No abstract available.
Pneumocephalus*

An osteoma is a relatively common benign mass found in paranasal sinus lesions and is usually asymptomatic. On the other hand, pneumocephalus associated with a frontal or ethmoid sinus osteoma is rare and may cause serious complications. We present a case of pneumocephalus associated with a frontoethmoid sinus osteoma and porencephaly along with a literature review.
Brain ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Hand ; Osteoma ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pneumocephalus

Hemifacial spasm consists of irregular, but repetitive clonic twitching of the muscles of one side of the face. Usually it is first involved around the eyes, the repetitive twitching spreads slowly to involve the whole face. It most commonly affects middle aged or elderly women, and usually appears with an aberrant vascular cross-compression near the root entry zone (REZ) of VII nerve. Among numerous approaches to treat facial spasm, only Jannetta's microvascular decompression has confirmed efficacy. However facial nerve block by needle insertion technique seems to be of benefit in patients with mild spasm, the elderly, poor risks and those who refuse the craniotomy. To treat our three patients with hemifacial spasm, we did physical facial nerve block by a direct puncture of the facial nerve trunk just at its exit from the stylomastoid foramen. Satisfactory results were obtained by the treatment employed. This technique is a valuable method in the treatment of hemifacial spasm.
Aged ; Craniotomy ; Facial Nerve* ; Female ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Middle Aged ; Muscles ; Needles ; Punctures ; Spasm

No Abstract Available.
Humans*

To investigate the relationship between insulin response and morphometric changes of the mitochondria of pancreatic beta-cell, this study was performed using hyperglycemia and streptozotocin as oxidative stresses. Adult and neonatal rats were used. Intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and morphologic examination of pancreas using immunohistochemical stain, in situ end-labeling method and electron microscopic study were performed. Various mitochondrial parameters were measured by image analyzer. Immunohistochemical stain revealed a markedly reduced islet size and decreased number of beta-cells and the increased number of non-beta-cell in adult and neonatoal streptozotocin group, and the appearance of insulin positive cells throughout the exocrine parenchyma in neonatal streptozotocin group. Three days after injection of streptozotocin in adult streptozotocin group, TUNEL stain showed increased apoptotic cells in islets. Ultrastructurally, beta-cells in adult streptozotocin group showed increase in number and size of mitochondria, and disruption of mitochondrial structures. Hyperglycemic group and neonatal streptozotocin group showed preserved mitochondrial ultrastructure. Ultrastructural morphometric study revealed increase in size and number of mitochondria and decrease in mitochondrial contour index in adult streptozotocin-treated rats, which suggested mitochondrial degeneration. Hyperglycemic group showed mild increase in size of mitochondria. Increased number of mitochondria was also observed in neonatal streptozotocin group. IVGTT revealed marked decrease in insulin response in adult streptozotocin group, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus pattern in glucose and insulin response in neonatal streptozotocin group. Hyperglycemic group showed a glucose and insulin response similar to control group. The above results suggest that a severe oxidative injury may cause degeneration and disruption of mitochondria of pancreatic beta-cell, and may be associated with substantial apoptotic cell death. The changes in the morphology and the number of mitochondria may result from streptozotocin treatment within neonatal period and hyperglycemia treatment, which may be associated with changes in insulin response.
Adult ; Animals ; Cell Death ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Insulin* ; Mitochondria ; Oxidative Stress ; Pancreas ; Rats ; Streptozocin

No abstract available.
Congenital Abnormalities* ; Ring Chromosomes*

We present a patient with spinal epidural arteriovenous fistula presented with subdural hematoma and progressive myelopathy. Transarterial embolization using NBCA results in complete obliteration of fistula without complication. The pathophysiology, angioarchitexture of the lesion and strategy for its cure would be discussed.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Fistula ; Hematoma, Subdural* ; Humans ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine

Communication between coronary arteries and cardiac chambers or large vessels is unusual type of congenital malformation. Aneurysmal formation of a coronary arteriovenous fistula is even rare. We report a case of 83-year-old women with giant aneurysm of the coronary arteriovenous fistula from the left anterior descending coronary artery treated by percutaneous deployment of embolization coil.
Aged, 80 and over ; Aneurysm* ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Coronary Vessels ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: To investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-guided trigger point injection for myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the internal rotator muscles of the shoulder in post-mastectomy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This pilot study was a non-controlled, prospective, clinical trial. Nineteen post-mastectomy patients with a diagnosis of at least one active MTrP in the subscapularis and/or pectoralis muscles were included. We performed trigger point injections into the subscapularis muscle deep behind the scapula as well as the pectoralis muscle for diagnostic and therapeutic purpose by the newly developed US-guided method. RESULTS: Visual analogue scale and range of motion of the shoulder for external rotation and of abduction showed significant improvement immediately after the first injection and 3 months after the last injection compared with baseline (p<0.05 for both). Duration from onset to surgery and duration of myofascial pain syndrome in the good responder group were significantly shorter than in the bad responder group (p<0.05). Patients did not report any complications related to the procedure or serious adverse events attributable to the treatment. CONCLUSION: In post-mastectomy patients with shoulder pain, US-guided trigger point injections of the subscapularis and/or pectoralis muscles are effective for both diagnosis and treatment when the cause of shoulder pain is suspected to originate from active MTrPs in these muscles, particularly, the subscapularis.
Adult ; Aged ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular/methods ; Lidocaine/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Mastectomy ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects/ultrasonography ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes/drug therapy ; Pectoralis Muscles/drug effects/*ultrasonography ; Trigger Points/*ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIT) for chronic hemiplegic patients and to investigate the factors that influence on the effectiveness of CIT. METHOD: Forty two chronic stroke patients were enrolled and classified into two groups, experimental and control group. The experimental group took CIT for 2 weeks. CIT consisted of restraint of the unaffected upper extremity with massive training of the affected upper extremity. The motor function of patient's upper extremity was assessed by Manual Function Test (MFT) and Jebsen Hand Function Test before treatment, at 2 weeks and at 8 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: The withdrawal rate was 46.7% during CIT period. There was substantial significant improvements in MFT and Jebsen Hand Function Test after 2 weeks of treatment in the experimental group (p<0.05). The effects in the experimental group were maintained at 6 weeks after cessation of the treatment. CONCLUSION: CIT is considered to be an effective treatment for motor function of the chronic hemiplegic upper extremity motor function, and will be useful as an additional thera peutic tool.
Hand ; Humans ; Stroke ; Upper Extremity