The resuIts of cryotherapy of the ciliary ganglion in absolute glaucoma are presented. The air cases had been suffered from severe ocular pain, headache without vision. The tip of the cryoapplicator (2.5mm in diameter, retinal probe, Amoils Cryo Unit) at a temperature between -60 degrees C to -70 degrees C was applied to the ciliary ganglion site for 30 seconds four to five times at one time. Edema of lids and conjunctiva occurred in all three cases except a case without lid edema and subsided in 5 days. All cases could spend life without pills for pain even though the tension was not decreased to normal leveI. The observation course was between 14 and 90 days.
Conjunctiva ; Cryotherapy ; Edema ; Freezing* ; Ganglion Cysts* ; Glaucoma* ; Headache ; Retinaldehyde

Acoustics ; Child ; Cleft Palate ; Humans ; Korea

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the correlation between insertion depth of artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity after Prodisc-C total disc replacement surgery, and the range of artificial disc insertion depth which is effective in preventing postoperative whole cervical or segmental kyphotic deformity. METHODS: A retrospective radiological analysis was performed in 50 patients who had undergone single level total disc replacement surgery. Records were reviewed to obtain demographic data. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were assessed to determine C2-7 Cobb's angle and segmental angle and to investigate postoperative kyphotic deformity. A formula was introduced to calculate insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc. Statistical analysis was performed to search the correlation between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity, and to estimate insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc to prevent postoperative kyphotic deformity. RESULTS: In this study no significant statistical correlation was observed between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity regarding C2-7 Cobb's angle. Statistical correlation between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity was observed regarding segmental angle (p<0.05). It failed to estimate proper insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc effective in preventing postoperative kyphotic deformity. CONCLUSION: Postoperative segmental kyphotic deformity is associated with insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc. Anterior located artificial disc leads to lordotic segmental angle and posterior located artificial disc leads to kyphotic segmental angle postoperatively. But C2-7 Cobb's angle is not affected by artificial disc location after the surgery.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Total Disc Replacement

PURPOSE: Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is an uncommon disease of the respiratory bronchioles and alveolar ducts that results in fibrosis and obliteration of the small airways. The causes of BO are diverse, but postinfectious BO is usually seen in children, especially after viral or Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) pneumonia. The aim of this study was to evaluate functional abnormalities such as bronchial hyperresponsiveness in the patients with High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) findings suggestive of BO after M. pneumoniae pneumonia. METHODS: The diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia was made by a fourfold or higher rise in the antibody titers between acute and convalescent phase or a single very high titers (> or =1: 640) among children with clinical pneumonia. HRCT was checked in those with intermittent or chronic respiratory symptoms between one and two years after M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Eighteen patients with HRCT findings suggestive of BO (Group 1) and 24 patients with normal HRCT findings (Group 2) underwent methacholine bronchial challenge and skin prick testing. RESULTS: Mean FEV1 (% predicted) value of Group 1 (92.0%) was significantly lower than that of the Group 2. (101.1%) (P=0.048) The geometric mean of methacholine PC20 in Group 1 (8.5 mg/ mL) was significantly lower than that of the Group 2, (25.7 mg/mL) (P=0.008) with a higher frequency of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (PC20< 8 mg/mL) in Group 1 (38.8%) than in Group 2. (8.3%) (P=0.017) Prevalence of atopy was not different between Group 1 and Group 2, and mean FEV1 (% predicted) value and methacholine PC20 showed no significant difference according to the presence of atopy in either group. CONCLUSION: HRCT findings suggestive of BO after M. pneumoniae pneumonia were associated with functional abnormalities such as lower spirometric values and enhanced bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Bronchioles ; Bronchiolitis Obliterans* ; Bronchiolitis* ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Methacholine Chloride ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Prevalence ; Skin

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy*

Primary tumors of the heart are rare, three-quarters of the tumors are benign, and nearly half of the benign heart tumors are myxomas. Cardiac myxoma usually originate in the left atrium about 75 percent, but, only 3 to 4 percent of myxoma are detected in the left ventricle. Cardiac myxoma is histologically benign, but may be lethal because of their position. We reported a case of 65-year-old man with left atrium myxoma associated with inferior vena caval thrombi and pulmonary embolism. After the operation of myxoma, the Budd-Chiari syndrome developed and the patient died due to hepatic failure.
Aged ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome* ; Heart ; Heart Atria* ; Heart Neoplasms ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; Myxoma* ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Thrombosis*

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare malignant dysontogenetic neoplasm primarily affecting children and is characterized histologically by a variably mixed blastematous and sarcomatous patterns. We herein report a very exceptional adult case of PPB. A 21-yr-old male patient presented with a left chest pain of two weeks' duration. A computed tomography scan revealed a large, multicystic tumor occupying the left lower hemithorax, leading to the impression of a ruptured mediastinal cystic teratoma. A thoracotomy for resection of the tumor was performed. On histologic examination, the tumor consisted of cystic walls and associated solid lesions which showed undifferentiated blastemal tissues with focal fibrosarcomatous and rhabdoid features. Immunohistochemically the tumor cells only showed diffuse strong positivity for vimentin. The histologic findings corresponded to a type II PPB. The authors suggest that PPB, especially of type I or II, should be included in the radiologic differential diagnosis of mediastinal cystic neoplasms in a young adult.
Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography/surgery ; Male ; Pulmonary Blastoma/*diagnosis/radiography/surgery ; Teratoma/*diagnosis/*radiography/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vimentin/biosynthesis

BACKGROUND: Ischemic-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a clinically important mechanism of cellular damage, which is suspected to be caused by the attack of oxygen radicals generated in a reoxygenation phase. Nitric oxide (NO), which is essential to the endothelial function, has been thought to be a key material in IRI. In hepatic transplantation, IRI is inevitable, but the effect of NO on hepatic IRI has not yet been elucidated exactly. This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of antioxidants and a NO supplement on hepatic IRI. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: a sham operation group, a group with ischemic-reperfusion (IR), and a group with vitamin C and vitamin E (VC&VE) administered after IR, a group with L-arginine injected after IR, and a group with NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNLA) injected after IR. IRI was induced by clamping the hepatic portal area for 30 minutes, followed by declamping. To prevent blood congestion in the mesenteric vessel, we had performed a porto-systemic shunt operation 4 weeks before the portal clamping. Biochemical assays (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum and malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and NO synthase (NOS) activity in liver tissue) were performed after sacrificing five rats of each group, respectively, at one and six hours after reperfusion. RESULTS: IRI increased the MDA level dramatically and exhausted the catalase and the SOD activities remarkably at 1 hour and 6 hours. The group receiving VC&VE had much lower MDA levels and higher catalase and SOD activities than the IR group did. VC&VE had no significant effect on the NOS activities of the liver tissue. L-arginine administration had a definite antioxidant effect, but the effect was muchlower than that of VC&VE. The antioxidant effect of L-arginine seemed related to a reduction in the catalase exhaustion rather than to SOD exhaustion. Strangely, NNLA had a slight antioxidant effect, but had no effect on either the catalase or the SOD activity. CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidants and a supplement of NO partially prevented IRI of the liver. This effect is thought to be related to suppression of catalase exhaustion. Blocking NO biosynthesis also had a mild antioxidant effect.
Animals ; Antioxidants* ; Arginine ; Ascorbic Acid ; Catalase ; Constriction ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Necrosis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroarginine ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Reperfusion ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in erectile physiology by correlating its action with the existence and activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces NO. We applied Western blot analysis in both human and rat penile tissue. In the rat, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase staining and spectrophotometric assay were also performed, in addition to in vivo electroerection study with pharmacological manipulation. Western blot analysis identified a protein of 155 KDa identical to the neural form of NOS in the human and rat penis. The NOS blot densities in the two species were similar, and both were lower than that in the rat cerebellum. Histochemical staining localized NOS to neurons innervating the corpora cavernosa, including the pelvic plexus, the cavernosal nerves and their terminal fibers within the corporeal erectile tissue, and dorsal penile nerves. NOS activity was also found in the cerebellum, urethra, penis, and urinary bladder, in decreasing order of intensity. Intracavernous injections of NOS inhibitor (L-NOARG or L-NAME in concentrations from 10(-6) M to 10(-3) M suppressed electrostimulation-induced erection in a concentration-dependent manner. Subsequent intracavernous injection of L-Arginine (10(-2) M) partially restored the erection. The neural form of constitutive NOS in the corpora cavernosa synthesizes NO, which mediates penile erection. Determination of cavernosal NOS expression or activity may permit characterization of certain pathological conditions that cause impotence.
Animal ; Human ; Male ; Nitric Oxide/physiology* ; Nitric-Oxide Synthase/metabolism ; Penile Erection/physiology* ; Penis/enzymology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

A congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula is a rare condition, which is an abnormal communication of the coronary artery with the right or left ventricle, the right or left atrium or the pulmonary artery. A coronary arteriovenous fistula, complicated with a pulmonary aneurysm, is quite uncommon. A case of 68-year-old woman, complaining of resting chest pain for 1 week, is reported. The coronary arteriovenous fistula associated, with a pulmonary aneurysm, was confirmed by coronary angiography and multidetector-row helical CT (MDCT), and was surgically ligated.
Aged ; Aneurysm* ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*