OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential clinical utility of in-vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with various malignant and benign breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with untreated primary malignant breast lesions (group I), eight patients with untreated benign breast lesions (group II) and seven normal breasts (group III) were included in this study. In-vivo 31P MRS was performed using a 1.5 Tesla MR scanner. Because of the characteristics of the coil, the volume of the tumor had to exceed 12 cc (3 x 2 x 2 cm), with a superoinferior diameter at least 3 cm. Mean and standard deviations of each metabolite were calculated and metabolite ratios, such as PME/PCr, PDE/PCr, T-ATP/PCr and PCr/T-ATP were calculated and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Significant differences in PME were noted between groups I and III (p=0.0213), and between groups II and III (p=0.0213). The metabolite ratios which showed significant differences were PME/PCr (between groups II and III) (p=0.0201), PDE/PCr (between groups I and III, and between groups II and III) (p=0.0172), T-ATP/PCr (between groups II and III) (p=0.0287), and PCr/T-ATP (between groups II and III) (p=0.0287). There were no significant parameters between groups I and II. CONCLUSION: In-vivo 31P MRS is not helpful for establishing a differential diagnosis between benign and malignant breast lesions, at least with relatively large lesions greater than 3 cm in one or more dimensions.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/*methods ; Middle Age ; Phosphates/metabolism ; Tumor Markers, Biological/metabolism

BACKGROUND: Direct observation of healthcare workers is commonly used in hospitals to investigate hand hygiene compliance. However, the hand hygiene compliance rate may increase due to the Hawthorne effect, which is the modification of behavior simply because subjects become aware that they are being observed. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of the Hawthorne effect when directly observing hand hygiene compliance in intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare personnel. METHODS: A total of 87 staff members from the coronary care unit and cardiac surgery ICU of a general hospital in Seoul were included in this study: 24 residents and interns, 55 nurses, and 8 nursing assistants. Both covert and overt observations, where subjects were either unaware or aware of any direct observation, were performed on separate occasions. RESULTS: A total of 1,052 covert and 1,336 overt observations were documented over 30 and 34 occasions, respectively. Overall hand hygiene compliance was significantly higher with overt observation than with covert observation (1,041/1,336, 77.9% vs. 659/1,052, 62.6%, P<0.001). The Hawthorne effect was present in all professions and behaviors, with the exception of nursing assistants, and prior to touching a patient. CONCLUSION: Direct observation of hand hygiene compliance was associated with the Hawthorne effect when observations were made overtly and this was likely to contribute to an overestimation of compliance rate.
Compliance ; Coronary Care Units* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic* ; Hand Hygiene* ; Health Personnel ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Nursing ; Seoul ; Thoracic Surgery*

The thoracic and lumbar spine fractures were usually combined with neurological deficit. But the prognostic factors in degree of neurological damage and process of the recovery are controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors affected neurological injury and the recovery. The 31 cases who had been performed surgical interventions due to traumatic thoracic or lumbar spine fractures with the neurological deficits were studied according to the radiographic findings of the spinal columns and neurological changes of the injured cord and/or the roots. The duration of mean follow-up was 32.6 months, and all cases were evaluated by motor index score and Frankel grade. Total cases were divided into complete paralytic (N=8) and partial paralytic(N=23) group. In incomplete paraplegia group, the neurological recovery rate was better than complete group(P < 0.001) and neurological recovery period was shorter than complete group (P=0.005). The neurologic deficits according to the Frankel grade were higher in Chance fracture, flexion-distraction and translation (complete paraplegia: 4/7 cases, 57.1%) than unstable bursting fracture (complete paraplegia: 4/24 cases, 16.7%)(P=0.031). The recovery rate of Chance fracture, flexion-distraction and translation were worse than unstable bursting fracture (0.001). The fracture which occurred in T5-11 showed higher incidence of complete paraplegia(75%) compared with that of the T12-L1(30.8%) & L2-4(7.1%)(p=0.021). The neurological recovery in motor index score in L2-4 was higher than T5-11 or T12-L1(P=0.0017). There was no correlation in kyphotic deformity and anterior body height loss between complete and incomplete paraplegia groups. But the A-P diameter of compromised neural canal showed significant difference between complete and incomplete paraplegia group(P=0.027)
Body Height ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Incidence ; Neural Tube ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paraplegia ; Spine

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. CMV can cause pneumonia, retinitis, gastrointestinal ulcers, and widely disseminated disease, but cutaneous CMV is rare. We report two cases of cutaneous CMV infection presenting as perianal ulcers. A 54 year-old male who had liver transplantation and a 72-year-old male, who was treated with chemotherapy for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, presented with perianal ulcers and had systemic symptoms of CMV infection with CMV antigenemia. They had multiple ulcerations with erythematous bases on the perianal area, and histopathologic examinations showed large atypical cytomegalic cells in the dermis, and immunohistochemical stains, with the anti-CMV antibody showed positive reactions.
Aged ; Coloring Agents ; Cytomegalovirus Infections* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Dermis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host* ; Liver Transplantation ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Male ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Retinitis ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Rectal Prolapse*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the rate of early mouse embryonal development could be enhanced by cumulus cell coculture in vitro. METHODS: Ham's F-10 culture media supplemented with 0.4% bovine serum albumin were used. Two-cell F1 mouse embryos were cultured in media with or without cumulus cells of female ICR mouse embryo for 96 hours, and the rates of embryonal development were observed and compared. RESULTS: The percentage of hatched blastocyst in the coculture group was significantly higher than that in the control group by 87.3% vs 64.8% respectively (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study provides confirmative information that cumulus cell coculture will be useful in enhancing early mouse embryonal development.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Coculture Techniques* ; Culture Media ; Cumulus Cells* ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Humans ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Serum Albumin, Bovine

No abstract available.
Animals ; Capsaicin* ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Fingers* ; Replantation*

Mass electrocardiographic (ECG) examination was performed on 13,801 children (male 7,526 and female 6,275) of elementary and middle school in Taegu from May 1. 1986. to April 30. 1987. We read their ECG according to the “pediatric Electrocardiography”1) The results were as following: The incidence of ECG abnormality was 1.05% (male 1.3% and female 0.75%). Fifty eight children (0.42%) had atrial and ventricular hypertrophy; two right atrial hypertrophy, five left atrial hypertrophy, thirty five right ventricular hypertrophy and sixteen left ventricular hypertrophy respectively. Ectopic beats occurred in 25 children (0.18%); They were atrial in 12 children, ventricular in 8 children and junctional in 5 children. There were 62 children (0.45%) of conduction disturbance; They were first degree atrioventricular (A-V) block in 21 children, type I second degree A-V block in 1 child, A-V dissociation in 1 child, right, right bundle branch block in 36 children, left bundle branch block in 1 child and WPW syndrome in 2 children. Nonspecific ST, T changes and sinus tachycardia were found in 3 and one children respectively.
Bundle-Branch Block ; Child* ; Daegu ; Electrocardiography* ; Female ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular ; Incidence ; Tachycardia, Sinus ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

The role of the long head of biceps brachii tendon in the stahilization of the head of the humerus is a highly interesting issue in recent studies. But, it is not well understood. Congenital absence of biceps long head tendon ot the hilateral shoulder joint is very rare and on review of literatures, we could not find any case reported. We experienced one case which was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopic examination of the shoulder, and report it with review of literatures.
Head* ; Humerus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Shoulder Joint* ; Shoulder* ; Tendons*