Fetal bilateral renal agenesis is a lethal congenital anomaly. An early and reliable prenatal diagnosis is extremely important as it may offer options for pregnancy termination as early as possible. The criteria for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of bilateral renal agenesis are severe oligohydramnios, nonvisualization of the bladder, and the empty renal fossa. However, severe oligohydramnios makes it difficult to diagnose the disease because of poor sonographic resolution. We present two cases of bilateral renal agenesis, one is diagnosed by ultrasonography after amnioinfusion at 24 weeks gestation, the other is diagnosed postnatally after term delivery.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Oligohydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder

No abstract available.
Cerebral Palsy* ; Equinus Deformity* ; Heel* ; Muscle Spasticity*

Presented in this paper are the experimental results that measure rapid prototyping (RP) errors in 3D medical models. We identified various factors that can cause dimensional errors when producing RP models, specifically in maxillofacial areas. For the experiment, we used a human dry skull. A number of linear measurements based on landmarks were first obtained on the skull. This was followed by CT scanning, 3D model reconstruction, and RP model fabrication. The landmarks were measured again on both the reconstructed models and the physical RP models, and these were compared with those on dry skull. We focused on major sources of errors, such as CT scanning, conversion from CT data to STL models, and RP model fabrication. The results show that the overall error from skull to RP is 0.64+/-0.36mm(0.71+/-0.66%) in absolute value. This indicates that the RP technology can be acceptable in the real clinical applications. A clinical case that has applied RP models successfully for treatment planning and surgical rehearsal is presented. Although the use of RP models is rare in the medical area yet, we believe RP is promising in that it has a great potential in developing new tools which can aid diagnosis, treatment planning, surgical rehearsal, education, and so on.
Diagnosis ; Education ; Humans ; Skull ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Human Sparganosis was one of the main parasitosis and reported over 65 cases in Korea. Sparganum infestation in the scrotum was reported 14 cases. We experienced a cases of Sparganosis in the scrotum. This patient, 45-year-old Master Sergeant, had an episode of in take of raw snakes and frogs for 25 years during survival and ranger training. Life cycle and route of infection of Sparganum mansoni are briefly discussed with review of literatures.
Humans ; Korea ; Life Cycle Stages ; Middle Aged ; Scrotum* ; Snakes ; Sparganosis* ; Sparganum

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) has two pleckstrin homology (PH) domains: an amino-terminal domain (PH1) and a split PH domain (PH2). Here, we show that overlay assay of bovine brain tubulin pool with glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-PLC-gamma1 PH domain fusion proteins, followed by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), identified 68-kDa neurofilament light chain (NF-L) as a binding protein of amino-terminal PH domain of PLC-gamma1. NF-L is known as a component of neuronal intermediate filaments, which are responsible for supporting the structure of myelinated axons in neuron. PLC-gamma1 and NF-L colocalized in the neurite in PC12 cells upon nerve growth factor stimulation. In vitro binding assay and immunoprecipitation analysis also showed a specific interaction of both proteins in differentiated PC12 cells. The phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] hydrolyzing activity of PLC-gamma1 was slightly decreased in the presence of purified NF-L in vitro, suggesting that NF-L inhibits PLC-gamma1. Our results suggest that PLC-gamma1-associated NF-L sequesters the phospholipid from the PH domain of PLC-gamma1.
Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Rats ; Protein Interaction Mapping ; Protein Biosynthesis/drug effects ; Protein Binding/drug effects ; Phosphoproteins/chemistry/*metabolism ; Phospholipase C gamma/antagonists & inhibitors/chemistry/*metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate/metabolism ; Peptides/chemistry/metabolism ; PC12 Cells ; Neurofilament Proteins/chemistry/*metabolism ; Nerve Growth Factor/pharmacology ; Molecular Weight ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Microtubules/metabolism ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Isoenzymes/metabolism/pharmacology/physiology ; Glutathione Transferase/metabolism ; Blotting, Far-Western ; Blood Proteins/chemistry/*metabolism ; Binding Sites ; Animals ; Amino Acid Sequence

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expressions of Ki-67, p53 and p21 waf1/cip1 according to the age and the histologic type of preinvasive and invasive cervical lesions. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Microwave-oven-processed formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, cervical biopsy specimens and hysterectomy specimens were obtained from 1997 to 1998 at the Soonchunhyang university Chunan hospital. These included 55 cervical intraepithelial neoplasm(CIN I-III), 14 invasive squamous cell carcinoma and 3 adenocarcinoma, and immunohistochemically evaluated by monoclonal MIB-1 antibody, monoclonal p53 antibody, and monoclonal p21 antibody. Positive index was expressed as a percentage of strong staining cells per 300 counted cells in evenly strong staining area. RESULT: Ki-67, p53 and p21 protein were expressed in the nuclei. Ki-67 was specifically expressed in all phases of cell cycles in proliferating cells. p21 expression was not seen in CIN I and CIN II, but was increased with increasing histologic grade. According to the age, Ki-67 expression was significantly higher in 30 > or =aged group than 30 < or = aged group, but p53 expresson was not significantly different according to age groups, and p21 expression was significantly lower in 50 < or = aged group than 30 > or =aged group. CONCLUSION: Conclusions of this study indicate that cell proliferating rate is higher in young age groups than old age groups. p53 expression was not significantly different according to age and histologic grade. These indicates that mutation of the p53 gene may be associated with the development of cervical cancer, but not associated with the progression of cervical cancer. Besides, p21 expression was increased in increasing histologic grade, but decreased in old aged women. Further study of this paradoxical increase in p21 expression in cervical carcinoma is necessary to clarify the mechanisms of p53 indepent pathway.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Female ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: There is debate concerning the observation of metabolite changes on MRS at the designated cortex during some tasks. The purpose of this study is to assess the change of the lactate content at the motor cortex during hand-grasping tasks with performing real-time fMRI-guided fMRS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven healthy volunteers (23-28 years old) underwent realtime fMRI during right hand grasping tasks with using a 1.5 T system. After confirming the activating area, single voxel MRS was preformed at 1) the baseline, 2) during the task and 3) after the task on the activating cortex. The three consecutive spectra were compared for observing the changes of the lactate content by the tasks. The Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr and Lac/Cr ratios were calculated manually from those spectra. RESULTS: MRS during the tasks revealed the lactate peaks at the 1.33 ppm resonance frequency with great conspicuity at the activated area, which was identified on the real-time fMRI. After the task scan, the lactate peaks completely disappeared and the spectra recovered to the values of the baseline scan in all volunteers. At baseline, during the task and after the task, the Cho/Cr ratios were 0.81, 0.76 and 0.77, respectively, and the NAA/Cr ratios were 1.68, 1.65 and 1.72, respectively, and the Lac/Cr ratios were 0.28, 0.41 and 0.30, respectively. During the task, Lac was significantly increased by 46%. CONCLUSION: We observed prominent lactate peaks on MRS during hand-grasping tasks at the activated area, as was shown on the real-time fMRI. We suggest that fMRS can be used as a sensitive tool for observing the metabolite changes of the functioning brain.
Hand ; Hand Strength ; Lactic Acid ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Motor Cortex

BACKGROUND: Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is a well-recognized cause of vomiting in infancy and is easily cured by a Ramstedt pyloromyotomy. However there have been no reports on the postoperative appearance of a pyloric mass in Korea. METHODS: Twenty infants with IHPS and 20 control infants were studied ultrasonographically during the first year of life at a regular interval. According to examination intervals, the IHPS infants (n=20) were divided into three groups: Group A (3 months, n=6), B (6 months, n=7), and C (12 months, n=7). At each examination, measurements were obtained concerning the length of the pyloric canal and the muscular thickness. RESULTS: The mean preoperative length of the pylorus of the IHPS group was 19.4+/-3.64 mm, ranging from 17 to 30 mm (control: 7.73+/-2.67 mm) (p<0.0001). The mean pyloric muscle thickness of the IHPS group was 5.08+/-0.67 mm, ranging from 3.5 to 6 mm (control: 2.37+/-0.58 mm) (p<0.0001). The preoperative and postoperative measurements were subsequently compared. Postoperatively, the length of the pylorus averaged 22.0+/-2.66 mm, and the muscular thickness was 6.53+/-1.68 mm (p<0.0001). The reduction rates in pyloric length were 23.5%, 46.3%, and 53.4% for the respective groups. Also, the muscle-thickness reduction rates were 31.8%, 48.9%, and 57.8% respectively. At 6 months after the operation, the pyloric muscular thickness was in the normal control range, and the pyloric length was reduced to the normal range after 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study suggests that the pyloric mass undergoes a rapid reduction in size in the first 6 months, followed by a more gradual reduction to a normal value by 12 months after a pyloromyotomy.
Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Prospective Studies ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic* ; Pylorus ; Reference Values ; Ultrasonography ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in total cerebral blood flow (tCBF) with aging, parenchymal volume changes and vascular abnormalities, using 2 dimensional (D) phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Routine brain MRI including T2 weighted image, time-of-flight (TOF) MR Angiography (MRA) and 2D PC MRI were performed in 73 individuals, including 12 volunteers. Normal subjects (12 volunteers, and 21 individuals with normal MRI and normal MRA) were classified into groups according to age (18 -29, 30 -49 and 50 -66 years). For the group with abnormalities in brain MRIs, cerebral parenchymal volume changes were scored according to the T2 weighted images, and atherosclerotic changes were scored according to the MRA findings. Abnormal groups were classified into 4 groups: (i) mild reduction in volume, (ii) marked reduction in volume by parenchymal volume and atherosclerotic changes, and (iii) increased volume and (iv) Moya-moya disease. Volumetric flow was measured at the internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery bilaterally using the velocity-flow diagrams from PC MRI, and combined 4 vessel flows and tCBF were compared among all the groups. RESULTS: The age-specific distribution of tCBFs in normal subjects were as follows: 12.0 +/- 2.1 ml/sec in 18 -29 years group, 11.8 +/- 1.9 ml/sec in 30 -49 years group, 10.9 +/-2.2 ml/sec in 50 -66 years group. The distribution of tCBFs in the different subsets of the abnormal population were as follows: 9.5 +/-2.5 ml/sec in the group with mild reduction in volume, 7.6 +/-2.0 ml/sec in the group with marked reduction in volume, and 7.3 +/-1.2 ml/sec and 7.0 +/- 1.1 ml/sec in the increased parenchymal volume and Moya-moya disease groups respectively. CONCLUSION: Total cerebral blood flow decreases with increasing age with a concomitant reduction in parenchymal volumes and increasing atherosclerotic changes. It is also reduced in the presence of increased parenchymal volume and Moya-moya disease. 2D PC MRI can be used as a tool to evaluate tCBF with aging and in the presence of various conditions that can affect parenchymal volume and cerebral vasculature.
Aging* ; Angiography ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Moyamoya Disease ; Vertebral Artery ; Volunteers

Since G.N. Hounsfield's clinical use of computed tomography in 1971, digital imaging technique using computers has shown an eye opening progress. Progress has made 3-dimensional understanding of not only facial bones but muscles and other connective tissues possible through 3-dimensional reconstruction of preexisting tomographical images. Also, quantitative analysis of density, distance, volume has become possible, allowing objective analysis of preoperative and postoperative states through imaging. The authors measured the masseter muscle volume of 20 normal individuals and 8 female patients through 3-D reconstructive CT imaging and made a statistical analysis of the measurements. The method used in our study may be applied to the diagnosis of disease causing the change of the facial volume and presurgical design as a useful tool to provide objective information on the evaluation of surgery outcome.
Connective Tissue ; Diagnosis ; Facial Bones ; Female ; Humans ; Masseter Muscle* ; Muscles