Beta-fluoroethylacetate has been extensively used as the rodenticide in Korea. In some patients with acute poisoning, beta-fluoroethylacetate caused cerebellar dysfunction as a single and persistent neurologic sequela after a period of an acute neurological disorder which is characterized by mental deterioration, seizures, and respiratory failure. But there has been no report of pathological findings to explain neurological deficit. We tried to verify the histologic changes of the central nervous systems in beta-fluoroethylacetate poisoned rats. Silver staining(Gallyas) was used to evaluate the histology. In acute intoxication experiment with LD50(7mg/Kg), beta-fluoroethylacetate elicited acute onset of consciousness deterioration, generalized tonic-clonic seizures and large amplitude tremulous activity involving whole body with full recovery after 24 hours. There was no discernible pathologic change in CNS in acutely poisoned rats. However, when poisoned with sublethal dose(5mg/Kg) daily for five days, a moderate degree of nerve cell degeneration was found selectively in dentate nucleus, Purkinie cell layer, vestibulo-cochlear nucleus and striatum. This change was not seen in hippocampus, cerebral cortex or cerebellar cortex. These findings were well correlated with the previous reports of selective pathology in human 5-FU intoxication cases. Our preliminary results suggest that beta-fluoroethylacetate, a kind of cellular metabolism inhibitor may induce selective neuropathology mainly involving cerebellar output pathway in rats.
Humans ; Rats ; Animals ; Poisons

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyze the experience of South Korean policemen who are in charge of supporting the North Korean defectors' adaption to South Korean society for 2 years. METHODS: Written-form survey questionnaire were sent to all policemen who were in charge of defectors with the help of the National police bureau. RESULTS: 172 policemen answered to survey questionnaire. There was no difference of human relationship score according to the defectors' sex, age, academic career. But defectors with low academic career showed bad human relationship as time went by. The type of human relationship change were different according to the defectors' age. Defectors who entered to South Korea directly from North Korea in short period had a better relationship in comparison with those who escaped to China or other third countries and stayed there for a long time to get a chance to enter to South Korea. As the policemen are younger, the relationship scores were better. But when some problem occurred in their relationship, younger policemen were less successful in solving the problem. There were many kind of efforts of policemen to improve the human relationship and it showed that the education-oriented effort is more effective and successful than direct problem-solving effort. CONCLULSION: This study showed that the human relationship of defectors and policemen in charge are affected by some demographic factors and defection routes and the types of efforts of policemen to improve the human relationship. It was suggested that the role of policemen in charge of defectors should be more well-defined, and NGO(Non Government Organization) need to have more continuos and specified program to help defectors' adaptation. Finally, the importance of continuing scientific researches about defectors' adaptation was emphasized.
China ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Demography ; Humans ; Korea ; Police ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United Nations

Marfan's syndrome is a widespread disturbance of mesodermal tissue throughout the body. The main disturbances are characteristic skeletal anomaly, cardiopathy and eye disturbance such as lens dislocation, glaucoma, etc. Marfan originally described it under the name of dolichostenomelie in 1896. Since then, many cases have been reported in the literature. Authors experienced 3 cases of Marfan's syndrome and 2 cases were operated. The result of surgical treatment. other clinical findings, and brief review of literature are reported as following.
Glaucoma ; Lens Subluxation ; Marfan Syndrome* ; Mesoderm

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a systemic disorder with cystic manifestations in the kidneys, liver, pancreas, seminal vesicles, and meninges; its noncystic manifestations affect mostly the vascular, cardiac, and connective tissues. Cardiovascular abnormalities, including mitral and aortic valvular prolapse and regurgitation and annuloaortic ectasia, have been considered important extrarenal manifestations of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. But there were no reports with dilated cardiomyopathy in patients with polycystic kidney disease yet. We have experienced a case of dilated cardiomyopathy that is associated by autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in 40 year old male patient. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed variable sizes of multiple cysts in both kidneys and echocardiography showed the marked dilatation of left ventricle and severely depressed left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction=19%). He was treated with diuretics intravenously and orally. Then dyspnea and abdominal distension was improved. This is the first case of dilated cardiomyopathy with autosomal dominant polycystic disease in Korea.
Adult ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Cardiovascular Abnormalities ; Connective Tissue ; Dilatation ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Diuretics ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Kidney ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Meninges ; Pancreas ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant* ; Prolapse ; Seminal Vesicles ; Ultrasonography

Carbon disulfide(CS2), a volatile solvent, has been widely used in the manufacture of the artificial silk because of its highly fat-soluble property. It has been accepted that CSz is mostly absorbed to the human beings by inhalation arld does harms mainly to the central and peripheral nervous systems and the cardiovascular system. But it is conkoversial whether the pathologic changes are due to the direct toxic effects of the CS2 or to the secondary effects of the CS2-induced arteriosclerosis. Recently the authors have observed the six patients of viscose-rayon worker with a longstanding exposure to the CS2 and obtained the results as follows:1. The ages of onset in the 6 subjects (5 males and one female) were ranged from @41 to 53 years(mean;47.1) and the duration of exposure from 11 to 18 years(mean;l4.5). 2. Three of them had no hypertension. 3. Neurologically they showed headache, dizziness, general malaise, gait difficulty, visual and memory disturbances, paresthesia of distal extremities, dementia, parkinsonian features, pseudobubar palsy, spastic gait, dysarthria, hyperreflexia, and reduced or absent ankle jerks. 4. Nerve conduction studies(N=4) revealed that three of them had polyneuropathy of axonal type.
Ankle ; Arteriosclerosis ; Axons ; Carbon* ; Cardiovascular System ; Dementia ; Dizziness ; Dysarthria ; Extremities ; Gait ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inhalation ; Male ; Memory ; Neural Conduction ; Paralysis ; Paresthesia ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Polyneuropathies ; Reflex, Abnormal ; Silk

Primary malignant tumors of the trachea are rare, the most prevalent histologies beeing squamous cell and adenoid cystic carcinoma. A review of the literature revealed only ten cases of primary tracheal or bronchial non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We describe a case in which tracheal involvement of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, occurred.
Bees ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Lymphoid Tissue* ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Trachea

PURPOSE: Magnetization transfer imaging(MTI) is a new imaging contrast technique. Our MT pulse sequence is designed as fixed time interval between echo and MT pulse. This study was peformed to evaluate the influence of variations in TR/TE on MTR in T1 weighted image of normal brain tissue on this kind of MT pulse sequence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven healthy volunteers in twenties of age as the objectives, MRI was taken under various TR/TE(TR/TE ;700/14, 650/14, 750/14, 700/20 and 1500/20 msec). MTR was calculated from signal intensities measured at the same point in both pre and post MT images and statisticslly analyzed. The MR imager used in this study was 1.0T Magnetom 42SP(Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) and the parameters of additional MT pulse sequence were offset 1000Hz and bandwidth 250Hz, and posteriorly located to echo with 7.7 msec fixed interval. Offset of this MT pulse was variable. RESULT: In white matter of brain tissue from a normal person, MTR was 34-39%(average 37%) for TR and TE of 700/14 in T1WI and 33-36%(average 35%) for TR/TE of 650/14, and 34-38%(average 35%) for TR/TE of 750/14 which showed no statistical difference. However, in case of 1500/20 of TR/TE, MTR was 26-28%(average 26%) which is statistically significant. With TR/TE of 700/14 as the standrd value, the MTR of gray and white matter were 37% and 29% respectively, showing a definite difference of statistical means. Signal from CSF in ventricles is rarely influenced by MT pulse. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, a subtle variation in TR/TE in T1WI has little influence on MTR but wide range of variation in TR/TE as in proton density image induces significant difference in MTR on this kind of MT pulse sequence. Therefore, the exchangeable usage of MTR data would be possible in narrow range of TR/TE change but difficult in wide range of variation.
Brain* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Protons ; Reference Values*

A thymoma often occurs in patients with myasthenia gravis, but the development of multiple thymoma is very rare. The authors report the radiologic and pathologic findings of multiple invasive thymoma in a 59-year-old male with myasthenia gravis.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Thymoma*

Skin atrophy is one of the most common side effects of topical steroid use and results from decreased skin proalphaI collagen mRNA production due to specific alterations in collagen gene transcription or from reduced collagen mRNA stability. This report describes a case of a 8 year-old-girl who visited our hospital with a complaint of ambiguous genitalia. She was observed to have atrophic labia majora and atrophic striae resembling scrotal rugae. However, her serum levels of FSH, LH, 17-KS, 17-OHCS, 5-DHT, DHT and DHEA-S were all in normal range and her karyotype was 46,XX. Abdominal and pelvic ultrasonogram showed a normal uterus and ovaries. Careful history taking revealed frequent use of steroid ointment due to vulvar pruritus for 2 years and she was finally diagnosed to have atrophy of external genitalia induced by long-term use of topical steroid.
Atrophy* ; Collagen ; Disorders of Sex Development ; Female ; Genitalia* ; Karyotype ; Ovary ; Pruritus ; Reference Values ; RNA Stability ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus

Spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis is one of the major causes of the low back pain and orthopaedic surgeons frequently encounter this problems with increasing tendency. In 19th century, spondylolisthesis had been studied by the European obstetrician as the main cause of dystocia. Advancement of the radiological techniques enabled us to know more precise degree of slipping. Therefore, many surgical techniques have been used. Spondylolysis has been also studied as the precursor of the spondylolisthesis. This report is based upon the analysis of the records of 26 patients who had operated at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of National Medical Center from 1972 to 1981. The results were as follows. 1. Most common age group was 30–50 age group and theres no sexual difference. 2. Most common symptoms were lumbago and radiating pain and the most common sign was Lasegue sign. 3. Most common type was isthmic type and location was 5th lumbar vertebra, and degree of slipping was grade I by Meyerding's method. 4. The fusion of the grafted bone were observed in 24 cases among 26 cases: of which the duration were 3 months in 16 cases and remaining 8 cases had duration between 3 and 6 months. 5. Postoperative analysis under the basis of the functional recovery was satisfactory in 93% of cases by Gill's criteria.
Dystocia ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Pregnancy ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; Spondylolysis ; Surgeons ; Transplants