OBJECTIVES: Chronic pain is one of the most common experiences of humans and a typical psychophysiological disorder. The aim of this study was to measure the psychophysiological responses in chronic pain patients using a biofeedback system, and to compare them with the results from normal healthy subjects. METHODS: Forty two patients with chronic pain (17 males and 25 females, average age 44.67+/-11.10 years) and 42 normal healthy controls (17 males and 25 females, average age 45.17+/-10.46 years) participated in this study. Electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC), and skin temperature (ST) were recorded using biofeedback system during the 3 phases (baseline, stress, and recovery) of stress reactivity test, and average values of them were calculated. Difference of values between two groups in each corresponding phase was analyzed with independent t-test, and change of values across phases of stress reactivity test was analyzed with paired t-test (all two-tailed, p<0.05). RESULTS: Compared to normal controls, chronic pain patients had higher value of EMG (baseline : 8.10+/-5.97 micronV vs 4.72+/-1.52 micronV, t=-3.56, p<0.01 ; stress : 11.25+/-6.89 micronV vs 8.49+/-4.78 micronV, t=-2.13, p<0.05 ; recovery : 7.12+/-3.77 micronV vs 4.78+/-1.59 micronV, t= -3.70, p<0.01) and SC (baseline : 1.06+/-1.0 micronS vs 0.42+/-0.29 micronS, t=-4.0. p<0.01 ; stress : 1.87+/-2.05 micronS vs 1.03+/-0.86 micronS, t=-2.47, p<0.05 ; recovery : 1.74+/-1.77 micronS vs 0.64+/-0.59 micronS, t=-3.8, p<0.01) in all the 3 phases. But, skin temperature comparison did not reveal significant differences in all the 3 phases between two groups. CONCLUSION: Psychophysiological responses of chronic pain patients in stress reactivity test were different from those of normal healthy controls. These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system is more activated in chronic pain patients.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Pain ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; Psychophysiology ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Sympathetic Nervous System

Acquired port-wine stain is rare. It mimics a congenital port-wine stain morphologically but the pattern of onset is acquired after birth. It represents a progressive ectasia of vessels located in the superficial vascular plexus. The exact mechanism is unknown but some reported cases have occurred after trauma. We herein report five cases of acquired port-wine stains and they were idiopathic in nature.
Dilatation, Pathologic ; Parturition ; Port-Wine Stain*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the expression of the Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-)-cotransporter 2 (NKCC2) in the ischemic rat retina. METHODS: Retinal ischemia was induced by pressures 90 to 120 mmHg, above systemic systolic pressure. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis were performed. RESULTS: NKCC2 is expressed in the normal retina and its expression is increased by ischemia caused by intraocular pressure elevation. NKCC2 immunoreactivity was observed mainly in axon bundles of ganglion cells and horizontal cell processes in the retina. NKCC2 expression continuously increased with a peak value 3 days (to 415% of normal levels) after ischemic injury, and then gradually decreased to 314% of controls until 2 weeks post injury. The mean density of NKCC2-labeled ganglion cells per mm2 changed from 1,255 +/- 109 in normal retinas to 391 +/- 49 and 185 +/- 37 at 3 days and 2 weeks after ischemia, respectively (p < 0.05), implying cell death of ganglion cells labeled with NKCC2. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results suggest that NKCC2, which is expressed in retinal ganglion and horizontal cells, may contribute to cell death by ischemic injury in the retina, although the molecular mechanisms involved remain to be clarified.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Disease Models, Animal ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intraocular Pressure ; Ischemia/etiology/*metabolism ; Male ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Ocular Hypertension/*complications/metabolism/physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retinal Diseases/etiology/*metabolism ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/*metabolism/pathology ; Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters/*biosynthesis

Recently, several reports of extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis demonstrated by technetium-99mTc-IDAs scan have shown that 99mTc-IDAs can be used to detect extrahepatic metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma. We report here a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with pulmonary nodules that were demonstrated as metastasis in nature by the use of the 99mTc-DISIDA. The findings in this case and several reports reviewed here suggest that the 99mTc-DISIDA scan may be a useful diagnostic agent that can detect the extrahepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma and stage the disease. But more clinical study in needed to establish the position of 99mTc-DISIDA in the field of diagnosis of extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Clinical Study ; Diagnosis ; Lung* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Humans ; Male* ; Psoriasis*

We investigated HBV markers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of 50 subjects with neurologic disorders or other disorders, who visited Dept. of neurology, college of medicine, Yeungnam University, from April-1 to August-31 1994 and were performed cerebrospinal fluid analysis to investigate the detection rate of HBV markers in cerebrospinal fluid and the possibility of neurologic disorders associated with HBV infection. The results were as follows. The positivity of HBsAg and. HBV prevalence rate in serum were 6(12.04) and 37(74.0%). Thf, number of patient with HBsAg, only anti-HBV and no markers were 6(12.0%), 31(62.0%) and 13(26.0%), respectively. The positivity of HBsAg and HBV prevalence rate in cerebrospinal fluid were 3(6%) and 18(36.0%). The number of patient with HBsAg, only anti-HBV and no markers were 6(100.0%), 12(38.7%) and 0(0.0%) respectively. The number of patient with virus associated diseases(VAD) and non virus associated diseases(NVAD) were 26(52%) and 24(48%). The HBV prevalence rate in serum of VAD and NVAD groups were 88.5% and 58.3% (p<0.05). The HBV prevalence rate in CSF of VAD and NVAD groups were 53.8% and 16.7%(p<0.05). The HBV prevalence rate in serum and CSF of VAD and NVAD groups were 60.9% and 28.6%
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine* ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases ; Neurology ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of dipyridamole99mTc-MIBI SPECT to identify and localize coronary artery disease(CAD). METHODS: The study population consists of 60 patients(37 males, 23 females : mean age 57+/-10 years) including 30 with prior myocardial infarction who underwent both dipyridamole99mTc-MIBI SPECT and coronary angiography for the evaluation of chest pain. RESULTS: The sensitivities for detection of CAD(> or =50% and > or =70% coronary stenosis by angiography) by dipyridamole99mTc-MIBI SPECT are 96% and 98% respectively, and specifities are 71% and 73% respectively. The sensitivities for detection of individual diseased vessels(> or =50% and > or =70%) are 79% and 90% for left anterior descending artery(LAD), 53% and 59% for left circumflex artery(LCX), 45% and 53% for right coronary artery(RCA), 64% and 77% for LCX/RCA, 63% and 72% for total. The specificities for detection of individual diseased vessels(> or =50% and > or =70%) are 62% for LAD, 98% and 98% for LCX, 92% and 89% for RCA, 91% and 89% for LCX/RCA, 87% and 86% for total. The concordances for ditection of individual didseased vessels beteen coronary angiography and dipyridamole99mTc-MIBI SPECT are all fair for SAD(Kappa=0.4 in > or =50% stenosis, 0.54 in > or =70% stenosis)LCX(Kappa=0.56,0.63),RCA(Kappa=0.4,0.44) and LCX/RCA(Kappa=0.56,0.67). CONCLUSION: Dipyriddamole99mTc-MIBI SPECT appers to be an useful noninvasive test for both identification and localization of coronary artery disease.
Chest Pain ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

No abstract available.
Fistula ; Neck* ; Salivary Glands*

No abstract available.
Neurocutaneous Syndromes*

No abstract available.
Neurocutaneous Syndromes*