We report a case of cerebral lymphomatoid granulomatosis in a 50-year-old man. Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is an unusual condition which usually presents as a pulmonary manifestation, which occasionally affects the brain, and causes focal inflammatory lesions. Primary cerebral lymphomatoid granulomatosis is very rare. We describe a case of lymphomatoid granulomatosis in the left frontal lobe without pulmonary involvement.
Brain ; Frontal Lobe* ; Humans ; Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis* ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: Pigment production and acidification of ribose are most frequently used biochemical tests for the differentiation of three enterococcal species carrying vanC genes such as Enterococcus gallinarum, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Enterococcus flavescens. However, pigment production may occasionally be negative in E. casseliflavus, and some of E. casseliflavus may be negative or delayed reaction with ribose fermentation test. So, we performed this study to find out biochemical tests capable of distinguishing the strains possessing vanC genotypes. METHOD: A total of 17 enterococci composed of 14 clinical isolates with motility or pigment positive strains and three ATCC strains(E. gallinarum ATCC 49573, E. casseliflavus ATCC 25788, and E. flavescens ATCC 49997) Were tested by multiplex PCR of the vanC genes(vanC-1, vanC-2 and vanC-3)and various biochemical tests. RESULTS: Among the 17 isolates including three ATCC control strains, four were genotyped as VanC-1, 11 were VanC-2, one were vanC-2/3, and any of vanC genes were not detected in one clinical isolate, respectively, Among the enterococci with vanC genotype, acid production from alphaD-cyclodextrin and hippurate hydrolysis were positive only in VanC-1 gneotype(E. gallinarum), acid production from glycerol and methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside were positive only in vanC-2 genotype(E. casseliflavus), and acid production from rhamnose and pigment production were negative only in VanC-1 genotype. Acid production from alphaD-cyclodextrin was negative only in vanC-2 genotype. The positive rate of ribose fermentation of VanC-1, VanC-2, and VanC-2/3(E. flavescens) genotype were 100%, 82%, and 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Acid production from rhamnose, alphaD-cyclodextrin, betaD-cyclodextrin, glycerol and methly-alphaD-mannopyranoside, pigment production, and hippurate hydrolysis test were useful biochemical tests for differentitating E. gallinarum form E. casseliflavus. The production of acid from alphaD-cyclodextrin, glycerol, methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside and were suitable biochemical tests for differentiating E. casseliflavus from E. flavescens.
Enterococcus ; Fermentation ; Genotype ; Glycerol ; Hydrolysis ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Phenotype* ; Rhamnose ; Ribose

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the complications, duration of admission, cost effectiveness, radiologic stabilization of the anterior cervical bone fusion in the treatment of cervical disc disease with and without plating. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two surgically treated patients for cervical disc disease were reviewed. Group I consisted of consecutive treated patients with iliac auto-bone graft without instrumentation after anterior cervical discectomy. Group II consisted of consecutive treated patients with iliac autologous-bone graft with CASPER cervical plate fixations. Radiologic fusion was decided when loss of end plate boundary between graft bone and vertebral body and immobile, maintenance of the disc space were evident on simple dynamic plain films. The patients were discharged after the stabilization of cervical motion by films was of tained. These groups were analysed multiple variably with Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Group I consisted of 18 patients, group II consisted of 34 patients. Mean age was 49.0+/-8.1 years, mean duration of admission was 17.27+/-10.51 days, mean costs for treatment was 1,970,000+/-475,000 won. In group I, mean age was 47.7(34-60) years, 16 patients had undergo on one-level operation, 2-patients had undergo on two-level operation, mean duration of admission was 28.7+/-10.4 days, mean costs for treatment was 2,194,473+/-561,639 won. The periods of stabilization was 6.6+/-3.36 weeks on radiologic study. Mean periods of out patient follow up was 16.8(6-64) weeks after discharge. Mean period of radiologic follow up was 17.3(4-6) weeks after surgical operation. In group II, mean age was 49.7(37-62) years and 18 patients one-level operation, 14-patients had undergo on two-level operation and 2-patients three-level operation. Mean duration of admission was 11.24+/-3.29 days, mean costs for treatment was 1,850,823+/-389,372 won. The periods of stabilization was 5.88+/-7.07 weeks on radiologic study. Mean period of out patients follow up was 16.7(4-60) weeks after discharge. Mean period of radiologic follow up was 12.4(3-52) weeks after surgical operation. The duration of admission showed statistical significance in Group II but other items showed no significant difference between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The more economic, early life return and effective method of cervical disc disease in our series were evident in patients who had undergone, iliac bone graft and plate fixations after anterior discectomy.
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Transplants*

The crossing laminar screw fixation might be the most recently developed approach among various fixation techniques for C2. The new construct has stability comparable to transarticular or transpedicular screw fixation without risk of vertebral artery injury. Quantitative anatomical studies about C2 vertebra suggest significant variation in the thickness of C2 lamina as well as cross sectional area of junction of lamina and spinous process. We present an elderly patient who underwent an occipito-cervical stabilization incorporating crossed C2 laminar screw fixation. We preoperatively recognized that she had low profiles of C2 lamina, and thus made a modification of trajectory for the inferiorly crossing screw. We introduce a simple modification of crossing C2 laminar screw technique to improve stability in patients with low laminar profiles.
Aged ; Humans ; Spine ; Vertebral Artery

PURPOSE: Various vasopressor agents are used to raise systemic vascular resistance (SVR) during liver transplantation. After grafted liver was reperfused, postreperfusion syndrome could be treated with various vasopressors. However, epinephrine can decrease the splanchnic perfusion and oxygen saturation and then hepatic blood flow would be jeopardized. Decreased hepatic blood flow might result in centrilobular necrosis which contributes to disruption of liver functions. We tried to know the effect of epinephrine on tissue perfusion of the liver. METHODS: In this study, measurement of hepatic microcirculation (HMC) and hemodynamic changes was performed in eight dogs to investigate the effect of vasopressors on hepatic microcirculation. Animals were divided into four groups in which low-dose epinephrine (0.05mug/Kg/min) and high-dose epinephrine (0.5mug/Kg/min) were randomly infused into the systemic vein and portal vein (1/6 of systemic dose) for ten minutes. Hepatic microcirculation was measured by Thermal Diffusion Probe. RESULTS: At low-dose systemic infusion of epinephrine, mean arterial bloodpressure (MABP), cardiac output (CO), and hepatic microcirculation (HMC) were significantly increased but systemic vascular resistance (SVR) was decreased. On high-dose epinephrine, MABP, CO (P=0.01), and SVR were significantly increased without changes of HMC. Intraportal infusion of low- and high-dose epinephrine increased hepatic vein pressure and SVR, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results would provide clues that systemic low-dose epinephrine infusion is enough to raise HMC and high-dose infusion of epinephrine to raise SVR could be used without jeopardizing HMC.
Animals ; Cardiac Output ; Dogs ; Epinephrine ; Hemodynamics ; Hepatic Veins ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Microcirculation* ; Necrosis ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Portal Vein ; Thermal Diffusion* ; Transplants ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasoconstrictor Agents ; Veins

Microvascular tissue transfers have facilitated primary closure of various complex defects after radical ablation of head and neck cancers. From Oct 1991 to Feb 1992, we used forearm free flap in two patients and delto-pectoral flap in one patient who had preoperative irradiation for pharyngoesophageal reconstruction. The stricture and fistula formation were most troublesome complication in forearm free flap, so we designed as lazy S shape in distal flap margin to prevent circular contraction and longitudinal margin was deepithelialized (5 mm) and sutured double layer to withstand fistular formation and this can be considered useful in place of a free jejuna transfer.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Fistula ; Forearm ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Head ; Humans ; Neck

No abstract available.
Animals ; Female ; Horns* ; Humans ; Uterus*

No abstract available.
Polycystic Kidney Diseases* ; Ultrasonography*

Kostmann's disease is a rare hematologic disease entity which is characterized by persistent neutropenia and recurrent bacterial infections since early in infancy. The authors experienced a 2-month-old female infant with disseminated bacterial skin infection since 3 weeks of age and persistent neutropenia. Diagnosis was made by neutropenia in the peripheral blood, maturation arrest of myeloid hemopoiesis at myelocyte stage in the finding of bone marrow aspiration and improving response of neutropenia with G-CSF administration. She had experienced 4 episodes of sepsis and one episode of acute otitis externa during follow-up until 14 months of age.
Bacterial Infections ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Granulocyte Precursor Cells ; Hematologic Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Neutropenia ; Otitis Externa ; Sepsis ; Skin

BACKGROUND: To pass through the microcirculation, erythrocytes need to undergo considerable deformation. We performed an experiment to investigate the erythrocyte deformability in healthy adults and in patients with uncontrolled hypertension and controlled hypertension. METHODS: 5ml of whole blood is anticoagulated with 2mg ethylenediaminotetra-acetic acid(EDTA). 1ml graduated plastic syringe, without its plunger, is filled with anticoagulated whole blood to the 1ml mark, And the syringe is put into the assembled membrane holder. Under standard condition, whole blood is passed through a 5micro polycarbonate membrane filter under negative pressure of 20cm H2O. The studies are performed at roon temperature and within two hours of venipuncture. RESULTS: Erythrocyte deformability was observed in 91 normal healthy adults and 25 patients with uncontrolled hypertension and 18 patients with controlled hypertension. Following results were obtained. 1) In male control age group I, II, III, the erythrocyte deformability indices were 0.776+/-0.125, 0.792+/-0.189, and 0.714+/-0.172 respectively and in female the indices were 0.880+/-0.138, 0.865+/-0.182 and 0.796+/-0.170 accordingly. 2) THe RBC deformability indices in female control troup were significantly higher than the male group in statistics(p<0.05). 3) No significant differences were observed among each age group in control. 4) In patients with uncontrolled hypertension, each age group I, II and III, the erythrocyte deformability indices were 0.785+/-0.050, 0.775+/-0.122, and 0.692+/-0.133 respectively and in control group, the indices were 0.8365+/-0.140, 0.8252+/-0.186 and 0.7534+/-0.173 accordingly. And in patients with controlled hypertension, the indices were 0.820+/-0.00, 0.788+/-0.135 and 0.716+/-0.141 accordingly. 5) The erythrocyte deformability inddex in patients with uncontrolled hypertension were significantly lower than the control group(p<0.05), and no significant differences were observed among each age group between male and female in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. 6) There was no significant statistical difference of deformability indices between uncontrolled group and controlled group(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the erythrocyte deformability in patients with essential hypertension is significantly lower than the healthy adults.
Adult ; Erythrocyte Deformability* ; Erythrocytes* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Membranes ; Microcirculation ; Phlebotomy ; Plastics ; Syringes