Blindness or serious visual impairment is a common and well known sequela of methanol intoxication in man, while other manifestations such as focal neurological deficits and abnormal brain CT scan are reported rarely. We experienced a case of acute methanol intoxication, which showed not only visual impairment but also bulbar symptoms and characteristic bilateral symmetrical hypodensity area in basal ganglia, especially putamen on brain CT scan. We tried 'pulse therapy'-continuouis dripping of methyl prednisolone (Solumedrol 1gm/day) for 5 days-with transient improvement of visual impairment, but bulbar symptoms were stationary. One month later, visual impairment was recurred, and the 'pulse therapy' was tried again but without benefit. On follow-up brain CT scan, the size of previous hypodensity area in basal ganglia was decreased.
Basal Ganglia ; Blindness ; Brain* ; Bulbar Palsy, Progressive* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Methanol* ; Prednisolone ; Putamen ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed* ; Vision Disorders

The Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a rare disorder of neuromuscular transmission that is frequently associated with malignancy, particulary small cell carcinoma of the lung. To our knowledge, there was no report of LEMS in Korean listeratures and this might be the first case in this country. The patient is a 55 year old man with muscle weakness and fatigability of proximal lower limbs for 2 months. Bronchogenic carcinoma is confirmed radiologically and pathologically. The electrophysiological studies suppert the clinical diagnosis of LEMS with (1) low amplitude of evoked compound muscle potential to a single supramaximal stimulus on nerve, (2) significant decremental response at low rates of stimulation and (3) marked incremental response at high rates of stimulation.
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome* ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Weakness

Paroxymal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is a kind of intravascular hemolytic anemia due to acquired corpscular defects, and is not rare in this country. The corpscular defect is originated from hematopoietic stem cells, and white blood cells and platelets are also involved. Consequently, the major complications which might affect mortality and morbidity include thrombotic phenomena, especially hepatic and cerebral venous thrombosis. This is a case report of cerebral venous thrombosis with hemiparesis, seizure and change of consciousness in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria accompanied by intravascular hemolysis. The diagnosis is confirmed by CT brain scan and cerebral angiography and the patient is effectively treated with antiplatelets, anticonvulsants and steroids.
Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anticonvulsants ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Hemoglobinuria ; Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal* ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Mortality ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Steroids ; Venous Thrombosis*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the attitude of nurses toward transsexuals. METHOD: The Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each item was used. Twenty-nine nurses classified the 50 selected Q-statements into a normal distribution using a 9 point scale. The collected data was analyzed using the Quanl PC program. RESULT: Four types of attitudes toward transsexuals were identified. The first type (humanitarian acceptance) showed an attitude of respecting transsexuals as human beings and understanding and accepting their desires and difficulties. The second type (superficial understanding) understood the psychological conflicts and suffering of transsexuals but could not accept them as members of families or society. The third type (insufficient understanding) did not feel a sense of rejection toward transsexuals but showed a lack of understanding of their desires and difficulties. The fourth type (rejection) failed to understand the desires and difficulties of transsexuals and showed a sense of rejection toward them, in addition to regarding them as sexually immoral people. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that different approaches of educational programs based on the four types of attitudes toward transsexuals are recommended.
Adult ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Models, Educational ; Nursing Staff/*psychology ; Q-Sort ; Questionnaires ; *Transsexualism

Isolated right ventricular hypoplasia, unassociated with severe pulmonary or tricuspid valvar malformations, is a rare primary congenital cardiac anomaly in which of the trabecular portion of right ventricle fails to develop. An atrial septal defect or a patent foramen ovale serves as an escape valve. We observed a 2-day-old neonate with this disorder who suffered from cyanosis. The diagnosis was made by Doppler-echocardiography which revealed marked reduction in right ventricular size and right-to-left shunt through the atrial septal defect. There was no other cardiac malformation such as pulmonary atresia or tricuspid atresia.
Cyanosis ; Diagnosis ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pulmonary Atresia* ; Tricuspid Atresia* ; United Nations

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of intravenous ketorolac administration before surgical stimulation for postoperative pain control. METHODS: Forty four patients scheduled for total hip replacement were randomly assigned to one of three groups of prospectively designed study. Group 1 (n=14) received intravenous saline (placebo) and Group 2 (n=15) received intravenous ketorolac (30 mg) at one hour after skin incision and Group 3 (n=15) received intravenous ketorolac (30 mg) before induction. Postoperative pain relief was provided with intravenous morphine from PCA system. Postoperative visual analogue pain score (VAS), analgesic requirement and side effects were evaluated and compared between groups for postoperative two days. RESULTS: VAS at rest were significantly less in Group 2,3 than in Group 1 at 3 hours after surgery (p<0.05) and significantly less in group 3 than in group 1 at 6 and 9 hours after surgery (p<0.05). VAS on movement were significantly less in group 3 than group 1 at 1 hour and significantly less in group 2,3 than group 1 at 3 and 6 hours after surgery (p<0.05). Patient controlled morphine consumption in group 1 was significantly higher than in group 2,3 for 12 hours after surgery. After administration of intravenous ketorolac any side effect did not occur. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of intravenous ketorolac before skin incision as a pre-emptive analgesia has better analgesia than those of 1 hour after skin incision and no administration of ketorolac.
Analgesia ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Humans ; Ketorolac* ; Morphine ; Pain, Postoperative ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Prospective Studies ; Skin

Two cases of malignant melanoma which are located in the bulbar conjunctiva are presented. A case of 56 years old male revealed melanosis in his medial palpebral conjunctiva and wedge shaped resection was performed. The other case of 76 years old male had dark brownish strawberry like pedunclated mass in his lateral bulbar conjunctiva and limbal area with history of progressive enlargement. This tumor mass was excised radically. Above two cases were confirmed as malignant melanoma histopathologically.
Aged ; Conjunctiva* ; Fragaria ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma* ; Melanosis ; Middle Aged

Galactosialidosis is a lysosomal storage disease associated with a combined deficiency of beta-galactosidase and alpha-neuraminidase, secondary to a defect of another lysosomal protective protein. It is a neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by psychomotor deterioration, cerebellar ataxia, coarse facies, generalized bony deformity and organomegaly. Three phenotypic subtype are recognized:early infantile, late infantile and juvenile/adult type. We report a 13 months old boy with a late infantile galactosialidosis. He was presented with progressive mental regression and motor disturbance and observed cherry red spot, hearing loss, moderate dysostosis multiplex and vacuolated lymphocytes in peripheral blood. He showed only beta-galactosidase deficiency in the lymphocytes and was diagnosed as GM1-gangliosidosis type 1. However, further studies revealed the possible defect of alpha-neuraminidase suggesting that he was a case of galactosialidosis which was mimicking GM1-gangliosidosis type 1.
beta-Galactosidase ; Cathepsin A ; Cerebellar Ataxia ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dysostoses ; Facies ; Gangliosidosis, GM1 ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Infant ; Lymphocytes ; Lysosomal Storage Diseases ; Male ; Mucolipidoses ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Prunus

We investigated a case of cyst icercosis in the anterior chamber of right eye in a 45 year-old Korean man. Surgical intervention was performed through the superior limbal incision and cyst, about 5 mm diameter of size. was extracted from the anterior chamber. The microscopic studies revealed a cysticercus cellulosae. Three months after operation, visual acuity improved from 0.4 to 0.9 and the ocular functions are satisfactory. We report here a case of cysticercosis with a brief review of literature.
Anterior Chamber* ; Cysticercosis* ; Cysticercus ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic* ; Wegener Granulomatosis*