No abstract available.
Child* ; Dermatoglyphics* ; Down Syndrome* ; Humans ; Karyotype*

No abstract available.
Spinal Stenosis*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma mimicks Kaposi sarcoma, both clinically and histopathologically. These conditions are due to congenital (Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome) or acquired (Mali) vascular malformations. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were aimed at evaluating the clinical and histopathological characteristics of pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma and finding differential diagnostic tools from Kaposi sarcoma. METHODS: Clinical information of 7 patients with pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma diagnosed in Asan Medical Center from 1989 to 1999 was obtained from the medical records and clinical follow-ups. We re-evaluated 10 biopsy specimens obtained from them and immunohistochemical studies for cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA), CD34, vimentin, and factor VIII were performed with the standard streptavidin-biotin method using paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of 7 pseudo-Kaposi sarcomas and 3 Kaposi sarcomas. In addition, we examined whether human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) was detected in 3 patients by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Six male and one female patients were included. Mean age was 36.3 years. Three patients were classified into Mali type and the other four patients were into Stewart-Bludfarb type. Histopathological examinations revealed capillary proliferation in the upper dermis, perivascular infiltrate of inflammatory cells, extravasated red blood cells, and fibrosis of dermis. Anti-factor VIII and CD34 stained endothelial cells only. CLA was expressed in lymphocytic infiltrate in the epidermis and dermis of pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma, whereas it was negative in Kaposi sarcoma. PCR for HHV 8 showed negative results. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma is an uncommon entity with characteristic clinical and histopathological features. Differential diagnosis between Pseudo-Kaopsi sarcoma and Kaposi sarcoma is important. We suggest that detection of HHV 8 by PCR and imunohistochemical study for CLA may be effective tools in the differential diagnosis between them.
Biopsy ; Capillaries ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Dermis ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endothelial Cells ; Epidermis ; Erythrocytes ; Factor VIII ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Herpesvirus 8, Human ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mali ; Medical Records ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Vascular Malformations ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: Oral allergy syndrome(OAS) is composed of it,ching sense and edema in oral cavity, lips, throat, pharynx, and larynx following eating some fresh fruits or vegetables. It has been known that most of patients with OAS are allergic to pollens. Common epitopes were found among pollens, fruits and vegetables. Although OAS is a common farm of food allergy in adults, this is the first epidemiologic study of OAS in Korea. MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred and fifty one patients who showed positive skin reaction to pollens were telephone-interviewed. Investigation of the prevalence and clinical manifestations of OAS was possible in 81 patients. RESULT: The prevalence of OAS among these patients was 34.6% (28/81). OAS was found in 24(48%) out of 50 patients sensitized to tree pollens, whereas 4(13%) of 31 grass or weed pollen-sensitized paients had OAS. Most common causative food was apple and all of 17 apple- OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Peach was the second common food and 14 of 15 peach-OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Besides oral symptoms, rhinitis, asthma, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or generalized urticaria were accompanied in half of the OAS patients (14/28). Some patients showed OAS to some unique Korean foods such as dropwort, taro and Aster. CONCLUSION: OAS was very common in pollen-sensitized patients. Larger epidemiologic studies are needed to find unique Korean foods and their antigensm causing OAS.
Adult ; Asthma ; Colocasia ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Edema ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epitopes ; Filipendula ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Fruit ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Korea ; Larynx ; Lip ; Mouth ; Nausea ; Pharynx ; Poaceae ; Pollen* ; Prevalence ; Prunus persica ; Rhinitis ; Skin ; Urticaria ; Vegetables ; Vomiting

Differential diagnoses showing Verocay body-like formation include schwannoma, palisading myofibroblastoma, palisading cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma, dermatofibroma with myofibroblastic differentiation, leiomyoma, palisaded encapsulated neuroma, and neuroma. A 60-year-old Korean man presented with a 10-year-history of an asymptomatic nodule on the right forearm. Histopathological examination revealed well-circumscribed multi-micronodules with prominent Verocay body-like formation consisted of spindle cells and extensive infiltrate of mutinous materials. The spindle cells were negative for S-100 protein and desmin, but positive for vimentin and a-smooth muscle actin by immunohistochemical staining. The micronodules were lined by CD34 and factor VIII positive endothelial cells. The mutinous materials were stained with alcian blue at pH 2.5, but not at pH 0.5. We diagnose it as myxoid myofibromatosis-type perivascular myoma showing Verocay body-like formation.
Actins ; Alcian Blue ; Desmin ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endothelial Cells ; Factor VIII ; Forearm ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Leiomyoma ; Middle Aged ; Myofibroblasts ; Myoma* ; Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue ; Neurilemmoma ; Neuroma ; S100 Proteins ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To report the clinical features of six patients diagnosed with cases of inferior vestibular neuritis based on abnormal vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses with normal caloric test results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 62 patients presenting with dizziness. All patients underwent a battery of audiovestibular testing, including hearing tests, caloric test and VEMP test. RESULTS: Six patients were diagnosed as inferior vestibular neuritis. All patients presented with acute onset of prolonged vertigo. The pure tone audiograms and caloric test results were normal. VEMP response was absent unilaterally, and normal in the contralateral ear. CONCLUSION: Inferior vestibular neuritis should be considered in patients presenting with acute vertigo, but normal caloric responses. Comprehensive vestibular testing including VEMP is necessary.
Caloric Tests ; Dizziness ; Ear ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials ; Vestibular Function Tests ; Vestibular Neuronitis

BACKGROUND: The addition of various opioids to 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine intrathecally seems to potentiate analgesic effects of bupivacaine and to prolong the duration of analgesia. We compared the effect of intrathecal meperidine 0.25 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg, fentanyl 0.15 microgram/kg, and placebo when administered together with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 9 mg for cesarean section. METHODS: Forty-four healthy term parturients were randomly allocated (n = 11 per group) to receive the test solution (1 ml) containing preservative-free normal saline (control group), fentanyl 0.15 microgram/kg, meperidine 0.25 mg/kg, or meperidine 0.5 mg/kg intrathecally, immediately followed by the injection of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 9 mg. We observed the effective postoperative analgesic duration (time to VAS > or = 4), quality of anesthesia and side effects. RESULTS: The effective postoperative analgesic duration significantly increased in the groups receiving opioid compared with the control group (P < 0.05); control group 101.4 +/- 28.6 min; fentanyl group 192.3 +/- 29.2 min; meperidine 0.25 mg/kg group 208.8 +/- 21.7 min; meperidine 0.5 mg/kg group 289.8 53.6 min (data expressed as mean +/- SD). The quality of anesthesia was excellent in 100% of the meperidine group but in 82% of the fentanyl group and 91% of the control group. The incidence of nausea and vomiting were higher in the meperidine 0.5 mg/kg group (73%) than in the remaining groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of fentanyl 0.15 microgram/kg or meperidine 0.25 mg/kg to 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 9 mg for spinal anesthesia improves intraoperative analgesia and provides analgesia into the immediate postoperative period with no adverse effects on mother or neonate.
Analgesia ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Bupivacaine* ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Meperidine* ; Mothers ; Nausea ; Postoperative Period ; Pregnancy ; Vomiting

Physostigmine, by inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase, leads to accumulation of acetylcholine and hence to cholinergic stimulation at both peripheral and central receptor sites and facilitates cholinergic transmission. To investigats the effects of physostigmine on excitement, delirium, somnolence, and shivering after halothane anesthesia, physostigmine to experimental group or 0.9% NaCl(1ml) to the control group was administered intravenously by slow injection. No other medication affecting the central nervous system was give. Postoperatively, the difference in the level of sedation, blood pressure, and pulse rate between the experimental group and the control group was observed for 2 hours. Sedation was assessed by and independent observer. The arousal time averaged 23.10+/-18.67min. in the experimental group and averaged 42.38+/-24.97min. in the control group. This study suggests that physostigmine effectively reversed the postoperative somnolence, delirium and excitement due to halothane. There was little difference between the two groups concerning changes of mean arterial pressure and pulse rate during the 2 hours. The results were as follows: 1) When physostigmine was administered intravenously to patients after halothane anesthesia, consclousness rapidly returned. 2) There was no statistical significance in the changes of mean arterial pressure and pulse rate between the experimental group and the control group.
Acetylcholine ; Acetylcholinesterase ; Anesthesia* ; Arousal* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Central Nervous System ; Delirium ; Halothane* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Physostigmine* ; Shivering

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate whether fertilization could induce the resumption of meiosis in mouse oocytes arrested at metaphase I (MI) after in vitro maturation (IVM), and to investigate the effect of Ca²⁺ chelator treatment at the time of fertilization on the transition from MI to metaphase II (MII). METHODS: MII-stage and arrested MI-stage mouse oocytes after IVM were fertilized, and then embryonic development was monitored. Blastocysts from each group were transferred into 2.5 days post-coitum pseudo-pregnant ICR mice. MI oocytes after IVM were treated with a Ca²⁺ chelator to investigate the effect of Ca²⁺ oscillations on their maturation. RESULTS: As insemination time increased, the number of oocytes in the MI group that reached the MII stage also increased. The blastocyst rates and total cell numbers in the MII group were significantly higher than in the MI group. No pregnancy occurred in the MI group, but 10 pregnancies were achieved (10 of 12) in the MII group. The proportion of MI oocytes that matured to MII oocytes after fertilization was significantly higher in the non-treated group than in the Ca²⁺ chelator-treated group. CONCLUSION: The findings that a higher proportion of MI-arrested oocytes progressed to MII after fertilization and that the MI-to-MII transition was blocked by Ca2+ chelator treatments before fertilization indicate that the maturation of MI oocytes to MII oocytes is associated with intracellular Ca²⁺ oscillations driven by fertilization.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Calcium Signaling ; Cell Count ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Fertilization ; In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Insemination* ; Meiosis ; Metaphase* ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Oocytes* ; Pregnancy ; Spermatozoa*