Morphological effects of degranulation upon me-senteric mast cells of albino rats (SPrague-Dawley strain) by means of lipid administration were studied. An evident degranulation of metachromatic granules from mesenteric tissue mast cells was observed in more than half of experimental rats which were intraperitoneally given 10cc of stearic monoglyceride suspension in warm Tyrode solution (5Omg. of stearic monoglyceride in 10cc of Tyrode solution). A fairly light degranulation of metachro-matic granules from mesenteric mast cells was also displayed by the rats fed ad libitum with butter for 6 hours after being deprived of food for 24 hours.
Animals ; Cytoplasmic Granules/*drug effects ; Lipids/*pharmacology ; Mast Cells/*drug effects ; Mesentery/cytology ; Rats

No abstract available.
Child* ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Mass Screening*

Numerous open operations on the thoracic sympathetic ganglia for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis have been advocated, but have also produced several complications. A new therapeutic technique for this disorder has been introduced by combining a thoracoscope and video system. We performed thoracoscopic transthoracic sympathecomy safely and effectively in thirtyfour cases with palmar hyperhidrosis. Althought the follow up period was short, all hands of patients were dry immediately after the operation & there was no recurrence of palmar sweating. Based on our experience, this method is considered a relatively minor and safe procedure without producing significant postoperative complication, causing minimal discomfort and almost invisible scar.
Cicatrix ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglia, Sympathetic ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Sympathectomy* ; Thoracoscopes

No abstract available.
Child* ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Humans ; Plasma* ; Renal Veins* ; Renin* ; Veins*

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to compare the working memory span between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the Korean elderly population and to evaluate the effectiveness of the working memory span tests. METHODS: 32 normal controls (NC), 26 patients with MCI and 28 AD patients at a mild stage were participated in this study. We used newly devised working memory span tests (Word span test and Dot matrix) according to the components of working memory ;central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad. And the results were compared with the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K). To evaluate the effectiveness of the working memory tests and CERAD-K to screen MCI and AD, receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted. RESULTS: All subsets of the two working memory span tests showed significant decline in verbal and visuospatial working memory in AD. But there was no significant difference between NC and MCI. Compared to CERAD-K, the two working memory tests showed good effectiveness to discriminate AD. CONCLUSION: This study showed that working memory span tests could be effective diagnosing tools for detecting AD. But for the MCI, the working memory impairment was not prominent than episodic memory impairment. This is supposed to result from the various kinds of working memory components, especially the episodic buffer.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Humans ; Memory, Episodic ; Memory, Short-Term* ; Mild Cognitive Impairment* ; ROC Curve

A patient presenting with the characteristic clinical features of the dementia of Pick's type is described, in whom neuropathological examination of brain biopsy material revealed atypical features, including extensive subcotical gliosis with mild cortical neuronal loss and without any neuronal cytoskeletal inclusions (Pick bodies, neurofibrillary tangles, and Lewy bodies) and amyloid deposits (senile plaques). And she has the suggestive family history of the same clinical features in her two brothers. So, the clinical and pathological features are discussed with particular reference to typical Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease, and it is proposed that the case should be classified as familial progressive subcortical gliosis.
Alzheimer Disease ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Dementia ; Gliosis* ; Humans ; Neurofibrillary Tangles ; Neurons ; Pick Disease of the Brain ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Siblings

Leiomyosarcoma of the oral cavity is a very rare tumor that is associated with aggressive clinical behavior and low survival. In this paper, we report a case of leiomyosarcoma presenting with a gingival exophytic mass that rapidly grew, causing facial asymmetry within 16 days, in a 9-year-old boy. After an excisional biopsy, microscopy revealed a spindle cell neoplasm that, on immunohistochemistry analysis, demonstrated reactivity for SMA. This established the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma; subsequently, a marginal mandibulectomy and supraomohyoid neck dissection were performed.
Biopsy ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Facial Asymmetry ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Male ; Mandible* ; Microscopy ; Mouth ; Neck Dissection

Necrotizing sialometaplasia (NS) was defined by Abrams et al. in 1973 as a reactive necrotizing inflammatory process involving minor salivary glands of the hard palate. Before that recognition, many patients with this condition had been improperly treated because of its clinical and histologic resemblance to malignancy such as mucoepidermoid carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. We report two cases of necrotizing sialometaplasia. One case involved a 58-year-old male who had an ulcerative palatal lesion exposing underlying bone which has the typical features of the above mentioned condition. Another case involved a 59-year-old male who developed a necrotizing sialometaplasia in association with a dome-shaped palatal swelling which was proved as an adenoid cystic carcinoma after operation biopsy.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Palate ; Palate, Hard ; Salivary Gland Diseases ; Salivary Glands, Minor ; Sialometaplasia, Necrotizing* ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: IgG subclass deficiency has been reported in patients with bronchial asthma and is associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections. This study was done to identify prevalence of IgG subclass deficiency and to evaluate the possible difference between atopic and non-atopic asthmatics. Subjects and METHODS: We measured serum levels of IgG and IgG subclass in 35 asthmatic patients and 50 healthy controls using nephelometry. Reference values of each IgG subclass was defined as cumulative percentile between 2.5% to 97.5% of controls. RESULTS: Total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 of asthmatics were significantly lower than for those of controls(p<0.05, respectively). In atopic asthmatics, compared with non-atopic asthmatics, IgG4 level was significantly higher (p<0.05). The frequency of IgG subclass levels below the reference value was eight (22.9%) of 35 asthmatics. CONCLUSION: IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 were significantly lower in asthmatic patients. Some patients had IgG subclass levels below reference value. Further studies will be needed to evaluate their clinical significance.
Asthma* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Tract Infections

A case of osteoporotic bone marrow defect, which appeared as a well-defined multilocular radiolucency overlapping the roots of mandibular right second molar, was reported. On periapical radiograph, a daughter cyst-like radiolucency was seen at the anterior margin of the lesion making it difficult to rule out odontogenic keratocyst.
Bone Marrow* ; Mandible ; Molar ; Nuclear Family ; Odontogenic Cysts ; Periapical Diseases