This study was carried out to investigate the light and electron microscopic findings of the livers of rats after an intraperitoneal injection of cadmium chloride. The Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with cadmium chloride dissolved in water, once a day for three days. These animals were sacrificed at 1, 3, 8, and 24 hr after the last injection. Control groups of the rats were also sacrificed in the same manner. The liver was extirpated and examined by both light and electron microscopy. The results obtained are as follows: The parenchyma of the liver shows focal neutrophilic infiltration and spotty necrosis. The hepatocytes show fatty change, ballooning degeneration, swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, increase numbers of secondary lysosomes and residual bodies. Focal patic venules and sinusoids of the liver are congested. The Kupffer cells are increase in number. Therefore, it can be concluded that the cadmium is directly acted to hepatocytes resulting in cellular injuries and deposits in the fat droplets of the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes, not Ito cells as previously suggeted.
Rats ; Animals

Among 666 premature infants or low birthweight infants who were admitted in NICU of St. Francisco General Hospital from January 1990 to Jun 1992, 96 infants were diagnosed as retinopathy of prematurity by indirect ophthalmoscope. The result were follows: 1) Among 666 patients, retinopathy of prematurity developed in 96 patients(14.1%) 2) The high incidence was observed in low birthweight and small gestational age. 3) Mean age of first diagnosing time was 42.0( 12 day of life and mean gestational age was 31.8 2.5 weeks and mean birthweight was 1646.5 (350.7gm. 4) In gestational age, birthweight and duration of oxygen therapy, there was statistically difference between cryotherapy group and spontaneous regression group. Other possible risk factors-hyaline membrane disease, apnea, anemia-were showed higher incidence in cryotherapy group. 5) Among the 20 infants who were treated with cryotherapy, 16 infants (80%) showed regression of neovascularization.
Apnea ; Cryotherapy ; Gestational Age ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Membranes ; Ophthalmoscopes ; Oxygen ; Retinopathy of Prematurity*

Authors experienced a case of acute optic neuritis, 12 years old female patient, following scarlet fever which is rare among bacterial origin in ophthalmological aspects. On the first day of admission, the visual acuities of 0.04(N.C.) in right eye and 0.2 (N.C.) in left eye, blurring of disc margins (OU), central scotoma (OD), and high antistreptolysin O titer (A.S.T.O.) were noted. After bed rest and medical treatment with corticosteroid, penicillin, and vitamin B12 for two and a half months, the visual acuities and antistreptolysin O titer were recovered completely.
Antistreptolysin ; Bed Rest ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Optic Neuritis* ; Penicillins ; Scarlet Fever* ; Scotoma ; Visual Acuity ; Vitamin B 12

Authors experienced a case of acute optic neuritis, 12 years old female patient, following scarlet fever which is rare among bacterial origin in ophthalmological aspects. On the first day of admission, the visual acuities of 0.04(N.C.) in right eye and 0.2 (N.C.) in left eye, blurring of disc margins (OU), central scotoma (OD), and high antistreptolysin O titer (A.S.T.O.) were noted. After bed rest and medical treatment with corticosteroid, penicillin, and vitamin B12 for two and a half months, the visual acuities and antistreptolysin O titer were recovered completely.
Antistreptolysin ; Bed Rest ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Optic Neuritis* ; Penicillins ; Scarlet Fever* ; Scotoma ; Visual Acuity ; Vitamin B 12

Hemolytic transfusion reactions may occur after the administration of donor bloods even when they have been shown compatible apparently by crossmatch tests. Such episodes present a diagnostic challenge and raise serious doubts about our understanding of blood group incompatibility. Fever, hemoglobinuria, oliguria and marked fall in hematocrit values developed in a patient 30 hours after she had received one unit of apparently compatible blood during operation under general anesthesia. Results of routine serologic studies at the time of the transfusion reaction were normal. She died on 40 hours after operation.
Anesthesia, General ; Blood Group Incompatibility* ; Fever ; Hematocrit ; Hemoglobinuria ; Humans ; Oliguria ; Tissue Donors

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder is Characterized by hyperplastic changes including overgrowth of the mucosa, thickening of the muscle wall, and intramural diverticula, crypts, or sinus tracts(Rokitaasky-Aschoff sinuses). The main diagnostic test for the detection of this disease is oral cholecystography but it's use is being decreased. Recently, Ultrasound, ERCP, and CT have been used for diagnosis. We present a report of case in whom ademomyomatosis of gallbladder was disgnosed on ultrasound and ERCP and confirmed by surgery. The essential feactures of ultrasound and ERCP diagnosis are discussed.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystography ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Diverticulum ; Gallbladder* ; Mucous Membrane ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: False tendons(FT), also referred to as pseudotendons or bands, are fibrous strings that pass from two papillary muscles and insert elsewhere except mitral valve leaflets. They can be classified into six types according to sites of attachment to the left ventricular wall and thickness. FT have been generally considered to be common normal structural variants with no clinical significance. But, these may be misinterpreted echocardiographically as left ventricular endocardium of the ventricular septum or mural thrornbus, since the echo from the tendon might mimic these structures. Moreover they have been reported to be a cause of functional ejection murmur. Some investigators have suggested that FT rnight be an etiologic factor in the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias in the autopsy and the clinical studies. METHODS: We evaluated the prevalence of the false tendons in consecutive 263 patients for 2 month period in routine echocardiographic method. In cases with FT, we examined their attachment and thickness accurately by tilting and rotating the echo probe, and classified them. In possible 9 cases, 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring was performed and evaluated the existence of ventricular arrhythmias. RESULTS: FT were found in routine echocardiographic views in 15 patients(male 11, female 4) out of 263 patients(prevalence 5.7%). The pye of FT were longitudinal type 7 cases(thin 3 cases, thick 4 cases) most commonly, diagonal type 3 cases(thin 2 cases, thick 1 cases), transverse thin type 4 cases and apical thin type 1 case. In 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring, ventricular premature contractions were detected in all 9 patients. Interestingly in one patient(case 5) visited with dyspnea and repetitive long period of palpitation, suggestive ILVT(idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia) and FT(longitudinal thick type) were coexisted. CONCLUSION: FT are common normal variants, but may be confused with other normal structures. Clinically in apparently healthy subjects with symptomatic idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias(ventricular premature contractions, ILVT and so on), the echocardiography would be performed carefully for the existence of FT and could be helpful for the evaluation of etiologies.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Autopsy ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Endocardium ; Female ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Papillary Muscles ; Prevalence ; Research Personnel ; Systolic Murmurs ; Tendons* ; Ventricular Septum

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare but one of the most common venous anomalies. Its incidence is reported as 0.3 - 0.5% in the general population, but in those with congenital heart disease, its incidence may range as high as 3 - 10%. PLSVC draining into coronary sinus is usually of little hemodynamic consequences, but it may become significant during cardiac catheterization, transvenous pacemaker insertion and cardiac surgery. Some investigators suggested that this anomaly is related with cardiac electrical instability due to anomalous development of AV nodal tissue with venous draining anomaly, and others suggested that the predisposing anomaly is in the sinus node and the dysrrhythmia is part of sick sinus syndrome. We report a 48 year-old female who had intermittent palpitation and near syncope, was diagnosed as sick sinus syndrome and underwent to implant permanent dual pacemaker implantation. Before implantation, we suspected PLSVC in 2-dimensional and contrast echocardiogram and confirmed it by cardiac catheterization. So, we successfully performed pacemaker implantation via right subclavian approach.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Sinus ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Research Personnel ; Sick Sinus Syndrome* ; Sinoatrial Node ; Syncope ; Thoracic Surgery ; Vena Cava, Superior*

PURPOSE: A microarray-based gene expression analysis may offer a rapid and efficient means for assessing. However, the molecular genetic change in nonneoplastic colonic polyp is still poorly understood. To elucidate the molecular genetic basis, We now report the results of our initial microarray data to analyze the genom pattern in patients with hyperplastic polyps of colon. METHODS: 36 samples (18 pairs of colonic polyps and normal colonic mucosa were) harvested from colonoscopic biopsy. 3 of 18 colonic polyps were pathologically identified as the serrated type of hyperplastic polyp. We used the oligonucleotide microarray technique for analysis of the expression profiles of serrated polyps and normal mucosa. For the identification of differentially expressed genes, SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarray) package method was used. The result was analysed by using global normalization, intensity dependent normalization and block-wise normalization. RESULTS: Polypectomy specimens microscopically showed the pathologically characteristic serration with a saw-teeth like luminal border (branching of the crypts). 8 genes including RHEB (Ras homolog enriched in brain), WASF2 (WAS protein family, member 2), TYRP1 (Tyrosinase-related protein 1), VSX1 (Visual system homeobox 1 homolog), ROS1 (V-ros UR2 sarcoma virus oncogene homolog 1), WEE1 (WEE1 homolog), TEC (Tec protein tyrosine kinase), TNFRSF10A (Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 10a) in serrated polyp were up-regulated by more than 10 times as compared with normal colonic mucosa. On the other hand, 6 genes including SIAT7D (Sialyltransferase 7D), DRD1 (Dopamine receptor D1), SIAT1 (Sialyltransferase 1), ITSN1 (Intersectin 1), TNFSF12 (Tumor necrosis factor superfamily, member 12), CHES1 (Checkpoint suppressor 1) were down-regulated by less than a tenth of the expression as compared with normal colonic mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: Serrated polyps as a subset of hyperplastic colonic polyps were analyzed with the oligonucleotide microarray technique. We authors could identify 14 genes (8 up-regulated and 6 down-regulated genes) that showed the significant change of expression as compared with normal colonic mucosa. Specifically, we believe that current study will serve as a fundamental base to offer a bioinformative characteristics of the serrated colonic polyp in future clinical applications.
Biopsy ; Colon* ; Colonic Polyps* ; Gene Expression Profiling* ; Gene Expression* ; Genes, Homeobox ; Hand ; Humans ; Molecular Biology ; Mucous Membrane ; Necrosis ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Oncogenes ; Phenobarbital ; Pilot Projects* ; Polyps ; Sarcoma ; Tyrosine

BACKGROUND: A large amount of attention in anorectal physiologic studies has been devoted to the diagnosis of fecal incontinence. The current study was designed firstly to assess the physiologic characteristics of fecal incontinence and secondly to analyze how the physiologic findings correlate with each other. METHODS: The physiologic findings of 47 patients (24 men and 23 women) were analyzed, retrospectively. Studies included anal manometry (n=38), anal electromyography/pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML) (n=30), and endoanal ultrasound (n=37). The degrees of continence were estimated by using continence grading scores (CGS) that ranged from 0 to 20 points based on the type and the frequency of incontinence. Control data were obtained from volunteers (n=23). RESULTS: The patients were categorized as having neurogenic (group I, n=25) or myogenic (group II, n=17) incontinence. Despite intensive investigations, unknown etiology was noted in 5 patients (10.4%). The CGS was not different between groups I and II. Pudendal neuropathy was found in 96% of group I and 37.5% of group II patients. Group I showed a higher value of PNTML than that of group II (2.96 1.0 msec vs. 2.07 0.48 msec, p=0.003). The CGS was proportional to the value of the PNTML in group I (r=0.476, p=0.01). However, no correlation was found between the mean PNTML and the CGS in group II. In the manometric parameters, there were no statistical differences between the values of the mean resting pressure (RP), the maximum RP, and the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) between groups I and II. The MVC was inversely proportional to the CGS in group I (r= 0.616, p=0.02) and in group II (r= 0.664, p=0.02). No correlation was found between the PNTML and the manometric parameters. When we consider the presence of a defect or a scar as an abnormal anal ultrasound finding, such findings were more frequent in group II than in group I (group I, 20% vs. group II, 88%, p<0.001, Fisher's exact test). CONCLUSIONS: The value of the PNTML had relevance to the degree of symptoms in the patients with neurogenic incontinence. Specifically, the squeeze profiles of the manometric parameters were inversely related to the grade of incontinence. No correlation between the PNTML and the manometric parameters could be independently specified based on the etiology. Complementary examination by using the PNTML and anal ultrasound provided the only useful information to discriminate the etiology of incontinence.
Cicatrix ; Diagnosis ; Fecal Incontinence* ; Humans ; Male ; Manometry ; Physiology* ; Pudendal Neuralgia ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Volunteers