No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Cytosine Deaminase* ; Cytosine* ; Homicide* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to identify the incidence and risk factors of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization in neurosurgical practice of field, with particular attention to intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: This retrospective study was carried out on the Neurosurgical ICU (NICU), during the period from January. 2005 to December. 2007, in 414 consecutive patients who had been admitted to the NICU. Demographics and known risk factors were retrieved and assessed by statistical methods. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients had VRE colonization among 414 patients enrolled, with an overall prevalence rate of 6.1%. E. faecium was the most frequently isolated pathogen, and 92.3% of all VRE were isolated from urine specimen. Active infection was noticed only in 2 patients with bacteremia and meningitis. Relative antibiotic agents were third-generation cephalosporin in 40%, and vancomycin in 23%, and multiple antibiotic usages were also identified in 13% of all cases. Multivariate analyses showed Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score less than 8, placement of Foley catheter longer than 2 weeks, ICU stay over 2 weeks and presence of nearby VRE-positive patients had a significantly independent association with VRE infection. CONCLUSION: When managing the high-risk patients being prone to be infected VRE in the NICU, extreme caution should be paid upon. Because prevention and outbreak control is of ultimate importance, clinicians should be alert the possibility of impending colonization and infection by all means available. The most crucial interventions are careful hand washing, strict glove handling, meticulous and active screening, and complete segregation.
Bacteremia ; Catheters ; Colon ; Demography ; Enterococcus ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hand Disinfection ; Handling (Psychology) ; Humans ; Incidence ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Mass Screening ; Meningitis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neurosurgery ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Vancomycin

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To verify the efficacy of the separate curve derotation technique by segmental pedicle screw fixation in King type V adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: King type V AIS is commonly treated by fusion of both the upper and the lower thoracic curve. However, both curves fusion often leads to undesirable shoulder asymmetry by relative overcorrection of the more flexible lower thoracic curve. METHODS: Fourteen patients subjected to both curve fusion with segmental pedicle screw fixation by separate curve derotation were analyzed after a minimum follow-up of 2 years. The group comprised 11 females and 3 males with a mean age of 15.9 years. All patients had upper left thoracic and lower right thoracic curve pattern. The upper thoracic curve was 46.2+/-10.3degrees with a flexibility of 39.6%. The lower thoracic curve was 54.3+/-14.5degrees with a flexibility of 59.1%. Preoperatively, shoulder was level in 4, left elevated in 8 and right elevated in 2 patients. RESULTS: At the final follow up, the upper thoracic curve was corrected to 21.5+/-8.7degrees showing a correction of 52.8%. The lower thoracic curve was corrected to 20.0+/-10.6degrees showing a correction of 63.5%. All the patients had improvement of shoulder height difference and trunk balance clinically and radiologically. CONCLUSIONS: Segmental pedicle screw fixation and separate derogation is an effective method of restoring shoulder symmetry and maintainig trunk balance in King type V AIS.
Adolescent* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Pliability ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder

PURPOSE: The poor prognosis of advanced bladder cancer requires the investigation of novel treatment modalities. In this study, we investigated the suicide gene therapy for bladder cancer, using the adenovirus-mediated expression of Escherichia coli cytosine deaminase (CD) in conjunction with the prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus, which contains the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoter driving the expression of CD, (Ad-RSV-CD) was constructed. In vitro cell-killing assay, using Ad-RSV-CD (20 MOI) plus 5-FC (500muM), was performed in bladder cancer cell lines, HT-1376, UM-UC-3 and NBT-II. The CD enzymatic activity was measured in the Ad-RSV-CD (20 MOI) infected cells, and the concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) yielding an IC50 were calculated for those cells. RESULTS: 5-FU dose response curve showed that IC50 of NBT-II was 0.8muM, HT-1376 1.0muM and UM-UC-3 5.1muM at day 6. The CD enzymatic activities of the Ad-RSV-CD infected UM-UC-3, HT-1376 and NBT-II cells were 5696, 4655, 1766 pmole/1x10(6) cells, respectively. Whereas the administration of 5-FC (500muM) or Ad-RSV-CD (20 MOI) alone demonstrated no cytotoxicity to cells, Ad-RSV-CD/5-FC exhibited a significant cytotoxic effect in the cells, especially the UM-UC-3 and HT-1376. CONCLUSIONS: Ad-RSV-CD/5-FC suicide gene therapy is effective for bladder cancer cells in cell cultures, suggesting this approach may have potential as a strategy for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Adenoviridae* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; Cytosine Deaminase* ; Cytosine* ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Flucytosine ; Fluorouracil ; Genetic Therapy* ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Prognosis ; Rous sarcoma virus ; Suicide* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the plain radiologic findings of the childhood intussusception and to evaluate the role of plain abdominal films in predicting the success of air or barium reduction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 140 cases with the diagnosis of intussusception in children. The radiological signs that included soft tissue mass, dilatation of small bowel suggesting obstruction, crescent sign, and target sign were evaluated in terms of frequency. The relationship between radiological findings and outcome of reduction was analyzed. The site of soft tissue mass or crescent sign seen on plain radiographs was correlated with the position of the apex of the intussusceptum seen at the beginning of barium enema. The degree of dilated small bowel was evaluated by calculating the proportion of air-filled small bowel occupying peritoneal cavity and measuring the maximal diameter of dilated bowel lumen. The radiological finding for small bowel obstruction is determined by observation of the degree of small bowel dilatation and/or air-fulid levels. RESULTS: Ninety-two cases out of 140 showed one or more radiographic signs. Two most common signs were soft tissue mass and small bowel obstruction. The success rate of air or barium reduction was significantly lower in patients with most severe degree of dilatation of small bowel and/or more than 7 air-fulid levels on erect view. The suspected location of intussusception on plain radiographs correlated well with the true location of intussusception seen in the first few seconds of barium reduction. CONCLUSION: Plain abdominal radiography is useful in the diagnosis of intussusception and provides helpful informations for the reduction procedure as well as for the exclusion of the contraindications such as bowel perforation.
Barium ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Enema ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To evaluate useful findings and diagnostic value of TI-201 thyroid scan in differentiating benign from malignant nodules. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We studied 77 cold thyroid nodules proven histologically(27 malignat and 50 benign). Early (5--15rain) and delayed images(3--5hours) were obtained after intravenous injection of thallium 201. In these nodules, we retrospectively analyzed the degree of TI-201 uptake in early and delayed images, histopathologic type, size, and presence or absence of cystic change in the sonograms of 22 malignant nodules. RESULTS: Useful finding for diagnosis of malignant nodules was strong uptake of TI-201 in early and delayed images(specificity:98%, sensitivity:63%, positive predictive value:94.4%). Useful finding for benign nodules was no uptake of TI-201 in delayed image(specificity :88.9%, sensitivity :68%, positive predictive value :91.9%). The accuracy of TI-201 thyroid scan in differentiating benign from malignant nodules was 66.2%. The nodules with strong TI-201 uptake in early image and low TI-201 uptake in delayed image were malignant in 29.4%. Cystic changes were found in 40% of malignant nodules with atypical TI-201 uptake. TI-201 thyroid scan showed high specificity in follicutar neoplasm and adenomatous goiter in which differentiation of benignancy and malignancy is difficult with only cytologic examination. CONCLUSION: We consider that TI-201 thyroid scan is valuable in differentiating benign from malignant nodules and when combined with fine needle aspiration and ultrasound examination, it will enable more accurate differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Goiter ; Injections, Intravenous ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thallium* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Adrenoleukodystrophy*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the 3 dimensional geometric changes and the effect of revascularization in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR), using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with IMR, 10 with dilated cardiomyopathy with MR (DCM-MR) and 7 control subjects were enrolled. Hemodynamic indices, severity of MR, geometric parameters of mitral apparatus and myocardial viability were evaluated in all patients, and re-evaluated in the IMR patients 6 months after the revascularization. RESULTS: The mitral tenting area (TAA) (334.1+/-11.7 mm2 vs. 222.9+/-23.0 mm2, p=0.16) and the sum of the tenting angles (TA) (72.9+/-2.9degreevs. 51.5+/-1.1degree p<0.001) at the mid-systolic phase were increased in the IMR compared to the DCM-MR patients. In the IMR patients, the MR severity was positively correlated with the sum of the tethering lengths (r=0.522, p=0.011), LVESV (r=0.551, p=0.006), TAA (r=0.613, p=0.002) and TA (r=0.713, p<0.001). Of the 10 patients with viable myocardium, who had been revascularized without surgical repair of the mitral apparatus, the MR severity was decreased (28.3+/-0.4% vs. 16.5+/-.6%, p=0.009) in 7 patients, with decreases in the sum of the tethering distances (51.2+/-3.9 mm vs. 40.2+/-.1 mm, p=0.034), tenting area (299.2+/-3.8 mm2 vs. 215.0+/-3.6 mm2, p=0.036) and sum of the tenting angles (72.9+/-2.9degreevs. 56.2+/-4.8degree, p=0.015) 6 months after the revascularization. CONCLUSION: IMR was related with the geometric change in the mitral apparatus. Cardiac MRI can be an effective tool for evaluating these geometric changes and when formulating a treatment plan.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy, first described by Fukuyama et al. In 1960, is an autosomal recessively inherited muscular dystrophy associated with severe mental retardation. We experienced a case of Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy in a 4 year and 11 month old girl, who showed hypotonia at birth, muscle weakness, contractures of both ankle joints, severe mental retardation, elevated muscle enzymes, myopathic EMG findings, dystrophic features on muscle biopsy, and agyria-pachygyria complex with heterotopia of gray matter on brain MRI. To our knowledge, Fukuyama congenital musclar dystrophy has not yet been reported in Korea.
Ankle Joint ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Contracture ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Intellectual Disability ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Dystrophies ; Parturition ; Walker-Warburg Syndrome*

Surfactant replacement therapy in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has been introduced in our country since May 1990. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect and short-term outcome of surfactant replacement for neonatal RDS using collective data of uncontrolled trials from different hospitals in Korea. For the period May 1990 to Dec. 1991, a total of 68 RDS neonates were treated with a reconstituted bovine surfactant (Surfactant-TA) at 17 hospitals. Data on 60 neonates were collected from 16 hospitals and were analyzed in this study. In order to examine the factors that might influence the mortality, we performed a stepwise discriminant analysis. RDS was diagnosed according to accepted clinical and radiographic criteria at each hospital. The mean gestational age of 60 neonates was 31+/-3 weeks (1 SD, range, 24~40 wk) and the mean birth weight was 1549+/-566 grams (range, 590~3300 gm). Surfactant treatment resulted in a significant improvement in ventilatory requirement during the subsequent clinical course. However, there were large variations in the instillation procedure (single vs repeated instillations), dose of surfactant, and respirator settings after surfactant treatment. The neonatal mortality was 40% in this group. When the effect of surfactant treatment was compared between survival and death group, the magnitude of improvement was significantly less in death group than that in survival group. Factors affecting the neonatal mortality include a poor response to surfactant, sepsis and/or DIC, decreasing gestational age and weight, acidosis before treatment and air-leaks. We conclude that treatment with Surfactant-TA has an impact on the clinical course of RDS. To optimize the effects of surfactant therapy, the following refinement will be needed: better initial stabilization with respect to blood pressure, blood gases and pH, instillation techniquse including pre-and post-surfactant ventilation, weaning guidelines, dose, dose schedule, as well as timing of treatment, management of infection, and prevention of severe birth asphyxia.
Acidosis ; Appointments and Schedules ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Blood Pressure ; Dacarbazine ; Gases ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infant ; Infant Mortality ; Infant, Newborn* ; Korea ; Mortality ; Parturition ; Sepsis ; Ventilation ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Weaning