The anatomical structure of vermiform appendix was studied for 124 Korean adult cadavers and the articles were reviewed with special reference to its position and length. The results are as follows ; 1. On the frequency of positional types based on Wakeley (1933), postileal type was recorded most frequently (37.7%) and retrocecal type was found in 19.7% of cases, showing the difference from other ethnic groups whose most frequent position was retrocecal or pelvic type. 2. In the direction of appendix in relation to the clock, the direction between 1 and 3 o'clock was most frequently found. 3. Appendix of fixed form was found in 22.1% of cases, that of free form 77.9%. In free form, postileal type was found most frequently, but retrocecal type was met most frequently in fixed form. 4. The length of appendix was 5.95±1.64 cm (male ; 6.14±1.67 cm ; female 5.59±1.51 cm). Neither significant difference between sex nor positional type was noted. 5. Positions of appendix are seemed to be set up during fetal stage. The Ethnic variation in the positions of appendix is thought to be determined by inherited physical anthropological factor, not by postnatal one.
Adult* ; Appendix* ; Cadaver ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Humans

In a jaundiced patient, it is important to ascertain as early as possible whether the bile duct is dilated. Ultrasonography, computed tomography & conventional cholangiography are widely accepted methods of determining the size of the extrahepatic bile ducts. But there is a considerable discrepancy among the size of the bile duct as measured from them. So the author analyzed and compared the respective diameters of the bile ducts in Korean normal adults as measured from cadaver, IV cholangiography, ultrasoud and computed tomography. The materials were 45 cases of cadaver, 38 cases of IV cholangiography, 100 cases of ultrasonography & 55 cases of computed tomography. The results were as follows ; 1. The diameters of the bile ducts were 7.58±2.26mm at CHD & 8.04±2.42mm at CBD from cadaver ; 5.38±1.90mm at CHD & 6.58±2.37mm at CBD from IV cholanglography ; 3.24±1.13mm at CHD & 4.71±1.48mm at CBD from ultrasonography ; and 4.56±1.51mm at CHD & 5.87±1.68mm at CBD from computed tomography. 2. The diameter of the bile duct was greatest in cadaver, and then reduced in IV cholangiography, computed tomography and ultrasonography in this orde.r 3. There were no size discrepancy between the diameter of the common hepatic duct and that of the common bile duct. 4. There were no discrepanry of the diameter of the bile duct by sex.
Adult* ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Bile* ; Cadaver ; Cholangiography ; Common Bile Duct ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of visual acuity and foveal thickness after vitrectomy for an idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 62 patients (62 eyes) with ERM who had been treated with vitrectomy between 2004 and 2009. Visual acuity and central macular thickness from optical coherence tomography imaging were obtained preoperatively and at every postoperative follow-up visit. RESULTS: Mean preoperative visual acuity and central macular thickness were 0.495 +/- 0.292 log MAR and 414.645 +/- 95.528 microm, respectively. Mean visual acuity and central macular thickness 1 month after surgery were 0.389 +/- 0.373 log MAR and 341.484 +/- 73.676 microm, respectively. Visual acuity improved within 9 months and central macular thickness significantly decreased 12 months after surgery. Most of the changes in visual acuity and central macular thickness took place during the first 3 months. The only parameter which was significantly correlated with final visual acuity was preoperative visual acuity (0.635) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Visual acuity and central macular thickness improved 12 months months after vitrectomy in patients with idiopathic ERM. Preoperative visual acuity had a significant correlation with final visual acuity.
Epiretinal Membrane ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

BACKGROUND: Viral antigens presented on the cell surface in association with MHC class I molecules are recognized by CD8+ T cells. MHC restricted peptides are important in eliciting cellular immune responses. As peptide antigens have a weak immunigenicity, pH-sensitive liposomes were used for peptide delivery to induce effective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. In the previous study, as the HBx peptides could induce specific CTLs in vitro, we tested whether the HLA-A2/K(b) transgenic mice that were immunized by HBx-derived peptides could be protected from a viral challenge. METHODS: HBx-peptides encapsulated by pH-sensitive liposomes were prepared. A2K(b) transgenic mice were immunized i.m. on days one and seven with the indicated concentrations of liposome-encapsulated peptides. Three weeks later, mice were infected with 1X10(7) pfu/head of recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV)-HBx via i.p. administration. The ovaries were extracted from the mice, and the presence of rVV-HBx in the ovaries was analyzed using human TK- 143B cells. IFN-gamma secretion by these cells was directly assessed using a peptide-pulsed target cell stimulation assay with either peptide-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs), concanavalin A (2microg/ml), or a vehicle. To generate peptide-specific CTLs, splenocytes obtained from the immunized mice were stimulated with 20nicrog/ml of each peptide and restimulated with peptide-pulsed APC four times. The cytotoxic activity of the CTLs was assessed by standard (51)Cr-release assay and intracellular IFN-gamma assay. RESULTS: Immunization of these peptides as a mixture in pH-sensitive liposomes to transgenic mice induced a good protective effect from a viral challenge by inducing the peptide-specific CD8+ T cells. Mice immunized with 50microg /head were much better protected against viral challenge compared to those immunized with 5microg/head, whereas the mice immunized with empty liposomes were not protected at all. After in vitro CTL culture by peptide stimulation, however, specific cytotoxicity was much higher in the CTLs from mice immunized with 5microg/head than 50microg/head group. Increase of the number of cells that intracellular IFN-gamma secreting cell among CD8+ T cells showed similar result. CONCLUSION: Mice immunized with XEPs within pH-sensitive liposome were protected against viral challenge. The protective effect depended on the amount of antigen used during immunization. XEP-3-specific CTLs could be induced by peptide stimulation in vitro from splenocytes obtained from immunized mice. The cytotoxic effect of CTLs was measured by (51)Cr-release assay and the percentage of accumulated intracellular IFN-gamma secreting cells after in vitro restimulation was measured by flow cytometric analysis. The result of (51)Cr-release cytotoxicity test was well correlated with that of the flow cytometric analysis. Viral protection was effective in immunized group of 50microg/head, while in the in vitro restimulation, it showed more spectific response in 5microg/head group.
Animals ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; Antigens, Viral ; Concanavalin A ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Liposomes ; Lymphocytes ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic* ; Ovary ; Peptides* ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Vaccinia virus

BACKGROUND: A small change in venous capacitance significantly alters venous return and thus cardiac output. It is therefore important to know the effects of intravenous anesthetics on venous capacitance, particularly in a hypovolemic state. As ketamine does not suppress sympathetic activity, it has been suggested that ketamine may be the drug of choice for anesthesia during hypovolemia. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ketamine or sodium thiopental on venous capacitance and total vascular compliance in dogs. METHODS: Twenty mongrel dogs, weighing 10~15 Kg, were divided into two group (ketamine group: 10, sodium thiopental group: 10) of 10 each. Venous capacitance was assessed before and after drug (ketamine 1 mg/kg or sodium thiopental 5 mg/kg) injection by measuring mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP) in the normovolemia and hypovolemia. MCFP was measured after arresting the circulation by tightening of superior vena cava and inferior vena cava snares simultaneously. RESULTS: As compared with MCFP in the normovolemia and hypovolemia, MCFP was significantly increased by ketamine in the normovolemia and hypovolemia. As compared with MCFP in the hypovolemia, MCFP was significantly decreased by sodium thiopental in the hypovolemia. The slope of the regression line relating MCFP and blood volume was not significantly altered by ketamine or sodium thiopental, which suggests that ketamine or sodium thiopental did not alter total vascular compliance. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ketamine decreases venous capacitance in the normovolemia and hypovolemia but sodium thiopental increases venous capacitance in the hypovolemia.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; Animals ; Blood Volume ; Cardiac Output ; Compliance ; Dogs* ; Hypovolemia ; Ketamine* ; SNARE Proteins ; Sodium* ; Thiopental* ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Vena Cava, Superior

Reports of male infertility associated with autosomal translocations are rare. Cases involving translocations between chromosomes 1 and 21 are even rarer. We describe an azoospermic male with a reciprocal translocation t(1;21)(q11;p13). The patient, a 31-year-old man with normal intelligence and phenotype, sought medical attention for evaluation of infertility. He had no history of familial infertility or congenital anomalies. Sperm counts on three occasions all revealed azoospermia. The cytogenetic analysis of blood showed a reciprocal translocation between the long arm of chromosome 1 and the short arm of chromosome 21 in all of the cells examined. We believe that the case presented here is the first reported male infertility with t(1;21) at these particular breakpoints.
Adult ; Arm ; Azoospermia ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Humans ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male* ; Intelligence ; Male ; Male* ; Phenotype ; Sperm Count

Uterine artery ligation was performed to control postpartum hemorrhage in 17 cases at Han-Il hospital from July, 1994 to June, 1996. In 14 cases among them, postpartum hemorrhage was controlled successfully(82.4%) and there were no significant complications such as ureteral injury. Twelve cases could be followed up for 6 months to 2 years after uterine artery ligation. Menstruation occurred in all cases(12 cases) and it was normal in rhythm, duration and amount of bleeding. This procedure had significantly saved operation time, estimated blood loss and transfused packed RBC volume than the hysterectomy. It can be concluded that uterine artery ligation is an effective and safe alternative to hysterectomy for management of uncontrollable postpartum hemorrhage.
Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hysterectomy ; Ligation* ; Menstruation ; Methods ; Postpartum Hemorrhage* ; Postpartum Period* ; Ureter ; Uterine Artery*

We report a case of chronic encapsulated intracerebellar hematoma occurring during infancy. An 18 month-old boy was admitted because for 3 months, his head could not be held upright, but fell to the left. Computed tomographic(CT) scanning and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of the brain revealed a round mass at the cerebellar vermis ; the lesion simulated a cerebellar tumor such as a medulloblastoma. The mass was surgically removed and found to be a well-encapsulated organized intracerebral hematoma. The characteristic clinical and radiologic findings and histopathologic features are discussed, and a survey of the literature is included.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Cerebellar Neoplasms ; Head ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Medulloblastoma

Acute gastric anisakiasis is caused by gastric mucosal penetration from an Anisakis larvae. It occurs with those who ingest raw or inadequately cooked saltwater fish or squid containing anisakis. The clinical symptoms are severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and so on. A case of acute gastric Anisakiasis with massive hematemesis was presented. Initial endoscopic examination revealed an edematous or raised erosive lesion with a small blood clot-covered vessel in the fundus which was thought to be a stigmata of recent bleeding. The lesion was treated with an epinephrine-hypertonic saline injection, electrocoagulation, and an ethanol injection. A follow-up gastroscopy revealed an artificial coagulation-induced ulcer at the previous bleeding site. At the ulcer margin, a whitish linear worm was found with half of its body penetrating the gastric mucosa. The worm was removed using biopsy forceps and the patient was subsequently placed on a soft diet. The next day however, hematemesis recurred. Gastroscopic band ligation of the vessel was performed with a cessation of bleeding. Three weeks later, a gastroscopy determined that the ulcer had completely healed.
Abdominal Pain ; Anisakiasis* ; Anisakis ; Biopsy ; Christianity ; Decapodiformes ; Diarrhea ; Diet ; Electrocoagulation ; Endoscopy ; Ethanol ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gastroscopy ; Hematemesis* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Larva ; Ligation ; Nausea ; Surgical Instruments ; Ulcer ; Vomiting

Boerhaave's syndrome, spontaneous esophageal rupture, is lethal and associated with a 70% survival rate despite emergent surgical management in recent reports. Early diagnosis and management is critical for more favorable outcome. But, it is difficult to diagnose early because of the low incidence and lack of specific symptoms and signs. We experienced 37 year-old male patient with Boerhaave's syndrome who was heavy drinker, and suffered from chronic renal failure. He visited a hospital because of hematemesis and severe back pain. He was transferred to our hospital with a nasogastric tube insertion, which was penetrating the distal esophagus. A radiologic examination revealed that the distal tip was located in the left pleural cavity. It was assumed that the tube had passed through the preexisting perforation site. Operation was not performed emergently due to delay in diagnosis and severe hyperkalemia. The patient was in a septic condition, but had recovered slowly after systemic broad spectrum antibiotic therapy, pleural drainage and intrapleural antibiotic injections. An esophagography revealed no leakage of gastro-grafin on the 14th hospital day, and he later completely recovered from sepsis.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation ; Esophagus ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Incidence ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Pleural Cavity* ; Rupture ; Sepsis ; Survival Rate