From July 1988 to September 1992, we experienced 15 cases of thrombolysoangioplasty (TLA) at Chonnam University Hospital. Among 15 cases, 5 had claudication (Clinical stage II according to Modified Fontaine Classification), pain at rest (III), and gangrene(IV). Duration of symptoms was 1-7 months except patients of clinical stage IV unable to guess occlusion age. The occlusion length was 5-10cm in 8 cases, 10-20cm in 4 cases, and above 30cm in 2 cases. In all cases, thromolytic therapy was performed with intraarterial urokinase infusion. The total amount of urokinase ranged from 300,000 IU to 2,000,000 IU and infusion time ranged from 2 to 50 hours except three cases infused bolus dose only. Complete successful TLA was defined as technical (less than 50% of residual stenosis) and clinical success. Partial success was defined as technical success but clinical failure. Follow-up angiography could be performed in 8 cases. Overall initial success rate was 86.6% (13/15). Among them. Complete success was in 11 cases and partial success was in 2 cases. Recurrence of disease was not noted on all cases(n=8). Severe complications, such as hemorrhage, did not occurred. TLA was considered to be effective and safe way to recanalized chronic long artery occlusion in lower extremity.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Lower Extremity ; Recurrence ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

PURPOSE: To report a case of isolated choroidal cystic lesion in the macula with no interval change for two years. CASE SUMMARY: A 29-year-old woman who had suspicious maculopathy was referred to our clinic. Her best corrected visual acuity was 20/20 in the affected right eye, which showed a choroidal cystic lesion on a fundus exam, fluorescein angiography, USG and OCT. The multifocal ERG showed reduced amplitudes of the cystic area in the right eye, and SLO microperimetry revealed reduced retinal sensitivity in the cystic lesion as well as a stable fixation and spared foveal function. There was no evidence of underlying ocular disease in clinical assessment, and the lesion had not undergone interval change for the past two years.
Adult ; Choroid ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Retinaldehyde ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report a case of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy treated with an intravitreal injection of 2.5 mg of bevacizumab. CASE SUMMARY: A 38-year-old male complained of visual disturbance in the right eye. He had a history of central serous chorioretinopathy which improved without treatment. Since the patient did not feel any ocular discomfort, he did not visit our clinic for approximately 11 months. At the time of presentation, fundus examination revealed exudative retinal detachment involving the macular area. Additionally, fluorescein angiography revealed multiple early phase hyperfluorescent lesions. Neurosensory detachment around the macula and increased central macular thickness were also observed using optical coherence tomography. Under the diagnosis of chronic central serous chorioretinoapthy, the patient was treated with 2.5 mg of intravitreal bevacizumab. Visual acuity improved two months after treatment, with improvement in both neurosensory retinal detachment and fluorescein leakage. No changes were observed at the six-month follow-up.
Adult ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Central Serous Chorioretinopathy ; Eye ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Male ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinaldehyde ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity ; Bevacizumab

BACKGROUND: Dry and cold anesthetic gas deteriorates patient's respiratory function and body heat balance. We examined whether a humidifier with heated wire circuit might maintain core temperature and humidity of inspired gas in patient undergoing general anesthesia. METHODS: We enrolled forty ASA physical status I, II patients under general anesthesia for this study. We allocated the patients randomly into two groups with (experimental group) or without (control group) Humitube(R) anesthesia circuit, which delivered heated and humidified inspired anesthetic gases. We recorded the temperatures and humidity of the inspired gases throughout the surgery. RESULTS: The temperatures and relative humidity of the inspired gases in experimental group were significantly greater compared to control group (36.2 +/- 0.9degrees C, 89.5 +/- 4.8% vs. 30.4 +/- 1.8degrees C, 37.9 +/- 5.9%, P < 0.05) during anesthesia. The core temperatures in experimental group were significantly greater compared to control group (36.1 +/- 0.3degrees C vs. 35.7 +/- 0.1degrees C, P < 0.05) during anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: A humidifier with heated wire system for anesthesia breathing circuit is helpful to maintain core temperature and adequate humidity.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Body Temperature ; Cold Temperature ; Gases ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Humidity ; Respiration

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immunologically mediated disease resulted from repeated exposure to sensitizing agents such as organic dusts or chemicals. We report two cases of familial hypersensitivity pneumonitis diagnosed by typical symptoms, physical findings, chest x-ray abnormalities, and histologic findings with a brief review of the literature. A 60-year-old woman and her 62-year-old husband successively presented with dry cough and exertional dyspnea. These symptoms developed about 20 days after the womon had started feeding cows with stored hay. The same symptoms also developed in her husband when he had handled the stored hay instead of her because of her illness. We confirmed hypersensitivity pneumonitis with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and open and transbronchial lung biopsies.
Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic* ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Cough ; Dust ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Spouses ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Subepithelial fibrosis plays a major role in the development of irreversible airway obstruction in asthma. Eosinophils are major effector cells in allergic inflammation, and it has been suggested that eosinophil-derived mediators such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) play a role in the pathogenesis of airway remodeling. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether eosinophils activated by IL-5 plays a major role in the collagen gel contraction by lung fibroblasts. METHOD: Various cell numbers of lung fibroblasts were cultured in collagen gels to determine the appropriate numbers of fibroblasts. Purified human peripheral blood eosinophils were activated by IL-5 for 3 days, and TGF-beta mRNA expression was evaluated using semiquantitative RT- PCR. The cultured supernatants with or without TGF-beta were added to the collagen gel media with lung fibroblasts, and collagen gel diameter was serially measured to evaluate collagen gel contraction. RESULTS: The amount of collagen gel contraction was significantly associated with the number of fibroblasts (p< 0.05), and TGF-beta significantly contracted the collagen gel to contract in a dose-dependent manner (p< 0.05). However, supernatants derived from IL-5-activated eosinophils did not contract the collagen gel compared to controls (p> 0.05). Moreover, expression of TGF-beta mRNA in eosinophils was the same before and after stimulus of IL-5. CONCLUSION: Activated eosinophils by IL-5 may play a minor role in the collagen gel contraction by lung fibroblasts.
Airway Obstruction ; Airway Remodeling ; Asthma ; Cell Count ; Collagen* ; Eosinophils* ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibrosis ; Gels ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-5 ; Lung* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Antiviral activity against Influenza virus of 14 Lactobacillus species isolated from food was monitored. Lactobacillus species were isolated from traditional Korean fermented food. Each live Lactobacillus was administered into the nasal cavity of SPF 6-week-old BALB/c mice. After the Lactobacillus treatment, Influenza virus (A/NWS/33/H1N1) was inoculated to each mouse. Clinical signs and mortality was monitored for 21 days. Each Lactobacillus strain showed various level of antiviral activity against Influenza virus. As a result of this study, this mouse experiment model, including intranasal treatment of live Lactobacillus species, could be effective model in evaluating immunomodulatory response of probiotics against respiratory viruses.
Administration, Intranasal* ; Animals ; Influenza, Human ; Lactobacillus ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Mortality ; Nasal Cavity ; Orthomyxoviridae* ; Probiotics