An unusual case of meningioma with a large cyst on the sellar region which was misinterpreted to craniopharyngioma was reported. A 6-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital on May 8, 1980 because of headache, blurred vision and walking disturbance. On admission, neurological examination revealed marked diminished visual acuity associated with optic atrophy in both eyes, gait disturbances, incoordination and precocious puberty. Plain skull film showed marked digital markings and seperation of the coronal suture. Right carotid angiography in AP view revealed widening of the U-loop and space occupying lesion on the suprasellar region in lateral view. Neither detection of the tumor feeding artery nor tumor stain was seen. Conary ventriculography revealed marked dilation of the both lateral ventricles and blockage of the foramen of Monro. CT scan disclosed a well defined low density area and small multilobulated cysts in the suprasellar region. The margin of the tumor and low density area were markedly enhanced by contrast media. At operation, the tumor was found to consist of a yellowish brown nodule firmly adherent to the diaphragma sellae and a large cyst. The tumor was partially removed together with the whole cyst wall. The resected nodule was relatively hard and had multiple small cysts in it's cut surface. Postoperative course was uneventful. The neurological deficits except precocious puberty were much improved on discharge time. Reviewing the literature and the pathogenesis of cystic change in meningiomas were discussed.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Ataxia ; Central Nervous System Cysts* ; Cerebral Ventricles ; Child ; Contrast Media ; Craniopharyngioma* ; Gait ; Headache ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Male ; Meningioma* ; Neurologic Examination ; Optic Atrophy ; Puberty, Precocious ; Skull ; Sutures ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Visual Acuity ; Walking

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to find out the relationship between autonomous function and fatigue rating. The subjects were patients with complaints of fatigue who visited the department of family medicine in a general hospital. METHODS: We conducted this study from April to December 2002 in patients complaining of fatigue. The subjects were categorized into low, intermediate, and high fatigue groups. Heart rate variability was measured for five minutes at rest, followed by a five minute mental arithmetic test. We analyzed the relationship between fatigue ratings and autonomous function with SPSS 10.0. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the mean heart rate variability in the all three groups at rest and with stress. There was a statistically significant increase in LF norm increase in the low and high fatigue groups. HF norm showed a statistically significant decrease in the intermediate and high fatigue group. The variation in LF norms was highest in the low fatigue group and lowest. With the mental arithmetic test, the low fatigue group showed decreased rMSSD, HF and HF norm values compared to the intermediate group. The above values showed decrease in the high fatigue group compared to the low group. CONCLUSIONS: Overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system was observed as fatigue ratings increased. The cadiovascular autonomic response tended to decrease as fatigue ratings increased.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Fatigue* ; Heart Rate ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Sympathetic Nervous System

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to find out the difference of heart rate variability between practicing Tai Chi and walking at 6 km/hr. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers aged 25 to 35 were recruited through advertisement. All the subjects gave their informed consent, and the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Catholic Medical Center Research Foundation. The subjects either practised Tai Chi or walked at 6 km/ hr on a treadmill machine, maintaining 5-minute rest, 20-minute exercise, and 30-minute rest. After 1 week, they switched and performed the other form of exercise. During the exercise, beat-to-beat HRV data was recorded by Polar S-810. We calculated HRV indices using Matlab software program and analyzed the mean value of HRV indices. RESULTS: The differences of the mean value of HRV indices of pre-exercise resting period were not significant. However, repeated ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences of change in the mean of SDNN (-14.27+/-13.03 ms, -33.67+/-20.23 ms; P=0.023), RMSSD (-10.17+/-9.59 ms, -21.90+/-12.60 ms; P=0.087), and STIDX (171.60+/-196.84, 1003.49+/-812.56; P=0.003) between practising Tai Chi and walking. The differences of change in mean heat rate, LF/HF ratio, LF, HF and TP were not significant. The differences of the mean value of HRV indices of the post-exercise resting period were not significant compared to the pre- exercise period. CONCLUSION: The result of this study suggest that exertional intensity of practising Tai Chi is similar to that of walking. Moreover, practising Tai Chi may be more profitable than walking in the aspect of HRV.
Ethics Committees, Research ; Exercise* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hot Temperature ; Informed Consent ; Tai Ji ; Walking

Low-abundance cellular proteins normally invisible on the standard two-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE SDS-PAGE) map must be enriched appropriately in order to be visualized and identified in cells or tissues. We applied proteins of H. pylori strain 26695 to a immobilized heparin-affinity resin, which has an affinity for nucleic acid-binding proteins, protein biosynthesis factors, and growth factors. The whole cell extract of H. pylori strain 26695 was fractionated by the heparin-agarose chromatography, and was analyzed by 2-DE. The 2-DE SDS-PAGE displayed spots after silver staining, which were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Among the ca. 150 spots that were processed, 79 proteins representing 57 genes were identified. Eleven proteins were determined to be nucleic acid-associated. Eighteen proteins were newly identified in this study, including DNA topoisomerase I. These results may provide guidance for enriching low abundance proteins of H. pylori and contribute to the construction of a master protein map of H. pylori.
Chromatography* ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Heparin* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Mass Spectrometry ; Protein Biosynthesis ; Proteome ; Silver Staining