No abstract available.

No Abstract Available.
Cytokines* ; Perforin* ; Shwartzman Phenomenon* ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

We reviewed MR angiograms to evaluate its efficacy for visualizing the renal arteries and detecting renovascular disease. 41 renal arteries in 19 patients were examined by MR angiography. 3-D time-of-flight technique was used as routine examination method for MR angiography and 2-D time-of-flight technique was added in some particular cases to visualize venous flow. Within two weeks after MR angiography was performed, 23 renal arteries in 10 patients were additionally examined by conventional angiography or intraarterial DSA. The success rates of vessel visualization on MR angiography in normal renal arteries were 100% in main 67.7% in segmental, and 11.8% in intrarenal arteries. As a result of comparative study in normal main renal arteries with MR angiograms and conventional angiograms, overall correspondence in the number and the shape was noted and the caliber discrepancy between two examination did not exceed 3.0 mm. one arteriovenous fistula with aneurysm, one stenotic artery and two occluded arteries were well evaluated One arteriovenous fistula with aneurysm, and two occluded arteries were well evaluated by MR angiography. However three stenotic lesions were misdiagnosed as occlusions on MR angiography. and the overall accuracy was 87%. We conclude that MR angiography has the potential to be a noninvasive and useful screening method for determining the number of renal arteries and for detection of abnormalities of main renal arteries.
Aneurysm ; Angiography* ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Renal Artery*

No abstract available.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

The common causes of visual loss in branch retinal vein occlusion[BRVO] have been reported as the macular edema, macular non-perfusion and the vitreous hemorrhage due to neovascularization.These factors have close relationship with the status of the posterior vitreous. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors of visual prognosis in BRVO and the relationship between visual prognosis and vitreomacular status.Fifty-two patients with branch retinal vein occlusion in the department of ophthalmology, Yeungnam University college of Medicine were included for vitreo macular examination.The eyes were classified as two groups, vitreomacular attachment[Group I]and posterior vitreous detachment[Group II]. The incidence of macular edema was significantly lower in eyes with group I [Fisher's exact Test:p<0.05].Final visual acuity was better than the initial visual acuity, regardless of the presence of posterior vitreous detachment [Paired t-test:p<0.01].Group I developed higher rate of neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage, but statistical significance was not noted.
Humans ; Incidence ; Macular Edema ; Ophthalmology ; Prognosis* ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Visual Acuity ; Vitreous Detachment* ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: To investigate the characteristics of the waveform generated by blue and red light stimulations in a dark-adapted electroretinogram (ERG) and those of cone responses in the dark-adapted condition. METHODS: The study subjects were 52 persons (88 eyes) with no previous medical history. The author recorded b-waves (rod response) with red light stimulation and the x-waves (dark-adapted cone response) that appeared before the b-waves. The author also recorded b-waves with blue light stimulation, which had the same amplitude as the b-waves from the red light stimulation. The differences with respect to age and gender were studied. Waveforms of the dark-adapted cone ERGs were recorded by using a digital subtraction technique. RESULTS: The x-wave always appeared before the b-wave with 0 dB (2.4 cd.s/m2) red stimulation. With blue stimulation, a b-wave equivalent to the b-wave stimulated with the red light of 0 dB intensity appeared at an average of -14.57 dB. The implicit time for the b-wave was delayed significantly for the male group. There were no significant differences between different age groups. The dark-adapted cone ERG demonstrated the waveform of a negative response followed by a series of oscillatory potentials (OPs) and a positive response. CONCLUSIONS: The cone responses were followed by the rod responses with red light stimulation of 0 dB in the dark-adapted ERG. The waveforms of the cone ERGs were obtained in dark adaptation with red and blue light stimulation.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Dark Adaptation/*physiology ; *Electroretinography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Photic Stimulation/*methods ; Retina/*physiology

Dematomyositis is an inflammatory cutaneo-muscular disease of unknown etiology, characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness and typical dermatologic manifestation. Association with systemic maligmancy has been reported in many literatures, but the relationship of dermatomyositis to internal malignancy remains controversial. In Korea, several cases of dermatomyositis or polymyositis associated with malignant neoplasm were reported. Dermatomyositis or polymyositis associated with primary hepatoma has not been reported, Recently authors experienced a patient with dermatomyositis associated with primary hepatoma, and present the case with review of literatures. This may be the first report in Korea.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Dermatomyositis ; Humans ; Korea ; Muscle Weakness ; Polymyositis

A clinical observation was made on 14 patients of bladder tumor who were treated by radical cystectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy in the Department of Urology, Catholic Medical College during the period from March, 1984 to July, 1986. Metastases to pelvic lymph node were proved histologically in 3 cases among 14 cases. Operative pathologic staging demonstrated an understanding error of 36 per cent, an overstaging error of 28 per cent and an accuracy of 36 per cent. The addition of a meticulous pelvic lymph node dissection did not increase the mortality or morbidity compared to simpler procedures. Results of this study support the early aggressive use of radical cystectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy and urinary diversion in the management of patients with bladder cancer.
Cystectomy* ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision* ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Diversion ; Urology

PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to compare contribution of maternal age to preterm birth (PTB) rates between 1997~99 and 2012~14. METHODS: We used 1997~99 (1,872,720 births) and 2012~14 (1,280,348 births) singleton birth certificated data of Korea Statistics excluding multiple birth and extra-marital birth cases. We decomposed the contributions of age-specific PTB rates and maternal age distribution (Kitagawa's decomposition method) to overall PTB rates during the period. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from logistic regression to describe the secular trend of PTB rate by birth year and maternal age. RESULTS: The incidence of PTB increased 1.5 times, from 3.0 percent to 4.6 percent, during 1997~2014. After adjustment by logistic regression for infantile sex, parity and maternal age, the odds ratio of PTB in birth year of 2012~14 was 1.38 (95% confidence interval: 1.36~1.39), compared with incidence of PTB in 1997~99. During the period, PTB rates increased 1.79 times in women aged 20~24 years and 25~29 years (OR: 1.56), whereas rates remained stable in women aged 35 years and older (OR: range from 1.08 to 1.13). 87.5% of the overall increase in the PTB rates was attributable to the increase in the proportion of women aged 30~34 years, but these age group accounted for only a small portion of the increase in PTB rates (OR: 1.27). CONCLUSION: The remainder of the total increment in the PTB rates during the period was explained by increase the proportion of women aged 30~34 years. There was a need to close attention in this area to understand the contributing factors to the secular trend of PTB rates.
Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Maternal Age* ; Multiple Birth Offspring ; Odds Ratio ; Parity ; Parturition* ; Premature Birth*

Chronic perineal pain is an often encountered problem, which produces a great degree of functional impairment and frustration to the patient and a challenge to the treating physician. The reason for this problem is that the region contains diverse anatomic structures with mixed somatic, visceral and autonomic innervations affecting bladder and bowel control and sexual function. A blockade of nociceptive and sympathetic supply to the perineal region, supplied through the ganglion impar has been shown to benefit patients with chronic perineal pain. Several options to this block have been described that chemical neurolysis, radiofrequency ablation etc. Although the analgesic effect of Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) has long been considered secondary to its action for muscle relaxation, BoNT-A also affects the release of the neurotransmitters that are involved in pain perception. We describe a patient who was successfully given ganglion impar block with BoNT-A.
Botulinum Toxins ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; Frustration ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Muscle Relaxation ; Nerve Block ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Pain Perception ; Urinary Bladder