No abstract available.
Ear* ; Papain*

The rupture of ventricular septum complicating acute myocardial infarction requires prompt recognition for the correct management of the patient. The diagnosis of this condition had required right heart catheterization. We performed two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography in patients with systolic murmur after acute myocardioal infarction. Ventricular septal defect was found at lower interventricular septum by mapping technique of pulsed wave Doppler system and obtained high velocity Doppler tracting by continuous wave Doppler echocardiography. Doppler echocardiography could be useful noninvasive method for detection of ventricular septal rupture after acute myocardial infarction.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Rupture ; Systolic Murmurs ; Ventricular Septal Rupture ; Ventricular Septum

In 22 end-stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis, echocardiographic study including 2-D Doppler echocardiogrphy was performed to evaluate the effect of hemodialysis on cardiac performance and the degree of valvular regurgitation. After hemodialysis, there were significant improvement of ventricular contractility and reduction of circulating volume in accordance with the reduction of degree of valvular regurgitation in comparison with before hemodialysis. We postulate that the reduction of valvular regurgitation after hemodialysis is caused by relief of hypervolemic state.
Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Renal Dialysis*

BACKGROUND: A point mutation in the RET proto-oncogene, in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is well known, but no other genetic causes of MTC have been found. This study was performed to identify the most common DNA copy number changes in MTC by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). METHODS: Twenty-nine surgically resected MTC specimens were retrospectively selected from patients operated on between 1996 and 2004 at the Asan Medical Center. A review of the clinical data and pathological findings was performed. Congored staining and immunohistochemical stains (calcitonin, chromogranin A and CEA) were processed by tissue microarray. CGH analysis was performed. RESULTS: The Congo-red stain was positive in only 12 cases. The immunohistochemical results were positive in 29 cases for chromogranin A, 26 cases for CEA and 25 cases for calcitonin. DNA copy number changes were found in 23 cases (79.3%). The most frequent change was a gain of 19q (65.5%); less frequent changes were gain of 22 (55.2%), 19p (51.7%), 16p (27.58%), 17q (17.24%), and loss of 4q (27.6%) and 3p (17.24%). CONCLUSIONS: DNA copy number changes of MTC were more common (79.3%) than reported in previous studies. The most frequent changes were gains in 19q, 22 and 19p.

PURPOSE: This study compared the results between PFN (Proximal Femoral Nail) and DHS (Dynamic Hip Screw)in the treatment of a peritrochanteric fracture of the proximal femur. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 patients with peritrochanteric fractures treated with PFN for a minimum follow-up of at least 12 months were analyzed retrospectively. The patients with PFN group (n=33, group I) were taken from operations between Jan. 2003 and Dec. 2004, and the DHS group (n=34, group II) were used as the control group. Both groups were compared with regard to the operation time, blood loss, transfusion, ICU care, drain amount, duration of admission, complications, the neck shaft angle, the sliding length of lag screws, radiological union, and the functional recovery grade using Jensen and Palmar and Parker's method. RESULTS: The mean operative times were 105 (group I) and 157 minutes (group II), blood losses were 540 and 840cc, transfusion volumes were 1.5 and 2.2 pints, ICU care was 6 and 30%, drain amounts were 36 and 203 cc, admission duration was 25 and 33 days, complications were 15 and 17%, reoperations by the failure of the reduction were 2 cases(6%) (group I) and 0 (group II), difference in the neck shaft angles were 3.70 and 3.87degrees, sliding length of the lag screws were 1.9 and 6.9 mm, radiological union was achieved in 17.5 and 18.9 weeks, function scores were 1.81 and 1.94, and the mobility scores were 6.51 and 6.16, respectively. These results show that there were advantages of PFN in terms of the operative times, blood loss, transfusion, ICU care, drain amounts, admission duration, sliding length of the lag screws and radiological union with statistical significance (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Good clinical results can be achieved with PFN compared with the DHS for the treatment of peritrochanteric fractures of the proximal femur.
Femur* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip* ; Humans ; Neck ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA) and to determine patency rates and the factors affecting the long-term patency rates in the management of insufficient arteriovenous fistulae. METHODS: Sixty-one cases of insufficient dialysis shunts in 53 patients underwent venography of the fistula. These patients' indications of venographys were reviewed. Forty-six cases of insufficient dialysis shunts in 38 patients were treated by PTA. These patients' clinical characteristics and patency rates were evaluated. According to the patient's age, history of diabetes mellitus, duration of renal failure, type and age of the arteriovenous fistula, the site of AVF and length of the stenosis, and to the degree of residual stenosis, patency rates were compared within each subgroup using the Kaplan-Meier log- rank test. To estimate reasons for the incidence of vascular access failure, Cox regression model was used. Venographic findings of failed PTAs and PTA related complications were evaluated RESULTS: The success rate was 80.7%. In cases in which initial success was obtained, postintervention primary patency rate at 6, 12 and 24 months were 68%, 38% and 5% respectively. With repeatitive PTAs, postintervention assisted primary patency rate at 6, 12 and 24 months were 69%, 40% and 10% respectively. The effect of the above mentioned factors(age, DM, duration of CRF etc.) on long-term patency was not statistically significant(p > 0.05). Among 11 cases of failed PTA, there were 6 cases of total obstruction due to massive thrombosis and 5 cases of extensive vascular stenosis(>5 cm of length, >4 sites of stenosis and >75% of stenosis in all cases). There were no PTA related complications. CONCLUSION: PTA is considered to be an effective and safe treatment modality for shunt stenosis. No factors affected long-term patency rates in our study.
Angioplasty* ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dialysis ; Fistula ; Humans ; Incidence ; Phlebography ; Renal Dialysis* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Thrombosis

STUDY DESIGN: In-vitro experimental study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the proteoglycan synthesis of the rabbit nucleus pulposus cells in various concentration of extracellular collagen type I and II under the stimulation of TGF-beta1. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Therapeutic effect of growth factor and gene therapy can be altered by composition of extracellular matrix. However, the effect of extracellular collagen types I and II on synthetic activity of intervertebral disc cells is not thoroughly studied before. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The nucleus pulposus cells were isolated and cultured from 10 skeletally mature rabbits. Cultures were trypsinized and incorporated into alginate beads with different concentration of extracellular collagen type I and II (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%). Those cultures with TGF-beta1 (10 ng/ml) served stimulated condition of matrix synthesis. Newly synthesized proteoglycans were assessed by 35 S-sulfate incorporation using chromatography on Sephadex G-25 in PD-10 columns. Scintillation count was normalized with DNA content by Hoechst dye method. RESULTS: In basal condition, difference in proteoglycan synthesis in given concentration of extracellular collagen type I and II were statistically insignificant. In stimulated condition with TGF-beta1, difference in proteoglycan synthesis in given concentration of extracellular collagen type I and II was also statistically insignificant. However, cultures in stimulated condition with TGF-beta1 showed increased amount of newly synthesized proteoglycans compared to those of basal condition regardless of the concentration of extracellular collagen type I and II (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Anabolic response of rabbit nucleus pulposus cells is relatively insensitive to extracellular matrix composition, which facilitates application of gene therapy in various conditions of disc degeneration.
Chromatography ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen* ; DNA ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Genetic Therapy ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Proteoglycans ; Rabbits ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Trypsin

Eaton and Littler's ligament reconstruction is used to treat carpometacarpal instability of the thumb using the flexor carpi radialis tendon. This procedure involves a reconstruction of the deep anterior oblique ligament in patients with post-traumatic prearthritic unstable joints. According to a recent paper, the dorsoradial ligament as well as the deep anterior oblique ligament plays an important role in stabilizing the trapeziometacarpal joint. We report three cases of post-traumatic instability in a prearthritic thumb that was treated with Eaton and Littler's reconstruction using the flexor carpi radialis tendon.
Carpometacarpal Joints ; Humans ; Joints ; Ligaments ; Tendons ; Thumb

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to determine the origins of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) which innervate the quadriceps femoris tendon in the rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DRG cells containing CGRP, which innervate the quadriceps femoris tendon, from 25 rats (Sprague-Dawley, 200-250 g) were examined using the retrograde tracing technique (neural tracers: horseradish peroxidase and fluorogold) combined with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or fluoro-gold (FG) into the quadriceps femoris tendon resulted in the ipsilaterally labelling of cells between L1 and L6 DRGs. However, a large number of the labelled cells innervating the quadriceps femoris tendon were found in the L3 and L4 DRGs. Many DRG cells were immunostained with CGRP antibody in the L1-6 DRGs. The number of CGRP immunoreactive cells in the lumbar DRGs was larger than in the sacral DRG. FG labelled cells containing CGRP immunoreactivity (FG+CGRP cells) were found in the lumbosacral DRGs. Many FG+CGRP cells innervating the quadriceps femoris tendon were located in the L3 and L4 DRGs. CONCLUSION: These results show that the main DRG origin for the sensory innervation of the quadriceps femoris tendon is L3 or L4. The neurogenic pain of the quadriceps femoris tendon may originate from this region, and suggests that this may be important for the release of neurogenic pain.
Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Horseradish Peroxidase ; Immunohistochemistry ; Quadriceps Muscle* ; Rats* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Tendons*