OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to find out mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid mutations in preeclampsia because Mendelian models fail to explain all the patterns of inheritance in preeclampsia. METHODS: Ten preeclampsia patients and two of their related family members who have the obstetric history of preeclampsia were studied. The mitochondrial transfer ribonucleic acidleu[UUR] gene was amplified using polymerase chain reaction, cut by a restriction endonuclease (Apa , and also sequenced to see the whole gene. RESULTS: There were neither the known mutation at Nucleotide 3243 nor other mutations on the mitochondrial transfer ribonucleic acidleu[UUR] gene in these objects. CONCLUSION: It seems that the known mutation of mitochondrial transfer ribonucleic acidleu[UUR] gene is not so frequently detected in preeclampsia of South Korean, But it could not be concluded how many South Korean women with preeclampsia have the mutation.
DNA ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; Female ; Humans ; Point Mutation* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; RNA* ; Wills

No abstract available.
Female ; Ovary* ; Teratoma*

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of emergency cervical cerclage in the treatment of advanced cervical incompetence, a prospective clinical trial was performed in 18 patients with advanced cervical incompetence at 20 to 25 weeks gestation. Modified McDonalds operation with or without transabdominal amniocentesis was used for cervical cerclage. Pregnancy was prolonged for a sufficient time to deliver viable fetuses in 56.3% of patients. The median procedure-to-delivery interval was 8.6 (range 0.1 to 20.5) weeks for the entire group, and 13.9 (range 6.5 to 20.5) weeks for 9 patients who achieved live birth. The median gestational age at delivery was 38.6 (range 28.3 to 41.0) weeks for the live infants. The median birthweight of the live infants was 3062 g (range 1050 to 3620 g). The lack of significant matemal morbidity combined with the results for the fetus-infant supports further efforts in this area.
Amniocentesis ; Cerclage, Cervical ; Emergencies* ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Live Birth ; Pregnancy ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the signal intensity and size of anterior pituitary gland in postpartum women, and to compare with those of control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 34 postpartum women(18-43 years, mean:27 years) and another 35 control nonpregnant women(20-29 years, mean :24 years), midsagittal Tl-weighted MR images were obtained. The signal intensity and height of the anterior pituitary gland were compared between the post-partum and normal control groups. RESULTS: In postpartum women, the signal intensity of the anterior pituitary gland relative to the pons was higher than that of the control gorup. Pituitary gland height of postpartum women was higher(5-11. 8mm, mean:8.18 +/- 1.8mm) than that of control group(2-9mm, mean :6.2 +/- 1.7mm). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the hyperintensity of the anterior pituitary gland on Tl-weighted image is a normal finding in postpartum women, which is useful in differentiation from pituitary abnormality.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Pons ; Postpartum Period*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing* ; Mice*

In order to evaluate the value of vertebral angiography in assessment of hemifacial spasm, we reviewed retrospectively the vertebral angiography of 28 patients(30 cases) with surgically proved hemifacial spasm but normal CT scans of posterior fossa. There were 9 males and 19 females. Angiography revealed vascular focus of hemifacial spasm located at anterior inferior cerebellar artery, posterior inferior cerebellar artery, and vertebral artery in 19, 9, and 2 cases respectively. Right side was involved in 20 cases. All involved vessels were elongated, tortuous, and dilated. In conclusion, vertebral angiography was valuable in evaluating hemifacial spasm of vascular origin in the posterior fossa.
Angiography* ; Arteries ; Female ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vertebral Artery

beta-receptor antagonist as antihypertensive agent has adverse effect such as vasoconstriction, bronchoconstriction and aggravation of atherosclerosis. So beta-receptor antagonist with alpha-receptor blocking property has been studied for avoidance of adverse effects of beta-receptor antagonist. Nipradilol, a new beta-receptor antagonist with alpha-receptor blocking property was administrated in 30 essential hypertensive patients for 10 week in order to evaluate the antihypertensive effects and adverse effects. The results were as follows: 1) Nipradilol was effective in 20 patients(67%) on systolic blood pressure 22 patients (73%) on diastolic blood pressure at the end of 10 weeks treatment. 2)Before medication, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in sitting position were 160+/-14mmHg and 102+/-18mmHg,and after 10 weeks of medication, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly declined to 143+/-22mmHg and 89+/-12mmHg(p<0.001). 3) There was no significant change in pulse rate, from 78+/-12 beats per minute the beginning of the treatment to 75+/-11 beats per minute after 10 week of treatment. 4) There was no significant changes in sodium, potassium, GOT, GPT, bilirubin, alkalin ephosphatase, BUN, creatinine, LDH, CPK and lipid. 5) The adverse effects of nipradilol were bradycardia(7%), dyspnea(3%), chest discomfort(3%) and headache(3%). In summary, nipradilol seemed to be effective antihyertensive drug in treating mild to moderate hypertension.
Atherosclerosis ; Bilirubin ; Blood Pressure ; Bronchoconstriction ; Creatinine ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Potassium ; Sodium ; Thorax ; Vasoconstriction

The study was conducted to determine the lateral tibio-articular angle of ankle joint in 100 korean adults(160 cases) ranging from second to eight decades of age. The authors have defined as the lateral tibio-articular angle of ankle joint, that is the sharp angle between the lateral tibial axis which is the lateral longitudinal line through each midpoints of the upper and lower one third of the tibia, and the line to connect the anterior and posterior tips of the tibial articular surface of ankle joint. 1. It was 79.3°±3.4°in all cases. 2. It was 79.2°±3.6°in male and 79.6°±2.7°in female. It was reduced in male approximately 0.4°compared with female. 3. It was 79.1°±3.1°in the left side and 79.5°±3.6°in the right side. It was reduced approximately 0.4°in the left side compared with the right side. 4. It was reduced approximately 0.9°in the left side compared with both sides of the same person.
Adult ; Ankle Joint ; Ankle ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Statistics as Topic ; Tibia

PTC is the single most valuable diagnostic method available to evaluate the size, shape and site of the causesof obstuctive jaundice among various radiological procedures. The authors reviewed and radiologically classifiedthe PTC films of 203 cases of obstructive jaundice from July 1977 to June 1983 at Presbyterian Medical Center,Jeon-ju confirmed clinically, operatively and pathologically. The resuls are as follows; 1. The most common causeof obstructive jaundice was bile duct stoen (64/203:31.53%) and the other causes were bile duct cancer(43/203:21.18%), pancreas cancer(41/203:20.19%), biliary ascariasis &/or clonorchiasis(20/203:9.85%), ampulla andduodenal cancer (7/203:3.45%), fibrotic stenosis of sphincter of Oddi(6/203: 2.96%) etc. in that order. Of theseprimary involvement with cancer was more frequent (91/203:44.33%) than stone. 2. 88.33%(179/203) of patients wasover 40-year-of- age and the sex ratio between male and female was about 2:1. 3. The average maximal diameter ofextrahepatic bile duct just proximal to the site of obstruction or stenosis by stones or by cancers was nearlyequal(2.36cm:2.38cm). 4. Cancers caused complete bile duct obstruction in about 75%(68/91) of cases and also wereassociated with intrahepatic duct dilatation about 92%(84/91) of cases. But in contrast biliary calculi showedgood drainage of contrast medium in 75%(48/64) of cases and 92%(59/64) showed normal diameter of intrahepaticduct. 5. The differential PTC findings between bile duct cancer and pancreas cancer were not so distinct but inbiel duct cancer the obstruction site of the bile duct was more irregular and serrated than pancreas cancer, whilethe latter showed a more downward convexity and a smoother end. Moreover annular filling defect with overhangingedges was seen only in bile duct cancer.
Ascariasis ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile Ducts ; Cholestasis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dilatation ; Drainage ; Female ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Male ; Methods ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Protestantism ; Sex Ratio

Hypertensive encephalopathy is an acute clinical syndrome that shows central nerve dysfunction with sudden and marked elevation in blood pressure. But its pathophysiologic mechanisms, clinical courses and prognosis are still not clear. In order to study clinical manifestations and response to treatment in patients with hypertensive encephalopathy, we reviewed 45 patients with hypertensive encephalopathy who were admitted in Dept. of Internal Medicine, National Medical Center, from January 1975 to December 1984. The following results were obtained: 1) The ratio of male to female was 1.1:1. The peak age of incidence was in the 6th and 7th decade with mean age of 57.5 years. 2) Among 45 patients, only 29 had known history of hypertension and the average duration of hypertension was 8.1+/-3.6 years. 3) The most common sympotm was severe headache (68.9%). And altered consciousness, nausea and/or vomiting, focal neurologic signs and visual disturbance were also common symptoms in decreasing order of frequency. 4) Funduscopic examination showed hypertensive retinopathy in 20 of 24 (91.7%) patients and lumbar puncture revealed increased CSF pressure in 12 of 20 (60%) patients. 5) In most patients, the mean interval to symptomatic improvement was 2.1 days after administration of anti hypertensive agents, but in 6 patients with initial mean arterial blood pressure above 170mmHg, 4 patients showed delayed response and 2 patients were expired.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Consciousness ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertensive Encephalopathy* ; Hypertensive Retinopathy ; Incidence ; Internal Medicine ; Male ; Nausea ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prognosis ; Spinal Puncture ; Vomiting