No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Fever*

Computed tomographic findings of 24 cases of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis were retrospectively analyzed. We classified the CT findings as 4 types: type 1(homogeneous soft tissue density mass), type 2(central low density with peripheral rim enhancement and with preservation of surrounding fat plane), type 3(central low density with peripheral rim enhancement and with obliteration of surrounding fat plane), type 4(large confluent low density mass, so called "cold abscess") As a result, there were 2 cases(8.3%) of type 1, 7 cases(29.2%) of type 2, 9 cases(37.5%) of type 3, 3 cases(12.5%) of type 4, 1 cases(4.2%) of type 1 combined with type 3, and 2 cases(8.3%) of type 2 combined with type 4. So 22 cases(91.7%) revealed central low density and peripheral rim enhancement, which suggest necrosis. The maximum thickness of enhancing rim was above 2mm in all of 64 definable necrotic lymph nodes and above 4mm in 42(65.5%) lymph nodes, suggesting that the wall of necrotic tuberculous lymphadenitis tends to be thick. We conclude that CT is useful not only for the diagnosis but also for the evaluation of the extent and the status of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis.
Diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node*

PURPOSE: Leptin is a hormone, encoded by ob gene in adipocytes and regulates food intake and energy expenditure. The serum concentration of leptin is known to be proportional to the amount of body fat but the regulation of leptin for growth and development in childhood is not clear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation of serum leptin levels to gender, pubertal development and sex steroid in children. METHODS: Serum leptin levels were measured by RIA in 145 Korean children of both sexes, age 8-16yr, and were compared according to body mass index, gender and pubertal stage. The correlations of leptin with testosterone and estradiol were also analized. RESULTS: A positive relationship was observed for leptin levels with body mass index(in male:r=0.63, P<0.001, in female:r=0.80, P<0.001). The mean leptin level of girls was higher than that of boys(7.50+/-.83ng/mL vs 4.11+/-.72ng/mL, P<0.05) in lean children but there was no significant difference in obese group. An analysis according to the pubertal development showed an increase of leptin level in girls while leptin decreased in boys at overt puberty. Serum leptin levels of boys in puberty correlated inversely with testosterone(r=-0.52, P<0.001) but leptin of girls did not have significant correlation with estradiol. CONCLUSION: Serum leptin level increases in girls and decreases in boys as the pubertal development proceeds. The relationships between leptin level and pubertal developement show gender difference and it might be explained in part by suppressive effects of androgen in male.
Adipocytes ; Adipose Tissue ; Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Child* ; Eating ; Energy Metabolism ; Estradiol ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Male ; Puberty ; Testosterone

Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare, life-endangering suppurative infection of the renal parenchyma and perirenal tissues. The disease is encountered mainly in the diabetic patient with or without ureteral obstruction and is characterized by the production of intrarenal and occasionally, perirenal gas. We report a case of emphysematous pyelonephritis, treated by left nephrectomy, in 55-year-old diabetic woman.
Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; Pyelonephritis* ; Ureteral Obstruction

A massive pulmonary embolism occurring during surgery is a fatal complication. Therefore, early detection and subsequent treatment of pulmonary emboli are important clinical challenges. In this report, an acute pulmonary embolism associated with cardiac arrest occurred during the surgical reduction of a femur fracture. It was diagnosed by echocardiography and treated with urokinase successfully. Therefore, we recommend the use of urokinase for the treatment of a intraoperative massive pulmonary embolism.
Echocardiography ; Femur* ; Heart Arrest ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

OBJECTIVES: This study is to investigate the hypothesis that schizophrenic patients have difficulty in inferring mental state of others. METHODS: Twenty schizophrenic patients and twenty normal subjects were administered to the Cartoon Task required inferring the character's intention in a given context. RESULTS: The schizophrenic patients showed a statistically significant impairment in the Cartoon Task. Both groups chose the card depicting a frequent everyday action significantly more rather than the similar card to the last picture in each story for wrong answers. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results suggest that schizophrenia is associated with a specific deficit of the cognitive ability referred to as social cognition, and this deficit can be detected not only in the acute phase as found in previous research studies, but also in remission. Also when subjects fail to appreciate what is going on in the minds of other people, they seem to rely on a socially familiar experience.
Cognition* ; Humans ; Intention ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical factors that contribute to femoral neuropathy subsequent to abdominal hysterectomy. METHODS: From March 1993 to March 2000, retrospective study on 17 cases of femoral neuropathy subsequent to abdominal hysterectomy was performed. Sixty eight patients who had normal neurologic finding on the lower extremities after the same operation were used as a control group. RESULTS: The incidence of femoral neuropathy subsequent to abdominal hysterectomy was 1.67%. Age, body weight, parity and type of skin incision were significantly different between study and control group. The mean age of the study group was 38.1+6.1 years and that of the control group was 43.2+/-8.9 years(p<0.05). The mean body weight of the study group was 52.9 6.4kg, while that of the control group was 57.8+/-7.4kg(p<0.05). The mean parity of the study group was 1.9+/-0.7 as opposed to 2.6+/-1.3 for the control group(p<0.05). Pfannenstiel`s incision was performed in 13 cases(76.5%) in the study group as opposed to 34 cases(50%) in the control group(p<0.05). There were no correlation between these two groups with respect to patient height, operative time, transfusion and change in hemoglobin level. In the study group, 13 cases(76.5%) with femoral neuropathy on the left side were found, 3 cases(17.6%) on the right side and 1 case(5.9%) on both side. Left side femoral neuropathy was more common than the right(p<0.05). Spontaneous recovery occurred in 16 cases of the study group within 4 months and, although residual symptoms were noted in the remaining 1 case, no serious sequelae have been observed. CONCLUSION: It was suggested that pelvic retractor compresses the femoral nerve during the abdominal hysterectomy. The patients age, body weight, parity and a type of skin incision could be contributing factors to femoral neuropathy.
Body Weight ; Female ; Femoral Nerve ; Femoral Neuropathy* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Operative Time ; Parity ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

PURPOSE: Growth hormone (GH) has multiple beneficial effects in addition to its promotion of linear growth. Therefore adults with GH deficiency (GHD) have abnormal body composition, altered lipid metabolism, increased cardiovascular disease, and decreased bone mineral density (BMD). We evaluated the effect of GH therapy on BMD in young adults with childhood-onset GHD. METHODS: 17 childhood-onset GHD adults (10 male, 7 female, mean age 24.5+/-5.5 yr) with or without continuous GH treatment after final height were studied. All subjects divided two groups; GH-treated group (n=6) and GH-untreated group (n=11). BMD in lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The mean serum level of IGF-I concentration in the GH-untreated group was lower than in the GH-treated group (88.4+/-55.9 ng/mL vs. 358.7+/-196.8 ng/mL, P<0.05). The BMD of lumbar spine in the GH-treated group and GH-untreated group was 1.02+/-0.13 g/cm2 and 0.82+/-0.09 g/cm2 and the BMD of femur was 1.15+/-0.14 g/cm2 and 0.82+/-0.10 g/cm2 respectively. The BMD of the GH-treated group was significantly higher than the GH-untreated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings support the need of continuous GH treatment after completion of growth and careful evaluation of BMD in adult patients with childhood-onset GHD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; Body Composition ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Femur ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Lipid Metabolism ; Male ; Spine ; Young Adult

Many screening tests have been developed for the detection of FDP for the last decade. Of these, Thrombo-Wellcotest was chosen in our laboratory as a screening procedure. For the last one year, there were 121 determinations performed on 82 patients. Of the patients suspected to have DIC, 27 patients with clinical, and laboratory evidence of DIC showed the Thrombo-Wellcotest to be positive with titers ranging from 1:5 to 1:1280. Those patients without clinical or laboratory evidence of DIC gave all negative results except for 7 positives with low titers. It is our opinion that the Thrombo-Wellcotest is a simple procedure to be performed by ordinary laboratory personnel and an inexpensive test which can be afforded by most of the patients. As a whole, the Thrombo-Wellcotest is considered to be a useful screening test for the detection of FDP in serum.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation/diagnosis* ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products/analysis* ; Human ; Latex Fixation Tests