No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To evaluate MRI findings of spinal cord according to mechanism in acute cervical spinal injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 patients under went MRI within 1 month after acute cervical trauma. Axial T1WI (TR/TE :500/20), gradient-echo (TR/TE :300/14), sagittal T1WI (TR/TE:500/20), proton (TR/TE :2000. 20 msec), T2WI (TR/TE :2000/80) were performed. In 11 pateints, post-enhancement T1WI was done. Change of spinal cord signal intensity on MRI in addition to the presence of abnormal changes of vertebral body, intervertebral disc and paraspinal soft tissue were evaluated. RESULTS: 15 patients had flexion injury, seven had extension injury and three had injury of unknon mechanism. Twelve patients showed /so-signal intensity on T1WI and high signal intensity on T2WI. Three patients showed low signal intensity on T1WI and high signal intensity on T2WI. Spinal cord hemorrhage occured in 10 patients. We found cord swelling in nine patients and cord compression in 12 patients. In nine patients with cord swelling, extent of cord injury was more than one segment of vertebral body. Ligamentous injury, disc injury, soft tissue injury occurred in 16(64%), 17(68%), 15(60%) patients respectively. Vertebral body fracture was found in 17 patients (68%). The levels of fracture were C6(eight patients) and C5(five patients). CONCLUSION: MRI is valuable in exaluetion of the spinal cord, intervertebral disc, and soft tissue lesions in acute cervical spinal injury. Prognosis is worse in flexion injury than in extension injury, and is well correlated with cord hemorrhage and lesion extent.
Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Manifestations* ; Prognosis ; Protons ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Injuries

Clinicians should pay close attention to the potential risk of coronary vasospasm, even cardiac arrest, after sugammadex administration.

Antitumor effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) against superficial urinary bladder cancer is known to be strong when BCG is directly infused into the bladder, but its immunological mechanisms are poorly understood. These experiments were performed to elucidate the effects of intralesional or systemic administration of BCG on the antitumor activity in murine transitional cell carcinoma (MBT-2) model and on the production of cytokines by the activated splenocytes or macrophages. ...continue...
Animals ; Bacillus ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Cytokines ; Immunotherapy* ; Macrophages ; Mice* ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

The polymorphism in the factor XIII A-subunit gene (FXIII Val34Leu) has been recognized as a risk factor for primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PICH). In addition, FXIII Val34Leu has a significant ethnic heterogeneity. FXIII Val34Leu was detected in 41.7-54.8% of the Westerners, but in 2.5% of the Asians. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of FXIII Val34Leu in patients with PICH and in healthy controls among Koreans. We recruited 58 in-patients with PICH, defined by brain computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, and 48 controls matched for age, sex, and risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood. A 183-bp fragment of exon 2/intron B of the factor XIII Asubunit gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The factor XIII genotype was determined through a single-stranded conformational polymorphism. Fifty-eight patients and 48 controls showed the same band patterns on SSCP. In addition, we directly sequenced six random-selected DNA segments using DNA auto-sequencer. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that FXIII Val34Leu be absent or rare both in patients with PICH and in healthy controls among Koreans.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cerebral Hemorrhage/epidemiology/*genetics/prevention & control ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel/methods ; Factor XIII/*genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Leucine/genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Valine/genetics

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are many failed cases with distant metastases (DMs) of head and neck cancer. In such cases, patients usually have poor prognosis, with a median duration of survival between 4 and 6 months. To find out the correlation between the general clinical aspects and distant metastases in patients with head and neck cancer, we analyzed our previous experiences. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We reviewed records retrospectively in 41 of 460 patients with head and neck cancers from 1986 to 1995. DMs were confirmed with X-ray, CT, MRI, liver scan, FNAC, PCNA, and biopsy. We used the staging system of American Joint Committee on Cancer. RESULTS: 1) Clinically manifested DMs were found in 8.9% (41/460) of patients. 2) DMs were frequently observed in the oropharynx (13.8%), oral cavity (11.4%), and larynx (10.3%) cancer. 3) The lung is the most common site of DMs for head and neck cancer. Liver and bone are the only other sites of DMs that are commonly clinically diagnosed. 4) DMs usually occur within 2 years of the initial diagnosis. 5) The incidence of DMs was significantly higher in the advanced T, N stages and clinical stage than in the early T, N stages and clinical stage (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the advanced T, N stages and clinical stage may be some of the most critical factors influencing the eventual development of DMs.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Head and Neck Neoplasms* ; Head* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Larynx ; Liver ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mouth ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Oropharynx ; Prognosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Exposure to noise results in pertubations of cochlear microcirculation. There is evidence that these events are mediated, in part, by the calcium channel. The subsequent decrease in cochlear blood flow may lead to hypoxia and predispose to the formation of free oxygen radicals. Saponin extracted from Korean red ginseng is generally known to enhance blood flow and scavenge for free oxygen radicals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the effect of saponin (100 mg/kg) on the cochlear damage induced by noise exposure (1500 Hz narrow band noise, 115 dB, 12hours) in guinea pigs through auditory brainstem response (ABR) and with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), RESULTS: After noise exposure, the saponin pre-treated group showed a significant decrease in the ARR threshold compared with the saponin non- treated group. Also, SEM findings of the cochlea showed that there was a minimal structural change in the outer hair cells in the saponin pre-treated group. CONCLUSION: Saponin extracted from Korean red ginseng can attenuate noise induced cochlear damage in guinea pigs.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Calcium Channels ; Cochlea ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Guinea Pigs ; Hair ; Hearing Loss ; Microcirculation ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Noise* ; Panax* ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Saponins*

A deep infection after total hip arthroplasty is a very severe complication that occurs in about 1~2% of the patients. The major cause of this infection is Staphylococcus aureus in the early stage and Staphylococcus epidermidis in the late stage A nontraumatic gas-forming infection is rare and difficult to diagnose because of its slower clinical course than that of gas gangrene. Therefore, it has a high mortality rate due to delayed treatment. There have been no reports on gas-forming infection by Escherichia coli after total hip arthroplasty. We report here on a patient who was treated by open arthrotomy and the patient expired due to a Escherichia coli, gas-forming infection after undergoing total hip arthroplasty.
Arthroplasty ; Bacteria ; Escherichia coli ; Gas Gangrene ; Hip ; Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

Background/Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasing in South Korea. On the other hand, there are no reports of the incidence and prevalence of IBD specific to Jeju Island, prompting the necessity of this study. Methods: In this retrospective design, the medical records of 453 patients diagnosed with IBD at Jeju National University Hospital from January 1990 to December 2019 were analyzed. Results: Of the 453 IBD subjects (165 CD, 288 UC) included, the UC: CD ratio was 1.75:1. The incidence of IBD increased continuously from 0.19/105 in 1990 to 6.39/105 in 2017 and after that decreased to 4.92/105 in 2019. The male:female ratio was 2.24:1 for CD and 1.29:1 for UC. In the CD subjects, the disease activity included remission (33.3%), mild (25.5%), moderate (30.9%), and severe (6.1%). In UC subjects, the disease activity included remission (24.0%), mild (35.4%), moderate (28.8%), and severe (6.2%). According to the Montreal classification, the cases were as follows: CD: terminal ileum (22.4%), colon (9.7%), ileocolon (66.1%), and upper gastrointestinal involvement (27.3%), and perianal fistula/abscess was present in 43.6% of subjects before or at diagnosis: UC: proctitis (43.4%), left-sided colitis (29.1%), and pancolitis (23.3%) at diagnosis. Conclusions The incidence of IBD on Jeju Island has increased steadily for approximately 30 years but has exhibited a decline since 2017. Therefore, the incidence of IBD in Jeju is believed to have plateaued. Further study will be needed for clarification. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2023;81:243-252)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common clinical entities encountered in a dizziness clinic. Treatment of this disease, canalith repositioning procedures, have been reported to be successful in 44-90%. Treatment requires only one treatment visit in most patients. However, there are significant numbers of patients who require multiple treatment visits for relief. The goal of this study is to identify variables that may be associated with these difficult to treat cases. METHODS: Retrospective review was performed for the patients diagnosed as BPPV at Samsung medical center. Variables for statistical analysis included age, sex, involved canal, presence of bilateral disease, involvement of unilateral multiple canals, presence of recent head trauma, presence of chronic otitis media, history of middle ear surgery, history of otologic surgery, unilateral vestibular loss, accompanying sudden SNHL, underlying disease such as hypertension or diabetes, change of involved canal during treatment course and number of treatment visits. Statistical analysis using Pearson chi-square test was performed. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty-one patients with BPPV who received treatment were identified from 2001 to 2005. 85.2% required one treatment visit, 12.4% required a second treatment visit, and 98.2% were successfully treated after three treatment visits. Variables such as bilateral disease, anterior canal BPPV, post-traumatic BPPV, duration of symptom before treatment and change of involved canal during treatment were significantly related with number of treatments. CONCLUSION: Patients with anterior semicircular canal BPPV or bilateral BPPV or with recent head trauma or longer duration of symptom are more likely to require multiple visits for canalith repositioning.
Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dizziness ; Ear, Middle ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Otitis Media ; Retrospective Studies ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo*