The authors present 31 patient with acute epidural hematoma who had been admitted from January, 1987 to June. 1989 managed by consevative treatment. The results were as follows ; 1) The age of patients was distributed evenly, most patients were male (26 cases) and the most common mechanism of injury was traffic accidents(14 cases). 2) Sites of hematoma were mostly the temporal and parietal area and the maximum thickness of hematoma was not different from each site. 3) On admission, all patients presented GCS score above 13 except 2 cases. 4) All patients did not undergo delayed up, due to the enlargement of the hematoma or neurological deterioration. 5) The maximum thickness of hematoma was under 20 mm in all patients. 6) The hematoma was resolved within 30 days in all cases. This was confirmed with brain CT scan.
Brain ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Male ; Rabeprazole ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The Computed Tomography is the most exact method to find out some diesase, soft tissue or musculoskeletal system. It is searching examination distinguishing normal structure and abnormal states in the spine and spinal canal. This is almost an absolute diagnostic method for spinal stenosis, and it has a special forte becasue it can distinguish the soft tissue around the spine. Thus we can distinguish metastatic cancer, herniated intervertebral disc, hypertrophy of the yellow ligament, and spine tumor very easily. Thirty-two cases of herniated intervertebral disc in lumbar spine were treated for 18 months from Jan. 1981 to Jun. 1982. Of thirty two cases, 18 cases were underwent CT scanning and 9 cases were underwent CT scanning and myelography. We obtained following results: 1. In the 18 cases taking a CT scan we found 6 cases of bulging annulus, 7 cases of herniated disc, one case each of facet syndrome, lateral recess syndrome, and three cases had normal finding. 2. In 9 cases taking CT scan, myelography and operation, 7 cases showed the same positive findings, but one case showed the positive CT scan and myelography, negative surgical exploration, and another case showed positive myelography, negative CT scan surgical exploration. 3. In 9 cases who took only a CT scan, there were 6 cases in which myelography was impossible or refused. Among these 6 cases 4 patients took operation and showed positive findings. 4. The diagnosis of herniated intervertebral disc by means of the CT scan has been made more accurately by the supplementary use of metrizamide and improvement of interpretation. a. When the patient refuses myelography. b. For discrimination of other diseases than herniated intervertebral disc. c. When the patient is allergic to iodine dyes used in myelography. As mention above, not only herniated intervertebral disc, but also many other diseases in spine can be diagnosed and we can decide that the herniated intervertebral disc surgery would by desirable with only the CT scan as nonivasive diagnostic test.
Coloring Agents ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Intervertebral Disc ; Iodine ; Ligaments ; Methods ; Metrizamide ; Musculoskeletal System ; Myelography ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Since the endothelin-1 may be implicated in the pathogenesis of peripheral vascular diseases associated with connective tissue diseases (CTDs), we examined the plasma endothelin-1 level in association with quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy in patients with CTDs. METHODS: We investigated 79 patients with connective tissue diseases (54 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 18 systemic sclerosis (SSc), 4 mixed connective tissue disease, 3 polymyositis/dermatomyositis). Plasma samples were obtained and endothelin-1 levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The presence and duration of Raynaud phenomenon as well as nailfold capillaroscopy were evaluated in each patient. To examine the quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy, we measured the length of apical limb width, capillary width and capillary length. RESULTS: According to the presence or absence of Raynaud phenomenon, there was no statistically increased plasma endothelin-1 level between two groups (2.433 +/- 2.259 pg/mL n=33, vs. 1.905 +/- 1.371 pg/mL n=46, p=non specific). All the SSc patients had Raynaud phenomenon and according to the presence of abnormal capillaroscopic findings, there were increased level of endothelin-1 in abnormal capillaroscopy group compared to normal capillaroscopy group (3.940 +/- 3.335 pg/mL (n=12), vs 1.573 1.006 pg/mL (n=6), p<0.05). As compared quantitative examination of nailfold capillaroscopy with plasma endothelin-1 level, in SSc patients the endothelin-1 level correlated well with the length of apical limb width (r(s)=0.577 p<0.05). In SLE patients the endotheliln-1 level correlated well with the length of apical limb width and capillary width (r(s)=0.425 p<0.01, rs=0.278 p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that the presence of abnormal capillaroscopic findings reflect increased plasma endothelin-1 level in patients with connective tissue diseases, and quantitative analysis of nailfold capillaroscopy can be useful to predict the disease activity with the evidence of increased plasma endothelin-1.
Capillaries ; Connective Tissue Diseases* ; Connective Tissue* ; Endothelin-1* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Microscopic Angioscopy ; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Plasma* ; Raynaud Disease ; Scleroderma, Systemic

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is a rare form of inflammatory disease of the gall bladder and was first described in 1970 by Christensen and Ishak as fibroxanthogranulomatous inflammation of the gall bladder. Recently authors experienced three cases of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, two of which were erroneously diagnosed as malignant tumor in preoperative clinical and radiological examinations. Grossly, the gallbladders were enlarged and the walls were thickened with yellowish granular necrotic areas ranging from a few millimeters to 1.0 cm in diameter. Microscopically, all of three cases showed diffuse infiltration of the foamy histiocytes containing bile pigments and mononuclear leukocytes associated with fibroblastic proliferation and foreign body reactions. The pathogenesis of the xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is uncertain, but opinion favours an inflammatory response to extravasated bile probably, from ruptured Rokitanky-Aschoff sinuses. Three cases of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis with brief review of literature are presented.

No abstract available.
Diaphragmatic Eventration* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

Black adenoma is known to be a rare variant of adrenal cortical adenoma containing characteristic abundant lipofuscin pigments in the cytoplasm. Almost all of them are nonfunctioning and only occasionally they are associated with Cushing's syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism. We present two cases of black cortical adenoma of the adrenal gland associated with Cushing's syndrome in a 24-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man. This report dealt with clinical and pathologic presentation including ultrastructural identification of lipofuscin pigment.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adenoma

No abstract available.
Tenosynovitis*

No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Autoantibodies* ; Humans*

Halothane, in common use today, sensitizes the myocardium to endogenous and exogenous sympathomimetic amines arid induces cardiac arrhythmia, sometimes life threatening. Sympatbomimetic amines, however, are frequently injected subcutaneously for hemostasis or intravenously far cardiovascular stability. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the effect of lidocaine 1 mg/kg, pro-pranolol 0.02 mg/kg, and droperidol 0.1 mg/kg pretreatment on arrhythmias(A.R.) and changes in heart ramie(H.R.), systolic bood pressure(T.B.P ) and diastolic blood pressure (D.B.P.) Induced by lV administered ephedrine 0.2 mg/kg. Patients were divided into 5 groups: 20 cases without pretreatment(Group l ), 10 cases with lidocaine prtreatment(Group ll), 10 cases with propranolol pretreatment(Group lll), 20 eases with lidocaine-propranolol pretreatment(Group lV) and 20 cases with droperidol pretreatment(Group V ). The results were as follows: 1) In Group l, ephedrine produced A.R. in 16 cases(80%) and significant increase in H.R.(d~11 bpm, p<0.001) and S.B.P. (8~22 torr, p<0.001), but D.B.P. increased insignif-icantly(2~10 torr, NS). 2) In Group ll, ephedrine produced A.R. in 5 cases(57%) and 5.B.p.(10~17 terr, p<0, 01) increased significantly, but H.R. remained unaltered. 3) In Group lll, ephedrine produced A.R. in 3 cases(30%) and H.R. (6~8 bpm, p<0.05) decreased, but S.B.P.(12~21 torr, p<0.01) and D.B.P (8~16 torr, p<0.01) increased signi-ficantle. 4) In Group lV, ephedrine produced A.R. in 2 cases(10.%) and H.R.(3~6 bpm, p<0.05) decreased, but S.B.P (4~11 torr, p<0.05) and D.B.P.(3~9 torr, p<0.01) increased signific-antly. 5) In Group V. ephedrine produced A.R. in 2 cases(10%) and H.R.(9~13 bum, p<0.001) increased siginificantly, but S.B.P. and D.B.P. remained unaltered. From the above results, it is concluded that lidocaine and propranolol mixture or droperidol protects most effectively against ventricular arrhythmias induced by ephedrine during halothane-N2O anesthesia in human volunteers.
Amines ; Anesthesia* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Blood Pressure ; Droperidol* ; Ephedrine* ; Halothane ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heart ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Lidocaine* ; Myocardium ; Propranolol* ; Sympathomimetics