Limb salvage operations for osteosarcoma of the extremity usually consist of wide excision and skeletal reconstruction. Most osteosarcoma patients are anemic prior to the surgery as majority of them undergo preoperative neo-adjuvant chemotherapy; thus, it is necessary to treat anemia before and after the surgery since limb salvage operation tends to accompany significant blood loss. Despite the fact that blood transfusion has bad influence on prognosis, complication, and postoperative outcome of cancer patients, it is still considered as a standard management to fix anemia for limb salvage operations. We would like to present a case report in which the authors succeeded in performing limb salvage operations on patients with distal femur osteosarcoma without transfusion.
Anemia ; Blood Transfusion* ; Drug Therapy ; Extremities ; Femur* ; Humans ; Limb Salvage* ; Osteosarcoma* ; Prognosis

Medical record of 66 eyes which had undergone pars plana vitrectomy for the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy were reviewed to study their clinical features, incidences and types of complications, visual outcome, and visual prognostic factors. The final visual outcome showed the improvement in 50[76%] eyes, no change in 13[20%]eyes, and the worsening in 3[4%] eyes. Preoperative prognostic factors favoring final visual acuity included the followings:1]insulin dependent diabetes mellitus which developed before 30 years of age, 2]absence of iris neovascularization, 3]absence of tractional macular detachment. Postoperative complications included vitreous hemorrhage in 34[52%]eyes, cataract in 12[19%]eyes, increased intraocular pressure in 6[10%]eyes, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in 4[6%]eyes, choroidal effusion in 3[5%]eyes, corneal epithelial defect in 2[3%]eyes, neovascular glaucoma in 1[2%] eye. Postoperative complications associated with poor visual outcome were rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and neovascular glaucoma.Intraoperative complication of iatrogenic retinal tear did not seem to deteriorate the final visual acuity.
Cataract ; Choroid ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Glaucoma, Neovascular ; Incidence ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iris ; Medical Records ; Postoperative Complications ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinal Perforations ; Traction ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy* ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

No abstract available.
Animals ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Mice*

The trematode Paramphistomum cervi empolyed in this experiment was obtained from the reticulum of cattle slaughtered at the local abbatoir. The worms were selected and washed several times in normal sterilized saline solution. Each about ten of intact worms were incubated in 50 cc volume of special incubation flasks with incubation mixture consisting of 50 cc of Krebs-Ringer phosohate buffer (pH 7.4) to which were added universally labeled C(14)-glucose and non-radioactive carrier glucose concentration of 200 mg per cent. The worms were allowed to incubate for 3 hours in the incubator at 38 C. After incubation period, respiratory CO(2) samples from central wall of incubation flask were analysed for total CO(2) production rate and their specific activity of respiratory CO(2). Glycogen samples isolated from worms were analysed for the tissue concentration and their radioactivities in order to determine the turnover rate of glycogen pool. The glucose uptake rate was determined by analysing the difference of the glucose concentration in a medium before and after incubation period. Radioactivities of these series of experiments were counted by an endwindow Geiger-Muller counter as an infinitely thin samples. The quantitative analysis of C(14)-glucose utilized by Paramphistomum cervi was summerized as the following. The glucose uptake rate by Paramphistomum was a mean value of 2.32+/-0.27 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt. and total CO(2) production rate by the worms averaged 10.85+/-0.41 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt. The relative specific activities of respiratory CO(2) averaged 49.72+/-13.20 per cent. Thus, a mean of 49.72 per cent of total CO(2) production rate was originated from the glucose in the medium, therefore the rate of CO(2) production derived from medium glucose was mean of 5.24+/-2.16 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt. Thus, the average value of 37.46+/-5.28 per cent of glucose utilized by the worms from the medium glucose was oxidized to respiratory CO(2). The tissue concentration of Paraphismum was a mean of 41.56+/-5.82 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt or 4.16+/-0.72 per cent/g , and the turnover rate of glycogen pool yielded with a mean of 0.12+/-0.014 percent/hr or 0.06+/-0.04 mg/hr/g of wet wt. Therefore, a mean value of 16.75+/-4.84 per cent of glucose was incorporated to the glycogen. These data account for that at least 54.21 per cent of the utilized glucose by the worms participated in furnishing the oxidation into respiratory CO(2) and the synthetic process into glycogen. According to the above data of the experiment, it is suggested in the metabolic process of glucose by the Paramphistomum that the synthetic process into the glycogen is less active than the oxidative process into the resppiratory CO(2).
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Paramphistomum cervi ; autoradiography ; biochemistry ; glucose ; metabolism ; CO(2) ; glycogen

A case of arterial priapism was treated by superselective transcatheteric autologous clot embolization of cavernosal artery 25 days after blunt periheal trauma. No immediate improvement was noted but the priapism subsided on 48th day after the procedure. Normal physiclogic erectlie function was achieved on 53rd day after the procedure, and the period of postprocedure impotence was shortened, as compared with previously reported cases. Autologous blood clot embolization may be an effective treatment method even in delayed priapism, and superselective technique is thought to be more effective to shorten the postprocedure erectlie dysfunction
Arteries ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Male ; Priapism*

BACKGROUND: Cyclosporin A (CsA), a potent immunosuppressant, has been reported to be effective in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis (AD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and side-effects of CsA in Korean patients with severe AD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 16 patients with recalcitrant AD took CsA for at least 6 weeks. Among them, 11 patients were followed up for more than 16 weeks. Initial dose was 5mg/kg/day (maximum 300 mg/day) and the dose was reduced according to their therapeutic responses. SCORAD (Scoring AD) was used to evaluate clinical efficacy of CsA. During the 1st month of therapy, the therapeutic efficacy and side-effects were evaluated every 2weeks and after 1 month, every month. We checked blood pressure and laboratory abnormalities including liver function test, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and urinalysis at each visit in addition to observing clinical adverse effects. RESULTS: Significant reduction of SCORAD was noted in 15 patients after 6 weeks of CsA therapy. Only one patient stopped CsA therapy because of the elevation of blood pressure. Three patients showed albuminuria, which disappeared after CsA dose reduction. CONCLUSION: CsA can be used effectively and safely in severe Korean AD patients. Albuminuria seems to be a peculiar side-effect in Korean patients.
Albuminuria ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; Cyclosporine* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Liver Function Tests ; Urinalysis

PURPOSE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children is the most common disease during the infantile period, therefore early diagnosis and treatment are important. Pyuria is a useful clinical parameter for the initial diagnosis of a UTI. In this study we aimed to compare the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings in relation to the duration of pyuria in infants with UTIs. METHODS: Three hundred seventy-four infants <12 months of age who were admitted between January 1995 and December 2005 for the first episode of a febrile UTI were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of pyuria as follows: group 1, pyuria resolved <3 days after initial treatment; and group 2, pyuria lasted at least 3 days after initial treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in relation to gender, age, total duration of fever, and organisms in the urine. Group 2 had a significantly higher peripheral blood leukocyte count (14,360.86+/-5,526.16 cells/mm3 vs. 11,822.55+/-5,687.26 cells/mm3, P<0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (32.81+/-19.34 mm/hr vs. 23.74+/-20.43 mm/hr, P<0.001), and C-reactive protein (6.84+/-5.68 mg/dL vs. 3.78+/-3.99 mg/dL, P<0.001) than group 1. There was a significantly higher incidence of hydronephrosis and a higher grade of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in group 2 compared to group 1. CONCLUSION: In infants with UTI, pyuria of longer duration is related to severe UTI and higher grade VUR, therefore aggressive radiologic studies may be necessary.
Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Incidence ; Infant ; Leukocyte Count ; Pyuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

No abstract available.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency* ; Erythropoietin* ; Iron* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

No abstract available.
Vincristine*

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been established as the first line procedure of urinary stone treatment. To evaluate clinical efficacy and to identify the criteria of proper patient selection tempered by understanding of the limitations of the ESWL therapy available. We reviewed 2500 patients with urinary stone treated by ESWL using the Northgate SD-3 lithotriptor between June, 1989 and May, 1995. The results were obtained as follows: 1. The total average success rate of treatment was 92.6%. 2. The success rate according to stone locations were 88% in kidney (1074/1214 cases), 93.5% in ureter(1275/1323 cases) and 92.7% in bladder (38/41 cases). 3. The success rate according to stone size measured on the KUB film were 98.0% below 10mm, 91.0% in 11 - 20mm, 80.0% in 21 - 30mm and 68.7% over 31mm. 4. The average numbers of treatment were 2.3 sessions and the mean number of shock per treatment were 1940 +- 230. 5. Of the 2578 cases, 2178(84.5%) were treated by ESWL monotherapy. For auxiliary procedure, Double-J stents were placed in 64 cases and nephrostomy in 49 cases. Stone manipulation including push back, Dormia basket, Ureteroscopy were performed in 161 cases. We conclude that as a highly effective and minimally invasive treatment modality, ESWL has become to be the therapy of choice in 85.5% of urinary stones. When ESWL therapy is less effective for stone size larger than 3 cm(68.7%), staghorn calculi (65.5%) and presence of anatomical barriers, the additional endourologic procedures need to be indicated.
Calculi ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lithotripsy* ; Patient Selection ; Shock* ; Stents ; Ureteroscopy ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Calculi*