Unlike the United States, cases of firearm suicides in Korea are rare and are usually limited to military soldiers and policemen. In addition, there is no case report of a suicide by a homemade handgun in Korea. The present victim was a 24-year-old soldier with a fascination for firearms. He had a history of depression and social phobia during his military service. He constructed a homemade handgun from a plastic model gun, also known as a BB gun. During the vacations, he committed suicide with the homemade gun, which caused a penetrating gunshot wound to his chest. The structure and ammunition of the homemade handgun is demonstrated in this report. We have also discussed a few details of the forensic investigation and evaluation of the homemade handgun fatality.
Depression ; Firearms ; Humans ; Korea ; Military Personnel ; Plastics ; Phobic Disorders ; Suicide ; Thorax ; United States ; Wounds, Gunshot ; Young Adult

Angiogenesis plays a fundamental role in development of circulation system, reorganization of reproductive system, wound healing. Pathological angiogenesis is deeply involved in a variety of diseases, particularly solid tumor growth and metastasis. However, it is not easy to study the mechanism of angiogenesis because endothelial cells proceed complex differentiation by interaction with extracellular matrix proteins and growth factors. However, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) form polygonal networks of capillary-like tubes in 3D Matrigel cultures. Differentiation of endothelial cells will be observed accurately by application of videomicroscopy. Thrombospondin-1 is secreted by a wide variety of cells including endothelial cells and is incorporated into their matrix. Thrombospondin-1 can modulate differentiation of endothelial cells by increasing cell-cell interactions as well as cell-substrate interactions. The current study was undertaken to determine which mechanism is involved in inhibition of angiogenesis by Thrombospondin-1. They was secreted from HUVEC during the process of angiogenesis in 3D Matrigel culture. When applied to endothelial cells attachment to the surface of Matrigel was not decreased, but spreading was decreased. In addition, bigger clusters was formed by enhancement of cell to cell binding by Thrombospondin-1. They inhibit cord and tube formation of HUVEC by inhibition of migration. These results suggest that Thrombospondin-1 inhibits angiogenesis by blocking differentiation of endothelial cells to motile phenotype in 3D Matrigel culture.
Cell Culture Techniques* ; Endothelial Cells* ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Microscopy, Video ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Phenotype ; Wound Healing

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neuroblastoma*

No abstract available.
Cystadenoma*

No abstract available.
Cystadenoma*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Metaphase* ; Mice* ; Oocytes*

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in preventing deltoid atrophy during the first 12 weeks after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. METHODS: Eighteen patients undergoing arthroscopic repair of a medium-sized rotator cuff tear by a single surgeon, were randomized into two groups: NMES and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Each group used the respective device for 6 weeks after surgery. Pain was measured at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively, using the visual analogue scale (VAS); range of motion (ROM), abduction strength and functional scores were measured at baseline and 12 weeks postoperatively. Deltoid thickness and cross-sectional areas were measured using magnetic resonance imaging at 12 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: At 12 weeks post-surgery, no statistically significant difference was observed between the NMES and TENS groups in the pain VAS, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, ROM, and abduction strength. Postoperative decrease in the thickness of the anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid, at the level just below the coracoid, was −2.5%, −0.7%, and −6.8%, respectively, in the NMES group, and −14.0%, −2.6%, and −8.2%, respectively, in the TENS group (p=0.016, p=0.677, and p=0.791, respectively). At the level of the inferior glenoid tubercle, postoperative decrease in area of the deltoid was −5.4% in the NMES group and −14.0% in the TENS group, which was significantly different (p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS NMES has the potential for reducing deltoid atrophy after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, suggesting that NMES might help minimize postoperative atrophy after various shoulder surgeries.

PURPOSE: To determine whether liver stiffness (LS) measured by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can predict the outcome of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 107 patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function who were treated with RFA for single HCC and who had undergone a gradient-echo MRE within 6 months before RFA were included. We evaluated the relationship between the LS values and the ablation volume, local tumor progression (LTP), and intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR). We also constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to examine the role of LS in predicting liver function deterioration, which was defined as an increase of Child-Pugh score by one point or more at 1 year after RFA. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between LS and ablation volume, and neither time to LTP nor IDR was associated with LS. Among the 66 patients who did not have recurrence 1 year after RFA, 5 patients (7.6%) developed liver function deterioration. A high LS value was significantly associated with development of liver function deterioration after RFA and the area under the ROC curve was 0.764 (95% CI 0.598-0.929, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: LS measured by MRE could not predict ablation volume and tumor recurrence. However, high LS values were significantly associated with development of liver function deterioration.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheter Ablation* ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Humans ; Liver* ; Recurrence ; ROC Curve

PURPOSE: The reconstruction of femur and tibia defects following tumor resection remains a surgical challenge. The clinical outcome of free vascularized fibula graft (VFG) reconstruction with locking plate for massive femur and tibia defects of more than 10 cm that were secondary to skeletal tumor resection is reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with a mean follow-up of 3.3 years were reviewed. Seven patients received vascularized fibula grafts in the femur and six in the tibia. The mean bony defect of the femur and tibia was more than 10 cm and the length of the grafted fibula was more than 15 cm. All defects were stabilized with long locking plates. RESULTS: All patients were free of disease at final follow-up; All VFGs were transferred successfully. All patients had a successful outcome with bony union. Stress fractures of the grafted fibula had occurred but the locking plate stabilized the fracture and healed until the last follow-up. All patients were able to walk without a brace after a mean of 9 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: VFG with locking plate is a reliable reconstructive procedure for massive femur and tibia defects.
Braces ; Femur* ; Fibula* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Tibia* ; Transplants*

The incidence of traumatic rupture of the tracheobronchial tree has been increased considerably with advent of widespread mechanization and high speed era. Rupture of the bronchus is an unusual result of nonpenetrating trauma to chest. Early diagnosis and primary repair not only restore normal lung function but also avoid difficulties and complications associated with delayed diagnosis and repair. These complications are pneumonia, atelectasis and lung abscess secondary to the bronchial obtruction. We experienced a case of partial rupture on left main bronchus caused by nonpenetrating blunt chest trauma with rib fractures 1 year ago. He was suffered from progressively developing dyspnea on exercise and treated as bronchial asthma at other hospital. Bronchoscopic finding was the narrowed lumen of left main bronchus at 1cm from carina by web-like membrane. We confirmed by bronchogram and repaired by end to end anastomosis, which is rare delayed finding in bronchial rupture without pulmonary complications. We report a case of nonpenetrating traumatic bronchial rupture, manifested by bronchial web in bronchoscopy.
Asthma ; Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy* ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Early Diagnosis ; Incidence ; Lung ; Lung Abscess ; Membranes ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Rib Fractures ; Rupture* ; Thorax* ; Trees