Two cases of hysteric amaurosis are reported. The first case is a male, 38 years of age, who had suffered from hysteric amaurosis three times during the last three years. His inability to pay the alimony to his divorced wife is considered as a causative factor. The second case is also a male, 30 years of age. He had once been attacked prior to the admission. The shock and solicitude for his missed parents during the Korean War are possibly the causative factor. Generally visible ocular symptoms in hysterica are not only amblyopia or amaurosis but also night blindness, diplopia, polyopia, metamorphopsia, metachromatopsia and differentiated various changes in visual field are found. In addition, we can easily find out in it, such as derealization, depersonalization, affective loss which are due to the disturbance of cognition, blepharoptosis, blepharospasm, strabismus, ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus, convergence insufficiency, spasm or paresis of accommodation which are resulted from motor function disturbance, headache, sensory paralysis in eye lid, conjunctiva and cornea which are followed by disturbance of perception and excessive lacrimation due to excrete disturbance. It may be needed to differentiate from simulation, malingering, retrobulbar optic neuritis. Treatment is referable to authorized suggestion with active understanding and sympathy.
Amblyopia ; Blepharoptosis ; Blepharospasm ; Blindness* ; Cognition ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Depersonalization ; Diplopia ; Divorce ; Headache ; Humans ; Korean War ; Male ; Malingering ; Night Blindness ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Optic Neuritis ; Paralysis ; Parents ; Paresis ; Shock ; Spasm ; Spouses ; Strabismus ; Vision Disorders ; Visual Fields

PURPOSE: Prolonged fetal hypoxia stimulates erythropoiesis in fetal life and induces increased nucleated erythrocytes(NRBC) counts at the early newborn period. To evaluate the relationship between prolonged fetal hypoxia and neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and the prediction of neonatal IVH by neonatal NRBC. METHODS: We compared the daily courses of the absolute NRBC count in preterm new- boms at 34 weeks' gestation or earlier with(n=17) and without(n=20) IVH for 7 days of life. RESULTS: Absolute NRBC counts at birth were higher in neonates with IVH than in control neonates(2,499/mm3+/-3,748 and 412/mm3+/-272, respectively, P=0.0022). The cut-off value of 1,000/mm3 for absolute NRBC counts at birth showed the best parameter estimate of the predictive model for IVH at early newborn period with 100% of positive predictive value and 74.1% of negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: Prolonged fetal hypoxia inducing fetal erythropoiesis near labor is closely related to IVH at early newborn period. Thabsolute NRBC counts at birth is the very important predictable marker for the condition.
Erythroblasts* ; Erythropoiesis ; Fetal Hypoxia ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Ventilators, Mechanical* ; Weaning*

No abstract available.
Ischemia* ; Skin*

We experienced a case of primary hepatic actinomycosis which was initially diagnosed by means of fine needle aspiration. The patient was a 31-year-old emaciated man with a 2-month history of 10 kg weight loss, right upper quadrant pain and flank pain. The liver was palpable and tender on physical examination. Computerized tomography scan of the liver showed two ill-defined hypodense masses in gallbladder fossa and inferior pole of right lobe. Hepatocellular carcinoma was clinically suspected. A CT-guided fine needle aspiration was performed. Microscopically, smears showed numerous radiating clusters of filamentous bacteria with many neutrophils and monocytes in necrotic background. The symptoms were improved by incision and drainage and massive administration of penicillin.
Actinomycosis ; Adult ; Bacteria ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Diverticulum* ; Drainage ; Fibroadenoma ; Flank Pain ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Infarction ; Liver ; Monocytes ; Neutrophils ; Penicillins ; Physical Examination ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux* ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Interferon-alpha* ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Prednisolone*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the outcome of local control after the local excision for T1/T2 rectal cancers and, thus, to assess its effectiveness as an alternative to a more radical resection. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 23 patients with T1/T2 rectal cancer treated by local excision (LE), and their results were compared with the results for 22 patients with rectal cancer of the same stage treated by a radical resection (RR). All patients with pT2 lesions in the LE group received postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation. The outcomes were defined as 5-year local-recurrence-free survival (LRFS). The median follow-up was 72 (range, 40~92) months. RESULTS: Recurrence occurred in 4 patients (pT1, 1; pT2, 3) in the LE group and in 3 patients (all pT2) in the the RR group. One patient with vascular invasion (T2N1M0) in the RR group showed multiple liver metastases at 23 months postoperatively. The difference in 5-year LRFS was not statistically significant between the two groups. In the LE group, the 5-year LRFS for pT2 lesions was significantly less favorable than that for pT1 lesions (40% vs. 94%; P= 0.005). The 5-year LRFS for pT2 in the RR group was more favorable than that in the LE group, although the difference was not statistically significant (76.9% vs. 40%, P=0.138). CONSLUSIONS: Local excision provides a favorable local control for pT1 rectal cancers. A more radical resection, however, remains an effective surgical option for pT2 lesions because local excision, even combined with adjuvant chemoradiation, showed substantial local recurrences.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Aorta, Thoracic* ; Blood Flow Velocity* ; Female ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Pregnancy ; Umbilical Arteries*

OBJECTIVES: The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of acquired clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by peripheral cytopenias and a hypercellular or normocellular dysplastic bone marrow. The mechanisms responsible for development of MDS are not known. We performed this study to evaluate the hematopoietic abnormalities and apoptosis in MDS. METHODS: Long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC) was performed for colony assays, cobblestone area assay, stromal morphologic changes from 7 patients with MDS and 7 normal controls. In situ nick end labeling (ISNEL) method was performed for detection of apoptosis from LTBMC in 7 patients with MDS and 7 normal controls. ISNEL method also performed in bone marrow cell bloc samples in 36 patients with MI3S. RESULTS: Viability of nonadherent cells from LTBMC of patients with MDS was not decreased compared with normal controls at 1 week, but significantly decreased at 2 and 3 weeks compared with normal controls (P<0.0001). Formation of the cobblestone areas from patients with MDS was slightly decreased compared with normal controls at 1st week, but significantly decreased at 2nd and 3rd weeks compared with normal controls (P<0.0001). Slightly decreased compared with normal controls at 1 week, but significantly decreased at 2 and 3 weeks compared with normal controls (P<0.0001). Stromal layers produced in LTBMC of normal controls and 1 patient with MDS were detected at 1 week and were formed confluent stroma from 3 weeks, but another patients with MDS who did not form a confluent stroma. Patients with MDS had significantly lower colony forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) compared with normal controls at 1 (P<0.01) and 2 weeks (P<0.001) of LTBMC. Two weeks of LTBMC resulted more profound inhibition of CFU-GM formation than 1 week (P<0.0001). Apoptotic cell death was absent in adherent and non adherent cells from normal controls at 1 and 2 weeks, but massive apoptotic cell death was found in adherent and non adherent cells from patients with MDS at 1 and 2 weeks and the degree of apoptosis was profound at 2 weeks compared with 1 week. Among the 36 patients, fifteen patients demonstrated varying degrees of apoptosis positive cells, 4 having low, 8 intermediates, and 3 high scores. Remaining 21 patients showed absent apoptosis or only occasional positive cells. CONCLUSION: Hematopoietic abnormalities such as a failure of differentiation are caused by the stromal defects and the biologic basis of the apparent paradox of peripheral cytopenias in the face of hypercellular (or normocellular) marrow is related by intramedullary apoptotic cell death of the stromal and hematopoietic cells.
Apoptosis* ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Bone Marrow* ; Cell Death ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Progenitor Cells ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling* ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Stem Cells