Normal sectional anatomy of the calcaneus with multiplanar CT examination was studied in 5 volunteers as thebackground for interpretation of various abnormalities. Major 3 sectional anatomy including plantar, coronal,sagittal and additional tuberosity planes are described. With CT examination of the calcaneus, 1. More detailedanatomy of 3 facets of subtalar joint(anterior, middle, and posterior facet) can be well visualized. 2. Itsclinical applications in the tarsal trauma, tarsal coalition, subtalar infectin, degenerative arthritis, clubfoot, pes planus and tarsal tumor could provide much more informations, which not obtained by conventionalradiographic studies.
Anatomy, Cross-Sectional ; Calcaneus ; Clubfoot ; Flatfoot ; Osteoarthritis ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Lung* ; Pneumonia*

BACKGROUND: Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces sunburn, immune suppression, and various pigmentary disorders. Sunscreens are widely used to protect those untoward effects by UV but there are reports of phototoxicity or stability problems of sunscreens after exposure to UV. OBJECTIVE: We tried to compare sunscreens with different photostability in terms of their protection against various biologic responses like sunburn, immune suppression or pigmentation. METHODS: Three different sunscreens with SPF around 30 were used; Sunscreen-A (Sc-A) was photochemically inert, sunscreen-B (Sc-B) showed intermediate level of photostability, and sunscreen-C (Sc-C) was the least stable. To observe their in vivo effects, we measured sunscreen-protection against sunburn by back-skin swelling and sunburn cell formation, against immune suppression measured by depletion of Langerhans cells, local and systemic suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CHS), and against pigmentation by irradiation with mixed light source with UVA and UVB lamps that mimic solar UV spectrum. RESULTS: Back skin swellings by 5 kJ/m2 of UVB were protected well by sunscreens, but protection of Sc-C against 50 kJ/m2 of UVB was worse than Sc-A or Sc-B. Sunburn cells were increased significantly in mice irradiated with 5 kJ/m2 of UVB and it was protected by sunscreens, and the effect of photostability was minimal. Depletion of epidermal Langerhans cells by 5 kJ/m2 of UVB was protected completely by sunscreens. Local suppression of CHS by 5 kJ/m2 of UVB was protected by sunscreens, and Sc-A had better protection. But, in the experiment with 50 kJ/m2 of UVB, the protective efficacy was reversed; Sc-A showed worse protection. Systemic suppression of CHS by 10 kJ/m2 of UVB was protected well by sunscreens, and Sc-A had better protection and Sc-C had worse protection. In the experiment irradiated with 100 kJ/m2 of UVB, the protection of sunscreens was decreased, and Sc-B showed better protection, whereas Sc-C showed worse protection. In UV-induced pigmentation, all three sunscreens showed significant protection both by L* value and individual topographic angle (ITA) with the best protection by Sc-A and the worst protection by Sc-B. CONCLUSION: These data showed sunscreens can protect various in vivo responses and photostability of sunscreens played important roles particularly in the back-skin swelling and systemic suppression of CHS by high dose of UVB.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Phototoxic ; Langerhans Cells ; Mice ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Sunburn ; Sunscreening Agents*

No abstract available.
Head* ; Hypopharynx* ; Mouth* ; Neck* ; Oropharynx*

BACKGROUND: No-reflow is a specific type of vascular damage occuring when removal of coronary occlusion dose not lead to restoration of coronary flow. There are three major explanations for the no-reflow phenomenon such as endothelial cell edema, microvascular plugging by platelets or thrombi and coronary occlusion by ischemic contracture of the myocardium. But detailed mechanisms of no-reflow phenomenon are not known. The objects of this study are to elucidate the possibility whether elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration during ischemic cardioplegic period is mechanism of no-reflow phenomenon or not. METHODS: Changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration were measured under varying experimental condition. Free [Ca2+] in the cytosole [Ca2+]i of single rabbit coronary artery cells was measured with fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, Fura-2. RESULTS: Resting [Ca2+]i was 134.2+/-34 nM (n=43). When single cells were perfused with cardioplegic or ischemic cardioplegic solution, [Ca2+]i was significantly increased and degree of [Ca2+]i elevation was further augmented by ischemic cardioplegic solution. Pretreatment of sarcoplasmic reticulum emptying agent (20mM caffeine) had no effect on cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i change, but application of Ca2+ channel blocker (5x10-7M nifedipine) or an antagonist of Na+/Ca2+ exchange (5mM Ni2+ ) partially (nifedipine) or completely (nickel) inhibited the [Ca2+]i elevation. Pretreament of caffeine had no effect on ischemic cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i change, but application of nifedipine or nickel partially inhibited the [Ca2+]i elevation. Magnitude of ischemic cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i elevation was dependent on the Ca2+ concentration of perfusate from 0 to 2.5mM. When Ni2+ was added to reperfusion solution, recovery of ischemic cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i elevation was very rapid compared with control. CONCLUSIONS: From the above results, it may be speculated that ischemic cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i elevation may act as one of the mechanism of no-reflow phenomenon in rabbit coronary artery.
Caffeine ; Cardioplegic Solutions ; Coronary Occlusion ; Coronary Vessels* ; Cytosol* ; Edema ; Endothelial Cells ; Fura-2 ; Ischemic Contracture ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle* ; Nickel ; Nifedipine ; No-Reflow Phenomenon ; Reperfusion ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

Differential diagnosis of cavitary lung lesions is frequently problematic. We studied 35 patients with cavitary lung lesions, consisting of lung cancer (17 patients). Pulmonary tuberculosis(11 patients), and lung abscess (7 patients). We analysed CT scans in terms of irregularities of the cavity wall, maximum wall thickness, the presence of air-fluid level, location of the cavity within the mass, number of cavities within the mass, size of the cavity and the presence of calcification within the mass. Cancer cavity showed irregular inner (100%) and outer margins(100%), and thick wall (mean, 1.94cm), eccentrical location(94%) and multiplicity within a mass(38%). Tuberculous cavity showed smooth inner (56%) and irregular outer margins(75%), thin wall (mean 0.96cm), central location (62%), and multiplicity in one patient (36%). Abscess cavity showed irregular inner (57%) and outer margins(91%), relatively thin wall (mean 1.0cm), central location (57%), and air-fluid level (86%). CT scan could differentiate malignant lesions from benign condition such as tuberculosis and lung abscess by observing characteristics of the cavities.
Abscess* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Lung Abscess ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.

This study has been examined different morphologic measurements in the evaluation of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Preoperative CT-Myelography from 30 patients who underwent surgery for central lumbar stenosis were analyzed. Based on this, we concluded as follows : 1) Bony measurement alone did not reliably identify patients with spinal stenosis. 2) Measurement of the transverse area of the dural sac on CT-Myelography was the most accurate method for identifying stenosis. 3) Lumbar myelography was still considered to have an important role in the valuation of a patient with stenosis because of correlation between the cross-sectional area of the dural sac and the anteroposterior diameter of the dural sac was excellent. 4) We identified soft-tissue problems as the main cause of stenosis. 5) The most common level of maximum stenosis was L4-5.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Myelography* ; Spinal Stenosis*

BACKGROUND: Since the advent of AIDS, tuberculosis has become a major public health problem in the western society. Therefore, it is essential that pulmonary tuberculosis be rapidly diagnosed. Light microscopic detection of acid-fast organisms in sputum has traditionally been used for rapidly diagnosing tuberculosis. However positive smears are only observed in about one-half to three-quarters of cases. Studies using PCR for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis disclosed several shortcomings suggesting an inability to distinguish between active and treated or in active tuberculosis. In this study, the clinkcal significance of a PCR-bases rapid technique for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in peripheral blood investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 1, 1998 through to August 30, 1999, 59 patients with presumed tuberculosis, who had no previous history of anti-tuberculosis medication use whithin one year prior to this study were recruite and followed up for more than 3 months. AFB stain and culture in the sputum and/or pleural fluids and biopsies when needed were performed. Blood samples from each of the 59 patients were obtained in order to identify Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA by a PCR test. RESULTS: 1) Forty five out of 59 patients had a final diagnosis of tugerculosis; Twenty eight were confirmed as having active pulmonary tuberculosis by culture or biopsy. Four were clinkcally diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. The othe 13 patients were diagnosed as having tuberculous pleurisy (9) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (4). 2) Fourteen patients showed a positive blood PCR test. The PCR assay correctly identified active tuberculosis in 13 out of 14 patients. The overall sensitivity and specificity of this blood PCR assay for diagnosing tuberculosis were 29% and 93%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 93%, the negative predictive value was 29% and diagnostic accuracy was 44%. 3) Six out of 14(43%) patients with blood PCR positive tuberculosis were immunologically compromised hosts. 4) A simple chest radiograph in blood PCR positive tuberculosis patients showed variable and inconsistent findings. CONCLUSION: A peripheral blood PCR assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not recommended as screening method for diagnosing active tuberculosis. However, it was suggested that the blood PCR assay could contribute to an early diagnostic rate due to its high positive predictive value.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; DNA* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Public Health ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary