Heart failure is a recognized, although uncommon, cause of massive liver cell necrosis, the clinical consequence of which are intermingled with those of cardiac insufficiency in most case. But, hepatic coma is rerely caused by hepatic congestion only. We report the three cases with heart failure resulted in massive liver cell necrosis and fulminant hepatic failure. The manifestations of fulminant hepatic failure were hepatic encephalopathy, jaundice, marked increase of prothrombin time and serum transaminase and there were no evidences of viral hepatitis and toxic hepatitis as a cause of liver failure.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Hepatitis ; Jaundice ; Liver ; Liver Failure ; Liver Failure, Acute* ; Necrosis ; Prothrombin Time

BACKGROUND: The stratum corneum presents a significant barrier to transdermal drug delivery. Approaches to improve percutaneous absorption of drugs have included iontophoresis and skin penetration enhancers. Oleic acid has been studied as a skin penetration enhancer for drugs, primarily via its action mainly on the stratum corneum lipid structure. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the interaction between oleic acid and stratum corneum lipids in vivo. METHODS: Male hairless mice were treated topically with oleic acid. Barrier function was assessed by transepidermal water loss measurement and ultrastructural observation with ruthenium tetroxide (RuO₄) staining. RESULTS: Oleic acid in propylene glycol had a profound effect on epidermal barrier function and was found to be concentration dependent. Moreover, ultrastructural examination with RuO4 post-fixation demonstrated that there were marked alterations in the stratum corneum lipid structure. CONCLUSION: This study provides direct evidence that oleic acid increases the epidermal permeability through a mechanism involving the stratum corneum lipid membrane perturbation via the lacunae formation within the stratum corneum.
Animals ; Humans ; Iontophoresis ; Male ; Membranes ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless ; Oleic Acid* ; Permeability ; Propylene Glycol* ; Ruthenium ; Skin ; Skin Absorption ; Water

The characters of modern buildings such as higher airtightness, frequent usage of artificial materials and artificial air conditionings provide suitable conditions for flourishing of microorganisms, especially fungi. Indoor fungi could produce unacceptable musty smells and cause structural damage of building. But the more serious effects are the threatening on human health. They could provoke several allergic diseases, sick building syndrome, organic dust toxic syndrome, and could be the important causative agents of infectious diseases in the immunocompromized host. This paper review the characters, physiology, epidemiology and isolation techniques of the indoor fungi to provide the basic ideas to control the indoor fungi.
Air Conditioning ; Communicable Diseases ; Dust ; Epidemiology ; Fungi* ; Humans ; Physiology ; Sick Building Syndrome ; Smell

No abstract available.
Aluminum Hydroxide* ; Aluminum* ; Korea*

PURPOSE: To study theeffect of micro incision (1.8 mm) and small incision (2.2 mm and 2.8 mm) coaxial phacoemulsification on surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) and high-order aberrations (HOA) of anterior and posterior corneal surface. METHODS: The present randomized clinical study included 32 eyes having a 1.8-mm, 38 eyes having a 2.2-mm, and 30 eyes having a 2.8-mm corneal incision. SIAs were measured at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. HOAs included coma, trefoil, and spherical aberration. The coma-root mean square (RMS) and trefoil-RMS were evaluated at 1 month after the cataract operation. RESULTS: Surgically induced astigmatisms were 0.41 +/- 0.30 diopter (D) in the 1.8-mm incision group, 0.47 +/- 0.21 D in 2.2-mm group and 0.71 +/- 0.50 D in the 2.8-mm group. The SIA of the 1.8-mm group was smaller than the other groups (p = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in coma, spherical aberration of the corneal anterior surface and trefoil, or spherical aberration of the posterior surface among the 3 groups at 1 month after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Incision size contributes to postoperative corneal astigmatism. Phacoemulsification cataract surgery with less than 2.8-mm incision does not significantly influence the corneal aberrationsof anterior and posterior corneal surfaces.
Astigmatism ; Cataract ; Coma ; Eye ; Lotus ; Phacoemulsification

No abstract available.
Lymphocytes* ; Macrophages* ; Nitric Oxide*

Acromioclavicular joint injuries are frequently seen with the recent increase of traffic and industrial accidents. The treatment of complete separation of the acromioclavicular joint has been, and is still, a subject of controversy. In view of a recent trend, anatomical reduction of acromioclavicular joint, and rigid internal fixation method is preferable, especially in type 3 injury. We operated on 16 cases of complete acromioclavicular separation by the technique of coracoclavicular wiring from March 1983 to Feb. 1987. The following results were obtained. 1. The functional results were excellent; 12 cases(75%), good; 3 cases(19a%), and fair ; 1 cases(6%). 2. The complications include wire reakage ; 1 case(6%), bony erosion ; 3 cases(19%) and subluxation, 1 case(6%). 3. The advantages of coracoclavicular wiring. 1) Avoids violation of acromioclavicular joint but does not restrict rotation of the clavicle. 2) The operation is simple to perform. 3) Postoperative immobilization is minimal. 4) Removal of the wire is easy under local anesthesia. 5) This method corresponds to the coracoclavicular ligment biomechanically. Therefore, coracoclavicular wiring is thought to be a good operative method in the treatment of complete acromioclavicular separation.
Accidents, Occupational ; Acromioclavicular Joint ; Anesthesia, Local ; Clavicle ; Immobilization ; Methods

PURPOSE: To report the clinical findings and the results of treatment on hematogenous pyogenic arthritis after major burn injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of 11, 797 major burn injury patients from January 1996 to June 2004. Severity of burn by involved body surface area, time of diagnosis, and laboratory findings were analyzed. Direct spread of infection from injured skin to superficial joint was excluded. RESULTS: Hematogenous infection was complicated in 26 joints of 22 patients (0.19% of overall cases). The mean age was 43.6 years, and mean follow-up was 46 months. The body surface area of burn injury was averaged 34.7%. The common involved area was hip in 10 patients, spine and shoulder in five patients, respectively. From the time of injury, average interval to development of symptom was 4.1 weeks, and to establish the diagnosis was 6.3 weeks. The most common isolated pathogen was Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A total of 22 joints underwent surgical treatment. The clinical results of the patients were poor in 72% due to recurrent infection and persistent pain. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that major burn injury may be an important risk factor of hematogenous pyogenic arthritis. Careful clinical suspicion should be important for early diagnosis and treatment.
Arthritis ; Body Surface Area ; Burns* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shoulder ; Skin ; Spine

A retrospective review of 36 patients with infective endocarditis by strict case definition was performed from 1972 through April of 1984. Male to female ratio was 1:1.25, with mean age of 19.1. Thirty of the 36 patients(83.3%) had the history of predisposing heart diseases: congenital heart disease was most frequent one below the age of 20, rheumatic heart disease between the age of 20-39 and degenerative heart disease above the age of 40. The commonest presenting symptoms were fever, dyspnea, and malaise, and the commonest signs were fever, murmur, and hepatomegaly. Average hemoglobinand hematocrit were 10.1g/dl and 30.8% respectively, showing moderate degree of anemia. White cell count was 11,600+/-5400/mm3 and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 46+/-18mm/hr. Over four fifths of the patients demonstrated proteinuria and elevated C-reactive protein. Two thirds of the patients showed microscopic hematuria and one third showed positive rheumatoid factor. Eight patients(22.2%) showed arrhythmia and 4(11.1%) showed conduction abnormalities on electrocardiography. The commonest etiologic microorganisms were alpha-hemolytic streptococcus(30.6%) and staphylococcus aureus(22.2%). Abacteremic cases were found in 38.9% of the patients. To compared with alpha-hemolytic streptoccus endocarditis the cases caused by staphylococcus aureus showed the shorter duration of symptoms before admission, the less frequent complication, the higher fever, and the more elevated white cell counts. To penicillin, alpha-hemolytic streptococcus was sensitive in most cultures and staphylococcus arueus was resistant in half of them, and to aminoglycosides vice versa. To cefazolin, both microorganisms were sensitive in most cultures. In 18 of 24(75%) patients vegetation was visualized by echocardiography. The most frequent site of involvement was the mitral valve. And in vegetation detected group complication rate by embolism was found to be higher. The common complications were congestive heart gailure in 24(66.75%), embolism in 8(22.2%), and metastatic infection in 6(16.7%). The mortality rate of infective endocarditis was 25%, and the causes of death were cerebral embolism in 3(8.3%), septic septic shock in 3(8.3%), congestive heart failure in 2(5.6%), and mycotic aneurysmal rupture in 1(2.8%). Conclusively in infective endocarditis the author observed the increasing prevalence of degenerative heart disease as a prdisposing heart disease and increasing incidence of staphylococcus aureus as a causative microorganism. Adn the differences of clinical characteristics between staphylococcus ureus and alpha-hemolytic streptococcus endocarditis would be helpful in diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis as well as recognition of prognosis.
Aminoglycosides ; Anemia ; Aneurysm, Infected ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cause of Death ; Cefazolin ; Cell Count ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Embolism ; Endocarditis* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Fever ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Hematocrit ; Hematuria ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Embolism ; Male ; Mitral Valve ; Mortality ; Penicillins ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Proteinuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Rupture ; Shock, Septic ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus

We report a case of congenital candidiasis confined to the rail plates in a 57-day-old girl whose infected nails exhibited the rough, yellow-white, thickened, opaque distal ends and pink-colored, normal healthy plates at their proximal bases. Numerous pseudohyphae and spores were demonstrated by KOH microscopic examination. Candida albicans was identified by culture on Sabourauds glucose agar and API 20C Aux system. Histopathologic findings of nail crippings also showed mutiple hyphae beneath the hyperkeratot,ic nail plate on PAS stain. Shedding of the infected distal portion of the ungual plates ws caused by growing out of the healthy nails, resulting in spontaneous healing of the disease rithin 2 months.
Agar ; Candida albicans ; Candidiasis* ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Spores