PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of scatter correction on the assessment of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function by gated Tc-99m myocardial SPECT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 11 normal volunteers, 20 patients with non-cardiac chest pain and 13 patients with coronary artery diseases. We classified above 3 groups into normal and diseased groups. Scatter correction was done using dual-energy-window scatter correction method (DEW-SC). We compared acquired counts, image contrast, corrected maximum relative counts, indices of left ventricular function, extent and severity of perfusion defects calculated by 'CEqual program' between scatter non-corrected and corrected images. RESULTS: Scatter corrected studies was lower in counts by 18+/-3% than uncorrected studies, but image contrast were improved in all cases. Scatter correction using DEW-SC took 3 minutes to complete, and 512 kB memory to store. There were no significant differences among indices of left ventricular function between scatter non-corrected and corrected images. Although extents of perfusion defects were not significantly different, severity was severer in scatter corrected images. CONCLUSION: Scatter correction using DEW-SC is simple to do, and improves image contrast without changing other indices of myocardial perfusion and function.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Memory ; Perfusion* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Ventricular Function, Left*

The aim of the study was to explore the current status as well as personal views, attitudes, and beliefs regarding daily meal consumption (DM) and food supplement use (FS) in conjunction with the improvement of health condition of the women. Eight focus group interviews were performed and the interview material was condensed systematically with the aim to extract core meanings related to DM, FS, and menopause-associated health. Participants were 40 in number and showed ages ranging from 45 and 60 years with various menopausal status. Current status and beliefs about DM, resources of purchase motivation of FS, types of FS that are currently used, and perceived effects and personal beliefs about FS are discussed. Theme content analysis revealed 3 themes for beliefs about DM, 5 themes for beliefs pertaining FS, and 4 themes for the association between DM and FS. Non-dietary factors such as positive mental attitude and exercise appeared to be also important to maintain good health. The bottom line message from this study may be that proper nutrition through daily meals is essential for good health, while food supplement are used merely to supplement the diet. Findings from this study may deepen our understanding of how women who translate their lifespan through "menopause" perceive the roles and meaning of DM and FS, suggesting health professionals need to monitor and evaluate DM and implement strategies targeting the improvement of daily meal quality of middle and older aged women.
Aged ; Climacteric ; Diet ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Meals ; Motivation ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds

Ganglia in soft tissue are common and usually occur in close relations with joints, tendon sheaths, or tendons. However, intra-osseous ganglia are very rare. We report a case of intra-osseous ganglion arising from the right sided proximal humerus in a 33 year-old woman. It was multiple cysts surrounded by thin rims of sclerotic bone in the subchondral epiphysis without other features of degenerative joint disease or destruction of adjacent soft tissue.
Female ; Humans ; Cysts

Standard plaque assay using agarose-overlay has long been used for titration of many infectious virus particle. Plaque assay for the titration of varicella-zoster virus and its live vaccine requires three intermittent agarose overlay to visualize plaques. Overall procedure of the assay takes at least nine days from virus inoculation and microbe contamination including fungi is frequently accompanied during incubation period. We studied whether an immunofocus assay in conjunction with peroxidase-mediated immunohistochemical reaction may replace the standard plaque assay for the virus titration by comparing the two methods. A linear relationship was observed between number of foci and virus dilution. The number of foci in a given dilution of virus appeared a little higher than counted plaques formed in standard plaque assay. Independent titration results obtained from two assay methods for a given dilution of virus demonstrated a strong correlation (r2=0.99). Foci of virus infected cells as revealed by the enzyme reaction could be counted either 4 days post-infection (p.i.) under low magnification (40X) microscopy, or 6 days p.i. by naked eye observation. Larger size of cell cuture plate, virus adsorption at 35 degrees C, and 10% FBS in diluent appeared to be better conditions for the assay. Immunofocus assay will be an effective and dependable titration method for varicella-zoster virus and its live vaccine in place of the standard plaque assay in respect to accuracy, costs, and experimental convenience.
Adsorption ; Fungi ; Herpesvirus 3, Human* ; Microscopy ; Sepharose ; Virion

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans

We describe a case of traumatic aortic dissection associated with cardiac compression in a patient with anaphylactic cardiac arrest who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A 54-year-old man who was scheduled to undergo surgery for gastric cancer went into cardiac arrest caused by an anaphylactic reaction to prophylactic antibiotics in the operating room. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was performed. CPR, including chest compressions, was performed for 35 minutes, and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) after spontaneous circulation returned. The patient received ECMO for 9 hours until confirmation of normal cardiac function on transthoracic echocardiography. Twenty days after cardiac arrest, an aortic dissection and fractures in the left fourth and fifth ribs due to chest compression were detected by abdominal computed tomography. The DeBakey type III aortic dissection extended from the distal arch of the thoracic aorta to the proximal level of the renal artery, involving the celiac trunk. It was considered an uncomplicated type B aortic dissection with no sign of malperfusion of the major vessels. This case demonstrates the potential traumatic injuries that can occur after CPR and encourages proper management of mechanical complications in cardiac arrest survivors.
Anaphylaxis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Echocardiography ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Middle Aged ; Operating Rooms ; Renal Artery ; Ribs ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survivors* ; Thorax ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

Malignant myoepithelioma is a rare neoplasm of salivary gland which may either arise de novo or develop in a pre-existing pleomorphic adenoma. The malignant myoepithelioma occurs in 0.45% of major salivary gland tumors. Malignant myoepitheliomas arising in the pleomorphic adenoma number less than 20 in English literature and 1 in Korea. We describe a case of malignant myoepithelioma arising in a recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the left parotid gland of a 61-year-old man. The tumor was ill-defined and composed of polygonal or plasmacytoid myoepithelial cells. Infiltration to surrounding tissue, hemorrhage, necrosis, increased mitotic activity and vascular tumor emboli indicated its malignant nature. There were several satellite nodules with histologic features of typical pleomorphic adenoma. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were reactive for S-100 protein, AE1/AE3, vimentin, smooth muscle actin and glial fibrillary acid protein.
Actins ; Adenoma, Pleomorphic* ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myoepithelioma* ; Necrosis ; Parotid Gland ; S100 Proteins ; Salivary Glands ; Vimentin

No abstract available.

Local anesthetics produce pain during infiltration into skin. The relationship between local anesthetic-induced pain and pH of the local anesthetic solution has not been fully investigated. Commercial preparation of local anesthetics are prepared as acidic solutions of the salts to promote solubility and stability. And the acidity of local anesthetic solition may be related with the pain during infiltration of the solutione. So, we tried to neutralize the lidocaine hydrochloride solution which is one of the most frequently used local anesthetic agent. Sodium bicarbonate was used for neutralization. Sodium bicarbonate was mixed with lidocaine hydrochloride until the resulting pH of the solution become 7.4 which is identical to the acidity of body fluid. To identify the effect of neutralized lidocaine solution, we had a course of double blind test to 6 volunteers. Both forearm of each volunteer were injected with neutralized lidocaine and plain one and the degree of pain was estimated by each volunteers. According to subjective description by the volinteers, everyone felt neutralized lidocaine injection site was less painful than plain lidocaine. We concluded that we could reduce pain from infiltration of lidocaine hydrochloride by neutralization of the anesthetic solution with sodium bicarbonate.
Anesthetics, Local ; Body Fluids ; Forearm ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lidocaine* ; Salts ; Skin ; Sodium Bicarbonate ; Solubility ; Volunteers

Congenital absence of the lower sternum, defect of the abdominal wall, defects of the anterior diaphragm, pericardial defects and cardiac anomalies had been described as a syndrome by Cantrell et al. Developing mechanism of the syndrome was embryologically defined. These defects arise apparently from combined anomalies of developing of the dorsal mesoderm. The authors present two cases of Cantrell's syndrome developed in one day old and eight months old female patient in which angiocardiography was done at the Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital.
Abdominal Wall ; Angiocardiography ; Diaphragm ; Female ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; Seoul ; Sternum