It was known that the regenerating liver cytosol accelerated liver regeneration, whereas normal liver cytosol inhibited it during first 28 hours, but promoted it later by the thymidine incorporation test. In experiments, Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 3 experimental groups (A, B and C) which had 10 rats in each. Also, each group was equally subdivided into 2 subgroups such as A-8 and A-28 in the A group, B-8 and B-28 in the B group and C-8 and C-28 in the C group. All groups were partially hepatectomized equally. The remnant livers were procured at 8 hours in the 3 subgroups A-8, B-8 and C-8 and at 28 hours in the other 3 subgroups A-28, B-28 and C-28. Another experiment was performed in 10 rats under the same partial hepatectomy to get the average weight of the remnant liver. These data could be taken as the initial weight of the remnant liver in the above experimental animals. The normal saline, normal liver cytosol extract and regenerating liver cytosol extract were injected intraperitoneally after the partial hepatectomies, 4 ml of in the A, B, and C groups, respectively. Since specific structural changes might precede demonstrable functional alterations, morphometric measurements were done in the histological specimens of the 3 subgroups A-8, B-8, and C-8. The remnant livers, obtained in all six subgroups, were weighed to calculate the regeneration rates. The overall results are as follows : 1) The liver regeneration rates in the six subgroups were 4.1% in A-8, 3.8% in B-8, 4.3% in C-8, 28.4% in A-28, 16.7% in B-28, and 32.8% in C-28. 2) The morphometric study showed that the nucleus/cytoplasm ratios in the three subgroups were 0.1389 in A-8, 0.2048 in B-8, and 0.3705 in C-8. These results mean that regenerating liver cytosol extract promotes liver regeneration and that normal liver cytosol extract inhibits it during first 28 hours after a partial hepatectomy, but promotes cell division for subsequent regeneration.
Animals ; Cell Division ; Cytosol* ; Hepatectomy* ; Humans ; Liver Regeneration* ; Liver* ; Male ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Thymidine

No abstract available.
Gaucher Disease* ; Humans ; Siblings*

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (Masson's hemangioma) is a disease characterized by exuberant endothelial proliferation within the lumen of medium-sized veins. In 1923, Masson regarded this disease as a neoplasm inducing endothelial proliferation, however, now it is considered to be a reactive vascular proliferation following traumatic vascular stasis. The lesion has a propensity to occur in the head, neck, fingers, and trunk. Occurrence within the abdominal cavity is known to be very rare, and especially in the liver, there has been no reported case up to date. The authors have experienced intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia of the liver in a 69-yr-old woman, and report the case with a review of the literature.
Aged ; Angiography ; Endothelium, Vascular/pathology ; Female ; Hemangioendothelioma/*pathology/surgery ; Human ; Liver/*blood supply/*pathology ; Necrosis ; Vascular Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery

Neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) leading to cardiopulmonary dysfunction is a potentially life-threatening complication in patients with central nervous system lesions. This case report describes a 28-yr woman with life-threatening fulminant NPE, which was refractory to conventional respiratory treatment, following the rupture of an aneurysm. She was treated successfully with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), although ECMO therapy is generally contraindicated in neurological injuries such as brain trauma and diseases that are likely to require surgical intervention. The success of this treatment suggests that ECMO therapy should not be withheld from patients with life-threatening fulminant NPE after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Adult ; Brain/radiography ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm/complications/*diagnosis ; Pulmonary Edema/*diagnosis/etiology/therapy ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/etiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

STUDY DESIGN: A literature review on the radiologic findings of pelvic parameters for treatment of spinal deformity OBJECTIVES: This review examines sagittal spine alignment, pelvic parameters, and methods for assessing alignment, and examines the relationships among all of these parameters to understand spinal deformity. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Understanding the main pelvic and sagittal spinal parameters and recognizing their correlation is imperative in the diagnosis and treatment of various spinal disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of the literature. RESULTS: As spinal and pelvic parameters tend to have a strong correlation, it is essential to measure not only spinal parameters but also pelvic parameters in analyzing sagittal balance. Degenerative changes have the potential to greatly disrupt the normal curvature of the spine, leading to sagittal malalignment. Analysis of sagittal balance is crucial to optimizing the management of spinal diseases. Improvement in surgical outcomes may be achieved through better understanding of radiographic spino-pelvic parameters and their association with deformity. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding spinal and pelvic parameters raises awareness of the relationship among alignment and balance, the soft tissue envelope, and compensatory mechanisms, which will, in turn, provide a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of spinal deformity and the modalities with which it is treated.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Spinal Diseases ; Spine

PURPOSE: We wanted to clinically evaluate the antibiotic therapy used from pre- to postlaparoscopic cholecystectomy along with the improved surgical techniques and instruments and the patient nutrition. METHODS: We prospective studied 105 patients who were treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute and chronic cholecystitis at Busan St. Mary Hospital from March 2007 to January 2008. The two groups were divided as follows: (A) the group was not injected with antibiotics, and the other group (B) was injected with antibiotics. We did not used antibiotics when the patient had no acute aggravating symptoms, and we exclude the patients with old age (<70 years), a past history of diabetes mellitus (DM) or hypertension (HTN), and a past operation history. RESULTS: Between the two group, there was no difference when they were compared for age, BMI (Body Mass Index), the operation time (minute) and the length of the hospital stay: (A) Group 49.3+/-13.0 years, 24.4+/-3.2 kg/m2, 37.9 +/- 10.0 minute and 4.6 +/- 1.3 days, respectively, and (B) Group 55.9+/-15.6 years, 23.5+/-3.5 kg/m2, 43.2 +/- 23.8 minute and 5.5 +/- 2.5 days, respectively. There was a significant different in the leukocyte count and the % of neutrophils: (A) Group 6396microliter(-1) and 53.4%, respectively and (B) Group 9354microliter(-1) and 66.6%, respectively. In (B) group, there were 2 cases of atrial fibrillation, 1 case of diarrhea and 1 case of wound seroma. There were no surgical related complications in group (A). CONCLUSION: For the well nourished chronic cholecystitis patients, the use of the prophylatic antibiotics may be less effective because of the many drug-induced side effects. More studies about the use of prophylactic antibiotics are needed.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Leukocyte Count ; Prospective Studies ; Seroma

BACKGROUND: Leflunomide, a novel immunoregulatory drug, has been shown to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as monotherapy and as combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX). The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with leflunomide and MTX in active RA patients and to identify the patients with a better response to this combination. METHODS: The patients received a maintenance dose of 20 mg of leflunomide with or without a loading dose. Parameters for disease activity in RA were measured at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks after initiation of leflunomide. At 24 weeks, the baseline data from the patients classified as leflunomide responders were compared with data from nonresponders and analyzed to determine the potential predisposing factors for treatment response. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients with RA were included and 93 (90.3%) patients received leflunomide for 24 weeks. At 24 weeks, 67 (65.1%) patients were DAS28 responders; 14 (13.6%) were good responders and 53 (51.5%) moderate responders. At 12 weeks, significant improvements were noticeable in the individual efficacy measures of diseases activity. There were also significant improvements between 12 and 24 weeks in swollen joint count, tender joint count, HAQ disability index, and patients' and physicians' global assessments of diseases activity; but no further improvements in ESR or CRP could be seen after the first 12 weeks. When comparing the baseline data from responders with the nonresponders, patients on a higher MTX dose and patients with a higher disease activity at baseline responded better to leflunomide. However, age, sex, disease duration of RA, functional status, loading dosage of leflunomide, and previous number of DMARDs used did not affect the patients' response to leflunomide. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with leflunomide and MTX is effective and safe across a wide range of patients, especially those with a high disease activity in spite of treatment with other traditional DMARDs.
Antirheumatic Agents ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Causality* ; Humans ; Joints ; Methotrexate*

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines of advanced trauma life support recommend open thoracotomy when pericardiocentesis reveals bloody pericardial effusion in patients with blunt chest trauma. However, open thoracotomy may not be always required for treating patients alive until arriving emergency department, because rapid accumulation of the blood into pericardial space results in immediate death at scene. We report our experiences of treating traumatic pericardial effusion, and discuss the therapeutic modality in patients with traumatic pericardial effusion. METHODS: The study consisted of 37 patients(20 males and 17 females with the mean age 42) sustaining traumatic pericardial effusion. The patients were divided according to treatment modality into 3 groups(group I : patients receiving conservative management, group II : patients treated with pericardiocentesis, group III : patients required emergency thoracotomy). We compared clinical presentations, hemodynamic profiles and echocardiographic findings among three groups. RESULTS: Cardiac tamponade was present in 14 of 37 patients. Pericardiocentesis was performed in 13 patients, and open thoracotomy in 4 patients. Pericardiocentesis was curative in 9 patients. Thoracotomy was performed in only 3(24%) of 13 patients required pericardiocentesis. 3(75%) of 4 patients having moderate or severe pericardial effusion from penetrating injury were required open thoracotomy. CONCLUSION: In selected patients who have traumatic pericardial effusion by blunt chest injury, pericardiocentesis may be curative, and thoracotomy may not be inquired as long as bleeding via indwelling pericardial catheter is not sustained after pericardiocentesis.
Advanced Trauma Life Support Care ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Pericardiocentesis ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

OBJECTIVE: To determine the fetal aneuploidy in fetal blood cells from cordocentesis. METHODS: We analyzed their karyotype and performed fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) for chromosome 18, 21, X, and Y in 14 cases of fetal blood cells from cordocentesis at Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University and Hamchoon Women's Clinic. RESULTS: In all cases we obtained the consistent results in both methods and were able to rapidly detect aneuploidy in uncultured fetal blood cells using FISH before karyotyping with culture for 48 hr. The averages for accuracy of FISH were from 84.6 % to 93.9%. CONCLUSION: In this study we suggest that the rapid detection in uncultured fetal blood using FISH is possible and that this diagnostic method will be clinically useful when rapid result would be demanded.
Aneuploidy* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Cordocentesis ; Fetal Blood* ; Fluorescence* ; Gynecology ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Karyotype ; Karyotyping ; Obstetrics ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Drainage*