Membranous lipodystrophy is a peculiar type of fat necrosis, present in patients with various types of skin diseases. It is charaeterized by the presence of microcysts and macrocysts lined by amorphous eosinophilic material with a crenelated arabesque appearance and microgranules in the subcutis with massive fat necrosis. The eosinophilic lining and microgranules stain positively with periodic acid-Schiff, are resistant to diastase, and also stain with Sudan black B. We report three cases of subcutanous membranous lipodystrophy in patients with erythema induratum, posttraumatic panniculitis and morphea with typical clinical and histopathologic findings.
Amylases ; Eosinophils ; Erythema Induratum ; Fat Necrosis ; Humans ; Lipodystrophy* ; Panniculitis ; Scleroderma, Localized ; Skin Diseases ; Sudan

BACKGROUND: Generally, in order to decrease the fetal exposure time from anesthetic drugs, anesthetic induction is conducted after the completion of surgical preparation in general anesthesia for cesarean section. However, this method, in decreasing the fetal exposure time from anesthetic drugs, has been regarded as also aggravating the feeling of anxiety and fear of the patients. The purpose of this research is to compare the result of anesthetic induction conducted before and after surgical preparation in relation to the well-being of the newborn. METHODS: Fifty healthy women scheduled for elective cesarean section, not in labor, with no signs of fetal distress were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A (n = 25) started anesthetic induction after surgical preparation and group B (n = 25) started before surgical preparation. Induction to delivery (I-D) interval and uterine incision to delivery (U-D) interval were measured and for the evaluation of the neonatal outcome, blood gas analysis at umbilical vein and artery, 1 and 5 min Apgar scores, and neurobehavioral test at 15 min, 2 hr and 24 hr of age, respectively, were performed. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the I-D interval (P < 0.05) but no significant difference in the U-D interval between the two groups. Blood gas analysis, acid-base status, Apgar score and neurologic and adaptive capacity score (NACS) all did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: From our results, the induction before surgical preparation did not seem to affect neonatal well-being significantly. Therefore, when patients without fetal distress are very anxious, anesthetic induction before surgical preparation would reduce the patient's anxiety and fear without neonatal depression in general anesthesia for cesarean section.
Anesthesia, General* ; Anesthetics ; Anxiety ; Apgar Score ; Arteries ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Cesarean Section* ; Depression ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Umbilical Veins

Mucormycosis is a rare disease caused by fungi. Most commonly involved sites of mucormycosis infection are sinuses, lungs, skin and soft tissues. Systemic risk factors for mucormycosis are diabetes mellitus, neutropenia, corticosteroid use, hematological malignancies, organ transplantation, metabolic acidosis, deferoxamine use and advanced age. Local risk factors are history of trauma, burns, surgery and motor vehicle accidents. We present a case of cutaneous mucormycosis in a patient with diabetes mellitus. A 66-year-old female with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, admitted with necrotizing lesion after minor abrasions on leg. We took a culture of the lesion and it is diagnosed with mucormycosis. Disease progressed despite administration of systemic amphotericin B. We performed above-knee amputation and changed antifungal agents into liposomal amphotericin B. A tissue biopsy showed nonseptate, irregularly wide fungal hyphae with frequent right-angle branching. Our case report suggests that patients with risk factors should be observed carefully.
Acidosis ; Aged ; Amphotericin B ; Amputation ; Antifungal Agents ; Biopsy ; Burns ; Deferoxamine ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Female ; Fungi ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Leg ; Lung ; Motor Vehicles ; Mucormycosis* ; Neutropenia ; Organ Transplantation ; Rare Diseases ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Transplants

Obstetrical hemorrhage is one of the deadly triad, along with hypertensive disorder in pregnancy and infection. Postpartum hemorrhage is the major cause of obstetrical hemorrhage. Uterine atony is the most common cause of postpartum hemorrhage, and resulted from poor uterine contraction after delivery of the fetus and placenta. Initial management to control postpartum uterine atonic bleeding is based on the use of uterotonics such as well known oxytocin and ergot preparations together with uterine massage. Prostaglandin E2 analogue, sulprostone can be used next when these agents are failed to produce uterine contraction. The woman unresponsive to non-surgical managements requires surgical interventions including emergency hysterectomy. Recently prostaglandin E1 analogue, misoprostol, has been known to elicit potent uterine contraction and cervical ripening after oral, vaginal or rectal administration. We have experienced two cases of postpartum uterine atonic bleedings which were unresponsive to oxytocin, ergot, or prostaglandin E2, but were successfully controlled by rectal administration of misoprostols.
Administration, Rectal ; Alprostadil ; Cervical Ripening ; Dinoprostone ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fetus ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Massage ; Misoprostol* ; Oxytocin ; Placenta ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Uterine Contraction ; Uterine Inertia

Acardiac fetus in triplet pregnancy is a very rare, fatal congenital anomaly that had not been reported in Korea. It only occurs in multiple gestations associated with placental vascular anastomoses between the affected fetus and its co-twin. The major complications associated with acardiac fetus in triplet pregnancy are congestive heart failure in normal pumping fetus, maternal polyhydramnios, preterm labor, intrauterine fetal death, etc, and perinatal diagnosis can be made with the perinatal ultrasonographic examination. We report a case of acardiac fetus in a spontaneous triplet pregnancy at 23 weeks of gestational age with a brief review of the literature.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fetus* ; Gestational Age ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Korea ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Polyhydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Triplet* ; Triplets*

OBJECTIVE: Gene expression microarrays become a widely used tool in biomedicine. With growing needs of microarray data sharing, there are efforts for the development of microarray standards. MAGE-OM(Microarray Gene Expression Object Model) is a data exchange model and MAGE-ML is an XML-based data exchange format. Most database, however, do not have a suitable structure for MAGE-ML storage and maximum use of the data. Therefore, we have created relational database implementing MAGE-OM for the storage of MAGE-ML with importing and exporting capabilities. METHODS: A relational schema is derived from MAGE-OM with simple object-relational mapping strategy to reduce complexity of MAGE-OM. Data transfer between database and MAGE-ML document is performed via MAGE-OM using the MAGE Software Toolkit(MAGEstk). RESULTS: Our database accepts microarray data as MAGE-ML files through web-based interface, classifying into two types of submission, array or experiment. MAGE-ML import-export function is flexible to accommodate changing data model by separating model definition and implementation layers. CONCLUSION: Standard-based implementation of gene expression database enhances the collection and the structured storage of large-scale gene expression data from heterogeneous data sources.
Information Storage and Retrieval ; Gene Expression* ; Information Dissemination

No abstract available.
Female ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal* ; Uterine Prolapse*

OBJECTIVES: Klinefelter syndrome is the most common genetic cause of male infertility and presents with 47, XXY mainly or 46, XX/47, XXY mosaicism. It is characterized by hypogonadism and azoospermia due to testicular failure, however, sporadic cases of natural pregnancies have been reported. With the development of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), sperm can be retrieved successfully and ART is applied in these patients for pregnancy. It has been suggested that the risk of chromosome aneuploidy for both sex chromosome and autosome is increased in the sperms from 47, XXY germ cells. Considering the risk for chromosomal aneuploidy in the offspring, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) could be applied as a safe and more effective treatment option in Klinefelter syndrome. The aim of this study is to assess the outcome of PGD cycles by using FISH for sex chromosome and autosome in patients with Klinefelter syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2003, PGD was attempted in 8 cases of Klinefelter syndrome but TESE was failed to retrieve sperm in the 3 cases, therefore PGD was performed in 8 cycles of 5 cases (four 47, XXY and one 46, XY/47, XXY mosaicism). In one case, ejaculated sperm was used and in 4 cases, TESE sperm was used for ICSI. After fertilization, blastomere biopsy was performed in 6~10 cell stage embryo and the chromosome aneuploidy was diagnosed by using FISH with CEP probes for chromosome X, Y and 17 or 18. RESULTS: A total of 127 oocytes were retrieved and ICSI was performed in 113 mature oocytes. The fertilization rate was 65.3+/-6.0% (mean+/-SEM) and 76 embryos were obtained. Blastomere biopsy was performed in 61 developing embryos and FISH analysis was successful in 95.1% of the biopsied blastomeres (58/61). The rate of balanced embryos for chromosome X, Y and 17 or 18 was 39.7+/-6.9%. The rate of aneuploidy for sex chromosome (X and Y) was 45.9+/-5.3% and 43.2+/-5.8% for chromosome 17 or 18, respectively. Embryo transfer was performed in all 8 cycles and mean number of transferred embryos was 2.5+/-0.5. In 2 cases, clinical pregnancies were obtained and normal 46, XX and 46, XY karyotypes were confirmed by amniocentesis, respectively. Healthy male and female babies were delivered uneventfully at term. CONCLUSION: The patients with Klinefelter syndrome can benefit from ART with TESE and ICSI. Considering the risk of aneuploidy for both sex chromosome and autosome in the sperms and embryos of Klinefelter syndrome, PGD could be offered as safe and more effective treatment option.
Amniocentesis ; Aneuploidy ; Azoospermia ; Biopsy ; Blastomeres ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Infertility, Male ; Karyotype ; Klinefelter Syndrome* ; Male ; Mosaicism ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy ; Preimplantation Diagnosis* ; Prostaglandins D ; Sex Chromosomes ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa

OBJECTIVE: HL7(Health Level 7) develops standards for the representation of clinical documents like discharge and consultation notes. The goal of the present study is to develop XML(eXtensible Markup Language)-based communication standard for discharge note. METHODS: This paper presents the use of XML for electronic communication in a document-based EMR, first, as a format for the exchange of structured message, and second, as a comprehensible way to represent patient document. A retrospective analysis of 1165 discharge notes, from the department Seoul National University Hospital, were extracted by querying OCS(Order Communication System) and taking every discharge note of main disease issued over one year period (2003.01.01~2003.12.31). RESULTS: An XML-based prototype for discharge note has been put into place representing the required "section" and "specific instance". In addition, a subset of the CDA(Clinical Document Architecture) Level One details has been described and integrated. CONCLUSION: Through the introduction of definitions for sections and specific instances, progress in the development of CDA Level Two and Three might be realized. An XML-based prototype was implemented, allowing a special view on XML data to generate this document type.
Electronic Health Records ; Health Level Seven ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the recovery state of 6 month between s-ICH and s-SAH patients. The patients' recovery state was measured with 2 dimensions: functional and cognitive. METHODS: Non-experimental prospective design was adopted by including 108 hemorrhagic stroke patients(s-ICH: 52 vs s-SAH: 56) admitted to Intensive Care Unit of one university hospital. RESULTS: The study results showed that overall functional recovery state of s-SAH patients was better than that of s-ICH patients, and s-SAH patients also showed better recovery states in all of the sub-dimensions of functional recovery, such as feeding, grooming, and toileting, than those of s-ICH in 6 month. On the contrary, the study results showed that overall cognitive recovery states of 6 month between two groups were not significantly different. However, according to the results comparing the sub-dimensions of cognitive recovery, s-SAH patients' recovery states on attention, communication and memory were significantly better than those of s-ICH patients, while recovery states on problem solving, safety behavior, and social behavior between 2 groups were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: From the study results, it was noted that s-SAH patients showed better recovery states in cognitive dimension as well as in functional dimension compared with s-ICH patients.
Animals ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Grooming ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Memory ; Problem Solving ; Prospective Studies ; Social Behavior ; Stroke ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage