We conducted this cohort analytic study to determine whether women with unexplained elevations of maternal serum hCG at 15-18 weeks' gestation are at increased risk for pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. The inclusion criteria were a singleton gestation, a confirmed gestational age, and an hCG level greater than 2.0 multiples of the median (MoM). The exclusion criteria were fetal anomalies, an abnormal karyotype, molar pregnancy, and an MSAFP level greater than 2.5 multiples of the median (MoM). A group of randomly selected women with hCG levels under 2.0 MoM served as controls. Patients with elevated levels of hCG had a significantly higher risk for PIH (17.9% versus 4.5%; P <.05) and preterm delivery (17.9% versus 3.5%; P<, 05) than control. But no significant differences were observed in the incidence of intrauterine growth restriction and low birth weight and in the newborn weight. We suggested that pregnancies with unexplained elevated hCG levels should be regarded as high-risk pregnancies. And these patients require careful monitoring with adequate obstetric management.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans* ; Hydatidiform Mole ; Incidence ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, High-Risk

Traumatic intracranial lesion has been one of the most frequent and serous problem in neurosurgical pathology. CT made it possible to get prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention of intracranial lesions by its safety, fastiness and accuracy. Computed tomographic scan was carried out on 1309 cases at Soonchunhyang Chunan Hospitalfor 15 months from Oct. 1983 to Dec. 1984. We have reviewed the computed tomographic scans of 264 patients whichshowed traumatic intracranial lesion. The results were as follows: 1. Head trauma was the most frequentlydiagnosed disase using computed tomographic scans(57.8%), and among 264 cases the most frequent mode of injury wastraffic accident (73.9%). 2. Skull fracture was accompained in frequency of 69.7% and it was detected in CT in38.6%: depression fractue was more easily detected in 81%. 3. Countercoup lesion(9.5%) was usually accompained with temporal and occipital fracture, and it appeared in lower incidence among pediatric group. 4. Intracranial lesions of all 264 cases were generalized cerebral swelling(24.6%), subdural hematoma(22.3%), epiduralhematoma(20.8%), intracerebral hematoma(6.1%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage(3.0%). 5. The shape of hematoma wasusually biconvex(92.7%) in acute epidural hematoma and cresentic(100%) in acute subdural hematoma, but the morechronic the cases became, they showed planoconvex and biconvex shapes. 6. Extra-axial hematoma was getting decreased in density as time gone by. 7. Hematoma density was not in direct proportion to serum hemoglobin levelas single factor.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pathology ; Skull Fractures

DSA(Digital Subtractin Angiography) is a valuable diagnostic imaging method in many clinical fields, includingranal-related conditons. Sixty four renal DSA examinations were performed in 59 patients with renal-relateddiseases from Jan. 1984 to Dec. 1985. Summary of these were as follows: 1. Intraarterial (IA)-DSA is performed in6 cases, intravenous(IV)-DSA in 58 cases. In 58 Examinations of IV-DSA, diagnostic image quality is obtained in 51cases(88%). 2. In investigations of a possible renovascular etiology of hypertension, IV-DSA,is a safe, sensitiveand accurate method. On screening for evaluation of renovascular hypertension, RSP should be replaced with IV-DSA,because IV-DSA is moe sensitive and accurate and can detect not only anatomic change of renal arttery but alsofunctional hemodynamic change. 3. IV-DSA is valuable in diseases with morphologic changes of vessels. Incharacterization of a known renal mass, and evaluation of hematuria, suspected aneurym and renal trauma, IV-DSA isvery useful diagnostic imaging modality. 4. In evaluation of potential renal donors, IV-DSA is an accurate andsafe method with 82.4% of accuracy. IV-DSA also is useful in follow-up of allograft recipients. 5. Ininvestigation of diabetic nephropathy, glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, IV-DSA is little helpful. 6. Theadvantages of DSA are well known, particularly post-procedure process using computer programs is helpful forobtaining informations of hemodynamic change or time-sequence-curve of density etc. More technical improvementwith this modality is required for improvement of the image quality and resolution. And more accumulation ofclinical experience is required in order to increase the diagnostic accuracy.
Allografts ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hematuria ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Pyelonephritis ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in the anesthetic approach using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). The aim of this study was to compare between the two anesthetic techniques for preventing PONV in the patients undergoing mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty. METHODS: After obtaining informed consent, 62 patients aged between 20 to 60 years undergoing elective mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty were randomized into two equal study groups: group P/R (n = 31) included patients undergoing TIVA with propofol and remifentanil, and group S/R (n = 31) included patients undergoing balanced anesthesia with sevoflurane and remifentanil. The incidences of PONV and complete response (no PONV, no rescue) were assessed at 1 and 24 h after surgery, using the Rhodes Index. Also, the usage of rescue antiemetics and pain intensity were recorded. RESULTS: The Rhodes Index including the occurrence score, distress score and experience score was significantly lower in the P/R group compared to that in the S/R group during the study period (P < 0.05), and the incidence of complete response was significantly higher in the P/R group compared to that in the S/R group, during the first 24 h after surgery. 4 patients in the S/R group requested antiemetics during the first 1 h after surgery. There were no significant differences in pain intensity among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to balanced anesthesia with sevoflurane and remifentanil, TIVA with propofol and remifentanil was followed by significantly lower incidence and severity of PONV.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Antiemetics ; Balanced Anesthesia ; Humans ; Incidence ; Informed Consent ; Methyl Ethers ; Piperidines ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Propofol ; Tympanoplasty

To assess the likelihood of procedural success in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease, 46 consecutive patients (male 34, female 12, mean age 60+/-9 years) umderwent single or multiple site angioplasty. The clinical diagnosis of unstable angina was in 20(44%), stable angina in 10 and acute or old myocardial infarction in 16. Coronary angiographic findings of 2 vessel disease was in 38(83%), triple vessel disease in 8. Left ventricular function was generally well preserved (mean ejection fraction 65+/-12%, range 30-82%) and mean 2.0 stenosis per patient angic, lasty had attempted. Single vessel angioplasty (SVA) was performed in 13 and multivessel angioplasty (MVA) in 33. Procedural success was achieved in 79(86%) out of total 92 stenoses. Sixty-six(88%) out of 75 stenoses in MVA and 13(76%) out of 17 stenoses in SVA had procedural success respectively. According to angiographic morphology of lesions, procedural success of type A stenoses was 17/17(100%), type B stenoses 57/66(86%) and type C stenoses was 5/9(33%). In 13 failures included inability to pass the guide wire cross the lesion in 7, inability to guide the griding catheter in 2 and inability to dilate lesions in 4. Before and after angioplasty, treadmill test (modified Bruce protocol)could be performed in 29 patients. Total duration of exercise and maximal double product improved significantly from 8.5+/-2.3 minute 5188+/-2403 to 12.2+1.3 min., 23,062+/-4111 respectively (p<0.001). 17 out of 24 patients who had positive treadmill test before angioplasty showed negative conversion after procedure. Complications included dissection in 29, prolongd chest pain in 5, acute closure in 3, cardiac tamponade in 1 and ventricular fibrillation due to side branch oclusion in 1. Thus, coronary angioplasty in selected paients with multivessel coronary artery disease might be useful and have relatively good immediate results, but the long-term efficacies with other forms of treatment must be evaluated prospectively.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Angioplasty* ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Catheters ; Chest Pain ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Female ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Ventricular Fibrillation ; Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: In this retrospective study, we attempted to evaluate the treatment outcome and the prognostic factors of thymoma treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1979 and 1998, 55 patients with thymoma were treated at the Seoul National University Hospital. Of these, 11 patients underwent surgery only, 33 patients received postoperative radiotherapy and 11 patients received radiotherapy only. Twenty-three patients had gross total resection and 21 patients subtotal resection. For postoperative radiotherapy, the radiation dose consisted of 41.4-55.8 Gy. The average follow-up was 64 months, and ranged from 2 to 160 months. The sex ratio was 1:1 and the median age was 48 years (15-74 years). Overall survival and disease-free survival were determined via the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank was employed to evaluate for differences in prognostic factor. RESULTS: The five- and 10-year survival rates were 87% and 65% respectively, and the median survival was 103 months. By univariate analysis, only stage ( p=0.0017) turned out to be significant prognostic factors of overall survival. Also, stage ( p=0.0007) was significantly predictive for overall survival in mutivariated analysis. CONCLUSION: This study showed the stage was found to be important prognostic factors, which influenced survival. Especially, as incomplete resection is related with poor results, complete resection is important to cure the invasive thymoma.
Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Survival Rate ; Thymoma* ; Treatment Outcome*

BACKGROUND: The bispectral index (BIS), a parameter derived from the electro-encephalography (EEG), has been shown to correlate with the sedative state of anesthetic agents. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of BIS monitoring on anesthetic use and recovery characteristics in long duration sevoflurane anesthesia. METHODS: Forty adult patients who were scheduled for prolonged anesthesia (above 150 minutes) were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 20) or the BIS group (n = 20). In the control group, the anesthesiologists were blinded to the BIS values, and sevoflurane was administered according to standard clinical practice. In the BIS group, sevoflurane was titrated to maintain the BIS value between 45 60. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), end-tidal sevoflurane, BIS was monitored at intervals of 15 minutes. Time to response (TR), time to extubation (TE), time to reach 10 points of PAR score (TPAR10) and time to the discharge from postanesthetic care unit (TDis) were recorded from withdrawal of sevoflurane for recovery time. RESULTS: ET-Sevoflurane was significantly lower in the BIS group than the control group. BIS and 95% SEF values were higher in the BIS group compared with the control group. All values of recovery time (TR, TE, TPAR10, TDis) were significantly shorter in the BIS group than control group. In MAP and HR, there was no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: BIS is considered a good index of proper use of sevoflurane. Decrease of total amount of sevoflurane, early emergence and early discharge from PACU are expected, so more safe and economic anesthesia may be possible in clinics.
Adult ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthetics ; Arterial Pressure ; Consciousness Monitors* ; Heart Rate ; Humans

BACKGROUND: The bispectral index, a parameter of electroencephalography (EEG) and a tool for the measurement of sedative state has been used in general anesthesia and for the assessment of sedative degree in intensive care units. The adverse effects of inhalation agents are various although hepatic toxicity, renal toxicity, postoperative nausea, and vomiting have been reported. This study was designed to evaluate the adverse effect of inhalation agents. METHODS: Forty-four adult patients scheduled for thyroidectomy under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to one group with a BIS below 40 (BIS40 group, n = 23) or to a group with a BIS from 50 to 60 (BIS60 group, n = 21). Hgb, WBC count, PLT count, renal function, and liver function were measured pre-and post-operatively (after 24 hrs). The degree of postoperative nausea and vomiting were estimated using the Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching (RINVR) in postoperative 6 hrs, 12 hrs and 24 hrs. RESULTS: The amount of fentanyl used during the operation were greates in the BIS60 group than in the BIS40 group for adequate analgesia, and the preoperative and postoperative values of Hgb, WBC count, PLT count, AST, ALT, ALP, s-BUN, and s-creatine were not significantly different between the BIS40 and BIS60 groups. 6 hrs, 12 hrs and 24 hrs post-operatively no differences were observed between groups by RINVR in terms of nausea and vomiting. CONCLUSIONS: The adverse effect of an inhalation agent appears not to be related to its concentration when sevoflurane with BIS monitoring are used to reduced the amount of agent inhaled.
Adult ; Analgesia ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Electroencephalography ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Intensive Care Units ; Liver ; Nausea ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Thyroidectomy ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It had been well known that Lipoprotein(a) had proatherogenic and thrombogenic action because of structural similarity with plasminogen. However the role of Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) in the development of ischemic cerebrovascular disease had not sufficiently clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HBP) to the role of Lp(a) as a risk factor of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. METHOD: For comparing Lp(a) and the lipid profile of ischemic stroke group (5, N=232) with those of control group (C, N=158), we divided each group into four subgroups according to the existance of DM and HBP: stroke patients and control subjects with DM only(DMS, N=27; DMC, N=44), those with HBP only(HBPS, N=94; HBPC, N=44), those with both of DM and HBP (DMHBPS, N=46; DMHBPC, N=29), and those with none of DM and HBP(NS, N=65; NC, N=41). We evaluated Lp(a) and the lipid profile measured less than 72 hour after onset of stroke and 3 month later in 33 ischemic stroke patients. Also we divided the stroke group into two subgroups according to the type (large artery thrombotic vs small artery perforating) and the age of onset (below 50 year-old vs above 50 year-old), and compared Lp(a) and the lipld profile in each subgroups. RESULT: 1. In control group, the Lp(a) in DMC was significantly higher t that in NC. 2. The Lp(a) compared between HBPC & HBPS and between & NS were statistically significant. 3. The Lp(a) in DMS revealed no significant difference compared with that in DMC. 4, The type of ischemic stroke did not give specific Lp(a) level. 5. The Lp(a) in the young age onset revealed no significant difference compared with that in the old age onset. CONCLUSION: The Lp(a) is likely to contribute to the ischemic stroke at independent risk factor, However it is seemed that the role of Lp(a) as a risk factor of the ischemic stroke is evaluated after being subdivided according existence of DM.
Age of Onset ; Arteries ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Middle Aged ; Plasminogen ; Risk Factors* ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: The cerebellum and its neural circuitry have been assumed to play a major role in the pathophysiology of essential tremor (ET). In this study, we sought to find associations between ET and cerebellar dysfunction. METHODS: We performed tandem gait test in 41 ET patients and 44 age-matched controls. Investigators assessed tandem gait by counting the number of missteps during ten-step tandem walk and each subject repeated the trial three times. RESULTS: ET patients had a higher average and total numbers of missteps during tandem gait tests than control subjects (p<0.05). Sex-adjusted odds ratio of the association between tandem gait abnormality and ET was 3.40 (95% confidence intervals 1.06-10.85). According to age stratification, aged ET patients (age > or =70 years) showed significantly higher prevalence of tandem gait abnormality than young ones. Interaction terms determined by a likelihood ratio test was also statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dysfunction of cerebellar neural circuitry may be associated with the pathophysiological mechanism of ET. In addition, aging may be an important factor modifying the association.
Aging ; Cerebellar Diseases* ; Cerebellum ; Essential Tremor* ; Gait ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Research Personnel