BACKGROUND: The role of several cardiogenic risk factors, including patent foramen ovale, in patients with cryptogenic stroke has been extensively studied. However, little attention has been paid to the role of non-cardioembolic causes of cryptogenic stroke. We therefore sought to identify the characteristics of cryptogenic stroke. METHODS: We studied 832 patients with acute infarction in the middle cerebral arterial territory. We divided the patients into four subtypes: 402 with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 133 with cardioembolism, 182 with small arterial occlusion (SAO), and 115 with cryptogenic stroke. We compared risk factors and lesion patterns observed by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) between patients with cryptogenic stroke and those with stroke of other subtypes. RESULTS: Both risk factors and DWI lesion patterns differed between the cryptogenic and cardioembolic groups (P<0.05). Risk factors for cryptogenic stroke were similar to those for the LAA and SAO groups. Similarly, DWI lesion patterns for cryptogenic stroke were similar to LAA patients. Large cortical infarcts on DWI were more common in the cardioembolic group than in the LAA or cryptogenic groups (P<0.001). In contrast, deep, non-lacunar (OR 5.02; 95% CI 2.68~9.40; P<0.001) and superficial perforator infarcts (OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.08~4.59; P=0.029) were independently associated with the cryptogenic group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that non-cardioembolic causes, such as macro- and microangiopathy, are important mechanisms in the pathogenesis of cryptogenic stroke.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Risk Factors ; Stroke*

Apraxia of eyelid closure is an uncommon condition characterized by difficulties in voluntary eye closing with preserved normal blinking. Meige's syndrome is a disorder of adults, and is characterized by prolonged symmetric dystonic contraction of the orofacial muscles and blepharospasm. We report a case of apraxia of eyelid closure on the right eye with Meige's syndrome on the left eye complicating a left middle cerebral artery territory infarction.
Adult ; Apraxias* ; Blepharospasm ; Blinking ; Eyelids* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Muscles

Objective tinnitus which may be caused by contraction of the tensor tympani and stapedial muscles is extremely rare. We present a case of middle ear myoclonus with voluntary palatal myoclonus in a musician. Otologic examination demonstrated rhythmic involuntary movement of the tympanic membrane after the exposure of loud sound or blowing of the musical instrument. Impedance audiometry confirmed the motion of tympanic membrane and those movements correlated with a tinnitus perceived by the patient. Palatal myoclonic motion, voluntarily evoked by the patient, was observed by oral examination and heard by Toynbee tube objectively. Medical treatment and directive counseling were effective for voluntary palatal myoclonus. However, the main symptom of tinnitus caused by middle ear myoclonus was not changed. The patient's tinnitus was cured by tympanotomy with sectioning of the tensor tympani and stapedial tendons.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Diagnosis, Oral ; Directive Counseling ; Dyskinesias ; Ear, Middle* ; Humans ; Muscles ; Music ; Myoclonus* ; Tendons ; Tensor Tympani ; Tinnitus* ; Tympanic Membrane

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study were to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of canalith repositioning maneuver (CRP) according to accompanying mastoid percussion and to investigate the prognostic factors that may affect successful repositioning maneuver and the recurrence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A total of 70 patients with canalith type BPPV visiting the dizziness clinic of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital were included in this study. Variables identified for statistical analysis were patient's age, sex, maneuver method, number of involved canal, number of CRP and dizziness handicap inventory. RESULT: Overall success rate of CRP was 90%. The mean number of maneuver was 1.6 and the recurrence rate was 25.7% during the follow up period. Success rate of CRP (94.9%) was higher than maneuver without mastoid percussion (83.9%) though it was not statistically significant. Successful CRP group showed the significant less number of maneuvers at initial treatment session and less number of involved canal than failed CRP group at the time of one week-follow up visit. Patients with recurrence of BPPV had the more number of CRP during the period of previous BPPV. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic efficacy of CRP with mastoid percussion was higher than CRP without mastoid percussion though it was not statistically significant. Suggesting prognostic factors for effective CRP and recurrence were number of CRP and number of involved canal.
Dizziness ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Percussion ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Vertigo*

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of neuronal disorders including brain ischemic injury. Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), a 12 kDa oxidoreductase, has anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic functions in various cells. It has been highly implicated in brain ischemic injury. However, the protective mechanism of Trx1 against hippocampal neuronal cell death is not identified yet. Using a cell permeable Tat-Trx1 protein, protective mechanism of Trx1 against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death was examined using HT-22 cells and an ischemic animal model. Transduced Tat-Trx1 markedly inhibited intracellular ROS levels, DNA fragmentation, and cell death in H 2O 2-treatment HT-22 cells. Tat-Trx1 also significantly inhibited phosphorylation of ASK1 and MAPKs in signaling pathways of HT-22 cells. In addition, Tat-Trx1 regulated expression levels of Akt, NF-κB, and apoptosis related proteins. In an ischemia animal model, Tat-Trx1 markedly protected hippocampal neuronal cell death and reduced astrocytes and microglia activation. These findings indicate that transduced Tat-Trx1 might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating ischemic injury.

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of neuronal disorders including brain ischemic injury. Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), a 12 kDa oxidoreductase, has anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic functions in various cells. It has been highly implicated in brain ischemic injury. However, the protective mechanism of Trx1 against hippocampal neuronal cell death is not identified yet. Using a cell permeable Tat-Trx1 protein, protective mechanism of Trx1 against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death was examined using HT-22 cells and an ischemic animal model. Transduced Tat-Trx1 markedly inhibited intracellular ROS levels, DNA fragmentation, and cell death in H 2O 2-treatment HT-22 cells. Tat-Trx1 also significantly inhibited phosphorylation of ASK1 and MAPKs in signaling pathways of HT-22 cells. In addition, Tat-Trx1 regulated expression levels of Akt, NF-κB, and apoptosis related proteins. In an ischemia animal model, Tat-Trx1 markedly protected hippocampal neuronal cell death and reduced astrocytes and microglia activation. These findings indicate that transduced Tat-Trx1 might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating ischemic injury.

Pantoea infections are rare in humans and an unusual cause for sepsis in immunocompetent patient. It is a gram-nagative bacillus of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Infections are usually associated with plant thorn injury or outbreak traced to comtaminated parenteral nutrition. We experienced a case of pantoea species cholecystitis and cholangitis with bacteremia. The patient was administrated intravenous antibiotics, and then patient was improved.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacillus ; Bacteremia ; Cholangitis ; Cholecystitis ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Humans ; Pantoea ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Plants ; Sepsis

BACKGROUND: There is very limited data present on smoking cessation rates in outpatient departments of pulmonology. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a brief smoking cessation intervention program in an outpatient department of pulmonology and identify predictors of smoking cessation failure. METHODS: After a brief recommendation of smoking cessation from pulmonologists, smokers willing to quit smoking were given individual counseling and supplement drugs. Fifty smokers were included in this study and baseline characteristics, smoking history and success rate were reviewed at 3 months. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 58.3+/-14.6 years and the total group of patients included 3 women. The rate of smoking cessation success was 74% at 3 months, and there were no differences in age, spirometric indexes and associated diseases between the smoking cessation success and failure group. The rate of supplement drug usage was not different in both groups either. However, body weight, mean number of cigarette usage per day and nicotine dependence scores in the failure group were significantly higher than in the success group. In multivariate analysis, body weight and mean number of cigarette usage per day were significant. Two smokers with a depressive disorder failed the smoking cessation. CONCLUSION: A smoking cessation intervention program in the outpatient department of pulmonology showed a favorable success rate. More intensive interventions are needed to unfavorable groups which include the obese and heavy smokers.
Body Weight ; Counseling ; Depressive Disorder ; Female ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Outpatients ; Pulmonary Medicine ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco Use Disorder

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score is known to be effective in predicting the likelihood of recovery after stroke. However, the baseline NIHSS score predicts long-term outcomes rather crudely because early changes in stroke scores may influence the stroke outcomes. Therefore, a precise prognostic algorithm or a cutoff point for predicting long-term outcomes based on data from serial NIHSS scores is needed. METHODS: We serially assessed 437 patients with acute symptomatic ischemic stroke within the middle cerebral artery territory who presented with nonlacunar stroke and were followed-up for at least 6 months after symptom onset. The NIHSS score was serially checked at 0, 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after admission. In all patients, the Barthel index (BI) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score were checked, with a poor outcome defined as any of the following endpoints: death, modified mRS score of >3, or BI of <60. RESULTS: A marked neurological improvement or worsening (i.e., a change in the NIHSS score of at least 4) was seen in 13.5% or 5.5% of the patients, respectively, during the first 7 days after admission. About 25% of the 437 patients had poor long-term outcomes. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves showed that the NIHSS score at day 7 after admission was better for predicting poor long-term outcomes than was the baseline score (P=0.003). In addition, we analyzed the cutoff point of the 7th-day NIHSS score for predicting a poor outcome at 6 months after symptom onset. An NIHSS score of at least 6 at day 7 after admission predicted poor long-term outcomes with a sensitivity of 84% [95% confidence interval (CI), 76-90%], a specificity of 92% (95% CI, 88-94%), and positive and negative predictive values of 77% and 95%, respectively. A logistic regression analysis revealed that age, diffusion-weighted imaging lesion volume, stroke history, and 7th-day NIHSS score were independently associated with poor outcome. However, no score used in addition to the 7th-day NIHSS score improved the prediction of a poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: An NIHSS score of at least 6 on day 7 after admission accurately forecasts a poor long-term outcome after stroke. Our data may be helpful in predicting the long-term prognosis as well as in making decisions regarding novel therapeutic applications in subacute-stroke trials.
Humans ; Logistic Models ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; National Institutes of Health (U.S.) ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stroke Volume ; Stroke*

SAPHO syndrome, characterized by synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis is rare compared to other spondyloarthropathies. It is also difficult to diagnose, and treatment methods have not yet been fully identified. Approximately 72% of patients are diagnosed with at least one other disease before a final diagnosis of SAPHO syndrome. In addition, SAPHO syndrome is subject to a delayed diagnosis period of 4.5 to 9.1 years. Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors are used in treatment of SAPHO syndrome. Bisphosphonate is also used for refractory SAPHO syndrome; however, most reports on this relate to intravenous injection of medication. The authors experienced and subsequently reported on a case involving a patient with SAPHO syndrome accompanied by fracture and infection of the left second finger who was treated with the oral biphosphonate, alendronate.
Acne Vulgaris ; Acquired Hyperostosis Syndrome* ; Alendronate* ; Antirheumatic Agents ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Fingers ; Humans ; Hyperostosis ; Injections, Intravenous ; Osteitis ; Spondylarthropathies ; Synovitis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha