The foreign bodies in the upper GI tract are produced chiefly by accidental swallowing and rarely produce symptoms. But it is recommended to remove the foreign bodies if they produce symptoms or retained in GI tract for long duration, and if they have the possibilities of producing complications. Nowadays the development of therapeutic endoscopy enables the removal of the foreign bodies easily. We have reviewed 88 cases of foreign bodies diagnosed by endoscopy from January, 1980 to July 1990 and had the following results. 1) The most common foreign bodies were coins and bezoars, common with the ages under 10 years and over 50 years. 2) The foreign bodies were found in the upper gastrointestinal tract in the order of stomach, esophagus and duodenum. 3) The esophageal stricture especially by lye was the most common underlying cause of upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies. 4) The symptoms and complications were more common with esophageal foreign bodies. 5) By therapeutic endoscopy, the success rate for removal of foreign bodies was 98%.
Bezoars ; Deglutition ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy* ; Esophageal Stenosis ; Esophagus ; Foreign Bodies* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Lye ; Numismatics ; Stomach ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*

By means of hospital-based data over 8 years we sought to evaluate the clinical indications and incidence of emergency peripartum hysterectomy by demographic characteristic and reproduction history. From the obstetric record of all deliveries at Chung Goo Hospital between Jan. 1, 1990, and Nov. 31, 1997, we identified all women undergoing emergency cesarean hysterectomy, calculated incidence rates, conducted statistical tests of linear trends and heterogenety, and observed the clinical indicatons preceding the onset of this procedure. There were 16731 deliveries during this period, Cesarean hysterectomy was performed in 24 of 5993 cesarean sections(0.40%) and in 10 of 10738 vaginal deleveries(0.09%), so more frequently after cesarean section than vaginal delivery. The age of patients varied from 22 to 40 years old. The higher the age and the parity of patients, the higher incidence of cesarean hysterectomy was noted. The most common indication of cesarean hysterectomy was uterine atony(52.94%) followed by placental disorders(41.18%), uterine myoma with pregnancy(2.9%) and uterine rupture (2.9%). All patients who had hysterectomy received transfusion from 1 pint to 57 pints. The postoperative complications were bladder injury, febrile morbidity, disseminated intravascular coaguolopathy and wound disruption. There were three maternal deaths, the cause was disseminated intravascular coaguolopathy and amniotic embolism. The data identifiy uterine atony as the primary cause for gravid hysterctomy. The data also illustrated how the incidence of emergency peripartum hysterectomy increases significantly with increasing parity, especially when influenced by a current placenta previa or a prior cesarean section. Maternal morbidity remained high.
Adult ; Cesarean Section ; Embolism ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Incidence ; Leiomyoma ; Maternal Death ; Parity ; Peripartum Period* ; Placenta Previa ; Postoperative Complications ; Pregnancy ; Reproduction ; Urinary Bladder ; Uterine Inertia ; Uterine Rupture ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the role of free/total prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the differentiation between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in patients with total PSA higher than 4.0 ng/ml. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen untreated patients with prostate Cancer and 63 patients with BPH were included in this study. All patients were pathologically diagnosed by sextant transrectal biopsy before treatment. The level of total PSA and free PSA were determined by immunoradiometric assay (Cis bio international). The median values of total PSA and F/T (free/ total PSA) were compared between prostate cancer and BPH in the three different ranges of total PSA (PSA>4.0ng/ml, 4.0 ng/ml Characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained using sensitivity and specificity of total PSA and F/T at each cutoff level. RESULTS: In the range of PSA between 4.0 and 10.0 ng/ml, the median value of F/T was significantly different between prostate cancer and BPH (p<0.05), while that of total PSA was not. In other ranges of PSA, both total PSA and F/T were significantly different between prostate cancer and BPH. The area under the F/T ROC curve was significantly larger than that of total PSA ROC curve only in the range of PSA between 4.0 and 10.0 ng/ml.. In the mean time, F/T was more specific than total PSA (52% vs 32%) at the identical sensitivity (93%) of F/T and total PSA cutoff values (F/T cutoff, 0.2; total PSA cutoff, 6.0 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: Free/Total PSA might provide us more reliable information on the differential diagnosis of the prostate cancer, especially in patients with PSA range between 4.0 and 10.0 ng/ml.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Humans ; Immunoradiometric Assay ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Recently technetium-99m sestamibi (99mTc MIBI), which dose not require withdrawal of thyroid hormone, has been used for imaging of thyroid carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical usefulness of Tc MIBI scintigraphy after total thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma. The results were compared with those of standard 131I scintigraphy. METHODS: One hundred twelve patients with a median age of 44 years (range, 14-76 years) were included in the study. After optimal endogenous thyroid stimulating hormone stimulation (>50 mIU/mL), whole body scintigraphy using 4 mCi of 'I and 20 mCi of Tc sestamibi were done simultaneously. Concomitantly serum thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels were checked. If abnormal findings on any of the scintigraphic methods or high levels of thyroglobulin (> 10ng/mL) were detected, diagnostic imaging studies were done to confirm the existence of the disease. And high dose (150-200 mCi) 'I was administered as therapy and then whole body scans were performed again after the therapy. The presence or absence of thyroid cancer was established by pathologic, radiologic, and/or high dose I scan findings. RESULTS: In 11 patients, Tc MIBI scan revealed positive accumulations which were not found on 131I scan, of whom 6 had elevated thyroglobulin levels. In these cases, 5 cases were interpreted to have normal thyroid remnant and 6 cases showed pathologic findings (2 lung, 1 lymph node, 1 lung and lymph node, 1 local recurrent cancer, and 1 false positive accumulation of 99mTc MIBI). Metastasis or residual cancer were confirmed histologically in 1 and radiologically in 4 cases. Negative 99mTc MIBI scans, despite of positive I scans, occurred in 9 patients, of whom 2 had abnormal thyroglobulin levels. Seven cases were interpreted to have thyroid remnant, 2 cases were confirmed to have lung metastasis, and another one was misinterpreted due to breast shadow. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results suggest that 99mTc MIBI scan may have similar sensitivity and specificity for the detection of residual or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The 99mTc MIBI scan, especially in cases of negative 131I scan despite of abnormal thyroglobulin levels, can be used as a very useful complementary diagnostic tool.
Breast ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin ; Whole Body Imaging

Bart's syndrome was initially described as a genodermatosis characterized by congenital localized absence of the skin with blistering and nail deformities 1-3. However, it is considered as any type of epidermolysis bullosa(EB) with localized congenital absence of the skin on the extremities. A 33-day-old fbmale baby was presented with congenital absence of the skin over the left shin and dorsa of both feet which were covered with the thin, translucent, and brown-red glistening membranes. Blistering of the right calf and left great toe nail deformity were also noted. She was diagnosed as a recessive dystrophic EB by the histopathological, ultra- structural and immunomapping studies.
Blister ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Foot ; Membranes ; Skin ; Toes

A 49-year-old woman with anemia who developed headache and seizure after blood transfusion was diagnosed with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Magnetic resonance imaging showed typical PRES findings including lesions in bilateral parieto-occipital subcortical white matter and overlying cortex. Only a few cases of PRES after transfusion have been reported and this case is unique in that there was a latent period between infusion and development of PRES. We postulate that rapid change of hemoglobin level may disrupt cerebral autoregulation and result in delayed PRES. We suggest that neurological symptoms after blood transfusion should be appropriately investigated.

BACKGROUND: Various hemodynamic changes occur during left ventriculography, such as myocardial depression, hypotension, peripheral circulatory changes, ECG changes(such as arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities) and anaphylactic reaction etc. These effects are somewhat caused by osmolality, ionic concentration of Na+, viscosity and molecular weight of contrast dye and underlying various heart disease itself during left ventriculography. We compared the hemodynamic differences between ionic(ioxaglate) and non-ionic(iopromide) low osmolar contrast agents during routine ventriculography. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized, double blind study of 124 patients underwent left ventriculography, we examined the various hemodynamic effects of the two contrast agents on left ventricle. All subjects were divided into 2 groups : ioxaglate and iopromide groups. Also, each agent was used in randomized double blind fashion in both groups ; normal control subjects(14 in ioxaglate group : 12 in iopromide group) and subjects whose ejection fraction less than 50%(12 in ioxaglate group : 16 in iopromide group). Left ventricular systolic pressure(LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure(LVEDP), maximum dP/dt, (dP/dt)/P ratio, peak - dP/dt and Tau were obtained immediately before and left ventriculography. RESULTS: 1) In total(normal+angina+MI) subjects of both groups, LVEDP(p<0.001) and maximum dP/dt(p<0.001) were increased and T(au) was reduced significantly(p<0.05). But LVSP(p<0.001) and peak - dP/dt(p<0.005) were increased significantly only in ioxaglate group. 2)In normal(control) subjects, there were no significant differences in both groups, except LVEDP that was increased by equal magnitude(p<0.001). 3) In subjects with ejection fraction less than 50%, there were no significant hemodynamic differences in both contrast agent groups bur LVEDP increased significantly in both groups(p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This present study showed that both ionic(ioxaglate) and non-ionic(iopromide) low osmolar contrast agents were very safe without any significant side effects except two agents caused an increase in LVEDP and did not show major differences between ioxaglate and iopromide contrast agents from a hemodynamic point of view. Two contrast agents tend to improve contractilities and diastolic properties of left ventricle since both caused an increase in maximum dP/dt and a reduce in Tau, in total subjects. This effect may be caused by cardiac compensation, probably because of osmolality, volume loading by contrast agents and secondary activation of sympathetic system immediately after injection of contrast agents. Thus, it is concluded that two ioxaglate and iopromide contrast agents amy be used safely in left ventriculography in patients with and without left ventricular dysfunction, with paying attention to an increase in LVEDP.
Anaphylaxis ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Compensation and Redress ; Contrast Media* ; Depression ; Double-Blind Method ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Molecular Weight ; Osmolar Concentration ; Prospective Studies ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Viscosity

Coronary artery fistula is an unusual anomaly in elderly patients that consists of a communication bet- ween one of the coronary arteries and other cardiac chambers or veins. It causes many cardiac compli- cations due to hemodynamic changes, and thus has recognized its clinical significance. It occurs usually in congenital origin, but also occurs secondarily in traumatic or neoplastic or artherosclerotic coronary diseases. Congenital coronary artery fistula is a very rare congenital anomaly that results in multiple hemodynamic complications. It has reported rarely in elderly patients, that induces myocardial ischemia due to coronary steal syndrome and heart failure that caused by diastolic volume overload via a left to left shunt. We observed a 68-year-old male patient with exertional chest pain and dyspnea, in whom selective coronary angiography revealed abnormal reticular communication between left anterior descending artery and left circumflex artery and drained to left ventricle through multiple microfistulous channels. We report this patient case who complicated by myocardial ischemia and left ventricular failure those caused by hemodynamic complication due to multiple coronary artery-left ventricular fistulae.
Aged ; Arteries ; Cations ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Dyspnea ; Fistula ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Veins

Coronary artery fistula is an unusual anomaly in elderly patients that consists of a communication bet- ween one of the coronary arteries and other cardiac chambers or veins. It causes many cardiac compli- cations due to hemodynamic changes, and thus has recognized its clinical significance. It occurs usually in congenital origin, but also occurs secondarily in traumatic or neoplastic or artherosclerotic coronary diseases. Congenital coronary artery fistula is a very rare congenital anomaly that results in multiple hemodynamic complications. It has reported rarely in elderly patients, that induces myocardial ischemia due to coronary steal syndrome and heart failure that caused by diastolic volume overload via a left to left shunt. We observed a 68-year-old male patient with exertional chest pain and dyspnea, in whom selective coronary angiography revealed abnormal reticular communication between left anterior descending artery and left circumflex artery and drained to left ventricle through multiple microfistulous channels. We report this patient case who complicated by myocardial ischemia and left ventricular failure those caused by hemodynamic complication due to multiple coronary artery-left ventricular fistulae.
Aged ; Arteries ; Cations ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Dyspnea ; Fistula ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Veins