Diclofenac sodium is a widely used drug for reducing inflammation and pain after cataract, surgery or excirner laser photorefractive keratectomy. However,we could find epithelial defect while using this drug postoperatively. To investigate the toxic effects of diclofenac sodium, we cultured corneal epithelial cells and tissues, then exposed them to various concentratiotration of drugs and measured the cell number and expanding area from. the original corneal tissue. In cases of cell culture, the cell number was counted at 24, 48, and 72 hours` exposure to l2.5, 25, 50, and 100 ug/ml solution of diclofenac sodium and at. 5 days after two minute exposure to 0. I and 0.2% solution. The cell number was reduced significantly at 50ug/ml (72 hrs later) , 100ug/ml(48 or 72 hrs later) and 0.1, 0.2% of solution than that of the control group. In tissue culture, we exposed the epithelial tissue to the same condition of cell culture. In long duration exposure conditions, the size of the epithelium grown from the tissues was smaller than that in the control group, especially at the dosage of 50 and 100ug/ml. In short duratio(2 minutes) exposure conditions, no significant difference from the control group was found. In conclusion, diclofenac sodium has some suppressive effects on the growth and migration of the rabbit corneal epithelium and its postoperative high dose or frequent instillation might injure the corneal epithelial cells.
Cataract ; Cell Count ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Diclofenac* ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Epithelium, Corneal* ; Inflammation ; Photorefractive Keratectomy

PURPOSE: The occurrence of traumatic aneurysm is rare in head injury, but this complication is important as it is a potentially treatable cause delayed onset of intracranial hemorrhage. Authors report one case of traumatic aneurysm involving A1 and A2 junction of anterior cerebral artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A-28-year-old man with traffic accident was examined with brain CT & cerebral angiography. RESULTS: l) Brain CT:lnitial scan shows multiple skull fractures involving right frontal bones with subarachnoid hemorrhage and pneumocephalus. Follow-up scan shows intracerebral hemorrhage at bilateral frontal lobes. 2) Cerebral angiography:A traumatic aneurysm which is slowly filling and delayed emptying is noted at the junctional portion of A1 and A2 segment of the anterior cerebral artery. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates radiologic findings of traumatic aneurysm at anterior cerebral artery with the brief review of the literatures.
Accidents, Traffic ; Aneurysm ; Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Bone ; Frontal Lobe ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Pneumocephalus ; Skull Fractures ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Placental site nodules and plaques have been recently described to designated single or multiple, well-circumscribed, rounded lesions at the placental site, composed of viable or degenerating intermediate trophoblastic cells and extensive hyalinization between the cells. We described clinicopathologic findings of 14 cases of placental site nodules and plaques. The age of 14 patients ranged from 25 to 39(average 33) years and all of them had been pregnant in the past. Ten of them presented with vaginal spotting, which was preceded by recent pregnancy in only 3 cases. Three patients presented with secondary infertility and one with secondary infertility and vaginal spotting. Urine pregnancy tests were negative in all 14 cases at the time of presentation. Ultrasonographic examination disclosed abnormalities in only 3 cases and the remaining cases were normal. Hysterosalpingography was performed in 3 patients who presented with 2 degrees infertility and revealed moderate to severe intrauterine adhesions. Microscopically, chronic endometritis of varying degrees evidenced by plasma cells and eosinophiles were present in all cases and these were more prominent in the vicinity of the lesions. It is presumed that the placental site nodules and plaques are not sloughed at the time of menstruation and it may cause chronic endometritis or intrauterine adhesions at any time after previous delivery.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: There were many studies on the distributions of the retinal ganglion cells(RGC) in the experimental model of the retinal ischemia. RGC was known to be more sensitive to the ischemic injury than the other types of the retinal cells. So, we would identify the changes of the retinal ganglion cell morphologies and distribution after the iatrogenic retinal ischemia induced by intraocular pressure(IOP) elevation. METHODS: Eight pigmented and six white rabbits were used and retinal ischemia was induced by increasing IOP higher than 120 mmHg for 60 minutes. Electroretinogram were recorded at 6 days or 13 days, and histologic findings were observed at 7 or 14 days. RESULTS: After 7 days, RGC densities decreased, cytoplasmic staining disappeared, and the intranuclear hyperpigmentation was noted. RGC densities decreased significantly at 14 days. In the vertical retinal section, some flattening of retinal ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer was observed. Changes in the cellular morphologies were prominent. CONCLUSIONS: It may be more appropriate to examine both the retinal whole-mount and the vertical tissue section for the estimatation of the changes of retinal ganglion cell layer in the pressure-induced retinal ischemia.
Cytoplasm ; Ganglion Cysts* ; Hyperpigmentation ; Ischemia ; Models, Theoretical ; Rabbits ; Retina* ; Retinal Ganglion Cells ; Retinaldehyde*

Extrathoracic metastasis of a thymoma is rare ; we report a case of metastasis to the liver of a large solitary thymoma. Biopsy of the mass showed it to be predominantly lymphocytic and histologically the same as a primary thymoma operated on four years previously. On ultrasound and CT scan, the majority of the metastatic tumor was hemorrhagic, necrotic and/or cystic, with a peripheral, irregularly thick solid component and rather thin, smooth encapsulation.
Biopsy ; Liver* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Thymoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

Bacterial endocarditis is a disease with protean manifestations whose presentation has recently changed greatly. Right-sided endocarditis associated with congenital heart lesions is now relatively less common. Patients with ventricular septal defect are at risk for right-sided endocarditis, but its incidence is low in children and adolescents. The organism is frequently a staphylococcus and the clinical course is dominated by septic pulmonary infarction and septicemia. We reported two cases of pulmonic vegetation and pulmonary infarction associated VSD with brief review of literature.
Adolescent ; Child ; Endocarditis ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; Heart ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pulmonary Infarction* ; Sepsis ; Staphylococcus

PURPOSE: The authors sought to determine the neuroprotective effect of melatonin in a model of ischemic injury in rabbit retina. METHODS: Ischemia was induced by high intraocualr pressure. A dose of 100 microgram of melatonin or dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) alone was injected intravitreally just after the induction of ischemia. After 7 and 14 days, the neuroprotective effect of melatonin on ischemic retina was examined with light microscope and transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: The authors found reduction of cytoplasm of retinal ganglion cell(RGC), vacuole formation, chromatin condensation and rupture of nuclear membrane in ischemia-injured eyes treated with DMSO alone. But in melatonin treated eyes, we found that RGC layer's thickness and number of RGC reduced and destruction of cytoplasmic organells and nuclear damage were minimal. The partial recovery of wave is noted in melatonin-treated eyes after ischemia induction. CONCLUSIONS: The melatonin(100 microgram) protected the rabbit retina from high intraocular pressure-induced ischemic injury when administered intravitreally. Melatonin may be useful to decrease neuronal damage in the retina as a result of ischemic injury. But further investigations are neccesary to decide effective concentration, route and time of administration.
Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; Ganglion Cysts ; Ischemia* ; Melatonin* ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Nuclear Envelope ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde* ; Rupture ; Vacuoles

PURPOSE: We evaluated the frequency of detection of small hepatic cystic lesion(SHC) on abdominal CT films and its significance in patients with extrahepatic malignancies. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed the abdominal CT films of a total 1112 patients to determine the frequency of detection of SHC, and 62 patients who had both extrahepatic malignancies and SHC were selected. A total 106 SHC determined as benign or malignant in 40 patients was analyzed according to the size(< 1 cm, 1 2cm), the number(1, 2 4, >4), the margin(well-defined, iil-defined),and the location(central, peripheral) of individual cystic lesions. The findings of follow-up CT and ultrasonography and the results of biopsy were also reviewed. The frequency of combined renal cyst was also considered. RESULT: SHC of those 62 patients were classified as benign(27 patients, 43.6%), malignant(13 patients, 20. 9%), or undetermined(22 patients, 35.5%) by the follow-up CT, ultrasonography, and biopsy. Most benign SHC (74.4%) measured under 1 cm, but 75% of the malignant SHC were in 1 -2cm in size. The percentage of the malignancy in one and two to four SHC was 37.5% and 40%, respectively. The margin of SHC was ill-defined in 67.9% of the benign and 64.3% of the malignant lesions. SHCs were mainly located at the periphery of the liver(benign :62.7%, malignant: 64.3%). Coexisting renal cyst was rare. CONCLUSION: SHC is not uncommon finding(13.2%) in patients with extrahepatic malignancy and has a high probablity of metastasis when it is larger than 1 cm, which should be closely followed and intensively studied further.
Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and subsequent percutaneous ethanol injection (PEi) was attempted in 8 patients with 9 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) for complete tumor necrosis of HCCs less than 5cm in greatest diameter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PEI was performed with 2-8ml of absolute (99.9%) ethanol two weeks after TACE under CT or ultrasound guidance. For each patient PEI was done twice to four times within 4-10 days of each procedure. After completion of a series of PEI, follow up examination (range:3 months-l.5 year period) was done with angiography, CT or ultrasound and correlated with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level. RESULTS: On follow up anglograms, the lesions completely disappeared or decreased in size without tumor vessels or staining in 5 of 6 patients. On follow up CT of 6 patients, the lipiodol-laden HCCs were surrounded by non-enhancing low density and the losion sizes were slightly decreased or not changed. These are suggestive of necrosis of tumor itself and adjacent liver parenchyma. The tumors could not be detected on follow up ultrasound examination in 2 patients. Serum AFP was decreased in 7 patients and was well corresponded to the results of imaging modalities. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded that the combined TACE and PEI is an appropriate treatment for small HCCs having high surgical risks.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Angiography ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Ethanol* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Necrosis ; Ultrasonography

Uterine metastasis from stomach carcinoma occurred in a patient who five years previously had undergonegastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma. CT scans showed an ill-defined lobulated low density mass in the center ofthe uterus. T1-weighted MRI imaging showed that the lesion was indistinct from the myometrium; on T2-weightedimaging it showed increased signal intensity and had infiltrated the myometrium. After Gd-DTPA administration, thelesion showed very little enhancement.
Adenocarcinoma ; Animals ; Female ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Uterus