Coccidioidomycosis is a common infectious disease in southwestern North America, which is caused by the soil fungus, Coccidioides immitis. Due to the mobility of the modern population, increasing numbers of cases are being diagnosed outside the endemic areas. Moreover, diagnosis in non-endenmic areas may be delayed or confused due to its rarity. Here we report a case of pulmonary coccidioidomycisis in an immigrant. The patient presented with unexplained pulmonary symptoms. A history of recent travel to or immigration from an endemic area may suggest coccidioidomycosis. In addition an early tissue biopsy is helpful in establishing this diagnosis.
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses ; Biopsy ; Coccidioides ; Coccidioidomycosis* ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Emigration and Immigration ; Fungi ; Humans ; Mycoses ; North America ; Soil

No abstract available.
Hypophysectomy*

During the period of 4 years from May, 1981 to April, 1985, 71 cases of obstructing subinfundibular muscular bundles of the right ventricle in congential cardiovascular anomalies were diagnosed by cariac catheterization and angiography at Hanyang University. The finding of right ventricular angiogram and degree of the right ventricular outflow obstruction, clinical data, electrocardiographic data and hemodynamic data were correlated irrespectively. The summary of this article is as follows. 1) The age of patients was ranged from 1 to 22 years old with a mean age of 8 years old. There were 39 males and 32 females with M:F ratio of 1.2:1. The incidence of obstructing subinfundibular muscular bundles of the right ventricle in congenital cardiovascular anomalies was higher with increasing age. 2) The associated cardic anomalies were as follows: 40 cases (56%) of isolated ventricular septal defect(VSD), 13(18%) of tetralogy of Fallot physiology, 7(10%) of patent ductus arteriosus(PDA), 3(4%) of pulmonary stenosis, 1 aortic stenosis, 1 double outlet of right ventricle(DORV), 1 trilogy, 1 ostium secundum defect, etc. The incidence of VSD with or without other associated cardiovascular anomalies was 56 cases(79%) out of 71 cases. 3) Maximum systolic pressure gradient between proximal and distal chamber of the right ventricle were under 25 mmHg in 32 cases, between 25 and 50 mmHg in 13 and above 50 mmHg in 26. Pressure gradients of all 7 cases with PDA were under 25 mmHg. 4) Correlative assesment of angiographic manifestation(2 indicies:Diameter of right ventricular outflow tract(systolic phase)/diameter of tricuspid valvular annulus(diastolic phase)=OT/TV, Diameter of right ventricular outflow tract(systolic phase)/Length of right ventricular diaphragmatic surface(systolic phase)=OT/RV) according to pressure gradient, OT/Tv and OT/RV values were lower the increasing pressure gradient, between proximal and distal chamber of the right ventricle. These were reverse correlations but coefficients of correlation(r) were-0.49and -0.48. Therefore, the degree of right ventricular outflow obstruction could be predicted, using 2 indices of right ventricular angiogram in individual cases, but could not be calculated accurately. 5) This indicated that pressuer gradient was also affected by technical errors, variable cardic anomalies, development of sinusoid, age and the other factors. 6) We assumed that non-invasive Doppler echocardiography could be useful in making the diagnosis and follow up of the patient with obstructing subinfundibular muscle bundles in right ventricle.
Angiography ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Blood Pressure ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Electrocardiography ; Equidae ; Female ; Heart Ventricles* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Physiology ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; Ventricular Outflow Obstruction ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Cholesteatoma*

Ganglioneruroblastoma and neuroblastoma are among commonest types of childhood malignancy and a number of unique paraneoplastic syndromes have associated with both localized and disseminated neuroblastoma. The coincidence of neuroblastoma and myoclonic encephalopathy or other paraneoplastic syndromes occurs relatively rare, and therefore, failure to recognize this association could result in delays in both diagnosis and treatment, and the result could prove to be unfortunately fatal. The mechanism which underlies the remote damaging effect of neural crest tumor, especially neuroblastoma, on the nervous system resulting in myoclonic encephalopathy is by no means clear. In addition the nature and the extent of the pathologic lesion are inconsistent. We experienced a case of myoclonic encephalopathy associated with an occult mediastinal ganglioneuroblastoma in a 22-month-old girl who was hospitalized for inability to walk without support and tilting of the head to the left side. She became increasingly ataxic, and during the hospitalization myoclonic jerks of upper extremities and head along with chaotic, rapidly flickering, multidirectional spontaneous eye movements, were noted. Laboratory data included normal complete blood count, urinalysis, BUN and creatinine, electrolytes and bone marrow. Chest X-ray and chest CT revealed a relatively well marginated right posterior mediastinal mass. In a 24 hours urine excretion test, VMA and catecholamines were increased. Over the next 2 weeks, a surgical exploration revealed a right posterior mediastinal mass. Microscopically the mass proved to be a ganglioneuroblastoma, extending to right innominate artery and right axillary lymph nodes. Within 2 weeks after the surgery, radiotherapy (2,400 rads) and chemotherapy (CTX, DTIC, VCR) were started, but corticosteroid was not used. She has been free of tumor and abnormal neurological systemic symptoms and signs for 1 1/2 year since the completion of chemotherapy. In the 3 1/2 years follow-up period, her neurologic symptoms has completely resolved by the completion of 2 years chemotherapy. We report a case of mycoclonic encephalopathy associated with hidden ganglioneuroblastoma in 22-month-old girl.
Blood Cell Count ; Bone Marrow ; Brachiocephalic Trunk ; Catecholamines ; Creatinine ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Electrolytes ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic* ; Eye Movements ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglioneuroblastoma* ; Head ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant ; Lymph Nodes ; Myoclonus ; Nervous System ; Neural Crest ; Neuroblastoma ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes* ; Radiotherapy ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Upper Extremity ; Urinalysis

Succinylcholine induced hyperkalemia has been reported in many neurologic disorders including subarachnoid hemorrhage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate suceinylcholine induced-hyperkalemia in twenty ruptured cerebral aneuryam patients undergoing general anesthesia for repair of the cerebral aneurysm. Serum potassium levels were measured after induction of anesthesia, but before succinylcholine, and 1, 5 and 10 min after administration of succinylcholine. Serum potassium levels were continuously increased until 10 min after euccinylcholine administration. The increments of serum potassium above 1.0mEq/L were observed in 5 of 9 patients with loss of consciousnesa A relationship between the loss of consciousness and hyperkalemic response after succinylcholine was suggested.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Nervous System Diseases ; Potassium* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Succinylcholine* ; Unconsciousness

The authors analysed statically 420 Cases of the ocular trauma among 35,460 patients who visited to the emergency department, from Jul. 1995 to Jun. 1996. Ocular trauma is one of the commonest causes of eye diseases and blindness, but its patterns and incidences are variable according to the environment. A large number of patients can be readily treated in the emergency department. Prevention is, of course, the best management, but when an ocular injury occurs, proper emergency treatment can often prevent permanent damage.
Blindness ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Emergency Treatment ; Eye Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between tooth loss and sub-clinical atherosclerosis in Korean adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were part of a cohort study conducted in Ansan city by the Korea University medical school as part of the Korean Genome project. 749 subjects over than 40 years old were evaluated. After taking panoramic radiography, the amount of tooth loss was calculated. The intima-media thickness (IMT) was assessed by using ultrasonography at the common carotid artery. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors for atherosclerosis were also evaluated. The relationship between tooth loss and the IMT was evaluated using ANOVA with Scheffe's multiple comparison method in univariate analysis. Multiple regression analysis was also performed to determine the significance between the IMT and tooth loss. RESULTS: With age, tooth loss increased, but there was no significant increase in other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Univariate analysis revealed the IMT to be positively related with the amount of tooth loss. Regression analysis of the IMT in the anterior and posterior tooth loss revealed that only the posterior tooth loss was significantly related with the IMT at all sites of the common carotid artery (right far wall, P = .015; left far wall, P = .008; right near wall, P < .001; left near wall, P = .001). CONCLUSION: This study verified the positive relationship between the increased tooth loss at the posterior area and the accumulation of atheroma in arteries.
Adult ; Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Cohort Studies ; Genome ; Humans ; Korea ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Risk Factors ; Schools, Medical ; Tooth ; Tooth Loss

BACKGROUND: A significant number of patients complain of persistent pain or neurologic symptoms after lower back surgery. It is reported that facet joint pain plays a role in failed back surgery syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, there are few studies that have investigated the outcome of radiofrequency neurotomy in the patients with failed back surgery syndrome. METHODS: The study group was composed of thirteen patients who were operated on due to their low back pain, and they displayed no postoperative improvement. All the patients underwent double diagnostic block of the lumbar medial branch of the dorsal rami with using 0.5% bupivacaine. The patients who revealed a positive response to the double diagnostic block were then treated with percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy. The effect on their pain was evaluated with using a 4 point Likert scale. RESULTS: Eleven patients revealed a positive response to the double diagnostic block. Ten patients were given percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy. Nine patients showed sustained pain relief for 3 months after the percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy. CONCLUSIONS: We found lumbar facet joint syndrome in the patients with failed back surgery syndrome by performing double diagnostic block and achieving pain relief during the short term follow-up after percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy of the lumbar zygapophysial joints. This suggested that facet joint pain should be included in failed back surgery syndrome.
Bupivacaine ; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Low Back Pain ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Zygapophyseal Joint*

No abstract available.
Mouth* ; Oropharynx*