This article reviewed the initial experiences of 73 cases of the magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to evaluate its usefulness and limitaions as a screening examination. Among them 31 patients underwent correlative contrast angography (CA). MRA examinations were performed with 3-dimensional time of flight (TOF)acquisitions(carotid, intracranial vessels, abdomen & pelvis), 2-dimensional TOF (abdomen & pelvis), and 3-dimensional phase contrast (PC) method(intracranial vessels, lower extremity). In head and neck area, the success rates of MRA in visualization of normal vessels were 91% in the carotid artery and 89% in intracranial vessels. In comparison with correlative CA of 45 lesions in 23 patients, MRA show successful detection of abnormalities in 43 lesions. There was only one false positive case and one false negative case in differentiation of normal and abnormal cases. Among 43 lesions detected on MRA, 25 lesions were well correlated with CA but 18 lesions showed mild differences in degree of disease. In other areas, even thought for a limited number of cases, the abdominal aorta and proximal parts of its major branches were well visualized on MRA. In three cases of renal artery stenosis, MRA showed no visible renal artery in disease side. So the abnormality in renal artery could be suspected, but accurate stenotic site could not be detected. In three cases of arterial occlusion in pelvis and lower extremity, MRA were well correlated with CA. In conclusion, MRA can be used as an ideal safe screening examination method with high success rate and abnormality detection rate, especially in carotid artery, circle of Willis, main intracranial vessels, abdominal aorta and proximal portions of its major branches.
Abdomen ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Carotid Arteries ; Circle of Willis ; Head ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography* ; Mass Screening* ; Methods ; Neck ; Pelvis ; Renal Artery ; Renal Artery Obstruction

CT has been advocated as an adjunct to conventional radiography in the evaluation of pelvic bone fractures andtraumatic dislocations of the femoral head. Author compared and analysed the CT and plain radiographic findings of3 consecutive adult patients in whom acetabular or femoral head injuries were suspected or demonstrated on initialradiographs. The results were as follows; 1. CT was convenient and precise method in evaluation the patient withhip trauma. 2. CT was helpful in detecting intraaraticular osseous fragment, interposed soft tissue, and wideningof the joint space which was not evident on plain radiographs. 3. CT permitted better evaluation of asociatedinjuries in soft tissue and viscera in the plevic and retroperitoneal cavity, and also gave information aboutother associated fractures. 4. CT was superior for the evaluation of posterior acetabular rim and medial portionof the acetabulum. 5. CT was helpful for evaluating the presence or absence of intraarticular osseous fragmentsafter reduction of the dislocated hip.
Acetabulum ; Adult ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dislocations ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Methods ; Pelvic Bones ; Radiography ; Viscera

CT of the laynx represents a major advance in laryngology, Even in severe injury the larynx can be examinedeasily and conveniently by CT at the same times the brain and facial structures without moving the patient, whoneed only lie down and breathe quietly during the study. CT permitted a much more detailed appraisal of layrngealdysfunction in patients with blunt laryngeal trauma (3 cases) and strangulation injury (2 cases). CT of the larynxundoubtedly played a determinant role in patient management. CT was helpful in evaluating the laryngeal cartilagesand deep spaces of the larynx wthich was difficult to examine by the laryngoscope. Follow-up CT made it possibleto evaluate the postoperative results.
Brain ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laryngoscopes ; Larynx ; Otolaryngology

Although port-wine stains present as macular patches generally, some patients show considerable overgrowth of angiomatous tissue and show different results of laser therapy according to their histologic patterns. We observed 337 port-wine stain patients clinically, and tried to classify clinical morphology of port-wine stains and analyze with other features such as color, age and size. The results were as follows: Most of the lesions were located on the face, followed by neck, upper extremity, lower extremity and trunk in order. 2, On the face, the left lower part was the most frequent area of the lesions. The difference of the distribution between right and left side was not found, but the lesions were significantly more frequent on the lower part than the upper one. 3. The morphology was classified into patch, hypertrophic, cavernous and papular form according to therapeutic purpose. 4 When the color is darker, the others than the patch form appeared. 5, In old patients the color was darker and the papular form increased. 6. When the size enlarged, the hypertrophic form. increased. 7. Among ten patients who got the lesions at both the upper and lower eyelids, two showed ocular problems.
Coloring Agents* ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lower Extremity ; Neck ; Port-Wine Stain ; Upper Extremity ; Wine*

A series of 25 patients with residual, recurrent, and unresectable gastric cancer received various combination of surgery, radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy (CT), and hyperthermia (HT). They were placed into 7 categories; 1) CT and HT-14 patients; 2) RT and HT-15 patients; 3) surgery, RT and HT-2 patients; 4) surgery, RT, HT and CT-1 patient; 5) RT, HT and CT-1 patient; 6) RT and CT-1 patient; 7) RT alone-1 patient. Three patients had curative resection. 21 patients received irradiation with tightly contoured portals to spare as much small bowel, kidney and marrow as possible. Hyperthermia was applied regionally once or twice a week for 23 patients using 8 MHz radiofrequency capacitive heating device (Thermotron RF-8). HT was given approximately 30 min after RT. 7 patients were treated with CT: 4 patients received HT and concomitant Mitomycin-C; 3 patients received HT and sequential 5-FU+Adriamycin+Mitomycin-C. There was not any treatment related deaths. There was also no evidence of treatment related problems with liver, kidney, stomach, or spinal cord except only one case of transient diabetic ketoacidosis. The tumor response was evaluable in 22 patients. None achieved complete remission. 11(50%) achieved partial remission. The response rate was correlated with total radiation dose and achieved maximum temperature. 9 of 14 (64%) received more than 4000 cgy showed partial remission; especially, all 3 patients received more than 5500 cgy achieved partial response. 8 of the 12 patients (67%) who achieved maximal temperature more than 41degrees C showed partial response in comparing with 25% (2 of 8 patients, below 41degrees C). The numbers of HT, however, was not correlated with the response. 3 of the 25 patients (12%) remain alive. The one who was surgically unresectable and underwent irradiation alone is in progression of the disease with distant metastases. The remaining two patients with curative resection are alive with free of disease, 24 and 35 months, respectively. The median survival by response are11.5 months in responders and 4.6 months in non-responders.
Bone Marrow ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Drug Therapy ; Fever ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Mitomycin ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Endothelin (ET), potent vasoconstricting peptide, are produced by endothelial cells after brain insults such as ischemia or infection and may play a role in the amplification or regulation of the microglia. In pathology of central nervous system, microglia might become activated leading to altered cellular function in response to brain injury. METHODS: Whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to study the effects of endothelin on changes of potassium currents in cultured rat microglia. Outward and inward rectifying potassium currents were recorded after application of depolarization and hyperpolarization pulses from -60 mV holding potential, respectively. RESULT: ET (100 nM) decreased the amplitude of outward rectifying potassium current and ET-3 was the most potent isoform. Both amplitude and slope conductance of inward rectifying potassium current were increased by ET. After application of ET, the reversal potential of inward potassium current was shifted to left relative to control. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ET changes the potassium currents and membrane potential of microglia and this depolarizing effect of ET is related with the activation of microglia under pathological conditions of brain
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Central Nervous System ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelins* ; Ischemia ; Membrane Potentials ; Microglia* ; Pathology ; Potassium* ; Rats*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Contraceptives, Oral* ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Gonadotropins*

No abstract available.
Ureaplasma urealyticum* ; Ureaplasma*

The term "osteoma cutis" is limited only to primary cutaneous ossification in which there is no evidence of Albrights hereditary osteodystrophy in either the patient or his farnily. We herein present a case of osteorna cutis in a 2-year-old male. He had had multiple hard plaques on the extremities since birth and had not had the evidences of Albrights hereditary osteodystrophy and signs of secondary cutaneous ossification such as trauma, injection, previous skin lesions and abnormal laboratory findings. The histopathologic findings revealed bony spicules with numerous osteocytes, cement lines, Haversian canals, osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
Child, Preschool ; Extremities ; Haversian System ; Humans ; Infant* ; Male ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteocytes ; Osteoma* ; Parturition ; Skin