No abstract available.
Skull*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Maternal Age*

No abstract available.
alpha-Fetoproteins* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second*

No abstract available.

Cobb syndrome is a rare neurocutaneous angiomatosis characterized by a vascular skin nevus associated with a spinal cord angioma of the same metamere. A 14-year-old girl had an asymptomatic large cutaneous hemangioma distributed from the TI dermatome downward to the L3 dermatome since birth and complained of a gait disturbance and urination difficulty for 1 year. A biopsy specimen in the skin lesion revealed the findings of capillary hemangioma. From C7 downward to L4 posterior epidural hemangioma composed of arteriovenous and cavernous components was diagnosed by radiological examination and surgical exploration. Because of very extensive cord hemangioma, only partial removal of the tumor at T11, T12 and L1 level was performed and postoperatively she was transferred to a special facility for rehabilitative therapy.
Adolescent ; Angiomatosis ; Biopsy ; Female ; Gait ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Nevus ; Parturition ; Skin ; Spinal Cord ; Urination

PURPOSE: Many kinds of substances are produced on vascular endothelial activation. The aim of this study is to confirm an increase in Endothelin-1 (ET-1), the most potent vasoconstrictor, which is produced by endothelial activation, in patients with chronic anal fissure and to infer the relationship between ET-1 and anal fissure chronicity. METHODS: The study groups are divided into three different groups with 30 subjects each. Group 1 is comprised of healthy volunteers, group 2 of chronic anal fissure patients, and Group 3 of patients with higher than 3rd degree hemorrhoids. Blood samples were taken to measure the ET-1 levels in subject's serum and to compare the results with those for the control groups. RESULTS: Among the 90 subjects, 38 were male, and 52 were female. The average age was 36.8. The average ET-1 level marked 1.47 +/- 0.78 pg/mL for male subjects and 1.16 +/- 0.47 pg/mL for female subjects (P = 0.02). The average ET-1 level in the patient groups is as follow: 1.21 +/- 0.44 pg/mL in group 1, 1.46 +/- 0.83 pg/mL in group 2, and 1.20 +/- 0.56 pg/mL in group 3 (P = 0.14). CONCLUSION: Group 2, the chronic anal fissure patient group, showed a higher ET-1 level than groups 1 and 3, the control group and the hemorrhoid patient group, but this difference had no statistical significance.
Endothelin-1 ; Endothelium ; Female ; Fissure in Ano ; Hemorrhoids ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Male

BACKGROUND: Exercise tests (ET), hyperventilation tests (HVT) and cold pressor tests (CPT) have been used to induce coronary artery spasm. However their diagnostic significance and the circadian variation of exercise test response in patients with vasospastic angina are still uncertain. METHODS: To elucidate the circadian variation of ET response and to evaluate the diagnostic significance of non-pharmacological provocation tests, 21 consecutive patients with pure vasospastic angina were studied. Six ETs were performed in the early morning, late morning, and late afternoon in consecutive days, 2 HVTs and 2 CPTs in the early morning. The circadian distribution and types of angina (at rest, on physical activity, or both) from before admission to after discharge (mean follow-up periods 19+/-9 months) were evaluated by clinical history, clinical records and Holter recordings. Circadian distribution of anginal attacks recorded through the all observation periods were classified into 3 patterns (morning and night : MN, morning and afternoon or evening : M+F/E, morning, night and afternoon and/or evening : MN+F/E). RESULTS: One hundred and eleven ETs (39 early morning, 38 late morning, 34 late afternoon tests), 35 HVTs and 33 CPTs were performed. ETs showed 14 positive responses (36%) in the early morning, 14 (37%) in the late morning and 12 (35%) in the late afternoon without any circadian variation. Among the 11 patients who underwent all 6 exercise tests, 3 patients (27%) showed at least one positive response in the early morning, 4 (36%) in the late morning and 4 (36%) in the late afternoon. Subgroups of the subjects according to the types and activity of angina and the numbers of spastic artery also failed to show any circadian variation in ET response, but M+F/E group of circadian pattern of angina showed a peak of positive response in the early morning (p<0.05). HVTs showed significantly higher positive response (23/35, 66%, p<0.05) than ETs (14/39, 36%) and CPTs showed significantly lower positive response (2/33, 6%, p<0.01) than ETs in the early morning. Double tests with more than 1 positive response couldn't increase the positive response in ETs (9/19, 47%), and CPTs (2/14, 14%) but increased significantly in HVTs(15/16, 94%, p<0.05), particularly in the group with low activity (7/8, 86%, p<0.01). ETs showed ST segment elevation in 29 (72%) and depression in 11 (28%) of the 40 positive tests, HVTs in 21 (91%) and 2 (9%) of the 23 positive tests and CPTs in 2 (100%) and 0 (0%) of the 2 positive tests. The ST segment elevation was significantly higher in HVTs than in ET (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the exercise test in the early morning do not increase positive response and is not a sensitive diagnostic test associated with occasional depression of ST segment, but hyperventilation test, especially if repeated, is a very sensitive test with predominant elevation of ST segment in patients with vasospastic angina.
Arteries ; Circadian Rhythm ; Coronary Vasospasm ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Exercise Test* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Motor Activity ; Muscle Spasticity ; Spasm

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic significance of ECG ergonovine test and the incidence of vasospastic angina in patients with chest pain are still uncertain. METHODS: From May 1998 to June 1999, 133 consecutive patients with chest pain were admitted for diagnostic coronary angiography. ECG ergonovine provocation tests were performed in 64 patients who have a clinical history suggesting vasospatic angina, including 27 of 28 patients with vasospastic angina documented electrocardiographically, or who's coronary angiographic findings could not be explained by their clinical history. Ergonovine was administered intravenously in incremental dose of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 mg up to total cumulative dosage of 1.0mg during coronary angiography(41 cases), in the exercise laboratory(21 cases) or both(2 cases). RESULTS: Of 133 patients with chest pain, vasospastic angina was documented in 32(24%), unstable angina in 52(34%), stable angina in 10(8%), and others in 39(29%). Angiography demonstrated coronary spasm in 4 additional patients as well as 22 patients with vasospastic angina documented electrocardiographically, but ergonovine tests in the exercise laboratory showed positive response in 5 of 6 patients with vasospastic angina documented. Among the 25 patients with coronary spasm proved angiographically during ergonovine test, ECG findings at the time of coronary spasm were ST segment elevation in 21(84%), depression in 1(4%) and no change in 3(12%) patients, who had branch vessel spasm, 3 vessel spasm or incomplete spasm on coronary angiogram. Of the 31 patients with vasospastic angina who underwent ergonovine tests, positive response occurred in 24(77%) after a cumulative dose of < or = 0.4mg and in additional 3(10%) after the higher dose of >0.4mg. However the other 4(13%) had no ECG changes even after the higher dose(>0.4mg) of ergonovine. CONCLUSION: This results suggest that vasospastic angina appear to be a common cause of chest pain, and ECG ergonovine test with high dose can improve diagnostic sensitivity but cannot detect some patients with vasospastic angina.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Angiography ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Depression ; Electrocardiography* ; Ergonovine* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Spasm

Takayasu's arteritis(TA) is a nonspecific areritis of unknown etiology affecting segmentally the aorta and its main branches, which result in stenosis, occlusion or aneurysm of involved arteries. The clinical manifestations present with a variety of symptoms such as headache, dyspnea on exertion, pain and weakness of extremities, pulse deficit, and hypertension according to involves arteries. Usually it can be managed by medical or surgical treatment, and recently by percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty. The type III classified by Lupi-Herrena and associates is the most frequent variety of TA. However the case of type III involving both subclavin arteries and both renal arteries has rarely been reported. We experienced a case of TA involving both subcalvian arteries, and both renal arteries presented with paroxysmal hypertension and right flank pain, in which the stenosis of both subclavian arteries were managed by percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty and the stenosis and occlusion of both renal arteries were successfully managed by aorto-renal bypass surgery with autogenous right iliac artery and synthetic vessel(Gortex). The patient was discharged uneventfully.
Aneurysm ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Aorta ; Arteries* ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dyspnea ; Extremities ; Flank Pain ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Iliac Artery ; Renal Artery* ; Subclavian Artery ; Takayasu Arteritis*

The relationship between infective endocarditis and mycotic aneurysm formation appers clear : In about two to ten percent of patients with infective endocarditis harbor septic intracranial aneurysms. But the pathogenesis, natural course and management of these lesions remains controversial. Aggressive medical treatment of the underlying infected cardiac valve or surgical replacement therapy have significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality rates associated with infective endocarditis. Clinical predictors of mycotic aneurysm, especially neurologic prodromes prior to rupture have been ill-defined since most series contain few patients or include patients with infective aneurysms who have no infective endoarditis. Similarly there has been no consensus regarding the indications and timing of cerebral angiography in patients with infective endocarditis. We have experienced a case of cerebral mycotic aneurysm complicated with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to infective endocarditis in a 29 year-old female patient, who admitted to our hospital because of the pain and paralysis of sudden onset in right forearm, which was diagnosed by echocardiography, brain computed tomography and 4-vessel cerebral angiography. The patient died of sudden rupture of mycotic aneurysm in the 7th hospital day despite intensive medical treatment. We report one case of cerebral mycotic aneurysm with a brief of literature.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Infected* ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Consensus ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Female ; Forearm ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Mortality ; Paralysis ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage*