Familial lichen planus is an uncommon disease, and there are 104 cases reported in the English literature. Several theories regarding the etiopathogenesis of lichen planus have been proposed. However, immunological mechanisms and genetic susceptibility have been emphasized the most. Several reports showed HLA analysis in lichen planus patients, and recently 2 cases have revealed an increased frequency of DR1 antigen in patients with lichen planus compared to a control group. We observed two brothers with typical skin lesions of lichen planus of almost simultaneous onset. We confirmed lichen planus by skin biopsies in both brothers and analyzed HLA typing. We also observed the occurrence of DR1 antigen in both of them.
Biopsy ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Siblings ; Skin

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to investigate the correlation between the symptoms and the incidence of anatomical variant without mucosal abnormality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of 892 patients with CT performed for the evaluation of sinus disease symptoms between March 1991 and March 1993, we observed the anatomic variations in 82 symptomatic patients without mucosal abnormality(male:female=43:39, mean age 36. 4 years). The control group included 88 patients with facial bone CT performed for the evaluation of trauma during the same period while patients with recent paranasal sinusitis were excluded. (male:female=76:12, mean age 22. 4 years). The scouis were performed with 5-ram section thickness from posterior margin of sphenoid sinus to anterior margin of posterior ethmoid and then with 3 mm thickness from anterior margin of posterior ethmoid to anterior margin of frontal sinus. The artatomic variations included nasoseptal deviation, concha bullosa, Hailer cells, Agger nasi cells, etc. RESULTS: The anatomic variations were demonstrated in 71 our of 82 symptomatic patients(86. 5%), whereas they were seen 26 of 88 patients(29. 5%) in control group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that there is a possible causal relationship between anatomic variations and symptomas. Even though without accompaning mucosal abnormalities, anatomic variations could contribute simply to its symptomas. ^natomic variants may obstruct or narrow the airway, leading to turbulating air flow or interrupting ucociliary movement, and finally may produce a series os symptoms.
Facial Bones ; Frontal Sinus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Sinusitis ; Sphenoid Sinus

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare embryonic malignant tumor of the liver. Most morphological studies on HB have limited to the histological characteristics and only 3 cases of HB have been described in the cytology literature. We present 2 cases of HB occurring in children aged 1 year and 3 years, respectively. The distinctive cytologic features of fine needle aspiration of HB were clusters of tumor cells showing acinar and trabecular pattern, smaller tumor cells with a high nuclear-cytopalsmic ratio and hyperchromatic nuclei having prominent nucleoli, and the presence of extramedullary hematopoiesis and osteoid material. These features were also found in the cell block and the biopsy specimen, and appeared very useful in the differentiation of HB from hepatocellular carcinoma.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Child* ; Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary ; Hepatoblastoma ; Humans ; Liver ; Nephrosis, Lipoid*

Heat Shock Protein (HSP) is a genetic product reacting on stress. HSP is increased by physiological or environmental stress and expressed at gastrointestinal tumors such as stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and large intestinal cancer, and at other various tumors such as lymphoma and breast cancer. The role of HSP is to interrupt the process of apoptosis interfering with formation of tumors, and weaken function of tumor control beyond that of immune surveillance. In case of causing the normal p53 to be mutated, it leads to morphological change of p53 protein and combine with HSP. But, it has not been clarified yet. We intend to examine the meaning of HSP 70 in bladder tumor by investigating the relations among HSP expression and tumor stage, tumor grade, P-gp (glycoprotein) expression as a product of multi-drug resistant gene, and p53 expression in 59 cases of bladder tumor. 1) There were HSP expressions of 8 cases (22%) among 36 superficial bladder tumors and of 9 cases (39%) among 23 invasive bladder tumors. 2) HSP positive reactions were observed in 1 case (8%) of 13 Grade I, and 6 cases (29%) of 21 Grade II and 10 cases (40%) of 25 Grade III. 3) Positive reactions of HSP were showed in 10 cases (40%) among 25 P-gp expression, and in 7 cases (21%) among 34 P-gp non-expression. 4) The p53 proteins were expressed in 12 cases (29%) among 42 ones of HSP non-expression and in 8 cases (47%) among 17 ones of HSP expression. 5) Positive reactions of HSP were showed in 9 cases (23%) among 39 ones of p53 non-expression, and in 8 cases (40%) among 20 ones of p53 expression. 6) 5 patients of 6 with negative expression of HSP and strong positive expression of p53 had poorly differentiated transitional cells, in which one of the patients accompanied with lung metastasis. In view of above study, HSP expression has no correlation with P-gp and stage in bladder tumor, but it has probable pertaining to tumor grade and p53. As it were, tumor cellular differentiation and p53 expression have weak correlations with HSP 70 expression. Meanwhile, judging from poor differentiation, in most cases of HSP non-expressed but p53 strongly expressed, HSP is insufficient to be a prognostic factor of bladder tumor independently, however, in case of using it, as supplementary one, concurrently with p53, it would be valuable prognostic factor in bladder tumor.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Humans ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; Lung ; Lymphoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; P-Glycoprotein ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

A retrospective study was performed in order to evaluate the efficacy of automated percutaneous discectomy in lumbar disc herniations that were treated in our institute between May, 1992 and December, 1994. Of the 68 patients that were followed up for 12 weeks, the success rate was 82% according to Onik classification. No serious complications, vascular or nerve damage and discitis, were noted except transient postoperative muscular spasms. The results of this study indicates that automated percutaneous discectomy can be used successfully to treat lumbar disc herniations with minimal morbidity and also emphasized the need for proper patient selection prior to performing the automated percutaneous discectomy.
Classification ; Discitis ; Diskectomy, Percutaneous* ; Humans ; Patient Selection ; Retrospective Studies ; Spasm

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemias are characterized by autoantibodies recognizing antigens on the Individual's own red blood cells, resulting in immune- mediated hemolysis. Blood transfusions have been regarded as hazardous in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) because of potential intensification of hemolysis and a presumed high incidence of alloimmunization. METHODS: We examined the pretransfusion and posttransfusion hemoglobin levels in 6 patients with autoantibodies in their sera, which showed panagglutinations with all bloods tested in the compatibility testing. They received 'least' incompatible blood because of inability to find compatible blood. RESULTS: When we compared pretransfusion hemoglobin level with posttransfusion hemoglobin level, in 5 of 6 patients with AIHA, the hemoglobin levels were increased after red cell transfusion. 4 patient who did not respond to transfusion therapy initially had an increase in hemoglobin level after steroid treatment. Any signs or symptoms indicating hemolytic transfusion reaction were not observed ducting the transfusion period in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to transfuse in AIHA should consider multiple factors including the patient's clinical status, the potential benefit of transfusion, the potential response to other therapeutic modalities, but must never be regarded as contraindicated, even though the compatibility test may be strongly incompatible.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Transfusion ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Incidence

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemias are characterized by autoantibodies recognizing antigens on the Individual's own red blood cells, resulting in immune- mediated hemolysis. Blood transfusions have been regarded as hazardous in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) because of potential intensification of hemolysis and a presumed high incidence of alloimmunization. METHODS: We examined the pretransfusion and posttransfusion hemoglobin levels in 6 patients with autoantibodies in their sera, which showed panagglutinations with all bloods tested in the compatibility testing. They received 'least' incompatible blood because of inability to find compatible blood. RESULTS: When we compared pretransfusion hemoglobin level with posttransfusion hemoglobin level, in 5 of 6 patients with AIHA, the hemoglobin levels were increased after red cell transfusion. 4 patient who did not respond to transfusion therapy initially had an increase in hemoglobin level after steroid treatment. Any signs or symptoms indicating hemolytic transfusion reaction were not observed ducting the transfusion period in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to transfuse in AIHA should consider multiple factors including the patient's clinical status, the potential benefit of transfusion, the potential response to other therapeutic modalities, but must never be regarded as contraindicated, even though the compatibility test may be strongly incompatible.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Transfusion ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Incidence

PURPOSE: To examine the centrally elicited erectile effects of alpha-MSH, oxytocin, prostagladin E1, and anabolic steroids after intracerebroventricular administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. After intracerebroventricular administration of normal saline (NS), alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), oxytocin acetate (OT), prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), methylprednisolone (MP), testosterone enanthate (TE) or 17beta-estradiol (E2) under stereotaxis, the intracavernosal pressure (ICP), systolic femoral artery pressure (FAP), heart rate (HR), time to first response, duration, and number of erectile responses and adverse reactions were evaluated for 60 minutes. To show whether erections were centrally elicited, the above criteria were re-evaluated after a bilateral pelvic neurotomy and bilateral orchiectomy. RESULTS: A cerebral proerectile effect was elicited only by alpha-MSH and OT with no significant changes of FAP or HR. With PGE1, significant changes in FAP and HR were observed. The ICP/FAP ratio was highest (0.49 0.03) with alpha-MSH. The mean time latency was shortest with OT (20.6 5.6 min). The mean duration was longest in alpha-MSH (11.6 8.7 min). The number of responses was highest with OT (3.6 0.7). Adverse reactions, such as stretching, yawning and ejaculation, were simultaneously observed during increases in ICP. In the cases of a bilateral pelvic neurotomy or bilateral orchiectomy, these elicited erectile responses disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: alpha-MSH had the most potent proerectile effect compared to OT and PGE1 as assessed by highest intracavernosal pressure as well as duration of erectile response. The results suggest that testosterone and the pelvic nerve were essential for the central proerectile response.
alpha-MSH ; Alprostadil ; Animals ; Ejaculation ; Femoral Artery ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; Orchiectomy ; Oxytocin ; Penile Erection ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Steroids ; Testosterone ; Yawning

Preliminary in vitro experiments were performed to define the contraction effects of the serotonin and prostaglandin F2 alpha in cat's internal carotid artery. Subsquently 12 cats were used to study changes in contractility resulting from pretreatment with reserpine. The arteries, which were exposed to serotonin and prostaglandin F2 alpha contracted significantly just after exposure time. And by addition of higher concentrated serotonin and prostaglandin F2 alpha more contractions were noted. Arteries isolated from reserpine-pretreated cats responded to the serotonin and prostaglandin F2 alpha with similar pattern to those seen in control groups, but the contractility showed some what more decreased slope compared to those with high concentration of serotonin only. These results suggested that reserpine might have yet unknown effects which were different from known mechnism of serotonin to cerebral arteries.
Animals ; Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cats ; Cerebral Arteries ; Dinoprost ; Reserpine* ; Serotonin

PURPOSE: To analyse complications and to review usefulness of large needle(18G) in percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage(PTBD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 46 patients underwent PTBD in 52 occassions using large needle. 44 of 46 patients had either definite or suspicious malignant biliary obstruction, and most patients were poor in general dondition. Complications were classified as acute type if developed within 30 days and as delayed type if developed after 30 days. Acute type was subdivided into severe and mild forms. RESULTS: Severe forms of complications were death(5.8%), septicemia(3.8%), and bile peritonitis(1.9%). There were not different from the rate of complication in PTBD using fine needle but the procedure was much more simple. CONCLUSION: We PTBD using large neddie is a simple and safe procedure for prompt bile decompression.
Bile ; Decompression ; Drainage* ; Humans ; Needles*