No abstract available.
Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder ; Liver Abscess ; Liver

A congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is a rare anomaly; but, the number of diagnosed cases has increased with advanced imaging tools. Symptomatic portosystemic shunts, especially those that include hyperammonemia, should be treated; and various endovascular treatment methods other than surgery have been reported. Hepatic masses with either an intra- or extrahepatic shunt also have been reported, and the mass is another reason for treatment. Authors report a case of a congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt with a hepatic mass that was successfully treated using a percutaneous endovascular approach with vascular plugs. By the time the first short-term follow-up was conducted, the hepatic mass had disappeared.
Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hepatic Encephalopathy/*congenital/diagnosis/therapy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*congenital/diagnosis/therapy ; Male ; Portal Vein/*abnormalities ; *Septal Occluder Device ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

PURPOSE: Although the short- and long-term outcomes of low birth weight(LBW) neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) survivors have been extensively studied, much less information is available for normal birth weight(NBW) infants(greater than 2,500 gm) who require NICU care. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the neonatal hospitalizations and one year health status of 302 NBW and 131 LBW admissions to our NICU. Information on the neonatal hospitalization was obtained from a review of medical records. Postdischarge health status was collected by using telephone surveys and medical records. RESULTS: After initial discharge, 21.2% of the NBW infants and 23% of the LBW infants required rehospitalization during the first year of life and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The reasons for rehospitalization of the NBW infants included respiratory disorders (32.1%), G-I problems(26.2%), genitourinary problems(11.9%), surgery(10.7%), cardiac problems(7.1 %), and congenital/developmental problems(1.2%). For the LBW infants, the order of frequency was the same, with the percentages slightly different. Neonatal risk factors related to the rehospitalization of the NBW infants included mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and congenital anomaly. But no positive significant correlation of neonatal risk factors with rehospitalization of LBW infants was found. CONCLUSIONS: Low and normal birthweight NICU survivors were rehospitalized at similar rates. The most common cause of rehospitalization was respiratory problems. Neonatal risk factors related to rehospitalization of NBW infants were mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and congenital anomaly. However, no positive significant correlation of neonatal risk factors with rehospitalization of LBW infants was found. The data suggests that NBW infant survivors, as well as LBW infant NICU survivors, require close follow up.
Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survivors ; Telephone

PURPOSE: Baby-walkers are used by many parents because of the convenience they provide in keeping children occupied, quiet, happy, and in stimulating ambulation. But, these devices have more risks than benefits. Therefore, we performed a study to evaluate the effects of baby-walkers on motor development of human infants according to the hours used in a day, total duration(months), and types of injuries associated with the walkers, and to establish effective methods. METHODS: 1,045 questionnaires were filled out by parents who had a baby whose aged between 8 months and 15 months that visited local pediatric clinics and medical centers in Chonju and Iksan from May 1, 2002 to July 31, 2002. They were analyzed in a control group that didn't use baby- walkers, a low-user group that used baby-walkers less than 2 hours a day and a high-user group that used them more than 2 hours a day. RESULTS: The mean age of the 1,045 babies whose parents responded to the question investigation was 12.6+/-2.4 months. The number of babies who used the baby- walkers were 811(77.6%). Crawling and walking alone were delayed in the high-user group. The parents who knew the side effects of the baby-walkers totalled 392(48.3%). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed that many parents didn't know the effects of baby-walkers on motor development in their infants and the risks associated with baby-walkers. Therefore, we should educate parents on the risks of baby-walkers and recommend reducing the use of baby-walkers.
Child ; Humans* ; Infant* ; Jeollabuk-do ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Walkers ; Walking

Malignant airway obstruction and hemoptysis are common in lung cancer patients. Recently, airway stent is commonly used to preserve airway in malignant airway obstruction. Hemoptysis can be managed through various methods including conservative treatment, endobronchial tamponade, bronchoscopic intervention, embolization and surgery. In our case studies, we sought to investigate the effectiveness of airway stents for re-opening the airway as well as tamponade effects in four patients with malignant airway obstruction and bleeding caused by tumors or lymph node invasions.
Aged ; Airway Obstruction/*etiology/pathology/*therapy ; Alloys ; Bronchoscopy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/*complications ; Fatal Outcome ; Fluoroscopy ; Hemoptysis/*etiology/pathology/*therapy ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/*complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Stents

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of people undergo periodic health examination but due to its lack of a standardized method of examination and failure meet individual's specific, it has led to a huge wasting of resources. Thus, electrolyte tests performed during a routine health examination were reviewed to determine their significance and usefulness in mass screening. METHODS: We gathered 6,514 healthy cases who had received a periodic health examination at Asan Medical Center in August and December 2002. We reviewed the charts of the people who had abnormal results in electrolyte tests. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 46 years (range 14~82). Abnormal electrolyte results were relatively common. Four hundred and sixty one cases out of 26,056 (1.76%) had abnormal results. Abnormal results in sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus were detected in 1.76%, 0.56%, 1.44%, and 3.53%, respectively. Only 16 of the 461 (0.06%) patients with abnormal results were recommended to visit a physician and only one of these cases revealed to have a new disease. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that an electrolyte test is unnecessary as a screening test since only one case was revealed to be beneficial from it. Most of the cases involving abnormal electrolyte results did not need any treatment. Considering the cost benefit effect, a potential increase in false positive rate, and false negative rate, electrolyte tests should be reconsidered as a screening tests in periodic health examination.
Calcium ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Prevalence* ; Sodium

An unbalanced translocation is frequently the result of inheritance of an unbalanced haploid set from a parent with a balanced translocation. Families in which one parent is a balanced translocation carrier fall into the following classes : Those in which none of the possible abnormal offsprings is viable; Those in which one type of offspring, usually the one with the smaller deletion, is born alive; Those in which two types of abnormal offspring are viable. We report a neonate whose karyotype was 46,XX,der(2)t(2;7)(q21;p21.2),der(20)t(2;20)(q21;p13). She was small for her gestational age and had multiple anomalies such as exophthalmos, corneal opacity, short neck, tongue tie, clinodactyly, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and ventriculomegaly. Moreover, her mother's karyotype was 46,XX,der(2)t(2;7)(q21;p21.2),del(16)(q22.1),der(20)t(2;20)(q21;p13) but her father had normal karyotype. The same derivative chrosomes were found between mother and her infant, except for del(16)(q22.1) in her mother and these same unbalanced translocations in a two-generation family are extremely rare.
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; Corneal Opacity ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Exophthalmos ; Fathers ; Gestational Age ; Haploidy ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Karyotype ; Mothers ; Neck ; Parents ; Tongue ; Wills

OBJECTIVES: Hyperhomocysteinemia is frequently observed in patients with chronic renal failure and represents an independent cardiovascular risk factor in these patients. Elevated homocysteine plasma levels can result from defective remethylation of homocysteine to methionine due to decreased activity of the enzyme MTHFR. A genetic aberration in the MTHFR gene (677 C to T substitution) has been shown to result in reduced MTHFR activity. We examined whether elevation of homocysteine plasma level in hemodialysis patients is influenced by the 677 C to T mutation of the MTHFR gene. METHOD: We examined MTHFR gene mutation, homocysteine, vitamin B12, folate levels of those 106 patients on maintenance hemodialysis treatment at dialysis unit of Soonchunhyang University Chunan Hospital. RESULTS: Of 106 patients, 17 (16.0 %) were homozygous for the mutation (VV), 63 (58.4 %) were heterozygous for the mutation (AV) and remaining 26 (24.5 %) were normal. The mean homocyteine level in (VV) genotypic patients was 39.58+/-10.6 mol/L, (AV) genotypic patients was 26.24+/-3.77 mol/L and in no mutation was 26.07+/-4.52 mol/L. There was no significant difference of homocysteine levels between polymorphisms of MTHFR gene. CONCLUSION: Our data shows that the frequency of MTHFR genotype in maintenance hemodialysis patients is similar to that of previous studies. But, there is no significant relationship between the MTHFR gene mutation and homocysteine level.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Dialysis ; Folic Acid ; Genotype ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Methionine ; Oxidoreductases* ; Plasma ; Renal Dialysis* ; Risk Factors ; Vitamin B 12

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to check the intermuscular fluid collection in a phantom using ultrasound after comparison with the original injected volume of gel and to evaluate interobserver reliability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One orthopedic surgeon injected ultrasonographic gel into the muscle of slaughtered cow meat using a syringe and needle, and recorded the injected volume. The injected volume of gel ranged from 1 ml to 5 ml, and total number of trials was 30 times. The volume was calculated using ultrasound by two experienced radiologists. The ultrasonographic measured volme was assessed and interobserver variability was measured. RESULTS: The mean ultrasonographic measured volume was 71.35% of the original injected volume of gel. Thus, the measured volume using ultrasound showed a tendency to underestimate the injected volume into the muscle. For evaluation of interobserver reliability, interclass correlation using SPSS and consistency using Bland and Altman plot were calculated. Interclass correlation was 0.95, and Bland and Altman plot showed that the differences of mean volume measured by two observers were within ±1.96 standard deviation over 95%. Therefore, it showed good interoberver reliability. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonographic measurement of the intramuscular fluid collection in a phantom showed mean 71.35% of the original injected volume of gel, and it tended to be underestimated in proportion to the increased volume of intermuscular gel. This study showed good interobserver reliability.
Meat ; Needles ; Observer Variation ; Orthopedics ; Syringes ; Ultrasonography

Low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins are molecular switches that are believed to play pivotal roles in cell growth, differentiation, cytoskeletal organization, and vesicular trafficking. Rab proteins are key players in the regulation of vesicular transport, while Rho family members control actin-dependent cell functions, i.e. the regulation of cytoskeletal organization in response to extracelluar growth factors and in dendritic neuron development. In this study, we have examined the regulation of small GTP-binding proteins that are implicated in neurosecretion and differentiation of neuron during ageing processes. Comparison of small GTP-binding proteins from the synaptosome and crude synaptic vesicles (LP2 membranes) of 2 months and 20 months old rat brain respectively showed no difference in the level of Rab family proteins (Rab3A and Rab5A). However, Rho family proteins such as RhoA and Cdc42 were elevated in LP2 membranes of the aged brain. The dissociation of Rab3A by Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) from SV membranes was not changed during aging. Ca2+/CaM stimulated phosphorylation of the 22 and 55-kDa proteins in SV membranes from the aged rat brain, and inhibited phosporylation of 30-kDa proteins. GTPgammaS inhibited phosphorylation of the 100-kDa proteins and stimulated phosphorylation of the 70 kDa in LP2 membranes from both the young and aged rat brains, whereas GDPbetaS caused just the opposite reaction. These results suggest that protein phosphorylation and regulation of Rho family GTPases in rat brain appears to be altered during ageing processes.
*Aging ; Animal ; Brain/metabolism ; Calcium/pharmacology ; Cattle ; Comparative Study ; GTP-Binding Proteins/*metabolism ; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate)/metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Phosphorylation/drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synaptic Membranes/*metabolism ; Synaptosomes/*metabolism ; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein/biosynthesis/metabolism ; rab3A GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism ; rab5 GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism ; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein/biosynthesis/metabolism