No abstract available.
Humans* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVES: The 1990s has seen advances in the conceptualization of self-perceived health status which has important roles for individual health and the quality of life. Many types of standardized questionnaires have been developed with the current wide use of SF-36, NHP, andEuroQol. However, the outcomes of these tools may be different with regard to regional, cultural and emotional backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to trial the development of a Korean Health Profile (KHP 1.0) to measure the self-perceived health stati of Koreans. METHODS: The KHP 1.0 was designed on the basis of the Medical Outcome Study Form 36 (SF-36), the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and the EuroQOL. It was composed of 9 scales; physical functioning, role limitation-physical, pain, general health, energy, social isolation, sleep, role limitation-emotional, and emotional health. Self-reported chronic disease conditions, and the Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), were also checked for the evaluation of clinical validity. This study was conducted, from December 2000 to January 2001, on 800 middle-aged parents, with four high school students, with 100 retest sets being conducted two weeks later. From the 800 subjects there were 588 complete responses (effective response 73.5%). The reliability of the test-retest results, and the factor analysis on the validity of the KHP 1.0 components, were evaluated using the SPSS (ver 10.0) software. RESULTS: The reliability of the KHP 1.0 was good with Cronbach's alpha (> 0.6), test-retest correlation coefficients (> 0.5), but with no significant differences from the paired t-test. From the psychometric validity tests, the 9 scales of the KHP 1.0 were divided into two components; physical and mental, and trimmed to the established model with 55% of the total variance, with the exception of role limitation-emotional. The clinical validity on the basis of the comparison for the four characteristic groups; healthy, physical conditions only, mental conditions only, and physical and mental conditions were also good. CONCLUSIONS: The KHP 1.0 appears to be a valid measurement tool of self-perceived health stati of Koreans, although there are limitations, i.e. sample size was too small, a limited number of middle-aged subjects, and it was based on unconfirmed diagnoses, etc. Therefore, further study is required to standardize the assessment.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Parents ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Sample Size ; Social Isolation ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Paranasal Sinuses*

Three Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from clinical cerebrospinal fluid samples. A PCR was performed by using oligonuclotide primers derived from the invasion-associated protein(iap) related gene sequence. As a result of PCR, we obtained 287-bp DNA fragment of specific product to L. monocytogenes species. The chromsomal DNA of genera Listeria species were subjected to southern blot hybridization with HRP-labeled 287-bp DNA probe to produce a L. monocytogenes banding pattern. In the cases of 10-fold dilution of L. monocytogenes cells, 8 x 10(2) cells/ml were detected by PCR.
Blotting, Southern ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; DNA ; Listeria monocytogenes* ; Listeria* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Isolated angiitis of the central nervous system is a rare clinicopathologic entity characterized by vasculitis restricted to the vessels of central nervous system without other apparent systemic vasculitis. It manifests headache, higher cortical dysfunction. focal neurologic dysfunction and cranial nerve palsies. We experienced a case of isolated angiitis of the central nervous system in 6 year-old girl who was admitted to out unit because of headache, hemiparesis and altered consciousness. The laboratory test for blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid are all within normal ranges. There was no evidence of systemic vasculitis. The contrast enhanced brain CT scan showed low densities along the left cerebellar hemisphere and posterior aspect of temporal lobe without enhancement, and left lateral internal carotid angiogram showed poorly contrast filling along the territory of left posterior cerebral artery due to narrowing or ischemic changes of the vessels. Axial T2WI (TR/TE, 2190/80) of magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple scattered high signal intensities at left pons with cerebellar hemisphere and diffuse high signal intensity along the left occipital lobe with enlarged surrounding gyral patterns, and axial T1WI(TR/TE, 665/25) showed intense gyral pattern contrast enhancement along the left occipital lobe. Steroid was tried with apparent benefit. We report a case of isolated angiitis of central nervous system with review of literature.
Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Consciousness ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nervous System* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Occipital Lobe ; Paresis ; Pons ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Reference Values ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Temporal Lobe ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vasculitis*

BACKGROUND: It is known that QT dispersion represents asynchronous repolarization of ventricle which is related to ventricular fibrillation. The incidence of ventricular arrhythmia is increased after acute myocardial infarction. So this study compared QT dispersion and other repolarization indexes for detection of asynchronous repolarization in acute myocardial infarction. We also investigated which portion of repolarization is the key portion of the asynchrony. METHODS: In 37 acute myocardial infarction patients and 38 angina patients dispersion of QT, JT, JTpeak and QTpeak were measured. We also measured maximum adjacent dispersion of same parameters in precordial leads. In 20 survived patients and 17 dead patients after acute myocardial infarction were also compared. We also investigated correlation of PVC's on Holter monitoring with these repolarization parameters. RESULTS: 1) All ventricular repolarization indexes(QT, QTc, JT, JTpeak, QT peak and TpeakTend dispersion) were significantly increased in acute myocardial infarction group than compared with those of angina group(p<0.05). 2) Maximal precordial dispersion(QT, QTc, JT, JTpeak and QTpeak) were also significantly increased in acute myocardial infarction group than angina group(p<0.05). 3) Dead patient group after myocardial infarction showed significantly increased QTc and TpeskTend dispersion compared with those of survived patient group(p<0.05). 4) Multivariate linear correlation showed that TpeakTend dispersion and JT dispersion was correlated with QT dispersion. CONCLUSIONS: There were asynchronous myocardial repolarization changes in acute myocardial infarction. Our study demonstrated that T wave change was major determinant of dispersion of myocardial repolarization.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Ventricular Fibrillation

PURPOSE: The purpose is to evaluate the CT or MRI findings to help in the differentiation between benign and malignant meningiomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The CT and MRI findings of 8 patients with surgically proven malignant meningioma were reviewed. Four cases of 8 malignant meningiomas and 18 cases of 27 benign lesions were studied with a 1.5T or 0.5T MRI. Radiologic analysis was focused on the heterogeneity of tumor, grade of peritumoral edema, presence of cystic degeneration and calcification, tumoral enhancement pattern, dural enhancement, and tumoral border. RESULT: Histologic types of malignant meningioma were meningotheliomatous (n=4), papillary(n=1), fibroblastic(n=l), angioblastic(n=l), and sarcomatous(n=l). Tumoral Heterogeneity was seen in 8 of 8 malignant lesions(100%) and 8 of 27 benign ones(30%). (p<0.01) Marked peritumoral edema was seen in 8 of 8 malignant lesions(100%) and 2 of 27 benign ones. (7.3%)(p<0.01) Most of malignant lesions(6 of 8 cases, 75%) showed ill defined border. Calcification was not present in malignant lesions in contrast with benign ones (14 of 27 cases, 52%). (p<0.05) No statistical significance was noted in cystic degeneration, dural tail like enhancement or tumoral enhancement pattern between malignant and benign meningiomas. MRI signal intensity of malignant meningiomas was homogeneously or heterogeneously hypointense on T1WI, heterogeneously isointense or hypointense on T2WI and heterogeneous or mixed on Gd-DTPA enhancement study. CONCLUSION: The CT or MRI findings such as heterogeneity, ill defined tumoral border, marked peritumoral edema, and absence of calcification may suggest the possibility of malignancy in meningioma.
Edema ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Meningioma* ; Population Characteristics

Temporary interruption of cerebral blood flow is an effective maneuver to prevent and/or to control excessive bleeding during cerebrovascular procedures. Despite the benefits of temporary arterial occlusion, there is still a risk of ischemic neuronal damage associated with this procedure. It remains controversial whether it is safer to use brief periods of interrupted temporary occlusion separated by reperfusion periods or single continuous temporary occlusion. Two injury mechanisms, disturbed calcium homeostasis and lipid peroxidation, participate in the neuronal damage caused by temporary occlusion but their contributions to the two different types of temporary occlusion are presumed to be different in some degrees. The authors investigated the effect of nimodipine(calcium channel blocker) and U74389G(21-aminosteroid, lipid peroxidation inhibitor) on the focal cerebral blood flow and the size of cerebral infarction in two different types of temporary occlusion(a single, one hour continuous occlusion or three 20-minute repeated occlusions during a 40-minute interval) using the cat focal ischemic model. Results are as follows: 1) Intermittent, repeated occlusion caused lesser cerebral infarction than single continuous occlusion. 2) Postischemic hypoperfusion was more severe in intermittent repeated occlusion group but it was not statistically significant. 3) Nimodipine and U74389G reduced the size of cerebral infarction caused by two types of temporary occlusions significantly but there was no difference between two treatments. 4) U74389G ameliorated the postischemic hypoperfusion caused by both types of temporary occlusion but nimodipine did not. 5) Nimodipine protected caudato-putamen from the ischemic injury more effectively than U74389G. On the basis of the above findings, both types of injury mechanism(disturbed calcium homeostasis and lipid peroxidation) seemed to contribute to the two types of temporary occlusion(single continuous and intermittent repeated), in the similar extent. It is presumed that nimodipine has a preventive effect during the ischemic period and U74389G has a protective effect during reperfusion period.
Animals ; Calcium ; Cats* ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Hemorrhage ; Homeostasis ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Neurons ; Nimodipine* ; Reperfusion

The patient, 54-year-old female, visited our department of ophthalmology because of decreased visual acuity of left eye. The light brown to gray colored mass was visible through clear ocular media, and extensive serous detaclunent of adjacent retina was noticed. Ultrasonograpy showed large smooth smooth ecogenic density extending into vitreous cavity and occupying most of vitreous cavity. Enucleation was performed. The histopatholgical examination revealed malignant choroidal melanoma composed of spindle B type cells and epithelioid cells. Extrascleral invasion was not found.
Choroid* ; Epithelioid Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmology ; Retina ; Visual Acuity