BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common problems in the family practice but the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain is difficult in first encounter. When family physicians are encountered with patients with acute abdominal pain in the ambulatory care settings, t,hey have to make a decision for management of acute abdominal pain such as admission, referral, discharge or follow-up without any definite diagnosis. If it is possible to predict the course or prognosis of acute abdominal pain by using certain data about patients, it will be helpful to make a decision for the management of acute abdominal pain. So we tested the hypothesis that acute abdominal pain with intermittent pain nature and normal simple abdomen X-ray finding is not serious and shows favorable outcome. METHODS: 126 patients with acute abdorninal pain were enrolled from Feb. to Aug. in 1995 at the emergency department of Kyungju hospital, Dongkuk University. 116 patients showed normal simple abdomen X ray finding and among them 94 patients were discharged and 21 patients were admitted. 92 patients were contacted in 1 week by phone call and they reported the outcome of their acute abdominal pain. RESULTS: Among 92 study populations, 44 patients were male and 48 patients were female. 72 patients complained intermittent abdominal pain and 21 patients complained continous abdominal pain. Frequencies of tentative diagnosis at emergency department were 45 acute gastroenteritis, 26 unknown, 14 functional gastointestinal disorders, 4 acute gastritis, 2 pelvic inflammatory diseases, and 1 ureter stone. Outcomes of patients with intermittent abdominal pain were more favorable than those with continous abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: If the patients with acute abdominal pain have intermittent pain nature and normal simple abdomen x ray finding, they will show favorable outcome and can be managed at ambulatory care settings.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Ambulatory Care ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Family Practice ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastritis ; Gastroenteritis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Physicians, Family ; Prognosis ; Referral and Consultation ; Ureter

A case of metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma is presented with clincal, pathological and radiological features. Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare soft-tissue neoplasm that is malignant and invariably fatal. It was first described and named by Christopherson, et al. in 1952. Since 1952 numerous examples of this tumor have been reported and have been studied with the electron microscope, but there is still considerable uncertainty as to the exact histogenesis of the tumor. Most cases occur in young females involving the lower extrimities especially in the right side. The most initial presenting symptom is a slowgrowing painless mass and the principal metastatic sites are the lungs, followed by the brain and skeleton. Cerebral metastasis, in fact, may be the first manifestation of the disease. Treatment is radical surgical excision but radiotherapy and chemotherapy are less effective. We present the reported case of metastatic alveolar soft pat sarcoma with electron microscopic findings.
Brain ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Alveolar Soft Part* ; Skeleton ; Uncertainty

No abstract available.
Humans ; Twins*

BACKGROUND: Experimental data indicate that low-flow reperfusion following prolonged cardiocirculatory arrest may aggravate early cerebral microcirculatory repefusion disorders. We investigated the influence of cerebral repefusion flow change to the ischemic histopathologic damage of brain tissue after incomplete forebrain ischemia in rats. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were undergone ligation of both infernal carotid artery by microvascular clamp for 10 minutes. After release of the clamp, reperfusion was started with several different flow levels (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100%) of infernal carotid artery comparing to pre-clamping phase using flowmeter. After 15minutes of reperfusion, rat brains were prepared by perfusion-fixation with 3% formaldehyde. Under light microscopic examination of Hematoxylin-Eosin stained tissue slide, histopathologic damage was examined at cortex, putamen, and hippocampus regions. Categorical hisotopathologic damage scores were derived in each regions by manual counts of ischemic neurons. RESULT: The histopathologic damage scores were 0, 10. 2+/-0.5, 7.6+/-1.5, 5.9+/-1.4, 5.0+/- 2.8, 3.5+/-0.7, and 1.0+/-0.0 in control, 0, 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100% reperfusion groups, respectively(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our insults showed significant increment of brain histopathologic damage scores along with decreasing amount of cerebral reperfusion know after incomplete forebrain ischemia. We believe restoration of repefusion flow to pre-ischemic level would be a critical component in attenuation of brain ischemic damage.
Animals ; Brain ; Carotid Arteries ; Flowmeters ; Formaldehyde ; Hippocampus ; Ischemia* ; Ligation ; Models, Animal* ; Neurons ; Prosencephalon* ; Putamen ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion*

A murime monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for the envelope glycoprotein gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus type-I (HIV-1) was chemically coupled to pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) from Phytolacca americana. The immunotoxin was purified by FPLC using 5200 colum. The purified immunotoxin efficiently bound to HIV-infected T cells as evidenced by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. The immunotoxin selectively killed human T lymphoid lines infected with HIV-lIIIB at less than 250 pM of the immunotoxin cells, while PAP or mAb alone did not have any significant effect on infected cells. The uninfected control T cell lines were not affected. Human cells infected with HIV-2 or other HIV-1 strains were not killed, suggesting that the killing depends completely on the antibody used for coupling. These in vitro results suggest that the PAP-mAb conjugate may be used to selectively remove cells expressing viral antigens from individuals infected with HIV.
Antigens, Viral ; Cell Line ; Glycoproteins ; HIV ; HIV-1 ; HIV-2 ; Homicide ; Humans* ; Immunotoxins ; Phytolacca americana* ; T-Lymphocytes*

PURPOSE:We report the results of image-guided percutaneous biopsies with a biopsy gun and evaluate the clinical usefullness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and five biopsies under ultrasonographic or fiuoroscopic guidance were performed. Various anatomic sites were targeted (liver;50, chest;22, kidney;12, pancreas;8, intraperitoneum;7, retroperitoneum; ). RESULTS:Obtained tissue was diagnostic in 98 of the 105 biopsies(93%). In each instance, representative core tissue specimens were obtained. Evaluation of the core tissue by pathologist revealed consistent, uniform specimens that contained significant crush artifact in no case. Five biopsies yielded inadeguate tissues which were too small for histopathologic interpretation or were composed of necrotic debris. Two biopsies yielded adequate tissues, but tissues were not of the target. The diagnoses were malignancy in 77 biopsies and benign disease in 21 biopsies. No complications other than mild, localized discomfort were encountered except a transient hemoptysis and pneumothorax which was observed in two patients. CONCLUSION:Cutting biopsy with a biopsy gun provided sufficient amount of target tissue for an accurate diagnosis of malignant and benign disease. It was a safe and useful procedure for percutaneous biopsy.
Artifacts ; Biopsy* ; Diagnosis ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Pneumothorax

BACKGOUND: Gram negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces increase in the production of nitric oxide (NO), or a related substance derived from L-arginine in the animal tissue. Recent evidence indicates that airway epithelium may secrete NO or a related compound. It has multiple regulatory roles in the airways. In vitro, the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the reactivity of rat' tracheal wall with or without epithelium were examined. METHODS: Tracheas were removed from Sprague Dawley rats. Preparations were mounted for isometric recording in 20ml organ baths at 37degrees C containing Tis-buffered Tyrode solution continuously gassed with 100% O2. Tensions were measured with force displacement transducers and responses were recorded on a polygraph. Cummulative concentration-response curves were constructed for acetylcholine (Ach) in the tracheal strips with or without preincubation of Escherichia coli LPS (100 mcg/ml, 5hrs). And then effects of NO synthase inhibitors and removal of epithelium were examined. RESULTS: In isolated perfused tracheas preincubated by LPS, both removed epithelium and intact epithelium of rat tracheal rings showed decreased Ach-induced contraction. In intact epithelium group, 10 (-5)M L-NAME (N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), 10 (-5)M L-arginine or dexamethasone pretreatment was restored in Ach-induced contraction response. But in the removed epithelium group, Ach-induced contraction was potentiated by L-arginine pretreatment and was not restored by the pretreatment of L-NAME and dexamethasone. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that nitric oxide synthase is induced by endotoxin in the tracheal epithelium, resulting in inhibition of the contractile response.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Arginine ; Baths ; Dexamethasone ; Epithelium* ; Escherichia coli ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Trachea* ; Transducers

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of transcaval transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with occluded previous TIPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1996 and December 2000 we performed five transcaval TIPS procedures in four patients with recurrent gastric cardiac variceal bleeding. All four had occluded TIPS, which was between the hepatic and portal vein. The interval between initial TIPS placement and revisional procedures with transcaval TIPS varied between three and 31 months; one patient underwent transcaval TIPS twice, with a 31-month interval. After revision of the occluded shunt failed, direct cavoportal puncture at the retrohepatic segment of the IVC was attempted. RESULTS: Transcaval TIPS placement was technically successful in all cases. In three, tractography revealed slight leakage of contrast materials into hepatic subcapsular or subdiaphragmatic pericaval space. There was no evidence of propagation of extravasated contrast materials through the retroperitoneal space or spillage into the peritoneal space. After the tract was dilated by a bare stent, no patient experienced trans-stent bleeding and no serious procedure-related complications occurred. After successful shunt creation, variceal bleeding ceased in all patients. CONCLUSION: Transcaval TIPS placement is an effective and safe alternative treatment in patients with occluded previous TIPS and no hepatic veins suitable for new TIPS.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*surgery ; Feasibility Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/*surgery ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Portal Vein/radiography/*surgery ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical/*methods ; *Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic ; Reoperation ; Stents ; Treatment Failure ; Vascular Patency ; Vena Cava, Inferior/radiography/*surgery

OBJECTIVE: A national survey was conducted to assess orthodontic residents' current concepts and knowledge of cleft lip and palate (CLP) management in Korea. METHODS: A questionnaire consisting of 7 categories and 36 question items was distributed to 16 senior chief residents of orthodontic department at 11 dental university hospitals and 5 medical university hospitals in Korea. All respondents completed the questionnaires and returned them. RESULTS: All of the respondents reported that they belonged to an interdisciplinary team. Nineteen percent indicated that they use presurgical infant orthopedic (PSIO) appliances. The percentage of respondents who reported they were 'unsure' about the methods about for cleft repair operation method was relatively high. Eighty-six percent reported that the orthodontic treatment was started at the deciduous or mixed dentition. Various answers were given regarding the amount of maxillary expansion for alveolar bone graft and the estimates of spontaneous or forced eruption of the upper canine. Sixty-seven percent reported use of a rapid maxillary expansion appliance as an anchorage device for maxillary protraction with a facemask. There was consensus among respondents regarding daily wearing time, duration of treatment, and amount of orthopedic force. Various estimates were given for the relapse percentage after maxillary advancement distraction osteogenesis (MADO). Most respondents did not have sufficient experience with MADO. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that education about the concepts and methods of PSIO and surgical repair, consensus regarding orthodontic management protocols, and additional MADO experience are needed in order to improve the quality of CLP management in Korean orthodontic residents.
Cleft Lip ; Consensus ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dentition, Mixed ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Orthodontic Extrusion ; Orthopedics ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; Palate ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recurrence ; Transplants

Intravenous leiomyomatosis is an uncommon uterine tumor characterized by the growth of histologically benign smooth muscle initially into venous channels within the broad ligament, intrauterine, and iliac vein, and can extend to inferior vena cava, and right side of the heart. Intravenous leiomyomatosis is always grossly visible as worm-like plugs within the involved vessels. A 41-year-old woman presented with lower abdominal mass, and she had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy and left salpingoophorectomy for leiomyoma of uterus. On pathological examination it was diagnosed as intravenous leiomyomatosis. 16 month later, She was admitted with lower abdominal mass on retroperitoneal cavity. The patient was successfully treated by resection of recurred mass and right salpingoophorectomy. A case of recurrent intravenous leiomyomatosis is presented with a brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Broad Ligament ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Iliac Vein ; Leiomyoma ; Leiomyomatosis* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Uterus ; Vena Cava, Inferior