Twelve hyperlipidemic patients taking ginseng extract 1.0 gm daily were studied for sequential changes in blood lipid levels for 16 weeks. Following results were observed. 1. HDL-C was markedly elevated from the beginning through test period while TG is conversely decreased. 2. TC and LDL-C revealed the tendency to decrease but not significant in degree. 3. No remarkable untoward reaction was observed with long term ginseng extract administration. In summary, the beneficial effect of ginseng extract on abnormal blood lipids level is unequivocal and the author recommend the use of ginseng extract to patient being on the verge of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis* ; Humans ; Panax*

BACKGROUND: Bupivacaine is a potent, and commonly used, long acting local anesthetic. If accidentally injected into the systemic circulation, bupivacaine can cause lethal dysrhythmias and circulatory collapse. Attempts to treat bupivacaine induced cardiac toxicity have been varied and controversial, and they have not been very successful. The aim of this study was to investigate the electrophysiologic effects of bupivacaine in Purkinje fibers. METHODS: Effects of bupivacaine on the membrane potential were studied in 12 isolated canine Purkinje fibers. Purkinje fibers from ventricle were dissected and mounted in a tissue chamber perfused with Tyrode's solution. Transmembrane potentials recorded through glass microelectrodes filled with 3M KCI in the beating or quiescent Purkinje fibers during infusions of bupivacaine at concentratons of 3*10/-7M,10/-6M, 3*10/-6M,10/-5M, and 3*10/-5M. RESULTS: Bupivacaine reduced action potential druation in a dose-dependent manner. Bupivacaine produced a decrease in intracelullar sodium ion activity in driven(1Hz) and quiescent canine Purkinje fibers. Bupivacaine-induced hyperpolarizaton of diastolic membrane potential in quiescent Purkinje fibers was dose dependent, and the hyperpolarization by bupivacaine was attenuated by depolarization induced by high potassium extracellular concentration in part. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that bupivacaine decreases the fast inward sodium current, and inhibits pacemaker current in canine Purkinje fibers.
Action Potentials ; Bupivacaine* ; Glass ; Membrane Potentials* ; Membranes* ; Microelectrodes ; Potassium ; Purkinje Fibers ; Shock ; Sodium ; Sodium Channels

BACKGROUND: The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) should be correctly placed into the hypopharynx for adequate ventilation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a LMA position relation to the laryngeal skeleton and narrowing degree of a LMA lumen by the epiglottis. METHODS: The LMA (# 3 or # 4) was placed into the hypopharynx after induction of anesthesia and muscle paralysis. The fiberoptic laryngoscopic findings through the lumen of LMA were recorded at ten minutes after LMA placements. The position of the LMA was estimated in relation to its distal aperture to the laryngeal skeleton as central, posterior, right and left lateral position. The narrowing degree of the LMA by the epiglottis was estimated as 0%, 1~25%, 26~50%, 51~75%, or 76~100%. RESULTS: The fiberoptic laryngoscope showed central positions in 70.1%, lateral deviations to the left or right in 21.2% and posterior positions in 9%. The most frequent incidence (84/231, 36.4%) of narrowing by the epiglottis is 76~100% but ventilating problems were not developed. However, ventilation was impossible immediately after LMA placement in one patient, so the LMA was removed and the trachea was intubated. Esophageal enterance was visible in one patient without regurgitation of the stomach content. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that LMA provides a reliable and safe airway management technique, although inadequate positioning and narrowing of LMA lumen by the epiglottis may frequently occur.
Airway Management ; Anesthesia ; Epiglottis ; Gastrointestinal Contents ; Humans ; Hypopharynx* ; Incidence ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Laryngoscopes ; Paralysis ; Skeleton ; Trachea ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: This prospective cohort study was carried out to investigate the relation of lifestyle variables to total mortality in residents aged 60-64 of a rural community in Korea. METHODS: A total of 1,042 residents was interviewed by face-to-face survey for baseline data collection in 1996 and 955 residents were successfully followed up until April 2002, among which 91 died. RESULTS: In univariate logistic regression, consumption of cigarette per day, duration of smoking, status of smoking, frequency of drinking per month, status of drinking, average duration of TV watching per day and average duration of sleeping were statistically significant, predicting total mortality. None of the variables reflecting leisure-time physical activities were statistically significant. Adjusting for sex, age, education, current as well as past chronic diseases history, and limitation of daily living with multiple logistic regression, those smoking more than 40 years and current smokers showed reduced, but statistically significant RRs, 1.89 (95% CI 1.05-3.41) and 1.82 (95% CI 1.01-3.25), respectively. Sleeping more than 10 hours a day showed RR, 2.41 (95% CI 1.11-5.22). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that some lifestyle variables, smoking and sleeping were predictive of total mortality while drinking, TV watching and leisure-time physical activities were not.
Chronic Disease ; Cohort Studies* ; Data Collection ; Drinking ; Education ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Mortality* ; Motor Activity ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products

Pneumomediastinum is a relatively uncommon, infrequently reported entity, In the evaluation of these entity, it is important to exclude pathological causes, including Boerhaave's syndrome which carries a high mortality. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is related to excessive intraalveolar pressure leading to rupture of perivascular alveoli in the setting of a Valsalva maneuver without communication to gut material. So, it has a benign self-limited course and rarely requires medical intervention. On the contrary, secondary pneumomediastinum caused by instrumental, traumatic, and spontaneous perforation of esophagus. Although the prognosis have been improved since the advent of broad-spectrum antibiotics and nutritional support, pneumomediastinum due to esophageal perforation still has a high morbidity and mortality. The most important prognostic factor is the time interval between perforation and initiation of therapy, and an awareness and a high clinical suspicion is critical in the early diagnosis and treatment. Recently, we have experienced 2 cases of pneumomediastinum, one case was spontaneous pneumomediastinum and the other may be caused by instrumental esophageal perforation. We report the clinical course of the patients with a current literature review.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Early Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation ; Esophagus ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema* ; Mortality ; Nutritional Support ; Prognosis ; Rupture ; Valsalva Maneuver

We report a case of sebaceous hyperplasia showing linear arrangement in a 13-year-old girl. The lesion was found at birth and became prominent gradually. Multiple small discrete yellowish papules were arranged in a linear pattern on the temporal srea of the face. Unusual, incidental histopathologic finding was a sebaceous lobule lying in a dilated infundibular portion, which appeared to represent transfollicular extrusion of sebaceous lobule as a natural phenomenon.
Adolescent ; Deception ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Parturition

We report a case of Becker's nevus associated with ipsilateral breast hypoplasia in a 13-year-old female. Three years esrlier, she noticed a palrn-size hyperpigmented area on her left chest. The lesion showed a well defined geographic border. No hypertrichosis was seen. Hypoplasia was apparent on the left breast. A histopathologic finding showed a slightly hyperpigmented epidermis and some rectangular rete ridges with flat bases.
Adolescent ; Breast* ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrichosis ; Nevus* ; Thorax

Hemangioblastomas comprise 1 to 2% of all intracranial neoplasm, and 8 to 12% of tumors within the posterior fossa. They are composed of admixtures of three different cell types; endothelial cells, pericytes and stromal cells. Although most hemangioblastomas arise sporadically, they are associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease in about 20% cases. We have experienced a case of multiple hemangioblastomas occuiing in the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord simultaneously in a 55-year-old male. He had complained of headache, dizziness, generalized weakness and gait disturbance for 2 weeks. The patient had neither specific family history nor increased hematocrit. MRI showed a nonenhancing cystic lesion with an enhancing mural nodule in the right cerebellar hemisphere and two separate enhancing nodules in the medulla oblongata and dorsal cervical spinal cord at the 5-6th. Grossly, the excised mass of the cerebellum, 2.5 x 2 x 1.8cm, was solid to partly cystic, and that of spinal cord, lcm in diameter, was mostly solid. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of thin-walled blood vessels in variable size and interspersed stromal cells. The stromal cells revealed dimorphic cytoplasm that were either homogeneous and eosinophilic, or clear and vacuolated. Immunohistochemically, the endothelial cells reacted positively for glial fibrfllaty acidic protein(GFAP) and vimentin. The stromal cells reacted diffusely positively for vimentin, focally positively for GFAP and S-100 protein near the periphery of the tumor, focally positivel for neuro specipic enolase(NSE), and negatively for lysozyme, desmin and chromogranin. Ultrastructurally, the stromal cells contained numerous microfilaments and lipid droplets.

Hemangioblastomas comprise 1 to 2% of all intracranial neoplasm, and 8 to 12% of tumors within the posterior fossa. They are composed of admixtures of three different cell types; endothelial cells, pericytes and stromal cells. Although most hemangioblastomas arise sporadically, they are associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease in about 20% cases. We have experienced a case of multiple hemangioblastomas occuiing in the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord simultaneously in a 55-year-old male. He had complained of headache, dizziness, generalized weakness and gait disturbance for 2 weeks. The patient had neither specific family history nor increased hematocrit. MRI showed a nonenhancing cystic lesion with an enhancing mural nodule in the right cerebellar hemisphere and two separate enhancing nodules in the medulla oblongata and dorsal cervical spinal cord at the 5-6th. Grossly, the excised mass of the cerebellum, 2.5 x 2 x 1.8cm, was solid to partly cystic, and that of spinal cord, lcm in diameter, was mostly solid. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of thin-walled blood vessels in variable size and interspersed stromal cells. The stromal cells revealed dimorphic cytoplasm that were either homogeneous and eosinophilic, or clear and vacuolated. Immunohistochemically, the endothelial cells reacted positively for glial fibrfllaty acidic protein(GFAP) and vimentin. The stromal cells reacted diffusely positively for vimentin, focally positively for GFAP and S-100 protein near the periphery of the tumor, focally positivel for neuro specipic enolase(NSE), and negatively for lysozyme, desmin and chromogranin. Ultrastructurally, the stromal cells contained numerous microfilaments and lipid droplets.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of the clinical outcomes after rotator cuff repair is essential for their effectiveness on treatment. The Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society devised the Korean Shoulder Scoring System (KSS) for patients with rotator cuff disorder. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the availability of the KSS for assessment of clinical outcomes in patients after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and for comparison with other appraisal scoring systems. METHODS: A total of 130 patients with partial-thickness or full-thickness rotator cuff tear who underwent arthroscopic repair using a single row or double row suture bridge technique were enrolled. The average follow-up period was 25.9 months. All patients were classified according to various factors. Comparison within corresponding categories was performed, and the correlation between the KSS and other shoulder assessment methods including University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Constant and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score was analyzed. RESULTS: Total score of the KSS response had increased from 59.6 preoperatively to 88.96 at last follow-up. All KSS domains, including function, pain, satisfaction, range of motion, and muscle power had improved up to 24 months postoperatively. Statistical significance was observed mainly in preoperative measurements with number and size of torn tendons, and greater than or equal to grade 3 of fatty infiltration. The KSS was best correlated with the UCLA scoring system in both preoperative (r=0.785) and postoperative (r=0.951) measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The KSS was highly reliable and valid as a discriminative instrument, and it showed strong correlation with ASES and UCLA scoring systems.
California ; Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder* ; Sutures ; Tears ; Tendons