PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate that sequential CT scans after oral contrast ingestion can show morphological and functional status of the biliary tree, especially for the gallbladder and assess whether the CT scans demonstrate other radiological informations than conventional oral cholecystography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty volunteers in third decades and eight patients with hepatobiliary disease were included for the study. CT scans were obtained 3, 6, 9, 12 hours after oral contrast ingestion and thirty minutes after fat meal in thiry volunteers. Conventional oral cholecystography was also obtained in all volunteers at 12 hours after oral contrast ingestion and after fat meal. We evaluate opacification of gallbladder, biliary tree, and duodenum by contrast media on CT scans and attenuation values of gallbladder, common hepatic duct and common bile duct in each artatomic area on CT and its sequential change. CT scans were performed 6 hours after oral contrast ingestion in eight patients with hepatobiliary disease. And gallbladder function was evaluated by opacification of gallbladder by contrast media in all patients. RESULTS: In thirty volunteers, opacified gallbladder by contrast media was seen in all cases in all sequential periods of time on CT scans, but in 22 cases on conventional oral cholecystography. Contrast-filled intrahepatic ducts were demonstrated in 3 cases at 3 hours after oral contrast ingestion and 11 cases at 6 hours and were not seen thereafter. Contrast-filled common hepatic duct was noted in 28, 18 and 4 cases respectively at 3, 6 and 9 hours after oral contrast ingestion and the CT attenuation values of common hepatic ducts had become progressively decreased. Contrast-filled common bile duct was noted in 28, 18 and 4 cases respectively at 3, 6 and 9 hours and the CT attenuation values of common bile ducts were not changed untill 9 hours but slightly increased at 12 hours. Contrast media was noted in 7, 5, 6 and 5 cases at 3, 6, 9, and 12 hours in cystic duct and 8, 3, 2, 5 cases in duodenum. Contrast-filled cystic duct and duodenum were noted in 24 cases and 19 cases respectively on CT scans after fat meal. The CT attenuation values of gallbladder were increased in sequential periods of time and the difference of density of gallbladder between 3 hours and 6 hours was statistically significant(p=0.0001). The CT attenuation values of gallbladder at 6 hours were heighter than that in 3 hours, statistically. Opacified gallbladder were noted in 2 cases of fatty liver(n=2), 1 case of alcoholic liver disease(n=1), in 1 case of liver cirrhosis(n=1). Patients of gallbladder stone(n=2) or hepatocellular carcinoma (n=2) had non-opacified gallbladder on CT scans. CONCLUSION: The CT scans after oral contrast ingestion can show the morphological and functional aspects of gallbladder better than conventional oral cholecystography and can also show biliary trees and other surrounding structures, so it is helpful method for assessment of not only gallbladder diseases but also other hepatobiliary diseases.
Alcoholics ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Biliary Tract ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholecystography ; Common Bile Duct ; Contrast Media ; Cystic Duct ; Duodenum ; Eating* ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Gallbladder* ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Liver ; Meals ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Volunteers

Aneurysms of the coronary arteries are rare. They may be due to atheroselerosis, mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, mycotic emboli, syphilis or trauma and occasionally they are congenital. The prognosis appears to be poor and death can occur suddenly from rupture of the aneurysm, peripheral coronary embolism or bacterial endocarditis. Recently surgical treatment has been successful. In a 5 year old patient with ventricular septal defect, two aneurysmal sacs located at the cardiac crux and just posterior to it was proved by coronary angiography and MRI, and successfully excised at operation.
Aneurysm* ; Child, Preschool ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels* ; Embolism ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Prognosis ; Rupture ; Syphilis

Glycogen storage diseases(GSD) are inherited disorders affecting glycogen metabolism and type I GSD is due to the absence or deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase(G6Pase) enzyme in the liver, kidney, and intestinal mucosa. The defect leads to inadequate hepatic conversion of G6P to glucose and thus make affected individuals susceptible to fasting hypoglycemia, and the accumulation of glycogen occurs in the liver and other organs. Type Ia is the most common form of GSD and clinically growth retardation may manifest of GSD itself rather than growth hormone deficiency(GHD), but we experienced a case of type I GSD with GHD in a 14-year-o1d male. The height was 125 cm, compatible with 50 th percentile of height of 8 years of age. He has doll-like face with fat cheek, relatively thin extremities, and metabolic acidosis, hyperuricemia, hypoglycemia, hyperlipidemia. GH stimulation test with clonidine and L-dopa revealed that the patient had decreased GH secretion. After laboratory work up including liver biopsy, he was diagnosed as type I GSD. Hypoglycemia was managed with frequent feeding with high starch diet(uncooked cornstarch). Metabolic acidosis and hyperuricemia were treated with sodium bicarbonate, allopurinol and probenecid. The patient is being followed at out-patient clinic with clinical improvement after of diet therapy and GH administration.
Acidosis ; Allopurinol ; Biopsy ; Cheek ; Clonidine ; Diet Therapy ; Extremities ; Glucose ; Glycogen Storage Disease* ; Glycogen* ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hyperuricemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Kidney ; Levodopa ; Liver ; Male ; Metabolism ; Outpatients ; Probenecid ; Sodium Bicarbonate ; Starch

Autonomic dysreflexia is a syndrome characterized by severe hypertension, headache, sweating that is seen in spinal cord injury population. It can be a life-threatening problem if not promptly recognized and treated. Since the most common cause is bladder distention, it is essential that the urologist sh6fild be familiar with this syndrome. Two hundred ninety four patients with spinal cord injury were reviewed for the prevalence rate and clinical manifestations of autonomic dysreflexia. The time of onset post-injury, precipitating causes, presenting symptoms and management were analyzed. 42 patients (34.4%) of 122 patients with lesion above T6 level exhibited autonomic dysreflexia. The majority of patients (61.9%) had manifested signs and symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia within the first year. The precipitating causes were bladder distention (69.0%), bowel distention (23.8%) and urinary tract infection (7.1%). The presenting symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia were headache (88.1%), sweating (88.1%), hot flushing (28.6%), chest discomfort, hyperpnea and spasm. The management of autonomic dysreflexia include prompt bladder erupting, bed rest and appropriate bowel preparation. In conclusion, prompt recognition and appropriate management of autonomic dysreflexia are essential to prevent life-threatening sequelae.
Autonomic Dysreflexia* ; Bed Rest ; Flushing ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Prevalence ; Spasm ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Thorax ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract Infections

No abstract available.
Diabetes Insipidus, Nephrogenic* ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: Long-term follow-up results of concurrent bilateral or unilateral cementless hip arthroplasty were compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty eight and 49 patients with concurrent bilateral and unilateral hip artrhoplasties who had more than a 17-year follow-up time were selected. At final follow-up, mean ages were 69.1 and 66.7 years old in the bilateral and unilateral groups, respectively. Mean follow-up times were 21.5 and 22.4 years in the bilateral and unilateral groups, respectively. Clinical results were attained using Harris hip score and standardized anteroposterior and lateral view X-rays. RESULTS: The bilateral group had mean Harris scores of 44.3(standard deviation 3.78) preoperatively, and 81.2 (10.75) at final follow-up. For the unilateral group, the mean scores were 46.5(3.27) preoperatively, and 80.1 (12.05) at final follow-up. At final follow-up, an acetabular cup was securely located in 78.9% and 82.8% of the bilateral and unilateral groups, respectively, and all cases showed firm fixation of the femoral stem in both groups. Osteolysis around the cup and stem were found in 26.3% and 31.4% of the bilateral group and 16.6% and 17.1% of the unilateral group, respectively. Polyethylene wear rate was 0.17 mm/yr and 0.16 mm/yr in the unilateral and bilateral groups, respectively. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, 17-year survival rates for cup and stem were 78% and 89% in the bilateral group, respectively, and 78% and 86% in the unilateral group, respectively. CONCLUSION: In 17-year long-term follow-up, concurrent bilateral hip arthroplasty was insignificantly different clinically and radiologically from the result of unilateral hip arthroplasty.
Arthroplasty ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Osteolysis ; Polyethylene ; Survival Rate

A total of 53 gastric adenomas from endoscopically biopsied gastric mucosa were examined histopathologically. The average age at the time of endoscopic biopsy was 59 years, and gastric adenomas were found to be more frequent in the aged, particularly above the age of 50. The majority of adenomas occurred at the antrum. Concerning the shape of the adenomas, Yamada type II was more frequent (55%). All adenomas were accompanied by varying degree of intestinal metaplasia, and this findings suggest that gastric adenoma develops from intestinal metaplasia. In adenomas with severe atypia (grade III), endocrine cells (argyrophil and argentaffin cells) were markedly decreased or absent. Gastric adenocarcinomas coexistent with adenoma were seen in 5 (9.4%) out of 53 cases, and were more frequent in male than female patients (sex ratio, 4:1) and the average age was 61.4 years. It is suggested that there is a necessity of thorough follow-up study for definitive correlation between gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma* ; Biopsy ; Endocrine Cells ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Mucosa ; Humans ; Male ; Metaplasia ; Stomach

No abstract available.
Animals ; Dogs* ; Facial Bones* ; Periosteum* ; Silicone Elastomers* ; Transplants*

PURPOSE: The pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), is a central mediator of the immune response involved in a wide range of immuno-inflammatory and infectious diseases. There is increasing evidence that TNF-alpha may promote the development and spread of the cancer. Polymorphisms in the TNF-alpha promoter have been related to TNF-alpha production. Therefore, we investigated the potential association of TNF-alpha genotypes with gastric cancer in the Korean population. METHODS: The study included 66 patients with gastric adenoma, 75 patients with gastric carcinoma, and 551 healthy controls. The -308 and -238 polymorphisms in the TNF-alpha promoter were analyzed by PCR- restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Distributions of TNF-alpha promoter polymorphisms were compared between groups by chi2 test. P values smaller than 0.05 were considered to be significant. RESULTS: The proportion of individuals carrying the TNF-alpha -308A allele was higher in the carcinoma group compared to controls and adenomas, but the differences were not significant (P=0.124). However, the TNF-alpha -308A allele was significantly associated with advanced gastric carcinoma (P=0.026), serosa invasion (P=0.004), neural invasion (P= 0.021), and lymph node metastasis (P=0.005). On the other hand, the TNF-alpha -238G/A polymorphism was not associated with the development of gastric adenoma and carcinoma and the severity of gastric carcinoma. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the TNF-alpha -308A allele is associated with the severity of gastric carcinoma in terms of invasion and metastasis in the Korean population. Therefore, TNF-alpha promoter polymorphism could be used as a predictive marker of the severity of gastric carcinoma.
Adenoma ; Alleles ; Communicable Diseases ; Genotype ; Hand ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Necrosis* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Serous Membrane ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Many reports have been made concerning underlying and associated conditions causing pseudomembranous colitis and it has been documented that occurrence of pseudomembranous colitis is related with antibiotics administration. Recent study showed that Clostridium difficile produced enterotoxin by colonization in intestinal wall and leading into pseudomembranous colitis. Diagnosis is based on positive culture of Clostridium difficile, positive test of Clostridium difficile toxin and specific histological findings after observation of whitish plaque on colonoscopic or sigmoidoscopic examination. Authors have experienced one case of pseudomembranous colitis developing after long term ampicillin administration in a case with colon cancer associated with diarrhea and diagnosis was confirmed by typical pseudomembrane on biopsy following classical whitish plaque absevation on sigmoidoscopic examination. Symptoms have been ameliorated by discontinuation of antibiotics and administration of metron-idazole in four days and disappearance of whitish plaque on repeated sigmoidoscopic examination and improvement of clinical symptoms after 9 days of medication.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous* ; Enterotoxins