No abstract available.
Laryngectomy* ; Rehabilitation* ; Voice*

No abstract available.
Fever* ; Mucous Membrane* ; Tongue*

No abstract available.
Esophageal Atresia* ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula*

No abstract available.
Genomic Library* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter*

The effect of elevated mixed venous oxygen tension(PvO2) on the diffuse alveolar hypoxia was studied in dogs using venovenous(VV) extracorporeal lung assist(ECLA). Six mongrel dogs were mechanically ventilated with the continous infusion of pentobarbital. A double lumen tube was inserted via the right external jugular vein and was eonnected with the ECLA cireuit to establish a VV bypass. A Kurare oxygenator 0.3m2 was chosen to obviate the use of homologous blood for priming. The total volume of the ECLA circuit was 150mL Without ventilating the oxygenator during VV ECLA, we decreased F1O2 from 0.21 to 0.1 via 0.15 to evaluate the hypoxic repsonse of lung. Stepwise reductions in F1O2 0.21 to 0.l caused the arterial oxygen tension(PvO2) and (PvO2 to decrease while the mean pulmonary arterial pressure(MPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR) progressively increased. We hypothesized that the reduction of F1O2 without aceompanying decrease of PvOmight not induce hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriciton(HPV) which was proved at low F1O2 with low PvO VV ECLA was tried on another 7 dogs while monitoring arterial oxygen saturation(SaO2) and mixed venous oxygen saturation(SvO2) by two oximetrix catheters. The elevation of SvO2 during VV ECLA was followed by the elevation of SaO2 We compared MPAP and PVR at high F1O2 with those at low F1O2with VV ECLA while making SaO2 equal. PvO2 were 39+/-11mmHg at F1O2 0.21 and 62+/-11mmHg at F1O2 0.15 with VV ECLA. PvO2 were 30+/-8mmHg at F1O2 0.15 and 53+/-10mmHg at F1O2 0.1 with VV ECLA. MPAP and PVR were 18+/-5mmHg and 176+/-56 dyne sec/cm5 at F1O2 0.21 and 19+/-4mmHg and 198+/-94 dyne sec/cm5 at F1O2 0.15 with VV ECLA . MPAP and PVR were 25 5 mmHg and 430+/-250 dyne. sec/ cm5 at F1O2 0.15 and 25+/-5mmHg and 400+/-197 dyne sec/cm5 at F1O2 0.1 with VV ECLA. Decrease of F1O2 from 0.21 to 0.15 and from 0.15 to 0.1 did not cause significant ehanges in MPAP and PVR during VV ECLA. Our findings indicate that small increase of PvO2 by VV ECLA may prevent or diminish hypoxic resyonse of the whole lung.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Catheters ; Dogs* ; Jugular Veins ; Lung* ; Oxygen ; Oxygenators ; Pentobarbital ; Pulmonary Circulation*

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: For diagnosis of acquired autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG), single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) is known to be much more sensitive than repetitive nerve stimulation test (RNST) in demonstrating the electrophysiological defects of neuromuscular transmission. Neuromuscular blocking in SFEMG is presumed to have the same physiologic basis with decremental response in RNST. The authors performed the study to know the correlations between the electrophysiological parameters of the RNST (decremental response) and the SFEMG (jitter and blocking) and to understand the basic physiological mechanisms in MG. METHODS: In 28 patients with definite MG (12 : ocular MG, 16 : generalized MG), RNST and SFEMG tests were done in orbicularis oculi and abductor digiti quinti and in extensor digitorum communis, respectively. The correlations between several factors, such as maximum decremental response (%) in RNST, mean value of mean consecutive differences (MCD's) (?sec) and blocking pairs (%) were analyzed. RESULTS: In 12 ocular MG patients, RNST and SFEMG abnormalities were found in 4 (33.3%) and in 10 (83.3%), respectively. In 16 generalized MG patients, abnormal decremental responses were found in 13 (81.3%) and increased jitters in 15 (93.8%). SFEMG showed significant correlations between blockings and mean MCD's (R=0.54, p<0.01). When the correlation between RNST and SFEMG was analyzed, increased percentage of blockings in extensor digitorum communis were correlated with maximum degree of decremental responses in abductor digiti quinti or orbicularis oculi (R=0.60, p<0.001). The degree of mean MCD's was poorly correlated with maximum decremental responses (R=0.23, p=0.229). But the correlation became significant (R=0.43, p<0.05) by analyzing mean MCD's and maximum decremental responses only from abductor digiti quinti, reflecting that blockings have similar electrophysiological meanings with increased mean MCD's. CONCLUSION: The good correlation between decremental response in RNST and blocking or mean MCD's in SFEMG was found. Therefore the authors concluded that the parameters of the RNST and the SFEMG show similar electrophysiologic phenomena of the abnormal neuromuscular transmission in MG.
Diagnosis ; Electromyography* ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Humans ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neuromuscular Blockade

The effect of 1% atropine solution and 1% atropine ointment on healing of corneal epithelium in 20 rabbits was studied. Corneal epithelium was removed by #15 blade in central area of 7mm in diameter under topical anesthesia with 0.5% pontocaine. 1% atropine solution was applied three times daily to Rt. eyes, and 1% atropine ointment to Lt. eyes. Progress of epithelial healing was observed by fluorescent staining of the wound. At the end of 24 hours, fluorescent staining area was 46.90% in average for Rt. eyes, and 51.90% in average for Lt. eyes. At the end of 48 hours, it was 7.83% for Rt. eyes, and 11.0% for Lt. eyes. At the end of 72 hours, All of Rt. eyes did not stain, but 2 of 10 Lt. eyes were faintly stained. Difference between ophthalmic solution and ointment on the effect of corneal epithelial healing was not significant.
Anesthesia ; Atropine ; Epithelium, Corneal* ; Rabbits ; Tetracaine ; Wounds and Injuries*

Orbital venography was performed on four eyes which showed the unilateral exophthalmos and were suspected as orbital tumors. One eye was confirmed in the nature and location of tumor by the tophographic finding and tumor-staining figure of venography. One eye was confirmed in only the location of the tumor by surgery, which is consistent with the venographic picture. The other two eyes were not confirmed by surgery but we can speculate the some space occupying lesion by viewing the topogra phic findings of venography. Neither complication nor sequela was observed during or after the venographic procedures. We think orbital venography is preferably valuable for diagnosing the orbital lesion.
Exophthalmos ; Orbit* ; Phlebography*

Among the enzymes which are responsible for basement membrane breakdown, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) form a family of neutral proteases that are regulated at the levels of gene transcription, proenzyme activation by the cleavage of protein, and the inhibition of the active enzyme by tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP). Recent reports have demonstrated that the expression of these proteolytic enzymes are elevated in several solid tumors and that it can be associated with invasiveness and poor prognosis. We examined the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 by immunohistochemistry in 160 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma. And we compared these data with the established prognostic parameters - tumor size, nodal status, clinical stage, hormonal receptor status, microvessel density, and TGF-beta1 expression in order to evaluate how MMP and TIMP expression are associated with breast cancer progression and prognosis. Microvessel density in invasive breast carcinoma was significantly correlated with tumor size and recurrence (p<0.05). The immunohistochemical expression of TGF-beta1 was significantly associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage (p<0.05). The microvessel density was significantly correlated with TGF-beta1 expression in more than 50% of tumor cells. The immunohistochemical expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly correlated with nodal metastasis and absence of immunoreactivity for estrogen and progesterone receptors. The immunohistochemical expression of TIMP-1 was inversely correlated with clinical stage and microvessel density while that of TIMP-2 was inversely correlated with clinical stage (p<0.05). Small size of tumor, presence of progesterone receptor, highly differentiated histologic grade, and absence of immunoreactivity for MMP-9 were significantly associated with higher survival rate, but in multivariate analysis only tumor size and MMP-9 expression appeared to affect survival independently.
Basement Membrane ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Microvessels ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

BACKGROUND: Skin thickness for parameter of skin aging has been analysed with various methods. Skin thickness variations between the young and the old has been studied with various methods such as biopsies, calipers, micrometers, computer tomography, ultrsonography. But none of these methods evaluates skin thickness exactly. OBJECTIVE: For the evaluation of age-dependent skin thickness changes, we compared the skin thickness of an old-aged group and a young group with 20MHz-ultrasonography. METHODS: In order to identify the skin thickness variation between different age groups, 60 subjects, 30 aged 23-33, and 30 over 60, were studied with 20MHz-high frequency ultrasonogrphy (Dermascan C, Cortex Technology, Hadsund, Denmark) on fourteen skin sites. This machine was designed to measure the thickness from the top of the epidermis to the bottom of the dermis. After storage of cross-sectional skin imaging, skin thickness was calculated with a computer assisted image-analysis program. Skin thickness of the old was analysed by age, sex, height and weight.
Biopsy ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Skin Aging ; Skin* ; Ultrasonography*