OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol versus intracervical dinoprostone (prostaglandin E2 gel) for cervical ripening and labor induction. METHODS: 60 patients with indication for labor induction and unfavorable cervices were randomly assigned to receive either intravaginal misoprostol or intracervical dinoprostone. 50 microgram tablets of misoprostol were placed in the posterior vaginal fornix every 4 hours for a maximum of 3 doses or dinoprostone 0.5mg was placed into the endocervix every 6 hours for a maximum of 2doses. No more medication was given after either spontaneous rupture of membranes or beginning of active labor. RESULTS: Among 60 patients enrolled, 30 received misoprostol and 30 received dinoprostone. The average interval from start of induction to active labor was shorter in misoprostol group (6.5+/-3.2 hours) than in the dinoprostone group (10.7+/-7.3 hours) (p<0.05). Oxytocin augmentation of labor occurred more often in the dinoprostone group (36.7%) than in the misoprostol group (10.0%) (p<0.05). There was a higher prevalence of fetal distress (23.3% versus 3.3%) and tachysystole (16.6% versus 6.6%) in the misorprostol group than in the dinoprostone group(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vaginally administered misoprostol is an effective agent for cervical ripening and induction of labor. Furthermore, the cost of misoprostol ( 360/200microgram) is much less than that of dinoprostone ( 42,000/0.5mg). Cost benefits from administration of misoprostol are evident, especially in clinics under system of diagnosis-related group (DRG) : however when given at this dosage, it is associated with a higher prevalence of fetal distress and tachysystole than dinoprostone. Further studies to compare the safety of misoprostole to that of dinoprostone and to delineate an optimal dosing regimen for misoprostol are needed.
Cervical Ripening* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Dinoprostone* ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Membranes ; Misoprostol* ; Oxytocin ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies* ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Tablets

Epidermal cyst in the fibroadenoma of the breast is very rare. A 29-year-old woman presented with a lump in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast. Clinically it was a fibroadenoma and the excisional specimen showed an encapsulated, firm lobulated lesion with a cystic area on cut surface. The cystic area showed squamous metaplasia of the ductal epithelium and keratinous cyst formation in the fibroadenoma. We report this unusual case with review of literatures.
Adult ; Breast ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Epithelium ; Female ; Fibroadenoma* ; Humans ; Metaplasia

No abstract available.
Echocardiography, Transesophageal*

No abstract available.
Keratins*

We report a case of primary cutaneous mucinous adenocarcinotna in a 64-year-old female. The tumor was about 2cm in size, forminga round dome-shaped alopecic scalp mass which had gradually increased in size over about 5 years, Histalogic examination revealed that the tumor was divided into numerous compartments by strands of fibrous tissue. In each compartment, abundant amounts of pale-staining mucin surrounded nests or cords of moderately anaplastic epithelial cells. We couldn't find any evidence of internal neoplasms as a source of metastasis. We resected the tumor with approximately a 1 cm margin and then performed a split thickness skin graft.
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Betazole ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucins* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Scalp ; Skin ; Transplants

The cysteine proteases of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae are involved in metacercarial excystment, host immune modulation, and possibly in tissue penetration. In order to clarify the origin of the enzymes, 28 and 27 kDa cysteine proteases in metacercarial excretory-secretory products were purified through the FPLC system using Mono Q column chromatography. The polyclonal antibodies to the enzymes were produced in BALB/c mice. Immunolocalization studies revealed that both cysteine proteases were distributed at the linings of excretory bladder and excretory concretions of the metacercariae. It was suggested that the excretory epithelium of P. westermani undertake the secretory function of metacercarial cysteine proteases, in addition to its role as a route for eliminating waste products.
Animals ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Computational Biology ; Cysteine Endopeptidases/analysis/isolation & purification/*physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Paragonimus/anatomy & histology/*enzymology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Macular hemorrhage which result from breaks of Bruch's membrane or from choroidal neovascularization can develop in high degenerative myopia, but its occurrence after photorefractive surgery has rarely been reported. We experienced a case of macular hemorrhage after laser in situ keratomileusis[LASIK]:A 28-year-old female patient with high myopia of -16.5 diopters, who had received successful LASIK operation on her left eye.complained of a sudden drop in vision 20 days postoperatively.On fundus examination, macular hemorrhages were detected on her left eye.Eventually the hemorrhages resolved, but more than 2 lines of her best corrected visual acuity were lost.During follow-up, a new hemorrhagic lesion was incidently found on the other eye. This case demonstrates that macular hemorrhages may develop after LASIK in eyes with high degenerative myopia, and lead to a permanent reduction in visual acuity.We should be alert to any potential retinal pathology in patients having refractive surgery.
Adult ; Bruch Membrane ; Choroidal Neovascularization ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ* ; Myopia ; Myopia, Degenerative ; Pathology ; Refractive Surgical Procedures ; Retinaldehyde ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Humans* ; Papilloma* ; Respiratory System*

We report a case of angiosarcoma of the face and scalp in a 76-year-old man. Immunochemical staining with factor 8-related antigen and ultrastructural find ings confirm that this tumor was origined from endothelium. The patient had a good initial response to treatment with radiotherapy.
Aged ; Endothelium ; Factor VIII ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Radiotherapy ; Scalp*

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a recently recognized distinct subset of lupus erythematosus, having characteristics of clinical, pathologic, serologic, irnrnunologic features. We present a case of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus in a 29-year-old woman with symmetric, superficial, nonscarring papulosquamous lesion on the face, scalp, and the extensor surface of the upper extremities. She has a mild systemic illness of musculoskeletal complaints. Serologic abnormalities of the patients are positive rheumatoid factor and anti-Ro antibody test, but fluorescent antinuclear antibody test is negative, which is done by the conventional methods uaing rodent tissue for the substrate. The histopathologic finding of the lesion show the sarne general pattern of the cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and lupus band test is positive.
Adult ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous* ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Rodentia ; Scalp ; Upper Extremity