We reviewed the hospital records of 104 consecutive eyes in 101 patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy at Presbyterian Medical Center from January 1993 to December 1995 and studied the postoperative visual acuity and postoperative complications. Possible indications for pars plana vitrectomy were follows: complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (30.7%),complications of other types of proliferative retinopathy except proliferative diabetic retinopathy(25.0%),complications of anterior segment surgeries (14.4%), complex retinal detachments(8.7%), intraocular inflammations and uveitis (8.7%), macular diseases (6.7%), and complications of ocular trauma (5.8%), Regarding postoperative final visual acuity, 53 eyes(51.0%) were improved, 30eyes(28.8%) were stabilized, 21eyes(20.2%) were worsened. Intraoperative or postopertive cataract, retinal breaks or retinal detachment were most frequent complications. We expected that pars plana vitrectomy might be indicated in various ocular diseases containing proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Cataract ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Postoperative Complications ; Protestantism ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde ; Uveitis ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy*

Guillain-Barre syndrom(GBS) is not a single entity, but may arise from a variety of pathogenic mechanisms. In GBS, abnormally increased autoantibody levels to GM, constitute a group with motor neuropathy predominantly and substantial axonal damage, particularly those following Campylobacter enteritis. We report a patient, 43 years old male, who presented with 3 days history of rapidly progressive weakness of all extremities. Electreophysiologic studies were suggestive of axonal form of motor dominant polyneuropathy, Using ELISA, autoantibody of MAG(myelin associated glycoprtein) and SGPG(sulfoglucuronyl paraglobiside) showed normal ranges, but IgG GM. Autoantibodies abnormally elevated. Additionally antibody titer of Campylobacter jejuni increased. We reported the axonal form of Guillain, Barr syndrome associated with IgG GM,, Ab and antiCampylobacter jejuni antibody.
Adult ; Autoantibodies ; Axons* ; Campylobacter jejuni* ; Campylobacter* ; Enteritis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extremities ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Male ; Polyneuropathies ; Reference Values

No abstract available.

A free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium is a rare complication of the mitral valvular disease. A 53-year-old man was admitted for pain and paresthesia on both legs. On admission he had auscultatory sign of mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation, and the roentgenogram of his chest revealed a slight pulmonary ve..ous congestion, enlargement of the pulmonary conus and cardiomegaly. Laboratory findings including complete blood counts, coagulation studies and blood chemistry were normal. An echocardiographic examination revealed a mitral stenosis and a free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium. We performed the emergent open heart surgery for removal of the ball thrombus and mitral replacement successfuly with Duromedics 29 mm valve. The size of thrombus was 39 X 32 X 30 mm.
Blood Cell Count ; Cardiomegaly ; Chemistry ; Conus Snail ; Echocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Leg ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Paresthesia ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thorax ; Thrombosis*

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the clinicopathologic prognostic factors and overall survival in patients with uterine endometrial cancer. METHODS: From Jan, 1995 to Dec. 2000, medical records of 98 patients with endometrial cancer treated in Kosin University Gospel Hospital were reviewed and the overall survival of patients was determined by support of the death statistics of Korea National Statistical Office. Survival rate was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test was used for curve comparison, Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The median age of all patients was 53 years. The most common presenting symptom was abnormal vaginal bleeding (65.3%). The most common histological type was endometrioid adenocarcinoma. (85.1%) The overall 5 years survival rate (5YSR) for all 98 patients was 66.8%. The overall 5YSR for premenopause and postmenopause were 80% and 50%, respectively (p=0.08). The overall 5YSR for preop CA-125 level above 35 U/mL, below 35 U/mL were 40%, 80% (p=0.001). The overall 5YSR of stage I, stage II, stage III, stage IV were 86.8%, 76.9%, 39.4%, 14.4% (p=0.001). The overall 5YSR of grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 were 75%, 70%, 45% (p=0.002). The overall 5YSR of myometrium invasion of none, <1/2, >or=1/2, were 84.3%, 80.3%, 57.2% (p=0.004). The overall 5YSR of peritoneal cytology of negative, posivite were 73.4%, 23.8% (p=0.001). The overall 5YSR of lymphnode metastasis negative, positive were 80.1%, 15% (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The age (>50), preop CA-125 level, FIGO surgical stage, grade, myometrial invasion, lymph node metastasis and peritoneal cytology were significant prognostic factors of uterine endometrial cancer affecting 5YSR by univariate analysis. The myometrium invasion and grade were significant prognostic factors affecting 5YSR by multivariate analysis.
Animals ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Mice ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myometrium ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Postmenopause ; Premenopause ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the permeability change of the blood-brain barrier and the reversibility of the embolized lesions induced with a fat-emulsion technique by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and we also wished to evaluate the resultant histologic findings in cat brains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging was scheduled serially at 1 hour, day 1, day 4 and day 7 after infusion of linoleic acid-emulsion (0.05 ml linoleic acid+20 ml saline) to the internal carotid artery in 12 cats. Abnormal signal intensity or contrast enhancement was evaluated on diffusion-weighted images (DWIs), the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images (Gd-T1WIs) at the stated times. MR imaging was stopped if the lesion shows isointensity and no contrast enhancement was observed at the acquisition time, and then brain tissue was harvested and examined. Light microscopic (LM) and electron microscopic (EM) examinations were performed. RESULTS:The embolized lesions appeared as isointensities (n=7) or mild hyperintensities (n=5) on DWIs, as isointensities (n=12) on the ADC maps, and as contrast enhancements (n=12) on Gd-T1WIs at 1 hour. The lesions showed isointensity on DWIs and the ADC maps, and as no contrast enhancement for all cats at day 1. The LM findings revealed small (< 1 cm) focal necrosis and demyelination in three cats. EM examinations showed minimal findings of small (< 3 micrometer) fat globules within the endothelial wall (n=10) and mild swelling of the neuropils (< 5 micrometer). Widening of the interstitium or morphologic disruption of the endothelial wall was not seen. CONCLUSION: Cerebral fat embolism induced by linoleic acid emulsion revealed vasogenic edema and reversible changes as depicted on the MR images. These results might help us to understand the mechanisms of fat on the blood-brain barrier, and this technique could be used as a basic model for research of the effects of drugs on the disrupted blood-brain barrier, and also as a research model for the chemotherapeutic effects of drugs of the brain tumors.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier* ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cats* ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Diffusion ; Edema ; Embolism, Fat ; Linoleic Acid* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis ; Neuropil ; Permeability

In a study of the fungal diversity on Ulleung Island in Korea, three novel strains of Penicillium were isolated. Different sites on Ulleung Island were selected for collecting endophytic fungi, and three endophytic fungal strains showed unique morphological characteristics. DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin, calmodulin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit regions of the strains were analyzed and they showed unique taxonomic position from the other species of Penicillium section Sclerotiora. The new strains were named Penicillium ulleungdoense sp. nov. As the novel endophytic Penicillium taxa were discovered in a unique environment, the data could be meaningful for understanding the geographical distribution of Ascomycetes on Ulleung Island.

A 34 year-old excavator driver was found dead at stone quarry in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province, with a severely burnt mobile phone in his shirt pocket and with his chest bruised and ribs fractured. An emergency physician examined him and said that high pressure from an explosion damaged his lungs and heart, leading to his death. So, a number of Korean and foreign newspapers reported that phone battery explosion killed the man. Autopsy showed that the deceased had fractures all over the chest and lacerations of the heart and the lungs. The damages seemed too extensive to be caused by a single mobile phone explosion. Lithium-ion polymer batteries used in mobile phones can catch fire by external forces but they hardly explode like a bomb. We recommended police to reinvestigate the scene and co-worker. So, police reinvestigated the accident scene and the co-worker. The co-worker told police that he hit the deceased while reversing his drill rig at a stone quarry. The incident reminds of us that our postmortem investigation system must be revised.
Autopsy ; Bombs ; Cellular Phone ; Emergencies ; Explosions ; Fires ; Heart ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Lung ; Mandrillus ; Periodicals ; Police ; Polymers ; Ribs ; Thorax

Various venous approaches are available for chemoport insertion. The subclavian vein and jugular vein are commonly used. The cephalic vein has several advantages for chemoport insertion. The authors introduce chemoport insertion using cephalic vein. Operation methods were as follows: patient was placed in supine position. Under local anesthesia, the incision was made in the infraclavicular portion, dissection was performed along the deltopectoral groove and the cephalic vein was identified and isolated. Dissection was performed between the subcutaneous fat layer and the muscle layer to make space for chemoport placement. The cephalic vein was incised and the catheter was introduced to the cephalic vein directly and examined by fluoroscopy. Chemoport insertion using cephalic vein is a useful method of chemoport insertion.
Anesthesia, Local ; Catheters ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Muscles ; Subclavian Vein ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Supine Position ; Veins

BACKGROUND: Recent data regarding the clinical epidemiologic characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in Korean adults are insufficient. This study was conducted in order to compare epidemics in different ages and to identify the clinical characteristics in adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We investigated patients who visited Korea University Guro Hospital from January to December 2011 due to community acquired pneumonia and underwent mycoplasma antibody tests. M. pneumoniae pneumonia was diagnosed if mycoplasma antibody titer was > or =1:320 at any time, seroconversion or 4-fold rise was seen at convalescent phase. Patients under the age of 19 were classified as child and adolescent, otherwise adult. We investigated the number of monthly cases in all patients and reviewed the medical records of adult patients. RESULTS: A total of 249 young patients aged < or =18 years and 29 adults were diagnosed with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Among young patients, 75.5% were concentrated in the 0-6 years age group and 58.6% of adults belonged to the 26-40 years age group. The number of young patients began to increase in July and continued to increase in December, while the number of adult patients began to increase in August and occurred continuously until December. The correlation coefficient of the epidemic trend between the two groups was 0.682 (P=0.015). Median age of adult patients was 33.3 years. Fever was observed in all patients and 25 patients (86.2%) complained of purulent sputum. The average white blood cell count was 7,066/mm3. The average values for aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, and sodium were within the normal range. In chest X-ray study, ipsilateral lower patchy consolidation was found in 24 patients (82.8%). Twenty one adult patients (72.4%) were hospitalized. The mean duration of hospitalization was 7.3 days. Twenty three patients (79.3%) were initially treated with combinations of third generation cephalosporin and macrolide. Among them, five patients (17.2%) showed poor responses. Six cases (20.7%) were initially treated with quinolone, and treatment was maintained until the end without changing antibiotics. Development of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia occurred in one case and there was no occurrence of death. CONCLUSIONS: When M. pneumoniae pneumonia is epidemic among children and adolescents, it should also be suspected in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Some patients showed poor responses to macrolide. Overall, it appears that additional studies are needed for evaluation of the effectiveness of macrolide in treatment of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in adults.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Child ; Creatinine ; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Macrolides ; Medical Records ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Reference Values ; Sodium ; Sputum ; Thorax