PURPOSE: To determine the effects of massage therapy on growth, development, hormones, immune function, hepatic function, hematopoietic function and sleep pattern of preterm infants. METHODS: Thirty-one preterm infants of less than 35 weeks gestational age, who were admitted to Eulji Medical College Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between August 1998 and May 1999, and were in the state without mechanical ventilation or oxygen therapy, and hemodynamically stable with no acute disease state non congenital anomaly, and who were also fed by oral route or gastric tube, were enrolled in this study. The randomly selected massage group(15 neonates) received three 15-minute periods of tactile and kinesthetic stimulation daily for 7 days, and the control group(16 neonates) received general nursing care. We measured gastrin, thyroid function test, serum cortisol, CH50, IgG, IgM, CBC and liver function test in both groups before and after the study. During observation for 7 days, neonate behaviors were recorded every hour for 10sec using the analysis of 6 sleep-wake states. RESULTS: Although the massage group showed slight differences in blood level of Thyroid stimulating hormone, CH50, hemoglobin, hematocrit and body weight and alertness as compared with control group, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Several positive effects of massage on the preterm infants that have been reported previously must be reevaluated.
Acute Disease ; Body Weight ; Gastrins ; Gestational Age ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Liver Function Tests ; Massage* ; Nursing Care ; Oxygen ; Respiration, Artificial ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyrotropin

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B Vaccines* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Histocompatibility Antigens* ; Histocompatibility* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Kidney* ; Survival Rate* ; Transplants*

Bartter syndrome is a renal tubular defect in electrolyte transport characterized by hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, hyperreninemia, hyperaldosteronism, normal blood pressure, and other clinical symptoms. As a clinical and genetical heterogeneous disorder, this syndrome can be classified into two clinical variants, antenatal Bartter syndrome and classic Bartter syndrome according to the onset age. Nephrocalcinosis is common in antenatal Bartter syndrome, but is rare in classic Bartter syndrome. It can also be classified into five genetic subtypes by the underlying mutant gene, all of which are expressed in the tubular epithelial cells of the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. Patients with Bartter syndrome type 1, 2 and 4 present at a younger age than classic Bartter syndrome type 3. We have experienced a case of Bartter syndrome with nephrocalcinosis in a 42-year-old woman diagnosed by biochemical and radiologic studies. We had successful response with potassium chloride and spironolactone.
Adult* ; Age of Onset ; Alkalosis ; Bartter Syndrome* ; Blood Pressure ; Epithelial Cells ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism ; Hypokalemia ; Loop of Henle ; Nephrocalcinosis* ; Potassium Chloride ; Spironolactone

PURPOSE: To evaluate functional MR imaging of the motor speech area with and without motor stimulation duringthe rest period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine healthy, right-handed volunteers(M:F=7:2, age:21-40years) wereincluded in this study. Brain activity was mapped using a multislice, gradient echo single shot EPI on a 1.5T MRscanner. The paradigm consisted on a series of alternating rest and activation tasks, performed six times. Each volunteer in the first study(group A) was given examples of motor stimulation during the rest period, while eachin the second study(group B) was not given examples of a rest period. Motor stimulation in group A was achieved bycontinuously flexing five fingers of the right hand. In both groups, maximum internal word generation was achievedduring the activation period. Using fMRI analysis software(Stimulate 5.0) and a cross-correlationmethod(background threshold, 200; correlation threshold, 0.3; ceiling, 1.0; floor, 0.3; minimal count, 3),functional images were analysed. After correlating the activated foci and a time-signal intensity curve, theactivated brain cortex and number of pixels were analysed and compared between the two tasks. The t-test was usedfor statistical analysis. RESULT: In all nine subjects in group A and B, activation was observed in and adjacentto the left Broca's area. The mean number of activated pixels was 31.6 in group A and 27.8 in group B, adifference which was not statistically significant(P>0.1). Activities in and adjacent to the right Broca 's areawere seen in seven of group A and four of group B. The mean number of activated pixels was 14.9 in group A and 18in group B. Eight of nine volunteers in group A showed activity in the left primary motor area with negativecorrelation to the time-signal intensity curve. The mean number of activated pixels for this group was 17.5. Inthree volonteers, activation in the right primary motor area was also observed, the mean number of activatedpixels in these cases was 10.0. CONCLUSION: During the rest period, functional MR imaging of the motor speechcenter combined with motor stimulation was more effective than that without stimulation, and simultaneouslyprovided mapping of the primary motor area.
Brain ; Fingers ; Hand ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Volunteers

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, which is also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a cardiac syndrome of a transient, reversible left ventricular dysfunction that is caused by emotional and/or physical stress and surgery. Its clinical manifestations are similar to those of myocardial ischemia without a coronary artery lesion. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is more common in middle-aged women, and the prognosis is favorable. We report the case of a 50-year-old female patient who underwent a total gastrectomy and developed stress-induced cardiomyopathy after surgery.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Cardiomyopathies ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Prognosis ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Silicone fluid is a biomaterial widely used in modern cosmetic procedures because there are few side effects, considerable chemical stability and predictable physical properties. However, many local and systemic adverse reactions have reported. In particular some serious pulmonary complications have been reported such as pulmonary thromboembolism, acute respiratory distress syndrome with some cases leading to mortality. Most of the serious complicated cases were induced by an illegal silicone fluid injection. We experienced two cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome with pulmonary hemorrhage induced by an illegal silicone fluid injection. The patients were 41 & 51 year old women, who complained of dyspnea. The chest X-ray and HRCT scan findings showed a bilateral ground glass attenuation on the bilateral dependent portion of the upper and middle lung zone. The patients clinical symptoms and the radiologic and other laboratory findings were compatible with acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by the silicon fluid injection. Here we report two cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome with pulmonary hemorrhage induced by an illegal silicone injection with a review of the relevant literature.
Dyspnea ; Female ; Glass ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Lung ; Mortality ; Perineum* ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Silicon* ; Silicones* ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Consolidation Chemotherapy* ; Induction Chemotherapy* ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute*

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a progressive systemic fibrosing disease that may occur after gadolinium contrast exposure. It can lead to severe complications and even death.NSF is highly prevalent among patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this report, however, we describe the case of a patient with NSF that occurred during early CKD. A 65-year-old man with stage 3a CKD was transferred to our hospital because of lower extremity edema. The medical history revealed that he was exposed to gadolinium 185 days earlier, and the result of his tibial skin biopsy was consistent with NSF. The patient underwent a combined therapy with ultraviolet-A1 phototherapy and methotrexate and steroid therapy for 6 months. The combined therapy stopped the systemic progression of NSF.