Paralytic hand is the ultimate result of permsnent damage of the central nervous system, failure of the functional repair of peripheral nerve injuries and extensive muscular or tendinous defect resulting in the impairment of hand function. There are a lot of controversies in the side of treatment methods in the paralytic hand, and it is very difficult to formulate the most adequate surgical reconstruction for a given pstient. At Depsrtment of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, 66 cases oi paralytic hands in 62 patients have been treated surgically with tendon transfers for 7 years from Jan, 1980 to Dec, 1986. 49 case in 46 patients were followed up for more than one year, and surgical method and its results were anslysed. They consist of CNS lesion (17), peripheral nerve lesion(23) and musulotenidinous defect(9). The methods of surgical reconstruction were opponenesplasty(12), standard set extensor reconstruction(9), Green and Bsnks FCU transfer(11), intrinsic reconstruction(7), pronator rerouting(7), adductorplasty (5) and so on. The mean follow-up was 2.2 years, and in 38 cases good or excellent results were obtained.
Central Nervous System ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Peripheral Nerves ; Seoul ; Tendon Transfer

A one step reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) combined nested PCR was set up to increase efficiency in the diagnosis of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection after developement of nested PCR. Two PCR primer sets were designed based on the sequence of nucleocapsid gene of CDV Onderstepoort strain. One-step RT-PCR with the outer primer pair was revealed to detect 10(2) PFU/ml. The sensitivity was increased hundredfold using the one-step RT-PCR combined with the nested PCR. Specificity of the PCR was also confirmed using other related canine virus and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and body secretes of healthy dogs. Of the 51 blood samples from dogs clinically suspected of CD, 45 samples were revealed as positive by one-step RT-PCR combined with nested PCR. However, only 15 samples were identified as positive with a single one step RT-PCR. Therefore approximately 60% increase in the efficiency of the diagnosis was observed by the combined method. These results suggested that one step RT-PCR combined with nested PCR could be a sensitive, specific, and practical method for diagnosis of CDV infection.
Animals ; Distemper Virus, Canine/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Dogs ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods/*veterinary ; RNA, Viral/genetics/isolation & purification ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; Viral Vaccines

No abstract available.

Predisposing factors for venous thrombosis can be identified in the majority of patients with established venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, an obvious precipitant may not be identified during the initial evaluation of such patients. In the present case, a 47-year-old female presented to the emergency department of our hospital after ingesting multiple drugs. She had no VTE-related risk factors or previous episodes, nor any family history of VTE. After admission to the intensive care unit sudden hypoxemia developed, and during the evaluation cerebral, renal, and splenic infarctions with pulmonary embolisms were diagnosed. However, the sources of the emboli could not be identified by transthoracic echocardiography or computed tomography angiography. Protein C deficiency was identified several days later. We recommend that hypercoagulable states be taken into consideration, especially when unexplained thromboembolic events develop in multiple or unusual venous sites.
Angiography ; Anoxia ; Causality ; Echocardiography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Intensive Care Units ; Middle Aged ; Protein C Deficiency ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Risk Factors ; Splenic Infarction ; Thrombophilia ; Venous Thromboembolism ; Venous Thrombosis

Colchicine poisoning is rare but can cause potentially life-threatening toxic complications such as hypovolemic shock, cardiovascular collapse and multiple organ failure. In this case report, we describe a case of a 20-year-old female who presented to the emergency department after suicidal ingestion of a toxic dose of colchicine. She developed thrombocytopenia, neutropenia and acute respiratory distress syndrome that required blood transfusion and administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor for the prevention of infectious complications. With regard to the clinical manifestations of colchicine toxicity, we discussed suggested mechanisms.
Blood Transfusion ; Colchicine* ; Colony-Stimulating Factors* ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Granulocytes* ; Humans ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Neutropenia ; Poisoning* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Shock ; Thrombocytopenia ; Young Adult

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma(CTCL) is a rare cutaneous malignant disease and is typically a disease of older adults. There is no optimal treatment for CTCL, which ranges from topical steroid to systemic chemotherapy. Hence until curative therapy is found, therapies that keep CTCL in check and prevent progression to more advanced lymphoma may be desirable alternatives and may presetve quality of life. Herein we report our experience in treating a stage 11B CTCL patient with triple combination of interferon alfa, oral retinoid, and psoralen plus WA(PWA) therapy.
Adult ; Drug Therapy ; Ficusin ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons* ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous* ; Photochemotherapy* ; Quality of Life ; T-Lymphocytes

No abstract available.
Birth Certificates* ; Parturition*

The clinical and pathological features of a paraganglioma arising in the cauda equina is described and compared with previous reports. The right microscopic fetures were similar to those of paragangliomas from other sites, with a 'Zellballen' pattern of cells containing arzyrophil granules. Immunohistocytochemical stains for neurone specific enolase, S-100 protein, cytokeratin were positive, but stains for glial fibrillary acidic protein were negative. Electron microscopy showed densely staining membrane-bound granules, cilia like structures and fibros bodies in the cytoplasm. The last two features only occur in paragangliomas from this site. The pathological findings suggest that paragangliomas in this site arise from pre-existing paraganglia, possibly of the visceral autonomic group.

Three cases of giant pituitray adenoma are reported. Two cases were operated by transsphenoidal approach and a case by transcranial approach. Transsphenoidal approach showed satisfactory results despite of marked suprasellar extension of tumors. We report rare giant pituitary adenomas with review of relevant literatures.
Adenoma ; Pituitary Neoplasms*

Morphological changes of hepatic microcirculation, especially in the peribiliary plexus, in cirrhotic livers of rats induced by repeated intraperitoneal injections of N-diethyinitrosamine (DEN) (100mg/kg/week) were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Control rats were treated with saline. The livers were perfused with saline and injected with methyl-methacrylated resin (Mercox CL-2B) through the thoracic aorta. Diffuse nodular changes mimicking human cirrhosis were seen in the livers six weeks after injections of DEN. The cirrhotic livers showed an increase of vascular channels composed mainly of venous branches around the regenerating nodules and increased arterioloportal anastonloses. Peribiliary plexi of the cirrhotic livers had more vessels than those of the controls. Many dilated veins and ramificating portal vein branches were also Present. Direct connections between peribiliary plexi and sinusoids or between peribiliary plexi and portal veins were increased in the cirrhotic liver. These results suggest that the peribiliary plexi in experimentally induced cirrhotic liver might play a role in a collateral circulation under a state of portal hypertension.
Humans ; Rats ; Animals