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

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

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

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

BACKGROUND: Tranilast is an anti-allergic drug that suppresses the release of cytokines. An antioxidant, probucol, prevents endothelial dysfunction and oxidation of low density lipoprotein and also inhibits the secretion of interleukin-1 by macrophages. In several studies, both the tranilast and probucol with multivitamins have been shown to decrease the frequency of angiographic restenosis after PCI. METHODS: We analyzed clinical events and restenosis at 6 months following percutaneous coronary angioplasty in 93 patients with 113 coronary arterial lesions after coronary stenting at Soonchunhyang University Hospital between Jan 2001 and Apr 2003. The patients were assigned to following three groups: 39 patients who didn't receive tranilast and antioxidants (control group, M 29, F 10, 61 +/- 10 years) ; 25 patients who received probucol (500 mg), vitamin C (1,000 mg), vitamin E (400 mg) (antioxidant group, M 19, F 6, 62 +/- 10 years) ; 29 patients who received tranilast (400 mg) (Tranilast group, M 18, F 11, 59 +/- 9 years). RESULTS: The restenosis per lesion between three groups was not different significantly (control group, 32.7%; antioxidant group, 26.7%; Tranilast group, 20.6%). At follow-up, minimal luminal diameter (MLD) was not different significantly between three groups (control group, 1.8 +/- 1.07 mm; antioxidant group, 2.1 +/- 1.18 mm; Tranilast group, 2.1 +/- 0.94 mm). Target lesion revascularization was lower in Tranilast group (3.4%) as compared with control group (25.6%) and antioxidant group (16%, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Neither probucol combined with vitamin C and E nor tranilast did not improve significantly the angiographic restenosis rate. But tranilast had reduced the target lesion revascularization rate as compared with control group and antioxidant group.
Angioplasty ; Antioxidants ; Ascorbic Acid ; Cytokines ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; Lipoproteins ; Macrophages ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention* ; Phenobarbital ; Probucol* ; Stents ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

BACKGROUND: Serum uric acid (UA) and anemia could be a valid and useful prognostic marker of chronic heart failure (CHF). We investigated the relationship of anemia and UA with clinical outcomes in CHF patients. METHODS: We analyzed 109 patients with congestive heart failure between August 2001 and October 2002 (age 67 +/- 15 years, follow-up 14 +/- 5 months). We distributed the patients into 3 groups according to hematocrit (Hct) level [Hct group 1 (Hct <30%, n=21), Hct group 2 (Hct 30~38%, n=49), Hct group 3 (Hct >38%, n=39)] and into 3 groups according to serum uric acid (UA) level [UA group I (UA <5.2 mg/dL, n=20), UA group II (UA 5.2~7.5 mg/dL, n=25), UA group III (UA >7.5 mg/dL, n=20)]. Primary end point were rehospitalization resulting from aggravation of CHF and all-cause of death. RESULTS: Among the groups according to Hct level, readmission rates were 57.1%, 28.6%, 15.4%, respectively (p<0.05). Among men, readmission rates were 82.3%, 22.2%, 14.3%, respectively (p<0.05). No significant difference in death rate was observed among the 3 groups. Among the groups according to UA level, there was no significant difference in readmission rates. Death rates were 5%, 8%, 35%, respectively (p<0.05) and there was significant difference in death rate especially among male patients. CONCLUSION: In male patients, lower hematocrit level was associated with higher readmission rate and higher serum uric acid level was associated with death rate.
Anemia* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure* ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Uric Acid*

PURPOSE: To investigate the modulation of radiosensitivity by celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on cancer cells over- and under-expressing COX-2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clonogenic radiation survival analysis was performed on A549 human lung and MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines incubated in both 1 and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) containing media. The apoptosis in both cell lines was measured after treatment with radiation and/or celecoxib. RESULTS: Celecoxib enhanced the radiation sensitivity of the A549 cells in the medium containing the 10% FBS, with radiation enhancement ratios of 1.58 and 1.81 respectively, at surviving fractions of 0.1, with 30 microM and 50 microM celecoxib. This enhanced radiosensitivity disappeared in the medium containing the 1% FBS. Celecoxib did not change the radiation sensitivity of the MCF-7 cells in either media. The induction of apoptosis by celecoxib and radiation was not synergistic in either cell line. CONCLUSION: Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, preferentially enhanced the effect of radiation on COX-2 over-expressing cancer cells compared to the cells with a low expression, and this effect disappeared on incubation of the cells during drug treatment in the medium with suboptimal serum concentration. Apoptosis did not appear to be the underlying mechanism of this radiation enhancement effect due to celecoxib on the A549 cells. These findings suggest radiosensitization by a selective COX-2 inhibitor is COX-2 dependent.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Humans* ; Lung ; MCF-7 Cells ; Radiation Tolerance* ; Celecoxib

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