To clarify the exact role of endomyocardial biopsy in the diagnosis and monitoring of adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity and to observe the actual relationship between pathologic changes and cardiac dysfunction, a cross-sectional clinical study was conducted. Echocardiography was used to evaluate cardiac dysfunction in 18 patients who had received chemotherapy including adriamycin(mean dose : 410mg/m2 of B.S.A.) without clinical evidence of congestive heart failure, and in 19 normal controls. Six patients receiving adriamycin underwent 7 transfemoral endomyocardial biopsy procedures, and the specimens were evaluated by light and electron microscopy for evidence of drug-related cardiotoxicity. Indexes of cardiac systolic function obtained by M-mode echocardiography(left ventricular dimension, excursion of interventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall, shortening fraction and ejection fracton) did not show any statistically significant difference between patients who received adriamycin and normal controls. In transmitral flow-velocity curves recorded by Doppler echocardiography with a 2.25MHz probe, the patients showed less E peak velocity and decreased E/A ratio compared with normal controls, which suggests left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the patients who received adriamycin. All the specimens of the endomyocardial biopsy showed significant pathologic changes of adriamycin indnced cardiotoxicity which was characterized by myofibrillar loss and vacuolization of the cytoplasm. In 2 specimens, pathologic grade was II, while 5 specimens showed pathologic changes of grade III and further chemotherapy with adriamycine was not done in thse 5 cases. From these results it is suggested that pathologic changes precede the clinical onset of congestive cardiomyopathy in the patients receiving adriamycin and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction occurrs before ejection fraction falls to subnormal levels. We conclude that sequential endomyocardial biopsy is absolutely indicated for exact diagnosis and monitoring of adrinamycin-induced cardiotoxicity to prevent the development of irreversible and often fatal cardiomyopathy.
Biopsy ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin* ; Drug Therapy ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron

Clinical study was done on 119 patients with atrial fibrillation in the aspect of underlying diseases, particulary. The results were as follow : 1) In the underlying diseases of atrial finbrillation, rheumatic heart disease, hepertension and ischemic heart disease were common, which occupied 27.8%, 22.7% and and 15.1%, respectly. No apparent underlying disease was found in 21.0%, but in the transient atrial fibrillation, no apparent underlying disease in 42.9%. 2) There were no significant correlations between the ventricular rate, amplitude of f wave and underlying diseases of atrial fibrillation. 3) Complications were found in 29.4% of all cases, such as congestive heart failure(22.7%), embolism(6.7%). Otherwise, atrial fibrillation without underying cardiovascular diseases, congestive heart failure was found only(7.7%).
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Rheumatic Heart Disease

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis*

Fibrous dysplasia of bone is a relatively rare condition characterized by fibrous tissue replacement of skeleton, usually not disabling, of slow progress, and showing a tendency to become arrested. It may be monostotic (confined to one bone) or Polyostotic (situated in many bones). The etiology of fibrous dysplasia is unkown but it is now believed to be a developmental error in which primitive fibrous tissue proliferates within the bony medulla and encroaches upon the cortex from within. This paper reports the one case of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. The diagnosis was made by clinical, radiological and histological findings. The review of literatures was made briefly.
Diagnosis ; Fibrous Dysplasia of Bone ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ; Skeleton

The authors have recently experienced a case of conjunctival papilloma which was developed on whole conjunctiva. The 6-year-old girl has soft, pinkish and pedunculated culated growth with delicate finger like processes in the right eye. The processes are scattered all over the mucous membrane of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva in considerable numbers. It is probable that many of these pedunculated types are of viral origin and that their spreads are due to contact infection. The papilloma of viral origin has no evidence of distant metastasis or malignant changes. The treatment was performed by electric cauterization with hyfricator and the result has been excellent up to date, 6 months after cauterization.
Cautery ; Child ; Conjunctiva ; Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Papilloma*

Recently limb sparing surgery is accepted as an alternative method in the management of muskuloskeletal tumors of the extremity without undue compromise to the patient s life. But the limb sparing procedure results in large osseous and soft tissue defects. To fill these defect, several options have been used such as tumor prosthesis, temporary spacer with cementation, allograft, and autograft(fresh, autoclaved, low heat treated, and extracorporeal irradiated). To identify the indica- tions ot' individual option, we studied 66 cases of musuloskeletal tumors of extremity which were treated with wide or marginal resection and reconstructive surgery from June, 1990 to June, 1997, in which 48 cases were osteosarcomas, 3 chondrosarcomas, 2 synovial sarcomas. I liposarcoma, 1 giant cell tumor, I malignant lymphoma, and 10 metastatic bone tumors. The location of the lesion were distal femur in 24, proximal tibia in 24, proximal femur in 9, proximal humerus in 6, tibial midshaft in 1. distal radius in 1, and calcaneus in 1. In Enneking stages about primary bone tumors 6 cases were IIA, 42 IIB, and 8 III. We reconstructed the osseous defect with tumor prosthesis in 22 cases, temporary spacer in 9(later, 4 cases was changed to tumor prosthesis for staged operation), allograft in 25, and autograft in 14(low heat treated in 2, irradiated in 12). Total functional result by Enneking system was 71.5% . 80.8% with tumor prosthesis, 50.5% with temporary spacer, 70% with allograft, 75.3% with autograft. Infections were occurred in 18% of the patients treated with tumor prosthesis, 34% with allograft, 0% with temporary spacer or low heated autograft, and 18% with irradiated autograft. Delayed union or nonunion was occurred in l5% of the patients treated with allograft, 40% with autograft. There were 2 cases of metal failure and 2 cases of graft fracture using autograft. In conclusion, we propose that the indication of the tumor prosthesis is for the skeletally matured patient, patient with high-grade malignant tumor, older patients, and patient who have limited life expectancy. The reconstruction with allograft have several advantages for the patients with henign bone tumor and locally aggressive or low-grade malignant tumor. The temporary spacer may be used as staged operations for the skeletally immature patient and patient who have an extreme hone and soft tissue defects after limb sparing operation. The recycling autograft may be applied to the patients at any age with minimal bony involvement of tumor. The low heat treated autograft may be useful in the patients requiring intercalary reconstruction, and the irradiated autograft may he useful in the patients with periarticular involvement.
Allografts ; Autografts ; Calcaneus ; Cementation ; Chondrosarcoma ; Extremities* ; Femur ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Humerus ; Life Expectancy ; Liposarcoma ; Lymphoma ; Osteosarcoma ; Prostheses and Implants ; Radius ; Recycling ; Sarcoma, Synovial ; Tibia ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Although the same treatment strategy has been applied for patients with aortic intramural hematoma (AIH) as typical aortic dissection (AD), the natural history of AIH with medical treatment is not known clearly. The purposes of this study were to test the hypothesis that absence of direct flow communication through intimal tear in AIH has different impact on clinical course compared with typical AD and to clarify the natural history of AIH. METHODS: Total 181 patients of acute aortic pathology (AD / AIH =57 / 124) were enrolled from 5 institutions. Patients received medical treatment without surgical intervention regardless of the affected site in acute stage, and follow-up imaging studies (FUIS) were performed in 105 patients with AIH. Clinical data of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients showed involvement of the ascending aorta (AD / AIH =13 / 41) and 127 revealed distal pathology (AD / AIH =44 / 83). Compared to the patients with AD, those with AIH were older regardless of the type and showed higher incidence of pleural effusion and mediastinal hemorrhage. In-hospital mortality of proximal AIH was 7 %, which was significantly lower than that of proximal AD (62 %); mortality of distal AIH was also lower than that of distal AD (1.2 Vs 9 %, p < 0.05). In proximal AIH, FUIS confirmed resorption of AIH in 67 %(24/36) and development of AD in 25 %(9/36). In distal AIH, resorption was confirmed in 78 %(54/69) and development of AD in 16 %(11/69). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AIH showed excellent clinical course and high rate of resorption with medical treatment regardless of the affected site; typical AD developed only in limited cases. Absence of direct flow communication through intimal tear in AIH might explain more favorable response to medical treatment than typical AD.
Aorta ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Natural History ; Pathology ; Pleural Effusion ; Retrospective Studies

To evaluate the effectiveness of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for detecting potential intracardiac sources of cerebral emboli. We used both TEE and precordial conventional transthoracic echocardiogyrphy (TEE) in 27 patients with cerebral infarction. Group 1 had no clinical cardiac abnormality. And group 2 had cardiac abnormalities upon clinical examination. In group 1 (N= 18), TEE defined morphologic abnorrnalities in six patients (three with atrial appendage thrombus, two with patent foramen ovale, one with atrial septal aneurysm), whereas precordial echocardiography none. Although both echocardiogrpahic techniques revealed cardiac abnorrnalities in eight patients out of group 2 (N=9) only TEE could disclose left atrial appendage thrombus in six patients. We suggest that patients of cerebral infarction. Without demonstrable causes by conventiona studies including two-dimensional echocardiography. Should undergo TEE with the Valsalva maneuver.
Atrial Appendage ; Cerebral Infarction ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Intracranial Embolism ; Thrombosis ; Valsalva Maneuver

Paragonimus harinasutai metacercariae were found in a species of freshwater crab, Indochinamon ou, collected in a small stream of Namback District, Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. Adult flukes were recovered after experimental infection of the metacercariae to dogs. Metacercariae were round or slightly elliptical, 0.666 x 0.626 mm in average size, and had a thin cyst wall of about 20 microm in thickness, a black excretory bladder, convoluted ceca, and some pinkish materials in the body. Adults were somewhat elongated, 95.2 x 36.5 mm in average size, covered with single-tipped tegumental spines, had a smaller oral sucker than the ventral sucker, a moderately branched ovary, and 5-6 lobulated testes. Eggs were ovoid and bilaterally symmetrical in shape, 79 x 45 microm in average size, and had a uniformly thickened shell. By the present study, it has been confirmed that I. ou is a new second intermediate host for P. harinasutai.
Animals ; Crustacea/*parasitology ; Disease Reservoirs/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Female ; *Host-Parasite Interactions ; Humans ; Laos ; Male ; Paragonimiasis/*parasitology ; Paragonimus/anatomy & histology/*isolation & purification/ultrastructure ; Shellfish/*parasitology

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors(PNETs) and medulloblastoma are common primary malignant brain tumors of childhood. Untreated patients are proven to be fatal, but the current treatment regimens may achieve 50% to 60% cures. However, the prognosis of each individual case can not be accurately determined, because exact prognostic factors have not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate whether various factors were correlated with clinical outcome, and to understand their roles in the oncogenesis. Twenty-five patients with medulloblastoma and nine patients with supratentorial PNETs were reviewed(mean follow-up periods: 25.6 months). We have investigated the prognostic value of p53 protein and other oncogene expression by immunohistochemistry and DNA analysis by flow cytometry on paraffin section of the specimen. We also studied the other prognostic factors such as clinical features, tumoral factors, and treatment modalities as well. The positive expressions of p53 protein, c-myc, and pan-ras were significantly high in these tumors. With DNA flow cytometry, 18 were aneuploid and 8 were diploid. There was no significant prognostic correlation between the immunoreactivity of p53, oncogene expression, and DNA ploidy. Only the stage of tumor(T, M stage; p=0.0002, 0.0418, respectively) and chemotherapy(p=0.0433) were correlated with their prognosis. We conclude that further special investigations should be added to justify the prognostic factors for these highly malignant tumors.
Aneuploidy ; Brain Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Diploidy ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Medulloblastoma* ; Neural Plate ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Oncogenes ; Paraffin ; Ploidies ; Prognosis*