Clinical characteristics of papular-purpuric gloves and socks syndrome consist of a purpuric erythema affecting the hands and feet in a gloves and stocking distribution. It is sometimes associated with fever and oral lesions. The disease is self-limiting and resolves within 1 to 2 weeks. Serological studies have shown that there is an association with parvovirus B19 infection in most patients affected by this syndrome. We report a case of gloves and socks syndrome in a 21-year-old female. She had a 4-day history of papular-purpuric eruptions of the hands and feet in a gloves-and-socks distribution. She also complained of fever(up to 39C) during the first 2 or 3 days of clinical onset. The oral mucosa was normal and there were no palpable lymph nodes. Laboratory and histopathological findings were non-specific. However, human parvovirus B19 DNA was detected in the serum by a polymerase chain reaction. Systemic manifestations were transient and disappeared within a few days, whereas the skin lesions resolved gradually over a period of 2 weeks.
DNA ; Erythema ; Female ; Fever ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mouth Mucosa ; Parvovirus ; Parvovirus B19, Human ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: To access the accuracy and clinical usefulness of microplate identification (ID) system for the identification of Enterobacteriaceae, we compared microplate ID system with API 20E(bioMerieux, Etoile, France). METHODS: Ninety-two cultures of Enterobacteriaceae and one isolate of Aeromonas species were simultaneously identified by microplate ID system and the API 20E. Twenty biochemical tests used in microplate ID system were lactose, sucrose, and H2S in Kligler's iron agar media; indole, sucrose, raffinose, arabinose, trehalose, adonitol, dulcitol, sorbitol, cellibiose, methy-red, phenylalanine deaminase, ornithine decarboxylase, lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydrolase, urease, and citrate in microplate; and oxidase test. The identification was obtained by considering percent likelihood(% ID), modal frequency and ID score method. RESULTS: Among the 92 cultures of Enterobacteriaceae and one isolate of Aeromonas species, agreement rate of identification according to the % ID between microplate ID system and API 20E were 90.3% to the species level and 97.8% to the genus level. CONCLUSIONS: For the identification of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates, the microplate ID system compares favorably with API 20E in identification accuracy and have the advantage of costsaving and easy to use.
Aeromonas ; Agar ; Arabinose ; Arginine ; Citric Acid ; Enterobacteriaceae* ; Galactitol ; Iron ; Lactose ; Lysine ; Ornithine Decarboxylase ; Oxidoreductases ; Phenylalanine ; Raffinose ; Ribitol ; Sorbitol ; Sucrose ; Trehalose ; Urease

We present two cases of focal fatty sparing caused by a nontumorous arterioportal shunt. Two patients underwent ultrasonography (US) as a part of routine medical screening, which revealed a hypoechoic lesion in the diffuse fatty liver. Each lesion appeared to be an arterioportal shunt on triphasic mutidetector computed tomography (CT) and was seen as being slightly hyperdense on noncontrast CT. No tumors were delineated around or within the arterioportal shunt. Both lesions remained unchanged on six-month follow-up US.
Fatty Liver* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Ultrasonography

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is widely used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas. We report a case of mult iple liver abscess with bile duct necrosis following gallbladder infarction after TACE in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. A 62-year old man, wit h four cm sized hepatocellular carcinoma in right lobe, was treat ed by TACE for six times during 18 months. Two days after the last TACE, acute cholecystitis occurred and antibiotics were used until the recovery of cholecystitis. After two months, abdominal CT scan revealed a gas containing liver abscess and percutaneous transhepatic drainage was performed. Cholangiography via drainage cathet er showed findings of bile duct necrosis. Ant ibiotics sensit ive to the causative organism were administered intravenously. However, the abscess persisted despite of treatment for three mont hs.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ants ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiography ; Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Drainage ; Fendiline ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Infarction ; Liver Abscess* ; Liver* ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of fat saturation fast spin-echo T2WI for patients with mild acute trauma of the spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 1998 and June 2002, 36 patients with acute spinal trauma underwent MRI within four months of injury. One, whose clinal symptoms indicated neurological paralysis, was excluded form our study. A superconductive 1.0-T MRI scanner was used, and conventional T1W1, T2WI, and additional fat-saturation fast spin-echo T2WI were performed. Two radiologists compared conventional T2-weighted sagittal imaging and fat-saturation T2-weighted sagittal imaging in terms of the extension of increased high signal intensities in soft tissue and vertebral bodies, bone marrow signal change, disk herniation, and signal change of the disk. RESULTS: The detection rate of focal high signal intensities in soft tissue and bone marrow was significantly higher at fat-saturation fast spin-echo T2WI than at conventional T2WI. CONCLUSION: Fat-saturation fast spin-echo T2WI is useful for the evaluation of patients with mild acute spinal trauma without neurological impairment.
Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paralysis ; Spine

PURPOSE: To assess the value of dynamic fast infusion of contrast material in the detection and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) with spiral CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-phase dynamic spiral CT was performed in 59 patients with 104 HCCs. 150ml of nonionic contrast material was injected with an automatic injector at the rateof 5 ml/sec. Two-phase images were obtained at 20-45 sec(arterial dominant phase) and 2-5 min(equilibrium phase)after the initiation of bolus injection of contrast material. The tumors were divided into three groups(<3cm,3-5cm, and >5cm) according to the size and the enhancement patterns on two-phase images were compared. RESULTS: Inthe arterial phase, HCCs showed total or partial hyperattenuation in 79% of cases(82/104), isoattenuation in 12%,and hypoattenuation in 9%. In the equilibrium phase, HCCs showed hypoattenuation in 86%(89/104) and isoattenuationin 14%. The most common and characteristic enhancement patterns of HCCs were hyperattenuation in the arterialphase and hypoattenuataion in the equilibrium phase ; in the latter, capsules were demonstrated in 45% of cases. Invasions of the portal and/or hepatic vein were demonstrated in 34% of cases. CONCLUSION: Dynamic fastinfusion(5ml/sec) of contrast material(150ml) is useful in the detection and diagnosis of HCCs with spiral CT.
Capsules ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diagnosis ; Hepatic Veins ; Humans ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of dynamic spiral computed tomography(CT) during the portal phase with ahigher IV injection rate of contrast material in detecting hepatic metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed two-phase dynamic spiral CT in 44 patients with hepatic metastases of pathologically proven primary malignancy. One hundred and fifty ml. of non-ionic contrast material was administered with a power injector at a rate of 5ml/sec., and two-phase images at 55-80 sec.(portal phase) and 2-5 min.(equilibrium phase) were obtained after thestart of bolus injection. Two phase images were compared for detectability of hepatic metastases according tosize, number and enhancement pattern. RESULTS: In cases of metastases less than 1cm, 113 lesions(100%) that showed clearly defined hypodense lesions were detected in the portal phase of dynamic CT. However, the equilibriumphase images showed hypodense lesions in 58 cases(51%) and isodense lesions in 55cases(49%). In cases of metastases 1-2cm in size, the portal phase images detected 70 hypodense lesions(92%) and six hyperdense lesions(8%). In the equilibrium phase, however, the lesions were hypodense in 54 cases(71%), hyperdense infour(5%), and isodense in 18(24%). In cases of metastases larger than 2 cm, portal phase images showed 29 hypodense lesions(97%) and one hyperdense lesion(3%). In the equilibrium phase, however, the lesions were hypodense in 25 cases(83%), hyperdense in two(7%), and mixed in three(10%). As compared with the portal phase, most metastatic lesions were detected as poorly defined hypodense or isodense lesions in the equilibrium phase and decrease in size due to peripheral enhancement. CONCLUSION: Dynamic spiral CT during the portal phase with a higher IV injection rate(5 ml/sec) of contrast material is a useful method for detecting hepatic metastases, especially small lesions less than 1cm.
Humans ; Liver* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

Breast is a typical female sexual physiologic organ that is influenced by steroid hormone from menarche until menopause. Therefore various diseases can be developed by continuous action of estrogen and progesterone. Breast diseases are mainly categorized as benign and malignant. It is very important to distinguish the malignancy from breast diseases. However, it is very difficult to diagnose malignancy in pregnant and lactating women even though the same breast diseases took place. Therefore, we will review breast diseases such as breast carcinoma during pregnancy and lactation.
Breast ; Breast Diseases ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Lactation ; Menarche ; Menopause ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone

Isolated fetal ascites may be different from general category of nonimmune hydrops in both prenatal course and prognosis. We experienced one case of isolated fetal ascites of unknown origin treated by in utero ultrasound-directed paracentesis and so present it with brief review of literature.
Ascites* ; Edema ; Paracentesis* ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: One of major consideration of any identification (ID) system is the cost. Commercial kits, however, are too expensive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the computerized ID system based on the conventional minimal biochemical tests for the identification of clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. METHODS: During June 1996 to April 1997, Enterobacteriaceae were tested by triple sugar iron, motility, indole, ornithine decarboxylase, and citrate, and 2-4 biochemical tests were tested additionally according to the characteristics of colony on MacConkey agar. We also compared the conventional ID system with API Rapid 32E (ATB system, bioMrieux, France) to determine the accuracy of conventional ID system. RESULTS: Among the 3,652 strains of Enterobacteriaceae, 84.4% were identified by conventional tests. The identification rate of Enterobacteriaceae by conventional tests; K. pneumoniae, E. coli, P. stuartii, M. morganii, and P. mirabilis were more than 80%; K. oxytoca, Enterobacter, and S. marcescens were ranged from 70% to 80%; P. vulgaris, P. rettgeri, and C. freundii were less than 70%. Among the 133 isolates tested simultaneously by two ID systems, each of one strain of M. morganii, E. cloacae, and S. marcescens on conventional minimal biochemical tests were identified as E. coli, E. sakazakii, and S. liquefaciens by commercial kit. CONCLUSIONS: Our computerized ID system based on the minimal biochemical tests was found to offer simple, reliable and economic in the identification of clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. And further studies are needed for the improvement of accuracy and identification rate.
Agar ; Citric Acid ; Cloaca ; Enterobacter ; Enterobacteriaceae* ; Iron ; Mirabilis ; Ornithine Decarboxylase ; Pneumonia