OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether women with unexplained elevations of maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) at 14-20weeks gestation are at incresed risk for poor pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: 661 pregnant women undergoing second trimester triple marker screening test for Down syndrome and neural tube defect and delivered at our hospital were reviewed. Of 656 pregnancies that did not have maternal serum alpha feto-protein> or =2.5 multiples of the median(MoM), risk for poor pregnancy outcomes include to preeclampsia, preterm delivery, preterm rupture of membrane(PROM), small for gestational age(SGA) and fetal distress was evaluated in women with elevated hCG(> or =2.0 MoM) compared with women without elevated hCG(<2.0 MoM). RESULTS: Pregnancies with elevated hCG levels were at increased risk for preeclampsia (risk ratio 3.4, 95% confidence interval 1.5-7.6) but elevated hCG levels were not significantly associated with preterm delivery, PROM, and SGA and fetal ditress independent with preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: Pregnancies with elevated second-trimester hCG appear to be at higher risk of subsequent preeclampsia and this finding supports the theory that placental vascular changes that ultimately lead to preeclampsia begin at least by the second trimester. But further studies must be to determine how such information can be used to improve pregnany outcome.
Chorion ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans* ; Mass Screening ; Neural Tube Defects ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Rupture

This study was performed to investigate the distribution of endotoxin in various organs after intraperitoneal injection of E. coli homogenator(0111:B4, 3X10(9)cells/200g of body weight). Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with E. coli homogenator and sacrificed 1 and 3 hours after injection. The lung, liver, and kidney were immunohistochemically stained with avidin-biotin complex method and observed by light and electron microscopy. On the light microscopy, granular deposits of reaction products of immunohistochemical stain were found on the cytoplasmic membrane of endothelial cells and some of parenchymal cells of all organs observed. Electron microscopic study revealed finely granular reaction products on the surface of endothelial cells and some of parenchymal cells. The pinocytotic vesicles of endothelial cells demonstrated reaction products in the early phase of experiment. The distribution of reaction products were prominent in the liver among three organs. The Kupffer cells showed the most sensitive and strongest positive reaction. The hepatocytes and endothelial cells revealed weak positive reaction 3 hours later. The alveolar macrophages of the lung were also positive from the early phase of endotoxemia, while the pneumocytes and alveolar septa demonstrated weakly positive reaction in the later phase. The capillary endothelium of the kidney revealed positive reaction from the early phase. According to above results, it is concluded that the endotoxin entered into the systemic circulation was captured in the liver and lung. And both mononuclear phagocytic system and endothelial cells could be activated or damaged by endotoxin.
Rats ; Animals

BACKGROUND: Doppler echocardiography is a non-invasive technique that has been used to evaluate LV diastolic dysfunction. Impaired left ventricular diastolic filling is known to occur in patients with coronary artery disease. Compared with those in normal subjects, Doppler-derived transmitral blood flow velocities have been reported to be reduced during early diastolic filling and to be compensatory elevated subsequent to atrial systole in patinets with coronary artery disease. But stiffness of myocardium normalize the E/A ratio, and normal E/A ratio may reveal increased ventricular filling pressure. We tried to investigate left ventricular filling parameters by Doppler echocardiography in patients with early myocardial infarction, and to compare left ventricular diastolic function regarding infarct location on EKG, one or multivessel disease on coronary angiography, and treatment modality. METHODS: From September 1993 to August 1995, Pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography was performed in patients with early acute myocardial infarction(N=95) and control group(N=20) within 5 days after admission, and parameters of diastolic function was evaluated. RESULTS: Echocardiographic data showed significant differences in mean ejection fraction, mean left ventricular mass, and mean left ventricular mass index between two groups. There was no significant difference in E/A ratio, deceleration time, and isovolumetric relaxation time between two groups. Neither, there was significant difference in each diastolic parameter for infarct related wall on EKG. And there was no significant difference in deceleration time for one or multi vessel disease on coronary angiography, treatment modality(conservative treatment, thrombolytic therapy, or primary PTCA). CONCLUSION: In patients with early acute myocardial infarction, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was absent. And there was no significant correlation between the presence of diastolic dysfunction and the location of infarct related wall on EKG, or one or multi vessel disease, or treatment modality.
Blood Flow Velocity ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Deceleration ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardium ; Relaxation ; Systole ; Thrombolytic Therapy

We observed the patients admitted to the department of pediatrics of Seoul Red Cross Hospital during the past twenty years form Jan. 1971 to Dec. 1990. The results were as follows: 1) The total number of pediatric inpatients during 20 years was 15,800, of which 9,683 were male, 6,117 were female and male to female ratio was 1.58:1. 2) On age distribution, neonates and infants less than 1 year of age were 6,224 cases (39.4%). 3) Monthly distribution of the inpatients showed the highest incidence in October. 4) Infectious and parasitic diseases were 4,759 cases (30.1%) and respiratory tract diseases, 3,556 cases (22.5%) and disease of these two group occupied more than one half of total admission. 5) Major 10 leading causes of hospitalization were diarrheal disease (14.2%), convulsion (7.0%), acute bronchiolitis (6.8%), pneumonia, tuberculosis, URI, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, prematurity and low birth weight infant, acute glomerulonephritis and laryngitis in the order of frequency. 6) There was marked decrease in the number of the admitted patients with typhoid fever, bacillary dysentery, tuberculous meningitis, hepatitis, pyogenic meningitis, rheumatic fever, and acute glomerulonephritis. But the patients with URI, bronchial asthma, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and Kawasaki disease have increased.
Age Distribution ; Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hepatitis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Inpatients ; Laryngitis ; Male ; Meningitis ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Parasitic Diseases ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia ; Red Cross ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; Rheumatic Fever ; Seizures ; Seoul ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal ; Typhoid Fever

Localized or solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the pleura has been classified as a type of mesothelioma, arising from the submesothelial connective tissue cells. The preoperative diagnosis of the tumor at the cytologic or histologic level is very important for the proper handling of the lesion. This preoperative diagnosis is now possible by means of the advance in the transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) techniques and in the very experience of the cytopathologists. We describe FNA cytologic feature of two cases of SFT arising from the pleura. Cytologic, histologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic characteristics of pleural SFT are discussed. The tumor cells of SFT are spindle or oval in shape with a variable amount of cytoplasm. They are arranged in irregular trabeculae intimately ass- ociated with capillaries. A unique cytologic feature observed in this tumor is that thick, eosinophilic, amorphous collagen bundles are scattered between tumor cells
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Capillaries ; Child* ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue Cells ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Hematuria* ; Humans ; Mesothelioma ; Pleura ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors

No abstract available.
Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of frozen gauze with normal saline on thirst and the oral health of patients with nasal surgery. METHODS: A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group pretest-post test design was used. Participants (n=52) received either gauze frozen with normal saline (n=26), or wet gauze (n=26). The subjective thirst level and oral health of the participants were assessed before the intervention, 30 minutes after the first intervention, 30 minutes after the second intervention, and 30 minutes after the third intervention. RESULTS: After oral hygiene was provided twice, the thirst level was improved in patients receiving the gauze frozen with normal saline. After oral hygiene was provided a third time, the thirst level was improved in patients receiving the gauze frozen with normal saline. CONCLUSION: Gauze frozen with normal saline can be effective for oral hygiene in reducing the thirst level and improving the oral health in nasal surgery patients.
Humans ; Nasal Surgical Procedures* ; Oral Health* ; Oral Hygiene ; Thirst*

Malignant lymphomas of the upper respiratory tract are relatively common in the Orient including Korea. They have a marked clinicopathologic and immunophenotypic diversity. We retrospectively reviewed 20 cases of malignant lymphomas with features of polymorphic reticulosis in the upper respiratory tract. Histopathologic findings consisted of polymorphism of lymphoid cells in 17 cases(85%), angiocentricity in 14 cases(70%), coagulation necrosis in 12 cases(60%), and epitheliotropism in 8 cases(40%). By Working Formulation, 14 cases(70%) were classified as diffuse large cell type, 4 cases(20%) as diffuse mixed small cleaved and large cell type, one case as immunoblastic type, and one case as anaplastic large cell type. On immunostaining, one showed B-cell phenotype and 19 cases showed T-cell phenotype. The B-cell type was histologically diffuse large cell type. From these results, we concluded that polymorphic reticulosis is a type of peripheral T-cell lymphoma with angiocentricity.

No abstract available.
Genes, ras* ; Humans*

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy is a major cardiovascular risk factor for sudden death, acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. The left ventricle is generally thought to adapt to sustained arterial hypertension with increased total peripheral resistance by developing concentric hypertrophy. In recent years, the echocardiogrphy has been developed as a noninvasive method for evaluation of left ventricular geometry and left ventricular mass. However, left ventricular adaptation to hypertension has been shown to be more complex than expected. In fact, many patients with mild to moderate hypertension exhibit normal left ventricular mass and wall thickness, other hypertensive patients have eccentric ventricular hypertrophy that is not related to systolic dysfunction, but rather to increased cardiac output and preload and in some hypertensive patients absolute and relative wall thickness is increased with normal ventricular mass(concentric remodeling). There are differences in the hemodynamics, systolic function and diastolic function in each group. METHODS: From september 1992 to August 1994, in 144 patients with untreated essential hypertension and 50 age and gender matched normal adults studied by two-dimensional, M-mode and Doppler echocardiography. In the present study we used echocardiographically derived left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness to assess the patterns of ventricular geometric adaptation to systemic hypertension and their relations to systemic hemodynamics, left ventricular load and contractile performance. RESULTS: Hypertensive group was 144 cases(M:F=68:76), the mean age 56+/-13years. Normotensive group was 50 cases(M:F=22:28), the mean age 52+/-9years. Among hypertensive patients, left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness were normal in 42 cases(29%), 24 cases(17%) had increased relative wall thickness with normal ventricular mass(concentric remodelin),48 cases(33%) had both increased relative wall thickness and ventricular mass(concentric hypertrophy), 30 cases(21%) had increased left ventricular mass with normal relative wall thickness(eccentric hypertrophy). Concentric hypertrophy and normal left ventricle group are more common in untreated hypertensive patients in Korea. Systemic hemodynamics showed tendency to paralleled ventricular geomety. In groups with concentric remodeling and hypertrophy, perpheral resistance was increased. Cardiac index was midly increased in eccentric hypertrophy. Diastolic dysfunction was prominent tn concentric hypertrophy. CONCLUSION: Each patterns of left ventricular geometry had different systemic hemodynamics, ventricular pressure overload and ventricular volume overload. Therefore, appropriate selection of antihypertensive agent for the patients with each patterns of hypertrophy reduce the left ventricular hypertrophy and may improve the prognosis.
Adult ; Cardiac Output ; Death, Sudden ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular* ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Resistance ; Ventricular Pressure