Intracranial vasculitis is a rare and disastrous complication of tuberculous meningitis if not treated properly. Focal neurologic deficits according to the vessels involved are common manifestation. Here, we report a 29-year-old man who suffered abrupt, bizarre behavioral changes caused by vasculitis complicating tuberculous meningoencephalitis. The diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis is based upon both the CSF findings and a chest X-ray. His systemic symptoms disappeared by after being administered antituberculous medication but various psychotic features such as hypersomnia, hyperphagia and aggressivebehavior continued. A brain MRI showed multiple small parenchymal tuberculous nodules, and the brain MR angiography revealed a narrowing of the proimal middle cerebral arteries and a reduced visualization of the cerebral vessels, suggesting widespread vasculitis. Intravenous dexamethasone successfully ameliorated his behavioral changes. In addition both the follow up brain MRI and angiography showed a normalization of the previous findings.
Adult ; Angiography ; Brain ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis ; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningoencephalitis* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUNDS: Though K-ADL was developed and validated, weighting each item of K-ADL is needed to evaluate the severity of functional disability as a whole. METHODS: Nominal group technique was used to weight individual items of K-ADL. Relevant experts were recruited; one specialist in geriatrics, one expert in elderly health service, one doctor expert in questionnarie, one nurse and two social welfare workers and one caregiver who work in nursing home for elderly, one nurse working at dementia care center. At the first round, each expert assigned the weights of each item. At the second round, those experts met, discussed, and re-evaluated each weighting. Using the newly developed weighted score, we measured its validity compared to brain-disability grade and three experts' decision of severe dysfunction. RESULTS: For inability to perform task, 7 points were given to 'dressing'and 'washing face', 6 points to 'bathing', 9 points to 'feeding', 8 points to 'transfer and toileting'. If any assistance is needed, 7 points were scored to 'dressing', 4 points were scored to 'washing face', 'feeding', 'transfer' and 'toileting', 2 points were scored to 'dressing'. Correlation coefficient between weighted K-ADL sum and brain-disability grade was -0.665(p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: We assigned differential weighting to each of K-ADL and found that summing weighted K-ADL was excellent in some validity test.
Aged ; Caregivers ; Dementia ; Geriatrics ; Health Services ; Humans ; Nursing Homes ; Social Welfare ; Specialization ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to define and clarify the concept of 'resilience' in patients with cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: A hybrid model was used to develop the concept of resilience. The model included a field study carried out in Cheonan, Korea. The participants in this study were 9 patients with cardiovascular diseases who underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention. RESULTS: The concept of resilience was found to be a complex phenomenon having meanings in two dimensions: the personal-dispositional and interpersonal dimensions. Four attributes and seven indicators were defined. CONCLUSION: A resilient person was defined as one who has a positive attitude toward restoration, the power to reconstruct and control his/her disease (personal dimension), and support from a supportive system with supportive persons (interpersonal dimension). In the clinical setting, resilience plays an important role in managing the care plans of cardiovascular patients. Therefore, nurses who work closely with patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases should be aware of the attributes and indicators of resilience to enhance the resilience of their patients.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Attitude to Health ; Cardiovascular Diseases/*psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Resilience, Psychological

Left atrial myxoma is well-known mimicker of systemic vasculitis. In general, however, these patients showed some symptoms and signs of cardiovascular disease. We experienced a patient with left atrial myxoma who first presented as vasculitis without any symptoms and signs suggesting cardiovascular disorders. A 45 year-old lady showed tender skin nodules, livedo reticuiaris-like skin lesions, severe constitutional symptoms, multiple cerebral infarctions, and elevated ESR and globulin. Skin biopsy findings were thought to be consistent with polyarteritis nodosa. Echocardiography was performed as a routine test for evaluating suspected vasculitis patients and it revealed left atrial myxoma. However, we were not able to detect any auscultation abnormality, even after echocardiography, After echocardiography, we found the tumor emboli in skin biopy specimen with deeper section. This case demonstrated the importance of suspecting the possibility of left atrial myxoma when performing diagnostic work-up for vasculitis.
Auscultation ; Biopsy ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cerebral Infarction ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myxoma ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Skin ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Vasculitis

PURPOSE: Recent studies have shown that potassium (K+) and sodium channels are involved in prostate cell growth. However, a great many of the studies have been done in prostate cancer cell lines and there are only scant studies on prostate cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) tissue. The present study was aimed to evaluate the alterations of the calcium-activated K+ channel (KCa) expression in prostate cancer, and to compare them with the expression profiles in human BPH tissue to understand their potential role in the progression of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prostate tissues obtained from radical prostatectomy (n=10) and transurethral resection of the prostate (n=18) were quickly frozen in liquid nitrogen for the RNA measurements. The protein and mRNA levels of the KCa subtypes and connexins were measured by performing immunoblot analysis and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The mRNA levels of type 2 (SK2) and type 3 (SK3) small-conductance and large-conductance (BK) KCas in the prostate cancer tissues were decreased more than 50% compared with those in the BPH samples. In addition, the BK and SK2 protein levels in prostate cancer were also significantly lower than those in the BPH. As reported previously, the connexin 26 and 43 transcript signals in the prostate cancer were significantly reduced compared with those in the BPH samples. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the impaired expression of KCas may have a role in tumor progression via aberrant and uncontrolled prostate cell growth.
Cell Line ; Connexins ; Humans* ; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels ; Nitrogen ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Potassium ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated* ; Prostate* ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels ; Sodium Channels

No abstract available.
Hyponatremia* ; Hypopituitarism*

Effect of diltiazem hydrochloride on cardiac performance with particular reference to the antianginal action was studied in 17 patients with ischemic heart disease, including 12 cases of effort angina, by means of clinical and mechanocardiographic evaluations. All patients were kept on the same medications from at least 2 weeks prior to diltiazem administration until the end of the study, and were prescribed no other antianginal drugs except for liberal use of sublingual nitroglycerin. Diltiazem was given 90mg a day in three divided doses for two weeks. Clinical and mechanocardiographic evaluations, including calculations of pressure rate product(PRP), triple product(TP) and tension time index(TTI), were made before and at a weekly interval after diltiazem administration. After the medication, heart rate, blood pressure and the pre-ejection period(PEP) with its ratio to the ejection time tended to decrease, and the decreases in heart rate and the PEP at the end of two weeks were significant. The PRP, TP and TTI were also significantly decreased at the end of the second week, and the decrease in the TTI was significant even a week after the medication. An antianginal effect, which appeared within few days, was excellent to good in over 90 percent of the cases. These facts suggest that diltiazem hydrochloride has no negative inotropic action and its antianginal effecti in its early stage of the drug administration is primarily due to coronary vasodilation and, as the drug is continued, is contributed to possibly by the decrease in the myocardial oxygen consumption as well.
Angina Pectoris* ; Blood Pressure ; Diltiazem* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Nitroglycerin ; Oxygen Consumption ; Vasodilation

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine how the mRNA and protein levels of calcium activated Kchannel (K(Ca)) and connexin (Cx) change in association with overactive bladder in the bladder mucosae of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty SUI patients were included in our study. Bladder mucosae were obtained, with using cold cup biopsy forceps, from the patients suffering with genuine stress urinary incontinence (group 1, n=7), from the patients suffering with SUI along with urgency and frequency (group 2, n=6), and from the patients suffering with mixed incontinence (group 3, n=7). RESULTS: The mRNA transcripts of type 2 (SK2) and type 3 (SK3) small conductance K(Ca), Cx26, and Cx43 were highly expressed in the bladder mucosa. The message of large conductance K(Ca)(BK) was significantly decreased in group 3 compared with that in the controls. The SK2 and Cx26 messages in group 3 were also lower than those in groups 1 and 2. In the presence of urge incontinence, the BK and SK2 protein levels were decreased and the Cx26 protein expression was significantly increased in the bladder mucosa of the SUI patients. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the mRNA and protein levels of K(Ca)s and Cxs between groups 1 and group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulation of both BK and SK2 and upregulation of Cx26 in the bladder mucosa of MI patients may contribute to the alterations of urothelial instability, and this correlate with the symptom severity of bladder instability in SUI patients.
Biopsy ; Calcium ; Connexin 43 ; Connexins ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane* ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated* ; RNA, Messenger ; Surgical Instruments ; Up-Regulation ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive* ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urothelium

PURPOSE: Adrenocortical tumors are uncommon in children and comprise only a small proportion of primary adrenal neoplasms. The biologic behavior of these tumors may be very difficult to predict, and their rarity has hindered identification of clinical characteristics. Patients with functioning tumors have excessive steroid hormone production, and the clinical manifestation depends on the predominant hormone produced. The detection of nonfunctioning tumors is not easy and the diagnosis may be delayed. Benign tumors can be cured by complete surgical excision, but malignant cases have poor response to treatment and worse prognosis. Early diagnosis and proper management are very important because of the large proportion of functioning malignant tumors in children. We report clinical features of adrenocortical tumors in children that may be of help in the early detection, proper management, and assessment of prognosis of patients. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical characteristics of 14 cases of adrenocortical tumors, among 85 children diagnosed with adrenal tumors, who visited the Severance Hospital, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, from January 1970 to July 1996. RESULTS: 85 Patients were diagnosed with adrenal tumors. Among them, 71 cases 83.5%) were tumors of the adrenal medulla, neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma, and 14 cases (16.5%) were adrenocortical tumors, consisting of 5 cases of adenoma, 7 cases of carcinoma, and 2 cases unspecified. The age distribution ranged from 16 months to 14 years of age, and the mean was 5 years & 11 months (median 4 years & 2 months). Sex distribution revealed a male to female ratio of 1:1.33. The left to right ratio was 3.7:1, showing a left side predominance. 13 Cases (92.9%) were functioning tumors: 12 cases (92.3%) had clinical evidence of androgen excess, among which 6 cases (46.2%) were associated with Cushing's syndrome, and 1 case was compatible with primary aldosteronism. Serum cortisol, urinary 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids concentrations were measured in 11 cases and urinary concentrations of 17-ketosteroids were elevated in all 11 cases (100%), while 17-hydroxycorticosteroids were elevated in 4 cases (36.4%). Abnormalities of serum cortisol were found in all cases except 1: serum cortisol concentrations were abnormally elevated in 5 cases (45.5%), and the remainder (5 cases, 45.5%) showed loss of diurnal variation. Dexamethasone suppression test was performed in 9 cases, and all (100%) showed no suppression. Preoperative radiologic studies included abdominal sonograms, CT or MRI scans, and angiography. Histology showed carcinomas to be bigger and heavier than adenomas, and microscopically carcinomas had necrosis, calcifications, and invasions of vessels. Distant metastases were found in 4 cases (12.7%). Adrenalectomy with complete surgical excision was performed in 12 cases. Long-term follow-up was possible in 10 patients after operation: 3 patients initially diagnosed with adenoma survived without tumor recurrence over a year, and among 6 carcinoma patients, 4 expired within a year, and 2 survived, with one patient currently undergoing postoperative chemotherapy. Of the 10 patients currently under going follow-up, one patient was initially diagnosed with a histologically unspecified tumor, and has survived 4 years after operation. CONCLUSIONS: When adrenocortical neoplasms are suspected by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, abdominal ultrasonogram, CT or MRI scans must be performed immediately. Early detection and proper management are important for better prognosis, but are often delayed in the majority of cases. Ultimately, pediatricians need to be familiar with clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of adrenocortical tumors, bearing in mind the possibility of diagnosis in children.
17-Hydroxycorticosteroids ; 17-Ketosteroids ; Adenoma ; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms ; Adrenal Medulla ; Adrenalectomy ; Age Distribution ; Angiography ; Child ; Cushing Syndrome ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperaldosteronism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroblastoma ; Pheochromocytoma ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Sex Distribution ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Diabetic children should be classified into type 1 or 2 for adequate diabetic control. However, there is a shortage of information of the appropriate criteria in Korea. This study is desinged to discover the clinical types and characteristics of diabetes mellitus(DM) in Korean children. METHODS: We studied the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of 177 diabetic children. Classification was based on the serum C-peptide levels, presence of ketoacidosis, autoantibodies, and insulin dependence. RESULTS: Among 177 diabetic children, 147(83.1%) were classified as type 1 and 21(11.9%) as type 2, and 12(57.1%) children in type 2 were obese. All patients with age of onset before 9 were type 1. In cases of type 1, initial serum C-peptide levels were < 0.6(50%), 0.6-1.0(44%) and > 1.0ng/mL (6%). All patients with initial serum C-peptide level above 1.5ng/mL were type 2. Four patients initially diagnosed as type 2 DM changed to type 1 during follow-up, and 2 patients of type 1 DM changed to type 2. Only 55.4% of type 1 DM patients had insulin autoantibody, islet cell cytoplasmic antibody or anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies. CONCLUSION: Most diabetic children in Korea were classified as type 1. Our results suggest that insulin requiring lean patients with positive autoantibody should be classified as type 1 even if their serum C-peptide levels are within normal range, and the clinical types could be changed during follow-up in a small proportion of diabetic children.
Age of Onset ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; C-Peptide ; Child* ; Classification ; Cytoplasm ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insulin ; Islets of Langerhans ; Ketosis ; Korea ; Reference Values