Background & Objective: EGB 761 is a standardized natural extract used to treat impaired cerebral perfusion and nutrition (cerebrovascular insufficiency) in Korea. Although several animal studies have been conducted, few studies have investigated the clinical effects of EGB 761 in acute stroke. This study assessed the clinical benefit of intravenous EGB 761 in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: This retrospective study examined a prospectively collected stroke database. We evaluated 232 patients with acute ischemic stroke within 48 hours of symptom onset. All patients were treated with antiplatelet or anticoagulation agents. We compared baseline characteristics between the EGB 761-treated and non-treated groups. The functional outcome measure was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 90 days after stroke onset. Results: Of the 232 patients, 170 received EGB 761 during the first 3 days after arrival in the emergency department. We found no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups, with the exception of atrial fibrillation (p=0.032). After adjusting for baseline factors, intravenous administration of EGB 761 was associated with an improved 90-day functional outcome (mRS ≤2) compared with the control group (odds ratio, 2.56; p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results showed a clinical benefit of intravenous EGB 761 in patients with acute ischemic stroke
Stroke

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether embryonic stem (ES) cells can be established from isolated blastomeres of mouse embryos. METHODS: Blastomeres were separated from mouse (C57Bl/6J) 2- or 4-cell embryos. Isolated blastomeres or whole 4-cell embryos were co-cultured with mitosis-arrested STO feeder cells in DMEM supplemented with recombinant murine leukemia inhibitory factor and ES-qualified fetal bovine serum. After the tentative ES cell lines were maintained from isolated blastomeres or whole embryos, some of them were frozen and the others were sub-cultured continually. Characteristics of tentative ES cell lines as were evaluated for specific gene expressions with immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. RESULTS: One ES cell line (3.0%) was established from isolated blastomere of 2-cell embryo and one cell line (4.0%) from isolated two blastomeres of 4-cell embryo. And five cell lines (16.7%) were established from whole 4-cell embryos. Both cell lines from isolated blastomere and whole embryo expressed mouse ES cells specific markers such as SSEA-1, Oct-4 and alkaline phosphatase. Marker genes of three germ layers were expressed from embryoid bodies of both cell lines. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mouse ES cells could be established from isolated blastomeres, although the efficiency is lower than whole embryos. This animal model could be applied to establishment of autologous human ES cells from biopsied blastomeres of preimplantation embryos in human IVF-ET program.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Antigens, CD15 ; Blastocyst* ; Blastomeres* ; Cell Line ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Embryonic Structures ; Feeder Cells ; Gene Expression ; Germ Layers ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; Mice* ; Models, Animal

To study the clinical characteristics and treatment results of childhood soft tissue sarcoma, the retrospective study was performed on 67 patients with soft tissue sarcoma, experienced at the Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital from January, 1982 to July, 1990. The median age of 67 soft tissue sarcoma patients was 4 years 5 months and age distribution showed that 0-4 year age group was most common (55.2%). The sex ratio of male to female was 1.2:1. There were 3 cancers among relatives of soft tissue sarcoma patients, including one cancer among first-degree relatives. As for pathological classification, rhabdomyosarcoma (67.1%) was the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma, followed by malignant Schwannoma (8.9%), extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma (6.0%), infantile fibrosarcoma (4.5%), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (3.0%), malignant hemangiopericytoma (3.0%), and there were 1 case each of angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, malignant mesenchymoma and mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. The median age of 45 rhabdomyosarcoma patients was 3 years 8 months and age distribution showed that 0-4 year age group was most common (64.5%). Twenty three patients were male and 22 were female. The histologic subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma was embryonal type in 38 patients (84.5%), alveolar type in 5 patients (11.1%) and unclassified type in 2 patients (4.4%). As for primary site of soft tissue sarcomas, the most frequent site was the head and neck region (32.8%) including parameningeal region (13.4%) and orbit (6.0%), followed by extremities (20.9%), trunk (19.4%), retroperitoneum and pelvis (11.9%), urogenital region (7.5%), perineum and perianal region (4.5%) and other region (3.0%). As for primary site of 45 rhabdomyosarcoma cases, the most frequent site was also the head and neck region (37.8%). The most common initial symptom of soft tissue sarcoma patients was mass (68.7%). As for Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study clinical grouping system of 67 soft tissue sarcoma patients, clinical group III (58.2%) was most common, followed by clinical group II(20.9%), IV (14.9%) and I (6.0%). Of 10 cases of clinical group IV with distant metastasis, lung (8 cases) was the most common metastaic region and other metastatic regions were bone, kidney, liver and bone marrow. As for IRS clinical grouping system of 45 rhabdomyosarcoma patients, clinical group III was most common (68.9%). Of 6 cases of clinical group IV, lung (5 cases) was also the most common metastatic region, followed by kidney and liver. From 1982 to 1985, chemotherapy was done with pulse VAC or pulse VAdrC-VAC regimen based on IRS-I and IRS-II. From 1986, patients in clinical group I and II received vincristine and actinomycin-D for 1 year and patients in clinical group III, IV and II with alveolar histologic subtype(unfavorable histologic group) received vincristine, actinomycin-D, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide and cisplatinum based on IRS-III. Radiation therapy was administered to patients in clinical group II, III and IV. Of 67 cases of soft tissue sarcoma, 54 case were eligible for treatment analysis. The 3 year disease free survival (DFS) of all 54 cases was 54.1%, 3 year DFS of clinical group I and II was 83.9%,3 year DFS of clinical group III and IV before 1986 was 35.7% and after 1986 was 48.2%. Of 45 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma, 41 cases were eligible for treatment analysis. The 3 year DFS of all 41 cases was 49.1%,3 year DFS of clinical group I and II was 87.5%,3 year DFS of clinical group III and IV before 1986 was 27.2% and after 1986 was 45.0%. Patients in clinical group I and II who had no gross residual tumor after primary surgical excision had best prognosis with 3 year DFS approximating 90% with only 2 drugs regimen, significantly better than patients in clinical group III and IV with 3 year DFS below 50% even after intensifying chemotherapy since year 1986. This analysis suggests that total surgical removal is very important for improving prognosis and should be undertaken where possible in all patients without distant metastasis. Treatment results also showed that after year 1986 with intensification of chemotherapy, 3 year DFS of clinical group III and IV as well as early toxic deaths increased, and after lowering doses of chemotherapeutic agents of regimen 35 of IRS-III, treatment results improved much. Therfore to improve prognosis of patients with gross residual tumor after surgical excision of biopsy and patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis, intensified multiagent chemcherapeutic regimen with adequate dose modification should be done to lower early toxic deaths.
Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Chondrosarcoma, Mesenchymal ; Classification ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Extremities ; Female ; Fibrosarcoma ; Head ; Hemangiopericytoma ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans ; Kidney ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Mesenchymoma ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neurilemmoma ; Orbit ; Pediatrics ; Pelvis ; Perineum ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Sarcoma* ; Sarcoma, Ewing ; Sarcoma, Synovial ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine

Well differentiated osteosarcomas are variants of osteosarcoma composed mainly of fibrous and osseous tissue with minimal cystologic atypia. This tumor may be misinterpretated as a benign lesion if the radiologic and clinical features are not taken into account. We report a typical case of intraosseous well differentiated osteosarcoma occuring in the left distal femur of a 58-year-old woman. Radiologically, it appered as an ill-defined lesion with a mixture of sclerotic and osteolytic ares. But there was a lack of highly destructive appearance of conventional osteosarcoma. Grossly, the mass occupied a metaphysis of the distal femur with extension into the diaphysis and epiphysis. Multifocal cortical destruction and sclerosis were also associated. Histologically, the mass showed typical features of intraosseous well differentiated osteosarcoma. There were various patterns of osteoid deposits and bone formation mimicking those of fibrous dysplasia, nonossifying fibroma or parosteal osteosarcoma.
Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Necrosis* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*

BACKGROUND: Intrathecal neostigmine produces antinociceptive effects in many pain tests. Comparisons of pre- versus postinjury drug interventions have been made using the formalin test as a model for central sensitization. The purpose of this study was to compare behavioral antinociceptive responses with spinal fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in an intrathecal neostigmine injection between pre- versus post-formalin administration in a rat pain model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (250 300 g) were prepared with a PE 10 indwelling intrathecal catheter to receive either saline or neostigmine. The formalin test was performed on the second day after surgery with 5% 100microl. All rats were randomly divided into one of five groups; Sham, basal, control, pretreatment or posttreatment group. The Sham group (n = 4) received a dry needle at the hindpaw and the basal group (n = 6) received saline 100microl at the hindpaw. Saline 20microl was injected intrathecally after the formalin test in the control group (n = 8). Neostigmine (7.5microgram/10microl in volume) was administered intrathecally 7 minutes before the formalin test in the pretreatment group (n = 8) and 7 minutes after the formalin injection in the posttreatment group (n = 8). Pain related behavior was quantified by counting the incidence of flinches of the injected hindpaw for 60 minutes. Two hours after injection of formalin, animals were perfused with PBS and the spinal cords were removed immediately. The effect of pre- versus posttreatment with the neostigmine on c-Fos protein in the cord was examined by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies. Immuno-positive cells in laminae I-II and III-V in the lumbar enlargement were calculated. RESULTS: Intraplantar formalin injection produced a biphasic appearance of the flinch behavior (phase 1 = 0 5 minutes, phase 2 = 20 60 minutes) in the control, pretreatment and postreatment groups. In the pretreatment group, rats showed less remarkable phase 1 and 2 responses than other groups. Flinches of phase 1 were 2.3 2.1, 33.2 7.6 (P< 0.05 vs. basal), 10.0 6.6 and 33.0 13.4(P< 0.05 vs. basal) in basal, control, pre- and posttreatment groups respectively. Flinches of phase 2 were 0.3 0.5, 224.5 66.4 (P< 0.05 vs. basal), 120.6 151.3 and 187.5 76.8 (P< 0.05 vs. basal) in basal, control, pre- and posttreatment groups respectively. Similarly, the pretreatment group virtually inhibited formalin-induced expression of FLI (P< 0.05 vs. control, posttreatment) in the laminae I-II ipsilateral to injection. The posttreatment group inhibited formalin-indeced expression of FLI (P< 0.05 vs. control) in the laminae III-V ipsilateral to injection. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment of intrathecal neostigmine inhibits nociceptive behaviors and FLI in the laminae I-II following formalin injection in rats, suggesting that pretreatment plays an important role in the development of plasticity in this model.
Analgesics ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Catheters ; Central Nervous System Sensitization ; Formaldehyde* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Needles ; Neostigmine* ; Pain Measurement* ; Plastics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord

BACKGROUND: Continuous interscalene block has been known to improve postoperative analgesia after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. This was a prospective study investigating the ultrasound-guided posterior approach for placement of an interscalene catheter, clinical efficacy and complications after placement of the catheter. METHODS: Forty-two patients undergoing elective arthroscopic shoulder surgery were included in this study and an interscalene catheter was inserted under the guidance of ultrasound with posterior approach. With the inplane approach, the 17 G Tuohy needle was advanced until the tip was placed between the C5 and C6 nerve roots. After a bolus injection of 20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine, a catheter was threaded and secured. A continuous infusion of ropivacaine 0.2% 4 ml/hr with patient-controlled 5 ml boluses every hour was used over 2 days. Difficulties in placement of the catheter, clinical efficacy of analgesia and complications were recorded. All patients were monitored for 48 hours and examined by the surgeon for complications within 2 weeks of hospital discharge. RESULTS: Easy placement of the catheter was achieved in 100% of the patients and the success rate of catheter placement during the 48 hr period was 92.9%. Postoperative analgesia was effective in 88.1% of the patients in the post anesthetic care unit. The major complications included nausea (7.1%), vomiting (4.8%), dyspnea (4.8%) and unintended vascular punctures (2.4%). Other complications such as neurologic deficits and local infection around the puncture site did not occur. CONCLUSIONS: The ultrasound-guided interscalene block with a posterior approach is associated with a success high rate in placement of the interscalene catheter and a low rate of complications. However, the small sample size limits us to draw definite conclusions. Therefore, a well-designed randomized controlled trial is required to confirm our preliminary study.
Amides ; Analgesia ; Catheters ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Nausea ; Needles ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prospective Studies ; Punctures ; Sample Size ; Shoulder ; Vomiting

Ventilatory management of tracheal reconstruction surgery may require sophisticated anesthetic techniques. Most airway problems that occurred during the tracheal surgery can be prevented by passing an endotracheal tube of small size through the tracheal narrowing or locating a normal endotracheal tube just above the stenotic lesion. However, in case of high tracheal stenosis sited near the vocal cord, it is difficult to manage airway using a cuffed endotracheal tube because of high possibility of injury of the vocal cord, shallow placement of the tube and inability to apply positive pressure ventilation. The laryngeal mask airway has been used as an efficient ventilatory device in this situation. We report one case of high tracheal stenosis requiring end to end anastomosis, where airway management was successful without any complications using the proseal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA).
Airway Management ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Tracheal Stenosis ; Vocal Cords

The anesthesiologist is sometime presented with the problem of coagulation defects through the perioperative period. The possible causes of inappropriate hemostasis in this situation are numerous, and multiple mechanism may be simultaneously involved. Coagulation and fibrinolysis variables were measured in 15 patients who had undergone prolonged major surgery or received massive transfusion before and until 10 days after operation. Hemostactic surveys included platelet count, fibrinogen, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, antithrombin lll, and fibrin degraduation products. No patients had major hemorrhage, thrombosis, or disseminated intravascular coagulation, but laboratory findings suggest that a hypercoagulable state existed even 10 days postoperatively. The results were as follows: 1) Platelet counts decreased just after operation, but significantly increased to 154% of the control value 7 days after operation and 204% 10 days postoperatively. 2) Prothrombin time was significantly prolonged just after operation compared to the control value, but returned to normal in 4 days postoperatively. 3) Fibrinogen decreased just after operation, but significantly increased to 165% of the control value 4 days after operation, 178% 7days after operation and 191% 10 days postoperatively. 4) Activated partial thromboplastin time was not changed through the entire period. 5) Antithrombin lll was not changed through the entire period. 6) Fibrin degradation product was within normal ranges before operation, but in 11 cases it exceeded normal range from 1 to 10 days postoperatively.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Fibrin ; Fibrinogen ; Fibrinolysis* ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Perioperative Period ; Platelet Count ; Prothrombin Time ; Reference Values ; Thrombosis

PURPOSE: Multicystic dysplastic kidney(MCDK) is characterized by the presence of multiple cysts of varying sizes. It is associated with ureteral or pelviureteral atresia, and a non-functioning kidney. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical feature and the natural history of MCDK. METHODS: A study was performed in 36 children with prenatal diagnosis of MCDK from 1989 to 1999. All patients underwent renal ultrasonography and scintigraphy, and most underwent voidin, cystourethrography after birth. Follow-up renal ultrasonography was performed generally every year. RESULTS: Initial size of ultrasonography showed that MCDK was larger than normal in 27 cases, normal in 5 cases, and smaller than normal in 4 cases. Follow-up was available on 26 children during 12-78 months. In one patient, there was a complete involution of the MCDK. In 15 patients(58%), there was a reduction in size and 9 patients(35N) showed no change. One patient underwent nephrectomy for an enlarged MCDK. Voiding cystourethrography in 23 patients revealed vesicoureteral reflux in 6(26%). Other abnormalities of the contralateral kidney was detected in 3 of 36 children(8%), consisting of hydronephrosis, hydronephrosis and ureterocele, and simple cyst. Hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney was observed in 14% at birth and 50% in follow up. No renal dysfunction, hypertension and urinary tract infection were noted in all patients during follow up. CONCLUSION: The natural history of MCDK demonstrates a low incidence of complications and a high incidence of spontaneous regression. Therefore, uncomplicated MCDK is best managed conservatively. But further long-term follow up study is needed.
Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney* ; Natural History* ; Nephrectomy ; Parturition ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal* ; Ureter ; Ureterocele ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux