No abstract available.
Humans ; Rectus Abdominis* ; Tissue Donors*

No abstract available.
Fingers*

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOPP) is a rare disease characterized by reversible attacks of muscle weakness accompanied by episodic hypokalemia. Recent molecular work has revealed that the majority of familial HOPP is due to mutations in a skeletal muscle voltage-dependent calcium-channel: the dihydropyridine receptor. We report a 13-yr old boy with HOPP from a family in which 6 members are affected in three generations. Genetic examination identified a nucleotide 3705 C to G mutation in exon 30 of the calcium channel gene, CACNA1S. This mutation predicts a codon change from arginine to glycine at the amino acid position #1239 (R1239G). Among the three known mutations of the CACNA1S gene, the R1239G mutation was rarely reported. This boy and the other family members who did not respond to acetazolamide, showed a marked improvement of the paralytic symptoms after spironolactone treatment.
Acetazolamide/pharmacology ; Adolescent ; Arginine/chemistry ; Calcium Channels/chemistry/*genetics ; Codon ; Exons ; Family Health ; Female ; Glycine/chemistry ; Humans ; Hypokalemia/metabolism ; Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis/*diagnosis/*genetics ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spironolactone/pharmacology

Isolated pulsatile tinnitus is a rare condition in patients with neurological disorders but can be the only clue to a potentially life-threatening disease such as intracranial vascular malformation. We report a patient with pulsatile tinnitus caused by an arteriovenous fistula of the external carotid artery, which was successfully treated with coil embolization.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Carotid Artery, External ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases ; Tinnitus ; Vascular Malformations

This study aimed to confirm the presence of motor fibers in the cervical nerves distributing to the trapezius muscle. Thirteen cases were examined. Motor fibers were present in C3 in 7 of 9 cases (77.8%) and were absent in 2 of 9 cases (22.3%); the other 4 cases were damaged during dissection. C4 exhibited motor fibers in 9 of 10 cases (90.0%), whereas motor fibers were absent in 1 of 10 cases (10.0%); and 3 cases were damaged. The motor fibers in C3 were of medium size (57.1%; 4/7 cases), whereas those in C4 were large (44.4%; 4/9 cases). The average number of motor fibers in C3 and C4 were 114+/-112 and 219+/-167, respectively. These results show that C4 is more important in terms of the frequency and size of the cervical motor fibers distributing to the trapezius muscle.
Muscles

This study aimed to confirm the presence of motor fibers in the cervical nerves distributing to the trapezius muscle. Thirteen cases were examined. Motor fibers were present in C3 in 7 of 9 cases (77.8%) and were absent in 2 of 9 cases (22.3%); the other 4 cases were damaged during dissection. C4 exhibited motor fibers in 9 of 10 cases (90.0%), whereas motor fibers were absent in 1 of 10 cases (10.0%); and 3 cases were damaged. The motor fibers in C3 were of medium size (57.1%; 4/7 cases), whereas those in C4 were large (44.4%; 4/9 cases). The average number of motor fibers in C3 and C4 were 114+/-112 and 219+/-167, respectively. These results show that C4 is more important in terms of the frequency and size of the cervical motor fibers distributing to the trapezius muscle.
Muscles

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Blood typing is an essential test for transfusion. Generally, blood typing is performed using a slide test, tube test or microcolumn agglutination test. The aims of this study were to develop a new blood typing kit using micromachining, microfluidics and microseparation methods, and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the new blood typing kit. METHODS: We designed and manufactured a blood typing microchip using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which contained a microchannel (25~200 micrometer). The blood sample and antisera to be tested were dropped on the microwell for movement and mixing by capillary action. Once agglutination occurred, the microchannel acts as a filter and the blood type was determined by observation by the naked eye. To evaluate the newtyping kit, we tested sensitivity using artificially diluted blood and compared the results of the new typing method with the slide and tube methods using 70 samples. RESULTS: The new blood typing kit could differentiate a +4~+2 agglutination reaction, but could not detect a +1 agglutination reaction as observed by the naked eye. Among 70 samples, the results of ABO and Rh typing by the new typing method (n=66, > or = +2 agglutination reaction by the column agglutination method) were in accord with the results of the tube and slide methods, but couldnot detect agglutination in all 4 clinical samples, below a +1 agglutination reaction. CONCLUSION: The new blood typing kit is inadequate for routine use in the clinical laboratory due to low sensitivity, but with further improvement, it can be used economically, conveniently and objectively for blood typing without any special equipment. Moreover, the microfludics and separation method may be broadly applicable in other tests using the hemagglutination method.
Agglutination ; Agglutination Tests ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching* ; Capillary Action ; Hemagglutination ; Immune Sera ; Microfluidics* ; Microtechnology

Increasingly aggressive chemotherapy regimens, advances in transplantation technology, and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have resulted in a growing number of immunocompromised patients. Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. One of the most ominous complications is the development of typhlitis in this immunocompromised patients. Treatment of this process is controversial, and no consensus has emerged. We report a case of typhlitis who complicated agranulocytosis after exposure to drugs to treat "flu" like illness and recovered completely after two operations of appendectomy and ileocolectomy. Reviewing articles and this case, the favorable outcome seemed to be related to following three factors recognition of the acute surgical abdomen by abdominal CT scan, a prompt return of normal circulating white cells by the use of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor and discontinuation of causative drugs, and an appropriately timed surgical intervention.
Abdomen ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Agranulocytosis* ; Appendectomy ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Consensus ; Drug Therapy ; Granulocytes ; Immunocompromised Host ; Mortality ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Typhlitis*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to identify the differences of risk factors and stroke mechanism between early and late recurrence in patients with long-term antiplatelet therapy for stroke prevention. METHODS: We enrolled 114 consecutive patients with recurrent infarction who had been taking antiplatelet agents regularly since previous noncardioembolic cerebral infarction. Total 81 patients (49 men and 32 women) were met to the inclusion criteria through standardized evaluation. Subjects were classified into two groups depending on the time-to-recurrence after antiplatelet therapy: early antiplatelet failure (within 2 years, n=41, hereafter as "EAF") and later antiplatelet failure (after 2 years, n=40, hereafter as "LAF"). We investigated the differences of clinical factors between two groups using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Family history of stroke (29.3% in EAF vs. 10% in LAF, p=0.029) was more frequent in EAF group. Low HDL-cholesterol and High total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were associated with the LAF group (p=0.042, 0.005 respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that family history of stroke (OR=5.283, 95%CI 1.178-23.699, p=0.030) and previous infarction classified as large artery atherosclerosis (OR=8.497, 95%CI 1.444-50.015, p=0.018) were significant predictors for EAF whereas total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio (OR=2.002, 95%CI 1.183-3.389, p=0.010) was for LAF. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that family history of stroke and cerebral infarction due to large artery atherosclerosis are more responsible for the early recurrence while dyslipidemic condition is more related to the late recurrence during long-term antiplatelet therapy in patients with previous cerebral infarction.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Cerebral Infarction ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Treatment Failure