No abstract available.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Dentures* ; Detergents*

The authors analyzed 24 cases of the pineal region tumors which were treated at the Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University during the last eight years. Tumors of the pineal region constitutes 2.5% of all brain tumors in authors' series. Most(79.1%) of the patients were younger than 20. Of these 24 cases, 19 were male and 5 were female. Presenting symptoms were headache, vomitting and clouding of sonsciousness due to obstructive hydrocephalus, followed by eye signs, such as Parinaud's syndrome, abducens palsy, and papilledema. Other signs are ataxia and hemiplegia. Plain skull films showed abnormal calcifications and findings of increased intracranial pressure. Location and size of the tumors were most accurately visualized by the brain CT scan. Pathological types of the pineal tumors could be differentiated by the brain CT scan from the patterns of contrast enhancement and tumor density. Among the 24 patients received VP shunt surgery for hydrocephalus. Eighteen patients had the radiation therapy either after the surgery or radiation alone. Germinoma was the most frequent type of pineal region tumors in this series, accounting for half of the patients who had the surgery. There was no immediate postoperative mortality, but one patient with pineoblastoma died from multiple spinal seeding nine months after the surgery. In conclusion, it is most important to identify the pathological type of the tumors in pineal region, because the prognosis of the patient as well as the mode of treatment varies according to the pathological diagnosis. Stereotaxic biopsy of the pineal region tumors is the most accurate diagnostic methods in authors' series among such other methods as brain CT scan, CSF cytology and/or tumor marker study.
Ataxia ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Germinoma ; Headache ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Intracranial Pressure ; Male ; Mortality ; Neurosurgery ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Papilledema ; Paralysis ; Pinealoma ; Prognosis ; Skull ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Animals ; Evoked Potentials* ; Rats*

OBJECTIVES: To confirm the HAVS in workers exposed to hand-arm vibration with using the objective diagnostic methods METHODS: Several tests were used to help substantiate a clinical diagnosis of HAVS. Some other diseases were excluded by a medical interview, hematologic assessment, urinalysis, X-rays. The hand-arm vibration acceleration level of the grinder was evaluated for considering HAVS. Peripheral vascular changes were examined by a cold provocation test. An electromyography was implemented to ascertain the peripheral neural changes. RESULTS: 8 workers with symptoms in hands & fingers, exposed to hand-arm vibration were examined. Some other diseases(primary Raynauds disease, secondary Raynauds disease in not occupational origin) were excluded by a medical interview, hematologic assessment, urinalysis, X-rays. The hand-arm vibration acceleration level of the grinder was 7. 9 m/sec2. The recovery time of a skin temperature followed finger cooling was significantly prolonged in 6 workers with HAVS. The nerve conduction velocity was reduced in 6 workers with HAVS. CONCLUSIONS: So we report 6 cases of HAVS in grinding workers exposed to hand-arm vibration diagnosed objectively by an exclusion of some other disease, handarm vibration acceleration level, cold provocation test, electromyography.
Acceleration ; Diagnosis ; Electromyography ; Fingers ; Hand* ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome* ; Neural Conduction ; Raynaud Disease ; Skin Temperature ; Urinalysis ; Vibration*

The authors analyzed 11 patients of hypertensive intracerebral hematoma who had undergone the delayed CT guided stereotaxic evacuation. this delayed stereotaxic evacuation seemed to be highly effective in improving the motor weakness rather than mental state. Such effect was appeared immediately after the procedures in most of the patients, even in very small amount of hematoma. In addition, we could shorten the total hospital periods. The most effective time of this delayed stereotaxic evacuation was seemed to be in around 2 weeks after the hemorrhage.
Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension

The occurrence of spontaneous arterial subdural hematoma is rare. We present one case of subdural hematoma caused by spontaneous rupture of cortical artery. We confirmed that the source of bleeding was rupture of a cortical artery located near the sylvian region in the operative field.
Arteries ; Hematoma, Subdural* ; Hemorrhage ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous

No abstract available.
Choline*

PURPOSE: Thallous-201 chloride produced at Korea Cancer Center Hospital(KCCH) is used in detecting cardiovascular disease and cancer. Thallium impurity can cause emesis, catharsis and nausea, so the presence of thallium and other metal impurities should be determined. According to USP and KP, their amounts must be less than 2 ppm in thallium and 5 ppm in total. In this study, the detection method of trace amounts of metal impurities in [201Tl]TlCl injection with polarography was optimized without environmental contamination. MATERALS AND METHODS: For the detection of metal impurities, Osteryoung Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry method was used in Bio-Analytical System (BAS) 50W polarograph. The voltammetry was composed of Dropping Mercury Electrode (DME) as a working electrode, Ag/AgCl as a reference electrode and Pt wire as a counter electrode. Square wave stripping method, which makes use of formation and deformation of amalgam, was adopted to determine the metal impurities, and pH 7 phosphate buffer was used as supporting electrolyte. RESULTS: T1, Cu and Pb in thallous-201 chloride solution were detected by scanning from 300 mV to -800 mV. Calibration curves were made by using TlNO3, CuSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 as standard solutions. Tl was confirmed at -450 mV peak potential and Cu at -50 mV. Less than 2 ppm of Tl and Cu was detected and Pb was not detected in KCCH-produced thallous-201 chloride injection. CONCLUSION: Detection limit of thallium and copper is approximately 50 ppb with this method. As a result of this experiment, thallium and other metal impurities in thallous-201 chloride injection, produced at Korea Cancer Center Hospital, are in the regulation of USP and KP. Polarograph could be applied for the determination of metal impurities in the quality control of radiopharmaceuticals conveniently without environmental contamination.
Calibration ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Catharsis ; Copper ; Electrodes ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Metals, Heavy* ; Nausea ; Polarography* ; Quality Control ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Thallium ; Vomiting

One hundred and twenty four patients with hypertensive putaminal hemorrhage were analyzed by time course. All patients were brought to the emergency room within 3 hours after the ictus. Seventy three patients were conservatively treated and 51 patients operatively. The neurologic condition of each patient was evaluated by means of the Glasgow coma scale(GCS) score every 1 hour. CT scan of the brain of these patients were taken within 6 hours after the ictus. Clinical severity of the putaminal hemorrhage was graded as rapid deterioration, slow deterioration, and non deterioration by the CT and neurological status. A precise time course analysis of putaminal hemorrhage were compared with the conservative group and surgical group in a 7 hospital day period. Outcome was assessed 6 months later based on the degree of functional recovery(DOFR). The overall mortality was 16.1% and surgical mortality was 13.7%. Surgical treatment for the rapidly deteriorating patients appears to be beneficial when compared with the slowly deteriorating patients. Outcome of the non deteriorating patients didn't show any differences in the quality of life regardless of treatment modality.
Brain ; Coma ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Mortality ; Putaminal Hemorrhage* ; Quality of Life ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The aim of this sutdy was to evaluate the feasibility of 3-[131I]Iodo-O-methyl-L-a-methyltyrosine ([131I]OMINT) as an agent for tumor image. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After synthesis of 4-O-methyl-L-a-methyltyrosine (OMAMT), OMAMT was labeled with 131I using Iodogen method. In viro cellular uptake study was performed using 9 L gliosarcoma cells at various time points upto 4 hr. The biodistribution (five rats implanted with the 9 L gliosarcoma cells per group) was evaluated at 30 min, 2 hr, 24 hr after iv injection of 3.7 MBq [131I]OMIMT or L-3-[131I]iodo-a-methyltyrosine ([131I]IMT). Gamma camera images were obtained at 30min, 2 hr, and 24 hr. RESULTS: [131I]OMINT uptake was 3.3 times and 2.5 times higher than [131I]IMT uptake at 30 min and 60 min, respectively and same after 2 hr in in vitro sutdy using 9L gliosarcoma cells. Maximum accumulation in tumor occurred at 30 min for both [131IOMINT and [131I]IMT in tumor bearing rats. The tumor uptake of [131I]OMINT was significantly higher than that of [131I]IMT in tumor bearing rats. The tumor uptake of [131I]OMIMT was significantly higher than that of [131I]IMT at early time point studied (3.74 +/- 0.48 vs 0.38 +/- 0.17% ID/g at 30 min and 2.40 +/- 0.17 vs 0.24 +/- 0.03% ID/g at 2 hr, respectively, p<0.01). However, the tumor uptake of both radiolabels were not significantly different at 24 hr (0.04 +/- 0.01 vs 0.05 +/- 0.01% ID/g). Tumor was visualized as early as at 30 min in gamma camera images. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that [131I]OMIMT might be a useful tumor imaging agent and has more advantage for the tumor imaging compared to [131I]IMT.
Animals ; Gamma Cameras ; Gliosarcoma ; Rats*