PURPOSE: To evaluate the radiologic findings of intraspinal epidural arachnoid cyst. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six pateuts with surgically proven intraspinal epidural arachnoid cyst were included in this study. Four were freeof specific past history, but two had a history of trauma. All underwent examination by plain radiography,CT-myelography and MRI, and the following aspects were retrospectively analysed : vertebral pressure erosion,interpedicular distance, enlargement of neural foramina, as seen on plain radiograph, contrast-filling and lateralbulging of lesions through neural foramina on CT-myelograph, and signal intensity, size and shape of margin andepidural fat pattern, as seen on MRI. RESULTS: Three of four congenital intraspinal epidural arachnoid cysts weresingle in the thoracolumbar region, while in the other case, there were multiple cysts in the mid- and lowerthoracic regions. Cysts were equivaleut in size to between four and six vertebral bodies. Plain radiographicfindings of pedicular pressure erosion, widened interpedicular distance, and bilateral neural foraminalenlargement of several contiguous vertebrae were observed in all four cases. One showed posterior vertebralscalloping. On CT-myelograph, a contrast-filled cystic lesion occupying the posterior epidural space, with lateralbulging through neural foramina and anterior displacement of the contrast-filled thecal sac, was seen. On MRI,longitudinally elongated, well-demarcated cysts were seen to be present in the posterior epidural space; theirsignal intensity was the same as in CSF. An epidural fat cap pattern enveloping the upper and lower ends of thecysts was apparent in all cases. In two cases, traumatic intraspinal epidural arachnoid cysts were situated in thethoracolumbar and lumbosacral region, respectively, near a previously injured region and were smaller (equivalentto the height of three vertebral bodies). CT-myelograph and MRI showed that their effect on the thecal sac wascompressive only. CONCLUSION: When pressure erosion of vertebral odies and pedicles of contiguous severalvertebrae in the thoracic or thoracolumbar region is recognized on plain radiograph, intraspinal epiduralarachnoid cyst should be included in differential diagnosis, and for accurate evaluation, CT-myelograph and/or MRIare needed.
Arachnoid Cysts ; Arachnoid* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epidural Space ; Lumbosacral Region ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

PURPOSE: Peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis remains one of the most common causes of hospitalization and discontinuation of peritoneal dialysis. Patient education and the individual environment play a significant role in improving the clinical outcomes. Therefore, this study focused on the preventive effects of practical training on the spot for peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis in continous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients who were started on CAPD were as the primary intended treatment modality. The patients were given to a questionnaire regarding their gender, age, place of residence, level of education, economic status, sterile technique, knowledge of personal hygiene, placing a correct region for exchanging a fluid bag, and their duration of CAPD. During a home visit, the patients were instructed in how to sterilize the region of dialysis and maintain sterility in dialysis. RESULTS: Seventy four cases of peritonitis from 35 patients were identified over the 2 year's period. In the rural residences where there is a lower socio-economic status, the rates of peritonitis decreased in those patients who had received training on the spot within 6 months from the start of peritoneal dialysis compared with the patients after the 6 month period. Lower rates of peritonitis were noted in the patients who received training earlier (r=0.19, p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Ongoing and repetitive individualized education is needed to prevent peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis. The incidence of peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis can be reduced by educating these patients individually.
Dialysis ; Education ; Hospitalization ; House Calls ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Patient Education as Topic ; Peritoneal Dialysis* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

It has been demonstrated that inhibitors of advanced glycation end products (AGE), such as aminoguanidine, can suppress peritoneal AGE in rats on peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, it is unknown whether late administration of a putative crosslink breaker, alagebrium, could reverse peritoneal AGE. We therefore compared alagebrium with aminoguanidine in their ability to reverse peritoneal AGE in rats on PD. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: group I dialyzed with 4.25% glucose solution for all exchanges; group II dialyzed with 4.25% glucose solution containing aminoguanidine, and group III dialyzed with 4.25% glucose solution containing alagebrium for last 8 weeks of 12-week dialysis period. Dialysis exchanges were performed 2 times a day for 12 weeks. Immunohistochemistry was performed using a monoclonal anti-AGE antibody. One-hour PET was performed for comparison of transport characteristics. The immunolabelling of AGE in peritoneal membrane was markedly decreased in the alagebrium group. Consistent with this, the alagebrium group exhibited significantly higher D/Do glucose and lower D/P urea, suggesting low peritoneal membrane transport. But there were no significant differences between the control and the aminoguanidine group. These results suggest that the alagebrium may be the optimal therapeutic approach, compared with treatment with inhibitors of AGE formation, in rats on PD.
Animals ; Biological Transport ; Body Weight ; Cell Membrane/metabolism ; Glycosylation End Products, Advanced/*metabolism ; Guanidines/metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry/methods ; Male ; Peritoneal Dialysis/*methods ; Peritoneum/metabolism/*pathology ; *Permeability ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: In addition to the oncological results, cosmetic results are very important to cancer patients. Currently, the use of oncoplastic surgery is an emerging approach. In this study, we examined the clinical outcomes of the use of a corrective procedure with an absorbable implant, a Vicryl mesh(R), as compared with the use of conventional breast conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS: Fifty six patients who completed questionnaire were enrolled in the study. For 33 cases, BCS was performed concurrently with the use of a Vicryl mesh and for the other 23 cases, conventional BCS alone was performed. Contraindications of the use of corrective procedure were a patient age over 60 year, diabetes, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and a previous excisional biopsy performed on the same breast. Patients rated their cosmetic outcomes by use of a four point scale. RESULTS: For one of 34 cases, the Vicryl mesh was removed due to infection and this patient was excluded from the study. Twenty seven of the remaining 33 patients (82%) who underwent the corrective procedure with Vicryl mesh were satisfied with their outcome. For patients that received conventional BCS only ten of 23 patients (43%) were satisfied with their outcome (p=0.05). Patient age, body mass index (BMI) and tumor location did not affect the cosmetic outcomes of the corrective procedure. When the resection area of the breast was 40-70 cm2, 88% of the patients were satisfied with their outcome. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the use of Vicryl mesh correction was superior to the use of conventional BCS alone for cosmesis. This method appears to provide a satisfactory outcome for oncoplastic surgery of the breast.
Absorbable Implants ; Biopsy ; Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Cosmetics ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Polyglactin 910 ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To determine the differential findings of benign and malignant parotid masses, as seen on CT and MRimaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT(24 cases of benign and 10 cases of malignant masses) and MR imaging(18cases of benign and 9 cases of malignant masses) findings of parotid gland masses confirmed by surgery orhistopathology were analyzed by two radiologists ; they focused on size, cystic change, the presence ofcalcification within the mass, density or signal intensity and margin, degree of contrast enhancement andhomogeneity, location and bilaterality, associated findings-including infiltration into surrounding structures andlymphadenopathy. RESULTS: In one of the 34 cases seen on CT, precontrast images were not available. In 15 of 23benign cases(65.2%), the density of the mass, as seen on pre-contrast enhanced CT scan, was lower than that ofmuscle. In ten malignant cases, density lower than that of muscle was noted in only two cases (20%). OnT2-weighted images, low signal intensity to fat was noted in five of nine cases(55.5%) of malignant lesion, but inno cases involving benign parotid masses. On CT scanning, an indistinct margin of the masses was observed in fiveof 24 benign cases(20.8%) and three of ten malignant cases(30%), but on MR imaging, this was seen in three of 18benign cases(16.7%) and 6 of 9 malignant cases(66.7%). On pre-contrast enhanced CT scan, 15 of 23 benign casesshowed homogenous density, but 12 of these 15 (80%) changed to inhomogenous on post-contrast enhanced CT scan.Among the 12, pleomorphic adenoma accounted for ten cases(83.3%). On CT scanning, infiltration into surroundingstructures including subcutaneous fat tissue was observed in three of 24 benign cases(12.5%) and four of tenmalignant cases(40.0%) ; and on MR imaging, in one of 18 benign cases(5.5%) and six of nine malignantcases(66.7%). CONCLUSION: If a mass of lower attenuation than that of muscle is seen on pre-contrast enhanced CTscan, or density patterns change from homogenous on pre-contrast CT to inhomogenous on post-contrast CT scan, themass may be benign. However, for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant parotid masses, the margin ofthe mass is not helpful. Masses which on T2-weighted MR images show an indistinct margin, lower signal intensityto fat and infiltration into surrounding structure are more likely to be malignant. CT and MR findings relating tomass size, cystic change within mass, and lymphadenopathy are not, however, helpful for the differential diagnosisof benign and malignant parotid masses.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Parotid Gland ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of GRASE images of the brain, which combinegradient echo-EPI and turbo spin echo, and to compare the results with those of the turbo spin echo (TSE)technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed and compared brain MR images obtained in 25 patients betweenOctober, 1996 and January, 1997, both TSE and GRASE techniques. Diagnosis was normal (n=5), infarct orischemia(n=10), intracerebral hemorrhage(n=6), and neoplasm(n=4). TSE and GRASE MR images were obtained using a1.5T Gyroscan ACS-NT(Philips, Netherlands). For qualitative assessment, overall image quality, discriminationbetween cortical gray-white matter and basal ganglia-white matter, lesion conspicuity, and MR artifact wereevaluated using a subjective grading system ranging from 1 to 5(1=TSE better than GRASE, 5=GRASE better than TSE).For quantitative assessment, signal-to nosise ratios (SNRs) were calculated for cortical gray matter, whitematter, basal ganglia, and lesions, and contrast-to nosise ratios (CNRs) were calculated for cortical gray-whitematter, basal ganglia-white matter and lesions-white matter, We measured image acquisition time and RF specificabsorption rate (SAR) on TSE and GRASE. RESULTS: Qualitative assessment showed that overall image quality,discrimination between cortical gray-white matter and basal ganglia-white matter, and lesion conspicuity were notsignificantly different between the two imaging techniques. MR artifact was more frequently seen on GRASE than onTSE. Quantitative assessment showed that the SNR of each brain tissue and lesion was significantly greater on TSEimages than on GRASE. Cortical gray-white matter and basal ganglia-white matter CNRs were significantly greater onGRASE images than on TSE, but lesion-white matter CNR was not significantly different between the two techniques.Image acquisition time was 3 minute 31 second in TSE and 1 minute 12 second in GRASE. SAR was lower in GRASE thanin TSE. CONCLUSION: With regard to MR artifact, GRASE is more sensitive than TSE, but as regards image qualityand lesion distinction, the two modalities show no distinct difference. Since GRASE is superior to TSE for thedetection of hemosiderin, and image acquisition time is three times shorter using GRASE, GRASE might usefully beapplied during the evaluation by MR imaging of certain brain conditions.
Artifacts ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain* ; Diagnosis ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

Bordetella (B) bronchiseptica is a common veterinary pathogen, but has rarely been implicated in human infections. Most patients with B. bronchiseptica infections are compromised clinically such as in patients with a malignancy, AIDS, malnutrition, or chronic renal failure. We experienced a case of relapsing peritonitis caused by B. bronchiseptica associated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). A 56-yr-old male, treated with CAPD due to end stage renal disease (ESRD), was admitted with complaints of abdominal pain and a turbid peritoneal dialysate. The culture of peritoneal dialysate identified B. bronchiseptica. The patient was treated with a combination of intraperitoneal antibiotics. There were two further episodes of relapsing peritonitis, although the organism was sensitive to the used antibiotics. Finally, the indwelling CAPD catheter was removed and the patient was started on hemodialysis. This is the first report of a B. bronchiseptica human infection in the Korean literature.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Bordetella Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Bordetella bronchiseptica/*metabolism ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Kidney Failure/microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory/*methods ; Peritoneum/pathology ; Peritonitis/*microbiology ; Recurrence

Behcet's disease is multi-systemic vasculitis affecting all sizes of arteries and veins. The prevalence of coronary involvement in Behcet's disease is extremely rare. A 35-year-old woman with one-year history of Behcet's disease was in hospitalized with pseudoaneurysm of left anterior descending coronary artery, which was detected by echocardiography. The patient was successfully treated by implantation of an endovascular graft-stent.
Adult ; Aneurysm, False* ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Vasculitis ; Veins

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is an acute muscle weakness of the limbs associated with hypokalemia. It can occur with any form of thyrotoxicosis. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis associated with transient thyrotoxicosis due to thyroiditis is very rare. We experienced a case of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis associated with transient thyrotoxicosis. A 39-yr-old man was referred to our hospital because of paralysis of upper and lower extremity. The laboratory results were hypokalemia and mild thyrotoxicosis. A thyroid scan with Tc-99m revealed decreased uptake in the thyroid area compatible with destructive thyroiditis. The paralytic attack did not recur after the patient recovered to euthyroid state.
Extremities ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Lower Extremity ; Muscle Weakness ; Paralysis ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Thyrotoxicosis

We provided a curve-fit equation to predict the normal heart weight (g) in Koreans by examining 422 autopsies (215 males and 207 females, from newborn to age 77 yr) who were relatively in good general condition. Heart weight was well correlated with body surface area (m2), body weight (kg), and body height (cm) but poorly with age in both sex. Heart weight progressively increased from birth to the earlier 3rd and 4th decades in male and female, respectively, and then gradually decreased; mean heart weight of all age group was greater in male than in female and significantly different from birth to 4th decade. In both sex, heart weight exponentially increased in accordance with the increase of body height, body weight, and body surface (in male, heart weight=0.00312 x body height(2.239), r2=0.750, p<0.0001; in female, heart weight=0.00443 x body height(2170), r2=0.781, p<0.0001; in male, heart weight=9.22 x body weight(0.853), r2=0.770, p<0.0001; in female, heart weight=9.00 x body weight0.855, r2=0.820, p<0.0001; in male, heart weight=155.18 x body surface area1.290, r=0.808, p<0.0001; in female, heart weight=124.13 x body surface area1.242, r=0.834, p<0.0001). These results indicate that heart weight is better correlated with body surface area than with body weight; however, body weight should be a better determinant of a predicted heart weight, since body surface area is entirely dependent on body height and body weight.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart/anatomy & histology* ; Human ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Age ; Organ Weight