PURPOSE: To identify the changes of bony landmarks with rotation and to compare the reliability and accuracy of Perdriolle's method before and after training on the exact bony landmarks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Simple A-P radiographs were taken with rotation from 5 degree to 50 degree at 5 degree interval using 10 dry human vertebrae (2 sets of T3, T6, T9 8 L3) with no bony abnormality. Axial rotation was measured before and after training on the exact bony landmarks by three observers, twice for each radiographs. Repeated measures of ANOVA were used for inter- < intraobserver variance and regression analysis for root mean square error and deviation of differences. RESULTS: Mamillary process, inner margin of lamina, proximal and distal costovertebral joints, upper margin of concave pedicle and tip of the transverse process on the convex side confused the exact outline of the pedicle, while neural foraminal margin was helpful in identifying the location of the indistinct convex pedicle and concave vertebral border. Of the 660 measurements before and after training 372 and 397 errors were made, respectively, of which 88.9% and 88.5% were within +/-5 degree(P > 0.05). Incidence of error greater than 5 degree was high at upper thoracic vertebra and 20 degree-40 degree of rotation regardless of training. The effects of training, however, was greatest at T3 and 20 degree-40 degree of rotation. Inter- < intraobserver variance was diminished at T3 and at the rotation between 20 degree-40 degree after training. CONCLUSIONS: We could conclude that training on the exact bony landmarks did not reduce the overall error incidence. Accuracy and reliability, however, was increased at T3 after training and the efficacy of training was more evident in moderate vertebral rotation than in small or large vertebral rotation.
Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Spine

No abstract available.
Vesicovaginal Fistula*

There are some controversies on the mechanism of the lumbar disc degeneration and disc prolapse. But,it is clear that many factors are related to the disc degeneration. Configurations of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine have long been proposed as one of the important factors of disc degeneration in these areas. To look for the configurational risk factors and the probability of disc degeneration by the combinations of these factors, we analyzed simple radiographs and MRI of 73 patients who complaints of low back pain and are between 20 years and 39 years of age. We performed chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis: L4-5 disc degeneration and L5-Sl disc degeneration as dependent variables and lumbar lordosis, sacral inclination, height of intercrest line, transitional vertebra and facet joint asymmetry as independent variables. We could not find any of these variables significantly related to the L4-5 intervertebral disc degeneration. For L5-S1 disc degeneration, only the presence of transitional vertebra was signicantly related. When there is no transitional vertebra, the probability of disc degeneration is 9 times(8.889) as large as that of presence of transitional vertebra. The probability of L4-5 disc degeneration without the degeneration of L5-S1 is 3 times as large as that of degeneration of both of L4-5 and L5-S1 disc in case of the presence of transitional vertebra.
Animals ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration* ; Logistic Models ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prolapse ; Risk Factors ; Spine* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

There are several reports on the intervertebral vacuum phenomenon since Maldague s report in 1978. This disease is, however, considered as uncommon and miscellaneous entity. We performed retrospective review of 27 collapsed vertebral bodies of 21 osteoporotic patients to define the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of intravertebral vacuum phenomenon. Simple radiographs and MRIs were reviewed and the pathological findings from 6 specimens were matched with MRI. Intravertebral air shadows were shown in all cases either on A-P or lateral view, more definite on extension lateral views. Basically, it was considered as a burst fracture with loss of anterior and middle column height. The extent of collapse could be classified as complete or incomplete and the shape of spinal canal intrusion as bulging or local beak type. 12 cases of MRI findings were classified in to three types by T1, T2 and gadolinium enhancement patterns. The extent of spinal canal intrusion was less then 50% in all cases but neurolgic deficits were examined in 10 cases. Pathologically, necrotic trabeculae with fibrous granulation tissue was mixed with reactive new bone and callus formation in some area. This phenomenon is considered not so uncommon, which can be noticed easily in lateral flexion/extension view. Basically, this is a burst fracture with nonunion from ischemic necrosis and neurologic status should be carefully obserued.
Animals ; Beak ; Bony Callus ; Gadolinium ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Vacuum*

PURPOSE: To define possible mechanism of posture-dependent symptom of spinal stenosis by measuring the effect of low back motion on the morphologic change of intervertebral disc and spinal canal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty healthy young volunteers underwent magnetic resonance imaging (1.5T MR scanner, GE) while supine with their lumbar spine in neutral, flexed, extended, and right and left rotational positions. The axial MR images at the middle of the intervertebral disc of L3-4 and L4-5 were analyzed to measure the difference of the size and shape of the disc and spinal canal in each posture. RESULTS: Extension decreased the sagittal diameters and the cross-sectional areas of the dural sac and spinal canal and increased the thickness of ligamentum flavum, whereas flexion had the opposite effects. The gap between convex posterior disc margin and anterior margin of facet joint of each side, represented as subarticular sagittal diameter, increased with flexion and decreased with extension or rotation. The directions of the rotation did not result any asymmetry of the subarticular sagittal diameter, but right rotation resulted thickening of right ligamentum flavum. The shape and dimensions of disc did not significantly change according to the positions of low back. CONCLUSIONS: With extension or rotation, the thickness of ligamentum flavum increased and posterior margin of the intervertebral disc was approximated to facet joint secondary to posterior movement of upper vertebral body without any change of shape and size of the disc. These phenomena result decrease of the size of spinal canal and dural sac in extension or rotation posture in young healthy people and may explain the posture-dependent symptom of spinal stenosis.
Intervertebral Disc ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Posture ; Spinal Canal* ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Volunteers ; Zygapophyseal Joint

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

odarone. Isovolumetric left ventricular end systolic pressure (LVESP), left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), dP/dtMAX and heart rate were measured. RESULTS: Group II showed more recovered LVESP, less developed ventricular stiffness, more preserved coronary effluent flow, earlier termination of arrhythmia and smaller infarct size than Group I. Group III showed preserved LVESP and dP/dtMAX, less developed ventricular stiffness, shortest arrhythmia sustaining time, smallest infarct size among all groups. These myocardial protective effects were abolished in Group IV. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that IPC and amiodarone administration, each has myocardial protective effects against myocardial ischemia, but when they are dealt at the same time, their beneficial effects diminished.
Amiodarone* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Ischemic Preconditioning* ; Myocardial Ischemia

Acromegaly and hyperprolactinemia have been described in association with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. The pathogenic mechanisms of this endocrinopathy are not clear. We experienced a 19-year-old male with hypersecretion of GH, hyperprolactinemia and fibrous dysplasia. He was referred for evaluation of suspected acromegaly. He had no skin pigmentation. Plasma GH, PRL, somatomedin-C, LH, FSH, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, T3, T4, TSH and cortisol were measured. Among those, the levels of plasma GH, PRL and somatomedin-C were high. Serum alkaline phosphatase was increased. OGTT did not suppress plasma OH concentration and GH showed paradoxical response to TRH and LHRH. GH was suppressed after a test-dose of somatastatin and bromocriptine. Brain MRI demonstrated a mass lesion in sella turcica and another mass lesions in nasal cavity and posterior occipital bone. Whole body bone scan revealed increased uptake in skull, nasal bone, both 9th posterior rib, both femurs, both tibias, left scapular and pelvic bone. These fmdings were consistent with bone tumor such as fibrous dysplasia. We report a case with incomplete MeCune-Albright syndrome including acromegaly, hyperprolactinemia and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.
Acromegaly ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Brain ; Bromocriptine ; Estradiol ; Femur ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nasal Bone ; Nasal Cavity ; Occipital Bone ; Pelvic Bones ; Plasma ; Progesterone ; Ribs ; Sella Turcica ; Skin Pigmentation ; Skull ; Testosterone ; Tibia ; Young Adult

The object of this paper is to determine the clearance of amphotericin B from the rabbit vitreous. In vitro susceptability of Candida guilliermondi to amphotericin B in antibiotic medium 20(Difco) provided the lowest values of the minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) among several Candida strains and showed the same MIC afteir incubation at either 30 degrees C or 35 degrees C for 48 hours. A volume of 0.05 ml of solution containing 5 microgram of amphotericin B was injected into the rabbit vitreous, and animals were killed at various intervals. Both eyes were immediately enucleated and frozen to prevent further diffusion of the amphotericin B out of the vitreous. The vitreous was removed intact while it was still frozen. After the vitreous had thawed, its volume was measured. Sterile saline was added and total volume was adjust to 2 ml. The mixture was homogenized and then centrifuged at 2,000 rpm for 20 minutes. One ml of supernatant was removed from the sediment, and the concentration of amphotericin B was determined by broth dilution technique with Candida guilliermondi. The clearance studies indicated that 5 microgram of amphotericin B injected intravititreally, maintained an antibiotic level of greater than 1 microgram/ml for longer than 96 hours, with a half-life of 12 hours. If all factors are considered equal, presumed clearance data for intravitreal injection of 10 microgram of amphotericin B in humans may be calculated from the result in rabbit vitreous. Therapeutic levels of amphotericin B(1 microgram/ml) may be maintained at least 48 hours after the initial intravitreal injection of antibiotic in human eyes.
Amphotericin B* ; Animals ; Candida ; Diffusion ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Indicator Dilution Techniques ; Intravitreal Injections

We present the methods of analysis of left ventricular wall motion by 2-dimensional echocardiography using computerized system. Quantiative analysis of left ventricular wall motion abnormalities depents on the used reference method, because the heart shifts and rotates within thorax during the cardiac cycle. To access left ventricular wall motion abnormalities, we studied 60 subjects(normal; 30 subjects, abnormal; 30 subjects)with 5 different floating reference methods correcting for traslation and/or rotation in two echocardiographic views. (apical 4-chamber view and apical 2-chamber view) In the first the endocardial tracings of enddiastole and endsystole in 30 normal subjects were stored in VAX-11-780 main computer and the data of these 30 normal subjects were plotted to obtain a 95% confidence interval for measured normal fractional change every five degree according to 5 reference methods. In the second, 30 patients with abnormal left ventricular wall motion analyzed and the results were compared with a 95% confidence interval. We assessed that left ventricular wall motion by visual and computerized quantitative anlysis were in close relationship according to optimal reference method. We suggested that computerized quantitative analysis of left ventricular wall motion by 2-dimensional echocardiography was clinically useful method and translation of the midpoint of mitral anulus with rotation according to center of mass was the most specific and sensitive new method of evaluating left ventricular wall motion abnormalities.
Echocardiography* ; Heart ; Humans ; Thorax