PURPOSE: This research was designed to evaluate the chronic effect of isolated lung perfusion (ILP) with cisplatin on dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen dogs were divided into three groups. Group I was in ILP without cisplatin, group II with 2.5 mg/kg and group III with 5.0 mg/kg of cisplatin for 30 minutes respectively. Serial blood samples were taken before and after ILP for quantitative analysis of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (BUN/Cr). The specimens from the lung were obtained 2 weeks after ILP. RESULTS: There were no statistic significant differences in LDH concentration according to the time interval among the groups. The LDH concentration peaked at 1 week after ILP and declined thereafter to the pre-ILP concentration. The concentration of BUN/Cr was in normal range. Histologic examination showed no pathologic change. No significant histopathologic differences were found in the pulmonary parenchyme and vasculature among the groups. All of the dogs survived without complication 2 weeks after ILP. CONCLUSION: In ILP with cisplatin of 5.0 mg/kg in normal dog, the toxicity of cisplatin itself was not observed. With further study about the technique of ILP with cisplatin it would be effective to deliver high concentration of cisplatin into the target tissue minimizing lung damage.
Animals ; Cisplatin* ; Dogs* ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lung* ; Perfusion* ; Reference Values ; Urea

BACKGROUND: Few studies on how to diagnose pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors through morphometric analysis have been reported. In this study, we measured and analyzed the characteristic parameters of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors using an image analyzer to aid in diagnosis. METHODS: Sixteen cases of typical carcinoid tumor, 5 cases of atypical carcinoid tumor, 15 cases of small cell carcinoma, and 51 cases of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma were analyzed. Using an image analyzer, we measured the nuclear area, perimeter, and the major and minor axes. RESULTS: The mean nuclear area was 0.318+/-0.101 microm2 in typical carcinoid tumors, 0.326+/-0.119 microm2 in atypical carcinoid tumors, 0.314+/-0.107 microm2 in small cell carcinomas, and 0.446+/-0.145 microm2 in large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas. The mean nuclear circumference was 2.268+/-0.600 microm in typical carcinoid tumors, 2.408+/-0.680 microm in atypical carcinoid tumors, 2.158+/-0.438 microm in small cell carcinomas, and 3.247+/-1.276 microm in large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas. All parameters were useful in distinguishing large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma from other tumors (p=0.001) and in particular, nuclear circumference was the most effective (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors showed nuclear morphology differences by subtype. Therefore, evaluation of quantitative nuclear parameters improves the accuracy and reliability of diagnosis.
Carcinoid Tumor ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Neuroendocrine Tumors

OBJECTIVE: To Investigate the synergic effects of short-term constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) and visual biofeedback training (VBT) in subacute stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty-two subacute stroke patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups: short-term CIMT with VBT, VBT only, and control groups. We applied CIMT for an hour daily during VBT instead of the ordinary restraint time, referred to as 'short-term' CIMT. Short-term CIMT with VBT group received simultaneous VBT with CIMT, whereas the VBT the only group received VBT without CIMT for an hour a day for 2 weeks. The control group received conventional occupational therapy (OT) alone. Patients underwent the Purdue Pegboard Test, the JAMAR grip strength test, the Wolf Motor Function Test, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (upper extremity), Motricity index and the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index test to evaluate motor functions of the hemiplegic upper limb at baseline, post-treatment, and 2 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between short-term CIMT with VBT and VBT only groups. Both groups showed significantly higher scores compared to the control group in the WMFT and FMA tests. However, the short-term CIMT with VBT group showed significant improvement (p<0.05) compared with the control group in both grasp and pad pinch at post-treatment and 2 weeks after treatment while the VBT only group did not. CONCLUSION: Short-term CIMT with VBT group did not show significant improvement of hemiplegic upper limb function of subacute stroke patients, compared to VBT only group. Larger sample sizes and different restraint times would be needed to clarify the effect.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Occupational Therapy ; Sample Size ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity* ; Wolves

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was report first case of renal cell carcinoma developed in a worker who worked in an automobile manufacture line which handles trichloroethylene in Korea. CASE PRESENTATION: To clarify the relationship between the onset of renal cell carcinoma in 52-years old male worker and the exposure to trichloroethylene, document studies and work environment measurement were done. Past work environment exposure data were reviewed and medical history and surgery records of the worker were also reviewed. The patient had no personal risk factor related to renal cell carcinoma except for his smoking habit of quarter a pack per day for twenty years, and since trichloroethylene was not part of measurement criteria, past work environment risk assessment data could not verify the exposure. The exposure level is deduced by analyzing material exposure level of work environments which has similar processes in data from revised research of chemical exposure standard and work environment validity assessment. Evaluation Committee of Epidemiologic Survey decided that there are relevant relationship between the exposure and the disease, though we do not have exact data during that period, most experts agree that in every factories they used trichloroethylene without any direction. CONCLUSIONS: From the relevant medical history and the results of the usage of trichloroethylene in the relevant industries, and initial discovery of renal cell carcinoma at health inspection sonogram in 2001, it can be concluded that suggests significant causal relationship between the exposure to trichloroethylene and renal cell carcinoma onset, thus reporting it to be the first domestic case declared to be occupational disease.
Automobiles* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Trichloroethylene*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to examine the usefulness of a combined spinal-epidural set with reinforced catheter (CombiSpeed(R), Ace Medical, Seoul, Korea) as compared with the non-reinforced catheter (PORTEX(R), Smiths medical, Brisbane, Australia) in terms of catheter positioning and clinical aspects of anesthesia. METHODS: One hundred and two patients scheduled for regional anesthesia were enrolled in this study. They were allocated randomly either into group A (CombiSpeed(R)) or group P (PORTEX(R)). Vital signs and the levels of sensory and motor block were measured every 5 minutes. Ease of insertion and the removal of the catheter were assessed, so was the incidence of venous cannulation and paresthesia during epidural catheter insertions. After the placement of epidural catheter, we checked the location of catheter by radiography and measured in a clockwise angle from the midline to catheter tip (angle X). In laboratory, tensile strength of the two products was measured by using tonometry. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups in intra-operative vital sign, block level and ease of catheter insertion and removal. No difference was observed in angle X between the groups (group A: 93.6 +/- 129.5degrees, group P: 124.5 +/- 127.7degrees, P = 0.22). There were no complications such as paresthesia or venous cannulation during catheter insertion. The tensile strength was higher in group A (group A: 1.70 +/- 0.05 kg, group P: 1.30 +/- 0.03 kg, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CombiSpeed(R) is as useful as PORTEX(R) in terms of ease for catheter placement, positioning of catheter tip and clinical aspects of anesthesia.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Humans ; Incidence ; Paresthesia ; Tensile Strength ; Vital Signs

We found an error in our published article.