No abstract available.
Twins, Conjoined*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Glutathione* ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones* ; Rats*

There have been cases reported of pneumocephalus, spinal cord and nerve root compression associated with the use of air in the loss of resistance technique during epidural block. However, the manual loss of resistance technique is still widely used by anesthesiologists for identifying the epidural space. A 65-yr-old female requested epidural steroid injection for her low leg radiating pain. A 22-guage Tuohy needle was placed in the L3-4 interspace with the loss of resistance technique using 4 ml air. Aspiration yielded no cerebrospinal fluid. After injection of 1% lidocaine 5 ml as a test dose, 0.25% lidocaine 10 ml with 40 mg triamcinole was infused and she did not show any abnormal signs. After changing to sitting position, however, the patient complained of increasing headache and nausea. After vomiting, she was obtunded. CT scan showed brainstem compression by the air. The patient lost conscioussness for 20 minutes. Four hours later, her neurologic examination was normal except for the headache. She was discharged on the third day after the accident and the headache subsided by the fifth day. As far as we know, this is the first case reported of a brain stem compression by air after epidural technique that induced serious neurologic symptoms.
Brain Stem* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Leg ; Lidocaine ; Nausea ; Needles ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pneumocephalus ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Cord ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Interleukin-2* ; Interleukins* ; Killer Cells, Natural*

To evaluate the reproducibility of the Ambulatory Electrocardiography (AECG), we examined the consistency rates of premature beats between the baseline AECG's and the repeat AECG's in 23 patients who underwent AECG's times within 1 year. 12 patients were male and 11 patients were female. Their mean age was 48 years. (Range ; 20 years-75 years) The time interval between both AECG's was 1 month 20 days. (Range ; 1 day-9months) They did not take any antiarrhythmic druge during the observation period except 4 patients who were taking calcium channel blockers or beta receptor blockers for hypertensive heart disease or ischemic heart disease. The consistency rate of both frequency and complexity of ventricular premature beats was 52%. The consisency rate of both frequency and complexity of supraventicular premature beats was 35%. These consistency rates seemed to vary as the time interval between both AECG's differed. In the case of ventricular premature beats, the consistency rates of 1 day, 8 days and 5 months as the time interval were 100%, 38% and 14% respectively. In the case of supraventricular premature beats, the consistency rates were 50%, 25% and 29%. We concluded that the reproducility of the AECG was low and this reproducibility became lower as the time interval between both AECG's became longer and that hese facts had to be considered when the effect of the antiarrhythmic drugs was evaluated.
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory* ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia

PURPOSE: This study was designed to explore quality of life (QOL) in patients with stomach cancer by using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Instrument-Korean version. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one (31) patients with stomach cancer after curative resection were recruited with informed consent. Age- and gender-matched hospital staff served as controls. The 100-item WHOQOL Instrument, including physical domain, psychological domain, social domain, independence domain, environment domain, and spiritual domain, was employed for the all subjects. RESULTS: In patients with stomach cancer after operation, only two domains, physical and independence, were associated with worse quality of life. In those domains, patients with advanced stage, with total gastrectomy, with adjuvant chemotherapy, and early or late postoperative period (< or =2 years or >5 years after operation), could be perceived of having a worse quality of life. CONCLUSION: Not only scientific objective success but also individual subjective perception of condition could be important for managing patients with stomach carcinomas after curative resection. In this context, the WHOQOL reflecting multi-dimensional state of well being could be a useful tool across a variety of cultural and value systems in the world.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Drug Therapy ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Postoperative Period ; Quality of Life* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; World Health Organization

BACKGROUND: Although pulmonary artery catheters are useful to monitor hydration, these devices may be associated with severe morbidity and are not routinely used in kidney transplantation. A central venous pressure (CVP) catheter is preferred rather than a pulmonary artery catheter. Noninvasive continuous blood pressure monitors may substitute for intraarterial catheters, thereby preserving the radial artery in kidney transplantation patients should it be needed later to create an arteriovenous fistula. If there is a relationship between central venous and radial arterial blood for acid-base (pH, BE, HCO3(-)), we can use the blood sample from a CVP catheter instead of arterial blood from aradial artery catheter for testing acid-base and it can help patients. METHODS: A central venous catheter and radial artery catheter was inserted in 67 patients while undergoing kidney transplantation. To assess arteriovenous differences in acid-base status at operation start, before reperfusion of the transplanted kidney, after reperfusion, we measured the pH, BE and HCO3(-) simultaneously from the arterial and central venous circulation. RESULTS: Aacid-base using arterial and central venous samples at operation start, before reperfusion and after reperfusionb was evaluated. We found the relationship as follows: pH between arterial (pHa) and central venous blood (pHcv) in each: linear regression equation; pHcv = 0.668 + (0.906 X pHa), pHcv = 0.225 + (0.965 X pHa), pHcv = 0.646 + (0.908 X pHa), determination coefficient; 0.908, 0.926, 0.888, P values < 0.001 in each period. Base excess (BE) between BEa and BEcv in each period: linear regression equation; BEcv = 0.483 + (0.952 X BEa), BEcv = 0.032 + (0.939 X BEa), BEcv = 0.008 + (0.954 X BEa), determination coefficient; 0.844, 0.954, 0.962 P values < 0.001 in each period. HCO3(-) concentration between HCO3(-)a and HCO3(-)cv in each period: linear regression equation; HCO3(-)cv = 2.434 + (0.937 X HCO3(-)a), HCO3(-)cv = 2.093 + (0.942 X HCO3(-)a), HCO3(-)cv = 1.755 + (0.954 X HCO3 a), determination coefficient; 0.950, 0.925, 0.932 P values < 0.001 in each period. CONCLUSIONS: The acid base status of arterial blood is similar to that of central venous blood. Central venous blood gas values (pH, BE, HCO3(-)) may be an acceptable alternative to arterial blood gas values in kidney transplantation patients.
Arteries ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Blood Pressure Monitors ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters ; Central Venous Pressure ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Linear Models ; Pulmonary Artery ; Radial Artery ; Reperfusion

Since sclerosing hemangioma of the lung was first described by Liebow and Hubbell in 1956, there have been several reports on cases occurring as a solitary nodule; however, sclerosing hemangiomas occurring as multiple nodules are extremely rare. The histogenesis of this tumor remains controversial and there are several hypotheses of the etiology. Three separate nodules were found in a 57-year-old housewife, one found in the right middle lobe, one in the apicoposterior segment of the left upper lobe, and one in the superior segment of the left lower lobe. The only symptom or sign presented was a dry cough. Apicoposterior segmentectomy of the left upper lobe and wedge resection of the superior segment of the left lower lobe were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the postoperative 15th day.
Cough ; Hemangioma ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous* ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Sclerosing Hemangioma

No abstract available.
Bronchiectasis* ; Bronchography*

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to compare efficiency of embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived dopaminergic (DA) neurons from E12 mesencephalic neuronal-precursor derived DA neuron, and to assess the value of these neurons as a donor cells to transplant in Parkinson's disease. METHODS: ES cell-derived DA neurons from E12 mesencephalic neuronal-precursor derived DA neuron were transplanted in Parkinsonian rats and analyzed TH immunoreactivity and apomorphin-induced rotation test. RESULTS: Transplanting of ES cell derived DA neurons into the rat striatum caused gradual increase of expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity 6 weeks after transplant in host striatum. Rotation behavior was gradually on the decrease, 6 weeks after transplant of ES cell derived DA neurons. In case of E12 mesencephalic precursor derived DA neurons, the TH immunoreactivity expressed 6 weeks after transplant in striatum, and the behavioral restoration of DA-mediated motor asymmetry sustained gradually. However, transplanted ES cell derived DA neurons appeared in wide regions among the needle tract with a relatively high density of TH immunoreactivity in comparison to the E12 mesencephalic precursor DA neurons, and graft volume of ES cell derived DA neurons were larger than E12 mesencephalic precursor derived DA neuron. In addition, both cells did not appear cancerous change after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ES cell is more efficient than E12 mesencephalic precursor derived dopaminergic neuron and will supply efficient donor cells for transplantation in Parkinson's disease.
Animals ; Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Needles ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease ; Rats* ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase