PURPOSE: To evaluate the differential features of complete and partial- thickness tears of the posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) and to describe associated knee injuries at magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four subjects were studied, including 15 with complete PCL tears and 9 with partial PCL tears. The PCL status was determined at arthroscopy in all cases. Knee MRI were perfomed at 1.0 Tesla using a dedicated knee surface coil. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed MR images and correlated MRI findings to results of arthroscopy. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between complete tears and partial tears with regard to thickness, margination, and signal intensity of the PCL. However, complete tears were more likely to show focal areas of ligamentous discontinuity(13/15:3/9, p=0.0073). Associated knee injuries were seen in 22 (92%) patients and were seen more frequently in patients with complete PCL tears, which were bony injuries (n=16, 67%), tears of the medial collateral ligament(n=12, 50%) and menisci(n--11, 46%), and stage III joint effusion(n=17, 71%). CONCLUSION: The most useful MRI criteria for distinguishing complete from partial PCL tear is focal area of ligamentous discontinuity, that is, complete tears are more likely to show focal areas of discontinuity, whereas partial tears are more likely to show at least some intact fibers.
Arthroscopy ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Knee Injuries ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Retrospective Studies

Essential hypertension is an important public health problem in Korea-being common, asymptomatic, easily treatable, and often leading to lethal complication in left untreated. The number of patients with hypertension has been significantly increased, and this factor may be an importnat one responsible for the increase in cardivascular mortality during past 20 years in Korea. As the drug therapy for hypertension needs longer period, it is very important to evaluate the efficacy and the adverse effects. Thirty patients(17 men and 13 womon) with essential hypertension were evaluated in this study. All patients had received oral Isradipine 1.25~2.5mg b.i.d. for 8 weeks. 1) The systolic and diastolic pressure were decreased significantly(166.8+/-9.0mmHg vs 147.3+/-12.0mmHg, p<0.001 and 100.3+/-4.0mmHg vs 90.3+/-6.1mmHg, p<0.001, respectively) 2) Heart rate, body weight, laboratory tests, chest X-ray, ECG studies were not changed significantly. 3) The systolic pressure was lowered by 20mmHg or more in 17 cases(56.7% of total), and the diastolic pressure was lowered by 10mmHg or more in 20 cases(66.7% of total) at 8 weeks after Isradipine administration. 4) The adverse effects of Isradipine were edema in 3(10%), constipation in 2(6.7%), headache in 2(6.7%), and insomnia, dizziness and dry mouth in 1 patient respectively, and none of them discontinued Isradipine administration due to adverse effects. In many patients with essential hypertension there is an effective response to Isradipine, even though there may be some mild adverse effects.
Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Constipation ; Dizziness ; Drug Therapy ; Edema ; Electrocardiography ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Isradipine ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Public Health ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Head* ; Ossification, Heterotopic*

PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of carotid atherosclerosis (CA) is known to involve several pathologic processes, such as lipid disturbances, thrombosis, oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, the genetic factors contributing to the development of CA, are, poorly understood. Thus, this study was performed to clarify the genes that are related with CA by comparing the expression patterns of mRNA in the arteries of a control group and in the arteries of a CA patients group. MATHODS: The total RNAs in the arteries of both groups were obtained from the abdominal aorta of 5 brain death donors and also the carotid arteries of 10 CA patents, and the DNAs were then reversely transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA). The annealing control primer (ACP) method was applied to identify the differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs). RESULTS: The prominently expressed genes in the CA group compared with the control group were those of apolipoprotein C1 (apoC1) and ferritin light chain (FTL). There was a difference in the gene and protein expressions in the development of vascular disease between the coronary and carotid arteries, i.e., the transcriptional pathway for the FTL expression in CA patient arteries, and the posttranscriptional pathway in the coronary artery disease. The ApoC1 gene was another prominently expressed gene in the current study, and it has been reported to promote apoptosis in the cultured smooth muscle cells of human aorta. CONCLUSION: The increased expression of the apoC1 and FTL genes in the carotid artery might increase the possibility of CA via the apoptosis and oxidation of the increased LDL and VLDL.
Aorta ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Apoferritins ; Apolipoprotein C-I ; Apoptosis ; Arteries ; Brain Death ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery Diseases* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Humans* ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Oxidative Stress ; Pathologic Processes ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Thrombosis ; Tissue Donors ; Vascular Diseases

No abstract available.
Female ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Bowen's Disease* ; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell*

Typhoid fever is an acute systemic febrile disease caused by Salmonella Typhi, characterized by persistent fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea and rose spots. Salmonella infection can lead to diffuse organ involvement including bone, lung, thyroid, kidney, liver, spleen, heart, intestine and skin. While a variety of complications may be seen in typhoid fever, sensorineural hearing loss or pancreatitis has been rarely observed. Recently, we experienced a case of typhoid fever complicated by sensorineural hearing loss, acute pancreatitis and hepatitis in a 21-year-old female patient, who was improved with ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin administration and supportive care. We report this case with a review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Ceftriaxone ; Ciprofloxacin ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Fever ; Headache ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* ; Heart ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Pancreatitis* ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella typhi ; Skin ; Spleen ; Thyroid Gland ; Typhoid Fever* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Mcdonald's cerclage and postoperative care on perinatal outcome in patient with incompetent cervix and bulging fetal membranes. METHODS: In the descriptive study, the charts of 78 patients admitted from 1993 to 1997 with a diagnosis of incompetent cervix and cervical dilatation (3cm) were reviewed, Mcdonald's cerclage rate, predisposing factor, fetal salvage by time, factors of falled operation, delivery type were analyzed. RESULTS: The results of the study were as follows; The incidence of II OC was 0.4% of 18702 case, the mean age was 31.9 years old, the average number of gravida was 2.9, the fetal salvage rate was 83.3%, the predisposing factor was previous history of midtrimester termination(56.4%), dilation and curettage(19.2%), unknown(14.1%) etc, the fetal salvage by time was the highest success rate(88.9%) revealed with period from 14th to 16th weeks of gestation, the factors of falled operation were preterm labor(76.9%), PROM(15.4%), infection(7.7%), and delivery type was vaginal delivery in 36 case(55.4%), cesarean section in 29 case(44.6%). CONCLUSION: We concluded that fetal salvage rate was greatly increased when Mcdonald operation was done from 14th to 16th week of gestation if midtrimester abortion and dilatation and curettage were experienced, Even though we have not compared experimental group with control group, upper part of Mcdonald cerclage, no exposure of suture material, benzol conium dressing, bed rest were increased to fetal salvage rate.
Bandages ; Bed Rest ; Benzene ; Causality ; Cervix Uteri* ; Cesarean Section ; Conium ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Extraembryonic Membranes ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Labor Stage, First ; Postoperative Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Sutures ; Uterine Cervical Incompetence

The uterine cervical cancer is the rnost common tumor of malignant gynecologic tumors and complete remission of the cancer has been possible through early diagnosis and treatment. To evaluate the efficacy of tumor markers SCCA and CEA in patients with uterine cervical cancer as markers for monitoring, we analyzed serum SCCA and CEA crncentrations of 43 patients wit.h uterine cervical caner as a study group and 73 patients with benign pelvic disease as a contrnl group, were admitted to depar tment of Obstetncs & Gynecology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University from May 1991 to January 1993. The results were as follows ; 1. The distrihution of the clinical stages of 43 cervical cancers were : CIS 9, stage I 11, stage II 12, stageg III 5, stage lV 6. 2. The positive rate of SCCA of control group was 17%, and that of CEA nf control group was 12%. And the positive rate of SCCA of study group was 46.5% and that of CEA of study was 27.9%. 3. The average concentration of SCCA of control group was 0.71ng/ml and that of SCCA of study group was 8.25ng/ml(p<0.05). 4. The average concentration of CEA of control group was 1.95ng/ml and that of CEA of study group was 8.33ng/ml(p<.0.05). 5. The average concentration of SCCA by stage were 1.15ng/rnl for C1S, 1.14ng/ml for stage I, 9.72ng/rnl for stage III, 16.75ng/rnl for stage III, 21.95ng/ml for stage IV. Here, the mean value of SCCA was increased stepwise through cliinical stage, there was a correlation between the clinical stage and the concen tration of serum SCCA (p>0.05). 6.The average concentration of CEA by stage were 3.11ng/ml for CIS, 1.96ng/ml for stage I, 8.11ng/rnl for stage II, 18.92ng/ml for stage III, 19.44ng/ml for stage IV. There was not a correlation between the clinical stage and the concentration of serm CEA. 7. When the cervical cancer was divided by histologic subtypes, the average concentration of SCCA in squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix was 11.86ng/ml and the positive rate of SCCA in squamous cell carcinoma was 53.6%(9.46ng/ml & 58.8% in large keratinizing cell type, 15.56ng/ml & 45.5% in large nonkeratinizing cell type). And the average concentration of SCCA in adenocarcinoma was 1.32ng/ml positive rate was 40.0%. The tumor marker SCCA was more sensitive to squamous cell carcinoma rather than adenocarcinoma. 8. The sensitivities of SCCA in preinvasive cancer and invasive cancer were 22.2% and 52.9%, respectively. The average concentration of SCCA in invasive cancer was 10.04ng/ml and was more significantly elevated than of SCCA in preinvasive cancer. 9. Using SCCA & CEA together as markers for monitoring, the positive rate significantly incresaed to 70.6%(p<0.05). But measuring the two tumor marker alone, that not significantly increased. 10) . The diagnostic efficacy of SCCA in cervical cancer was 59.0%, that was higher as compaired with that of CEA. These results suggest that the serum concentration of SCCA is significantly increased stepwise by clinical stage and concomitant measurements of serum SCCA & CEA are more useful in diagnosis of cervical cancer. However measurements of SCCA and/or CEA have little efficacy in the detection of early cervical cancer considering it's low rate of positivity in early cervical cancer. We will evaluate the efficacy of two tumor markers in determining prognosis, therapeutic response and early detection of recurrence for the posttreatment patients in the future.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators ; Biomarkers, Tumor* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Immunohistochemial staining was performed in metastatic skin cancer using a variety of antistera. Both carcinoembrytonic antigen(CEA) and epithelial membrane antigen(EMA) were demonstrated in large cell carcinoma of the lung, adenocarcinoma of the stomach and skin adnexal cancer with eccrine differentiation. Although papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung showed positive staining for CEA and EMA, these were weak or focal reactions in the keratinizing area. In rectal adenocarcinoma, staining for CEA was significantly positive, but staining for EMA was negative. Epiderrnal cytokeratin was observed in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and skin adnexal cancer with eccrine differentiation. Epidermal cytokeratin was also demonstrated in well differentiated adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract. By using a variety of tumor markers, the authors tried to locate possible primary sites in six metastatic skin cancers of unknown origin.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Keratins ; Lung ; Membranes ; Skin Neoplasms* ; Skin* ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland ; Biomarkers, Tumor