In the published version of this article, an error in the sponsor's identity was discovered in the acknowledgment section.

BACKGROUND: Benzoic acid contained in some food can hinder the biological monitoring of hippuric acid in urine, which is frequently used as an exposure index of toluene and xylene. METHOD: 20 male examinees who are not exposed to organic solvents in their jobs were given a bottle of drink containing benzoic acid(70 mg/dl) and took it. Urine samples were taken from every person just before, in 1.5 hrs after, and in 3 hrs after taking the drink. Hippuric acid in urine was analyzed with improved Ogata and Taguchi method and creatinine with Jaffe method. RESULT: Mean hippuric acid concentrations in urine just before, in 1.5 hrs after, and in 3 hrs after taking the drink were 0.59+/-0.21 g/g creatinine, 2.75+/-0.98 g/g creatinine, 1.04+/-0.58 g/g creatinine, respectively. And, each group had statistically significant differences (p<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between two groups categorized by age, smoking, and drinking. CONCLUSION: From the results, we suggest that when hippuric acid concentration in urine is used as a exposure index of toluene, it should be surveyed whether the food containing benzoic acid was taken or not.
Benzoic Acid* ; Creatinine ; Drinking ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Male ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Solvents ; Toluene ; Xylenes

PURPOSE: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy(ESWL) has been established as the first line procedure of urinary stone treatment. We studied retrospectively to evaluate the effectiveness of ESWL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ESWL was performed in 750 cases with Modulith SL-20 electromagnetic lithotriptor from January, 1994 to June, 1997 in our Department of Urology. RESULTS: Most patients were distributed between the fourth and sixth decades 72.5%), and male to female ratio was 1.47:1. There were 750 cases of urinary stones: 172 cases of renal stone(23.0%), 529 cases of ureteral stone(70.4%), 14 cases of renal and ureteral stone(1.9%), 35 cases(4.7%) of bladder stone, and range of size was 5mm-60mm in diameter The success rate according to stone location was 76.2% In renal stone, 98.1% in ureter stone, 84.3% in renal and ureteral stone, and 71.4% In bladder stone. The success rate according to stone size measured on the KUB and sonography was 98.0% in 5-10mm, 82.0% in 11-20mm, 46.4% in 21-30mm and 40.0% over 31mm. The average number of sessions was 2.8 sessions. Of 59 cases of staghorn calculi, 16 were treated without preoperative silicone ureteral stenting, while 43 were treated with preoperative silicone ureteral stunting. The complications were gross hematuria(69.6%), flank pain(13.4%), nausea & vomiting(8.4%), fever(1.9%), steinstrasse(1.2%), perirenal hematoma(0.7%) and uremia(0.1%). The failure rate was 8.8%. The causes of failure were large stone(2.67%), difficulty in eliminating lower caliceal stones(1.33%), bladder stone(1.33%), impact stone(1.07%), caliceal diverticulum(0.93%), infundibular stenosis(0.67%), steinstrasse(0.53%), ureterocele(0.13%), and patient's desire for operation(0.13%). CONCLUSIONS: ESWL is considered to be a safe and non-invasive treatment method. ESWL therapy is less effective for stones larger than 2cm(43.4%), staghorn calculi(52.5%) or the presence of anatomical obstructions.
Calculi ; Female ; Humans ; Lithotripsy* ; Magnets ; Male ; Nausea ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock* ; Silicones ; Stents ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Calculi ; Urinary Calculi* ; Urology

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is an uncommon form of chronic pyelonephritis occurring usually in middle-aged women. This disease is characterized by destruction of the renal parenchyma which is then replaced by granulomatous tissue containing lipid-laden macrophages (foam cells). But this disease is hard to diagnose preoperatively since it resembles renal abscess, renal cell carcinoma, renal tuberculosis and so forth. Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in children is rare. We report a case in a 30 month-old boy.
Abscess ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Male ; Pyelonephritis ; Pyelonephritis, Xanthogranulomatous* ; Tuberculosis, Renal

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness and safety in the labor induction between the high dose oxytocin method and the new low dose oxytocin method. STUDY DESIGN: Firstly, we selected 125 pregnant women hospitalized, having the indication of labor induction from March, 1995 to August, 1996. Of them, we selected 61 pregnant women tothem the high dose oxytocin method was used, as the control group, and in- creased the quantity of 2.5 mU/min every 20 minutes with the start dose of 2.5 mU/min to them. On the other hand, with the start dose of 1.25 mU/min, we increased the quantity of 1.25 mU/min every 20 minutes to the study group of low dose oxytocin method, 64 pregnant women. RESULTS: No statistical significance was found in the time from the effective uterine contraction to the delivery in the study group, in contrast to that of the control group to them the labor induction was conducted by using the high dose oxytocin. Maximum amount used to the high dose oxytocin was significantly more than that of the low dose oxytacin, but in the total given dose, there was no significant difference between two groups. Maxi- mum uterine contraction of the control group did not show any significant. difference from that of the study group, and there was also no significant difference in the frequency of generating the complications such as fetal distress. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the labor.induction -to delivery time, and the complications of fetus, between the existing high dose oxytocin method and the new low dose oxytocin method. Therefore it is thought the low dose oxytocin method may reduce the possibility of a complieation compared with the high dose oxytocin method. However, it is considered this matter must be investigated further in the futrre.
Female ; Fetal Distress ; Fetus ; Hand ; Humans ; Oxytocin* ; Pregnant Women ; Uterine Contraction

The treatment of choice for Cushing's disease is surgical removal of tumor, the source of ACTH overproduction. In occasional patients in whom a surgical approach including total adrenalectomy is not feasible or surgical removal of tumor is not complete, medical treatment may be necessary because pituitary irradiation requires a long 1ag time to remission. Although ketoconazole, an imidazole derivative with inhibitory activity on adrenal steroidogenesis has been reported to be effective in the treatment of Cushing's disease, the limited effectiveness in lowering very high level of cortisol and occasional hepatotoxicity restrains its wide use. In this report, we describe a woman with Cushing's disease due to pituitary microadenoma. Transsphenoidal pituitary adenomeetomy followed by ketoconzole treatment had been unsuccessful in achieving remission of the disease, but combined treatment with ketoconazole and octreotide accomplished successful reduction in cortisol production.
Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Ketoconazole* ; Octreotide* ; Pituitary Irradiation

BACKGROUND: The percutaneous pleural needle biopsy have been regarded as cornerstone in the diagnosis of lymphocyte dominant pleural effusions of which acid fast bacilli smear and cytologic exam was negative. However, the complications of percutaneous pleural needle biopsy is not rare arid its diagnostic efficacy is not always satisfactory. Recently, pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are widely accepted as markers of tuberculous pleurisy arid malignant pleural effusion respectively. We designed this study to re-evaluate the role of percutaneous pleural needle biopsy in the diagnosis of lymphocyte dominant exudative pleural effusions whose APE smear, cytologic exam was negative. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 73 cases of percutaneous pleural needle biopsy in case of lymphocyte dominant exudative pleural effusions whose AFB smear and cytoloic exam was negative from Jan 1994 to Feb 1996 was done. RESULT: In 35 cases, specific diagnosis was obtained(all cases were tuberculous pleurisy), arid in 3(1 cases specific diagnosis was not obtained in spite of getting adequate pleural tissues, and in the other 8 cases, percutaneous pleural biopsy failed to get pleural tissues. In 9 cases, complications were combined including pneuomothorax and hemothorax. All 49 cases of pleural effusions whose ADA value was higher than 40IU/L and satisfying other categories were finally diagnosed as tuberculous pleurisy, however, the pleural biopsy confirmed only 28 cases as tuberculous pleurisy. In 6 cases of pleural effusions of which CEA value is higher than l0ng/ml, the pleural biopsy made specific diagnosis n no case. Final diagnosis of above 6 cases consisted of 4 malignant of fusions, I malignancy associated effusion and I tuberculous pleurisy. CONCLUSION: In the diagnosis of 73 cases of lymphocyte dominant pleural effusions of which acid fast bacilli smear and cytologic exam was negative, percutaneous pleural biopsy diagnosed only in 35 cases. In the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy, the positive predictive value of higher ADA than 40 IU/L in lymphocyte dominant pleural effusion with negative AFB smear and negative cytologic exam was l00%. And the diagnostic efficacy of pleural biopsy was 57%. In cases of effusions with high CEA than 10ng/ml 83% and 0% respectively. Finally, we concluded that percutaneous pleural needle biopsy in the diagnosis of APE smear negative and cytologic exam negative lymphocyte dominant exudative pleural effusion was not obligatory especially in effusions with high ADA and low CEA value.
Adenosine Deaminase ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle* ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Diagnosis* ; Hemothorax ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Needles* ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pleural

No abstract available.
Immunotherapy* ; Tuberculosis*

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a life-threatening disease. Many patients with ARDS do not recover fully, and progress to terminal lung fibrosis. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor is known to modulate the neurohormonal system to reduce inflammation and to prevent tissue fibrosis. However, the role of ACE inhibitor in the lungs is not well understood. We therefore conducted this study to elucidate the effect of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockage on the prognosis of patients with ARDS. METHODS: We analyzed medical records of patients who were admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary care hospital from January 2005 to December 2010. ARDS was determined using the Berlin definition. The primary outcome was the mortality rate of ICU. Survival analysis was performed after adjustment using propensity score matching. RESULTS: A total of 182 patients were included in the study. Thirty-seven patients (20.3%) took ACE inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) during ICU admission, and 145 (79.7%) did not; both groups showed similar severity scores. In the ICU, mortality was 45.9% in the RAS inhibitor group and 58.6% in the non-RAS inhibitor group (P = 0.166). The RAS inhibitor group required a longer duration of mechanical ventilation (29.5 vs. 19.5, P = 0.013) and longer ICU stay (32.1 vs. 20.2 days, P < 0.001). In survival analysis, the RAS inhibitor group showed better survival rates than the non-RAS group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ACE inhibitor or ARB may have beneficial effect on ARDS patients.
Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Angiotensins ; Berlin ; Case-Control Studies* ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Propensity Score ; Renin-Angiotensin System* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Survival Rate ; Tertiary Healthcare

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of anterior cervical fusion within Harms cage versus an iliac bone block graft. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: There is no current consensus regarding the optimal material for anterior cervical fusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-center study of 107 patients who either underwent anterior cervical fusion with an iliac bone block graft (n=56; group A) or a cancellous bone graft within the cervical Harms titanium cage (n=51; group B). Anterior plating occurred in all cases. Clinical outcomes and complications were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and Odom's Criteria. Radiological outcomes were evaluated by the height of vertebral bodies, sagittal lordosis, the rate of bony union, and the subsidence of cage. RESULTS: The VAS of donor site pain was significantly higher in group A than in group B at the final follow-up. Sagittal lordosis was increased in both groups, but was significantly higher in group B than group A. The rate of bony union was 95% and 91% for both groups 6 months after surgery and reached 100% for both groups at the final follow-up. In terms of cage subsidence, the highest point of subsidence was at the inferior and posterior aspect of the cage and the average amount of subsidence was approximately 1.3 mm at final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior cervical fusion using a cancellous bone graft within Harms titanium cage is a good method for anterior cervical fusion with iliac bone block.
Animals ; Consensus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lordosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Titanium ; Transplants