No abstract available.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery*

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary atresia (PA) with ventricular septal defect has various morphology of pulmonary arteries and pulmonary blood flow sources, so pulmonary arterial hypoplasia and arborization abnormality make this anomaly difficult to manage surgically. In cases associated with juxtaductal stenosis, we evaluated the change of the pulmonary arterial and juxtaductal stenotic site after shunt operations, and would like to find useful information in surgical planning and methodology of these patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Among 59 cases diagnosed as PA with ventricular septal defect associated with juxtaductal stenosis, 29 cases who had cardiac catheterization before and after shunt operation were selected from July, 1991 to July, 1996. In 10 cases of right shunt operation (Group I) and 19 cases of left shunt operation (Group II), the diameters of the descending aorta, both pulmonary arteries, and the juxtaductal stenosis site were measured before and after the shunt operation. RESULT: In both Group I and II, the pre-and postoperative ratio of diameters of the ipsilateral pulmonary artery to the descending aorta was from 0.78+/-0.31 units to 1.01+/-0.26 units and from 0.67+/-0.18 units to 0.84+/-0.27 units respectively, showing a signigicant increase. The contralateral pulmonary artery index was increased from 0.92+/-0.28 units to 1.05+/-0.15 units and from 0.94+/-0.27 units to 1.08+/-0.37 units respectively, but could not be confirmed statistically. In both groups, the change of juxtaductal stenosis showed an aggravating tendency but of no statistical significance from 0.43+/-0.27 units to 0.39+/-0.25 units and from 0.32+/-0.10 units to 0.30+/-0.16 units respectively, and we experienced 2 total obstruction in Group II. Because the increased pulmonary blood flow by shunt operation has a favorable effect to the pulmonary arterial growth, the shunt operation is a recommended treatment in patients with hypoplastic pulmonary arteries. But in PA with ventricular septal defects, the change of juxtaductal stenosis is very important. In conclusion, the growth of ipsilateral (shunt site) pulmonary artery was promoted by shunt operation, but there is a tendency for the juxtaductal stenosis to be aggravated. And we experienced 2 total obstruction in Group II. CONCLUSION: Thus, in cases operated with shunt method, much careful postoperative follow up study including angiographic evaluation is needed, and after the shunt operation on the side of pulmonary artery associated with juxtaductal stenosis, early precise planning for total correction is recommended.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Atresia*

BACKGROUND: Persistent auras after temporal lobectomy may be bothersome to the patients even though they are seizure free. But most authors specifically are concerned about the seizure outcome itself. The aim of the present study was to investigate which factors are related to persistent auras in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy(TLE) after temporal lobectomy. METHODS: We have retrospectively analysed many factors in 38 TLE patients with aura. All patients underwent anterior temporal lobectomy with amygdalo-hippocampectomy. Twenty three patients were seizure and aura free (completely seizure-free) and 15 patients had persistent auras(persistent auras) in spite of seizure-free. Characteristics of auras, past medical history, presence of secondary GTC, seizure frequency, age of surgery, age of onset, duration of habitual seizure, ictal EEG pattern, and pre- and postoperative MRI findings were compared between group with completely seizure-free and group with persistent aura. RESULTS: Characteristics of aura, past medical history, presence of secondary GTC, seizure frequency, ictal EEG pattern, age of onset, and age of surgery had no statistical differences between both groups. Seizure duration of group with persistent aura seemed to be longer than that of group with completely seizure-free(13.6 years vs 17.0 years, median test, p=0.10) and remained hippocampus in postsurgical MRI seemed to be related to persistent auras(Fisher's exact test, p=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: We found that there were suggestive differences in seizure duration and remained hippocampus between the two groups.
Age of Onset ; Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe

BACKGROUND: Depth and subdural electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings are often required to identify an area of the brain for epileptic surgery. We simultaneously compared bilaterally placed depth and subdural electrode EEGs to determine the site of seizure origins from the temporal lobes. METHODS: We included nine consecutive patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, whose noninvasive evaluations such as magnetic resonance imaging, scalp and sphenoidal EEG, and other tests had not proved consistent lateralization. All patients had bilateral temporal depth electrodes, anterior and lateral temporal subdural strip electrodes. Thirty-eight clinical seizures and 3 subclinical seizures were evaluated. RESULTS: Seven out of 9 patients (78%) had unitemporal seizures, one patient had bilateral seizures, and the other had lateral temporal seizures in an invasive study. Ictal onset was localized by depth electrodes in 8 patients, and subdural strip electrodes in one. In ictal recordings, the ictal rhythms never spread to the contralateral neocortex before the ipsilateral neocortex. Most of the ictal rhythms began focally with periodic spikes or fast activities in the depth electrode, then spread to the ipsilateral strip electrode after 14 to 90 seconds (mean : 35.2 seconds). If ictal rhythms propagated to the contralateral side, it took 14 to 140 seconds (mean : 64.2 seconds). Subdural strip electrodes were less sensitive than depth electrodes in the detection of seizure onset and subclinical seizures, but were accurate when lateralized. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that EEG recordings with depth and subdural strip electrodes correctly identify and lateralize temporal lobe seizures more often than subdural electrodes alone.
Brain ; Electrodes* ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neocortex ; Scalp ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe*

PURPOSE: Usefulness of sphenoidal electrodes for detecting mesial temporal seizure foci remains controversial. Our aim is to determine whether sphenoidal electrodes are superior to surface electrodes for EEG localization in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed ictal EEGs recorded simultaneously with standard International 10-20 System, subtemporal and sphenoidal electrodes in 92 patients who underwent temporal lobectomy. Patients were divided into mesial (n=67) and neocortical (n=25) TLE. Ictal EEGs were reviewed in a blinded fashion in both longitudinal bipolar and Pz referential montages. RESULTS: Thirty four (13.1%) of 259 mesial temporal seizures were exclusively isolated to sphenoidal electrode at least 3 seconds before involvement of subtemporal electrodes or were localized to temporal lobe on sphenoidal electrode when scalp electrode failed to localize seizure onset, whereas only 2 (2.6%) of 75 neocortical temporal seizures were (p<0.05). The usefulness of sphenoidal electrode was related to the distribution but not the frequency of ictal onset on scalp EEG. CONCLUSIONS: Although isolated or localized sphenoidal seizure onset in patients with mesial TLE are not frequent, sphenoidal electrodes are superior to scalp electrodes for the localization of mesial temporal seizure foci.
Electrodes* ; Electroencephalography* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Scalp ; Seizures* ; Temporal Lobe*

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) of frontal origin is rare. The symptoms are unusual and different from that of temporal origin which makes it difficult to be diagnosed. We report two cases with NCSE of frontal origin. The first case was a 17-year-old girl who presented indifference and reduced word fluency, responsiveness, and facial expres-sion daylong with intermittent unresponsiveness and slight rightward eye and head deviations. Confusion was not noted. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed the recurrent 2 Hz spike-wave ictal discharges on the left frontal area, sometimes spreading to the opposite side. The second case was a 57-year-old woman who had a medically intractable epilepsy. During long-term Video/EEG monitoring, the continuous 2 Hz spike-and-wave complexes were noted on the right hemisphere and the left frontal area. At that time, neurological examination including cognitive functions was normal except for a mild jaw tremor. No confusion was noted. However, she looked depressed, inactive, and affectively indifferent. Intravenous lorazepam injection abolished status EEG activities as well as clinical symptoms. Ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed an increased perfusion in the right frontal lobe. Cortical dysplasia was pathologically diagnosed after a right frontal lobectomy.
Adolescent ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Head ; Humans ; Jaw ; Lorazepam ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Examination ; Perfusion ; Status Epilepticus* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Tremor

PURPOSE: To evaluate the kinetics of serum testosterone (T) recovery following short-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), as the understanding thereof is essential for the proper management of prostate cancer (PCa), especially intermittent ADT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective analysis included male sex offenders who voluntarily received leuprolide acetate in order to alleviate sexual aberrance. Thirty-three and 25 patients who received 3 and 6 months of ADT were assigned to Group A and Group B, respectively. Serum T levels were obtained every week during the on-cycle period, then monthly during the off-cycle period for at least 12 months. RESULTS: The kinetics of serum T during the on-cycle period were similar in both groups. After flare reaction at week 2, a nadir of 0.45+/-0.29 ng/mL was achieved. In Group A, an abrupt rebound-upsurge was observed during the first 2 month off-cycle period, which surpassed the baseline level and reached a plateau level of 8.74+/-2.11 ng/mL during the flare (p<0.001). This upsurge was followed by a gradual decline back to baseline over the following 10 months. In Group B, a gradual increase was observed, and a baseline level of 7.26+/-1.73 ng/mL was reached at 5 months. Thereafter, an ongoing upsurge that surpassed baseline levels was observed until 12 months (8.81+/-1.92 ng/mL; p=0.002). CONCLUSION: The kinetics of serum T recovery during the off-cycle period varied according to the duration of ADT. Serum T should be monitored beyond normalization, as an excessive rebound may improve quality-of-life, but hamper the treatment efficacy of PCa.
Adult ; Androgen Antagonists/*therapeutic use ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*blood/*drug therapy ; Testosterone/*blood ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

The methods commonly used for monitoring neuromuscular transmission do not allow evaluating of an intense neuromuscular blockade. A sufficient dose of non-depolarizing relaxant used for endotracheal intubation causes disappearance of the response to single, tetanic and train of four (TOF)nerve stimulation for a variable period of time during which the magnitude of neuro-muscular blockade can not be evaluated by the traditional stimulation forms. Enhancement of posttetanic twitch tension in partially curarized patients remains constant regardless of the dose of non-depolarizing muscle relaxant or magnitude of neuromuscular blockade. If this also holds true for an intense neuromuscular blockade, the response to posttetanic twitch stimulation after the injection of a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant must appear earlier than the response to pretetanic twitch or TOF neve stimulation. The present study was designed to evaluate neuromuscular blockade during the period of no response to single or TOF stimulation by quantifying the degree of posttetanic potentiation. The possibility existed that the relatively frequent use of a tetanic stimulation (every 6 minutes) might have influenced the recovery of neuromuscular blockade. Therefore, we have studied the conventional TOF stimulation comparing with posttetanic count stimulation which may affect the recovery of intravenous pancuronium(0.08 mg/kg) induced neuromuscular block. The results were as follows; 1) The time of the T1 appearance was 815 seconds and 50% T4 ratio was 1,214.3 seconds in TOF group. 2) The time of the T1 appearance was 790 seconds and 50% T4 ratio was l,l35.5 seconds in PTC group, The recovery time appeared to be shorter in this group but statistically not signifi cant. 3) ln PTC group, TOF recovery was observed after average 2.3 times of tetanic stimulation. Above findings may suggest that intense pancuronium block in rabbit is not affeced by the TOF or PTC stimulation.
Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Pancuronium

The domestic product of a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant, Metuben, was studied on its effect in rabbit. Twenty four rabbits of either sex weighing 2~3kg were divided into four groups (consisting of 6 animals each) to administer Metuben in doses of 0.05 mg/kg, O.l mg/kg, 0.2 mg/ kg and 0.4 mg/kg, respectively. All animals were anesthetized with 20% urethane 5 ml/kg given intraperitoneally and 2.5% pentothal sodium 10 mg/kg intravenously. ECG was monitored by Physio-contro1(lifepak 7)model. The animal lungs were mechanically ventilated through a tracheostomy and Shinano animal respirator set to deliver a 30 ml/kg tidal volume at 30 breaths/min. This ventilatory pattern resulted in the PaCO2 values within the range of 30-40 mmHg. Twitches of the tibialis anterior muscle were elicited at 0.1 Hz, "Train of four" via the peroneal branch of the sciatic nerve, and the Myotest stimulator were applied at supramaximal voltage. Twitch recording was done via Biophysiograph. Results were as follows: 1) The effect of Metuben as a dose-dependent long lasting non-depolarizing muscle relaxant was confirmed. Their relaxant effect in rabbits were quite different from man. 2) In rabbits, Metuben showed great individual differences in its effect even with the s'ame dosage. The length of muscle relaxing activity.and the occurence of recurarization after neostigmine reverse were extremely variable suggesting its safety margin is quite narrow.
Animals ; Electrocardiography ; Individuality ; Lung ; Muscle Relaxation* ; Neostigmine ; Rabbits ; Sciatic Nerve ; Sodium ; Thiopental ; Tidal Volume ; Tracheostomy ; Urethane ; Ventilators, Mechanical

KAF-200522 and its chloride form, KAF-200522-HCl, were invented in Chemon inc. as new triazole antifungal agents with excellent activities in vivo and in vitro against wide range of fungi. As a result of in vitro susceptibility measurements, 80% minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC80) of both test articles against Candida albican sp. and Aspergillus fumigatus sp. were below 0.0156 microg/mL, which were over 4,100 times lower than those of fluconazole against fluconazole resistant C. albican sp. and A. fumigatus sp., and were over 16 times lower than those of amphotericin B against above same fungi. Additionally, against representative dermatophytes, Trichophyton sp., the MIC80s of both test articles were below 0.0156 microg/mL which were over 64 times lower than those of fluconazole and amphotericin B. As in vivo antifungal activities in A. fumigatus sp. infected mouse models, KAF-200522 treatment group at 600 mg/kg showed 80% survival rate which was 2 times higher than that of amphotericin B and showed 13.7 days in the mean survival time (MST) which was about 2.1 times higher than that of amphotericin B. But in KAF-200522-HCl treatment groups, all animals were found dead in contrast to 40% survival rate in amphotericin B treatment group, however dose dependent increases in MST was revealed. In conclusion, antifungal activities of KAF-200522 and its mimics, KAF-200522-HCl in vitro and in vivo were confirmed in this study, therefore the potentiality of the present compounds to be developed into new antifungal drug was expected.
Amphotericin B ; Animals ; Antifungal Agents ; Arthrodermataceae ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Candida albicans ; Fluconazole ; Fungi ; Mice ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Survival Rate ; Trichophyton