No abstract available.
Animals ; Cloning, Molecular* ; Interleukin-2* ; Mice*

PURPOSE: The accurate analysis of urinary stone components is fundamental for studying of the etiology of stone formation and it is essential for the treatment of urinary stone and its prevention. We compared the analysis of urinary stone components during the last two decades. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stone analysis was performed by Louis C. Herring and Company. The urinary stones were aobtained from January, 1986 to December, 2005. We compared the stone components of the first decade (Group A, 301 cases) with that of the second decade(Group B, 158 cases). RESULTS: The mean age was 47.2+/-14.5 in Group A and 46.0+/-10.2 in Group B(p=0.658). The ratio of males to females was 2.04:1 in Group A and 1.98:1 in Group B(p=0.888). Ureteral stones were the most common stones in both groups. Among all the components analyzed in Group A, calcium oxalate made up 73.1% of the total. Other components found in the stones were uric acid 12.3%, calcium phosphate 8.3%, magnesium ammonium 5.3%, ammonium acid urate 0.7% and cystine 0.3%. In Group B, calcium oxalate was only 56.3% of the total and uric acid was 22.2%, calcium phosphate was 11.4%, magnesium ammonium phosphate was 8.2%, ammonium acid urate was 1.3% and cystine was 0.6%. On comparison of the stones of the two groups, the incidence of calcium oxalate was decreased in Group A(73.1% vs 56.3%, p<0.001). However, the incidence of uric acid in Group B was increased(12.3% vs 22.2%, respectively, p=0.006). There were no notable statistical increases in the frequency of the other components(p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the incidence of calcium oxalate was decreased and that of the uric acid was increased in the recent decade. These changes of stone components probably resulted from the increased animal protein diet.
Ammonium Compounds ; Animals ; Calcium ; Calcium Oxalate ; Cystine ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnesium ; Male ; Ureter ; Uric Acid ; Urinary Calculi*

The etiology of most psychiatric disorders is still incompletely understood. However, growing evidence suggests that stress is a potent environmental risk factor for depression and anxiety. In rodents, various stress paradigms have been developed, but psychosocial stress paradigms have received more attention than non-social stress paradigms because psychosocial stress is more prevalent in humans. Interestingly, some recent studies suggest that chronic psychosocial stress and social isolation affects mainly anxiety-related behaviors in mice. However, it is unclear whether chronic non-social stress induces both depression- and anxiety-related phenotypes or induces one specific phenotype in mice. In the present study, we examined the behavioral consequences of three chronic non-social stress paradigms: chronic predictable (restraint) stress (CPS), chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), and repeated corticosterone-HBC complex injection (RCI). Each of the three paradigms induced mild to severe depression/despair-like behaviors in mice and resulted in increased immobility in a tail suspension test. However, anxiety-related phenotypes, thigmotaxis and explorative behaviors, were not changed by the three paradigms. These results suggest that depression- and anxiety-related phenotypes can be dissociated in mouse stress models and that social and non-social stressors might affect brain circuits and behaviors differently.
Animals ; Anxiety* ; Brain ; Depression ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Humans ; Mice* ; Phenotype ; Risk Factors ; Rodentia ; Social Isolation

We report three patients with chronic idiopathic meningitis in whom clinical feature were headache, fever, cranial nerve palsies or CSF showed inflammatory changes. Two patients showed diffuse thickening and enhancement of meninges on CT and MRI, had biopsy-proven intracranial pachymeningitis (diffuse fibrosis with inflammatory cells). In the other patient, MRI and CT showed normal findings. Two patients including one with idiopathic hypertrophic intracranial pachymeningitis improved with corticosteroid and immunosuppressant, while one patient did with lumboperitoneal shunt.
Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Fever ; Fibrosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meninges ; Meningitis*

Protein C exerts anticoagulatory effects by inactivating factor V and VII and stimulating fibrinolysis. Hereditary protein C-deficient individuals have an increased risk of venous thrombosis and thromboembolism at young age. To our knowledge, the deep cerebral venous thrombosis associated with protein C deficiency has not been reported in Korea. A 34-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of sudden onset of headache with nausea, vomiting and ocular pain. He had suffered from recurrent deep vein thrombosis of the right lower extremity for one year. Brain MRI showed thrombosis of the straight and confluent sinuses and venous infarction of the right thalamus. The result of cerebral angiography corresponded to MRI findings. Protein C antigen concentration was decreased to 65% and its functional activity was 37%. Other coagulation test and routine blood examination was normal. The protein C level of his mother was low in both antigen and activity, but protein C levels of three siblings were normal in functional activity. We speculate that the etiology of the deep cerebral venous thrombosis in this patient is associated with protein C deficiency and suggest it is valuable to measure protein C level in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis.
Adult ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Factor V ; Fibrinolysis ; Headache ; Humans ; Infarction ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mothers ; Nausea ; Protein C Deficiency* ; Protein C* ; Siblings ; Thalamus ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis* ; Venous Thrombosis ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: Open prostatectomy have been considered primarily when the prostate volume is large(e.g. >75 cc). However, with the development of surgical skills and instruments, transurethral resection of prostate(TURP) can be an alternative. We assessed the feasibility of TURP for patients with large benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) by comparing the efficacy of TURP with that of open prostatectomy, retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2000 to March 2005, a total of 54 BPH patients with a prostate larger than 75 cc in volume on transrectal ultrasonography underwent surgery in our hospital. Among these patients, 26 patients underwent TURP(Group T) and 28 patients underwent suprapubic prostatectomy(Group O). Group T was subclassified Group T-1(prostate volume 75~100 cc, n=12) and T-2(prostate volume > or = 100 cc, n=14). In the same way, Group O was divided into Group O-1(n=9) and O-2(n=19). Operative time, time to catheter removal, hospitalization, and complications were compared. Operative results were evaluated at 6 months postoperative by comparing preoperative and postoperative International Prostate Symptom Scores(IPSS), maximal flow rates(Qmax) and post void residual(PVR). RESULTS: Preoperatively, there were no significant differences in IPSS, Qmax or PVR between Groups T-1 and O-1 or between Groups T-2 and O-2. Although delta IPSS, delta Qmax and delta PVR improved in Group O-2 more than T-2, there were no statistically significant differences between Group T-1 and O-1. The mean operative time, time to catheter removal, and hospitalization were shorter in Group T than Group O. Postoperative complication rates were similar in the T and O groups. In Group T, there was no TUR syndrome, but urinary tract infections and urethral stricture were more common than in Group O. However, Group O had higher incidences of severe complications, including wound infection or bleeding requiring transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Open prostatectomy is commonly considered when prostate volume is greater than 75 cc. If enough resection is performed, TURP is a valuable non-invasive surgical method with respect to absence of incision, effective symptom improvement, and short hospitalization in symptomatic BPH patients who have prostate volume less than 100 cc.
Catheters ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Retrospective Studies ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Ultrasonography ; Urethral Stricture ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Wound Infection

Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy(LHON) is a maternally inherited disorders that occurs primarily in young males and is characterized by subacute, sequential, bilateral central visual loss, ultimately, optic atrophy. We report 2 cases of molecularly confirmed LHON which reveal 11778 and 14484 mitochondral DNA mutation, respectively but there is no family history of visual loss. So the diagnosis of LHON deserves to be considered in all crypotogenic cases of acute or subacute optic or chiasmal neuropathy. Late or early age at onset, female gender, and a negative family history should not be dissuasive.
Diagnosis ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Biology* ; Optic Atrophy ; Optic Nerve Diseases*

Methamphetamine is one of the most popular abuse drug in the South Korea. Intracranial hemorrhage or ischemic stroke have been well known as one of the complications with methamphetamine abuse. We experienced two cases with cerebral vasculopathy which had developed after intravenous use of methamphetamine. The first patient was a previously healthy 20-year-old woman, who was admitted because of drowsy mentality with left hemiparesis and dysarthria. The second patient was a 24-year-old man who was admitted because of seizure and left extremity weakness. They reported several intravenous administration of methamphetamine during previous months. In both case, brain CT showed cerebral infarction compatible with vascular territories. And also, carotid angiographys demonstrated that multiple intracranial vessels were involved with narrowing and stenotic nature, consisting with vasculitis in the both cases.
Administration, Intravenous ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Dysarthria ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Korea ; Methamphetamine* ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Stroke ; Vasculitis ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: We investigated the localizing and lateralizing values of auras in patients with lesional partial epilepsy on an outpatient basis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 276 subjects were retrospectively selected for this study if they had a unilateral single lobar lesion based on magnetic resonance image (MRI) results, and their scalp electroencephalography (EEG) findings were not discordant with the MRI-defined lobar localization and lateralization. According to the lesion locations, subjects were considered as having mesial temporal (MTLE), lateral temporal (LTLE), frontal (FLE), parietal (PLE), or occipital (OLE) lobe epilepsies. Auras were classified into 13 categories. RESULTS: A hundred and seventy-six subjects (63.8%) had experienced at least one aura. FLE subjects had the fewest number of auras. Epigastric and psychic auras were frequent among MTLE subjects, while visual auras were common in those with PLE and OLE. Somatosensory auras and whole body sensations were more frequent in the subjects with PLE than those without. Autonomic auras were more common in MTLE subjects than in LTLE subjects. Dysphasic auras were more frequently found in left-sided epilepsies. Five pairs of aura categories showed concurrent tendencies, which were the epigastric and autonomic auras, autonomic and emotional auras, visual and vestibular auras, auditory and vestibular auras, and whole-body sensation and auditory auras. Autonomic and emotional auras had a concurrent tendency in left-sided epilepsies, but not in right-sided epilepsies. CONCLUSION: Our results support the previously known localizing value of auras, and suggest that dysphasic auras and the association of emotional and autonomic auras may have a lateralizing value.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epilepsies, Partial/*pathology ; Epilepsy/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Every practitioner, however skilled, will encounter patients who are unexpectedly difficult to intubation. The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy appears to be approximately 0.5% to 2%. So many methods are used to intubate the trachea, but endotraheal intubation by them is not always possible. The purpose of the this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of magnet on the endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Twenty patients(aged 30 to 59yr, ASA physical status 1) required general anesthesia with an endotracheal tube. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental sodium and succinylcholine, ventilation was controlled with 100% O2. The tip of the epiglottis was exposed wtih a No.3 MacIntosh laryngoscope. A catheter with ferrous stylet was placed behind epiglottis close to tracheal lumen and a magnet was placed over the cricoid cartilage allowing the stylet to be pulled. Endotraheal tube was guided into the trachea over the stylet. The time to intubation, the blood pressure and heart rate of pre- and postintubation, and the difficulty of intubation were recorded and the complications of the endotracheal intubation such as bronchial spasm, oral and tracheal mucosal trauma, and sore throat, were observed. RESULTS: The mean time to intubation was 31.2+/- 8(18 to 50)sec. There were statistically signigicant increase in blood pressure and heart rates following intubation. The incidence of excellent and good intubating condition were 14 and 6 respectively. Seventeen and three intubations were successful on the 1st and 2nd attempts respectively. There were no differences in incidence of complications of endotracheal intubation compared to other reports. CONCLUSIONS: Though magnet guided technique has some limitations to use in case of difficult laryngoscopy, it can be used with merits such as simplicity and cheapness when other methods are not available.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Bronchial Spasm ; Catheters ; Cricoid Cartilage ; Epiglottis ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopes ; Laryngoscopy ; Pharyngitis ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Trachea ; Ventilation