No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Neck*

OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed to quantify the complex dynamics of beat-to-beat fetal heart rate(FHR) fluctuations by using approximate entropy(ApEn) which is a recently developed mathematical formula quantifying regularity and also to determine the differences between normal fetuses and growth retarded fetuses. BACKGROUND: Recently, some measures of heart rate variability and nonlinear "complexity" of heart rate dynamics have been used as indicators fetal well-being. Approximate entropy is a new mathematical approach and formula to quantify regularity in data. It has been shown to provide new information in fetal heart rate analysis. Because growth retarded fetus accounts for a significant increase in perinatal morbidity and mortality, than normal fetus, we postulated that there existed important differences between normal fetuses and growth retarded fetuses. METHODS: We analyzed FHR tracings for 40 minutes, and approximately 5,000 points in normal fetuses(n=315) and growth retarded fetuses(n=76). The overall "complexity" of each FHR time series was quantified by its approximate entropy, measure of regularity derived from nonlinear dynamics, "chaos theory". RESULTS: Mean baseline FHR increased in growth retarded fetuses than normal fetuses. And the FHR ApEn significantly decreased in growth retarded fetuses(ApEn=0.623) compared to that of the normal fetuses(ApEn=0.868) throughout all gestational ages(p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The ApEn of FHR decreased in growth retarded fetuses throughout all gestational ages. These findings indicated that decreased ApEn values of FHR are associated with sickness and the greater perinatal morbidity risks. Therefore ApEn quantifies subtle changes in FHR regularity and promises for new information in FHR analysis.
Entropy* ; Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetus* ; Gestational Age ; Heart Rate ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Mortality ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Survival Analysis*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the expressions, microvessel counts and angiogenic pathway of VEGF and PD-ECGF and proliferative activity of Ki-67 according to clinicopathologic feature of cervical tumor. METHODS: Two hundred three cervical specimens were evaluated; among these 20 were designated normal epithelium, 36 mild dysplasia, 28 moderate dysplasia, 36 severe dysplasia, 28 carcinoma in situ, 17 microinvasive carcinoma and 38 invasive cervical carcinoma (21 squamous cell carcinoma and 17 adenocarcinoma). Microvessel count was determined by immunohistochemical staining using anti-factor VIII-related monoclonal antibody. The expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and PD-ECGF (platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor) were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining with anti-human VEGF monoclonal antibody and anti-dThdPase monoclonal antibody. The proliferative activity was examined using a Ki-67 equivalent monoclonal antibody (MIBl). RESULT: There was no statistical significance on microvessel count except invasive cancer comparing with mild dysplasia including normal tissue, but there was a little increase in microvessel counts according to severity of tumor. The intensity of VEGF and PD-ECGF expression was significantly correlated with severity of cervical tumor. And the microvessel density was significantly higher in the positive expression of VEGF and PD-ECGF than in the negative expression. The intensity of PD-ECGF expression in invasive adenocarcinoma was significantly lower in comparison with VEGF expression. The intensity of Ki-67 expression had no correlation with severity of cervical tumor and was significantly higher in moderate and severe dysplasia than in microinvasive and invasive carcinoma. Ki-67 expression had no statistical correlation with VEGF and PD-ECGF. CONCLUSION: The VEGF and PD-ECGF are important angiogenic factors and associated with progression of cervical tumor. The VEGF may be involved in the progressions of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, but the PD-ECGF may not be involved or be minimally involved in the progression of adenocareinoma. There seems to be a different angiogenic pathway pertaining to the histologic difference of cervical cancer. There was no difference of Ki-67 expression according to severity of cervical tumor.
Adenocarcinoma ; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Microvessels ; Thymidine Phosphorylase* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Cytogenetics* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy

No abstract available in English.
Torticollis

The giant intra-articular osteochondroma of the knee is very rare and is probably result of synovial metaplasia of the fibrous capsule or of the adjacent connencive tissue of a joint, and of the fragment of articular cartilage. The gross findings and histology are consistent with the osteochondroma. The authors experienced a case of giant intra-articular osteochondroma of the right knee in a 19 years old man who had history of knee injury when he was 16 years old. The mass was excised and the symptome was relieved.
Cartilage, Articular ; Joints ; Knee Injuries ; Knee ; Metaplasia ; Osteochondroma

The double pylorus-is a fistulous communication between the gastric antrum and duodenal bulb, usually extending from the lesser curvature of the stomach to the superior aspect of the duodenal bulb, and seperated by septum or bridge of normal mucosa. Although its incidence is rare, reports concerning double pylorus are increasing with the recent development of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and more awareness of this abnormality. We recently experienced two cases of double pylorus; an aquired one in 72-year old male who had an another opening with healing ulcer at the superior aspect of the original pyloric channel, central erosion with clubbing and fusion of mucosal folds at the greater curvature of the lower body and a 3 x 4 cm sized ulcer at the lesser curvature of the lower body, and the other congenital one in 53-year old male who had an another opening at the superior aspect of the original pyloric channel with histologically intact muscularis mucosa in the pyloric septum with no evidence of chronic peptic ulcer scarring. We report here two cases of double pylorus, one-acquired, and the other-congenital, with a review of the literature.
Aged ; Cicatrix ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Peptic Ulcer ; Pyloric Antrum ; Pylorus ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: We evaluated the importance of redistribution and 24 hour reinjection images in Tl-201 SPECT assessment of myocardial viability after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed dipyridamole stress-4 hour redistribution-24 hour reinjection Tl-201 SPECT in 43 patients with recent AMI (4-16 days). The myocardium was divided into 16 segments and perfusion grade was measured visually with 4 point score from 0 to 3 (absent uptake to normal uptake). A perfusion defect with stress score 2 was considered moderate. A defect was considered severe if the stress score was 0 or l (absent uptake or severe perfusion decrease). Moderate defect on stress image were considered viable and segments with severe defect were considered viable if they showed improvement of 1 score or more on redistribution or reinjection images. We compared the results of viability assess-ment in stress-redistribution and stress-reinjection images. RESULTS: On visual analysis, 344 of 688 segments (50%) had abnormal perfusion. Fifty two (15%) had moderate perfusion defects and 292 (85%) had severe perfusion defects on stress image. Of 292 severe stress defects, 53 were irreversible on redistribution and reversible on reinjection images, and 15 were reversible on redistribution and irreversible on reinjection images. Two hundred twenty four of 292 segments (76.7%) showed concordant results on stress-redistribution and stress-reinjection images. Therefore 24 hour reinjection image changed viability status from necrotic to viable in 53 segments of 292 severe stress defect (18%). However, myocardial viability was underestimated in only 5% (15/292) of severe defects by 24 hour reinjection. CONCLUSION: The 24 hour reinjection imaging is useful in the assessment of rnyocardial viability. It is more sensitive than 4 hour redistribution imaging. However, both redistribution and reinjection images are needed since they complement each other.
Complement System Proteins ; Dipyridamole ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardium ; Perfusion ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice*