No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Spine*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

In the present study, we investigated the differences in the levels of expression of virulence factors between blood isolates of Candida albicans and commensal strain isolated from the oral cavities of health volunteers, and correlations between virulence factors. Blood isolates of 33 and commenal isolates of 71 were characterized by putative virulence factors such as proteinase production (PROT), an ability to adhere to epithelial cells (ADH), cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), phospholipase production (PLASE), and hyphal transition (GERM). In PROT, ADH, CSH, and PLASE, the means of expression of blood isolates were higher compared with those of commensal isolates, however statistical significance was only shown in CSH (p=0.036). On the contrary, mean expression of GERM of blood isolates was lower than that of commensal isolates. Of relationships between virulence factors, although a negative correlation of PROT with CSH was obtained, the correlation was relatively low (r=-0.316, p=0.001). These results suggest that higher expression of CSH is a more distinguishing character in virulent blood isolates of C. albicans and that the expression of virulence factors are independent.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Epithelial Cells ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Phospholipases ; Virulence Factors ; Virulence* ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the MR image in the differentiation of benign and malignant lesion in compression of the vertebral body. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR images of 47 benign(acute traumatic within one month:19, chronic traumatic longer than one month or nontraumatic:28) and 21 metastatic compression fractures were respectively reviewed in terms of margin of lesions, signal intensity, paraspinal mass formation, soft tissue change, and involvement of posterior element of vertebra. MR images of TI-(T1WI) and T2*-weighted gradient echo (GE T2WI) sequences were obtained on 0.5T unit in sagittal and axial orientation with 5mm section thickness. RESULTS: The margin of benign compression fracture was usually indistinct (acute fracture:90% (17/19), chronic fracture:68% (19/28)), whereas it was sharply delineated in metastatic compression fracture (92%, (12/13) (p<0.001). Paraspinal mass was seen in both acute traumatic and metastatic compression fractures (acute fracture :26% (5/19), metastatic fracture: 52% (11/21). Soft tissue change was seen only in acute cornpression fractures (58%, 11/19). Involvement of posterior element of vertebra was noted in metastatic fracture (71%, 15/21), acute fracture (32%, 6/19) and chronic fracture (7%, 2/28) CONCLUSION: On MR imaging, involvement of entire portion of a given vertebral body, sharp margin between normal and abnormal areas in partially involved cases, paraspinal mass formation, and posterior element involvement are more frequently seen in metastatic compression fractures, which are considered to be useful in differentiation between benign and malignant causes of compression fracture.
Fractures, Compression* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spine

Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive cerebral sensori-motor defect, acquired either prenatally or in an early life and evolves over the first few years. Until recently many people believed that asphyxia at birth was a major cause of cerebral palsy and that the prevention of asphyxia at birth by improving perinatal care would reduce the number of cerebral palsy children. However the incidence of cerebral palsy in children has remained steady or ever risen slightly. The real cause of cerebral palsy is still unbaron to us. This analysis was undertaken to determine the clinical features of cerebral palsy in Korea by the retrospective study of 98 children. Over a half of infants with cerebral palsy (64.2%) was recognized by parents before 1 year of corrected age, and their chief complaints were delayed developments or equinus foot deformities. The most common type of cerebral palsy was spastic type (64.2%) which was followed by athetoid (10.5%), ataxia and hypotonia types (4.2% each). The mixed type was 19.4% Among 98 cerebral palsies, the preterm infants were 42.9% and the infants with low birth weight were 41.4%. The cerebral palsies with low birth weight and preterm infants were more likely to have spastic diplegia. The most frequent abnormal primitive reflex was absent protective extension(78.3%). No significant associations of the type of cerebral palsy with primitive reflexes were found. An increased risk of cerebral palsy with increased maternal age was not observed in this study. Of 55 MRI findings, no abnormalities were seen in 27.2%, periventricular leukomalacias in 34.5%, brain atrophies in 21.8%, cerebral infarcts in 10.9%, intracerebral hemorrhage in 3.6%, and delayed myelinations in 1.8%. The periventricular leukomalacias were associated with the preterm infants in 63.2%.
Asphyxia ; Ataxia ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Child ; Foot Deformities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Korea ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Maternal Age ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Muscle Spasticity ; Myelin Sheath ; Paralysis ; Parents ; Parturition ; Perinatal Care ; Reflex ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: During the follow-up period of extrahepatic malignancy, one may encounter a solitary hepatic metastasis on CT scan which may be difficult to differentiate from hepatic abscess in an ambiguous clinical setting. It was our intention to copmare the radiological similarities and differences between two disease entities from which differentiation can be attempted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six cases of solitary heaptic meastesis and 23 cases of liver abscess were included in this study. Two radiologists interpreted the CT without knowledge of the clinical informations. CT pattern was categorized and the frequency of various findings were compared between the two groups. CT findings of the mass were analysed in misinterpreted cases. RESULTS: Without the clinical informations, the diagnostic accuracy of the mass was 72-76% without pattern analysis. Homogeneous masses were seen in both groups, but all masses larger than 4cm were metastases. In heterogeneous masses, metatases more frequently accompanied high attenuation in central or peripheral portion of the mass and showed thick intermediate zone, Irregular trabecular pattern or septations were more frequently observed in abscesses. Biliary dilatation or stone, pleural effusion, air in mass or biliary tree were more frequently seen in abscesses. The false diagnosis was encountered most frequently when the mass possessed any of the followings; homogeneous attenuation, mosaic pattern in the mass with inhomogeneous attenuation and thin intermediate attenuation area. CONCLUSION: Pattern analysis of the various CT character will be helpful to differentiate hepatic abscess and solitary hepatic metastasis in the equivocal clinical settings. However, similar pattern can be seen in both entities ;in this cases, corrdination of CT pattern and secondary findings is needed for better differentiation.
Abscess ; Biliary Tract ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Intention ; Liver Abscess* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pleural Effusion ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to evaluate the role of the arterial phase (AP) together with the portal venous phase (PP) scans in the diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS) with using computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with FHCS and 25 women presenting with non-specifically diagnosed acute abdominal pain and who underwent biphasic CT examinations were evaluated. The AP scan included the upper abdomen, and the PP scan included the whole abdomen. Two radiologists blindly and retrospectively reviewed the PP scans first and then they reviewed the AP plus PP scans. The diagnostic accuracy of FHCS on each image set was compared for each reader by analyzing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az). Weighted kappa (wk) statistics were used to measure the interobserver agreement for the presence of CT signs of the pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) on the PP images and FHCS as the diagnosis based on the increased perihepatic enhancement on both sets of images. RESULTS: The individual diagnostic accuracy of FHCS was higher on the biphasic images (Az = 0.905 and 0.942 for reader 1 and 2, respectively) than on the PP images alone (Az = 0.806 and 0.706, respectively). The interobserver agreement for the presence of PID on the PP images was moderate (wk = 0.530). The interobserver agreement for FHCS as the diagnosis was moderate on only the PP images (wk = 0.413), but it was substantial on the biphasic images (wk = 0.719). CONCLUSION: Inclusion of the AP scan is helpful to depict the increased perihepatic enhancement, and it improves the diagnostic accuracy of FHCS on CT.
Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods ; Syndrome ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease/*radiography ; Middle Aged ; Iopamidol/diagnostic use ; Humans ; Hepatitis/*radiography ; Female ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Contrast Media ; Adult ; Adolescent

PURPOSE: Lipiodol CT is a important modality for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and compared is usually performed at 2-3 week after Lipiodol injection. Therefore, we assessed and the diagnostic value and merits of immediate CT after chemoembolization from there of 2-3 week delayed Lipiodol CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty three cases of chemoembolization which were performed both immediate CT after chemoembolization and 2-3 week delayed Lipiodol CT were reviewed retrospectively. They were divided into four grades according to pattern of lipiodol uptake by three radiologists. The diagnostic value of immediate Lipiiodol CT was compared to delayed Lipiodol CT. RESULTS: Grade 0 was two cases(3.0%) and Grade 1 was seven cases(21.2%). In the cases of Grade 2(23/33, 69.7%) tumor uptake could be dishng wished from parenchymal uptake of Lipiodol by its density and pattern. Tumor uptake showed dense and homogeneous pattern, but parenchymal uptake revealed less dense and hepatoram-like wedge shaped pattern. Lipiodol uptake of tumor in Grade 3(1/24, 3.0%) was equal to that in delayed Lipiodrl CT. Grade 3 and 2(72.7%) of the immediate Lipiodol CT were not inferior to delayed Lipiodol CT in its diagnostic value. CONCLUSION: The immediate Lipiodol CT could make rapid establishment of treatment plan and are expected to be more convenient than delayed CT for the patients.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diagnosis ; Ethiodized Oil ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies

Mechanical obstruction of the common hepatic duct includes the following causes; choledocholithiasis, sclerosis, cholangitis, pancreatic carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, postoperative stricture, primary hepatic duct carcinoma, enlarged cystic duct lymph nodes, and metastatic nodal involvement of the porta hepatis. Partial mechanical obstruction of the common hepatic duct caused by impaction of stones and inflammation surrounding the vicinity of the neck of the gallbladder had been reported on the “syndrome del conducto hepatico” in 1948 by Mirizzi. Nowadays, this disease was named by Mirizzi syndrome. Mrizzi syndrome is a rare entity of common hepatic duct obstruction that results from an inflammatory response secondary to a gallstone impacted in the cystic duct or neck of the gallbladder. It results from an almost parallel course and low insertion of the cystic duct into the common hepatic duct. In a variant of Mirizzi's syndrome, the cause of the common hepatic duct obstruction was a primary cystic duct carcinoma rather than gallstone disease. A 71-year-old man was admitted with a four-day history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Past medical history was unremarkable. On physical examination, the patient had a temperature of 38℃, icteric sclera and right upper quadrant tenderness. Pertinent laboratory findings included WBC 18,000/cm3; albumin 2.6 g/dl (normal 0-1) with the direct bilirubin, 4.4 mg/dl (normal 0-0.4). Ultrasonography revealed a dilated extrahepatic biliary tree. ERCP showed that the superior margin was angular and more consistent with a calculus causing partial CHD obstruction (Mirizzi syndrome). At surgery a diseased gallbladder containing calculi was found. In addition, there was two calculi partially eroding through the proximal portion of the cystic duct and compressing the common hepatic duct. A cholecystectomy and excision of common bile duct was performed, with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Biliary Tract ; Bilirubin ; Calculi ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholangitis ; Cholecystectomy ; Choledocholithiasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Cystic Duct ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Lymph Nodes ; Mirizzi Syndrome* ; Neck ; Physical Examination ; Sclera ; Sclerosis ; Ultrasonography