No Abstract Available.
Health Behavior*

Dermatomyositis is a severe, idiopathic systemic disorder with predominant involvement of skin and skeletal muscle. The association of adult dermatomyositis and malignancy in particular has generated much attention. The reported prevalence of cancers in this disease varies from 6.7% to 52.2%. We experienced a concurrent case of transverse colon cancer and dermatomyositis on 67 year old female patient and report with review of literatures.
Adult ; Aged ; Colon* ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Dermatomyositis* ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Prevalence ; Skin

No abstract available.
Mass Screening* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) lymphocytes contain immunologically sensitized to tumor but functionally deficient T cells. The 30 kDa protein antigen, a major secreted protein antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, exhibits strong T cell stimulatory effect. In this study, it examined that the feasibility of using M tuberculosis 30 kDa antigen to stimulate tumor-draining lymph node cells for the generation of specific immune effector cells. Freshly isolated TDLN lymphocytes could directly respond to the 30 kDa antigen alone and their proliferative responses were markedly augmented by stimulation with rIL-2. TDLN cells were stimulated with the 30 kDa antigen for various time intervals and examined for the induction of IFN-r and IL-4 mRNA using RT-PCR. The expression of IFN-r mRNA was greatly augmented after 1 wk, whereas IL-4 mRNA is markedly decreased after 1 wk. Cytotoxic T cell activities induced by the 30 kDa antigen was also evaluated. TDLN cells stimulated with the 30 kDa antigen alone were able to generate remarkable cytotoxic response to K562 or Daudi cell lines after 6 days of culture. And their cytotoxic effects were highly augmented by stirnulation with rIL-2. These results suggest that the 30 kDa antigen of M. tuberculosis may selectively activate Thl cells of TDLN lymhocytes and induce the cytotoxic T cell activities. In conclusion, the 30 kDa antigen can be used as a biologic response modifier in tumor immunology.
Allergy and Immunology ; Cell Line ; Interleukin-4 ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes ; Th1 Cells* ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: The long term results of a pubovaginal sling procedure were assessed in females with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and the safety and efficacy, between the Cooper's ligament anchoring and the abdominal wall anchoring of the suture material, compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen, and 20, women underwent a pubovaginal sling procedure, with abdominal wall anchoring (group I), or with Cooper's ligament anchoring (group II), respectively. The surgical outcomes, the satisfaction of patients and the complications were assessed by a questionnaire. RESULTS: In groups I and II the mean follow-ups were 58.1 (range 43-71) and 42.5 (range 36-50) months, respectively. Thirteen (86.6%) and 1 (6.7%), and 17 (85.0%) and 2 (10.0%) of the patients in groups I, and II, were cured and improved, respectively. No statistical difference in the self-reported satisfaction scores was shown between the two groups. The duration of the hospital stay and residual urine less than 50ml were significantly lower in group II (p<0.01). No permanent urinary retention or de novo urge incontinence occurred, but the postoperative urgency remained at 50.0% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: According to our long term follow-up, the pubovaginal sling procedure is a highly effective and safe surgery for SUI, without urge incontinence. The modified technique, of a pubovaginal sling procedure, with anchoring of the fascia at the Cooper's ligament, is an alternative treatment for SUI, with a low complication rate.
Abdominal Wall ; Fascia ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Ligaments ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sutures* ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urinary Retention

Rudimentary meningoceles represent a developmental anomaly in which meningothelial elements are found in the skin. The majority of rudimentary meningoceles occur on the scalp over the occiput or along cranial suture lines. They are present as a pink papule, nodule or an area of alopecia. Histologically, the lesion consists of scattered foci of meningothelial cells, an anastomosing network of empty spaces with psammoma bodies and collagen bodies, and small vessels, which may be located from the dermis to the subcutis. Immunohistochemically, the meningothelial cells are commonly positive for vimentin and often positive for EMA. We report the cases of two infants who were noted at birth to have scalp hair anomalies. One had a translucent, bald, slightly atrophic patch on the midline of the vertex and the other had a subcutaneous nodule surrounded by long hairs, so called "hair collar sign" on the midline of the occipital area. The latter had an underlying skull defect without a communication with intracranial spaces. Due to the occasional presence of connection to the central nervous system, any midline lesion in an infant, including rudimentary meningocele, deserves careful preoperative evaluation including imaging studies.
Alopecia ; Central Nervous System ; Collagen ; Cranial Sutures ; Dermis ; Hair ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningocele* ; Parturition ; Scalp ; Skin ; Skull ; Vimentin

PURPOSE: To examine the putative seizure-protective properties of ketamine in lithium-pilocarpine induced status epilepticus (LPSE). METHODS: Lithium chloride followed 24 h later by pilocarpine was administered for seizure induction. Ketamine (40 mg/kg) or phenytoin (50 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 10 min or 60 min after the onset of continuous ictal discharge. Then the seizure behavior and EEG were observed and histological changes were compared through Nissl stain at 72 hours. RESULTS: The antiepileptic effect of ketamine, injected during the early stages of LPSE (10 min after the onset of continuous ictal discharge), was comparable to that of phenytoin. Ketamine was more effective than phenytoin in decreasing spike frequency, when administered on the plateau of LPSE (injection 60 min after onset of continuous ictal discharge electrographically). Anticonvulsant action of ketamine was confirmed by a less neuronal injury in hippocampus compared with control rats injected with phenytoin. CONCLUSIONS: In prolonged status epilepticus rat model, ketamine was effective as an antiepileptic, but phenytoin was not. Ketamine was also neuroprotective on the neuronal injury in the hippocampus. These results suggest that ketamine might be useful as an antiepileptic drug when standard antiepileptic drugs fail in the treatment of the refractory cases of status epilepticus.
Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; Electroencephalography ; Hippocampus ; Ketamine* ; Lithium Chloride ; Models, Animal* ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Phenytoin ; Pilocarpine ; Rats* ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus*

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in energy and macronutrient intakes during the premenstrual(days -10-1) and postmenstrual(days 5-14) phases. Thirty-two college female students recorded their food consumption and dietary patterns over 5 weeks from September 8 to October 12, 1997. Mean daily energy and macronutrient intakes and the percentage of energy intake from protein and carbohydrate were relatively consstant over the two menstrual cycle phases, but the energy intake from fat increased 1%(P<0.05)during the postmenstrual phase. Two different dietary patterns were identified by the shifts in energy intake between postmenstrual and premenstrual phases. Seventy five percent of subjects revealed a consistent pattern with the results of previous studies investigating food intake over the menstrual cycle, in which the premenstrual phase is associated with an increment in energy, carbohydrate, and protein intake. Incontrast, energy, protein, and fat intakes increased during the postmenstrual phase in 25% of the subjects. We conclude that cyclical fluctuations in energy and macronutrient intakes occur in both postmenstrual and premenstrual dietary pattern groups across the two menstrual phased with the opposite directions.
Eating ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle*

BACKGROUND: Studies in animals suggest that pipecuronium dose not induce hemodynamic chan-ges related to histamine release or to an effect on the autonomic nervous system. Therefore the effects of bolus administration of large doses of pipecuronium, up to 0.20 mg/kg, on the intubation condition, onset and duration of neuromuscular blockade, heart rate and blood pressure were studied during fentanyl- nitrous oxide anesthesia. METHOD: Forty adults were randomly assigned to receive a bolus injection of either 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 mg/kg of pipecuronium. Neuromuscular blockade was measured using mechanomyographic activity of the adductor pollicis muscle after supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve. Four subgroups of 10 patients received pipecuronium doses of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 mg/kg, respectively, as an intubating dose. RESULTS: The times of onset and clinical duration (mean sem) after each dose were as follows: 0.05 mg/kg, 2.98 0.42 and 41.5 2.42 min; 0.10 mg/kg, 1.54 0.06 and 82.9 7.48 min; 0.15 mg/kg, 1.41 0.14 and 124.8 13.1 min; 0.20 mg/kg, 1.12 0.05 and 187.1 12.8 min. The intubation condition, time of onset and duration after doses of 0.05 mg/kg were significantly different from values after the higer doses. The duration was increased with dose-increments. No dose-related changes in heart rate or blood pressure were observed. CONCLUSION: The authors conclude that dose of 0.10 mg/kg and over has good intubation condition clinically and large bolus dose of pipecuronium can be safely used with a significantly prolonged duration of action without hemodynamic change.
Adult* ; Anesthesia ; Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Histamine Release ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Nitrous Oxide ; Pipecuronium* ; Ulnar Nerve

We report a case of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in a 75-year-old man after exercise using a vibrating belt machine on the head. He suffered from headache and intermittent left side numbness for ten days. He denied any head injuries except eccentric exercise using a vibrating belt on his own head for 20 days. An MRI revealed bilateral CSDH. The hematoma was isodense on the CT scan. We made burr-holes on the both sides under local anesthesia. We identified the neomembrane and dark red subdural fluid on both sides. In the postoperative CT scan, we found an arachnoid cyst on the left temporal pole. Although the arachnoid cyst itself is asymptomatic, trivial injury such as vibrating the head may cause a CSDH.
Aged ; Anesthesia, Local ; Arachnoid ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Head ; Headache ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic* ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Vibration