Adrenoceptors mediate response to catecholamines throughout the body. To investigate postnatal ontogenic development of alpha1- and alpha2- adrenoceptors in the rat cerebral cortex, in vitro autoradiography was done on frontal, parietal and temporal cortex in P0, P5, P10, P15, P20, P30 and adult animals. Binding sites for the alpha1-adrenergic receptor ligand, [3H]-prazosin, and the alpha2-adrenergic receptor ligand, [3H]-rauwolscine, were visualized by in vitro autoradiography, and anatomically localized by comparing the autoradiogram to Nissl-stained sections. Nonspecific binding was detected with unlabeled phentolamine (alpha1) and yohimbine (alpha2). There is uniform increase in alpha1- and alpha2- adrenoceptors from birth through first three or four postnatal weeks, followed by a decrease to adult level. Two alpha-adrenoceptors have very different ontogenic patterns of distribution during postnatal development. alpha1- adrenoceptors were expressed differentially in different cortical (frontal, temporal, parietal) regions and in different cortical layers (layers V, II-IV, VI) at same age. alpha2- adrenoceptor was expressed homogenously in throughout regions and layers. These findings may provide evidence that alpha1- adrenoceptors are involved in regulating cortical development or function more specifically than alpha2- adrenoceptors during postnatal development.
Adult ; Animals ; Autoradiography* ; Binding Sites ; Catecholamines ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Humans ; Parturition ; Phentolamine ; Rabeprazole ; Rats* ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; Yohimbine

In various autopsy series, overdiagnosis as well as underdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism has been reported. During the past decade, mortality rate has not declined despite advances in diagnostic methods. To evaluate the hypothesis that changes of hemodynamic parameters responded by mean pulmonary arterial pressure differences are of paramount importance to guide prognosis, experimental model of anesthetized dogs was used. Six dogs were anesthetized with 15 milligrams per kilogram of pentobarbital sodium, given intravenously and paralyzed with 2 milligrams of pancuronium bromide. 0.3 to 0.8 gram per kilogram of autologous blood clot was infused into the right atrium through a left external jugular vein. The dogs after embolization were divided into group A(mean pulmonary arterial pressure 33mmHg) and group B(mean pulmonary arterial pressure 43 mmHg). Each group of three dogs was monitored for a total of 4.5 hours. A 7F Swan-Ganz catheter was positioned and used to measure with fluid-filled transducer pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure and mean right atrial pressure. Cardiac ouput was measured in triplicate by thermodilution and divided by weight to obtain the cardiac index. Blood gases, pH and saturation of arterial blood were measured. White blood cell and platerlets were counted in arterial blood. The results are as follows : 1) Changes in mean arterial pressure showed no significant differences between group A and group B following embolization. 2) Changes in mean pulmonary arterial pressure showed significant differences between group A and group B(p<0.05). 3) Changes in cardiac index showed significant differences between group A and group B after 45 minutes following embolization(p<0.05). 4) Changes in total pulmonary resistance showed significant differences between group A and group B after 45 minutes following embolization(p<0.05). 5) PaO2 showed significant differences between group A and group B after one hour following embolization(p<0.05), but arterial pH showed no significant difference. 6) Changes in mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, mean right atrial pressure and heart rates showed no significant differences between group A and group B following embolization. In conclusion, changes in mean pulmonary arterial pressure, cardiac index, total pulmonary resistance and PaO2 showed significant differences between group A and group B following embolization.
Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Atrial Pressure ; Autopsy ; Catheters ; Dogs* ; Gases ; Heart Atria ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Jugular Veins ; Leukocytes ; Models, Theoretical ; Mortality ; Pancuronium ; Pentobarbital ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Thermodilution ; Transducers

Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy is characterized by clinical and hemodynamic findings of restrictive cardiomyopathy in the absence of morphologic cause. The differential diagnosis between idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy and noncalcified constrictive pericarditis is difficult but the distinction is crucial because of the therapeutic implication. The diagnosis of idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy is aided by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The patients should be approached systemically to differentiate from noncalcified constritive pericarditis.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pericarditis ; Pericarditis, Constrictive

DCRV is a rare cause of right ventricular outflow obstruction by anomalous muscle bundle at the level of sinus portion. The symptoms due to DCRV itself were mild inspite of significant pressure gradient over 90mmHg between proximal and distal chamber, and became severe by associated complication of bacterial endocarditis or aortic regurgitation in ventricular septal defect. In 12 cases(40%), right ventricular hypertrophy configuration in electrocardiogram was characteristic. Although R wave in V1 was tall, S wave in V6 and R wave in aVR were indistinctive. Those were very useful findings for diagnosis of DCRV which was thought to be possible only invasively. With operation prior to overt right ventricular faliure, the prognosis was good with only minor complication.
Adolescent* ; Adult* ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular ; Prognosis ; Ventricular Outflow Obstruction

Background & Significance : Hallervorden-Spatz disease (HSD) is a rare neurologic disorder characterized by progressive dystonia, retinal degeneration, pyramidal sign, and mental deterioration. The neuropathological findings include preferential deposition of iron within the extrapyramidal nuclei, including globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and red nuclei. The final diagnosis depends on the typical pathologic findings. MRI brain imaging study commonly shows so-called "eye-of-the-tiger" in the globus pallidus. However 1H-MRS findings of HSD have not been reported. We experienced a case with clinically suspicious HSD whose diagnosis was further supported by 1H-MRS. Case : A forty four year-old man presented with slowly progressive dystonia for six years. He had been well until age of thirty eight, when he noticed clumsy hand-writing. Three years later, he developed difficulty in chewing. Clumsiness of his hands and arm movements progressed to the point of difficulty in using spoon and chopsticks. While walking, arm swing was decreased and both arms and neck took more dystonic posture. Brain MRI (T2Wl) showed symmetric high signal intensity lesions in the globus pallidus, surrounded by a peripheral zone of exaggerated low signal. On 1H-MRS of basal ganglia, although choline, creatine and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) peaks were detected, marked noise probably due to paramagnetic substance (iron), made quantitative analysis difficult. Conclusion : 1H-MRS of HSD is characterized by "noise", which may be suggestive of HSD.
Adult* ; Arm ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Choline ; Creatine ; Diagnosis ; Dystonia ; Globus Pallidus ; Hand ; Humans ; Iron ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Mastication ; Neck ; Nervous System Diseases ; Neuroimaging ; Noise ; Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration* ; Posture ; Protons* ; Retinal Degeneration ; Substantia Nigra ; Walking

PURPOSE: Headache is a common disorder in childhood and adolescence and frequently associated with emotional or psychological problems. In this study we studied behavioral and psychological characteristics of recurrent headache patients. METHODS: We evaluated 120 patients over 9 years old with headache who visited Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital. 33 patients who didn't have headache were included in the control group. Diagnosis was confirmed according to ICHD-2 classification and KCBCL, TAIC, CDI, and SAIC were conducted in all participants. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 0.7:1 in the study group and 1.1:1 in the control group and the mean age was 11.5+/-2.1 and 12.6+/-2.0 years old respectively. 73.3% of patients were migraine and 26.7% were tension type headache. The mean of KCBCL total scores was 56.2 in the migraine group, 54.0 in the tension type headache group, and 38.3 in the control group and the score was higher in the headache group(P<0.001). The means of internalizing and externalizing scores were 59.8 and 54.1 in the migraine group, 57.4 and 51.3 in the tension headache group, and 40.1 and 42.4 in the control group respectively and the scores were higher in the headache group(P<0.001). The mean scores of SAIC and TAIC were 36.3 and 33.6 in the migraine group, 36.3 and 34.6 in the tension type headache group, and 25.3 and 26.9 in the control group respectively and the scores were higher in the headache group(P<0.001). The mean scores of CDI were 14.9 in the migraine group, 14.5 in the tension type headache group, and 9.1 in the control group and the scores were higher in the headache group(P=0.002). CONCLUSION: The patients with recurrent headache showed statistically significant higher scores in CBCL total, internalizing, and externalizing scores, SAIC, TAIC, and CDI in comparison with the control group.
Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Headache ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Stress, Psychological ; Tension-Type Headache

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of combined automated gun biopsy (AGB) and fine needle aspiration (FNA) in the diagnosis of lung lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lung lesions in 102 patients were aspirated consecutively using a 21-gauge fine needle and biopsied with an 18-gauge automated gun at intervals of 3 -5 minutes. Final diagnosis was based on the findings of surgery or clinical follow-up. RESULTS: In 50 patients with malignant lesions, diagnostic accuracy was 80% with AGB and 76% with FNA, but using the combined modality, the figure was 94%. In 52 patients with benign lesions, diagnostic accuracy was 54% with AGB and 50% with FNA; using the combined modality, 69 percent accuracy was achieved. For all lesions, the diagnostic accuracy of the combined modality was thus significantly higher than that of a single method (p<.05). The complications which occurred were pneumothorax in six cases (5.9%), chest tubing in two (0.2%) and minor hemoptysis in nine (8.8%). CONCLUSION: In the diagnosis of lung lesions, the combined use of AGB and FNA is safe and can increase diag-nostic accuracy.
Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Diagnosis ; Fluoroscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Needles ; Pneumothorax ; Thorax

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent arterial or venous thrombosis, and pregnancy loss. A 57-year-old woman was admitted for aggravation of both leg ulcers. Venogram showed chronic venous obstructions at both lower extremities, and chest x-ray and computed tomography revealed serositis in pericardium and pleura. The laboratory tests revealed pancytopenia, and positive tests for antinuclear antibody, anti-dsDNA antibody, lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibody, which led to a diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematous. After medical treatments by anticoagulation and immunosuppression, and surgical managements including subtotal skin graft and local flap surgery, leg ulcers had been successfully treated without recurrence. Recognition of antiphospholipid syndrome as a cause of venous ulcer and the treatment plans including anticoagulation and surgical management is important in proper managements.
Antibodies, Anticardiolipin ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Leg Ulcer* ; Leg* ; Lower Extremity ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor ; Middle Aged ; Pancytopenia ; Pericardium ; Pleura ; Pregnancy ; Recurrence ; Serositis ; Skin ; Thorax ; Transplants ; Varicose Ulcer ; Venous Thrombosis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis. There are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria for PsA. Indeed, the diagnosis of this inflammatory arthritis is made by exclusion of other possible diseases and based upon immunologic, radiologic, and clinical features which are consistent with the diagnosis. Inflammatory arthritis in a patient with psoriasis can be an important clue for the diagnosis of PsA, but the possibility for diagnosis of other inflammatory arthritides ever remains. Herein we report a case of a female patient who was not diagnosed with PsA, but with rheumatoid arthritis, even though she had psoriasis.
Adult ; Arthritis/classification/*diagnosis/*immunology ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/classification/*diagnosis/*immunology ; Bone and Bones/radiography/radionuclide imaging ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Skin/pathology

Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease (KFD), or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is a rare benign and self-limiting disease. KFD are confused with systemic autoimmune disease as they present with localized lymphadenopathy, fever, fatigue, arthritis, leukopenia. Furthermore as KFD can occur associated with other autoimmune disease, we need to diagnose carefully. Here, we describe a case of 27-year-old female patient, diagnosed as KFD, who subsequently developed adult onset Still's disesase (AOSD). As far as we know, this is the first case of KFD with AOSD in Korea.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans