The clinical review was done on 17 cases with the foreign body in the upper gastrointestinal tract who underwent endoscopic removal of foreign body at Kang Nam Sacred Heart Hospital from Dec. 1981 to Dec. 1991. The results were as follows: 1) The age distribution varies from 3 months to 72 years of age, being most prevalent under 5 years of age. 2) The incidence of foreign body in the order of frequency was coin, fish bone, safety pinring, peanut, keyring, food bolus, artificial teeth and medal. Among 17 cases, 9 cases(53.0%) were lodged in the esophagus and 8 cases(47.0%) were lodged in the stomach. 3) Dysphagia or globus was the common symptom in 8 cases(47.2%), followed by absence of symptom in 7 cases(41.2%), upper abdominal discomfort in 1 case(5.8%) and vomiting in 1 case (5.8%). 4) l0 cases(58.8%) of foreign body were removed within 72 hours and 7 cases(41.2%) of foreign body were removed after 72 hours.
Age Distribution ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophagus ; Foreign Bodies* ; Heart ; Incidence ; Numismatics ; Stomach ; Tooth, Artificial ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Intracellular calcium overload is a common final feature of the ischemic-reperfused heart and mediates the genesis of irreversible cell damage. Reactive oxygen medabolites have been known to play and important role as toxic mediators in myocardial injuries resulting from ischemia and reperfusion. In order to investigate the mechanism of intracellular calcium accumulation in the ischemic-reperfused myocardium, the present study observed the possible contribution of the reactive oxygen metabolite to the calcium transport of cardiac mitochondria. METHODS: Mitochondrial were isolated from rabbit hearts. The effects of a reactive oxygen metabolite, H2O2 on calcium uptake and release, redox states of endogenous pyridine nucleotides and glutathiones of mitochondria respiring with succinate were observed. Calcium uptake and release were monitored by dual-wave length spectrophotometer using a calcium indicator, arsenaze III. Contents and redox states of pyridine nucleotides and glutathiones were measured by enzymatic methods using spectrofluorometer and HPLC. RESULTS: Hydrogen peroxide(10-500microM) promoted calcium release dose-dependently from CA++-preloaded mitochondria, but did not affect the mitochondrial calcium uptake. The H2O2-induced calcium release was accompanied by simultaneous oxidation of the pyridine nucleotides and decrease in the content of the reduced form of glutathione(GSH). When mitochondria were treated with BCNU(N,N=bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea) to inhibit glutathione reductase and so as to reduce the GSH content, there were no increase in calcium release from the mitochondria. These results may indicate that H2O2 increases the permeability of cardiac mitochondrial membrane to calcium in association with the changes in redox state of endogenous pyridine nucleotides, but not with that of glutathiones. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the reactive oxygen metabolites induce the release of calcium from mitochondria by altering the redox state of pyridine nucleotides, and it may partly be involved in the elevation of cytosolic calcium concentration in the ischemic-reperfused myocardial cells.
Calcium* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cytosol ; Glutathione Reductase ; Heart ; Hydrogen ; Ischemia ; Mitochondria* ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; Myocardium ; Nucleotides ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Oxygen* ; Permeability ; Reperfusion ; Succinic Acid

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the signal intensity and size of anterior pituitary gland in postpartum women, and to compare with those of control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 34 postpartum women(18-43 years, mean:27 years) and another 35 control nonpregnant women(20-29 years, mean :24 years), midsagittal Tl-weighted MR images were obtained. The signal intensity and height of the anterior pituitary gland were compared between the post-partum and normal control groups. RESULTS: In postpartum women, the signal intensity of the anterior pituitary gland relative to the pons was higher than that of the control gorup. Pituitary gland height of postpartum women was higher(5-11. 8mm, mean:8.18 +/- 1.8mm) than that of control group(2-9mm, mean :6.2 +/- 1.7mm). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the hyperintensity of the anterior pituitary gland on Tl-weighted image is a normal finding in postpartum women, which is useful in differentiation from pituitary abnormality.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Pons ; Postpartum Period*

No abstract available.
Barium* ; Colon* ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

In order to evaluate the value of vertebral angiography in assessment of hemifacial spasm, we reviewed retrospectively the vertebral angiography of 28 patients(30 cases) with surgically proved hemifacial spasm but normal CT scans of posterior fossa. There were 9 males and 19 females. Angiography revealed vascular focus of hemifacial spasm located at anterior inferior cerebellar artery, posterior inferior cerebellar artery, and vertebral artery in 19, 9, and 2 cases respectively. Right side was involved in 20 cases. All involved vessels were elongated, tortuous, and dilated. In conclusion, vertebral angiography was valuable in evaluating hemifacial spasm of vascular origin in the posterior fossa.
Angiography* ; Arteries ; Female ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vertebral Artery

Bicuspid ; Crowding ; Humans ; Incisor ; Malocclusion ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Orthopedics ; Osteotomy ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; Recurrence ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Hematuria is a important clinical sign that is a consequence of significant fenal. urologic or sytemic disease. Recently the morphology of the red cell in hematuria has been used to indicate a renal or non-renal source and also the measurement of red cell volume by red cell analyzer has been used to distinguish glomerular from non-glomerular hematuria. In this study. the MCV(mean corpsular red cell voume). RDW(red cell distribution width) and HDW (hemoglobin distribution width) were measured using H-1 system in57 children with hematuria to assess the diagnostic usefulness of the urinary red cell analyzer in the differentation of glomerular and non-glomerular hematuria. The patients were divided into two groups as glomerular diseases(40cases)and non-glomerular diseases(17 cases)and the location of the bleeding was confirmed by renal biopsy, radiology and the clinical findings. The results were as follows. 1) The urinary red cell MCV waslower in patients with glomerular diseases than that in patients with non-glomerular diseases (79.89 +/- 12.0fl vs. 90.93 +/- 9.71fl vs. 90.93+/-9.71 fL; p<0.01) 2) The urinary RDW and HDW were significantly higher in glomerular diseases than those in non-glomerular diseases (RDW; 19.86 +/- 11.28% vs 11.34+/-5.88%, HDW; 3.37+/-2.07 gm vs. 1.86+/-1.43gm). 3) The urinary red cell MCV was correlated well with the RDW and HDW while there was no correlation between the urinary red cell MCV and the urinary SG or pH. 4) The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictability of the urinsary MCV were 37.8%, 94.1% and 93.7% and those of RDW were 62.5%, 82.3% and 89.2% 5) The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictability of the urinary HDW were 42.5%, 88.2% and 89.4% We concluded from above date that the measurment of the urinary MCV, RDW and HDW would be useful as a primary non-invasive screening test in differentation of glomerular and non-glomerular hematuria in children.
Biopsy ; Cell Size* ; Child* ; Diagnosis* ; Hematuria* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Mass Screening ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Coronary arteriovenous(AV) fistula is a rare congenital disease, and seldom produce symptoms during childhood. However late complications can occur including congestive heart failure, myocardial ischemia, and bacterial endocarditis. Therefore surgical repair is recommended even if the patients are asymptomatic. In these days many investigators are interested in transcatheter embolization because of high procedural success rate without risks and morbidity associated with cardiac surgery. METHODS: Five patients(4 females and 1 male) of coronary AV fistula were treated with transcatheter coil embolization. All had symptom of chest pain. In coronary angiograms fistulous tracts were originated from left anterior descending artery(LAD) and drained to main pulmonary artery(MPA) in 4 cases. The other case had abnormal vessel from left circumflex artery(LCX) to bronchial artery. Transcatherter coil embolization were done with Judkins left guiding catheter, 018 inch Tracker or 3F Microferret catheter, and 018 inch coils. RESULTS: The fistula tracts were completely occluded in 3 cases after coil emboilzation. In 2 cases with multiple fistular vessels, major fistula were occluded, but minor vessels remained. There were no procedure related complications. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter coil embolization may be an effective treatment modality in coronary AV fistula with excellent result and minimal complications.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Bronchial Arteries ; Catheters ; Chest Pain ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; Female ; Fistula ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Research Personnel ; Thoracic Surgery

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological results of instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) using an unilateral cage. METHODS: Seventeen patients with unilateral radiculopathy who underwent bilateral percutaneous screw fixation with a single fusion cage inserted on the symptomatic side for treatment of focal degenerative lumbar spine disease were prospectively enrolled in this study. Their clinical results, radiological parameters, and related complications were assessed 10 days, 3 months, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no pseudarthrosis, instrumented fusion failure, significant cage subsidence, or retropulsion in any patient. The surgery restored the disc space height and maintained it as of 12 months postoperatively and did not exacerbate the lumbar lordotic and scoliotic angles. All patients had excellent or good outcomes according to the modified MacNab's criteria. The mean pain score according to the visual analogue scale was 7.5 preoperatively but had improved to 2.5 when reassessed 3 months postoperatively. The improvement was maintained as of 12 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: In cases of uncomplicated unilateral radiculopathy, PLIF using a single cage can be an effective and safe procedure with the advantage of preserving the posterior elements of the contralateral side. A shorter operative time and greater cost-effectiveness than for PLIF using bilateral cages can be expected.
Humans ; Operative Time ; Prospective Studies* ; Pseudarthrosis ; Radiculopathy ; Spine

No abstract available.
Cystectomy* ; Lasers, Gas* ; Volatilization*