Prophylactic treatment of varices is an appealing concept because 50% of patients who experience variceal bleeding will die within the first 6 weeks of the first bleeding. However, the majority of trials which have evaluated prophylactic therapy gave failed to demonstrate advantage, We tried prophylactic endoscopic variceal ligation(EVL) in 10 patients, to evaluate the safety and effect of prophylactic EVL for esophageal varices with high-risk of hemorrhage. The eradication rate was 100% without bleeding and mortality, the mean session for eradication of varices 1.9, the number of bands per person 16.9 and the number of bands per session 8.9. Although mild chest pain(5.3%) and chest discomfortness(31.6%) were observed, no serious complication related with EVL resulted from 19 EVL sessions. The patients were followed for a mean of 327.0 days(85-708), during which recurrent esophagea1 varices were found in a case at 260 days from last session, but no bleeding nor death was occured. No late complication of EVL was documented. In conclusion, prophylactic EVL is safe and may be effective for esophageal varices with high-risk of hemorrhage. But, the large controlled-trial should be required.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Mortality ; Thorax ; Varicose Veins

No abstract available.
Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons* ; Melanoma* ; Ulcer*

To investigate MR artifacts induced by metallic implants, scans were obtained using both the ferromagnetic Drake lip and the non ferromagnetic Yasargil clip. Scan were taken through the area of clips using geometrical phantom. The MRI was performed by spin echo technique and gradient echo technique on both 2.0T and 0.5T MR unit. The luthors evaluated the nature and differences of artifacts in each sequence and parameter. Artifacts induced by both lips were noted in the direction of frequency encoding gradient, and consisted of region of signal loss abutted in one side by survilinear region of bright signal. Geometric distortion of image was marked in the Drake clip, out was minimal in the Yasargil clip under both 2.0T and 0.5T. Artifacts were more pronounced in the gradient echo technique than those of the spin echo technique on both 2.0T and 0.5T. Although there were no differences n the nature of artifacts induced by the Drake clip among each parameter in the spin echo technique under 2.0T, artifacts were slightly more pronounced on T2 weighted image under the 0.5T field, but no differences were found in the nature of artifacts induced by the Yasargil clip in the spin echo technique under, both the 2.0T and 0.5T fields. Marked artifacts were induced through the small area of the Drake clip which were included in the scan plane, but induced artifacts were small when a small area of the Yasargil clip was included in the scan plane. It seemed likely hat artifacts were slightly more pronounced in the 2.0T than the 0.5T field in both clips, but objective evaluation of the difference was difficult, In conclusion, these results can be an essential basis for the interpretation of MR images or patents with metallic inplants.
Aneurysm* ; Artifacts* ; Lip ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Magnets

No abstract available.
Hemosiderosis* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Seizures*

Vitamin A and its metabolite, retinoic acid, have been recommended for the treatment of psoriasis, ichthyosis, acne vulgaris and Darier's disease which resulted from abaormal regulatory function of keratinocytes. In recent years retinoic acid analogs (retinoids) have been synthesized and shown to be more potent and less toxic than retinoic acid. Since these drugs are therapeutically effective for skin diseases, only with longterm adminiatration of large doses, their toxicities must be seriously considered. The liver is the main site for both storage and excretion of vitamin A and ita derivatives, which may produce injury to the liver and other organs as a result of excess of lysosomal enzyme control. Fatty vacuoles, infiltration of inflammatory cells, focal necrosis, increase in lysosomal enzymes, distension of the RER, decrease in the ribosomes, swelling of the mitochondria, and proliferation of the SER within the hepatocytes have been observed in livers of vitamin A- as well as retinoic acid-treated rats. Its excess may also cause mucous metaplasia of secretory cells of the pancreas. (countinued...)
Acne Vulgaris ; Amphotericin B* ; Animals ; Darier Disease ; Hepatocytes ; Ichthyosis ; Keratinocytes ; Liver ; Metaplasia ; Mitochondria ; Necrosis ; Pancreas ; Psoriasis ; Rats ; Ribosomes ; Skin Diseases ; Tretinoin ; Vacuoles ; Vitamin A ; Vitamins

In open wounds of the hand that have exposed bone or tendons, management may be difficult. Compared with conventional cutaneous pedicle flaps, the fascial radial flap transfer has several advantages : (1) one operation is required by one operating team reliably and easy to perform, (2) the appearance is not bulky, (3) the donor area is closed primarily, and (4) the hand is free for early motion of the shoulder and the elbow. One potential disadvantage is the permanent loss of the contribution of the radial artery to the circulation of the hand. One case of the fascial radial flap transfer was performed at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Hanyang University Hospital, and satisfactory result was obtained.
Elbow ; Hand ; Humans ; Radial Artery ; Shoulder ; Tendons ; Tissue Donors ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: For the production and evaluation of the tissue-equivalent phantom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used agarous gel and oil as a basic component of the mixture and added Tween 80 for the stabilization of phantoms. We did the test for homogeneity and measured T1 and T2 relexation times of each phantom tube. RESULTS: T1 relaxation time ranged from 642 to 2781 msec and T2 relaxation times from 42 to 157 msec. Each phantom was significantly different in T1 relaxation time and T2 relaxation time (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Tissue equivalent phantom may provide good information on the optimal sequence before MR imaging of patients and may be valuable if it is used with the patients' MR imaging.
Agar ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Polysorbates ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: The infection rate of syphilis in married couples has been reported by a few investigators during the 1940s. However, studies on recent trends of that particular aspect of syphilis in married couples have not yet been done. OBJECTIVE: We therefore studied the infectivity of T. pallidum and recent trends of conjugal syphilis by observing the spouses of patients with untreated syphilis. METHODS: Couples married for more than 1 year who visited Yonsei Medical Center from 1983 to 1990 for syphilis were entered into this study. We observed the infection rate among spouses of 224 index patients (defined as, between husband and wife, the one who was the first to be diagnosed to have syphilis) who were not treated for syphilis. Syphilis was diagnosed on the basis of physical examination, history of extramarital sexual contacts, and the results of VDRL, TPHA, FTA-ABS, and 19S(IgM)-FTA tests. RESULTS: Fifty-six wives(48%) of 117 male index patients and 50 husbands (47%) of 107 female index patients had been infected at the time of examination. Among the 224 couples, 106(47%) were both infected and in 118(53%), only either husbands(27%) or wives(26%) were infected. Two spouses(50%) of the 4 first incident patients with primary syphilis, 9(53%) of 17 with secondary syphilis and 23(72%) of 32 with early latent syphilis were infected at the time of examination. CONCLUSION: From our results showing the low infection rates among married couples, even in early syphilis when the infectivity is high, it can be deduced that T. pallidum has only a low infectivity.
Family Characteristics ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Research Personnel ; Spouses ; Syphilis* ; Syphilis, Latent

No abstract available.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a* ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia*

No abstract available.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a* ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia*