PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate usefulness of intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA) in detection of peripheral arterial obstructive disease(PAOD) and in follow-up of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 35 Patients who had clinical symptoms and signs of compromised lower extremity perfusion, was screened with IV-DSA and then performed confirmative conventional angiography. We obtained sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of IV-DSA by comparing the findings of IV-DSA with those of conventional angiography. 21 patients who had been performed successful PTA, were foliowed-up with IV-DSA in 3, 6, 12months. We studied patency rate and factors that influenced restenosis. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of IV-DSA were 100%, 97%, 97% in lilac artery, 92%, 96%, 93% in femoropopliteal artery, 85%, 75%, 70% in proximal tibioperoneal artery retrospectively. IV-DSA follow up after PTA showed patency rate of 67% in first 3month, 67% in 2nd 3month, 60% in next 6month. Longer length and more irregular surface of the stenotic site, and higher incidence of run-off of vessel and of residual stenosis in the patients with restenosis were noted. CONCLUSION: High sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of IV-DSA in evaluating PAOD suggest that IV-DSA is useful in screening, planning therapy and following up after PTA.
Angiography ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arterial Occlusive Diseases* ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Mass Screening ; Perfusion ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pleurisy treatment improve symptoms such as fever, chest pain, cough, and prevents the progression to active pulmonary tuberculosis and the development of residual pleural thickening that decrease diaphragm and rib cage movement. This study investigated how the degree of residual pleural thidkening affects the pulmonary function. METHODS: Fifty seven patients who were initially diagnosed as having tuberculous pleurisy, were treated with anti-tuberculous medication for 6 months and had residual pleural thickening between May 1998 and January 2000 at the Eulji university hospital were reviewed. A chest X-ray and pulmonary function test(PFT, Sensormedics 2200) were perfored. The predicted value (%) of the forced vital capacity(FVC), forced inspiratory vital capacity(FIVC) and total lung capacity(TLC) were measured. The residual pleural thickening was defined the average of the summation in the lateral chest at the level of the imaginary line intersecting from the cardiophrenic angle to the diaphragmatic dome and the lowest part of the costophrenic angle between them. The results were sorted into three grades according to pleural thickness; <2mm(grade I), 2~10mm(grade II), 10mm(grade III). RESULTS: 1. FVC(% pred) and FIVC(% pred) were statistically different between grade I and III, and II and III. However, there was no difference between the TLC(% pred) between each of the groups. 2. The pleural thickness that cause restrictive dysfunction(FVC<80%) and a statisticall difference, is 3 mm. CONCLUSION: The larger the extent of the residual pleural thickness after antituberculous medication, the greater the reduction in the FVC, FIVC, TLC. A pleural thickness of 3 mm is recommended as a guideline for diagnosing a restrictive pulmonary dysfunction.
Chest Pain ; Cough ; Diaphragm ; Fever ; Humans ; Lung ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Ribs ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pleural* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Dementia* ; Humans ; Urinary Incontinence*

Optic nerve gliomas manifest either as a solitary form or a component of von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis. The reported incidence of coexistence with neurofibromatosis varies from 12% to 70%. Usually there are no significant cytological differences between the gliomas that accomapny the disease and those that are deemed to be solitary manifestations. The only possible difference between them is the apparently more common association, with the former, of extensive arachnoid hyperplasia and of a more florid local gliomatous infiltration into the leptomeninges, altogether resulting in perineural thickening. Our cases were 8 and 6 years old girls, respectively, presented with slowly progressive proptosis for 4 years and visual disturbance for 2.5 months. There were multiple cafe au lait spots on their trunks, and case 2 showed Lisch nodules in the iris. MRI of brain revealed unilateral optic nerve thickening with involvement of chiasm or multiple intracranial lesions. Resection of optic nerve tumor was performed. Microscopically, variable degree of tumorous change was seen. Most typically enlarged area was composed of intraneural and perineural portions surrounded by a layer of intact dura. Intraneural tumor revealed proliferation of elongated, spindle-shaped pilocytic astrocytes in intertrabecular spaces and distention of the pial septa with fibrovascular thickening. Another segment had areas with reactive gliosis. Perineural tissue was considerably thickened and, associated with proliferation of meningothelial cells and fibroblasts intermingled with astrocytes and Rosenthal fibers. There were increase of the optic nerve diameter and distention of the overlying dura. Foci of arachnoid cell hyperplasia were noted in both cases, although differed in degree. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein in intraneural and perineural portions particularly in case 2.
Incidence

This study was performed to observe the therapeutic effects of interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) and gamma-globulin(gamma-globulin) in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of immune suppressed mice. After 9 weeks, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMZ; 10-50 mg/mouse/day), mouse IFN-gamma(5 x 10(4) units/mouse/day) and mouse gamma-globulin(20 mg/mouse/day) were administered to the mice for 3 weeks by the experimental group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by body weights, histopathologic and electron microscopic findings of the lungs, and number of P. carinii cysts by Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Body weights of the mice were significantly increased in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma or gamma-globulin, and in the group of TMP-SMZ treatment (p < 0.05), however, little effect was found in the group of gamma-globulin alone. Histopathologic findings of P. carinii pneumonia were much improved in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma. Treatment with either TMP-SMZ or IFN-gamma significantly reduced the number of cysts in the P. carinii pneumonia, but gamma-globulin alone was ineffective. In electron microscopic findings of P. carinii pneumonia, the number of trophozoites and cysts were reduced by treatment with either TMP-SMZ or IFN-gamma, and most of the cysts were empty or containing one or two intracystic bodies. The present results suggested, that combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma had synergistic effects in treatment of P. carinii pneumonia in experimental mice.
Drug-Synergism ; Drug-Therapy,-Combination ; English-Abstract ; Gamma-Globulins-administration-and-dosage ; Interferon-Type-II-administration-and-dosage ; Mice- ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole-Combination-administration-and-dosage ; *Gamma-Globulins-therapeutic-use ; *Interferon-Type-II-therapeutic-use ; *Pneumonia,-Pneumocystis-carinii-therapy ; Gamma-Globulins ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole-Combination ; Interferon-Type-II

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify post-operative discomfort, sense of loss, family support, and resilience in breast cancer surgery patients, and to investigate factors that affect resilience.METHOD: The sample of this study consisted of 108 patients who underwent surgery for breast cancer in two university hospitals located in B city. The collected data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression.RESULTS: The factors that significantly affected resilience were as follows: having a religion (β=-.20, p=.006), having an occupation (β=.14, p=.049), having a high school diploma (β=.31 p=.001), making less than 2–3 million won (β=-.19, p=.036) per month, experiencing a sense of loss (β=-.22, p=.003) and family support (β=.44, p < .001). The total explanatory power amounted to 53.8% (F=14.83, p < .001, AdjR²=.54).CONCLUSION: Educational intervention programs for breast cancer surgery patients that improve resilience by reducing the sense of loss and increasing family support must be developed.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Methods ; Occupations

BACKGROUND: There have been several reports describing the capability of ginseng extracts as an adjuvant. In this study, we tested if ginsan, a polysaccharide extracted from Panax ginseng, was effective in enhancing antibody response to orally delivered Salmonella antigen. METHODS: Ginsan was treated before oral salmonella antigen administration. Salmonella specific antibody was determined by ELISA. mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. Cell migration was determined by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. COX expression was detected by western blot. RESULTS: Ginsan treatment before oral Salmonella antigen delivery significantly increased both secretory and serum antibody production. Ginsan increased the expression of COX in the Peyer's patches. Various genes were screened and we found that CCL3 mRNA expression was increased in the Peyer's patch. Ginsan increased dendritic cells in the Peyer's patch and newly migrated dendritic cells were mostly found in the subepithelial dome region. When COX inhibitors were treated, the expression of CCL3 was reduced. COX inhibitor also antagonized both the migration of dendritic cells and the humoral immune response against oral Salmonella antigen. CONCLUSION: Ginsan effectively enhances the humoral immune response to orally delivered antigen, mediated by CCL3 via COX. Ginsan may serve as a potent vaccine suppliment for oral immunization.
Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Movement ; Dendritic Cells ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunization ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Panax ; Peyer's Patches ; Polysaccharides ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; RNA, Messenger ; Salmonella

A culture of the Leptospira species and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) are considered as the reference standard for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, but both tests are imperfect for early diagnosis. We describe 4 patients diagnosed with leptospirosis using nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) that targeted the 16S rRNA gene and the passive hemagglutination assay (PHA). In our 4 cases, Leptospira DNA in the urine, plasma, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), was detected by N-PCR in the early phase of leptospirosis, except in the sample from the buffy coat. Especially, case 3 showed that N-PCR with the urine and CSF was positive 8 days after symptom onset, but not for the plasma or buffy coat. We report 4 cases of leptospirosis that were diagnosed by N-PCR that targeted the 16S rRNA gene with urine, plasma, or CSF, but not the buffy coat. Three were cured by doxycycline but the case 4 was fatal. Detection of Leptospira DNA by PCR from the urine and CSF, in addition to plasma, may be helpful to confirm the diagnosis.

Fetal lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) is a congenital condition in which the bladder fails to excrete urine through the urethra. The primary goal of prenatal treatment for LUTO is the prevention of renal impairment and pulmonary hypoplasia. Vesico-amniotic shunt (VAS) has been the fetal intervention of choice; however, VAS has some limitations, including excretion of urine through an unphysiologic bypass and the need for postnatal corrective reoperation. In this study, we present a novel fetal intervention, a “retro-cystoscopic urethral approach,” performed on a male fetus at 20 weeks gestation diagnosed with enlarged bladder and bilateral hydronephrosis. This approach aims to dilate the narrowed urethra by inserting a urinary catheter using guidewire through a fetal cysto scope. The whole procedure was monitored under real-time ultrasonographic guidance. Despite prenatal intervention, the fetus required multiple cystocenteses, and the bladder dilation persisted.Postnatally, he was diagnosed with megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome, a non-obstructive condition which is relatively rare in male infants. Our case emphasizes the compl exity of diagnosing LUTO during the prenatal period. Further studies exploring novel prenatal interven tions should pay more attention to candidate selection. Additionally, a thorough evaluation of organ systems beyond the urinary tract is necessary.