No abstract available.

Adenosquamous cell carcinoma (Ad-SCC) of the colon is rare. The pathogenesis of Ad-SCC is unclear, however, several hypotheses have been suggested. The clinical presentation and gross findings of Ad-SCC of the colon are similar to those of adenocarcinoma of the colon, but Ad-SCC has a more aggressive clinical course and a poorer prognosis. We report on two cases of Ad-SCC of the colon with obstruction; a collision-type Ad-SCC that has not only obstruction but also numerous hepatic metastases, and a composite-type Ad-SCC treated with left hemicolectomy followed by an adjuvant chemotherapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains telomeres and prevents telomere shortening, and may be linked with cellular proliferation or the aging process. The purpose was to examine telomerase activity in human chorionic villi from early and term normal pregnancies, and to analyze the correlation of telomerase activity (TA) with MIB-1 & bcl-2. A total of 37 placentae were obtained from 16 early and 21 term pregnancies. TA was assayed by telomeric repeat amplification protocol, and immunohistochemical staining was performed for MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression. TA & MIB-1 expression were strong in early placenta, but bcl-2 was highly expressed in term placentae. Thirteen (81.25%) of 16 early placentae showed TA, but only 2 (9.52%) of 21 term placentae expressed TA (p<0.01). MIB-1 was observed in nuclei of cytotrophoblast, and the expression rate was 16.09% in early placentae and 2.87% in term placentae (p<0.01). bcl-2 was observed only in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast. Term placenta demonstrated stronger expression of bcl-2 compared to early placentae (p<0.05). These findings suggest that TA, MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression are critically regulated over the course of gestation: cytotrophoblast, main cells of early chorionic villi, may be a common source of telomerase and proliferative activity. The TA showed good correlation with cellular proliferative activity. Syncytiotrophoblast, may be a main source of bcl-2 expression which is stronger in the term placentae.
Aging ; Cell Proliferation ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Cytoplasm ; Humans* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy* ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Telomere Shortening ; Trophoblasts

No abstract available.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Humans

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in the leg length discrepancy in idiopathic hemihypertrophy as a function of time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A lower extremity scannogram was performed on 33 patients (16 boys and 17 girls) who were clinically diagnosed with idiopathic hemihypertrophy from September, 1985 to December, 1996. The leg length discrepancy was compared every 6 months. The mean age of the patients on the first visit was 1.6 years (range, 1 to 5 years) and the average follow up period was 9.1 years (range, 8 to 15 years). RESULTS: Not all the discrepancies continued to increase at a constant rate with time. The developmental discrepancy patterns identified were classified as follows: type I, increasing pattern; type II, increasing-plateau pattern; type III, plateau pattern; type IV, increasing-decreasing pattern; type V, decreasing pattern. Twenty five patients (75%) had types I and II discrepancy patterns. CONCLUSION: A continual periodic follow up of the leg length is important in idiopathic hemihypertrophy patients because the developmental patterns of a discrepancy in the length of a lower extremity can vary.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg* ; Lower Extremity

To analyze the effects of capsaicin administered to the arthritic rat model, immunohistochemical stains for c-fos protein in the spinal dorsal horn and for substance P and CGRP in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were done. Kaolin and careegenan were administered to the knee joint cavity of adult rats to induce arthritis, and capsaicin was administered immediately after kaolin-careegenan injection. A count was conducted of the c-fos immunoreactive dorsal horn neurons and substance P and CGRP immunoreactive cells in L5 and L6 DRG to elucidate the effect of capsaicin. The results were summarized as follows. 1. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the superficial dorsal horn was increased markedly 2 hours after the kaolin and careegenan injection to the knee joint, and decreased gradually to the control level 1 week after injection. 2. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the superficial dorsal horn of capsaicin- treated rats was less than in those rats not injected with capsaicin. 3. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the deep dorsal horn was increased later than those in the superficial dorsal horn and reached peak level 16 hours after the kaolin and careegenan injection, and decreased gradually therafter. 4. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the deep dorsal horn of the capsaicin treated rats was less than in those rats not treated with capsaicin. 5. The number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive DRG neurons increased 24 hours after the kaolin and careegenan injection to the knee joint, and also apparently increased 1 week after injection. 6. The number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive DRG neurons of capsaicin- treated rats was less than in those rats not treated with capsaicin administered rats. Capsaicin reduces the number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, and also reduces the number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive neurons in the DRG of the arthritic rat model, which may be closely related to the analgesic effects of capsaicin.
Adult ; Animals ; Arthritis ; Capsaicin* ; Coloring Agents ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Horns ; Humans ; Kaolin ; Knee Joint ; Models, Animal* ; Neurons ; Posterior Horn Cells ; Rats* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Substance P

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: With the rapid increase in elderly population arousing from development of medical technology and in standards of living, mental disorders as well as organic disorders according to aging constitute a serious social problem. This study aimed to find a factor related closely to cognitive impairment by analyzing the risk factors influencing cognitive impairment, which is one of the typical geriatric neuropsychiatric conditions. METHODS: This study was conducted using a questionnaire survey and history taking and physical examination was done in 200 elderly patients over sixty-five, who had visited either of the four universities hospitals in the Kyongin district from July 1997 to June 2002. A variety of factors being widely known to be related to cognitive impairment by was investigated using the existing comprehensive geriatric assessment. By using MMSE-K (Korea version of Mini- Mental State Examination), the relation between cognitive impairment and each variable was analyzed by using chi-square test and logistic regression analysis with SPSS 10.0k/PC statistical program. RESULTS: The number of males and females was 73 (36.5%) and 127 (63.5%), respectively, among the total number of 200 examinees. Males and females having symptoms of cognitive impairment was 25 (34.2%) and 49 (38.6%) among the total number of 74 (37%), respectively. Total mean point of MMSE-K was 24 5.4, 24 5.3 in males and 23.9 5.5 in females. According to the results of multi-variable quantities analysis, it was shown that the cognitive impairment had positive relation to age (P= 0.004), but negative relation to regular exercising (P= 0.016), instrumental activities of daily living (P=0.039) and social support (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The factors having a close relation to cognitive impairment of elderly people were social support, age, regular exercising and instrumental activities of daily living.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged* ; Aging ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; Physical Examination ; Risk Factors ; Social Problems ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Schwannoma is a common soft tissue tumor, but it appears to be rare among the spindle cell mesencymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal Schwannomas (GIS) are rare and most of them originate in the stomach or the small bowel. GIS of the colon is extremely rare. The most important issue to be addressed for this type of tumor is the difficulty in making the correct preoperative diagnosis. Less than 10% of cases have been diagnosed as schwannoma preoperatively. A 58-year-old man was found to have a 3.5cm sized submucosal transverse colon tumor on the preoperative colonoscopy, abdominal CT and MRI. Wedge resection was done and the submucosal mass was diagnosed as schwannoma on the immunochemical staining. The immunochemical results were negative staining for CD 117(KIT) and CD 34 and positive staining for S-100 protein, which is all consistent with schwannoma. We report here on the first case of colonic schwannoma in Korea, along with a review of the literature.
Colon* ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Negative Staining ; Neurilemmoma* ; S100 Proteins ; Stomach ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Simple decompression of the ulnar nerve has outcomes similar to anterior transposition for cubital tunnel syndrome; however, there is no consensus on the proper technique for patients with an unstable ulnar nerve. We hypothesized that 1) simple decompression or anterior ulnar nerve transposition, depending on nerve stability, would be effective for cubital tunnel syndrome and that 2) there would be determining factors of the clinical outcome at two years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with cubital tunnel syndrome underwent simple decompression (n=30) or anterior transposition (n=11) according to an assessment of intra-operative ulnar nerve stability. Clinical outcome was assessed using grip and pinch strength, two-point discrimination, the mean of the disabilities of arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) survey, and the modified Bishop Scale. RESULTS: Preoperatively, two patients were rated as mild, another 20 as moderate, and the remaining 19 as severe according to the Dellon Scale. At 2 years after operation, mean grip/pinch strength increased significantly from 19.4/3.2 kg to 31.1/4.1 kg, respectively. Two-point discrimination improved from 6.0 mm to 3.2 mm. The DASH score improved from 31.0 to 14.5. All but one patient scored good or excellent according to the modified Bishop Scale. Correlations were found between the DASH score at two years and age, pre-operative grip strength, and two-point discrimination. CONCLUSION: An ulnar nerve stability-based approach to surgery selection for cubital tunnel syndrome was effective based on 2-year follow-up data. Older age, worse preoperative grip strength, and worse two-point discrimination were associated with worse outcomes at 2 years.
Adult ; Cubital Tunnel Syndrome/*diagnosis/physiopathology/*surgery ; Decompression, Surgical/*methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand/surgery ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgical Procedures/*methods ; Prospective Studies ; Recovery of Function ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Treatment Outcome ; Ulnar Nerve/physiopathology/*surgery ; Young Adult