Vascular dementia is one of the few remediable causes of dementia among the eldery. Prevention of the disease can be best achieved by primary or secondary prevention of controllable risk factors for strokes. Therefore, early and accurate diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment prior to the dementia stage is essential to the prevention and treatment of vascular dementia. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods for prevention of vascular dementia are listed in this article. Recent epidemiologic data, suggesting a direct correlation between vascular risk factors and Alzheimer type dementia, emphasized the importance of controlling vascular risk factors in the prevention of dementia. Treatment strategies for patients diagnosed as vascular dementia are also discussed. Several clinical trials for symptomatic improvement of vascular dementia are ongoing and their success can be a hope to patients with vascular dementia.
Alzheimer Disease ; Cognition Disorders ; Dementia ; Dementia, Vascular* ; Diagnosis ; Hope ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Secondary Prevention ; Stroke

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, Infected

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Hypertension, Portal

Clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses is the term coined by Enzinger in 1965 to describe a rare but unique type of soft tisse neoplasm whose cells characteristically have the capacity to produce melanin. The authors experienced a case of 64-year old female who presented with a 6x5x4 cm sized mass deeply seated in the left popliteal fossa. The mass was firm and multinodular, and on cut section revealed patches of brown black pigmentation. Histologically the tumor was composed of round to fusiform cells with clear or pale eosinophilic cytoplasm that contained small amounts of glycogen, separated into compact nests or short fascicles by delicate septa of fibrous tissue. The brown black pigment seen in tumor cells and stroma was proven to be melanin by special stain, and ultrastructural examination showed melanosomes in varying stages of development dispersed freely in the cytoplasm or in the lysosomes. These findings strongly support the view that clear cell sarcoma is a tumor of neural crest origin rather than of tenosynovial mesenchyme origin, and is a soft tissue variant of malignant melanoma.
Female ; Humans

We present a case of pemphigus vulgaris developed during pregnancy. The clinical features of this patient were similar to those of hetpes gestationis. By immunofluorescence studies we found that the patient's serum contained autoantibodies to intercellular substance of epidermis. Direct immunofluorescence microscopy of a perilesional skin also demontrated immunoglobulin deposition in the intercellular areas. Additionally we did in vitro C3 staining for further confirmation of the diagnosis but it was negative in basement membrane zone. This patient was initially treated with corticosteroid and azathioprine. Several months later gold compound was given instead of azathioprine and corticosteroid with good therapeutic response.
Autoantibodies ; Azathioprine ; Basement Membrane ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Microscopy ; Pemphigus* ; Pregnancy* ; Skin

An immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study of an atypical fibroxanthoma of the skin (AFX) was reported. The lesion developed on the left scapulararea in a 70-year-old man. The result using antibody to S-100 protein was negative and the tumor cells observed with electron microscope were undifferentiated, fibroblast-like, histiocyte-like and multinucleated giant cells. But Langerhans-like cells or Langerhans were not found.
Aged ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; S100 Proteins ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Rickettsia typhi* ; Rickettsia*

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Rickettsia typhi* ; Rickettsia*

PURPOSE: To compare standard laparoscopy-assisted Billroth I gastrectomies including standard lymph node dissection (LABIG) with hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery with the HandPort system (HALS) for the removal of early gastric cancers (EGC). METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 26 patients of EGC at Ewha Womans University Mok-Dong Hospital from July 1999 to August 2001. Seventeen patients (Group L) received LABIG using conventional laparoscopy-assisted methods and 9 patients received LABIG using HALS (Group H). We used staplers for the anastomosis, and a standard D2 lymph node dissection was done with ultrasonic shears or electrocautery. RESULTS: In group L, pathologic reports revealed 14 EGC (stage IA 14 cases), and 3 pm cancers (stage IB 1 case, II 2 cases). In group H, there were 9 early gastric cancers (stage IA 8 cases, IB 1 case). Significant differences (P<0.05) were present between group L and H in regards to the number of harvested lymph nodes (30.8 vs 18.9), estimated blood loss (462.1 vs 286.7 ml) and postoperative transfusion amounts (0.59 vs 0 unit). There were no differences in the mean operating time, distance from the lesion to the resection margin, postoperative leukocyte count, frequencies for pain control, wound size, time to diet, weight loss, serum protein, and postoperative hospital stay. Complications were present in 1 case in group L (enterocutaneous fistula) and 1 case in group H (gastric atony). There was one conversion to open surgery in group H. CONCLUSION: LABIG including standard lymph node dissections with both standard laparoscopic surgery and HALS were performed with equal outcome. The choice of surgical method depends on the characteristics of the lesion and the patient's physical factors.
Conversion to Open Surgery ; Diet, Reducing ; Electrocoagulation ; Female ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterostomy* ; Hand-Assisted Laparoscopy* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Leukocyte Count ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Prospective Studies* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Ultrasonics ; Wounds and Injuries