducing the H -ATPase density in the endosomal membrane, 2) by suppressing the intrinsic H -ATPase activity, and 3) possibly by increasing the membrane conductance to H+ ion. Such effects of Cd could be responsible for the alterations of proximal tubular endocytotic activities, protein reabsorption and various transporter distributions observed in Cd-exposed cells and animals.
Acridine Orange ; Animals ; Cadmium* ; Cytoplasm ; Endocytosis ; Endosomes ; Fluorescence ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ions ; Kidney ; Membranes ; Proteinuria ; Proton-Motive Force ; Rats