No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare entity. Various definitions for spontaneous epidural hematoma have been reported in the literature. The expression of nontraumatic spinal epidural hematoma seems to be less ambiguous and includes idiopathic hematomas and hematomas secondary to coagulopathy, vascular malformations, and tumors. We report three cases of nontraumatic spinal epidural hematomas observed from 1991 to 2000. The causes of the spinal epidural hematomas were not clear in two cases among them, but in the another one case, the cause was determined to be an acquired coagulopathy. We reviewed 24 cases reported in the Korean Journal of Neurosurgery and our three cases with particular emphasis on the various causes such as coagulopathy, vascular malformations and tumors. Among the 27 cases, numerous causes were detected such as three cases of vascular malformation, one case of anticoagulant treatment, five cases of combined lumbar disc herniation, two cases associated with pregnancy and postpartum, one case associated with hypertension, and one case associated with ossification of ligamentum flavum. No causes were detected in the ten cases. The authors reviewed the literature.
Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Hypertension ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Neurosurgery ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Vascular Malformations

No abstract available.
Melanoma*

The Marfan's syndrome is a collagenous hereditary disorder affected by the long bone, heart and eyes. Two cases of Marfan's syndrome are presented. Both two cases showed upward dislocation of lenses. We performed extraction of lenses on 4 eyes among the two cases by means of Cryo-extractor. The results of surgical treatment are described.
Collagen ; Dislocations ; Heart ; Marfan Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Blood Flow Velocity* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare but devasting obstetric emergency. We experienced a case of AFE during dilatation and curettage (D & C) in a 15 2/7 weeks pregnant woman, age 30, who was diagnosed as having a missed abortion. Sudden rapid hypoxemia, low SpO2, hypotension, low PETCO2, high CVP, and tachycardia, right axis deviation and right bundle branch block in 12 leads ECG were developed during D &C under general anesthesia, and signs of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) followed after the operation, which are consistent with the findings of AFE. Even though there was no definite pathologic and radiologic confirmation of AFE, laboratory findings showed 100 times higher level of alpha-fetoprotein in her central venous blood than same weeks of missed abortion woman's blood. Though it is rare, the anesthesiologist should always suspect the possibility of AFE, when the patient shows an unexplained collapse, cyanosis, low PETCO2, high CVP, low SpO2, ECG change and DIC during any kind of obstetric procedure.
Abortion, Missed ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Anesthesia, General ; Anoxia ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bundle-Branch Block ; Cyanosis ; Dacarbazine ; Dilatation and Curettage* ; Dilatation* ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Electrocardiography ; Embolism, Amniotic Fluid* ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnant Women ; Tachycardia

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic*

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of pain using magnetic irradiation modalities continues to attract considerable debate. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic therapy for the treatment of chronic lower back pain. METHODS: Fifteen-minute sessions of active (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) electromagnetic therapy were repeated 3 times a week for 3 weeks. Patients were assessed using the 11-point numerical rating scale and the revised Oswestry disability scores for up to 4 weeks after therapy. RESULTS: The active magnetic group showed significantly more pain reduction than the placebo group immediately after therapy and one and four weeks after therapy (P < 0.05). At 4 weeks after therapy percentage changes in NRS from baseline were 22 +/- 24% and 38 +/- 11% in the placebo and magnetic groups, respectively. The revised Oswestry disability percentage in the active magnetic group was also significantly improved (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pulsed electromagnetic therapy provided pain relief and ameliorated disability in patients with chronic lower back pain. According to our results, pulsed electromagnetic therapy should be considered an important potential therapeutic tool for the conservative therapy of chronic lower back pain.
Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Magnets*

No abstract available.
Acidosis, Renal Tubular*

Astroblastoma is one of the very unusual type of tumors, whose histogenesis has not been clarified. It occurs mainly among children or young adults. Astroblastoma is grossly well-demarcated, and shows histologically characteristic perivascular pseudorosettes with frequent vascular hyalinization. Perivascular pseudorosettes in astroblastoma have short and thick cytoplasmic processes and blunt-ended foot plates. A 15-yr-old girl presented with headache and diplopia for one and a half year. A welldemarcated mass, 9.7 cm in diameter, was found in the right frontal lobe in brain MRI, and it was a well-enhanced inhomogenous mass. Cystic changes of various sizes were observed inside the tumor mass as well as in the posterior part of the mass, but no peritumoral edema was found. Histologically, this mass belongs to a typical astroblastoma, and no sign of anaplastic astrocytoma, gemistocytic astrocytoma or glioblastoma was found in any part of the tumor. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed diffuse strong positivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein, S-100 protein, vimentin and neuron specific enolase, and focal positivity for epithelial membrane antigen and CAM 5.2, while showing negativity for synaptophysin, neurofilament protein, pan-cytokeratin and high molecular weight keratin.
Adolescent ; Brain Neoplasms/metabolism/*pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein/metabolism ; Humans ; Keratin/metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial/metabolism/*pathology ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase/metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; S100 Proteins/metabolism ; Vimentin/metabolism