No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between MR changes of the nucleus pulposus and the time interval after traumatic disc herniation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T2-weighted MR images of 132 patients with back pain and/or sciatica were reviewed. The changes of signal intensity, central cleft and height of the nucleus pulposus were used as criteria of disc degeneration and they were graded as normal, mild, moderate and severe degrees of degeneration. Putting these criteria together we provided integrated grade of degeneration of the nucleus pulposus(grade 0-3). To get the preliminary data for normal and age-related disc degeneration, we measured the disc height by age groups and disc levels and analyzed the realtionship between the age of the patients and the signal intensity, cleft and height in normal disc levels of the 132 patients. In 68 patients of 88 levels disc herniation, we analyzed the relationship between symptom duration and the degree of degeneration. Among these 68 patients we selected 14 patients(16 levels) who were under 30 years of age and had history of recent trauma to minimize data distortion from age related degeneration and ambiguity of initiation point of degeneration. In this group we analyzed the relationship between the time period after traumatic disc herniation and the degree of degeneration. RESULTS: The age of the patient had close relationship with the grade of signal intensity, central cleft, and disc height and grade of degeneration of the nucleus pulposus in normal discs. in 88 levels of herniated discs, the duration of symptom and degree of degeneration showed moderate correlation. In 14 patients of disc herniation who were under 30 years old and had trauma history in recent 2 years, grade 1 disc degeneration occured in average 3.7 months after trauma. CONCLUSION: Although it was difficult to proceed statistical analysis in the last group because of small patients number, the degree of degeneration of nucleus pulposus had close relationship with the duration after traumas or duration of symtoms.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Sciatica

Primary angiosarcoma of the female reproductive system is extremely rare, and its management is not well understood. We experienced a very rare case of angiosarcoma arising in the uterus of a 37-year-old woman who presented abdominal distension. At laparotomy, the uterus was observed to be enlarged and deformed by multilobulated hemorrhagic mass. Tumor deposits were present on both ovaries and the omentum. The operation consisted of total abdominal hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy, and omentectomy. Microscopic examination showed that the tumor consisted mostly of solid sheets of pleomorphic and spindle cells forming irregular, communicating cleft-like spaces. Well-formed vascular channels lined by atypical endothelial cells were seen in differentiated areas. Some vessels were partially lined by normal endothelial cells and partially by neoplastic endothelial cells. Papillary architecture composed of epithelioid tumor cells was noted in a focal area. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for factor VIII-related antigen, Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1, CD31 and CD34. Weibel-Palade bodies were not seen in the tumor cells. She received adjuvant chemotherapy, but died 13 months after the diagnosis.
Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Diagnosis ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparotomy ; Omentum ; Ovary ; Ulex ; Uterus* ; von Willebrand Factor ; Weibel-Palade Bodies

No abstract available.
Female ; Germ Cells* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Ovary*

The Editorial Office of Obstet Gynecol Sci would like to correct the author's name. The Editorial Office apologizes for any inconvenience that it may have caused.

BACKGROUND: With increase of antibiotics use and invasive procedures, infections caused by multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) are increasing. Recently, we experienced the outbreak of- nosocomial infections caused by MRAB resistant to imipenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam in intensive care units (ICU) and general ward. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the infected patients and antibiotic susceptibility of the organisms. And surveillance cultures and IRS-PCR were performed to find out the transmission route. METHODS: We collected data from physical examination and clinical records. We performed surveillance cultures of environment, patients not infected with MRAB in ICU, and hands of health care workers. RESULTS: Between November 1996 and June 1997, 49 strains of MRAB were isolated from the 26 patients hospitalized in Kangnam St. Mary' s Hospital. The lower respiratory infection (13 cases) was the most common infection and sputum was the most common sources (47.1%). All strains of MRAB showed the same genotype. In disk diffusion test, all strains were resistant to piperacillin, gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipencm, ciprofloxacin. From the surveillance cultures, the genotypically identical strains were isolated from ventilator Y-piece, the floor of ICU, and hands of health care workers. It suggested that this strain was transmitted through ventilatory device or hands of health care workers. We instructed all the health care workers to wash hands, to disinfect hospital environment completely. Since July 1997, no further case has occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Since A. baumannii could be transmitted through ventilatory devices and the hands of health care workers, it is important to wash hands and to disinfect hospital environment completely.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Amikacin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aztreonam ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cross Infection* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Hand ; Humans ; Imipenem* ; Critical Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Physical Examination ; Piperacillin ; Sputum ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Schilder’s disease is a rare sporadic demyelinating disease of the brain. We report a girl with Schilder’s disease who had undergone Kasai operation for biliary atresia. The patient presented with acute right hemiparesis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a single large tumefactive white matter lesion. A diagnosis of Schilder’s disease was based on clinical features and MRI findings. The patient showed dramatic clinical improvement and significant regression of the lesion in response to high-dose intravenous methyl prednisone, and remained free of relapse of other neurologic problems during the 3-year follow-up.

A total of 73 enucleated eyeballs is reviewed and analyzed clinicopthologically. These eyeballs were selected among the enucleated spceimens that had been removed at the Yeungnam University Hospital during a period of 10 years beginning from 1983 to 1992. Following results were obtained. 1) When the eyeballs were classified according to me direct cause of removal, the neoplasm was the most common single cause accounting for 26 cases(35.6%) out of 73 cases, followed by phthisis bulbi l6 cases(21.9%), trauma 10 cases(13.7%), glaucoma 8 cases(10.9%), inflammation 5 cases(6.8%), staphyloma 4 cases(5.5%), retinal detachment 1 cases(1.4%), Coat's disease 1 cases(1.4%), corneal disease 1 cases(1.4%) and choroidal hemorrhage 1 cases(1.4%). 2) 39 cases(53.4%) were male and 34(46.6%) were female. 23 cases(31.5%) were below 10 years of age, which was the highest rate. 3) The neoplastic lesion included retinoblastoma 20 cases(76.9%) in 26 neoplasms, malignant melanoma 4 cases(15.3%), hemagioblastoma of optic disc 1 cases(3.9%), adenocarcinoma of Meibomian gland 1 cases(3.9%). 4) Retinoblastoma was the commonest intraocular tumor accounting for 20 out of 26 cases, In growth pattern, 80.0% of the tumor grew endophtytically. True rosette were seen 60% of the retinoblastoma.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Atelectasis*

PURPOSE: To evaluate photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin for iris and angle neovascularization in eyes with neovascular glaucoma. METHODS: We treat a patient who had neovascular glaucoma with iris and angle neovacularization and showed reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) and the obliteration of neovascularization after PDT. PDT was performed following the treatment parameters used in age-related macular degeneration. The laser was directed at the anterior chamber angle and iris surface using a Goldmann three-mirror contact lens. Follow-up examination was performed 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 weeks after PDT, and included visual acuity, IOP, and iris fluorescein angiography (7 weeks after PDT). RESULTS: Two months after PDT, we observed a reduction of IOP and the improvement of iris fluorescein leakage. IOP diminished considerably after 1 week, and showed subsequent tendency toward stabilization without additional antiglaucoma medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Photodynamic therapy can be used safely and effectively in the early phase of neovascular glaucoma to achieve the obliteration of iris and angle neovascularization and induce IOP reduction.
Anterior Chamber ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Neovascular ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iris ; Macular Degeneration ; Photochemotherapy* ; Visual Acuity