Cutaneous horn is a clinical decription for a cohesive mass of cornified mterial protruding from the surface of the skin. The incidence of cutancous horn is relaively rare and the lesion is usually single, The predilection sites are known to be the exposed area of the skin, that is, face, ear, dorsum cf hand etc. Soles are reported as the least common site of the cutaneous horn. Here, we report two cases of cutaneous horn. The one was a 49 year old schzophrenic male who had multiple cone shaped protrusions on hoth soles for 10 year. The other was 17 year old, boy who had a single cornified protrusion on the left forhead. The histopa.thologic findings from the base of two cases were consistent with benign hyperplastic epithelium.
Adolescent ; Animals ; Ear ; Epithelium ; Hand ; Horns* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin

Owing to their superior pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs) score over proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the treatment of gastric acid-related disorders and may provide clinical benefit in the management of these conditions. Previous studies have compared P-CABs with PPIs for treatment of gastric acid-related disorders, and current data show that P-CABs are non-inferior to PPIs in the treatment of erosive esophagitis and as maintenance therapy. P-CABs are useful for effective healing and as maintenance medications in patients with severe esophagitis. These drugs also aid with healing of peptic ulcers and artificial ulcers secondary to gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Few studies have discussed prevention of delayed ulcer bleeding after gastric ESD and ulcers associated with long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration. Well-controlled, large-scale prospective studies are warranted in future to compare P-CABs with PPIs.

BACKGROUND: Elecsys 2010 immunoassay system is based on the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay using a ruthenium (II) tris (bipyridyl) label. Since it was the first time to use the system in our laboratory, we would like to evaluate the analytical performances (precision, linearity and recovery rate) and correlation with radioimmunoassay (RIA) and microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) methods. METHODS: We used precicontrol tumor marker (TM1, TM2) for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), prostatic specific antigen (PSA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Precicontrol universal (Ul, U2) for triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), Precicontrol-TSH for thyrotropin (TSH) and pooled serum for the evaluation of precision and recovery rate. Patients' sera were used for the linearity and comparison study. RESULTS: The coefficients of variatron of Imprecision study were below; 4.0%, 8.7% and 10.2%, respectively in the within-run, within-day and between-day analysis. The recovery rates were 100.5%, 96.1% and 102.5%, respectively in T4, TSH, and AFP. The linearity were y=1.02x-0.182(r=0.99) for T4, y=1.01x+0.12 (r=0.99) for TSH and y=1.01x+0.54(r=1.00) for AFP. T3, T4, TSH, CEA and PSA results showed good correlation with RIA (r>0.90), but AFP showed r=0.88. Also, AFP, CEA and PSA results showed excellent correlation with AxSYM (r>0.99). CONCLUSION: Elecsys 2010 immunoassay system showed excellent precision, recovery rate, clinically acceptable linearity and good correlation with the results obtained by RIA and MEIA methods.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Immunoassay* ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Radioimmunoassay ; Ruthenium ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

A rigid external distraction device has been used for maxillary distraction osteogenesis and a number of papers have reported midface distraction after using this system. However, there is not enough information about long-term stability or further growth of the maxilla in adolescences after distraction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term stability of maxillary distraction osteogenesis by use of a rigid external distraction device. A total of 9 patients with severe cleft maxillary hypoplasia were treated between January 1998 and August 2003. The patients' ages at the time of surgery ranged between 13 and 19 years. The distraction started at five days after a Le Fort I osteotomy at a rate of 1mm per day for 10 to 15 days. All patients used the RED(rigid external distraction) I system. After distraction was completed, the device was left in place for another five to six weeks for bony consolidation. When this was completed, an orthodontic face mask was used with elastic traction for five to six weeks. The follow-up period ranged from one to six years. The mean distraction length was 13.6mm for an immediate postdistraction, 10.8mm at six months after distraction, and 10.4mm between the one year and six year follow-up period, resulting in relapse rate of 23.0%. Regarding three children with mixed dentition, the ANBangle ranged between 7.1 degrees to 8.5 degrees at immediate postdistraction, 2.8 degree to 4.0 degrees at the six- month postoperation period, and 0.4 degree to 1 degree at a five-year postoperation. Therefore, the growth rate of the distracted maxilla was lower than that of the mandible, respectively, in those three children. Our results suggested that greater anterior overcorrection of the hypoplastic maxilla is needed more in the growing child than in adults in order to compensate for a partial relapse and growth deficit.
Adult ; Child ; Dentition, Mixed ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Mandible ; Masks ; Maxilla* ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Osteotomy ; Recurrence ; Traction

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may contribute to cerebral hemorrhage. We previously demonstrated that tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen (PLG) accumulated at the periphery of compact amyloid-cored plaques and in the walls of CAA-containing blood vessels in the brains of Tg2576 mice, a widely used AD mouse model. We had also observed that zinc-triggered tPA and PLG induction were observed in mouse cortical cultures. Because zinc also accumulates in amyloid plaques and blood vessel walls in AD brains, we examined whether zinc increases mRNA and protein levels of tPA and PLG in brain endothelial cells and pericytes. Four hours after the exposure of brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3) to 40 microM zinc, the mRNA and protein expressions of tPA and its substrate PLG were significantly increased. In the case of brain pericyte cultures, increases in tPA and PLG expression were also detected 2 hr after treatment. However, amyloid-beta (Abeta)1-42 oligomers did not augment tPA and PLG expression in bEnd.3 cells and pericytes, suggesting that zinc but not Abeta induces tPA and PLG accumulation in CAA found in the AD brain.
Alzheimer Disease ; Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Brain ; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Endothelial Cells* ; Humans ; Mice ; Pericytes* ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Plasminogen* ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator* ; Zinc

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical significance of endometrial and corporal extensions of Carcinoma of the uterine cervix. METHODS: The 273 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy between Jan 1983 to May 1998 were included in this study and endometrial and corporal extension was examined by pathologic report. Then, clinical characteristics such as age, stage, tumor size, geographic contour, the lymph node and parametrial invasions, recurrence rate, and 5 year-survival rate were compared between extension(n=30) and non-extension(n=243) group. Pearson chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Kaplan-mayer survival analysis were used for calculation of statistical significance between two group. p-value less than 0.05 was considered to be clinically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of endometrial and corporal extension in this locally advanced cervical cancer group was 11% (30/273). The endometrial and corporal extension were closely related with advanced stage, larger cervical tumor mass, endophytic type, and pelvic lymph node metastasis. However, 5-year disease free survival rates or 5-year actuarial survival rates did not show statistically significant differences between extension and non-extension group (7S% vs 83% and 81% vs 84%, respectively) CONCLUSION: The endometrial and corporal extension were closely associated to high risk factors of advanced cervical cancer. Though its clinical significance for poor outcome were not proved in this study, prospective study with more patients is needed to clarify its clinical significance.
Cervix Uteri* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The antegrade puncture technique represents a new approach to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography andbiliary drainage. With this technique, ductal puncture begins with the liver capsule toward the hepaticparenchyma. This report briefly describes this new technique, and its safety and feasibility.
Cholangiography* ; Drainage* ; Liver ; Punctures*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and usefulness of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a venous contrast agent for upper-arm placement of peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC), vena caval filter placement, and for visualization of the portal vein in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: About 20-30ml of CO2 was used as an alternative to iodinated contrast material for digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and fluoroscopy to guide upper-arm placement of PICC in 46 patients, for inferior venacavogram before filter placement in five, and for visualization of the portal vein during TIPS in two. Vital signs, peripheral arterial oxygen saturation, and renal function were checked during and after delivery of CO2. RESULTS: All CO2 DSA for PICC placement clearly delineated patency or stenosis of the central veins. In 41 of 46 patients (89%), PICC placement with CO2 guidance was successful. The mean number of venipunctures for PICC placement was 1.9, and the mean volume of CO2 injected for venipuncture was 35 ml. In five patients, Titanium Greenfield filters were successfully implanted into the inferior vena cava following CO2 vena cavography. In two patients in whom hepatopetal portal flow was seen on indirect portography, the portal vein was visualized by CO2-wedged hepatic venography. Injection of CO2 into the splenic vein following TIPS placement revealed shunt patency. Vital signs and oxygen saturation did not change, and there was no evidence of renal toxicity following CO2 injection. CONCLUSION: CO2 is a safe and useful alternative contrast agent for upper-arm placement of PICC, pre-filter placement cavography, and wedged hepatic venography and portography for TIPS.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Central Venous Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Phlebography ; Phlebotomy ; Portal Vein ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical ; Portography ; Radiology, Interventional* ; Splenic Vein ; Titanium ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Vital Signs

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Humans* ; Interleukins*

PURPOSE: To report the decreasing incidence of HBV(Hepatitis B virus)-associated membranous nephropathy in children after HBV vaccination and to elucidate the clinical course and treatment strategies of IMN (Idiopathic membranous nephropathy). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinico-pathological findings of HBV-MN and IMN patients who underwent a renal biopsy from 1986 to 2005. We compared the HBV-MN and the IMN groups and the remission and the non-remission groups of patients with IMN. RESULTS: Among 24 cases of MN patients, HBV-MN comprised 6 cases(25%) and IMN 18 cases(75%). Clinical masnifestations were nephrotic syndrome(3 cases, 50%), nephritic syndrome(1 case, 16.7%), asymptomatic(2 cases, 33.4%) in the HBV-MN group, asymptomatic(10 cases, 55.5%), nephrotic syndrome(5 cases, 27.8%), and gross hematuria(3 cases, 16.7%) in the IMN group. From 1996 to 2000, there were 2 cases(28%) of HBV-MN and 5 cases(72%) of IMN. After 2001, all 10 cases were IMN. In the HBV-MN group, 4 cases(66.7%) received interferon and 1 case received methylprednisolone pulse therapy. In the IMN group, 16 cases (88.9%) received methylprednisolone, 8 cases(44.4%) were in complete remission, 2 cases (11.1%) were in partial remission, 2 cases(11.1%) were in chronic renal failure, and 5 cases (27.8%) were lost to follow-up with sustained proteinuria, 1 case(5.6%) continued to have frequent relapse of nephrotic syndrome without renal insufficiency. In the comparison between remission and non-remission groups, nephrotic range proteinuria and hypertension were more significantly common in the non-remission group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: With HBV vaccination, HBV-MN has decreased markedly. IMN is a rare glomerular disease in children. Because the prognosis for patients with nephrotic range proteinuria is poor, this group needs more aggressive treatment.
Biopsy ; Child* ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Interferons ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Methylprednisolone ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Prognosis ; Proteinuria ; Recurrence ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Vaccination