No abstract available.
Animals ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Spinal Stenosis*

No abstract available.
Truncus Arteriosus*

No abstract available.
Spine*

We designed a study to evaluate the change of the proprioceptive function with joint position sense (JPS) during 1 year follow-up period after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using hamstring autograft. Thirty-eight men who underwent ACL reconstruction were tested for International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee score, Tegner activity score, Lysholm score, KT-2000 arthrometer, isokinetic strength test, functional performance test (carioca, co-contraction, shuttle run test, one-hop test) and JPS at preoperation, 6 months, and 12 months postoperation. The contralateral healthy knee was used as control. There were no significant differences of JPS between the involved knee and healthy knee at any time period. Repeated measures analysis of variance of the active JPS revealed that there was no significant difference during the follow up periods. The change patterns of passive JPS of extension and flexion were out of accordance with the improving clinical status following ACL reconstruction. Most of the clinical parameters did not show the significant correlation with active and passive JPS at any time period. In conclusion, JPS does not reflect the change of proprioceptive function following ACL reconstruction.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Male ; Proprioception

BACKGROUND: Bioprostheses for cardiovascular surgery have limitations in their use following as calicification. alpha-galactosidase epitope is known as a stimulant of immune response and then shows a progressing calcification. The objective of this study was to evaluate histologic characteristics and mechanical properties of decellularization and treated with alpha-galactosidase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bovine pericardial tissues were allocated into three groups: fixation only with glutaraldehyde, decellularization with sodium dodesyl sulfate and decellularization plus treatment with alpha-galactosidase. We confirmed immunohistological characteristics and mechanical properties as fatigue test, permeability test, compliance test, tensile strength (strain) test and thermal stability test. RESULTS: Decellularization and elimination of alpha-gal were confirmed through immunohistologic findings. Decellularization had decreased mechanical properties compared to fixation only group in permeability (before fatigue test p=0.02, after fatigue test p=0.034), compliance (after fatigue test p=0.041), and tensile strength test (p=0.00). The group of decellularization plus treatment with alpha-galactosidase had less desirable mechanical properties than the group of decellularization in concerns of permeability (before fatigue test p=0.043) and strain test (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Favorable decellularization and elimination of alpha-gal were obtained in this study through immunohistologic findings. However, those treatment including decellularization and elimination of alpha-gal implied the decreased mechanical properties in specific ways. We need more study to complete appropriate ioprosthesis with decellularization and elimination of alpha-gal including favorable mechanical properties too.
alpha-Galactosidase ; Bioprosthesis ; Compliance ; Fatigue ; Glutaral ; Pericardium ; Permeability ; Sodium ; Sprains and Strains ; Tensile Strength

Neuroendocrine tumor in thymus is rare and has poor prognosis due to frequent recurrence and distant metastasis. Approximately half of thymic carcinoids are hormonally active and Cushing's syndrome is seen in 33% of affected patients. Treatment of choice is surgical excision of tumor and role of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is controversal. We report 2 cases of thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma associated with Cushing's syndrome.
Carcinoid Tumor ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Cushing Syndrome* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroendocrine Tumors* ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Thymus Gland ; Thymus Neoplasms

Intrasellar or pituitary abscess was first reported about a century ago, after then once relatively common but now is rare. Since 1925, about 50 cases have been reported in the literatures, of which characters were variable, but clinical very similar to one of pituitary tumor. So they were often diagnosed preoperatively as pituitary tumor. Several pathogenic factors were postulated in relation to clinical aspects. We had recently experienced a case of pituitary abscess combined with chromophobe adenoma. A 28 years old clerkman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of impared ejaculation and visual disturbance. Clinical aspects and diagnostic studies gave us a strong impression of pituitary tumor. Upon surgery we found a cystic mass in pituitary region, of which aspiration showed whitish-gray, tenacious and liquid material. Many polymorphous leukocytes were noted by direct smear, but no microorganisms were detected in culture. He had postoperatively suffered from transient polyuria and polydipsia, which soon disappeared under the medication of Esidrex. He was discharged from this hospital with recommendation of radiation therapy. Clinical features and treatment were also discussed with review of ever reported cases.
Abscess* ; Adenoma, Chromophobe ; Adult ; Ejaculation ; Humans ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria

A number of authors have called attention to the difficulty encountered in diagnosing tumors near the foramen magnum and have formulated symptom complexes in an effort to facilitate early recognition of these lesions. Emphasis has been placed on their bizarre symptoms and on their resemblance to the clinical picture associated with some degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, ruptured cervical disc and cervical spondylosis. Fortunately, it has been known that most of tumors around the foramen magnum are benign, extramedullary and amenable to cure by surgical excision and with minimal morbidity and mortality, provided they are diagnosed early. Recently we experienced a rare case of glioblastoma multiforme at the cervico-medullary junction. A 28-year-old Korean man was admitted to the Dept. of Neurosurgery on May 27, 1974, with 5 months history of cervical and suboccipital pain, and progressive visual disturbance. He had sustained hyperextension injury to his neck 8 months ago, and subsequently developed mild suboccipital and cervical pain which subsided easily with some analgesice. Three months later, he noticed paresthesia and tingling sensation in his upper limbs and anterior chest, especially when he turned his neck to either side. He also had pain in suboccipital region radiating to his both shoulders. Seven months later, he developed sudden paraperesis, poor vision and incoordination with severe suboccipital headache and vomiting. On admission, neurological examination disclosed clear consciousness, bilateral papilledema and abducens nerve palsy and markedly decreased vision. There were clumsiness of movement of both legs, hypesthesia in the face, decreased perception of vibration and position sense below the neck and increased deep tendon reflexes. Fine coordination movements in the upper limbs were disturbed and horizontal hystagmus was also present. Simple skull films showed destruction of the dorsum sellae and the posterior clinoid process, suggesting increased intracranial pressure. Cervical spine films were interpreted as normal. Right carotid angiograms demonstrated marked hydrocephalic patterns, and right vertebral angiograms demonstrated posterior displacement of the tip of the basilar artery and of the choroidal point. Conray ventriculogram showed a sharp filling defect at the level of lateral recess of the fourth ventricle. Suboccipital craniectomy and bilateral laminectomy of the first two cervical vertebrae were performed, disclosing a nodular, meaty, firm mass with some necrosis. The tumor was located posterolateral to the medulla and the spinal cord from the obex to the C2, compressing them and displacing the right cerebellar tonsil upward and laterally. The tumor was removed partially and Torkildsen's shunt was performed. Post-operatively he died suddenly at the end of the second week without any remarkable improvement in symptoms and signs. Pathological report was a glioblastoma multiforme. At autopsy, the tumor was originated from the cervicomedullary junction, extending posteriorly from the obex to the C2 and anteriorly along the brain stem up to the perichiasmatic region.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Adult ; Ataxia ; Autopsy ; Basilar Artery ; Brain Stem* ; Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Choroid ; Consciousness ; Female ; Foramen Magnum ; Fourth Ventricle ; Glioblastoma* ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Intracranial Pressure ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Mortality ; Neck ; Neck Pain ; Necrosis ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurosurgery ; Palatine Tonsil ; Papilledema ; Paresthesia ; Proprioception ; Reflex, Stretch ; Sensation ; Shoulder ; Skull ; Spinal Cord ; Spine ; Spondylosis ; Thorax ; Upper Extremity ; Vibration ; Vomiting

Seventy-five patients with moyamoya disease were admitted at Kyung Hee University Hospital from 1978 to 1993. Of these, we followed up fourty-five cases who had been treated conservatively for the study of the natural history of moyamoya disease. Seven operated cases and six dead patients during admission were excluded in this study and sixteen cases were lost to follow-up. There were 16 males and 29 females. The hemorrhagic group was twenty-three cases and the non-hemorrhagic group was twenty-two cases. On angiographic findings, the typical type was twenty-eight cases and the atypical type was seventeen cases. Twenty-one cases(91%) of the hemorrhagic group were over twenty years old and sixteen cases(73%) of the non-hemorrhagic group were under twenty years old. The mean follow-up period was 66 months(range 6 months to 15 year 4 months). Nineteen cases had reattack, but most of them had good result except only two cases who died due to huge intracerebral hematoma. Of the sixteen cases, who were under twenty years old and manifested as transient ischemic attack, fifteen cases were improved only with conservative management. The good result of fourty-one cases out of fourty-five with conservative management. suggests that spontaneous collateral circulation had developed well to restore the function of ischemic brain in the natural course of moyamoya disease. Moyamoya disease seems to be not so worse in natural course than expected and further study about natural history will be necessary.
Brain ; Collateral Circulation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Male ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Natural History*