No abstract available.
Animals ; Interleukin-2* ; Interleukin-6* ; Mice* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa* ; Pseudomonas*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether longitudinal changes in positive and negative symptoms affect cognitive functioning in chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia were examined on two occasions over 6 months for symptoms and cognitive changes. Symptoms were measured by PANSS. Cognitive functions were examined for sustained attention, executive function, concentration and attention, and verbal memory and learning using Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Digit Span, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, respectively. Twenty control subjects were assessed to compare the cognitive scores of remitted schizophrenic patients. RESULTS: Patients showed significant improvement in symptoms and all cognitive tests after 6 months treatments. Significant improvements in positive and negative symptoms did not predict improvements in any aspect of cognitive functioning measured. Normal controls performed significantly better than remitted schizophrenic patients on all cognitive tests. The results show no relationship between change in symptoms and change in cognition in chronic schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: We suggest that symptomatic and cognitive impairment may be a distinct construct. These findings highlight the importance of treating cognitive impairment in addition to the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.
Cognition ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Executive Function ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Learning ; Memory ; Schizophrenia* ; Verbal Learning ; Wisconsin

No abstract available.
Foot* ; Polydactyly* ; Syndactyly*

The malar bones are major determinants of mid-facial shape. In an oriental population, malar prominences are considered an unpleasing and undesirable feature because they give the face a triangular shape and may produce an emaciated and sunken appearance. There are two main operative approaches to malarplasty. One is a coronal approach and the other is a intraoral approach. The former possess advantages of symmetricity, accuracy and superiorly, medially and posteriorly aesthetical transposition of the malar bone. However, it has drawbacks such as a long visible scar on the scalp and extensive operation. Though the latter is a simple method avoiding a visible scar, it has some problems of asymmetricity, cheekdrooping, partial transposition of the malar complex and difficulty of aesthetic transposition. The authors intended to perform intraoral malarplasty for symmetrically aesthetic transposition of the whole malar bone without cheekdrooping. From February 1996 to January 1999, 9 female patients with prominent malar complex, in whom the coronal incision was objectionable, had intraoral malarplasty performed with 2-point fixation after L-shaped osteotomy involving the zygomatic process of maxilla, resulting in symmetric and aesthetically desirable three dimensional transposition of the malar bone.
Cicatrix ; Female ; Humans ; Maxilla* ; Osteotomy ; Scalp ; Zygoma

Truncus arteriosus is characterized by a single arterial vessel arising from the base of the heart and giving origin to the systemic, pulmonary and coronary circulation. To evaluate the incidence, types, and associated anomalies, 18cases of truncus arteriosus diagnosed by angiocardiography, were reviewed and were compared with other reports. Ten of them were confirmed by operation. The overall incidence of truncus arteriosus was 0.127%. Accordin to Collett and Edwards classification. Type I was encountered in 11cases(61%), type II in 4cases(22%), and type III in 3cases(17%), All the patients had subtruncal ventricular septal defects. Eight patients showed truncal valve regurgitation and valve stenosis was noted in one case. A right aortic arch was present in 9 cases. Associated anomalies were atrial septal defect(8cases), patent ductus arteriosus(3cases), coarctation of the aorta(2cases), isolation of the left subclavian artery(2 cases), and right aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery(1case). Truncus arteriosus is an uncommon congenital cardio vascular malformation. In the group of cases which we encountered, type I was the most common anomaly. Frequently associated anomalies were right aortic arch, incompetent truncal valve and atrial septal defect.
Angiocardiography ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Classification ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Circulation ; Heart ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Truncus Arteriosus* ; Vascular Malformations

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to identify the CT findings that help detect pleural dissemination from lung cancer and to evaluate the usefulness of selected diagnostic criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After a computerized database search of 606 patients who had undergone thoracotomy for primary lung cancer, 23 patients were identified as h aving surgically documented pleural dissemination. From the same database, 50 patients without pleural dissemination during thoracotomy were randomly selected as controls. Preoperative CT scans and medical records were rev i ewed retrospectively, and findings were compared between the two groups. RESULT: One or more of three types of pleural thickening (plaque-like, nodular, and fissural) were identified on CT as the most discriminating finding (sensitivity, 74 % ; specificity, 60 %; p = 0.007). The following findings were also significantly discriminating (p<0.05): contiguity of primary tumor with the pleural surface as seen on CT; adenocarcinoma in cell type; and a peripheral tumor defined as one in which bronchoscopy revealed no endobronchial lesion. The use of combinations of these findings in addition to pleural thickening rendered diagnostic criteria more specific at the cost of the sensitivity. CONCLUSION: During preoperative CT evaluation of lung cancer, the recognition of subtle pleural thickening helps detect pleural dissemination. The likelihood that subtle pleural thickening represents pleural dissemination is increased when a primary tumor is contiguous with the pleural surface, is an adenocarcinoma, or is peripherally located.
Adenocarcinoma ; Bronchoscopy ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thoracotomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma (FCH) is a recently recognized adnexal tumor and is composed of follicular, sebaceous and mesenchymal elements such as small vessels, adipocytes and neural component in the fibrous stroma. It usually presents as an exophytic papule or nodule on the central part of the face. We describe a 39-year-old woman with FCH on the right upper back, which is an unusual site. A biopsy specimen demonstrated a follicular structure in infundibuiar nature, sebaceous lobules attached to it, and compactly laminated fibrous stroma with an increased number of vessels in it. Immunohistochemically, many of the vessels in the stroma showed positive reaction for CD34, and Factor VIII.
Adipocytes ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Factor VIII ; Female ; Hamartoma* ; Humans

No Abstract Available.
Median Nerve* ; Neurilemmoma*

The villous adenoma of the duodenum is a rare disease and a considerable portion of the cases are known to be associated with malignancy. Although the diagnosis can be made with duodenoscopy, some cases showed false negative rate for malignancy detection with endoscopic biopsy only. So Whipple's operation is preferred than local excision. We experienced a case of tubulovillous adenoma involving ampulla of Vater, which recurred after local excision. So we report a case of tubulovillous adenoma involving ampulla of Vater with relevant literature.
Adenoma* ; Adenoma, Villous ; Ampulla of Vater* ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Duodenoscopy ; Duodenum ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Scalp* ; Skin* ; Transplants*