This study was carried out to investigate the direct neurotoxicity of alcohol on CNS and the effects of piracetam or vitamins on ultrastructural changes of the rat cerebellar and hippocampal neurons during long-term alcohol treatment. To evaluate the results, quantitative analysis were done for light and electronic microscopic findings. On the light microscopy, red degeneration of pyramidal cells and Purkinje cells was found more apparently in the alcohol only treated group than in the control group. On the electron microscopy, increased lipofuscin pigments wee found in cerebellum and hippocampus. In quantitative analysis, vitamins significantly reduced red degeneration in both hippocampus and cerebellum. However, piracetam significantly reduced red degeneration in cerebellum but not in hippocampus. Lipofuscin pigments in Purkinje cells and pyramidal cells were significantly reduced in the alcohol with piracetam treated group than the alcohol only treated group. However, vitamin had no significant reducing effect of lipofuscin pigments in Purkinje cells and pyramidal cells. According to the results, it is concluded that vitamins deficiency might cause red degeneration of pyramidal cell after long-term alcohol treatment, but increment of lipofuscin pigments in pyramidal and Purkinje cell may be caused by alcohol itself or its metabolite rather than vitamins deficiency. Piracetam seems to improve cognitive function impairment caused by alcohol consumption.
Alcohol Drinking ; Animals ; Cerebellum ; Hippocampus ; Lipofuscin ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Neurons* ; Piracetam* ; Purkinje Cells ; Pyramidal Cells ; Rats* ; Vitamins*

Cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare benign neoplasm that occurs predominantly in young to middle-aged women and tends to recur locally. Pelvic viscera is the most common predilection site of cystic mesothelioma. Authors report a case of multicystic mesothelioma of the pelvic pelvic peritoneum. The pelvic ultrasonography showed a large, confluent, and thin-walled multilocular cystic mass occupying the pelvic cavity and lower abdomen. The cystic mass was flattened and elongated. Each cyst of variable size was separated by thin septa and filled with translucent fluid. Cystic mesothelioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of the cystic peritoneal masses, especially in reproductive-aged women.
Abdomen ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Mesothelioma* ; Mesothelioma, Cystic ; Peritoneum* ; Ultrasonography ; Viscera

We report a rescently experienced case with atypical radiologic manifestation of solid and papillary epithelial neoplasm of the pancreas in a 37 years old female patient. The tumor had heavy calcification on its capsule wall and septa. Instead of the usual encapsulated lesion with partly solid and partly cystic-hemorrhagic components, the lesion consisted of numerous fine cavitations containing air without fluid component except focal abscess fluid.
Abscess ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial* ; Pancreas* ; Pancrelipase*

Pheochromocytoma stems from the chromaffin cell and mostly is located in the adrenal medulla. It is an important cause of secondary hypertension due to correction of hypertension by a resection of the tumor. Because it produces and secretes catecholamine, it bothers anesthesiologists with excessive hypertension, tachycardia and arrhythmia during the anesthetic period. Therefore, anesthetic management is directed to avoid these conditions. We report a case of bilateral pheochromocytoma successfully managed intraoperatively with an infusion of nicardipine and an intermittent esmolol injection.
Adrenal Medulla ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Chromaffin Cells ; Hypertension ; Nicardipine* ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Tachycardia

In the unusual manifestation of right upper lobe collapse confusing with mediastinal or parenchymal mass, both alteration of the pulmonary vessels and shifting pattern of the collapsed lobe to the periphery on supine positionare the key to the diagnosis of it rather than mediastinal or parenchymal mass. The mechanisms of these unusual manifestation s are obscure, however lobar torsion and gravity factor are considered to be a main process. Authors have experienced 2 cases of unusual manifestations of right upper lobe collapse due to bronchogenic carcinomaduring resent 2 years in Kyung Hee University hospital, and prsent radiologic findings.
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic ; Diagnosis ; Gravitation

The limitation so direct or indirect laryngoscopy and laryngogram in detemining the exact site and anatomiclocation of laryngeal carcinoma were well documented by many authors. As compared with laryngoscopy and laryngogram, CT study for laryngeal cancer is more exact and accurate method demonstrating anatomic sites of involvement, invasion into deep soft tissue spaces of endolarynx, destruction of laryngeal cartilages and cervical metastasis. Fourteen laryngeal cancer patients proven by laryngoscopic biopsy were further examined by computed tomography for staging. The authors compared laryngoscopic findings with those of computed tomography, and their clinical, surgical and computed tomographic findings were analysed. The results were as follows; 1. All patients were proved as squamous cell carcinoma. They were 12 males and 2 females aged over 50 yrs. 2. Common clinical symptoms were hoarseness, dysphagia and swallowing difficulty. The pirmary anatomic sites determined by CT were 8 transglottic, 2 glottic, 2 supraglottic and 1 pyriform sinus respectively. They were 2 T1. 7 T2, 1 T3, 3 T4 by TNM systems, respectivly. (One case was difficult to evaluate exactly). 3. Invasion into deep soft tissue spaces of endolarynx, cartilage destruction, and neck metastasis were relatively predominant in transglottic caracinomas. 4.CT was superior in evaluating tumor invasion, especially into deep soft tissue spaces of endolarynx, laryngeal cartilages and metastasis ot soft tissue and lymph nodes of neck. However CT had some limitation in determining primary site of laryngeal cancer.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cartilage ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Female ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Laryngeal Cartilages ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Laryngoscopy ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Methods ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pyriform Sinus

This case involves a 43-year-old man who had been diagnosed as having Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTD) 9 years ago and was scheduled to undergo posterior fusion of its spine due to a compression fracture. General anesthesia using propofol was selected as the anesthetic method, in order to avoid the occurrence of malignant hyperthermia due to inhalation anesthetics. The patient was given 100 mg of propofol for anesthetic induction, and then propofol was infused at a rate of 4-5 mg/kg/h with intermittent administration of fentanyl for anesthetic maintenance. Rocuronium 50 mg was injected for endotracheal intubation, and then rocuronium 10 mg was injected at 45 min intervals. There was no delay in awakening, and the patient experienced no problems postoperatively. Intravenous anesthesia using propofol is thought to be a safe and effective method of anesthesia for patients with CMTD.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease* ; Fentanyl ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Malignant Hyperthermia ; Propofol* ; Spine

BACKGROUND: Many trials have been conducted on the prevention of pain induced by intravenous rocuronium. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of lidocaine preinjection compared with rocuronium premixed with lidocaine in minimizing pain on injection. METHODS: Seventy five patients, ASA physical status I or II, were randomly allocated to one of three groups. In the control group (n = 25), patients received saline 3 ml, followed 20 slater by rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg) only. In the lidocaine premixture group (PM, n = 25), normal saline 3 ml and rocuronium(0.6 mg/kg) premixed with lidocaine 30 mg were given intravenously, and in the lidocaine preinjection group (PI, n = 25), lidocaine 30 mg was administered before injection of rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg). Pain was assessed verbally as none, mild, moderate, and severe by the same observer. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the incidence and severity of pain in the PI group. Only 6 patients (24%) in the PI group experienced pain as compared to 16 patients (64%) in the PM group and 22 patients (88%) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Lidocaine 30 mg given before the administration of rocuronium significantly reduced the incidence and severity of rocuronium induced pain. But, lidocaine rocuronium premixtures did not significantly reduce the incidence of pain.
Humans ; Incidence ; Lidocaine*

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. Only a few patients reach adulthood without surgical correction. Unrepaired TOF patients with mild to moderate right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction may be clinically silent until adulthood. TOF with hypoxic spells present as periods of profound cyanosis that occur because of almost total RVOT obstruction. So, hypoxic spell typically occurs in a crying infant but is rare in an adult. In this report, we presented a case of a 75-year-old patient with uncorrected TOF presenting with hypoxic spell, consequent pulmonary hypertension and chronic heart failure. This is the oldest case of natural survivor with uncorrected TOF in Korea and the oldest patient presenting hypoxic spell worldwide.
Adult ; Aged* ; Anoxia ; Crying ; Cyanosis ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Infant ; Korea ; Survivors* ; Tetralogy of Fallot*

PURPOSE: To investigate the spontaneous cerebral microbleeding occurring at gradient-echo MRI, and its relationship with associated stroke lesions and risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 2001 and December, 2002, 32 patients (21 men and 11 women; mean age 63 years) in whom cerebral microbleeding occurred at gradient-echo MRI were retrospectively investigated. Using a 1.5 T MR imager, spin-echo T1-weighted, fast spin-echo T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and gradient-echo images were obtained. The number and location of microbleeds seen on gradient echo images, patient data, and associated stroke lesions such as intracerebral hemorrhage and lacunar and territorial infarction were assessed. RESULTS: Among the 32 patients, 563 microbleeds and between 1 and 66 (mean, 17.6) were noted at gradientecho imaging. Microbleeding occurred in the cortical/subcortical area (n=216), the basal ganglia (n=173), thalamus (n=92), cerebellum (n=41), brainstem (n=36) and corpus callosum (n=1), and in 20 patients was bilateral. Patients had a history of hypertension (n=26), hypertriglycemia (n=12), heart disease (n=4), and diabetes mellitus (n=3). Stroke lesions were seen in 27 patients, intracerebral hemorrhage in ten, lacunar infarction in 24, and territorial infarction in four. CONCLUSION: The incidence and number of microbleeds was greater in older patients and in those with hypertension, hypertriglycemia, and stroke lesions such as intracerebral hemorrhage or lacunar infarction. The detection of microbleeding at gradient-echo imaging is helpful, since it predicts the possibility of cerebral hemorrhage in these patients.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain Stem ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Corpus Callosum ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke* ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Thalamus