BACKGROUND: Plasmapheresis or plasma exchange is the procedure to remove various pathogenic materials from the circulation of patients and retransfuse the formed elements into the doners with type specific fresh frozen plasma or albumin for the replacement of the withdrawn plasma. METHODS: In order to evaluate clinical experience of plasma exchange, we examined a total of 133 plasma exchange procedure on 25 patients of January 1993 - May 1994 in Kyungpook national university hospital. RESULTS: The results are as follows: 1. There were 8 kinds of diseases and the most frequent diseases was Guillian-Barre syndrome(l 2 cases) and the decreasing order was CIDP(6 cases), multiple myeloma(2 cases), acute fulminant hepatitis(1 case), mushroom poisoning(1 case), lupus nephritis(l case), TTP(I case) and myasthenia gravis(l case). 2. The patient's age ranged from 13 to 65 years. 3. There were 14 males and 11 females and the sex ratio was 1.3:1. 4. We had got clinical improvement in 16 of 25 cases, especially most dramatic effect in Guillian-Barre syndrome. CONCLUSION: To achieve more successful outcome of plasma exchange, we should select patients with restrict application, prevent rebound phenomenon with intense practice, choose what kind of replacement fluid to consider patient's clinical condition and check serological parameter with clinical evaluation to monitor effectiveness of treatment.
Agaricales ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma* ; Plasmapheresis ; Sex Ratio

The authors studied Psychoticism, using SCL-90, in the subjects of 3,893 male college students and 1,976 female college students of Yeung Nam University, collecting data during the periods from October to November, 1984. The results could be summarized as follows: 1. There was significant difference in the mean averages of total psychoticism scores between male and female students; male students scored 6.81±5.13 female students scored 8.14±5.05. 2. Eighty eight male students (2.4%) showed seriously high psychoticism scores of 20 or higher, while 63 female students (3.2%) showed the same scores. 3. In a comparison between male students in different school grades, freshmen showed the highest level of psychoticism scores, and as the grades of students became higher, the levels of psychoticism scores were lower. 4. Among the psychoticism factors, there were strong tendencies toward higher psychoticism scores in the students who were dissatisfied with their college, and had pessimistic views of self-image in the past, present or future, in both groups. 5. The male students whose educational fees were paid by their parents, and whose spending money per month was under 10,000 won, showed higher level of psychoticism scores. 6. The female students whose maturation locations were city, who were dissatisfied with their departments, who resided in dormitory of other residencies, and whose educational fees were paid by their brothers or sisters, showed higher level of psychoticism scores. 7. The items relating to 5 (Feeling lonely with people) 9 (Never feeling close to another) 10 (Idea something writh mind) in psychoticism and the item of depressed affect in SDS were significantly correlated over 0.40 of correlation coefficient.
Fees and Charges ; Female ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Male ; Parents ; Siblings

The authors studied depression, using Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) in the subjects of 3,499 male and 1,335 female college freshmen of Yeungnam University. The authors collected the reports of SDS during the periods from January to February, 1986, and applied ANOVA and t-test on depression scores in order to compare them between various psychosocial factors, and sexes. The results are as follows: There was significant difference in the mean averages of total depression scores between male and female students: male students scored 35.68+7.46, female students scored 38.93+7.26 (P<0.01). The depression scores relating to the items of indecisiveness, psychomotor retardation, decreased libido, and diurnal variation were relatively higher in both groups. One hundred and sixty-one male students (4.6%) showed seriously high degree depression scores of 50 or higher, while one-hundred and seventeen female students (8.8%) showed the same scores. Female students attending in liberal arts showed higher level of depression scores (P<0.01). There was a strong tendency toward higher depression scores in the students who were dissatisfies with their home atmosphere, college, department and familiarity of parents and those who had pessimistic views of self in the past, present or future in both groups (P<0.001).
Atmosphere ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Libido ; Male ; Parents ; Psychology ; Recognition (Psychology)

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive*

MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) is one of the mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, A rare disease caused by a disturbance of the mitochondrial chain of respiration. MELAS is confirmed by typical light and electron microscopic findings : "ragged red fibers" by modified Gomori trichrome stain on light microscope and numerous abormal mitochondria on electron microscope. We experienced a boy with the characteristic clinical and pathologic findings of MELAS. Our patient demonstrated bilateral basal ganglia calcifications and infarction at right parieto-occipital and thalamic areas on CT and MR We found that MRI was more sensitive and represented the infarcted lesions better than CT. Detection of cerebral insults of MELAS by MRI is important in making decision on patient treatment and also in predicion of the patient prognosis.
Acidosis, Lactic ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain Diseases ; Child* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; MELAS Syndrome* ; Mitochondria ; Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies ; Muscular Diseases ; Rare Diseases ; Respiration

Proliferating trichilemmal tumor is one of rare benign tumors of the skin appendages, considering as hamartoma of the terminal hair follicle, isthmic segment of the outer root sheath. We report a case of numerous proliferating trichilemmal tumors admixed with ordinary trichilemmal cysts with femilial history in 64-year-old man. He has total 157 lesions, which are chiefly located in scalp (48), back (32), and also face, neck, trunk, extremities. Histologically, the tumor is composed of irregularly arranged and ansatomosed trabeculae, lobules, or sheets of proliferated trichilemmal squamous epithelium with peripheral palisading of the basaloid cells. Several layers of squamoid or ovoid cells have PAS-positive clear cytoplasm. And it also shows abrupt amorphous, trichilemmal keratinization. Some squamous eddies with mild cellular atypism are associated, but definite invasion or other evidence of the malignancy is not found. usual multiple trichilemmal cysts are admixed with tumor and occasionally exhibit connection between them.
Cysts ; Hamartoma

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of fat suppression technique for MR imaging of the knee. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight knees of 26 patients were imaged at a 1. 5 T MR system. Sagittal and coronal T2-Weighted spin echo images (SET2) and sagittal fat suppression SET2(FSSE) were obtained in all cases. We used a chemical shift imaging method for fat suppression. We compared FSSE with SET2 in terms of the conspicuity of lesions of menisci, cruciate ligaments, cartilage, bone and soft tissue of the knee. RESULTS: Meniscal lesions were detected on FSSE and SET2 as well. FSSE depicted the lesion more conspicuously in 6 cases. For the depiction of ACL tear, SET2 was superior to FSSE in 5 cases. FSSE was better for the visualization of the normal structure of cartilage and it also depicted the cartilaginous lesions more conspicuously in 3 cases. Though bone bruise could be detected on both techniques, FSSE was better. CONCLUSION: FSSE could provide the improved delineation of menisci, cartilage, bone bruise and other soft tissues except the injuries of anterior cruciate ligament. Although FSSE is a reliable method, it can not replace SET2. It may be used as a complemental method in the imaging of the knee.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Cartilage ; Complement System Proteins ; Contusions ; Humans ; Knee* ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

OBJECT: Peripheral blood stem cells(PBSC) were collected after remission induction chemotherapy and reinfused after intensified chemotherapy in order to increase the chemotherapeutic efficacy. METHOD: Collection of mononuclear cells(MNC) was started when CD34+ cells above 1% and WBC above 1,000/ul with mononuclear cell percentage above 30%, the collection procedures were done 2-6 times in each patient of total 6 cases. The collected MNCs were stored in -75 degrees C and reinfused after thawing in the water bath at 37 degrees C. RESULTS: Twenty three collection procedures from the 6 cases of acute leukemia had made effective MNC collection in 4 cases and mean collection efficiency was 49.8%(from 39.0% to 74.5%). Hematological changes after the procedure were mean reduction of hemoglobin 1.34g/dl and mean 20.25% of decreased platelet count. There were noticed transient symptoms of discomfort, coughing, chest tightness and dyspnea in association with the infusion of stored cells. CONCLUSION: The basic process for the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation(PBSCT) was accomplished with this supportive care for the consolidation chemotherapy of acute leukemia. Effective PBSCT would be warrented with more qualified process and high dose chemotherapy.
Baths ; Consolidation Chemotherapy ; Cough ; Drug Therapy* ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Platelet Count ; Remission Induction ; Stem Cells* ; Thorax ; Water

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, using localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), the cerebral metabolic change apparent after revascularization surgery in patients with moyamoya disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen children with moyamoya disease and eight age-matched normal controls underwent MR imaging, MR angiography, conventional angiography, and 99mTc- ECD SPECT. Frontal white matter and the basal ganglia of both hemispheres were subjected to localized 1H-MRS, and after revascularization surgery, four patients underwent follow-up 1H-MRS. RESULTS: Decreased NAA/Cr ratios (1.35+/-0.14 in patients vs. 1.55+/-0.24 in controls) and Cho/Cr ratios (0.96+/-0.13 in patients vs. 1.10+/-0.11 in controls) were observed in frontal white matter. After revascularization surgery, NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios in this region increased. In the basal ganglia, there is no abnormal metabolic ratios. CONCLUSION: Localized 1H-MRS revealed abnormal metabolic change in both hemispheres of children with moyamoya disease. Because of its non-invasive nature, 1H-MRS is potentially useful for the preoperative evaluation of metabolic abnormalities and their postoperative monitoring.

Food allergy (FA) and atopic dermatitis (AD) are representative allergic diseases that begin early in life and result in considerable socioeconomic burden. While the pathophysiology and the optimal treatment modalities of these diseases are largely unknown, the role of microbes in health and disease are being highlighted. Recent advances in analyzing microbiome have enabled us to expand our research on impacts of the microbiome on the onset and course of FA and AD. Risk factors that are presumed to affect intestinal microbiome also modulate the onset of allergic diseases, which is more evident in AD than in FA. Considering animal studies, intestinal microbiota interacts with FA and the influence is bi-directional. The activation of regulatory T cell and the innate immune system is supposed to mediate the interaction. Regarding human studies, there exists the difference in the composition of microbiome between subjects with FA or AD and matched normal controls, which can further play as a predictive marker for later development of FA or AD. Probiotics are now investigated as a primary therapeutic agent or as an adjuvant tool for conventional therapies in preventing or modulating FA or AD. Currently, several reports on favorable outcomes become available, which should be replicated and backed up by large-scale studies with more detailed protocols.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Food Hypersensitivity* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Immune System ; Microbiota* ; Probiotics ; Risk Factors