No abstract available.
Hyperplasia

BACKGROUND: Improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for infective for infective endocarditis such as proposed diagnostic criteria, Duke criteria and echocardiography resulted to increased life-spans of patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical records including medical history, laboratory data such as echocardiographic data and blood culture, and clinical outcomes was done for 106 patients with clinical diagnosis of infective endocarditis at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1990 to May 2000. Then we analysed differences of clinical features between elderly patients aged > or =60-years and the adult patients aged <60-years with infective endocarditis. RESULTS: The elderly patients >or=60-year are cases of 14%(15/106) and the mean ages are 67+/-8 years in elderly patient, 38+/-12 years in the adults patients respectively. Valvular heart disease was the most common predisposing heart disease with 9 cases(40%) followed by prosthetic valve endocarditis 2 cases (13%) in elderly patients, and there was no significant difference of frequencies with adult patients (valvular heart diseases, 33%; prosthetic valvular heart diseases, 25%). Although culture positive rates were not different with two groups: 47%(7/15) in elderly patients and 45%(41/91) in adult patients, the most common pathogen was staphylococcal species in elderly patients(27%, 4/15) but streptococcus species, in the adult patients(25%, 26/106, p<0.05). The frequencies of embolic complication were not different between two groups(20%, 3/15 vs 22%, 20/91: Elderly vs adult, respectively), but congestive heart failure was more developed in elderly patients, 33%(5/15) than in adult patients, 10%(9/91, p<0.05). Surgical intervention was more required in the elderly(47%, 7/15) than in adult patients(22%, 20/91, p<0.05). Out of 106 patients, 11 died and the overall mortality was 10.4%(11/106). In-hospital death was more common in the elderly than in adult patients: 4 cases(27%) vs 8%(7/91), p<0.05. Determinants of in-hospital death were patients with 60 years of age and older, Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis, and the presence of congestive heart failure(p<0.05) in univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Infective endocarditis in elderly patients(age> or =60) had more poor outcomes than adult patients(age<60) such as the development of congestive heart failure, the need of surgical intervention, and the high mortality rate.
Adult ; Aged* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus

Acute myocardial infarction after a bee sting is a very rare process. Among proposed mechanisms, vasospasm of the coronary artery is the most probable mechanism. Many mediators are included in the venom of wasps, and those mediators have vasoconstrictive properties and may constrict the coronary artery. Furthemore, those mediators have thrombogenic properties that lead to thrombogenesis in the coronary artery and aggravate myocardial ischemia. Epinephrine, commonly used in the management of anaphylactic shock, may further aggravate myocardial ischemia. We experienced two cases of acute myocardial infarction after a bee sting. In the first case, we could find no underlying abnormalities of the coronary vessel because the patient died during coronary angiography. In the second case, the electrocardiogram showed inferior wall myocardial infarction, but only mild stenosis of the right coronary artery was seen in coronary angiography.
Anaphylaxis ; Bees* ; Bites and Stings* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Venoms ; Wasps

BACKGROUNDs: A retrospective study was performed to define objective radiologic parameters in diagnosing epiglottitis on soft-tissue lateral neck radiographic study. METHODS: Parameters of soft-tissue structures(epiglottis width, third vertebral body width, ratio of epiglottic width to third vertebral body width) in 30 adult patients compared with those of age and sex-matched controls with foreign body in throat whose radiographic reading was normal. RESULTS: Epiglottis width of more than 11mm, ratio of epiglottis width(EW) to the third vertebral body width(C3W) of more than 0.5 were, respectively, found to be 100% sensitive and specific in differentiating between patients with and without epiglottitis. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results suggest that EW/C3W ratio of more than 0.5, EW of more than 11mm, respectively, may be useful in the diagnosis of epiglottitis in adult patients.
Adult* ; Diagnosis* ; Epiglottis ; Epiglottitis* ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Neck ; Pharynx ; Retrospective Studies

The case of a patient with acute onset of flank pain is presented. Initial therapy was directed toward relief of pain believed to be caused by renal calculi. The flank pain did not responded to analgesics. An abdominal ultrasonogram showed that multiple hyperechogenic masses were in the parenchyma of both kidney, and an abdominal CT showed that multiple high-density masses, presumed to be angiomyolipomas, were located in both kidneys and in the perirenal hematoma around the left kidney. Vital signs were stable, and there was no evidence of anemia. On the seventh hospital day, angiographic tumor embolization was performed. Cases such as this should remind emergency physicians to carefully consider alternate diagnoses to renal calculi in patients with flank pain who have atypical clinical features or an atypical course.
Analgesics ; Anemia ; Angiomyolipoma* ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Flank Pain ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Calculi ; Rupture, Spontaneous* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Vital Signs

No abstract available.
Acoustic Stimulation* ; Acoustics* ; Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetus* ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Pregnancy

Background and Objectives: Previous studies reported abnormalities in MRI as a poor prognostic indicator of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Since abnormalities in three-dimensional (3D) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) are strongly correlated with the initial hearing function, the prognostic value of the 3D FLAIR images should be carefully evaluated to avoid collinearity. We aimed to evaluate abnormalities on the 3D FLAIR images as an independent prognostic factor in the matched SSNHL groups.Subjects and Method We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 179 patients with SSNHL who underwent temporal MRI, including the 3D FLAIR sequence, between January 2015 and December 2019. Patients were divided based on the presence of cochlear abnormalities on the 3D FLAIR images. Hearing prognosis was evaluated with and without matching for initial hearing and treatment interval. Results: The groups were similar in sex (p=0.091), age (p=0.925), treatment interval (p= 0.216), and MRI interval (p=0.828). Notably, patients with cochlear abnormalities on the 3D FLAIR images showed distinctly more severe hearing loss (p<0.001) at the initial pure tone average (PTA) assessment and poorer outcomes (p<0.001) compared to those without abnormality. After matching for initial hearing and treatment interval, the hearing outcome, measured by PTA, was similar between the groups (p=0.681). Conclusion Cochlear signal abnormality in 3D FLAIR MRI was associated with poor initial hearing. However, it did not affect hearing recovery outcomes when the groups were matched.

Acetylshikonin, a natural naphthoquinone derivative compound, has been used for treatment of inflammation and cancer. In the present study, we have investigated whether acetylshikonin could regulate the NF-kappaB signaling pathway, thereby leading to suppression of tumorigenesis. We observed that acetylshikonin significantly reduced proliferation of several cancer cell lines, including human pancreatic PANC-1 cancer cells. In addition, acetylshikonin inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or tumor necrosis-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced NF-kappaB reporter activity. Proteome cytokine array and real-time RT-PCR results illustrated that acetylshikonin inhibition of PMA-induced production of cytokines was mediated at the transcriptional level and it was associated with suppression of NF-kappaB activity and matrix metalloprotenases. Finally, we observed that an exposure of acetylshikonin significantly inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of PANC-1 cells. Together, our results indicate that acetylshikonin could serve as a promising therapeutic agent for future treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation* ; Cytokines ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; NF-kappa B* ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Proteome

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; DNA* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Tuberculosis*

We analyzed early postoperative astigmatic changes, visual rehabilitation and complications with silicone intraocular lenses implanted through 3.2mm scleral pocket incision (group I. 68 eyes) and PMMA intraocular lenses implanted through 5.5mm scleral pocket incision(group 2. 103 eyes). Surgically induced astigmatism in group 1 was -0.17D at two days, -0.12D at one week, and -0.51D at two months. In group 2, it was -0.36D at two days, -0.46D at one week, and -0.72D at two months. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups at 2 days and 1 week (p<0.05), thereafter no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). 0.5 or better uncorrected visual acuity in group I was 74% at 2 weeks, 87% at 2 months while in group 2, it was 69% at 2 weeks, and 77% at 2 months. Postoperative complication in group I were two cases of IOL decentration(2.9%), two cases of anterior capsule contraction (2.9%), three cases of anterior chamber inflammation (4.4%), and two cases of posterior capsule opacity (2.9%). In group two, it were one case of hyphema (1%), one case of wound dehiscence (1%) , one case of anterior chamber inflammation (1%), and seven cases of posterior capsule opacity (6.8%). Our results indicate the 3.2mm scleral tunnel incision (group 1) was associated with a lower surgically induce astigmatism at 2 days and 1 week, and 8 faster visual rehabilitation than 5.5mm scleral tunnel incision (group 2), but anterior chamber inflainmation, anterior capsule contraction and IOL decentrations were more frequently developed in group 1.
Anterior Chamber ; Astigmatism* ; Cataract* ; Hyphema ; Inflammation ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Phacoemulsification ; Polymethyl Methacrylate* ; Postoperative Complications ; Rehabilitation* ; Silicones* ; Visual Acuity ; Wounds and Injuries