No abstract available.
Biomarkers* ; Child* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Prevalence*

PURPOSE: For the production and evaluation of the tissue-equivalent phantom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used agarous gel and oil as a basic component of the mixture and added Tween 80 for the stabilization of phantoms. We did the test for homogeneity and measured T1 and T2 relexation times of each phantom tube. RESULTS: T1 relaxation time ranged from 642 to 2781 msec and T2 relaxation times from 42 to 157 msec. Each phantom was significantly different in T1 relaxation time and T2 relaxation time (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Tissue equivalent phantom may provide good information on the optimal sequence before MR imaging of patients and may be valuable if it is used with the patients' MR imaging.
Agar ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Polysorbates ; Relaxation

Clinical characteristics of papular-purpuric gloves and socks syndrome consist of a purpuric erythema affecting the hands and feet in a gloves and stocking distribution. It is sometimes associated with fever and oral lesions. The disease is self-limiting and resolves within 1 to 2 weeks. Serological studies have shown that there is an association with parvovirus B19 infection in most patients affected by this syndrome. We report a case of gloves and socks syndrome in a 21-year-old female. She had a 4-day history of papular-purpuric eruptions of the hands and feet in a gloves-and-socks distribution. She also complained of fever(up to 39C) during the first 2 or 3 days of clinical onset. The oral mucosa was normal and there were no palpable lymph nodes. Laboratory and histopathological findings were non-specific. However, human parvovirus B19 DNA was detected in the serum by a polymerase chain reaction. Systemic manifestations were transient and disappeared within a few days, whereas the skin lesions resolved gradually over a period of 2 weeks.
DNA ; Erythema ; Female ; Fever ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mouth Mucosa ; Parvovirus ; Parvovirus B19, Human ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Young Adult

In 1952, Zoon described eight cases of benign circumscribed chronic balanitis characterized by an extensive infiltration of plasma cells with no evidence of dysplasia of the overlying epidermis. Plasma cell balanitis can often be confused clinically with other conditions, such as erythroplasia of Queyrat, fixed drug eruptions, secondary syphilis, candidiasis and Reiters disease. We report a case of plasma cell balanitis in a 65-year-old man. He complained of a single, red, shiny and smooth patch involving the glans penis and adjacent prepuce. This patch was unresponsive to systemic and topical steroid treatment. Laboratory studies were negative or within the normal range. Histopathological findings showed a band-like mainly plasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate of the upper dermis. This patient was treated once daily with 2% fusidic acid cream topically for 5 weeks. The lesions resolved and no recurrence was observed during 2 years of follow-up.
Aged ; Arthritis, Reactive ; Balanitis* ; Candidiasis ; Dermis ; Drug Eruptions ; Epidermis ; Erythroplasia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Furosemide* ; Fusidic Acid* ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma* ; Recurrence ; Reference Values ; Syphilis

CT was done 81 times on 63 proven malignant maxillary sinus tumors for 3 years from Feb.1979 to May 1982 atSeoul National University Hospital. Pre-treatment CT were 54 and post-treatment CT were 31 on 28 patient. Theresult were as follows; 1. The most frequent histopathologic diagnosis was 44 cases (69.8%) of squamous cellcarcinoma. Others were 5 cases (7.9%) of adenoid cystic carcinoma, 3 cases (4.8%) of olfactory neuroblastoma, 3cases (4.8%) of malignant lymphoma, 2 cases (3.2%) of melanoma, 2 cases (3.2%) of malignant fibrous histiocytoma,a rhabdomyosarcoma, a basal cell carcioma, a fibrosarcoma and a metastatic carcinoma from thyroid follicular adenocarcinoma. 2. The CT findings in 54 untreated malignant maxillary sinus tumors were sinus opacification, softtissue mass, and bone destruction in all cases. Other findings were fat plane obliteration (70%),osteosclerosis(59%), bone erosion and displacement (46%), low densities within soft tissue mass (27%), and airdensitis wiithin soft soft tissue mass (27%), and air densities within soft tissue mass(13%). 3. The value of pre-treatment CT in malignant maxillary sinus tumors were outlining the disease process especially soft tissuesuch as orbit, infratemporal fossa, pterygopalatine fossa, nasopharynx, pterygoid fossa and intracranialextension, and CT is the choice of diagnostic modality to determine the prognosis and the therapeutic planning insurgery and/or radiotherapy. 4. Post-treatment CT is also helpful to evalute the change in tumor size andpost-treatment complication.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Diagnosis ; Esthesioneuroblastoma, Olfactory ; Fibrosarcoma ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Maxillary Sinus ; Melanoma ; Nasopharynx ; Orbit ; Prognosis ; Pterygopalatine Fossa ; Radiotherapy ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Thyroid Gland

PURPOSE: Macro language was programmed to analyze and process on Macintosh personal computers GE MR imagesdigitally transferred from the MR main computer, with special interest in the interpretation of information such as patients data and imaging parameters under each image header. By this method, raw data(files) of certain patients may be digitally stored on a hard disk or CD ROM, and the quantitative analysis, interpretation anddisplay is possible. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients and images were randomly selected. 4.X MR images were transferred through FTP using the ethernet network. 5.X and SPECT images were transferred using floppy diskets. Toprocess transferred images, an freely distributed software for Macintosh namely NIH Image, with its macrolanguage, was used to import images and translate header information. To identify necessary information, aseparate window named "Info-txt", was made for each image series. MacLC, Centris650, and PowerMac 6100/CD,7100/CD, 8100/CD models with 256 color and RAM over 8 Mbyte were used. RESULTS: Different versions of MR images and SPECT images were displayed simultaneously and a separate window named "Info-txt" was used to show all necessary information(name of the patient, unit number, date, TR, TE, FOV etc.). Additional information(diagnosis,pathologic report etc.) was stored in another text box in "Info-txt". The size of the file for each image planewas about 149 Kbytes and the images were stored in a step-like file folders. CONCLUSION: 4.X and 5.X GE Signa 1.5T images were successfully processed with Macintosh computer and NIH Image. This result may be applied to manyfields and there is hope of a broader area of application with the linkage of NIH Image and a database program.
Hope ; Humans ; Microcomputers* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Information Storage and Retrieval

Urine certified reference material (CRM) has been developed to help clinical labolatories control analytical accuracy. Two levels of freeze-dried urine were prepared. The low level CRM was made from normal urine and the abnormal level CRM was prepared by spiking the normal urine with As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni and Pb. Urine reference materials were analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) . Analyte elements were separated from matrix elements by using ion exchange resin and hydride generation. Isotope dilution method was employed to enhance analytical accuracy. Round robin test results are also presented which were carried out with 5 clinical laboratories.
Absorption ; Graphite ; Ion Exchange ; Mass Spectrometry ; Plasma ; Quality Control* ; Songbirds ; Spectrum Analysis

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and apoptotic cell death in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) following spinal nerve constriction injury play a role in the initiation and continuation of hyperalgesia and allodynia. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of ethyl pyruvate (EP) on mechanical and cold allodynia, TNF-alpha expression, and apoptosis in DRG after spinal nerve ligation injury. METHODS: Rats were divided into 3 groups: control, pre-EP, and post-EP. EP (50 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected 30 minutes before (pre-EP) or after (post-EP) surgery. Behavioral tests to determine mechanical and cold allodynia were conducted before surgery and 4 and 7 days after surgery. Seven days after surgery, TNF-alpha protein levels in DRG were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and DRG apoptosis was determined by immunohistochemical detection of activated caspase-3. RESULTS: Treatment with EP significantly reduced mechanical and cold allodynia following spinal nerve ligation injury. TNF-alpha protein levels in the pre-EP (4.7 +/- 1.2 pg/200 microg; P < 0.001) and post-EP (6.4 +/- 1.8 pg/200 microg; P < 0.001) groups were 2-3 times lower than the control group (14.4 +/- 1.2 pg/200 microg). The percentages of neurons and satellite cells that co-localized with caspase-3 were also significantly lower in the pre-EP and post-EP groups than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that EP has a strong anti-allodynic effect that acts through the inhibition of TNF-alpha expression and apoptosis in DRG after spinal nerve ligation injury.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cold Temperature ; Constriction ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Hyperalgesia ; Ligation ; Neurons ; Pyruvates ; Pyruvic Acid ; Rats ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Spinal Nerves ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: The protease inhibitor aprotinin reduces blood loss and homologous blood usage after a cardiac operation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of low- and high-dose aprotinin on thromboelastography (TEG) variables and to examine the relationship between the clinical effect of aprotinin and the TEG variables in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). METHODS: Twenty-three patients scheduled for an elective CABG were randomly assigned to receive either high does (group H, n = 12) or low does (group L, n = 11) aprotinin. TEG variables, and a coagulation profile test at baseline and arrival in ICU were performed. Amount of blood loss, homologous blood transfusion and heparin requirements were measured. RESULTS: In group L, there were significant increases in r time and k time and significant decreases in MA and alpha angle after aprotinin administration. In group H, just k time after aprotinin administration was significantly increased compared with baseline data. There were no significant differences in amount of blood loss and allogenic blood transfusions between the two groups. There was not a significant correlation between TEG variables and amount of blood loss in both groups. Interestingly a siginificant negative correlation between the length of cardiopulmonary bypass and MA was noted in group H (r = -0.63; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In CABG patients, aprotinin preserves platelet function more significantly in the high-dose aprotinin group. In addition, TEG variables indicated a later clot formation in the low dose aprotinin group.
Aprotinin* ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Transfusion ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Heparin ; Humans ; Protease Inhibitors ; Thrombelastography*

Majocchi's granuloma is well recognized but uncommon infection of dermal and subcutaneous tissue by fungal organisms usually limited to the superficial epidermis. The organism most commonly associated with Majocchi's granuloma is Trichophyton(T.) rubrum, however, other dermatophytes may be the causative agent. A 44-year-old male patient presented with a 6 month history of two well defined erythematous nodular plaques on his right jaw and preauricular area. Histopathologic findings were consistent with the Majocchi's granuloma, showing perifolliculitis and granulomatous inflammation in the dermis. Many fungal elements were noted within the giant cells of the perifollicular dermis of PAS stained section. T. rubrum was cultured from the biopsy specimen and confirmed by slide culture. After 10 weeks of terbinafine (Lamisil(R)) therapy (250 mg/day), lesions were cleared with mild erythematous patches and atrophic scars.
Adult ; Arthrodermataceae ; Biopsy ; Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Giant Cells ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Jaw ; Male ; Naphthalenes ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Trichophyton