BACKGROUND: The cardiac electrophysiological characteristics differ significantly among mammalian species or among various disease processes. However, difficulties in the procedures for harvesting and isolating tissue have precluded studies using human cardiac specimens. METHODS: The outward K+ -currents were recorded in human atrial myocytes isolated from patients undergoing open heart surgery. The electrophysiological characteristics of the voltage-dependent outward currents were investigated using a whole-cell patchclamp technique. RESULTS: Using depolarizing step pulses, the transient outward currents were activated within 10 msec, which slowly inactivated thereafter. After inactivation, the sustained components of the outward currents remained for up to 5.0 seconds of depolarizing step pulses. While the inactivating component was almost completely inactivated at potentials >+30 mV, the non-inactivating component showed only 10-15% inactivation. The non-inactivating component was highly sensitive to 4-AP and was inhibited by >80% at a concentration of 0.2 mM, while the inactivating component was inhibited by only 25%. The delayed rectifier potassium currents were not recorded. The ratios of the amplitudes of the inactivating and non-inactivating components varied. CONCLUSION: Two components of the voltage dependent outward K+ currents in human cardiac tissue were identified, which could be separated according to their kinetic and pharmacologic properties.
Atrial Appendage ; Humans* ; Muscle Cells* ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium ; Potassium Channels ; Thoracic Surgery

The investigation of systolic time intervals and hemodynamics was performed in 42 patients with liver cirrhosis by noninvascive methods. The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of anemia and/or ascites: i.e. group I; cirrhosis without anemia and ascites, group II; cirrhosis with ascites only, group III; cirrhosis with anemia only, and group IV; cirrhosis with ascites and anemia. In the resting state of the patients, the systolic time intervals and hemodynamic data were measured by the high speed simultaneous recordings of electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, carotid and femoral arterial pulse tracings, and compared with those obtained from 155 normal adult subjects. 1. The pulse were increased considerably in group IV, and diastolic blood pressure was elevated in group II with significance. 2. The stroke volume and cardiac output were increased significantly in group III. 3. The peripheral resistance was reduced particularly in group III, and the volume elasticit coefficient was decreased in group IV. 4. The QS1 interval was prolonged significantly in group II and IV, but QS1 interval corrected by multiple regression equation proposed by our laboratory (illustrated in the text) did not show significant difference compared with that of normal subjects. 5. The left ventricular ejection time(LVET) and total electromechanical systole(QS 2) appeared to be shortened in group II and IV, but the corrected LVET and QS 2 were not different significantly from those of the normal subjects
Adult ; Anemia ; Ascites ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Electrocardiography ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Stroke Volume ; Systole ; Vascular Resistance

The investigation of systolic time intervals and hemodynamics was performed in 42 patients with liver cirrhosis by noninvascive methods. The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of anemia and/or ascites: i.e. group I; cirrhosis without anemia and ascites, group II; cirrhosis with ascites only, group III; cirrhosis with anemia only, and group IV; cirrhosis with ascites and anemia. In the resting state of the patients, the systolic time intervals and hemodynamic data were measured by the high speed simultaneous recordings of electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, carotid and femoral arterial pulse tracings, and compared with those obtained from 155 normal adult subjects. 1. The pulse were increased considerably in group IV, and diastolic blood pressure was elevated in group II with significance. 2. The stroke volume and cardiac output were increased significantly in group III. 3. The peripheral resistance was reduced particularly in group III, and the volume elasticit coefficient was decreased in group IV. 4. The QS1 interval was prolonged significantly in group II and IV, but QS1 interval corrected by multiple regression equation proposed by our laboratory (illustrated in the text) did not show significant difference compared with that of normal subjects. 5. The left ventricular ejection time(LVET) and total electromechanical systole(QS 2) appeared to be shortened in group II and IV, but the corrected LVET and QS 2 were not different significantly from those of the normal subjects
Adult ; Anemia ; Ascites ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Electrocardiography ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Stroke Volume ; Systole ; Vascular Resistance

BACKGROUND: A history of osteoporotic fractures is strongly associated with the subsequent osteoporotic fractures. To prevent subsequent fractures, the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis following osteoporotic fractures are very important. A distal radius fracture (DRF) is the second most common type of osteoporotic fracture in South Korea. We analyzed the rate of osteoporosis diagnosis within 6 months post-DRF.METHODS: We used data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service nationwide claims database from 2010 to 2016. International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision codes and procedures codes were used to identify patients aged over 50 years with newly diagnosed DRFs; the osteoporosis assessments of these patients were then analyzed. We used Cochran-Armitage trend test to examine trends in osteoporosis diagnosis.RESULTS: A search of database identified 77,209 DRFs in patient aged above 50 years of age from 2011 to 2016. Among these patients, only 19,305 (25.0%) underwent diagnostic examination for osteoporosis. The number of osteoporosis examinations increased slightly, but not significantly, every year (P=0.061).CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians who treat DRFs shoulder also evaluated patients for osteoporosis after DRFs.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; International Classification of Diseases ; Korea ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Radius Fractures ; Radius ; Shoulder

OBJECTIVES: There has been continuous development in the area of stereoscopic medical imaging devices, and many stereoscopic imaging devices have been realized and applied in the medical field. In this article, we review past and current trends pertaining to the application stereo-imaging technologies in the medical field. METHODS: We describe the basic principles of stereo vision and visual issues related to it, including visual discomfort, binocular disparities, vergence-accommodation mismatch, and visual fatigue. We also present a brief history of medical applications of stereo-imaging techniques, examples of recently developed stereoscopic medical devices, and patent application trends as they pertain to stereo-imaging medical devices. RESULTS: Three-dimensional (3D) stereo-imaging technology can provide more realistic depth perception to the viewer than conventional two-dimensional imaging technology. Therefore, it allows for a more accurate understanding and analysis of the morphology of an object. Based on these advantages, the significance of stereoscopic imaging in the medical field increases in accordance with the increase in the number of laparoscopic surgeries, and stereo-imaging technology plays a key role in the diagnoses of the detailed morphologies of small biological specimens. CONCLUSIONS: The application of 3D stereo-imaging technology to the medical field will help improve surgical accuracy, reduce operation times, and enhance patient safety. Therefore, it is important to develop more enhanced stereoscopic medical devices.
Asthenopia ; Depth Perception ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Laparoscopy ; Patient Safety ; Vision Disparity ; Vision, Ocular

We retrospectively evaluated change of the intraocular pressure(IOP) after extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens insertion without a filtering procedure in patients who have had high IOP preoperatively. The study included 1geyes of 15 patients with a mean age of 57 years. The follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 24 months(average 7 months). Their mean preoperative IOP was 19.35 mmHg and was 14.29 mmHg about seven months after operation. The mean reduction of rap was 5.06 mmHg(26%). Mean IOP reduction was 4.82 mmHg(25%) in open-angle glaucoma and 6.09 mmHg(32%) in angleclosure glaucoma. In this study 15 of 19 eyes(79%) required glaucoma medication preoperatively. However, 6 of 15 eyes(40%) required a smaller number of medication postoperatively. Postoperatively, 18 of the 19 eyes of 95% achieved 0.6 or better visual acuity. One eye with visual acuity 0.2 was not improved due to diabetic retinopathy. Complications during surgery were not detectable. But immediate postoperative complications included hyphema(1 eye), prolonged punctate keratitis(2 eyes), cyclitic membrane(1 eye), and coneal abrasion(1 eye).
Cataract Extraction ; Cataract* ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

Among the sympathetic blocks used to treat various symptoms and diseases, including sympathetic dysfunction in pain clinics, a stellate ganglion block (SGB) is one of the easiest to apply. However, it is difficult to evaluate the effects of SGB due to the subjective nature of patient-reported data. A 26-year-old female, who presented with symptoms of coldness and sweating on both hands, received SGB 25 times on each side over a 2-month period. The effects of SGB were followed up using a cold stress test with thermography. Although the symptoms appeared again after 6 months, the recovery rate of the palmar temperature after the cold stress test improved significantly and was maintained for 18 months.
Adult ; Exercise Test ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hand ; Humans ; Pain Clinics ; Stellate Ganglion* ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Thermography*

Chylous leakage is an extremely rare complication of surgery for breast cancer. We experienced a case of chylous leakage after axillary lymph node dissection. A 38-year-old woman with invasive ductal carcinoma in the left breast underwent a modified radical mastectomy after four cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The postoperative serosanguinous drainage fluid became "milky" on the fourth postoperative day. After trying conservative management, we re-explored the axilla and ligated the lymphatic trunk. Although the success of many cases supports conservative management, timely surgical intervention represents an alternative in cases where leakage persists or where the output is high.
Adult ; Axilla ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Chyle ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical

Histopathology of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis(LAM) is studied using four new cases and six previously reported cases, which include two cases without definite evidence of LAM. The important diagnostic features of this lesion were nodular proliferation of immature smooth muscle and cleft or cyst formation within the nodules of smooth muscle cells. The nuclei of the smooth muscle cells were bigger than those of blood vessels or fibrotic lung, and the direction of nuclei was irregular. The lung parenchyma showed little inflammatory change but there were multiple air cysts with smooth muscle nodules at their margin. There were two cases with exuberant proliferation of smooth muscle nodules and two cases with papilliferous projections of the cells into lymphatic lumen. Whereas, three cases had only a few small slender nodules of smooth muscle cells at the margin of air cyst. The lymphatic lumen with smooth muscle nodules is dilated in four cases but other four cases show collapsed lumen. Pulmonary hemorrhage and hemosiderosis were prominent in three cases. There were variety of histology in terms of the cellularity of smooth muscle nodules, the size of the lymphatic lumen and the degree of pulmonary destruction, which may have significance on the clinical presentation and prognostication.
Cysts

The elimination of most anticholinesterases depends on the kidney, even if the main organ for their metabolism is the liver. Renal excretion of pyridostigmine, edrophonium and neostigmine accounts for 15%, 70% and 50%, respectively. In the absence of renal function, the serum half-life of neostigmine is prolonged, its plasma clearance is decreased However, the pharmacodynamics of neostigmine have not been determined in renal failure. This study was designed to compare the neostigmine dynamics in 18 patients with normal renal function to that in 18 patients with renal failure(Group I & II, respectively). Using the flexor carpi ulnaris EMG via ulnar nerve stimulation with Train-Of-Four(TOF) under the constant infusion of vecuronium to produce about 85%-twitch depression, the responses of neostigmine with three different doses were obtained. The results are follows; 1) The constant infusion rates of vecuronium to maintain sbout 15&-twitch height prior to the administration of neostigmine showed no significant difference between two groups. 2) Immediately prior to each dose of neostigmine, the mean values of twitch heights were 11.7 to 13.7%. 3) There was no significant difference in the onset time, maximum twitch responses and antagonism effects between two groups in respect to each same dose of nesotigmine. 4) The duration of neostigmine with the half of ED only in Group II was significantly longer than that in Group I, even if the durations with the other doses in Group II were not significantly longer than those in Group L These results suggest that the reversal effect of neostigmine to vecuronium-induced block- ade may be outlasted in patients with renal failure and the prolongation of neostigmine effeet may render some benefits to reverse the relaxants which have the limitation of its elimination in this patients.
Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; Depression ; Edrophonium ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Neostigmine* ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Plasma ; Pyridostigmine Bromide ; Renal Insufficiency* ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vecuronium Bromide*