Spontaneous nystagmus is a reflection of tonic left-right vestibular asymmetry. It is typically seen after a recent unilateral peripheral vestibular lesion and has fast phases away from the side of the lesion. Sometimes spontaneous nystagmus is seen in the absence of a recent unilateral peripheral lesion, in which case it provides evidence of a vestibular lesion but does not localize it. We experienced a case of 35-year-old man who had sudden sensorineural hearing loss on the left side with acute onset of vertigo and transient spontaneous nystagmus, which had fast phases away from the side of the sudden deafness, without canal paresis on the bithermal caloric test.
Adult ; Caloric Tests ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Humans ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Paresis ; Vertigo

The use of somastostatin in chyle fistula that occurs after neck dissection is a new approach that has been reported in few cases. We report two cases of chyle fistula that occurred after neck dissection, which were successfully managed with somatostatin subcutaneous injection. Somatostatin treatment resulted in an immediate reduction of chyle leakage in both patients, and might have contributed to the reduction of patients' morbidity and duration of hospital stay. However, optimal treatment regimen with somatostatin is unclear because of its limited case and various administration methods. Further studies are required to clarify the usefulness and optimal regimen of somatostatin injection in the treatment of chyle fistula following neck dissection.
Chyle ; Fistula ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Length of Stay ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Octreotide ; Somatostatin

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) protect rats from cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) by preventing the subcellular redistribution of cathepsin B and the activation of trypsinogen. Autophagy plays a critical role in the secretion of digestive enzymes and triggering of cerulein-induced AP via the colocalization of trypsinogen and lysosomes. Therefore, using a rat cerulein-induced AP model, we investigated whether HSPs prevent AP by regulating autophagy. METHODS: Twelve hours after fed standard laboratory chow and water, the experimental groups (cerulein, water-immersion [WI]-cerulein and heat-shock [HS]-cerulein) and the control groups (control, WI, and HS) received one intraperitoneal injection of cerulein (50 microg/kg) or saline, respectively. All of the rats were sacrificed at 6 hours after injection. The severity of the AP was assessed based on the serum amylase level and the histological and electron microscopy findings. Western blotting was also performed for HSP60/70 and LC3B-II. RESULTS: WI and HS induced HSP60 and HSP70, respectively. The induced HSP60/70 effectively prevented the development of cerulein-induced AP. Autophagy developed in the rats with cerulein-induced AP and was documented by the expression of LC3-II and electron microscopy findings. The WI-stressed rats and HS-treated rats did not develop cerulein-induced autophagy. CONCLUSIONS: HSPs exert protective effects against cerulein-induced AP in rats by inhibiting autophagy.
Amylases ; Animals ; Autophagy ; Blotting, Western ; Caerulein ; Cathepsin B ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Hot Temperature ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Lysosomes ; Microscopy, Electron ; Pancreatitis ; Rats ; Trypsinogen ; Water

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated whether lobetyolin, lobetyol, and methyl linoleate derived from Codonopsis pilosula affect MUC5AC mucin secretion, production, and gene expression from airway epithelial cells. METHODS: Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with lobetyolin, lobetyol, or methyl linoleate for 30 minutes and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 hours. The MUC5AC mucin gene expression, and mucin protein production and secretion were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. RESULTS: Lobetyolin, lobetyol, and methyl linoleate inhibited the gene expression of MUC5AC mucin induced by PMA; lobetyolin did not affect PMA-induced MUC5AC mucin production. However, lobetyol and methyl linoleate inhibited the production of MUC5AC mucin; lobetyolin and lobetyol did not significantly affect PMA-induced MUC5AC mucin secretion from NCI-H292 cells. However, methyl linoleate decreased the MUC5AC mucin secretion. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that among the three compounds, methyl linoleate can regulate gene expression, production, and secretion of MUC5AC mucin by directly acting on the airway epithelial cells.
Codonopsis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression* ; Linoleic Acid* ; Mucins* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription

We treated 9 patients with hemifacial microsomia or facial asymmetry between April 1998 and November 1999. The age of patients ranged from 21 to 45 years(mean 24.6). Six were women, 3 were men. The follow up period was 6 to 24 months(mean 15.3 months). The operative procedure was based on the Ortiz Monasterio's simultaneous mandibuiar and maxillary distraction technique. Ortiz Monasterio only freed the pterygomaxillay junction of the affected side, leaving the nasal septum and pterygomaxillary junction of the unaffected side intact. They also used external corticotomy on mandible. We modified the original Ortiz Monasterio's method by using complete Le Fort I osteotomy with complete separation of both pterygomaxillary junction and mandibular osteotomy to avoid the resistance during the distraction. In one patient of scleroderma with severe atrophy of the mandible and soft tissue on the right face, a free scapular osteocutaneous flap was done. One month later, simultaneous distraction of the maxilla, the transferred scapula bone and the mandible was performed. Among the 9 patients, bidirectional distraction was done in one patient, and intraoral device was applied in 3 patients. After 5 days of latent period, distraction was performed at a rate of 1 mm per day. After 6 to 8 weeks of consolidation period, intermaxillary fixation and distraction device were removed. Preoperatively, the deviation of occlusal plane ranged from 8 to 13 (mean 10.5 ). The length of distraction ranged from 7 mm to 20 mm(mean 13 mm). In 2 patients, there were radiologic evidences of relapse 6 months after distraction, but no significant change of facial appearance was found. Seven patients have maintained stable preoperative occlusion of of teeth as previous conditions and preoperative lateral open bite was improved postoperatively in 2 patients. Postoperative occlusal plane ranged from 0 to 1.
Adult* ; Atrophy ; Dental Occlusion ; Facial Asymmetry* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Goldenhar Syndrome ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible ; Mandibular Osteotomy ; Maxilla ; Nasal Septum ; Open Bite ; Osteotomy ; Recurrence ; Scapula ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: Adenophora triphylla var. japonica is empirically used for controlling airway inflammatory diseases in folk medicine. We evaluated the gene expression and production of mucin from airway epithelial cells in response to lupenone, lupeol and taraxerol derived from Adenophora triphylla var. japonica. METHODS: Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with lupenone, lupeol or taraxerol for 30 minutes and then stimulated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) for 24 hours. The MUC5AC mucin gene expression and production were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Additionally, we examined whether lupenone, lupeol or taraxerol affects MUC5AC mucin production induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), the other 2 stimulators of airway mucin production. RESULTS: Lupenone, lupeol, and taraxerol inhibited the gene expression and production of MUC5AC mucin induced by TNF-alpha from NCI-H292 cells, respectively. The 3 compounds inhibited the EGF or PMA-induced production of MUC5AC mucin in NCI-H292 cells. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that lupenone, lupeol and taraxerol derived from Adenophora triphylla var. japonica regulates the production and gene expression of mucin, by directly acting on airway epithelial cells. In addition, the results partly explain the mechanism of of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica as a traditional remedy for diverse inflammatory pulmonary diseases.
Campanulaceae* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epithelial Cells ; Gene Expression* ; Lung Diseases ; Medicine, Traditional ; Methods ; Mucins* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Infectious aortitis is an uncommon yet, life threatening disease. Early surgical treatment and prolonged antibiotic therapy is crucial to survival. Salmonella sp. and Staphylococcus aureus are the most common organisms isolated. There is no case report of infectious aortitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, which has recently emerged as a major cause of health care-associated infections. Here, we describe a 76-year-old male with infectious aortitis who experienced recurrent bacteremia due to A. baumannii in spite of adequate antimicrobial therapy after aortic valve replacement.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Aged ; Aortic Valve* ; Aortitis* ; Bacteremia* ; Humans ; Male ; Salmonella ; Staphylococcus aureus

Infectious aortitis is an uncommon yet, life threatening disease. Early surgical treatment and prolonged antibiotic therapy is crucial to survival. Salmonella sp. and Staphylococcus aureus are the most common organisms isolated. There is no case report of infectious aortitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, which has recently emerged as a major cause of health care-associated infections. Here, we describe a 76-year-old male with infectious aortitis who experienced recurrent bacteremia due to A. baumannii in spite of adequate antimicrobial therapy after aortic valve replacement.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Aged ; Aortic Valve* ; Aortitis* ; Bacteremia* ; Humans ; Male ; Salmonella ; Staphylococcus aureus

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korea. METHODS: Web-based (www.armd-nova.or.kr) registration was conducted for AMD patients aged 50 or more who were newly diagnosed by retinal specialists in Korea from August 20, 2005 to August 20, 2006. Patient data including ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiogram and/or indocyanin green angiogram (ICG), past medical history, behavioral habit, combined systemic diseases were up-loaded. RESULTS: Among finally enrolled 1,141 newly diagnosed AMD patients, 690 patients (60.5%) were male and 451 patients (39.5%) were female. The average age of AMD patients was 69.7+/-8.0. Early AMD was observed in 190 patients and 951 patients had late AMD. Classic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) was observed in 18.6% of exudative AMD patients and 63.4 % had occult CNVM. Subfoveal CNVM was observed in 80.4% of the patients with CNVM. Among the 580 exudative AMD eyes that performed indocyanin green angiography (ICG), 184 eyes (31.7%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 36 eyes (6.2%) showed retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). Age, male gender, smoking, diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of the AMD among Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low rate of participation by retinal specialists, definite incidence of AMD was not obtainable. However, the estimated 1-year AMD incidence in the Pusan area of Korea is at least 0.4%. In contrast to Western people, 31.7% of exudative AMD cases were revealed to be PCV and 6.2% were revealed to be RAP. This discrepancy between ethnic groups should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment modality selection of Korean AMD patients.
Aged ; Angiography ; Choroid ; Ethnic Groups ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Membranes ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization