The term "pineal anlage tumor" has been recently proposed and few cases have been reported. We report the first Korean case of pineal anlage tumor in a 6-year-old girl who complained of headache and vomiting for 2 months. Brain MRI revealed a well defined, lobulated, calcifying mass in the pineal region. Tumor was totally removed. Pathological examination revealed a primitive pineal parenchymal tumor with melanotic epithelial component that was similar to histologic findings of melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy, so-called retinal anlage tumor and of the developing pineal gland. The tumor was composed mostly of small, undifferentiated cells, Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes, and ganglionic differentiation. The tumor also contained the cartilage and skeletal muscle cells.
Brain ; Cartilage ; Child ; Female ; Ganglion Cysts ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Neuroectodermal Tumor, Melanotic ; Pineal Gland ; Pinealoma ; Vomiting

This is a case report of a 50-year-old female who presented to our clinic with headache and left temporal pulsatile mass. Aneurysm was revealed incidentally on a computed tomography angiography of her head. Open surgical resection with aneurysmal trapping was performed under local anesthesia. Histological examination demonstrated a true aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery. There was loss of normal elastin in the internal elastin layer. This case report describes the rare entity along with a review of the literature.
Anesthesia, Local ; Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Elastin ; Female ; Head ; Headache ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Temporal Arteries

In this report we describe twenty-two cases of intracranial tumors studied with an MR imager operating at a field strength of 0.064 T for evaluation of the clinical utility of low tesla MRI. The comfirmed diagnoses were meningioma(9 cases), astrocytoma(4 cases), glioblastoma multiforme(1 case), craniopharyngioma(2 cases), intracranial metastasis(1 case). pituitary microadenoma (1 case), hemangioblastoma (1 case), and trigerminal neurilemmoma(1 case). Meningiomas appeared as well-marginated, homogenous signal intensity masses(67%) in most cases. Most meningiomas showed iso-signal intensity(78%) on T1-weighted images, and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. After Gd-DTPA enhancement, diffuse homogeneous contrast enhancement(75%) was well see. The multiple hemorrhagic foci within the glioblastoma multiforme were identified, which shoed high signal intensity on T1-weighted images and low signal intensity on T2-weighted images(intracellular methemoglobin), or high signal intensity on both T1 and T2-weighted images(extracellular methemoglobin). One case of cerebellar hemangioblastoma was a well-defined cystic mass with contrast enhanced mural nodule but no identification of characteristic signal void vessels. The remianing tumors showed low signal intensity on T1-weighted images, and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Gd-DTPA enhancement was helpful in separating the lesion from the surrounding edema or normal tissue, but had limited diagnostic value in characterizing the nature of the mass. The advantages of low tesla MRI are as follows on requirement of cooling water or electricity, open design, shorter T1 relaxation time compared with high tesla unit that increases the difference of T1-relaxation time between tissues, ease of installation, and cost effectiveness. In conclusion, the low tesla MRI is useful for the detection and evaluation of the brain tumors.
Brain Neoplasms ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Electricity ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Glioblastoma ; Hemangioblastoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma ; Relaxation ; Water

BACKGROUND: More than 200 million people suffer from malaria worldwide. In Korea this infectious disease had been on a decreasing trend since 1930s and was considered to be eradicated from 1985. However, since 1993 when a case of malaria was reported, its incidence is progressively increased. Recent efforts have been focused on the development of vaccine against the infective sporozoite stage of Plasmodium vivax. It has been found that sporozoites are complicated with genetic variation within the circumsporozoite gene and phenotypic heterogeneity in the protein it encodes. So, we investigated the distribution of circumsporozoite gene of Plasmodium vivax in Korea. METHODS: Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed on samples confirmed with microscopic examination for P. vivax and negative samples with clinical and microscopic examination. The amplified products were analyzed by dot hybridization with oligonucleotide probes VK210 and VK247 which are respectively complementary to the predominant and variant strains of the circumsporozoite gene of P. vivax. RESULTS: The incidence of isolation in VK210 and VK247 strains were 96.3%, respectively and individuals who were infected with both strains were 92.7%. Compared to the microscopic examination, the results of PCR showed 82% in sensitivity, 100% in specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that a single-epitope vaccine based on either one circumsporozoite domain is unlikely to be protective because both VK210 and VK247 strains of P. vivax were found widely in Korea. The PCR method appears not to be feasible as a screening, but suitable as a confirmatory test for the identification of Plasmodium species.
Communicable Diseases ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype* ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Malaria ; Mass Screening ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Population Characteristics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sporozoites

Aortopulmonary septal defect is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. A 15 year old boy was admitted to Department of Internal Medicine of Seoul National University Hospital because of exertional dyspnea. Aortopulmonary septal defect was confirmed by cardiac catheterization demonstrating severe pulmonary hypertension and patent foramen ovale, and retrograde aortogram showing contrast material passing from the ascending aorta just above the aortic valve into the pulmonary trunk. We present a case of aortopulmonary septal defect with a review of literatures.
Adolescent ; Aorta ; Aortic Valve ; Aortopulmonary Septal Defect* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Dyspnea ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Internal Medicine ; Male ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Child* ; Cough* ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Maxillary Sinusitis*

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop standards for educational equipment in fundamental nursing practice courses in BSN programs. METHOD: The participants in this study were 30 professors who taught fundamental nursing in colleges or departments of nursing. The data were gathered between December 2002 and May 2003 using a questionnaire on the present state of fundamental nursing practice and the educational equipment list for fundamental nursing practice. RESULT: There was variety in the content of the courses of fundamental nursing practice in BSN programs, and the environment for fundamental nursing practice was in diverse setting. A standard for educational equipment was developed consisting of 93 pieces of equipment for fundamental nursing practice. CONCLUSION: The standard for educational equipment for fundamental nursing practice in BSN programs provides the basics for fundamental nursing practice. Of these 72 were selected and the authors suggests establishing an educational committee of fundamental nursing practice and holding a workshop on educational equipment for fundamental nursing practice in BSN programs every 5 years.
Education ; Nursing* ; Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip*

A case of amelia, which affected upon both lower extremities, was experienced at the Taegu Presbyterian Hospital. We report this case because of rarity of amelia and an addition of the case with brief review of literatures.
Daegu ; Ectromelia ; Lower Extremity ; Protestantism

A clinical review was performed on 64 cases of the foot drop treated by transferof the Posterior Tibialis tendon to the dorsum of the foot at Taegu Presbyterian Hospital during the period from January, 1965 to December, 1971. The follow-up result of 42 cases were obtained from 13 weeks to 4 years and 8 months. The result are summarized as follows. 1. Among 63 patients, there were 46 males and 17 females, ranging 12 to 57 years old of age. 2. The cause of foot drop were peroneal nerve palsy due to leprosy in 61 cases, anterior poliomyelitis in 2 cases, and traumatic peroneal palsy in 1 case. 3. Of 42, cases which follow-up study was done, the degree of active dorsiflexion of the ankle were 90 degree or more in 29 cases (69.0%) and range of active movement was 25 degree or more in 31 cases (73.8%). 22 cases (52.4%) had active dorsiflexion of the ankle which was 90 or more in degree and range of active movement of the ankle which was 25 degree or more. 4. Iterosseous route was used in 26 cases and circumtibial route in 38 cases. Their end results revealed slight better in the latter method. 5. The major causes of complication were detachment at insertion site in 7 cases (53.8% of total failure). weak motor power of the Posterior Tibialis in 4 cases, and adhesions in 2 cases.
Ankle ; Daegu ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Leprosy ; Male ; Methods ; Paralysis ; Peroneal Nerve ; Poliomyelitis ; Protestantism ; Tendons