No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus*

No abstract available.
Spinal Cord Vascular Diseases*

No abstract available.
Sepsis* ; Yersinia*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) can be used to assess the therapeutic response of brain abscess. METHODS: A study was conducted on 10 consecutive patients with brain abscess. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffuse-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed at 3 and 6 weeks after surgical treatment and intravenous antibiotics therapy and FDG-PET at 6 weeks after treatment. The extent of the abscess, signal changes on MRI, and FDG-PET standardized uptake values were analyzed and correlated with the response to therapy. RESULTS: Aspiration or craniotomy with excision of the abscess followed by intravenous antibiotics for 6-8 weeks resulted in good recovery with no recurrence. In 10 patients, two had low signal intensity on the DWI; one had no uptake on FDG-PET imaging after 6 weeks antibiotics and discontinued intravenous treatment, but the other patient had diffuse, increased uptake on FDG-PET imaging after 6 weeks antibiotics and underwent an additional 2 weeks of intravenous antibiotics. The remaining eight patients had high signals on the DWI. Four had no uptake on FDG-PET imaging and the treatment period varied from 6 to 8 weeks (mean, 6.75 weeks). Among the other four patients, FDG was accumulated in a diffuse or local area corresponding to a high signal area within the DWI and 2 weeks of intravenous antibiotics was added. CONCLUSION: MRI plus FDG-PET improved the accuracy of assessing therapeutic responses to antibiotics treatment of brain abscess and aided in optimizing therapy.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Brain ; Brain Abscess ; Craniotomy ; Electrons ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate plasma levels of endostatin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in normal subjects and in patients with pituitary adenoma and to evaluate change in these levels following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for pituitary adenoma. METHODS: Peripheral venous blood was collected from five patients with pituitary adenoma before SRS using Gamma Knife and at the 1 week and 1 month follow-up visits. Plasma endostatin and VEGF levels were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 10 healthy volunteers as controls. RESULTS: Mean baseline plasma endostatin level (105.3 ng/mL, range, 97.0-120.2 ng/mL) in patients with pituitary adenoma was higher than that of the healthy controls (86.6 ng/mL, range, 71.3-98.2 ng/mL) (p=0.001). Mean plasma VEGF level was 89.5 pg/mL (range, 24.1-171.8 pg/mL) in patients with pituitary adenoma at baseline and 29.3 pg/mL (range, 9.2-64.3 pg/mL) in the control group (p=0.050). Plasma endostatin level changed to 106.6 ng/mL 1 week after SRS and decreased to 95.9 ng/mL after 1 month. Plasma VEGF level following SRS decreased to 74.1 pg/mL after 1 week and 79.0 pg/mL after 1 month. There was a trend toward decreased plasma endostatin and VEGF concentrations 1 month after SRS compared to baseline levels (p=0.195, p=0.812, respectively). CONCLUSION: Plasma endostatin and VEGF levels in patients with pituitary adenoma were significantly elevated over controls at baseline, which decreased from baseline to 1 month after SRS for pituitary adenomas.
Endostatins* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Follow-Up Studies ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Plasma ; Radiosurgery* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

The role of the donor and recipient gender have been a controversial point in the outcome of renal transplantation and the pathophysiologic mechanisms are not understood clearly. In order to evaluate the effect of gender on the renal graft survival, we reviewed our 400 consecutive living donor renal transplantation. The patients were divided into four groups, Group 1; male donor and male recipient(n=152), Group 2; female donor and male recipient(n=61), Group 3; male donor and female recipient(n=135), and Group 4; female donor and female recipient(n=52). To estimate the transplant outcome between the groups, we analyzed patient and graft survival, acute tubular necrosis, BUN, creatinine and rejection episode for maximum 5 years after transplantation. The level of BUN(34.7+/- 26.4, 19.8+/- 6.4, 30.5+/- 14.6, 23.1+/- 10.5 in group 1,2,3,4 respectively) and serum creatinine(2.62+/- 2.3, 1.48+/- 1.1, 2.24+/- 1.2, 1.65+/- 0.9 in group 1,2,3,4 respectively) were higher in male recipient groups regardless of donor gender. However, donor and recipient gender had no influence on post-graft blood pressure and acute tubular necrosis(p>0.05). Acute rejection episode was predominent at female donor graft than male donor graft(36.4% vs 30.1%). The 5 year graft survival in group 1,2,3,4 were 67.8, 67.2, 60.1, 72.7% and patient survival were 76.9, 75.6, 72.6, 80.5% in their orders. These results suggest that donor and recipient gender might play a role in the outcome of renal transplantation. The mechanism of these results must be analyzed by further evaluation using larger patient group.
Allografts* ; Blood Pressure ; Creatinine ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Male ; Necrosis ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants

The role of the donor and recipient gender have been a controversial point in the outcome of renal transplantation and the pathophysiologic mechanisms are not understood clearly. In order to evaluate the effect of gender on the renal graft survival, we reviewed our 400 consecutive living donor renal transplantation. The patients were divided into four groups, Group 1; male donor and male recipient(n=152), Group 2; female donor and male recipient(n=61), Group 3; male donor and female recipient(n=135), and Group 4; female donor and female recipient(n=52). To estimate the transplant outcome between the groups, we analyzed patient and graft survival, acute tubular necrosis, BUN, creatinine and rejection episode for maximum 5 years after transplantation. The level of BUN(34.7+/- 26.4, 19.8+/- 6.4, 30.5+/- 14.6, 23.1+/- 10.5 in group 1,2,3,4 respectively) and serum creatinine(2.62+/- 2.3, 1.48+/- 1.1, 2.24+/- 1.2, 1.65+/- 0.9 in group 1,2,3,4 respectively) were higher in male recipient groups regardless of donor gender. However, donor and recipient gender had no influence on post-graft blood pressure and acute tubular necrosis(p>0.05). Acute rejection episode was predominent at female donor graft than male donor graft(36.4% vs 30.1%). The 5 year graft survival in group 1,2,3,4 were 67.8, 67.2, 60.1, 72.7% and patient survival were 76.9, 75.6, 72.6, 80.5% in their orders. These results suggest that donor and recipient gender might play a role in the outcome of renal transplantation. The mechanism of these results must be analyzed by further evaluation using larger patient group.
Allografts* ; Blood Pressure ; Creatinine ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Male ; Necrosis ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants

C-T guided stereotactic early burr hole aspirations performed on 106 spontaneous deep intracerebral hematoma patients in the Department of Neurosurgery, Kyungpook University Hospital, between January 1992 and December 1993. For average five days following the operation, continual urokinase(UK) irrigation was done for complete removal of the remaining hematoma. Of the patients, 73 who were operated on within three days of bleeding ictus were chosen for analyses and evaluation by factors believed to affect the final results. Eighty six percent was found to have hypertension as it's cause. The hematoma was removed completely in 13.7% of all the patients on post operation 1st day and 45% within 7 days by urokinase irrigation. The site of hematoma in thalamocapsulo-lenticular area showed a rather poor remission rate compared with those in other locations along with a higher mortality rate. By comparison between the time of admission and discharge, the state of consciousness of patients showed much improvement with 440% of the number of alert patients on discharge:motor function also showed significant improvement with 450% good patients number. In case of poor state of consciousness or motor function on admission, the mortality rate was higher. Rebleeding after aspiration was found in 6.8% and in all the cases except one the operation was done within 24 hours of bleeding, which resulted in poor postoperative outcome without improvement. Pneumonia was most common complication during admission followed by hydrocephalus. Mortality rate was 8.2%, most of which resulted from direct brain damage through bleeding. This surgical method is simple, safe and efficient in treating spontaneous deep intracerebral hematoma with no significant outcome difference when compared with early craniotomy.
Aspirations (Psychology) ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Consciousness ; Craniotomy ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hypertension ; Mortality ; Neurosurgery ; Pneumonia ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

Although the survival rate in childhood cancer is increased with current improvements of diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the incidence of second malignancy is now increasing. Therefore close follow-up with high index of suspicion for second malignancies are important for cancer survivng patients. We report our experiences of 3 second malignancies which were glioblastoma multiforme after treatment of acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, Philadelphia positive leukemia after treatment of osteosarcoma and acute myelogenous leukemia occuring in the course of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is imperative that survivors of childhood cancer be closely followed for the detection of not only the relapse of original disease but also the occurrence of second malignancy.
Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Neoplasms, Second Primary* ; Osteosarcoma ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

26 pediatric patients of spinal injury, below the age of 15 were admitted to KyungPook National University Hospital from Jan. 1972 to Jun. 1987, which accounted for 5.2% of the entire cases of spinal injury during the same period. Most number of cases fell in the age brackets of 2-8 and 12-24. Causes of the cases were in the order of traffic accident(48%), falling, direct blow. sports. and stab injury. The sites ran in such order as cervical( 30.8%), thoracic, lumbar and thoracolumbar spine. The breakdown of clinical findings was: Grade I-8, Grade II-5, Grade III-4, and Grade IV-8. Forty percent of the cases were found with no radiological abnormalities, still keeping the neurological deficits. Fracture was classified as: simple-6, dislocation-7, and subluxation-2. Methods of treatment were: conservative-l4, traction-5, laminectomy-5, and fusion-1. All patients in the categories from Grade I to III recovered to a good state. In Grade N, one each for good and fair recovery was achieved, five were poor and one expired from complication of head injury.
Child* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Spinal Injuries* ; Spine ; Sports