The search for tumor-avid agents for use in nuclear medicine imaging is an ongoing field of importance. The purpose of this study was to determine the affinity for radiolabeled vitamin B12 by a wide histologic variety of tumor types in mice. Seventeen different types of tumor were grown subcutaneously in female Balb/C or Balb nu/nu(nude) mice. When the tumors reached about 1 cm in diameter, mice were injected intraperitoneally with 57Co-vitamin B12. Twenty-foul hours later, the mice were sacrificed. Organs and tissues were removed, weighed, and activity per mg determined by gamma counter. Values represented cpm/mg tissue that was normalized to 20 grams body weight for each mouse. A wide variety of tumor types showed significant uptake and concentration of 57Co-vitamin B12, as evidenced by tumor:tissue activity ratios. For many tissues of great importance in terms of background(bone, muscle, blood), the tumor:tissue activity ratios of uptake were high. These data strongly suggest that further efforts to evaluate the utility of radiolabeled adducts of vitamin B12 for clinical use in oncologic imaging are warranted.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Female ; Humans ; Mice* ; Nuclear Medicine ; Vitamin B 12

Background: Inter1eukin-6(IL-6) is known to be produced by osteoblastic cells and to have impartant role in regulation of bone remodelling, Most previous studies indicated that IL-6 bas a major role in stimulating osteoclastic resorption by increasing recruitment and proliferation of preosteoclasts. But its autocrine effect on osteoblastic cells has not been well established yet. Therefore, we studied the effects of IL-6 on messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of proteins that are characteristic of osteoblastic cells in human bone marrow stromal (osteoprogenitor) cells (hRMSC). Methods: The expression of mRNAs for alkaline phosphatase, al(1)-collagen, osteopontin and decorin were studied by northern blot analysis after 3 7 days' treatrnent with IL-6 in the concenttation range of 101,000 U/ml. Results: The mRNA levels for any of the osteoblastic proteins studied did not change significantly by IL-6 treatment up to the concentration of 1,000 U/ml. Conclusion: These results suggest that IL-6 does not have a significant role in differentiatian or activities of human bone rnarrow stromal.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Blotting, Northern ; Bone Marrow ; Decorin ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteopontin ; RNA, Messenger

Secretory carcinoma is a very rare tumor of the breast and demonstrates distinctive pathologic features such as large amounts of intracellular and extracellular secretion and vacuolated or granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. We experienced a case of secretory carcinoma of the breast in a 57-year-old woman diagnosed with the fine needle aspiration and confirmed by breast conserving surgery. The cytologic smears were composed of numerous cohesive sheets or isolated tumor cells with intracytoplasmic vacuolization and extracellular lumens. The carcinoma cells were generally medium-sized, but showed mild size variation. Cytoplasm was moderate to abundant in amount and appeared vacuolated with occa sional eosinophillic, granular and lacy pattern, and was positive to PAS and D-PAS stain. Many signet ring-like cells with a single intracytoplasmic vacuole displacing the nucleus were scattered. Most of the nuclei appeared round with slight hyperchromasia, and had finely granular or opaque chromatin and small prominent nucleoli. The histologic findings showed solid or microcystic pattern of tumor cells separated by dense, hyalinized fibrous septa.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Middle Aged ; Vacuoles

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous catheter drainage in treatment of the lung abscess. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated the lung abscesses in 14 patients(12 men, 2 women), who did not respond to medical therapy, by percutaneous catheter drainage under fiuoroscopic or ultrasound guidance. One abscess due to infacted bulla was managed by combination treatment with alcohol sclerosing therapy. Patients were followed by serial chest radiographs every three days and the amount of drained or aspirated pus evaluated. The treatment effect and recurrence were followed by chest PA and lateral chest at one week after removal of drainage catheter. RESULTS: Thirteen patients(93%) recovered clinically and radiologically within 3 days. In 10 patients, drainage catheter could be removed within 2 weeks, and three patients, the catheter was keept longer. Most complications were mild ;vague to moderate chest pain(n=14), mild hemoptysis(n=2), and pneumothorax(n=I). One man who suffered from far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis died of asphyxia caused by massive hemoptysis 16 days after percutaneous drainage. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous catheter drainage is a safe and effective method for treating lung abscess.
Abscess ; Asphyxia ; Catheters* ; Drainage* ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Male ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Recurrence ; Suppuration ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous catheter drainage in treatment of the lung abscess. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated the lung abscesses in 14 patients(12 men, 2 women), who did not respond to medical therapy, by percutaneous catheter drainage under fiuoroscopic or ultrasound guidance. One abscess due to infacted bulla was managed by combination treatment with alcohol sclerosing therapy. Patients were followed by serial chest radiographs every three days and the amount of drained or aspirated pus evaluated. The treatment effect and recurrence were followed by chest PA and lateral chest at one week after removal of drainage catheter. RESULTS: Thirteen patients(93%) recovered clinically and radiologically within 3 days. In 10 patients, drainage catheter could be removed within 2 weeks, and three patients, the catheter was keept longer. Most complications were mild ;vague to moderate chest pain(n=14), mild hemoptysis(n=2), and pneumothorax(n=I). One man who suffered from far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis died of asphyxia caused by massive hemoptysis 16 days after percutaneous drainage. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous catheter drainage is a safe and effective method for treating lung abscess.
Abscess ; Asphyxia ; Catheters* ; Drainage* ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Male ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Recurrence ; Suppuration ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Conventional contrast dacryocystography(C-DCG) has been used mainly for anatomical assessment of the lacrimal drainage apparatus, due to its limited information on the dynamics of the lacrimal system, and thus correlation role in epiphora. The purpose of study was to improve the diagnostic value in epiphora by utilizing RI dacryocystography(RI-DCG) with quantitative criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient for RI dacryocystography set erect with the head fixed in front of gamma camera fitted with a standard 6 mm pinhole collimater. Both eyes of 85 patients(170 eyes) were scanned with 99rnTc-pertechnetate followed by conventional dacryocystography. The data from gamma camera were recorded simultaneously on a computer system for subsequent quantitative analysis. RESULTS: In 94 of 96 eyes without epiphora, RI-DCG was correlated with normal C-DCG and % of emptying was at least over 50%. In 58 of 74 eyes with epiphora, RI-DCG was correlated with abnormal C-DCG and % of emptying was at most below 50%. In 16 eyes with functional block, quantitative RI-DCG showed abnormal % of emptying. CONCLUSION: Nuclear DCG with quantitation had higher diagnostic yield in functional block and correlated higher with epiphora. Thus nuclear DCG with quantitation would be a valuable functional test after postprocedures such as dacryocystoplasty.
Computer Systems ; Drainage ; Gamma Cameras ; Head ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases* ; Radionuclide Imaging*

Benign abducens nerve palsy is rare in children. Identifiable causes of abducens nerve palsy include neoplasm, elevated intracranial pressure, infection and trauma. Isolated abducens nerve palsy with unknown etiology is classified as benign or idiopathic. The diagnosis is made by excluding underlying pathologies. Prognosis is favorable. Most patients have been found to recover spontaneously within 6 months. Recurrent palsy is observed in some patients and is more pronounced in younger girls with left-sided palsy. Even the recurrent cases, however, are still benign. We report a case of benign abducens nerve palsy presenting diplopia and headache with normal results from MRIs and microbiologic studies. The patient underwent rapid, spontaneous recovery.
Abducens Nerve ; Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Child ; Diplopia ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Hypertension ; Paralysis ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Pentoxifylline(PF) on the conventional ICSI program undergone in severe asthenozoospermia. METHOD: Total 348 cycles of ICSI programs undertaken at CHA General Hospital from January, 1996 to September, 2000, were divided into two groups - injected with pentoxifylline-treated sperm(PFT, 204 cycles) or non-treated sperm(NPFT, 144 cycles) and the clinical results of PFT group were compared with those of NPFT. RESULTS: PF-treatment on sperm increased their motility of normozoospermia and severe asthenozoospermia. Fertilization rate of PFT group was higher than those of ICSI programs undertaken using sperm of NPFT(70.6% vs. 62.9%, p<0.01). And, ET and clinical pregnancy rates of PFT were slightly higher than those of NPFT(93.1%, 44.2% vs. 90.3%, 36.2%). CONCLUSION: These results showed that treatment of pentoxifylline has a beneficial role on selection of viable sperm in severe asthenozoospermia.
Asthenozoospermia* ; Fertilization ; Hospitals, General ; Pentoxifylline* ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Spermatozoa

The CT findings of pulmonary paragonimiasis are well known. However, the pathologic findings of nodular opacity have not been studied sufficiently. To clarify the nature of nodular opacity on CT in patient with paragominiasis, we reviewed CT scans of 9 patients retrospectively. Five of them were compared with pathologic findings of the resected specimen. Other four patients were confirmed by needle aspiration biopsy. CT scans showed nodular opacities of 5 to 30mm in diameter which were accompanied with perinodular air-space consolidations in all patients. The usual location of nodular opacities were peripheral zone of the lung. Correlation with pathologic findings demonstrated That the nodular opacity on CT scans corresponded to the parasitic granuloma with central ova and intracystic worm. The most frequent CT finding of pulmonary paragonimiasis was nodular opacities with perinodular airspace consolidations caused by parasitic granuloma or intracystic worm.
Biopsy, Needle ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Lung ; Needles ; Ovum ; Paragonimiasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

To objectively assess the difficulty in the procedures of corrosive esophageal strictures, the success rates, the number of sessions and balloon dilatation and complications were evaluated in 66 patients with esophageal strictures who underwent balloon dilatation. These patients were grouped into three according to the causes as corrosive esophageal strictures (n=24), non-corrosive benign strictures (n=22) and malignant strictures (n=22). Success rates were 29% in corrosive esophageal strictures, 86% in noncorrosive benign strictures, and 85% in malignant strictures. Required average number of sessions and balloon dilations were 3.4 and 7.4 in corrosive strictures and 1.4 and 2 in noncorrosive benign and malignant strictures, respectively. Esophageal rupture occured in 33% of corrosive strictures, 4% of each noncorrosive benign and malignant strictures. Pain in corrosive esophageal strictures was severest. In conclusion, balloon dilatation in corrosive strictures has low success rate and high complication rate and requires more frequent dilation, which implies that it is more difficult than other strictures.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation* ; Humans ; Rupture