OBJECTIVE: The use of decompressive craniectomy for treating massive cerebral infarction is attracting much attention because conventional medical treatment is associated with high mortality. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the surgical treatment results and prognostic factors for patients suffering with malignant cerebral infarction. METHODS: We analyzed 9 consecutive patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy with or without temporal lobectomy after malignant cerebral infarction from 2000 to 2008. We reviewed the medical records, the radiological finding and the pre-operative clinical assessment using the Glasgow Coma scale (GCS). The postoperative functional outcome was assessed as the Barthel-Index (BI) and the modified Rankin scale (mRS). RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 3.5:1. The mean age was 50 years (range: 36-68). Eight patients (89%) showed involvement of the entire middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory and the concomitant anterior cerebral artery (ACA) or posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territory. The preoperative mean GCS was 8.3 (range: 5-12) and the mean time to surgery after the onset of symptoms was 47.7 hours (range: 4-168 hours). All the patients underwent decompressive craniectomy and duroplasty. Among them, four patients (45%) underwent temporal lobectomy. The mean followup period was 7.3 months (range: 1-26 months) and five patients died within this period. CONCLUSION: Decompressive craniectomy with or without lobectomy for patients with malignant cerebral infarction decreases the mortality rate and it improves the functional outcome. In the survived group, comparison of the two surgical modalities didn't show any statistically significant difference. However, the decompressive craniectomy with lobectomy group demonstrated a high survival rate (75%). Future studies are needed to investigate the proper treatment modalities for malignant cerebral infarction.
Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Cerebral Infarction ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Retrospective Studies ; Stress, Psychological ; Survival Rate

During thalamotomy, we have to use the various kinds of brain reference points. From 1989 to 1992, the authors performed streotactic thalamotomy or pallidotomy in 169 patients suffering from tremor. We measured and estimated the important intracerebral reference points. These data were very meaningful for stereotactic functional neurosurgery in the Korean medical community because it is obtained from Korean people. We have also estimated the average location of targets for tremor submission.
Brain ; Humans ; Neurosurgery ; Pallidotomy ; Statistics as Topic* ; Tremor

PURPOSE: Periostin was originally identified as a secreted factor during screening of a mouse osteoblastic library. In a recent study, periostin was found to directly regulate eosinophil accumulation in allergic mucosal inflammation. Chronic eosinophilic inflammation is related to the development of remodeling. The present study examined the expression of periostin and evaluated its role in the inflammatory process and remodeling associated with allergic rhinitis. METHODS: A murine model of allergic rhinitis was established in periostin knockout mice. We analyzed the expression of periostin, manifestation of nasal symptoms, eosinophilic inflammation, and subepithelial fibrosis as well as the expression of MMP-2, TIMP-1, and type 1 collagen in nasal tissue. RESULTS: Periostin was mainly distributed in the subepithelial tissue of the nasal mucosa. The subepithelial tissue was thinner in the knockout group than in the control group. No differences in the expression of MMP-2 or TIMP-1 were found in the knockout group. However, after a month of allergen challenge, type I collagen in the nasal tissue was lower in the knockout group than in the control group. The number of eosinophils and the symptom score were also lower in the knockout group. CONCLUSIONS: Periostin is expressed in nasal tissues of murine models of allergic rhinitis. Periostin deficiency may affect the remodeling of nasal tissue with reduced subepithelial fibrosis, and lead to less eosinophilic inflammation.
Airway Remodeling ; Animals ; Collagen Type I ; Eosinophils ; Fibrosis ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; Mass Screening ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Nasal Mucosa ; Osteoblasts ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Ceramic restorations should be made of porcelain layers of different opacity, shade, and thickness in order to provide a natural appearance. Lithium disilicate glassceramic system has superior color reproducibility, because it uses the ceramic ingot which is similar to teeth shade and uses the staining technique and layering technique. However, staining technique has a fault of discoloration. Also, porcelain is divided core and dentin layer, it is not enough to study about the influence of porcelain layer thickness and shade on the shade of ceramic restorations. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of porcelain layer thickness and color on the final shade of ceramic restorations. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The CIE L*a*b*(CIELAB) values of 72 assembled specimens, each consisting of 3 discs (enamel porcelain 0.2 mm/dentin porcelain - 1.2, 0.9, 0.7, 0.5 or 0.3 mm/ceramic core - 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 or 1.2 mm, diameter is 1.0 mm) were evaluated with a spectrophotometer (Model Chromaview 300, Spectron Tech Co, Korea) for the shade A1, A2, A3 and A4. Distilled water (refractive index: 1.7) was used to attain optical contact between the layers. White, white gray, and white brown backgrounds were used to assess the influence of the background on the final shade. And the mean color difference value(delta E) was calculated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results obtained from this study were as follows. 1. There was a significant correlation between the thickness ratio of the ceramic core/dentin porcelain system and L*, a* and b* values when the total thickness of specimen combination was smaller than 1.4 mm( p<0.05). 2. The specimen which the ceramic core thickness was more than 0.7 mm had the best masking effect against background colors. 3. The mean color difference value(delta E) is smaller than 2 (delta E<2) when the ceramic core thickness was larger than 0.7 mm and the total thickness of specimen was more than 1.4 mm.
Ceramics* ; Dental Porcelain* ; Dentin ; Lithium ; Masks ; Tooth ; Water

Discal cysts are a rare cause of lumbar radiculopathy. There are only a few reports of this disease in medical literature. The authors describe the case of a 40-year-old man with a lumbar discal cyst that led to radiculopathy. An intraspinal extradural cystic mass was responsible for low and high signal intensities observed in lumbar lesions on T1 and T2 weighted magnetic resonance images. This cyst was a grossly spherical mass with clear serous fluid, which was connected to an adjacent intervertebral disc. Histopathology of the cystic walls revealed fibrous connective tissues without specific cell linings. Clinical symptoms were promptly relieved after surgical resection. Further research on the pathophysiology and treatment of discal cysts are needed.
Adult ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Radiculopathy

Discal cysts are a rare cause of lumbar radiculopathy. There are only a few reports of this disease in medical literature. The authors describe the case of a 40-year-old man with a lumbar discal cyst that led to radiculopathy. An intraspinal extradural cystic mass was responsible for low and high signal intensities observed in lumbar lesions on T1 and T2 weighted magnetic resonance images. This cyst was a grossly spherical mass with clear serous fluid, which was connected to an adjacent intervertebral disc. Histopathology of the cystic walls revealed fibrous connective tissues without specific cell linings. Clinical symptoms were promptly relieved after surgical resection. Further research on the pathophysiology and treatment of discal cysts are needed.
Adult ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Radiculopathy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An understanding of the cross-sectional structures and histological features of experimental animals is necessary for conducting the research of rhinosinusitis in experimental animals. The aim of this study is to determine the most suitable cross-sectional level of rhinosinusitis in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study examined the histological features of the mucosal epithelium, gland, lymphoid tissue, and vomeronasal organs using 4 week-old male rats weighing 60-70 g as test subjects. Whole mounted sinus-nose complexes were divided into four levels of areas which were sectioned according to the coronal plane and each section was stained with hematoxylin-eosin and observed under light microscopy. RESULTS: Level I revealed the nasal turbinate, maxilloturbinale, and nasolacrimal duct. Level II revealed the nasal turbinate, maxilloturbinale, vomeronasal organ, and nasolacrimal duct. Level III revealed the ectoturbinale I, II, endoturbinale II, III, maxillary sinus, Steno's gland, maxillary sinus gland, and nasal associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). Level IV revealed the ectoturbinale II, endoturbinale III, IV, pharyx respiratorius, and NALT. The lining epithelia were squamous, respiratory and olfactory. However, the squamous epithelium was not observed in level III and IV. CONCLUSION: The Level III appears to be the most suitable for the rhinosinusitis animal rat model since we can observe the respiratory epithelium lined sinonasal airspace including the maxillary sinus and NALT.
Animals ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; Microscopy ; Models, Animal ; Nasal Cavity* ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Nose ; Paranasal Sinuses* ; Rats* ; Respiratory Mucosa ; Turbinates ; Vomeronasal Organ

Since patients with intracranial neoplasms usually represent their neurological symptoms rather early in the course of the disease, sudden unexpected death due to intracranial neoplasms is an uncommon event seen only exceptionally in medicolegal autopsy practice. Although meningiom is one of the most common primary intracranial neoplasms, sudden death due to the tumor is an uncommon event. We report a sudden, unexpected death of a 56-year-old female with an undiagnosed olfactory groove meningioma. It is assumed that peritumoral edema is related to the sudden death among the several mechanisms.
Female ; Humans

There are more than 120 different theories on the possible cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Recent studies indicate a possible role of infections in SIDS, one of which suggested that a maximum percentage of up to 43.5% of SIDS showed virus-induced myocardial affection. The enterovirus, mainly the cardiotropic coxsackievirus group B, serotypes B1-B5, which causes most of viral myocarditis in infancy, seems to be the most common virus associated with SIDS. The aim of our study was to investigate the enterovirus-induced myocardial affections in cases of SIDS. All 7 cases of postmortem heart samples from SIDS victims were studied. Postmortem heart samples of non-SIDS death in perinatal period, infancy and young childhood, pediatric cases of myocarditis and unnatural death in young adult were served as controls. An immunohistochemical study was performed on all samples using monoclonal mouse anti-enterovirus antibody and anti-LCA with quantification of positive cells. Our results demonstrated that 2 of 7 cases of SIDS showed strong immunoreactivity in the myocardium against antienterovirus antibody and there was more inflammatory cell infiltrate in SIDS cases than controls. Our study suggests that the enteroviral myocardial affection would be a possible role in pathogenesis of SIDS.
Animals ; Enterovirus Infections* ; Enterovirus* ; Heart ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Myocarditis ; Myocardium ; Sudden Infant Death* ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Surgical excision has been the primary treatment for hepatoblastoma and hepat-ocellular carcinoma. However, at presentation, only one third of such tumors are surgically resectable. Without operation, the disease is fatal. Therefore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been introduced for conversion of the unresectable tumors into the resectable ones. We studied th e effects of chemotherapy for hepatic malignancy in children. METHODS: Between November 1986 and August 1993, 30 children presented with hepatoblastomas or heptocellular carcinoma, which were diagnosed by histology. We analysed the laboratory findings of hepatic tumors and the outcome of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Laboratory findings revealed mild anemia, elevated SGOT/SGPT, and extremely increased AFP level. Twenty-six among 30 patients entered into surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Initial complete resection of tumor was attempted in 11 case, and was successful in 9 cases. Fifteen cases with initially unresectable tumors were treated with chemotherapy including cisplatin and/or doxorubicin. Nine of 15 showed significant reduction in tumor size, and delayed resection of the primary lesion was possible. But one case did not respond to chemotherapy, and 5 cases was droped out due to death(n=2) and refusal of chemotherapy(n=3). Twenty p atients were enrolled in survival analysis. Over-all 3 year survival rate was 61%, and 2 year survival rates of hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma were 85% and 33% respectively(P=0.06). According to the stage, 2 year survival rate of stage I and III were 87% and 75% respectively. None of patient with metastasis survived at 16 months. Chemotherapy was tolerable in most patients and its principal toxicities were myelosuppression and fever. Three patients developed decreased left ventricular shortening fraction and their cumulative dose of doxorubicin were 771mg/m2, 557mg/ m2, and 390mg/ m2. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy including cisplatin and/or doxorubicin is an effective treatment in inducing surgical resectability in hepatoblastomas which are unresectable at diagnosis.
Anemia ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Child* ; Cisplatin ; Diagnosis ; Disulfiram ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy* ; Fever ; Hepatoblastoma* ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Survival Rate