We have experienced a 14 year old female patient who had suffered from headache, dizziness, exertional dyspnea and chest pain during 6 months. She was diagnosed as primary pulmonary hypertension by ultrasonogram and cardiac cathererization. On the cardiac catheterization, there was elevated pulmonary artery pressure and normal pulmonary wedge pressure. We report this case with related literature review.
Adolescent ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Chest Pain ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To describe a low-grade infection of hydroxyapatite orbital implant diagnosed by 99mTc-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy. METHODS: A 34-year-old man diagnosed as phthisis bulbi due to corneoscleral laceration on left eye had been treated with evisceration and hydroxyapatite orbital implant insertion. After drilling for ocular prosthesis, the patient did not have any symptom for 3 years and 5 months. He presented with socket pain, erythematous lid swelling, severe conjunctival discharge. There was no improvement of symptom despite conservative treatment for 3 weeks. MRI revealed no abnormalities so 99mTc-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy was performed. RESULTS: Scintigraphy showed a dense accumulation of labeled leukocyte at the implant site. After diagnosed as hydroxyapatite orbital implant infection, orbital implant was removed and silicon sphere implantation was done. After operation, the inflammation signs disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: 99mTc-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy is a useful technique in diagnosing low-grade infection of hydroxyapatite orbital implant undetected using conventional imaging method such as MRI.
Adult ; Durapatite* ; Eye, Artificial ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lacerations ; Leukocytes* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Orbital Implants ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Silicones ; Technetium*

Levator function test is one of the most useful methods of diagnosis and evaluation of blepharoptosis. Because levator function test is more difficult to measure and unreliable in children or uncooperated patients, new method evaluating blepharoptosis is needed in these patients. Therefore, we measured lid movement velocity and the correlation between levator palpe-bral muscle function and lid motility velocity was evaluated. We videotaped the eyelid movements using videocamera in 66 eyes, 33 patients before operation, and analyzed the eyelid movement velocity and com-pared the eyelid movement velocity with levator palpebral muscle function. Levator palpebral muscle function was directly related to the mean velocity of eye opening, correlation coefficiency being 0.687(p<0.05). Therefore, we conclude that the mean velocity of eye opening using video camera can be useful for evaluation of blepharoptosis in uncooperated patients.
Blepharoptosis* ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Eyelids* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst ; Molluscum Contagiosum

Gastric leiomyomas, which arise from smooth muscle tissue, are the most common non-epi- thelial tumors occurring in the stomach. This tumor is most commonly found incidentally at surgery or autopsy. The incidence of the leiomyoma is about 1-3% of all gastric tumors and sex distribution is equal. We have recently experienced a 59-year-old housewife who had epigastric pain and soreness of one month's duration. Physical examination disclosed tenderness with palpated mass in the left upper quadrant. Gastrofiberscopic finding revealed esophageal diverticulum in the mid-esophagus and 2 x 2 x 1 cm sized submucosal intramural mass with centrally depressed umbilication through ulcerative change on the greater curvature of lower body. Within the umbilication, there were food materials and blood clots. The sleeve segmental resection of stomach was performed. The histopathologic and post operative findings were atypical leiomyoma, perforated with abscess formation to the omentum.
Abscess ; Autopsy ; Diverticulum, Esophageal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leiomyoma* ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Omentum ; Physical Examination ; Sex Distribution ; Stomach ; Ulcer

Gastric leiomyomas, which arise from smooth muscle tissue, are the most common non-epi- thelial tumors occurring in the stomach. This tumor is most commonly found incidentally at surgery or autopsy. The incidence of the leiomyoma is about 1-3% of all gastric tumors and sex distribution is equal. We have recently experienced a 59-year-old housewife who had epigastric pain and soreness of one month's duration. Physical examination disclosed tenderness with palpated mass in the left upper quadrant. Gastrofiberscopic finding revealed esophageal diverticulum in the mid-esophagus and 2 x 2 x 1 cm sized submucosal intramural mass with centrally depressed umbilication through ulcerative change on the greater curvature of lower body. Within the umbilication, there were food materials and blood clots. The sleeve segmental resection of stomach was performed. The histopathologic and post operative findings were atypical leiomyoma, perforated with abscess formation to the omentum.
Abscess ; Autopsy ; Diverticulum, Esophageal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leiomyoma* ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Omentum ; Physical Examination ; Sex Distribution ; Stomach ; Ulcer

The objective of this study was to establish the effect of high dose steroid therapy in traumatic optic neuropathy with Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter(HRF) to detect the changes of optic nerve head bleed flow. HRF permits the noninvasive assessment of the blood velocity, volume and flow(flux) in a sample volume of the nerve head. Such measurements were performed in two groups of experimental traumatic optic neuropathy rabbits. We experimentally damaged the optic nerves of ten white rabbits with a Hartman mosquito. The first group(n=5) was intravenously infected with 0.25mg/kg dexamethasone every six hours for a 48 hour period. The second group(n-5) was used as controls. Both groups were tested before operation, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months later Experimental optic nerve damage created a significant decrease in optic nerve head blood flow 50.51%(p=0.001), with blood volume decreased by 46.02%(p=0.001) and blood velocity reduced by 43.12%(p=0.002) compared to the baseline value. After 2 months of high dose corticosteroid therapy, optic nerve head blood flow was increased by 76.90% (p=0.012), blood volume 77.53%(p=0.012)and blood velocity 47.21%(p=0.012) as compared to control group. The high dose corticosteroid therapy improved the optic nerve head blood flow as demonstrated in traumatic optic neuropathy. HRF may be used to assess the therapeutic responses in traumatic optic neuropathy under variable conditions.
Blood Volume ; Culicidae ; Dexamethasone ; Head ; Optic Disk* ; Optic Nerve Injuries* ; Optic Nerve* ; Rabbits ; Retina

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) is one of the complications of hypertension and has been known as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular complications. Recently, it has been reported that hypertensive patients with LVH had the most advanced extracardiac target-organ damage compared with other groups. Previous reports have shown that mean plasma atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) levels in hypertensive patients are higher than in normotensive subjects. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationships between the plasma ANP and BNP levels and the degree of LVH in hypertensive patients and in normotensive subjects and also investigated the clinical significance of measurement of plasma ANP and BNP levels. METHODS: In all study subjects, left ventricle mass index(LVMI) and left ventricle geometry were measured by M-mode echocardiography. Measurements were made by the recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography. Plasma ANP and BNP levels were measured by radioimmunoassay method. RESULTS: 1) 57% of the hypertensive patients had eccentric hypertrophy and 6% had concentric hypertrophy. 2) LV mass and LVMI of normotensive subjects and hypertensive patients were 169+/-53 g, 229+/-64 g and 99+/-27.3 g/m2, 142+/-37.7 g/m2, respectively(P<0.05). 3) There were statistically significant correlations between blood pressure and LVMI in all subjects(r=.43, P<0.05). 4) Plasma ANP levels were significantly increased in hypertensive patients than normotensive subjects (28.2+/-14.3 pg/mL and 42.8+/-26 pg/mL, respectively; P<0.05). 5) Plasma BNP levels were significantly increased in hypertensive patients than normotensive subjects (18.4+/-5.4 pg/mL and 36.5+/-26 pg/mL; respectively, P<0.05). 6) Plasma BNP levels were significantly increased in 63% of the hypertensive patients with LVH(P<0.05). 7) There were statistically significant correlations between blood pressure and plasma ANP and BNP levels(ANP:r=.39, p<0.05, BNP:r=.31, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma ANP and BNP levels were increased in the hypertensive patients but only plasma BNP levels were significantly increased in the hypertensive patients with LVH. Measurement of plasma BNP levels may be useful for early detection of LVH, an independent risk factor of cardiovascular complications. Therefore intensive blood pressure control in these patients may reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Blood Pressure ; Brain* ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Mortality ; Natriuretic Peptides* ; Plasma* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Risk Factors