Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) is a syndrome as a persistent bronchial hyperreactivity with asthmatic dyspnea which occurs after one or more inhalation exposures to a high concentration of irritant gasses, smokes or vapors in subjects who had preciously had no respiratory disease. We report a case of a 34 years old female worker suffering from reactive airways dysfunction syndrome who had been taking charge of guest room cleaning at a condominium. 7 months before, she inhaled high concentration of chlorine gas in confined and poor ventilated working space of bathroom at the condominium. As she was washing a bathroom with a bleaching agent (6 % sodium hypochlorite) without dilution, dyspnea, dizziness, headache, nausea, and coughing developed after work. She still suffer from dyspnea and coughing. All functional tests were normal except for methacholine challenge test which reveals bronchial hyperreactivity. She has some symptoms of dyspnea and coughing when exposed to perfume, cold air, and heavy work.
Adult ; Bronchial Hyperreactivity ; Chlorine* ; Cough ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Inhalation Exposure ; Methacholine Chloride ; Nausea ; Perfume ; Smoke ; Sodium

Partial unilateral lentiginosis is a rare pigmentary disorder characterized by the numerous unilateral lentigines on the otherwise normal skin. A 13-year-old woman presented with asymptomatic multiple brownish macules on the left periorbital area. Her mother and maternal grandfather had the same clinical features on the left abdomen. Histologic examination of the pigmented lesion revealed findings consistent with lentigo simplex. We report an interesting case of partial unilateral lentiginosis with familial occurrence.
Abdomen ; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Lentigo* ; Mothers ; Skin

We report herein two cases of cutaneous mucinosis in a 59 and a 55 year-old woman which occurred by asymptomatic cystic nodule on the previous biopsy scar site respectively. The histopathologic findings revealed focal accumulation of mucin and proliferation of fibroblasts in the dermis. We suppose that trauma may cause these cases.
Biopsy ; Cicatrix* ; Dermis ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucinoses* ; Mucins

Objectives: To determine whether the clinical aspect of aplastic anemia is influenced by pregnancy. METHODS: We reviewed 37 cases of pregnant aplastic anemia patients during Jan. 1989 to Dec. 1998, and examined age, parity, progress of pregnancy, termination methods, obstetrics & neonatal complications, hematologic change, and treatment modality by medical records. RESULTS: According to onset of disease, patients were divided into pre-pregnant diagnosed group(n=12) and during-pregnancy diagnosed group(n=25). Mean age of diagnosis was 29.4yr, 89.2% were nulliparous, and 51.4% were severe aplastic anemic patients. All patients underwent 50 pregnancy. Mean gestational period was 37wks, birth weight was 2569gram, and, except in 7 cases of abortion, 43 cases were delivered transvaginally or transabdominally(51.2% vs. 48.8%). Preeclampsia, eclampsia, preterm labor, restricted growth, and distress were complicated and decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocyte, platelet were reversed after termination in pregnancy associated group. Treatment modality during pregnancy included transfusion, steroid, anti-lymphocytic globulin, anti-thymocytic globulin and IVGV, and remission rate was 45.5% in pregnancy associated group. CONCLUSION: We concluded that pregnancy is associated with aplastic anemia as a high risk factor, and intensive treatment is needed.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Birth Weight ; Blood Platelets ; Diagnosis ; Eclampsia ; Female ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Obstetrics ; Parity ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy* ; Reticulocytes ; Risk Factors

The purpose of this study was to compare the marginal fit of all ceramic crowns prepared from alumina slip casting, which is consistent with the conventional In-ceram system, and those fabricated from alumina tapes which is currently under development in an effort to alleviate complexities involved in the forming procedure of the In-ceram crown core. All ceramic crowns, made of In-ceram(slip casting) and alumina tapes(Doctor blade casting), were prepared with 90degreeand 135degreeshoulder margins. The crowns were cemented with a glass ionomer cement and embeded in epoxy resin. The embedded crowns were sectioned faciolingually and mesiodistally and marginal discrepancies and marginal gaps were measured under the Measurescope MM II. The measurements were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum test and Kruskal-Wallis test and the results were as follows: 1. In the case of 90degreeshoulder margin, the combined marginal discrepancies and marginal gaps were 78.3 micrometerm and 44.4 micrometer respectively, for the all ceramic crowns fabricated using the alumina tapes. In comparison, the values were 65 micrometer and 25.5 micrometer for the In-ceram crowns. For the marginal gaps a statistical difference existed (p<0.05) but no significant difference was observed for the marginal discrepancy (p>0.05). 2. In the case of 135degreeshoulder margin, the combined marginal discrepancy and marginal gaps were 82.1 micrometer and 40.2 micrometer respectively, for the all ceramic crowns formed with the tapes. As compared with the marginal discrepancy and gaps of the 90degreeshoulder margin in the fabricated from the alumina tapes, no significant statistical differencies were discerned in both cases (p>0.05). 3. There was no statistically significant difference in the fits among four locations around the margins of the all ceramic crowns fabricated using the alumina tapes. The results obtained in this study showed that the marginal fits of the glass infiltrated alumina cores fabricated from the alumina tapes are slightly higher value than those prepared using the In-ceram but the difference is within a clinically acceptable range.
Aluminum Oxide* ; Ceramics ; Crowns ; Glass Ionomer Cements ; Glass*

We report herein a case of lentigo maligna in a 60-year-old female that progressed to lentigo maligna melanoma. She had an uneven dark brownish pigmented and irregular-bordered macule on the right cheek, which gradually extended peripherally over the last 20 years and became 2.5x2.5cm in size. A dark brownish nodule developed in the inferior portion of the macule 7 months ago. The histopathologic findings were consistent with lentigo maligna and lentigo maligna melanoma. The lesion was excised with a surgical margin of 1cm and a full thickness skin graft was performed.
Cheek ; Female ; Humans ; Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle* ; Lentigo* ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Transplants

The purely epithelioid malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor(MPNST) is a rare form of MPNST, first described by McCormack et al. in 1954. This tumor type differs from ordinary epithelioid MPNST because of absence of spindle cell components. The patient was 25-year-old woman with palpable bean-sized subcutaneous mass on the right upper arm for 8 months which enlarged gradually. On physical examinations, we could not find a evidence of lymphadenopathy or von Reklinghausen's disease. Microscopically the tumor showed well circumscribed encapsulated nodular pattern composed of epithelioid cells. The cells were plump round or polygonal cells which had vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli with abundant eosinophilic and some clear cytoplasms. Immunohistochemical study showed the cells being positive for S-100 protein and neuron specific enolase and negative for HMB-45, cytokeratin and vimentin. We report a case of purely epithelioid malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor which is located superficially without evidence of von Recklinghaunsen's disease or associated peripheral nerve.
Adult ; Arm ; Cellular Structures ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Epithelioid Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Neurilemmoma ; Peripheral Nerves* ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Physical Examination ; S100 Proteins ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: The nm23 gene was originally identified by screening of cDNA libraries from murine melanoma cell lines of varying metastatic potential. Gene expression of nm23 has been investigated in a number of tumors. Its down-regulation has been shown to be associated with metastasis or disease progression in some of the tumors. METHODS: We evaluated the nm23 mRNA levels in 23 surgically resected primary gastric cancers, in the matched adjacent mucosa, and in lymph nodes or distant metastatic foci by using Northern blot analyses and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The expression of nm23 mRNA was lower in the matched normal adjacent mucosa than in the primary tumor. The expressions of the nm23 gene were higher in normal lymph nodes and in lymph nodes with metastasis than in primary tumors. This result was due to the high expression in normal lymph nodes. The expression of nm23 in distant metastatic foci was lower than it was in primary tumor tissues (p<0.05). The expression of the nm23 protein in a primary tumor with distant metastasis was higher than it was in a primary tumor with lymphnode metastasis only (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that down-regulation of the nm23 gene might have a role in distant metastasis in gastric cancer, possibly leading to a poor prognosis.
Blotting, Northern ; Cell Line ; Disease Progression ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Expression ; Gene Library ; Lymph Nodes ; Mass Screening ; Melanoma ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Determining the ideal length of a ureteric stent is important to avoid complications associated with stent placement. Clinically, most urologists usually choose the length of a ureteric stent according to the patient's height. On the basis of a Chinese population study, a 22 cm ureteric stent has been recommended for patients smaller than 175 cm. We evaluated the appropriateness of this recommendation in Korean patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 patients who were smaller than 175 cm and who underwent ureteroscopic lithotripsy and ureteric stent insertion were studied. The appropriateness of the stent length was determined on the basis of plain film findings. Patient discomfort was measured by use of a visual analogue scale (VAS) before the removal of the ureteric stent. RESULTS: In 29 patients with a 22 cm ureteric stent, 21 patients (72.4%) had an appropriate ureteric stent length and the mean VAS was 4.1. In 36 patients with a 24 cm ureteric stent, 20 patients (55.6%) had an appropriate ureteric stent length and the mean VAS was 4.0. Among 5 patients with a 26 cm ureteric stent, 1 patient (20%) had an appropriate ureteric stent length and the mean VAS was 5.4. CONCLUSIONS: In Korean patients smaller than 175 cm in height, a 22 cm ureteric stent was an appropriate length.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Height ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Stents ; Ureter

OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to evaluate the usefulness of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR) magnetic resonance(MR) imaging for detection of acute intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) compared with pre-contrast computed tomography(CT). METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with acute IVH were evaluated with FLAIR MR imaging and precontrast CT. All MR and CT examination were performed within two days from symptom onset. One neurosurgeon and one radiologist evaluated the detectability and conspicuity of acute IVH on FLAIR MR imaging and pre-contrast CT. RESULTS: Acute IVH was detected in all patients on FLAIR MR imaging and in 23(82%) of 28 patients on pre-contrast CT. The conspicuity of IVH on FLAIR MR imaging was as good as or better than that on pre-contrast CT in 28 patient. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that FLAIR MR imaging is superior to pre-contrast CT in the diagnosis of acute IVH.
Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*