We have recently experienced a case of intramedullary ependymoma in the upper thoracic spinal cord. A 46 years old man was admitted to our Department of Neurosurgery because of spastic paraplegia and disturbance of urination since 6 years ago when the disability developed rather abruptly. Myelogram showed a subtotal block of the dye column at the level of T-3 intervertebral space about where a fusiform enlargement of the cord was shadowed. Opening the duramater after total laminectomy performd through C7 to T3, a markedly swallen and enlarged spinal cord was under a great pressure. Spinal cord was paper thin and fully filled with a massive tumor inside of it. The intrameduallary tumor was mushroomed out on dorsal myelotomy. Histological study was verified to be ependymoma. The patient has not shown any improvement of neurological deficits in postoperative period.
Agaricales ; Ependymoma* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgery ; Paraplegia ; Postoperative Period ; Spinal Cord* ; Urination

The authors investigated the distribution of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in blood donors with positive for anti-HCV (n=34), health check-up examiness with positive for anti-HCV (n=29), and in patients with various chronic liver disases positive for anti-HCV (n=63) in Pusan, Korea. HCV genotype was determined by using the molecular typing method through the reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT - PCR) with four type specific primers. Among 116 anti-HCV positive study subjects, 66.4% were positive HCV RNA by RT-PCR. The major HCV genotype was type II (31.9%) and it was followed by type III (27.6%). Two cases were type IV (1.7%). Double infection with two different HCV genotypes (mixed type) was found in three cases (2.6%). Three cases (2.6%) were not determined by the four type specific primers, it may have different subtype. Type II was more prevalent than type III in the blood donors and health check-up examinees, but the reverse was true in the chronic liver disease patients including hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Type II was more prevalent than type III among the anti-HCV positive subjects with risk factors such as acupuncture history, surgical operation history, and trans-fusion history. In contrast type III was more prevalent than type II among the subjects without the above risk factors. It is supposed that the pathogenicity of different kind of HCV genotype might be different. The results of this study suggest that the type II and type III may be the major CV genotype in Korea. The differences of HCV genotype distribution between the study groups support that the clinical significance according to the HCV genotype may be different.
Acupuncture ; Blood Donors ; Busan* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Molecular Typing ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Reverse Transcription ; Risk Factors ; RNA ; Virulence