No abstract available.

We report a case of papillary eccrine adenoma occurring in a 39-year-old male who had a walnut sized, firm nodule on the right knee without subjective symptoms. Histopathologic exammination revealed a well circumscribed, non-capsulated dermal nodule consisting of multiple ducts with various sizes. These ducts were composed of double layered epithelial cells in most areas, but in some areas severe intraluminal papillation snd pseudostratification into the lumen were seen and the lumina were filled with a homogenous eosinophilic substance and partially with calcium deposition. Immunohistochemical studies with S-100 antigen and csrcinoembryonic sntigen (CEA) were also performed. Positivity for these sntigens strongly supports the hypothesis that this unusual neoplasm differentiates toward the eccrine secretory coil.
Adenoma* ; Adult ; Calcium ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Juglans ; Knee ; Male

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the reproducibility of the quantitative assessment of segmental wall motion and systolic thickening provided by an automatic quantitation algorithm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tc-99m-MIBI gated myocardial SPECT with dipyridamole stress was performed in 31 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (4 with single, 6 with two, 11 with triple vessel disease; ejection fraction 51+/-14%) twice consecutively in the same position. Myocardium was divided into 20 segments. Segmental wall motion and systolic thickening were calculated and expressed in mm and % increase respectively, using AutoQUANTTM software. The reproducibility of this quantitative measurement of wall motion and thickening was tested. RESULTS: Correlations between repeated measurements on consecutive gated SPECT were excellent for wall motion (r=0.95) and systolic thickening (r=0.88). On Bland-Altman analysis, two standard deviation was 2 mm for repeated measurement of segmental wall motion, and 20% for that of systolic thickening. The weighted kappa values of repeated measurements were 0.807 for wall motion and 0.708 for systolic thickening. Sex, perfusion, or segmental location had no influence on reproducibility. CONCLUSION: Segmental wall motion and systolic thickening quantified using AutoQUANTTM software on gated myocardial SPECT offers good reproducibility and is significantly different when the change is more than 2 mm for wall motion and more than 20% for systolic thickening.
Coronary Artery Disease ; Dipyridamole ; Humans ; Myocardium ; Perfusion ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 are expressed differentially during the whole gestational period in the pregnant human uterine cervix and if they are involved in the process of labor. METHODS: Nine patients were matched for obstetrical history and maternal age were divided into an abortion group who aborted between 13 and 16 weeks(n=3), a preterm group who delivered between 20 and 37 weeks(n=3), and a term group who delivered between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation(n=3). Immediately after vaginal delivery cervical biopsy samples were obtained and immunohistochemically stained for COX-1 and COX-2 and the degree of staining was evaluated by H-scoring system. RESULTS: Expression of COX-1 and COX-2 was found in epithelial and stromal cells of uterine cervical tissues of preterm and term group. The immunohistochemical expression of COX-1 and COX-2 was strongest in the term group compared to the preterm group in stromal cells(HSCORE : 2.0 vs. 4.0 ; 2.0 vs. 3.0), and in epithelial cells(HSCORE : 1.0 vs. 3.0 ; 1.0 vs. 3.0). CONCLUSION: Although small amount of the groups were investigated, in the pregnant human uterine cervix, COX-1 and COX-2 are found to be expressed, and both shows the strongest expression in term cervical tissue. It is suggested that the uterine cervix, under the control of prostaglandins, is actively involved in the process of labor, and it is thought that the role of COX-1 and COX-2 is more important in parturition process with advancing gestational age.
Biopsy ; Cervix Uteri* ; Cyclooxygenase 1* ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans* ; Maternal Age ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Prostaglandins ; Stromal Cells

No abstract available.
Common Variable Immunodeficiency* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: The propose of this study was to identify the level of medical technologists' perception of and compliance with hospital infection control guidelines. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted for 65 medical technologists working at three university hospitals in Seoul and Kyunggi areas. The questionnaire was composed of 34 questions on the general characteristics (14 items) of individual responders and about infection control guidelines (20 items). Their response was marked on the basis of 5 points for each question. RESULTS: The mean scores of the perception of and compliance with the infection control guidelines were 4.62+/-0.34 and 3.85+/-0.42, respectively. The female technologists scored significantly higher than did the male counterparts in the participation level of the infection control guidelines (P<0.05). The medical technologists who had participated in an infection control educational program were more likely than those who had not to show a higher compliance level on the infection control guidelines (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that the development of infection control educational programs for medical technologists and a supportive policy of the hospital administration should contribute to the prevention of nosocomial infections.
Compliance* ; Cross Infection* ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospital Administration ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Male ; Medical Laboratory Personnel ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Hypophysectomy*

Neuroprotective properties of lithium were evaluated by using in vivo NMDA excitotoxicity model. Systemic injection of NMDA to young mice induced neuronal apoptosis mediated by both TNFR-1 and Fas ligand, and long-term lithium treatment showed noticeable neuroprotection against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity: NMDA-damaged neurons expressed several apoptosis-related gene products such as TNFR-1, Fas ligand, and caspase-3, and these gene expressions were not found in the brain of mice chronically treated with lithium. Therefore, it is highly likely that the protection offered by chronic lithium treatment occurred at far upstream of caspase activation, since the chronic lithium treatment increased the expression of Bcl-2, an important antiapoptotic gene known to act upstream of caspase cascade. Timm's histochemistry indicated the complete blockade of the NMDA insults by the treatment. There was no indication of axonal regeneration, which follows synaptic degeneration induced by neuronal damage. Furthermore, this study reports for the first time that TNFR-1 and Fas ligand are involved in neuroprotective effects of lithium in NMDA-induced neuronal apoptosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Axons ; Brain ; Caspase 3 ; Cerebrum* ; Fas Ligand Protein ; Gene Expression ; Lithium* ; Mice* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Regeneration

Sexual dysfunction is a relatively common adverse effect in the use of antidepressants. The sexual side effects may result in a lack of compliance with the prescribed antidepressants. The author reviewed the prevalence and updated treatment for the antidepressant-induced adverse effects focusing on sexual dysfunction. The incidence of sexual dysfunction is reported to exceed more than 50% especially with SSRIs. In order to obtain a quantified baseline and as an ongoing evaluation tool, clinicians may use some of the established questionnaires and validated instruments such as the Arizona Sexual Experience scale and Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire. Clinicians should be aware that delayed ejaculation and orgasm, symptoms most frequently associated with antidepressants, are not usually associated with depression itself. Although many antidotes have been proposed, few have been subjected to double-blind trials. Some evidences have suggested that bupropion and buspiron may be the effective antidotes for SSRI induced sexual dysfunction. Additional trials will be requied to define what role, if any, bupropion and buspiron might have in the treatment of SSRI-induced sexual side effects. The available evidence is rather limited, with only small number of trials assessing each strategy. While further randomized data is awaited, for men with antidepressant induced erectile dysfunction, the addition of sidenafil or tadalafil may appear to be an effective strategy.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antidotes ; Arizona ; Bupropion ; Compliance ; Depression ; Ejaculation ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Orgasm ; Prevalence ; Tadalafil ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: Microvascular decompression(MVD) at root exit zone(REZ) of the facial nerve has been largely popularized and it has become the standard treatment for patients with hemifacial spasm(HFS). This sturdy is performed to evaluate the efficacy of MVD over the course of time. METHODS: From 1994 to 2003, 50 patients with HFS who underwent MVD were followed up for more than 6 months. We retrospectively analyzed results with medical records and telephone researches. RESULTS: The mean age of patients at the time operation was 57.6 years and 84% of the patients were female. The mean duration of follow-up after operation was 3.4 years (range 0.5~7.8 years). One day after MVD, 54% of patients had complete relief of spasm immediately. Continuous improvements of HFS were observed during the follow-up period and these improvements were statistically significant with time (P<0.05). Until 6 months after operation, complete relief of spasm was observed in 84% of patients. The delayed relief of spasm was observed in 35.7% of our patients who experienced complete relief. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of MVD in HFS is improves with time. Continuous follow-up evaluations for the duration of more than at least 6 months after MVD are important for the decision of its clinical results because delayed relief of spasms occurs.
Facial Nerve ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spasm ; Telephone