A myocardial beidge is an anatomic arrangement in which an epicardial coronary artery becomes engulfed for a limited segment by mycardial fibers. Myocardial bridges are not uncommon finding at coronary angiography and are identified by the systolic narrowing of the affected artery, mainly the left anterior descending coronary artery. The significance of myocardial beidges is controversial. These are frequently found at autopsy, and have been associated with episodic angina, tachcardia-induced ischemia amd sudden death during strenuous exercise. It has been suggested that clinical mamifestations of myocardial ischemia could be the result of severe reductions in the myocardial blood flow during the systole caused by the mylcardial bridge. We report two cases of myocardial damage occuring in a previous asymptimatic patients, hacing myocardial beidge in a left anterior descending coronary artery. This report strengthens the view that myocaridal bridges may, on occasion, cause ischemis
Arteries ; Autopsy ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Death, Sudden ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Systole

No abstract available.
Skin*

PURPOSE: In order to recognize predictive factors of the recurrent seizure attacks with benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spike(BECCT), we have studied the factors such as age of seizure onset, sex of the patient, frequency and duration of seizure Prior to therapy, initial antiepileptic drug, which are presumed to influence the recurrence of seizure attack. METHODS: Among the children with BECCT, who visited the department of pediatrics, Chuncheon Sacred Heart hospital, Hallym University from Jan. 1985 to Dec. 1997, 52 patients who were followed up for more than 12 months after disappearance of the seizure, have been studied. The patients were divided into three groups, (group I; seizure duration is less than 3 months, groups II; seizure duration less than 12 months, group III; seizure duration more than 12 months) by duration of seizure recurrence, and compared with difference of seizure recurrence by predicting factor in each group. Data were analysed by using DBSTAT version 1.0 by ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) Age onset of seizure The age onset of seizure in group I is 8.6+/-2.0 years and 7.9 +/-3.5 years in group II, 6.2+/-1.7 years in group III. The younger the seizure standted, the more seizures recurred(p<0.05). Our study revealed no age differences of the seizure remission in 3 groups. 2) Sex : Among the 52 patients, 30 patients were male, 22 patients were female. The ratio of the male to female was 1:1(12/12) in group I, 1:1.5(2/3) in group II, 2.3: 1(16/7) in group III. The recurrence rate was higher in male than in female. But no statistically difference in recurrence rate by the sex was revealed. 3) Seizure duration and seizure frequency prior to therapy : In group I, pretreatment duration was 1.6+/-3.5 months, frequency of the attacks was 2.0+/-1.0. In group II, duration 1.3+/-1.2 months, frequency 3.2+/-0.5. In group III, duration 3.5+/-6.9 months, frequency 3.5+/-1.8. Our study revered statistically significant differences in values of frequencies and durations in each groups(p<0.05). 4) Initial anticonvulsant and seizure recurrence : Seizure recurred in 36% of patients treated by carbamazepine, and 55.6% of valproate, 66.7% of phenobarbital, 37.5% of diphenylhydantion. There was no significant relation between initial anticonvulsant and seizure recurrence in each group. CONCLUSION: Our data support that age onset and seizure frequency were predictive factor fort seizure recurrence. BECCT Is a age dependent genetic disorder with variable penetrance, having longer duration of seizure with earlier onset. Clinical seizures and abnormal EEG trait tend to remit at certain age, regardless of onset age and treatment.
Age of Onset ; Carbamazepine ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Rolandic* ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Penetrance ; Phenobarbital ; Recurrence* ; Seizures* ; Valproic Acid

No abstract available.
Laryngectomy* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Islets of Langerhans* ; Pheochromocytoma*

A poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is partly due to the invasiveness and metastasis of the tumor. A key element in tumor invasion and metastasis in the degradation of extracellular matrix is matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This study was performed to determine the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 of oral SCCs with regard to the histologic invasiveness and differentiation in 5 normal oral mucosa and 36 oral SCCs. The histologic invasiveness of oral SCCs were classified into 4 grades. The differentiation of oral SCCs was divided into 3 grades. The streptavidin-biotin immunohistochemical staining, using MMP-2 and MMP-9 monoclonal antibodies, was performed to determine the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The expression of MMP-2 was positive in 6 of 17 oral SCCs with weak invasiveness and was positive in 7 of 19 oral SCCs with strong invasiveness. The MMP-2 expression did not increase significantly with respect to the invasiveness of oral SCCs (P>0.05). The expression of MMP-9 was strongly positive in 6 out of 17 SCCs with weak invasiveness and was strongly positive in 14 of 19 SCCs with strong invasiveness. The MMP-9 expression increased significantly with respect to the invasiveness of oral SCCs; the stronger the expression, the stronger the invasiveness (P<0.05). The expression of MMP-9 was in 57.9% of well differentiated SCCs, 57.1% of moderately differentiated ones, and 33.3% of poorly differentiated SCCs. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 did not increase significantly with respect to the histologic differentiation. We conclude that with respect to the invasiveness, the MMP-9 expression increases significantly in oral SCCs but the MMP-2 expression does not; and that with respect to the histologic differentiation, their expressions do not increase significantly. These results suggeste that MMP-9 can be used as a tool to evaluate the invasiveness of oral SCCs.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: Preamplifier and amplifier are very important parts for developing a portable counting or imaging gamma probe. They can be used for analyzing pulses containing energy and position information for the emitted radiations. The commercial Nuclear Instrument Modules (NIMs) can be used for processing these pulses. However, it may be improper to use NIMs in developing a portable gamma probe, because of its size and high price. The purpose of this study was to develop both preamplifier and amplifier and measure their performance characteristics. MATERIALS and Methodes: The preamplifier and amplifier were designed as a charge sensitive device and a capacitor resistor-rsistor capacitor (CR-RC) electronic circuit, respectively, and they were mounted on a print circuit board (PCB). We acquired and analyzed energy spectra for Tc-99m and Cs-137 using both PCB and NIMs. Multichannel analyzer (Accuspec/A, Caberra Industries Inc., Meriden Connecticut, U.S.A) and scintillation detectors (EP-047 (Bicron Saint-Gobain/Norton Industrial EP-047 (Ceramics Co., Ohio, U.S.A) with 2"x2" NaI (T1) crystal and R1535 (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Electron Tube Center, Shizuoka-ken, Japan) with 1"x1"NaI (T1) crystal) were used for acquiring the energy spectra. RESULTS: Using PCB, energy resolutions or EP-047 detectors for Tc-99m and Cs-137 were 12.92% and 5.01%, respectively, whereas R1535 showed 13.75% and 5.19% of energy resolution. Using the NIM devices, energy resolutions of EP-047 detector for Tc-99m and Cs-137 were measured as 14.6% and 7.58%, respectively. However, reliable energy spectrum of R1535 detector could not be acquired, since its photomultiplier tube (PMT) requires a specific type of preamplifier. CONCLUSION: We developed a special preamplifier and amplifier suitable for a small sized gamma probe that showed good energy resolutions independent of PMT types. The RESULTS indicate that the PCB can be used in developing both counting and imaging gamma probe.
Connecticut ; Ohio ; Optics and Photonics

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

Angiogenesis is an essential process in tumor growth and metastasis. VEGF has been considered a leading candidate inducing tumor angiogenesis. VEGF expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage, lymph node matastasis, and prognosis of cancers of various parts of body. However, little has been known about the correlation between VEGF expression and clinicopathologic parameters in oral squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of this study was to correlate VEGF expression with the clinicopathological parameters and microvessel density. Forty six oral squamous cell carcinomas were analyzed using immunohistochemical method with primary antibodies to VEGF and CD31. VEGF expression was detected in 33 (71.7%) of the 46 cases. The microvessel density was significantly correlated with VEGF expression (P=0.002). There was no correlation between microvessel density and tumour size, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis, respectively. VEGF expression did not correlate with the histological grade of tumour differentiation, tumour size, and clinical stages. The VEGF-positive rate seemed to be higher in patients with cervical lymph nodal metastasis than in those without it, but it was not statistically significant. In conclusion, the overexpression of VEGF in the oral squamous cell carcinoma seemed to be associated with a more aggressive course of the disease. Further study is necessary to define the role of VEGF in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Antibodies ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Microvessels* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Esophagus*