We report a case of Rasmussen aneurysm diagnosed by helical CT that well shows vascular imaging. Coil embolization of Rasmussen aneurysm stopped the bleeding successfully.
Aneurysm* ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Hemorrhage ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

In order to establish the predicted normal values of the systolic time intervals the duration of the systolic time intervals measured from simultaneous recordings of the electrocardiogram, the phonocardiogram and the carotid pulse tracing. The subjects studied were 160 healthy males and 160 females. The mean ages of males and females were 29 and 31 years old, respectively. The transformation period was not closely related to heart rate, and its mean values for males and females were 58 and 56 msec., respectively, and the mean for males and females combined was 57 msec. The remainder of the systolic time intervals, however, showed a significant linear and inverse relation to heart rate. Thus, based upon these data regression equations for the prediction of the normal values of electromechanical systole, left ventricular ejection time, mechinical systole, precjection period andisovolumiccontraction time for males, females, and males and females combined were obtained.
Adult ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values* ; Systole*

No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery*

No abstract available.
Humans

We studied the effects of bile acids on the induction of apoptosis in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Treatment with either ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) or lithocholic acid (LCA) resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability assessed by MTT assay. Both UDCA and LCA also induced genomic DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, indicating that the mechanism by which these bile acids induce cell death was through apoptosis. Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, blocked the apoptosis induced by these bile acids, implying that new protein synthesis may be required for the apoptosis. Intracellular Ca2+ release blockers (dantrolene and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid-8-(diethylamino)octyl ester) inhibited decreased cell viability and DNA fragmentation induced by these bile acids. Treatment of HepG2 cells with calcium ionophore A23187 induced DNA fragmentation. These results suggest that UDCA and LCA induce apoptosis in the HepG2 cells and that the activation of intracellular Ca2+ signals may play an important role in the apoptosis induced by these bile acids.
Apoptosis* ; Bile Acids and Salts* ; Bile* ; Calcimycin ; Calcium ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Cycloheximide ; DNA Fragmentation ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans* ; Lithocholic Acid ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid

BACKGROUND: Recently, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in elderly people is increasing in Korea because of an increase in longevity. With advancing age, also a greater proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with complex medical co-morbidity contributes to the higher mortality seen in patients receiving dialysis. Diabetic nephropathy has become the most important cause of ESRD worldwide. More intensive therapeutic manipulation is needed to prevent the progression of diabetic nephropathy, but there are few studies about this subject in type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to predict renal outcomes of elderly people with type 2 diabetes and investigate risk factors related with the deterioration of renal function and the development of ESRD. METHODS: Study subjects were 67 elderly patients (over 65 years old) with type 2 diabetes. We retrospectively analyzed risk factors for the end points of doubling of serum creatinine or the development of ESRD (dialysis or transplantation). RESULTS: 17 patients (26.4%) reached the end points during the follow-up period. 16 patients of 43 patients with decreased renal function reached the end points and only one of 24 patients with preserved renal function reached the end points. A univariate analysis revealed significant correlations between renal outcomes and duration of diabetes, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, BUN, baseline serum creatinine, GFR, serum calcium, phosphorus, uric acid levels and the degree of proteinuria. In our multivariate analysis, proteinuria and baseline serum creatinine level were significantly independent risk factors. The risk of doubling of serum creatinine or development of ESRD among patients with baseline urinary protein excretion rate >or=1g/24h was six times higher compared with the risk among those with urinary protein excretion rate <1g/24h. CONCLUSION: Proteinuria and the degree of baseline kidney dysfunction are significant risk factors that contribute to the deterioration of renal function and the development of ESRD in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. Proteinuria is the most powerful independent predictor of renal outcomes.
Aged* ; Anemia ; Calcium ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Dialysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea ; Longevity ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Phosphorus ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Retrospective Studies* ; Risk Factors ; Uric Acid

Arteries ; Behcet Syndrome ; Central Nervous System ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Joints ; Oral Ulcer ; Skin ; Skin Ulcer ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome ; Thrombosis ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Superior ; Wound Healing

PURPOSE: To evaluate MR findings of redundant nerve roots (RNR) of the cauda equina. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 17 patients with RNR were studied; eight were men and nine were women, and their ages ranged from 46 to 82 (mean63) years. Diagnoses were established on the basis of T2-weighted sagittal and coronal MRI, which showed a tortuous or coiled configuration of the nerve roots of the cauda equina. MR findings were reviewed for location, magnitude, and signal intensity of redundant nerve roots, and the relationship between magnitude of redundancy and severity of lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) was evaluated. RESULTS: In all 17 patients, MR showed moderate or severe LSCS caused by herniation or bulging of an intervertebral disc, osteophyte from the vertebral body or facet joint, thickening of the ligamentum flavum, degenerative spondylolisthesis, or a combination of these. T2-weighted sagittal and coronal MR images well clearly showed the location of RNR of the cauda equina; in 16 patients (94%), these were seen above the level of constriction of the spinal canal, and in one case, they were observed below the level of constriction. T2-weighted axial images showed the thecal sac filled with numerous nerve roots. The magnitude of RNR was mild in six cases (35%), moderate in five cases (30%), and severe in six cases (35%). Compared with normal nerve roots, the RNR signal on T2-weighted images was iso-intense. All patients with severe redundancy showed severe LSCS, but not all cases with severe LSCS showed severe redundancy. CONCLUSION: Redundant nerve roots of cauda equina were seen in relatively older patients with moderate or severe LSCS and T2-weighted MR images were accurate in identifying redundancy of nerve roots and evaluating their magnitude and location.
Cauda Equina* ; Constriction ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Osteophyte ; Spinal Canal ; Spondylolisthesis ; Zygapophyseal Joint

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of a dental CT software program in the assessment of jaw cysts and in the differentiation of odontogenic keratocysts and other cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with proven jaw cysts (8 maxillae & 9 mandibles) were evaluated with a dental CT software program for location, locularity, the presence or absence of marginal scalloping, and height to length ratio. For the delineation of involvement or displacement of neurovascular bundles, cortical erosion, perforation or expansion, and tooth root resorption by the jaw cysts, images from this program were compared to conventional images. RESULTS: Seventeen lesions icomprised 15 odontogenic cysts (five odontogenic keratocysts, five radicular, three residual and two dentigerous cysts) and two non-odontogenic cysts (one nasopalatine duct cyst and one postoperative maxillary cyst). Images of jaw cysts obtained with the dental CT software program delineated much more clearly than conventional images the status of neurovascular bundle and cortical bone, but there was no clear difference between the two modalities in delineating tooth root erosion. Dental CT findings of five mandibular odontogenic keratocysts were scalloped margin in all, mandibular ramus involvement in four, height to length ratio below 60% in four, and multilocularity in two. The findings of the other 12 cysts (eight maxillae and four mandibles) were unilocularity in all, smooth inner margin in ten, height to length ratio below 60% in only two, and ramus involvement in none. CONCLUSION: Adental CT software program is an improved imaging modality for assessing jaw cysts ; and findings which tend to indicate odontogenic keratocysts are marginal scalloping, mandibular ramus involvement, prominent spread along the marrow space and multilocularity.
Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Jaw Cysts* ; Jaw* ; Maxilla ; Odontogenic Cysts* ; Pectinidae ; Tooth Root

PURPOSE: To evaluate imaging findings and lung density changes after 95% oxygen inhalation in rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 18 rats were divided into three groups on the basis of inhalation time: group I(n=6) inhaled 95 % oxygen for 24 hours, and group II(n=6) for 48 hours, group III(n=6) for 60 hours. A control group(n=6) inhaled room air(21% oxygen). Chest radiograph and high resolution computed tomography were performed, and pathologic and imaging findings were compared. RESULTS: Chest radiograph showed abnormality only in group III. High resolution CT, however, revealed abnormal findings in all three groups : diffuse ground glass opacity in groups I, II and III, additional focal patchy consolidation at the peripheral portion in group II, and diffuse consolidation in group III. Lung density was sig-nificantly higher in group I than in controls(p <0.05), while density in group II was not significantly different from that in group I(p >0.05). In group III, density was significantly higher than in group II. The lung density changes seen in all groups showed a bilateral diffuse increased pattern. but, in group III, changes were more severe in the central, peripheral and posterior portion of the lower lung. Ground glass opacity and focal patchy consolidaton seen on HRCT were found on pathologic examination to be due to alveolar cell hyperplasia and septal thickening. Consolidation was caused by alveolar edema and hemorrage. Pathologic lesions were randomly distributed in both lungs. CONCLUSION: One HRCT images, rat exposed to hyperoxia showed ground glass opacity, patchy consolidation and diffuse consolidation. Depending on exposure time, the pathologic findings also indicated increased lung density and a bilateral, diffuse distribution pattern, as well as alveolar cell hyperplasia and septal thickening, alveolar edema and hemorrage. HRCT may be more helpful than simple X-rays for the early detection of pulmonary oxygen toxicity.
Animals ; Edema ; Glass ; Hyperoxia ; Hyperplasia ; Inhalation ; Lung* ; Oxygen* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rats*