Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is severe complication of the patients with liver cirrhosis, can also develop renal hepatic syndrome or hepatic encephalopathy. Objective: To study clinical signs and the frequency of SBP according to the severity of liver disease and the change of biochemical parameters, characteristics of ascitic fluid. Subjects and method: 37 patients with liver cirrhosis having SBP diagnosed or by an ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) leukocyte count of > 250 cells per mm3 and/ or microbial positive culture ascites. The conventional method of culture ascites by plating out a loop of fluid on agar plates in the microbiology laboratory. All patients were treated at Bach Mai Hospital. Results:78.4% SBP in patients with Child - Pugh C 64.9% in patients having abundant ascites fluid, 72.9% having ascitic protein < 10g/l, the very low frequency of culture - positive ascitic fluid (5.4%). The frequency clinical signs were abdominal pain (67.6%) and diarrhea (73.0%). Conclusions: Considering the SBP preventive treatment for patients with liver cirrhosis having low - protein ascites < 10g/l) and setting up ascitic fluid culture with a larger volume of ascites into aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles at the beside improves the sensitivity of detection of an organism.
Fibrosis ; Peritonitis/ diagnosis

Sclerosing pseudotumor of the orbit is a unique clinico-pathological entity which is characterized by an insidious, chronic and progressive fibrosing process damaging orbital structures.As this entity forms immunologically mediated fibrosis even in early phase and frequently involves orbital apex and adjacent intracranial structures, it can cause severe ocular symptoms, visual impairments and even can threaten the life. We report clinical characteristics of nine biopsy-proven cases of sclerosing pseudotumor of the orbit.Five cases out of them have shown clinical improvement with combined therapeutic approach of surgical debulking, systemic steroids therapy, radiation therapy, and immunosuppressive therapy. We believe that prompt diagnosis through biopsy, early introduction of radiation therapy and immunosuppressive therapy are the most rational, currently available treatment for sclerosing pseudotumor of the orbit.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Orbit* ; Steroids ; Vision Disorders

Hepatoma is one of the most common malignant disease among cancers that occur in Korea. Recently, according ta developing imaging diagnostic technology and non surgical treatment the hepatoma is easily detected in early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. From this point of view, the histologic pattern of hepatoma is markedly important. This is the first reported case of sclerosing hepatocellular carcinoma, which is characterized by intense fibrosis, in which the tubular neoplastic structures are embedded. The incidence of sclerosing hepatocellular carcinoma is very rare. Therefore the rare histologic pattern of hepatoma might be introduced by many studies and reports. We recently experienced a case of sclerosing hepatocellular carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Early Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Incidence ; Korea

Fibrosis ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnosis

No abstract available.
Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Glycoproteins ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis ; Humans

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic fatal pulmonary disease characterized by complex illness condition. There is no effective treatment at present except lung transplantation. The comprehensive evaluation is helpful for the management of patients with IPF in hierarchical stages. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate IPF by various independent factors. At present, the commonly used methods for clinical evaluation on IPF include assessment of health-related quality of life, assessment of physiological function, assessment of imaging, assessment of laboratory examination, and multi-dimensional assessment system. However, there are different advantages and disadvantages on diverse evaluation methods for the evaluation of IPF.
Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnosis* ; Quality of Life

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a fibroproliferative process involving the retroperitoneum. It may be idiopathic or can be caused by methysergide ingestion, perianeurysmal inflammation, a leaking aneurysm, urinoma or irradiation. The symptoms and signs of retroperitoneal fibrosis are variable, and for diagnosis, imaging is therefore essential. The typical imaging finding is a fibrotic lesion in front of the lower vertebrae with ureteral obstruction. Atypical lesions, however, may occur in other parts of the retroperitoneum. The aim of this report is to describe the clinical features and various imaging findings of etroperitoneal fibrosis.
Aneurysm ; Diagnosis ; Eating ; Fibrosis ; Inflammation ; Methysergide ; Retroperitoneal Fibrosis* ; Spine ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Urinoma

As intracavernosal injection of vasoactive drugs has become more common for the diagnosis and treatment of impotent patients, priapism resulting from vasoactive drug injection has frequently occurred. Intracavernosal injection therapy should be prescribed by doctor for the optimal titration of drug dosage and patient education of self injection, because mal-use or abuse of this drug can result in priapism and corporal fibrosis. We report a case of priapism resulted in severe corporal fibrosis by abuse of intracavernosal self-injection.
Diagnosis ; Fibrosis* ; Humans ; Patient Education as Topic ; Priapism* ; Substance-Related Disorders

PURPOSE: To verify the value of CT in the diagnosis of cirrhosis, CRL ratio was measured in 225 Koreans who had and evidence of cirrhosis both clinically and radiologically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mean value of CRL ratio was 0.68+/-0.21 which was significant difterent from the published value of normal person(0.45+/-0.07). The difference of CRL ratio between men and women and that among different age groups were found to be not statistically signficant. RESULTS: CRL ratio of virus- related group(N:149) was 0.64+/-0.18, whereas that of virus-nonrelated group (N=76) was 0.76+/-0.23. There was a statistically significant difference of CRL ratio between virus-related group and virus-nonrelated group. CRL ratio of hepatoma-related group(N:113) was 0.71+/-0.22 whereas that of heparoma-nonrelated group(N:112) was 0.66+/-0.19. There was no statistically significant difference of CRL ratio between hepatoma-related group and hepatoma-nonrelated group. CONCLUSION: Measurement of CRL ratio by CT is a useful method in assessing cirrhosis of the liver.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Male

PURPOSE: To evaluate the significance of T2-weighted MR imaging(T2WI) in the diagnosis of pituitarymicroadenoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the MR imaging findings of 30 cases of pituitarymicroadenoma. Diagnosis was made on the basis of surgery, serum hormonal level, and the presence of mass lesion onMR (T1WI and T2WI), and conventional as well as dynamic contrast enhanced T1WI images were obtained. In each MRsequence, signal intensity and detectability of the tumor were evaluated. We also determined whether diagnosis waspossible on both T1WI and T2WI. In eight cases, histopathologic findings (cellularity, fibrosis, and cysticchange) were correlated with T2 signal intensity of the tumor. RESULTS: T2WI, T1WI, and dynamic and conventionalenhanced T1WI detected the tumor in 21 cases (70%), 21 cases (70%), 28 cases (93.3%), and 22 cases (73.3%),respectively. On T2WI, pituitary microadenomas showed a high signal in 18 cases (60%), an iso-signal in nine(30%), and a low signal in three (10%) compared with normal pituitary gland. In 20 cases (66.7%), diagnosis ofpituitary microadenoma was possible on both T1WI and T2WI, but in one case, the tumor was detected only on T2WI.Three cases with fibrosis, as seen on histopathologic examination showed an iso or low signal on T2WI. CONCLUSION: T2WI is useful in the diagnosis of pituitary microadenoma Decreased signal intensity on T2WI may suggestfibrosis.
Diagnosis* ; Fibrosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Gland ; Retrospective Studies