The purpose of this study is to compare weight gain by risperidone, clozapine and olanzapine which are atypical antipsychotic drugs with that by haloperidol which is typical antipsychotic drug. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of 278 schizophrenic patients who were treated longer than 12 weeks with 4 different drugs. We measure weight gain weekly until 12th week and weight change curve over 12 weeks was drawn. Additionally, we examined any correlations of weight change with some factors. RESULTS: 1) The highest weight gains were observed in the olanzapine and clozapine groups, followed by the risperidone and haloperidol groups. 2) The haloperidol group showed a main weight gain within first 3 weeks, and patients ingested 3 atypical drugs gained weight steadily during 12 weeks. 3) The initial underweight group showed the largest weight gain. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the atypical antipsychotic drugs induced more weight gain than haloperidol. And we can expect that long-term treatment with clozapine and olanzapine would induce more severe weight gain, particularly in underweight patients.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Clozapine ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Risperidone ; Thinness ; Weight Gain*

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains an important pathogen in organ transplant patients. However, cutaneous lesions are rare manifestation of systemic CMV infection. We report a case of CMV panniculitis in a 47-year-old renal transplant recipient. She admitted due to fever, local pain in the left pelvic area, and erythematous tender palpable mass for 2 weeks. Twenty years ago, she underwent renal transplantation and had taken azathioprin 100 mg and prednisone 10 mg daily. Serum creatinine had been preserved between 2.5 and 3.5 mg/dL. Bacterial, fungal, and AFB cultures of skin lesion and drained pus were negative. CMV antigenemia was noted. Skin biopsy revealed multinucleated dermal histiocytes and positive for CMV antibody by immunohistochemical staining. Polymerase chain reaction testing of skin tissue and drained pus revealed CMV DNA. She was treated with ganciclovir for four weeks and skin lesion was completely resolved without recurrence.
Biopsy ; Creatinine ; Cytomegalovirus* ; DNA ; Fever ; Ganciclovir ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Middle Aged ; Panniculitis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prednisone ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Suppuration ; Transplantation ; Transplants

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to exam whether personality, i.e. temperament and character, has an association with a previous presence of psychotic features in euthymic bipolar I disorder. METHODS: We recruited 25 psychotic patients with bipolar I disorder, 23 non-psychotic bipolar I patients and 48 normal controls. All subjects were asked to perform Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Euthymic state was defined in bipolar patients by scores of below 10 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and on the Young Manic Rating Scale (YMRS). RESULTS: Psychotic bipolar patients, compared to normal controls, showed higher harm avoidance (HA) and self-transcendence (ST). In addition, HA in psychotic bipolar patients was higher than that in non-psychotic bipolar patients. However, no significant differences on TCI were demonstrated between non-psychotic patients and normal controls. CONCLUSION: There are significant discrepancies in personality between psychotic and non-psychotic bipolar patients on HA and ST. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of a continuum between bipolar disorder with psychotic features and psychotic disorders.
Bipolar Disorder ; Depression ; Humans ; Psychotic Disorders ; Temperament*

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate success rate and patency rate after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and to determine the factors affecting patency rate afterPTA in the management of insufficient arteriovenous fistula of hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Ninety-two cases of insufficient arteriovenous fistulae in 73 hemodialysis patients underwent angiography of the fistula and were treatedby PTA (native AVF: 67 cases, AV graft: 10 cases, central vein: 15 cases). The initial success rate and complications of PTA were evaluated. All patients were divided into two groups according to the age, sex, the duration of hemodialysis, a history of diabetes mellitus, the numbers of AVF operation, and the presence or absenceof thrombus. The patency rate was compared with the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test. To determine the clinical factors that affect vascular access failure rate, Cox regression method was used. RESULTS: The initial success rate of PTA was 78.2% (72/92). The patency rate after successful PTA was 80.0% at 6 months, and 73.2% at 12 months. The patency rate after successful PTA was significantly lower in cases which had two or more AVF operation (62.3% and 48.5% at 6 and 12 months) than just one (87.8% and 80.5% at 6 and 12 months). The most common PTA related complications were vessel spasm (3.9%) and hematoma (3.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The numbers of AVF operation was the only risk factor which affected the patency rate.
Angiography ; Angioplasty* ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fistula ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis ; Risk Factors ; Spasm ; Thrombosis ; Transplants ; Veins