Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rar, incurable, and progressive clinical entity. When associated with pregnancy, the prognosis of primary pulmonary hypertension is worsened with maternal mortality rates of at least 50%. The patient was a 29-year-old mother in her 2nd pregnancy, with previous uncomplicated gestation, 5 years ago. She had been well until the 28th week of present gestation when she was admitted because of increasing dyspnea on exertion. She was a housewife with no remarkable family and past histories. We have experienced a patient with primary pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy. She was treated with an oral calcium-channel blocker and low-molecular-weight heparin and was delivered vaginally with good maternal and fetal outcome. So we report a case of primary pulmonary hypertension associated with pregnancy and review literature.
Adult ; Dyspnea ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Maternal Mortality ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Prognosis

Functional paraganglioma of the mediastinum is an uncommon tumor of the paraganglion system that causes symptoms and signs of episodic catecholamine release. It has not been reported in Korea. We experienced a case of a 17 years old man with a history of diaphoresis and paroxysmal hypertension refractory to therapy since 14 years old. Urinary execretion of catecholamine and its metabolites were elevated. Computed tomography(CT) scan revealed high density mass located on the posterior mediastinum in the area of the right fifth intercostal space. At thoracotomy, a 3X3X4cm sized lesion was resected and confirmed as a paraganglioma.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea ; Mediastinum* ; Paraganglioma* ; Pheochromocytoma ; Thoracotomy

Purpose: A laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is known to cause less morbidity than a traditional open radical nephrectomy. In our institution, the laparoscopic approach, with intact specimen removal, has become the standard technique for radical nephrectomies. Herein, we report the results and oncological outcome of the experience of a single center. Materials and Methods: We reviewed 68 transperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomies, performed for suspected renal cell carcinoma between December 1999 and June 2006. All data were collected from the patient's medical records. Results: The mean tumor size, surgical time and estimated blood loss were 4.82cm (1.7-14), 228.5 min (120-480) and 409.1cc (32-1,312), respectively. Conversion to open surgery was required in one case due to Endo-GIA malfunction, and conversion to hand-assisted surgery was performed in one case. The histological findings were pT1, pT2 and pT3 in 40 (59.7%), 9 (13.4%) and 18 patients (26.9%), respectively. In one case, the histology confirmed a non-malignant disease. The follow-up period was from 3 to 80 months (median 18). Distant metastasis was observed in 2 cases, but there was no local recurrence or port metastasis. Conclusions: A laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is a safe and feasible treatment for localized renal cell carcinomas. Longer follow-up and large scale studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term survival and disease- free rates, and confirm the effectiveness of performing a radical laparoscopic nephrectomy.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy* ; Operative Time ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Hydrocephalus*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of growth velocity at 3 months after gonadotropinreleasing hormone (GnRH) agonist treatment as a predictive value of 1 year growth velocity after treatment in girls with precocious puberty. METHODS: We studied 30 Korean girls with precocious puberty whose chronologic and bone age were less than 9 years and 11 years old, respectively at diagnosis. They treated with a 4 week interval GnRH agonist subcutaneous injections for at least more than 1 year. The patients who were treated with growth hormone simultaneously excluded for this study. Data were collected from chart review retrospectively. We measured heights and calculated growth velocities of the subjects at 3 months and 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment. RESULTS: The mean chronologic age and bone age of the subjects were 8.3 +/- 0.8 year and 10.4 +/- 0.6 years, respectively. The growth velocity at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment were 7.1 +/- 2.6, 6.6 +/- 2.1, 5.7 +/- 1.3 and 5.8 +/- 0.9 cm/yr, respectively. The positive correlation between the growth velocity at 3 months and 6 months, 9 months, 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment were shown(P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, the growth velocity at 1 year after GnRH agonist treatment may be predicted by the growth velocity at 3 months after treatment. The patient whose growth velocity at 3 months after GnRH agnoist treatment was low would be needed to observe the growth pattern carefully and to consider combined growth hormone treatment, if needed. It may be deserve further studies to improve final height in patients with central precocious puberty in various conditions.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Puberty, Precocious ; Retrospective Studies

A teenaged female was found dead in front of a three story building. Blunt force injuries were found mainly in the right upper-posterior part of the body. Autopsy findings revealed basal skull fracture, multiple rib fractures of the right thoracic cage, both scapular fractures and right iliac bone fracture. Additionally, typical so-called 'tramline'bruises were bilaterally noted at buttocks. The hymen was intact, but showed mucosal hemorrhage. After the personal identity was revealed, the police could find a witness who heard the detailed description of the criminal acts from one of the suspects. According to the witness, the deceased was pushed by two other teenaged girls from the concrete fence of the roof floor after the suspects molested the genitalia of the deceased and beat on the buttocks with a wooden stick. Mathematical estimation of the height of fall based on the severity of injuries correlates with that of the three story building. Authors suggest that a careful examination of injury patterns is required to differentiate homicidal falls from suicidal or accidental ones. Furthermore, application of mathematical model might be helpful to estimate the height of falls or correlate the assumed height of fall with severity of injuries.
Accidental Falls ; Autopsy ; Buttocks ; Contusions ; Criminals ; Female ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Forensic Pathology ; Fractures, Bone ; Genitalia ; Hemorrhage ; Homicide ; Humans ; Hymen ; Models, Theoretical ; Police ; Rib Fractures ; Skull Fractures ; Wit and Humor as Topic

A nine-year old boy was found unconscious by his father in his apartment house. He was transferred to the emergency unit immediately but resuscitation was failed. Drain cleansing was performed just before the deceased came home. The father stated that there was foul odor in the house when he opened the door. The autopsy finding showed only nonspecific findings including severe pulmonary edema. Significant amount of sulfide ion was detected from blood and brain tissue. The cause of death was concluded as hydrogen sulfide poisoning.
Autopsy ; Brain ; Cause of Death ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Fathers ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide* ; Hydrogen* ; Male ; Odors ; Poisoning* ; Pulmonary Edema ; Resuscitation

Salmonellosis is a major bacterial zoonosis that causes self-limited enteritis in animals and foodborne disease and typhoid fever in humans. Recently, multi-drug-resistant strains of Salmonella spp. have increased and caused more serious problems in public health. The present study investigated the antibacterial effects of egg-white lysozyme (EWL) against Salmonella (S.) Typhimurium and the therapeutic effects of EWL for murine salmonellosis. Evaluation of the antibacterial effects of EWL against S. Typhimurium revealed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of EWL of 6.25 and 300 µg/mL, respectively. In the bacterial growth inhibition test, EWL at 300 (p < 0.05) and 600 µg/mL (p < 0.01) significantly inhibited the growth of S. Typhimurium at 4 h postincubation. EWL administration at MIC (LYS-1), MBC (LYS-2) and 2× MBC (LYS-3) for 14 days resulted in mortality of mice infected with S. Typhimurium of 70, 40 and 10%, respectively, while that of control mice (CON) was 90%. Counts of S. Typhimurium in murine spleens were significantly lower in LYS-2 and LYS-3 than CON (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that EWL has the potential for treatment of ICR mice infected with S. Typhimurium.
Animals ; Enteritis ; Foodborne Diseases ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR* ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mortality ; Muramidase* ; Public Health ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella typhimurium* ; Salmonella* ; Spleen ; Therapeutic Uses* ; Typhoid Fever

PURPOSE: Heat therapy by heat lamp after microvascular surgery is being used for preventing blood vessels's contraction and blood-flow's disturbance. As usually, incandescent lamp has been used. But there have been several problems and need for improvement in the existing heat lamp treatment. So we would like to introduce improved heat lamp to keep an appropriate temperature and intensity of illumination. METHODS: The existing heat lamps are the ones of general light stands covered with newspaper, having 60 watt light bulb of incandescence and lampshade made of aluminum. We have tried to improve shortcomings of the existing heat lamps by enlarging the size of aluminum lampshade and attaching a curtain that can block heat and light. We conducted a comparative study between the existing and improved heat lamps. Under the assumption that there are several affected parts, we have also measured the distance from heat lamp to patients' eye region and then intensity of illumination. RESULT: The target temperature of surface was realized in 11 minutes with the maximum temperature reaching at 36.6 degrees C in 28 minutes at the existing heat lamp while the target temperature reached in 7 minutes with the maximum temperature reaching at 39.0 degrees C in 17 minutes at the improved heat lamp. The existing and improved heat lamp showed 38 lx and 0.1 lx of intensity of lumination, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using improved heat lamps, we can keep an appropriate temperature and we think we can make contribution to patients' treatment by making them and their neighbors able to sleep with minimized disturbance thanks to low intensity of illumination secured by blocking light.
Aluminum ; Contracts ; Eye ; Hot Temperature ; Incandescence ; Light ; Lighting ; Periodicals ; Spasm

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is a disorder caused by impaired DNA synthesis. Vitamin B12 binds to the intrinsic factor produced by the parietal cells and is absorbed in the distal ileum. After total gastrectomy, megaloblastic anemia is developed due to the absence or deficiency of the intrinsic factor. Concomitant iron deficiency states such as various malabsorption syndromes and alcoholism induce that the bone marrow erythroid megaloblastosis and peripheral blood macroovalocytosis are masked because of countervailing the tendency of iron deficiency to produce microblasts and hypochromic microcytic erythrocytes. We experienced a case of Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia with low RBC mean corpuscular volume (MCV) due to combined with iron deficiency anemia in 42 year-old female patient and report the case with literature review.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency* ; Anemia, Megaloblastic ; Bone Marrow ; DNA ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intrinsic Factor ; Iron* ; Malabsorption Syndromes ; Masks ; Rabeprazole ; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency* ; Vitamin B 12* ; Vitamins*