OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the placenta and umbilical cord of preeclamptic placenta with that of the normotensive placenta. METHOD: We compared placental endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in preeclamptic (n=5) with in normal (n=5) pregnancies. Frozen sections of umbilical cords, chorionic plate vessels, and terminal villi were immunostained with a monoclonal endothelial nitric oxide synthase antibody. RESULTS: The age revaled no difference between control (28.1+4.2 years). and study group (26.1+4.7 years). The gestational age was statistically different between control (38.9+1.7 weeks) and study group (34.9+3.5 weeks). The neonatal body weight and placental weight were also statistically different between control (3060+528 g) and study group (2160 417 g). No difference in endothelial nitric oxide synthase immunostaining in the endothelium of the umbilical vessels and stem villous vessels was found between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. In contrast, in the preeclamptic placental endothelial nitric oxide synthase immunostaining was seen in the terminal villous vessels. In the syncytiotrophoblast endothelial niric oxide synthase immunostaining appeared primary basal in location and diffuse in distribution in the preeclamptic placentas but primary apical in the normotensive placentas. CONCLUSION: Differences in endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in terminal villous vessels and syncytiotrophblast may be a result of vascular alterations or damage that take place in the placenta in preeclampsia.
Body Weight ; Chorion ; Endothelium ; Frozen Sections ; Gestational Age ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Placenta ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy* ; Trophoblasts ; Umbilical Cord

No abstract available.
Glycemic Index ; Humans

Air-bags have received widespread support as an effective means of enhancing automotive safety, and they are becoming more common as standard automobile equipment on many cars. Although air-bag induced ocular injuries are rare, they present a serious concern because of the possibility of permanent damage or visual impairment. To date, most reports have investigated ocular injury from high velocity motor vehicle accidents and reports of ocular injury from low speed motor vehicle accidents have been rare. We describe a patient who sustained severe ocular injury, including periorbital fracture, hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, and choroidal rupture of the macular area, due to an inflated air-bag in a low speed motor vehicle accident.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Air Bags/*adverse effects ; Choroid/*injuries ; Eye Injuries/*etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyphema/*etiology ; Orbital Fractures/*etiology/radiography ; Rupture ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vitreous Hemorrhage/*etiology/ultrasonography

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper was to investigate whether the reflected synovio-capsular flap, covering one-third of the remaining peripheral after partial removal of two-thirds of the central medial meniscus of rabbit knee, contributes to the regeneration of meniscus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty rabbits were used in this study. In each rabbit the right knee was used for the experimental group in which the synovio-capsular flap was reflected after a partial meniscectomy, while the left knee, with only a skin incision, was used for the control group. The width and thickness of the regenerated menisci were measured with the Vernier calliper, and evaluated grossly by Hematoxylin-Eosin (H-E) staining, histochemically by safranin-O staining, and subcellularly by transmission electron microscopy at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after the operation. RESULTS: The width and thickness of reflected synovio-capsular flaps gradually decreased until reaching a normal size. After eight weeks, there was no statistical difference between the experimental and control group. Twelve weeks after the operation, immature fibrocartilage cells appeared in the central portion of the reflected synovio-capsular flaps in 7 out of 8 rabbit knees. Sixteen weeks after the operation, more mature cartilage cells and their halos, stained very deeply with safranin-O, appeared in 6 out of 8 rabbit knees. In electron microscopic examination of cell shape, normal cell process and nuclear shape were observed with the passage of time. Rough endoplasmic reticulum and chromatin transparence peaked at 12 weeks and gradually returned to normal shape at 16 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the reflected synovio-capsular flap in rabbit was incorporated with the remaining peripheral portion of the meniscus and became a normal meniscus-like structure.
Cartilage ; Cell Shape ; Chromatin ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fibrocartilage ; Knee ; Menisci, Tibial ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Rabbits ; Regeneration ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a chronic skin disease which primarily affects the face. There have been many basic and clinical studies on rosacea in the West, but little in Korea. OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate clinical features of rosacea in Korea and to compare them with those in the West. METHODS: During a 20-month period, 67 patients diagnosed as having rosacea were examined for their clinical presentations by means of personal interview. RESULTS: Erythema and telangiectasia were found in almost all of the 67 patients. Comparing with the results in the West, flushing and telangiectasia were more common whereas papules, pustules, and rhinophyma were less common with no case of ocular complaints or migraine. CONCLUSION: Because early detection and treatment is necessary to prevent the progression of rosacea, it is important to realize that rosacea is not uncommon in Korea and to recognize its somewhat different clinical manifestations from those in the West.
Erythema ; Flushing ; Humans ; Korea ; Migraine Disorders ; Rhinophyma ; Rosacea* ; Skin Diseases ; Telangiectasis

BACKGROUND: In infective endocarditis, the recent introduction of transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) improved diagnostic sensitivity and detection of complications. Although the detection rate of vegetations is above 90% by TEE, the prognostic significance of these lesions remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate prognostic factors for systemic embolism and death in infective emdocarditis by the analysis of transesophageal echocardiographic findings. METHODS: Transthoracic echocardiography(TTE0 and TEE were performed in 56 patients with active left-sided infective endocarditis during admission. If a vegetation was present, the size, mobility and consistency of vegetation were analyzed and paravalvular complications were assessed by TEE. Systemic emboli and in-hospital death dude to infective endocarditis were correlated to clinical and echocardiographic findings. RESULTS: 1) Echocardiographic evaluation revealed vegetations(53 patients), abscess(13 patients) and left ventricular dysfunction(13 patients). Systemic embolic events occured in twenty patients(36%) and death occured in thirteen patients(23%). 2) The size, mobility or consistency of vegetation was all foung not to be significant predictor of systemic embolism. But the incidence of embolism is significantly higher in patients who revealed increased vegetation size on follow-up echocardiogram. 3) The incidence of death was significantly higher in patients with left ventricular dysfunction or abscess on echocardiography. Although the mobility or consistency of vegetation was not related to mortality, the mortality was higher significantly in patients with larger vegetations. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that left ventricular dysfunction, abscess and large vegetation are risk factors for higher mortality and increased vegetation size on follow-up echocardiography is risk factor for systemic embolism. Because TEE is more useful than TTE in evaluating of vegetation and paravalvular complications, TEE should be performed early in all patients with active left-sided infective endocarditis.
Abscess ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Embolism ; Endocarditis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

OBJECTIVE: To correlate the MRI findings in acute and chronic stage of Wemicke encephalopathy with the well-known clinical and pathologic findings. Background. Wemicke encephalopathy is an acute phase of Wemicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Pathologic findings change between acute and chronic phases. Only a few MRI studies have been done in this disease to date. METHODS: Ten consecutive patients with Wemicke encephalopathy were evaluated with MRI; seven within 24 hours of thiamine treatment, and three between 2 and 4 days. They presented with confusion, ophthalmoplegia and gait ataxia which improved with intravenous thiamine. Korsakoff psychosis became evident on followup. Tl-, proton- and T2-weighted axial images were obtained with additional 5 mmthick Tl-weighted sagittal and coronal images to evaluate the morphology and size of the mammillary body. RESULTS: Increased T2 signal was seen in the periaqueductal area in seven(sometimes involving superior colliculus); medial thalamus in five; and splenium of the corpus callosum in two. Among the seven patients with T2 signal abnormalities, five had follow-up MRI in 2 to 70 days, which showed complete resolution of the abnormalities. Seven patients showed atrophy of mammillary body on the initial MRI. In the three patients who had normal mammillary body in size on initial scan, follow up MRI revealed atrophic change of mammillary body. Tlweighted sagittal image showed superior cerebellar vermis atrophy in seven. Four patients revealed dilatation of the third ventricle. CONCLUSION: MRI findings of Wernicke encephalopathy appear diagnostic in acute stage and may reflect the pathological evolution in acute and chronic phases of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Atrophy ; Corpus Callosum ; Dilatation ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Gait Ataxia ; Humans ; Korsakoff Syndrome ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mamillary Bodies ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Thalamus ; Thiamine ; Third Ventricle ; Wernicke Encephalopathy*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence,. degree, and clinical significance of non-obstructive intrahepatic bile duct di'latation encountered on follow up CT after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed follow-up abdominal CT of 65 patients who had undergone gastrectomy with truncal vagotomy and subtotal gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. We classified those patients who showed intrahepatic duct dilatation into non-obstructive or obstructive groups depending on the presence or absence of the lesions obstructing the duct. We also evaluated the incidence, degree and pattern, and appearance time of non-obstructive type of duct dilatation. RESULTS: Non-obstructive and obstructive biliary dilatations were present in 8 cases(12.3%) and 9 cases(13. 8%), respectively. The degree of non-obstructive group was mild in 6 cases(75%) and moderate in 2 cases (25%) who had taken cholecystectomy during the follow up period, and patterns were proportional dilatation of the central and peripheral intrahepatic ducts. It appeared on follow up CT obtained 6 to 12 months after operation in 7 cases and 3.5 months in one case. No statistical significance was noted between the type of surgery and the incidence of non-obstructive dilatation(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Mild dilatation of the central intrahepatic ducts without evidence of mechanical biliary obstruction can be seen on follow-up CT obtained more than 6 months after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma, and the incidence is about 12%. We think that this finding is non-obstructive and clinical evaluation is unnecessary.
Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholecystectomy ; Dilatation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vagotomy, Truncal

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia is one of a recently described idiopathic eosinophilic lung disease, which differs from chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. Patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia develop acute onset of dyspnea, hypoxemia, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and pleural effusion on chest radiograph, and show an increase in number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or lung biopsy specimen. Prompt and complete response to corticosteroid therapy without any recurrence is characteristically seen in patient with this disease. Although the etiology of acute eosinophilic pneumonia is not known, it has been suggested to be related to a hypersensitivity phenomenon to an unidentified inhaled antigen. We report four cases of acute eosinophilic pneumonia presented with acute onset of dyspnea, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph, and eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage.'luid in previously healthy adults.
Adult ; Anoxia ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Pleural Effusion ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Recurrence

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia is one of a recently described idiopathic eosinophilic lung disease, which differs from chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. Patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia develop acute onset of dyspnea, hypoxemia, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and pleural effusion on chest radiograph, and show an increase in number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or lung biopsy specimen. Prompt and complete response to corticosteroid therapy without any recurrence is characteristically seen in patient with this disease. Although the etiology of acute eosinophilic pneumonia is not known, it has been suggested to be related to a hypersensitivity phenomenon to an unidentified inhaled antigen. We report four cases of acute eosinophilic pneumonia presented with acute onset of dyspnea, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph, and eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage.'luid in previously healthy adults.
Adult ; Anoxia ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Pleural Effusion ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Recurrence