BACKGROUND: Drug-induced Parkinsonism(DIP) is the second commonest cause of Parkinsonism, after idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). DIP is frequently produced by antipsychotic drugs. But the clinical characteristics of DIP did not get attention by neurologist. So we studied the clinical profiles of DIP patients. METHODS: We studied the clinical profiles of thirthone patients who showed parkinsonism after antipsychotic drug treatment. We compared the score of motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) between trihexyphenidyl(n=15) & amantadine(n=16) monotherapy group(initial & 4 week after treatment). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 45 years. Bradykinesia was the 1st symptom in 26 patients(94%), tremor in 5 patients(6%). In 25 patients(81%), the first symptom appeared within 1 week after sntipsychotic treatment. There was a statistical significant negative correlation between the dosage of antipsychotic drug and the symptom-onset interval following treatment with antipsychotic drugs(simple correlation analysis, p>0.01). Bradykinesia and rigidity were appeared in all DIP patients, symmetric distribution was more common(94%, 87%) Tremor occurred in 27 patients (87%). In patients with tremor, postural or action tremor was dominant in 15 patients(56%) asymmetric distribution was more common(16/27, 59%). There are no statistical difference in motor score of UPDRS between trihexyphenidyl & amantadine monotherapy group(student t-test, p<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Bradykinesia was the most common 1st symptom in DIP patients. Asymmertrical postural or action tremor was relativelly common in DIP. Amantadine showed the same efficacy in the treatment of DIP compared to anticholinergics.
Amantadine ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders* ; Tremor ; Trihexyphenidyl

Malignancy may cause variable musculoskeletal symptoms which resemble connective tissue disorder. This symptoms as a fine sign of hidden neoplasm can precede the diagnosis of underlying malignancy. But only one case of stomach cancer associated with cancer arthritis was reported in the world. This fact is very interesting in Asia which has high prevalence of stomach cancer. We experienced one case of gastric adenocarcinoma with oligoarthritis involving both knee and right elbow. A 48-year-old man was diagnosed stomach cancer by gastric endoscope and biopsy. After then, he complained pain, tenderness, heating sensation, swelling of both knee and right elbow with high fever. Both knee MRI showed abundant synovial effusion and soft tissue edema. Full dose of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug was not effective to control fever and arthritis. But fever and arthritis were gone after resection of tumor.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Arthritis ; Asia ; Biopsy ; Connective Tissue ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Elbow ; Endoscopes ; Fever ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Knee ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Sensation ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Complicated pleural space occupying lesions (SOL) have been treated by thoracentesis, closed thoracotomy drainage (CTD) or surgical intervention with using a video thoracosocpe or open thoracotomy depending on the extent of the disease. With the development of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), VATS pleural adhesiolysis and decortication have revealed good results as compared to those for open thorcotomy. To assess the effectiveness of VATS pleural adhesiolysis and decortication, we retrospectively analyzed the medical record and radiologic findings of the patients with complicated pleural SOL and who were treated by this surgery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From May 1996 to April 2006, 64 patients (mean age: 41.8 years) with complicated pleural SOL underwent 65 VATS. To analyze the surgical outcome, we classified the postoperative findings on the simple chest X-rays into 4 classes as Class I: no or minimal pleural lesion, Class II: blunting of the cardiophrenic angle and mild pleural thickening, Class III: an elevated diaphgram or persistent lung collapse and Class IV: complicated or recurrent effusion. RESULT: Before VATS, the patients underwent the diagnostic or therapeutic procedures: single or repeat diagnostic tapping for 41, thoracoscotomy drainage for 11, pigtail catheter drainage for 10 and intrapleural fibrinolytics for 10. The mean duration between the onset of symptom and surgery was 18.4 days. There was neither mortality nor severe complications. The surgical outcomes were class 1 for 28, class 2 for 13, class 3 for 19 and class 4 for 5. There were statistically significant differences between the symptom duration and the classes, and between the operation time and the classes. CONCLUSION: VATS pleural adhesiolysis and decortication are effective, safe treatments for managing complicated pleural SOL, and an earlier operation is needed for obtaining a better surgical outcome.
Catheters ; Drainage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Pleural Effusion ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

Schwannomas are the most common type of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. They typically present as a solitary lesion, but multiple schwannomas rarely occur in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), or patients without the other hallmarks of NF2. The latter is termed schwannomatosis. They most commonly occur in the head and neck involving the brachial plexus and spinal nerves. Although rarely found in the extremities, when these masses occur peripherally, they most commonly affect the sciatic, ulnar, and tibial nerve. It is reported that 2.4% to 5% of all patients undergoing schwannoma excision present as schwannomatosis. One-third of patients with schwannomatosis show tumors limited to a single extremity or segment of the spine and it is referred to as segmental schwannomatosis. We report a case of recurred segmental schwannomatosis of the posterior tibial nerve without features of NF2 after schwannoma excision.
Brachial Plexus ; Extremities ; Head ; Humans ; Neck ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 2* ; Spinal Nerves ; Spine ; Tibial Nerve

BACKGROUND: Nicardipine or nitroglycerin has been used to induce controlled hypotension in healthy patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Despite the fact that controlled hypotension reduces the amount of blood loss during surgery, the changes in the regional blood flow (RBF) are unclear. This study compared the effects of nicardipine and nitroglycerin on the RBF using a laser Doppler flowmeter. METHODS: Twenty adult patients, ASA physical status I or II, who were scheduled for hip or spine surgery under general anesthesia, were randomly divided into two groups. After inducing general anesthesia, Group N (n = 10) was infused with nitroglycerin to induce hypotension, and group P (n = 10) was infused with nicardipine. The RBF was measured at the upper arm (1 cm lateral from the acromion of the scapula and deltoid region) and the second fingernail of the same side during the prehypotensive and hypotensive states. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the estimated level of blood loss and urine output between the groups. The reduction in the mean arterial pressure was faster in group P than in group N. There was no difference in the time for the mean arterial pressure to return to the baseline after the stopping drug infusion. Although the change in the RBF during the hypotensive period was significantly higher in group N than in group P, there was a similar estimated level of blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: Nicardipine is better than nitroglycerin in maintaining the regional blood flow in the peripheral tissue during controlled hypotension and induces controlled hypotension more rapidly.
Acromion ; Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Arm ; Arterial Pressure ; Flowmeters ; Hip ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Hypotension, Controlled* ; Nails ; Nicardipine* ; Nitroglycerin* ; Orthopedics ; Regional Blood Flow* ; Scapula ; Spine

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocytes on the hepatic lobule mipate from portal zone to centrilobular mea as the DNA synthesis within it. And also, the xenobiotic reactions reveal characteristic differences associated with zone specific metabolism in the liver acinus. In this study, the zonal distribution of ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-induced hepatic precancerous lesion was stereologically investigated. METHODS: Nine B6C3F1 mices were given I.p. injection of ENU (60 ug/pn body weight) when the pups were 15 days old prior to sacrifices at 8 weeks of life. All the 150 consecutive sections, 3 p m in thickness, were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and identified the basophilic precancerous lesions with 80-165 p m diameter in equatorial plane by the Zeiss microprojector. And then the distances from the center of selected foci to terminal hepatic vein or portal vein branches were estimated under the microscopic fields. As a control group, the same estimations were performed from the random points by the appointments of random digit table. RESULTS: Mean distance between ENU-induced 52 hepatocellular foci and the nearest terminal hepytic vein was 181.15+112.39 p m (Mean+ SD), but that of randomly selected 104 points was 291.73+157.98pm (Mean+5D) (Students t-test, p<0.0005). Substantially, 52.7% of ENU-induced 52 hepatocellular foci were within 300 p m from the terminal hepatic vein, but randomly selected 104 points were only 50.9% (Shapiro Wilk W test, w=0.819857, p=0.048038). Mean distance from ENU-induced 52 foci to portal vein was 398.85+149.98pm (Mean+SD), but that from the randomly selected 104 points was 315.87+145.79 pm (Mean+SD)(Students t-test, p<0.0005). CONCLUSION: Stereologically, ENU-induced mice liver cell foci distribute non-randomly to Zone III, centrilobular zone of mouse hepatic acini where promote invasion toward terminal hepatic veins.
Animals ; Appointments and Schedules ; Basophils ; Cholestasis ; DNA ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Ethylnitrosourea ; Fluconazole ; Hematoxylin ; Hepatic Veins ; Hepatocytes ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Mice* ; Portal Vein ; Veins

Some Bacillus species present in fermented foods are regarded as probiotics because of their ability to modulate the prevention of some intestinal infections and the modulation of the inflammatory immune response. We isolated bacteriocin-like substances producing Bacillus subtilis and B. lentus from Cheonggukjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste having an inhibitory effect against Salmonella Typhimurium using a well diffusion inhibition assay and a broth co-culturing method. B. subtilis or B. letus was fed to Drosophila melanogaster alone as well as in combination with Salmonella Typhimurium and survival was monitored daily. The survival rates by oral feeding B. subtilis, B. lentus and Salmonella Typhimurium separately resulted in 85, 90 and 75%, respectively. In contrast, survival rates of co-feeding of B. lentus with Salmonella Typhimurium were increased from 75 to 90% during 7 days post-feeding as compared to Salmonella Typhimurium alone. However, B. subtilis in co-feeding with Salmonella Typhimurium significantly reduced D. melanogaster survival rate (85 to 70%). We found that the immune response to B. lentus and Salmonella Typhimurium is characterized synergistic activation of antimicrobial peptide gene expression by Imd pathway. In conclusion, the in vitro and natural-route infection of the D. melanogaster digestive system can result in the use of the probiotic B. lentus for effective treatment of Salmonella Typhimurium infection. We therefore propose the strain B. lentus as a suitable candidate probiotics for use in the prevention and treatment of the intestinal infections caused by Salmonella Typhimurium.
Bacillus ; Bacillus subtilis ; Diffusion ; Digestive System ; Drosophila ; Drosophila melanogaster ; Gene Expression ; Intestines ; Peptides ; Probiotics ; Salmonella ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Soybeans ; Sprains and Strains ; Survival Rate

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is usually developed after infection, metastatic cancer or complicated pregnancy. We experienced a case of infertile woman with adenomyosis, who had not been predisposed any common risk factors but had acute DIC during menstruation after controlled ovarian stimulation. The patient received anticoagulation therapy with supplementation of coagulation factors, followed by surgical removal of uterus 3 months later. We assumed that DIC resulted from rapidly aggravated lesion during controlled ovarian stimulation and massive intramuscular hemorrhage during menstruation. So, we report the case with brief review of literatures.
Adenomyosis ; Blood Coagulation Factors ; Dacarbazine ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infertility ; Menstruation ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Uterus

Isolated anomalous right coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a rare congenital coronary anomaly that is asymptomatic and discovered incidentally in most cases. ARCAPA is generally not considered a fatal defect in infancy or childhood, although cases of sudden death have been reported. Here, we report a 2-month-old female infant who presented with a prolonged fever that was determined to be caused by rhinovirus infection. Myocardial ischemia of the left ventricular posterior wall was already seen on echocardiography, and ARCAPA was discovered incidentally. The patient underwent successful surgical reimplantation of the right coronary artery to the aortic root to re-establish dual ostial circulation.
Asymptomatic Diseases ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels* ; Death, Sudden ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Replantation ; Rhinovirus

BACKGROUND: QT dispersion(QTd) has been shown to be ventricular electrical instability, especially predictor of ventricular arrythmia and indicator of antiarrythmic effect. It was reported that there was a relationship between acute myocardial infarction and increased QTd in that QTd is dependent of the degree of reperfusion as well as the site and size of infarction. In this study, we intended to verify a significant association between myocardial ischemia and QTd by comparing the changes in QTd with or without chest pain in patients with unstable angina who had proven myocardial ischemic changes. METHOD: We studied 20 patients (12 men and 8 women : mean age, 58+/-3.4 years) with unstable angina who had proven myocardial ischemic changes and perfusion defect by 24 hour Holter monitoring, Treadmill test, or coronary angiography. Each case was measured QTd during chest patin and resting state 24 hours after chest pain. All standard 12-lead ECGs were recorded at a speed of 25 mm/sec and examined retrospectively by one observer. QTd corrected for heart rate (QTcd) was calculated by Bazett's formula. The difference of QTd was assessed by comparing by paired t-test. RESULTS: The mean values of QTd were 117.9+/-49.9 msec and 69.7+/-30.2 msec with existence and the absence of chest pain. There was significant increment of QTd when the paients with unstable angina had chest pain(p<0.01). QTcd also significantly increased with the mean value of 119.7+/-57.1 and 74.9+/-36.6 msec (p=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study clarified the change of QTd with myocardial ischemia. We expect QTd using a single, noninvasive method to indicate that the chest pain is induced by myocardial ischemic changes. For the furture, it may be possible to study as to the significance of QTd as a predictor of cardiovascular accidents in patients with unstable angina by measuring the serial QTd.
Angina, Unstable ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Stenosis* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Electrocardiography ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Exercise Test ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Perfusion ; Reperfusion ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax