The clinical triad of relapsing iritis, ulcers of the mouth and genitalia was first described in 1939 by Hulusi Behcet. This entity, originally confined to the above triad of symptoms appears to be systemic disease manifested by skin lesion, thrombophlebitis, neurologic, cardiovascular or visceral symptoms. The vascular involvement in Behcet's syndrome has been reported since Mischima first described a case in 1961, four types of vascular lesion are freuqnetly observed most commonly on the inferior or superior vena cava. Treatments consist of anticoagulation and administering oral steroids. We report a case of SVC obstruction in 36 years old female patient with Behcet's syndrome.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome* ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Iritis ; Mouth ; Skin ; Steroids ; Thrombophlebitis ; Ulcer ; Vena Cava, Superior

In the rare group of atypical adenocarcinomas of the prostate, endometrioid carcinoma is thought to be in unique but controversial position among them. In 1967, Melicow and pachter first reported a prostatic malienancy whose pattern was similar to endometrial adenocarcinoma of the female uterus. Because of the distinctive morphologic appearance and location near the prostatic verumontanum, it was suggested that it might originate from the mtllerian (female) remnant, the prostatic utricle, and consequently display estrogen dependence. But recent immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies suggests that endometriold carcinoma of prostate is a unusual histologic variant of prostatic duct adenocarcinoma. We experienced a case of endometriold carcinoma of prostate, who was treated by radital surgery and pelvic lymph node dissection with radiation. And this may be the first reported case of its kind in Korea. Till now he is under the follow up for 2 years and 2 months after surgery with no evidence of disease.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid* ; Estrogens ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Prostate* ; Saccule and Utricle ; Uterus

The relaxation of the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle, which is main process in penile erection, is controlled by nerves that release cholinergic and nonadrenergic-noncholinergic neurotransmitters as well as vascular endothelium derived relaxing factor(EDRF). But the adrenergically-induced tone maintains the penis in flaccid state. In order to define the physiological role of adrenergic neurotransmission in the local control of penile erection we studied the distribution of alpha adrenergic receptor subtypes and their pharmacological potency in human and rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue. In this study we used yohimbine as the alpha-2 antagonist, which is known to have beneficial therapeutic effect for organic impotence, to assess its neuropharmacological mechanism in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The alpha-1 : alpha-2 receptor potency was approximately 7.4:1 and 2.2:1 in human and rabbit tissue respectively. These results indicate that the predominant alpha adrenergic receptor is alpha-1 type and alpha-2 receptor antagonist, yohimbine, can not play a main role on the local control of penile erection because of its low receptor potency especially in human corpus cavernosum tissue. It remains possible that yohimbine partially antagonizes the postsynaptic alpha-1 mediated effect or activation of central sympathetic pathway is necessary for the therapeutic effect of yohimbine in human.
Endothelium, Vascular ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans* ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Penile Erection ; Penis ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha* ; Relaxation ; Synaptic Transmission ; Yohimbine

GnRH stimulation test has been used to distinguish patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism of pituitary origin from those with hypothalamic disease. GnRH stimulation test also has been used to identify early stage of Sertoli cell insufficiency and to know the subtle abnormalities or spermatogenesis. Some investigators reported that exaggerated FSH response after GnRH stimulation means the same diagnostic meaning as basely elevated FSH level and this in turn reflects Sertoli cell insutriciency or may help to identify patients with isolated primary germ cell failure in azoospermic patients. So they suggested the possibility that GnRH stimulation test can replace testis biopsy in male infertility. To define the normal range of the gonadotropin response after GnRH stimulation and to know the indications for GnRH stimulation test if it is useful as an evaluation method for spermatogenesis, and especially to test the possibility whether GnRH stimulation test may replace testis biopsy, we performed GnRH stimulation test in 118 infertile men and 20 fertile adult male volunteers and compared the results with testicular histology. Normal basal serum levels for LH, FSH, testosterone were 1.4-18.3( mean 9.9) mIU/ml, 2.8-18.4 (mean 10.0) mIU/ml, 2.0-9.1 (mean 5.0)ng/ml respectively, and 95% confidence intervals for the peak responses to an intravenous bolus injection of 100ug GnRH were 360-1950{mean 1098)% of the basal serum LH level, and 111-318(mean 225)% of the basal FSH level in 20 rertile adult male volunteers. The results of the FSH response in GnRH stimulation test were not helpful in distinguishing patients with bad testicular histology from those with good ones in 118 infertile men. So we came to the conclusion that GnRH stimulation test can not replace testis biopsy as an evaluation method for spermatogenesis in the majority of infertile patients.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Germ Cells ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Hypothalamic Diseases ; Infertility, Male* ; Male ; Male* ; Reference Values ; Research Personnel ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis ; Testosterone ; Volunteers

OBJECTIVE: To understand the difference of defecation physiology between postpartum and postoperative women. METHODS: Between July 1998 to April 1999, we performed defecogram and pudendal nerve motor latency to 31 women, who were 8 postoperative women, 9 post cesarean-section state women, and 14 normal vaginal delivery-state women. RESULTS: According to the defecogram results, only squeezing angles of the anorectal angle were significantly increased(96.0 vs 72.3, 74.9 degree) in normal vaginal delivery-state women compared to post cesarean-section state and postoperative women, but rest and evacuation angles were not. And to pudendal nerve latency, there were no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the pudendal plexus was damaged during labor, therefore its ability to control puborectalis muscle was damaged. So, the anorectal angles of squeezing of postpartum women were significantly increased, compared to those of post cesarean section women or postoperative women.
Cesarean Section ; Defecation* ; Female ; Humans ; Physiology* ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Pudendal Nerve*

We report a case of testicular tunica albuginea cyst with psammoma body which was treated with excision and testicular preservation. The presumptive diagnosis of a simple intratesticular cyst was made by ultrasound. The intraoperative pathological diagnosis was benign serous cyst and then simple excision of the lesion with testicular masses, and it may permit identification of lesions that can be excised locally with testicular preservation. To our knowledge tunica albuginea cyst with psammoma body, a characteristic histological finding, has not been reported. Its histogenesis was also discussed.
Diagnosis ; Testis ; Ultrasonography

Far Eastern countries including Korea show the high prevalence of hepatitis B virus carriers, so that the incidence of liver cirrhosis is higher than in western countries. But pregnancies with liver cirrhosis are rarely encountered in clinical settings, since liver cirrhosis usually develops after childbearing ages and often causes the disturbance of estrogen metabolism, resulting in severe menstrual irregularity and infertility. Therefore, little is known about the interactions between liver cirrhosis and pregnancy. Liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension are not contraindications to pregnancy but necessitate intensive monitoring throughout pregnancy because the complications of liver cirrhosis, which pose additional risks during pregnancy, are numerous and unpredictable. We report 3 cases of pregnancies in patients with liver cirrhosis with brief review of the literature.
Estrogens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Metabolism ; Pregnancy* ; Prevalence

We present a case of in-utero vesicoamniotic shunting and postnatal vesicostomy in a very low birth weight baby with posterior urethral valve syndrome. He was diagnosed as posterior urethral valve at 24(+5) weeks' gestation. Because of severe hydronephrosis and oligohydroamnios, the shunt was established by basket-shaped catheter at 27(+0) weeks' gestation. After shunt, hydronephrosis improved. At 29(+4) weeks' gestation, the shunt catheter escaped from its position and severe urinary ascites and hydronephrosis developed. At 30 weeks' gestation, the baby was born and showed elevated BUN and creatinine. On the 10th day of birth, vesicostomy was done for urinary drainage. Thereafter, the baby has been followed up for 10 months and has had recurrent episodes of urinary infection. We report the case with a brief review of literature.
Ascites ; Catheters ; Creatinine ; Cystostomy* ; Drainage ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; United Nations

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether abnormal triple marker in the second trimester may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Between November 1996 and April 1998, we evaluated 1,158 pregnant women undergoing second trimester triple marker screening tests who delivered at our hospital. The pregnancy outcomes of 48 women with false positive screens were compared with 1,158 screen negative controls. The pregnancy outcomes were obtained from hospital delivery records. RESULTS: Women with abnormal triple marker showed increased risks for low birth weight(p<0.01). But there was no significant differences between study and control groups with respect to preterm labor, pregnancy induced hypertension, oligohydroamnios, premature rupture of membrane, placenta previa, abruptio placenta, fetal death in utero. CONCLUSION: Abnormal triple marker in the second trimester was associated with low birth weight.
Female ; Fetal Death ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening* ; Membranes ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy, High-Risk* ; Pregnant Women ; Rupture

BACKGROUND: Invasive and life-threatening infections such as meningitis, pericarditis, peritonitis, empyema, and septic arthritis are diagnosed via culture of relevant body fluids (BFs). The blood culture system (BCS) has been reported to be a useful alternative for BFs culture to enhance recovery of fastidious microorganisms and reduce detection time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of BCS as compared to conventional culture method (CCM) in terms of culture yield. METHODS: The samples collected between October 2011 and September 2012 were processed using CCM, while those collected between October 2012 and September 2013 were processed using BCS. The 2 processes were compared in terms of total number of requests, recovery rate, turnaround time (TAT), and detection time. RESULTS: The positive rate using CCM was 18.2% (575/3,151), where 845 isolates were recovered from 575 specimens. Using BCS, the positive rate was 28.3% (922/3,260), where 1,472 isolates were recovered from 922 specimens. While comparing the 2 methods on terms of yield of clinically significant isolates, a greater number of fungi (1.2%) and anaerobic bacteria (1.4%) were recovered using BCS as compared to using CCM. The difference in TAT for positive samples was 24 hours and 40 minutes, where BCS had a shorter TAT than CCM. The mean detection time of 951 positive samples by BCS was 19 hours and 56 minutes. Growth of clinically significant isolates was detected within 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: BCS for culture of BFs showed an improvement in recovery rate, number of isolates, and TAT as compared to CCM. Thus, BCS is a suitable alternative for culture of BFs.
Arthritis, Infectious ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Body Fluids* ; Empyema ; Fungi ; Meningitis ; Pericarditis ; Peritonitis