No abstract available.
Cell Line* ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen patients with cervical interlocked facets dislocation in whom closed reduction by skull traction was failed were evaluated about the patterns of ruptured disc fragment. Objects : To evaluate the causes of failure at closed reduction, and the relation between ruptured discs and interlocked facets, and the treatment results through an anterior approach. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: In traumatic dislocation of the cervical facet joints, spinal cord or nerve roots injury associated with the ruptured disc fragment has been reported. However, there is few report evaluating the patterns of ruptured disc fragment as a cause of reduction failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1988 and 1997, thirteen patients were treated by anterior fusion with plate after complete removal of the intervertebral disc through anterior approach and reduction of interlocked facets by O1iveira method. They have been followed for an average of 36 months(range : 12-96 months). The interlocking was bilateral in seven cases and unilateral in six cases. We assessed the types of ruptured disc fragment by preoperative MRI and CT and the clinical and radiological results. RESULTS: Ruptured disc fragment was found in all thirteen patients with interlocked facets dislocation. The patterns of ruptured discs were within the uncovertebral joints in 5 cases, posterioly under the posterior longitudinal ligament in 3 cases, anteriorly under intact anterior longitudinal ligament in 3 cases and combined under the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligament in 2 cases. The displacement of ruptured disc fragment were seemed to be the cause of failure in closed reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Intervertebral disc injury should be evaluated carefully with MRI and CT in the lower cervical interlocked facet dislocations before trial of reduction or decision makings of treatment.
Dislocations* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Joints ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Skull ; Spinal Cord ; Spine* ; Traction ; Zygapophyseal Joint

PURPOSE: To evaluate dysphagia objectively and quantitatively, and ta clarify the effect of neck position and viscosity changes in patients with aspiration and laryngeal penetration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 35 patients with dysphagia and 21 normal controls using videofluoroscopy and scintigraphy. Videofluoroscopy was performed with barium with three different viscosity, and scintigraphy was done, with water, yogurt, and steamed egg mixed with Tc-99m tin colloid. 1f aspiration was found during videofluoroscopic examination, patients neck position was changed and study repeated. Videofluoroscopy was analyzed qualitatively. We calculated 7 quantitative parameters from scintigraphy. According to the videofluoroscopic findings, we divided patients into 3 subgroups; aspiration, laryngeal penetration, and no-aspiration group. RESULTS: The result of videofluoroscopy revealed that the most cornmon finding was the delay in triggering pharyngeal swallow. Pharyrigeal transit time (PTT) and pharyngeal swallowing efficiency(PSE) in patients with aspiration were significantly different from other groups. After neck position change, aspiration could be reduced in all of 7 patients, and laryngeal penetration reduced hy about 82%. PTT ancl PSE were also improved after position change. Aspiration and laryngeal penetration occurred more frequently in thin liquid swallowing than in thick liquid and solid swallowing. CONCLUSION: PTT and PSE were useful for the evaluation of dysphagia. Aspiration and laryngeal penetration could be reduced when appropriate position assumed, We could decrease the chance of aspiration by changing the patient diet consisIency. Scintigraphy might be useful tool to quantitate and follow up these changes.
Barium ; Colloids ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Diet ; Evaluation Studies as Topic* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neck ; Ovum ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Steam ; Tin ; Viscosity ; Water ; Yogurt

Persistent trigeminal artery is an embryonic remnant of the anastomotic channel linking the internal carotid artery and the basilar artery. Cases of vertebrobasilar insufficiency caused by the persistent trigeminal artery with internal carotid artery stenosis has been described previously, but vertebrobasilar insufficiency entirely due to in situ stenosis of the persistent trigeminal artery has not been reported. A 71-year-old man presented with frequent dizzy episodes. The brain MRI showed no parenchymal lesions. MR angiography showed poor visualization of vertebrobasilar system. He was diagnosed as having vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Cerebral angiography revealed that there was complete occlusion at the vertebrobasilar junction, and the basilar artery was supplied by the persistent trigeminal artery which had severe stenosis at its origin. There was no stenosis of the internal carotid artery of both sides. We believe that this is the first report of vertebrobasilar insufficiency due to stenosed persistent trigeminal artery, without internal carotid artery stenosis.

No abstract available.
Head* ; Myocutaneous Flap* ; Neck*

No abstract available.

The soleal line in 115 (left; 61, right; 54) cases of tibiae was studied morphometrically by the method of Mysorekar and Nandedkar. 1. The soleal line showed a uniform character throughout in 26 cases and a mixed characters in 89 cases. The bones showing uniform character were seen generally as a lineal line or wide line. 2. The soleal line having mixed characters divided into three parts. In the upper and middle thirds, the major type of line was wide line. In the lower third, the line was commonly seen as a lineal line. In about 12% of the bones examined the line was seen as a groove, particularly in the middle and lower thirds. 3. The soleal line commenced 1-2cm below the fibular facet In about 61% of cases. 4. The length of the soleal line was 10.5cm, and the ratio to that of the tibia was about 30%. The results of this study provide the characters of the soleal tne of the tibia in Korean. The soleal line, unlike the textbook description, generally shows mixed characters of a line.
Methods ; Tibia*

No abstract available.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac*

BACKGROUND: IL-8 is a potent chemotactic cytokine that plays an important role in the host defense mechanism against M. tuberculosis by recruiting inflammatory cells to the site of the infection. Lung epithelial cells, as well as alveolar macrophages are known to preduce IL-8 in response to M. tuberculosis. IL-8 gene expression is mainly regulated on the level of transcription by NF-κB. This study investigated whether or not A549 cells produce IL-8 in NF-κB dependent mechanism in response to macrophages phagocytosing M. tubersulosis. METHODS: Peripheral blood monocytes that were obtained from healthy donors were cultured for 24 h with M. tuberculosis and a conditioned medium(CoMTB) was obtained. As a negative control, the conditioned medium without M. tuberculosis (CoMCont) was used. A549 cells were stimulated with M. tuberculosis, CoMCont and CoMTB and the IL-8 concentration in the culture media was measured by ELISA. The CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression in the A549 cells was evaluated using RT-PCR, and CoMTB induced IκBα degradation was measured using western blot analysis. CoMTB induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB was also examined using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA), and the CoMTB induced NF-κB dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity was measured using a luciferase reporter gene assay. RESULTS: CoMTB induced IL-8 production by A549 cells(46.8±4.8 ng/ml) was higher than with direct stimulation with M. tuberculosis (6.8±2.9 ng/ml). CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression increased after 2 h of stimulation and was sustained for 24 h. IκBα was degraded after 10 min of CoMTB stimulation and reappeared by 60 min. CoMTB stimulated the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB. The CoMTB induced NF-κB dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity(13.6±4.3 times control) was higher than either CoMCont(2.0±0.6 times control) or M. tuberculosis (1.4±0.6 times control). CONCLUSION: A conditioned medium of peripheral blood monocytes phagocytosing M. tuberculosis stimulates NF-κB dependent IL-8 production by the lung epithelial cells.
Blotting, Western ; Culture Media ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Reporter ; Humans ; Interleukin-8* ; Luciferases ; Lung* ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Monocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Donors ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Neck*