Background: Spontaneous pneumopericardium is a very rare condition. Spontaneous pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum have been reported to be associated with an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, spontaneous pneumopericardium has not yet been reported in association with IPF. Here we report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium in a patient with acute exacerbation of IPF with a review of the relevant literature.
Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Mediastinal Emphysema* ; Pneumopericardium* ; Pneumothorax

No abstract available.
Thanatophoric Dysplasia*

BACKGROUND: IL-8 is a potent chemotactic cytokine that plays an important role in the host defense mechanism against M. tuberculosis by recruiting inflammatory cells to the site of the infection. Lung epithelial cells, as well as alveolar macrophages are known to preduce IL-8 in response to M. tuberculosis. IL-8 gene expression is mainly regulated on the level of transcription by NF-κB. This study investigated whether or not A549 cells produce IL-8 in NF-κB dependent mechanism in response to macrophages phagocytosing M. tubersulosis. METHODS: Peripheral blood monocytes that were obtained from healthy donors were cultured for 24 h with M. tuberculosis and a conditioned medium(CoMTB) was obtained. As a negative control, the conditioned medium without M. tuberculosis (CoMCont) was used. A549 cells were stimulated with M. tuberculosis, CoMCont and CoMTB and the IL-8 concentration in the culture media was measured by ELISA. The CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression in the A549 cells was evaluated using RT-PCR, and CoMTB induced IκBα degradation was measured using western blot analysis. CoMTB induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB was also examined using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA), and the CoMTB induced NF-κB dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity was measured using a luciferase reporter gene assay. RESULTS: CoMTB induced IL-8 production by A549 cells(46.8±4.8 ng/ml) was higher than with direct stimulation with M. tuberculosis (6.8±2.9 ng/ml). CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression increased after 2 h of stimulation and was sustained for 24 h. IκBα was degraded after 10 min of CoMTB stimulation and reappeared by 60 min. CoMTB stimulated the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB. The CoMTB induced NF-κB dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity(13.6±4.3 times control) was higher than either CoMCont(2.0±0.6 times control) or M. tuberculosis (1.4±0.6 times control). CONCLUSION: A conditioned medium of peripheral blood monocytes phagocytosing M. tuberculosis stimulates NF-κB dependent IL-8 production by the lung epithelial cells.
Blotting, Western ; Culture Media ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Reporter ; Humans ; Interleukin-8* ; Luciferases ; Lung* ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Monocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Donors ; Tuberculosis

Vertigo mimicking labyrinthine lesions may have resulted from ischemic insult to the inner ear or the vestibular nerve and nucleus in the AICA infarction syndrome. A 56-year-old female was admitted to the emergency room with vertigo and hearing loss in right ear. On neurological examination, she had left beating jerky torsional and horizontal nystagmus with falling and past pointing to right side. Brain magnetic resonance images showed high signal intensity in anterolateral portion of inferior pons on T2- weighted images. Severe right facial palsy of peripheral type developed 24 hours after admission. Audiometry and electronystagmography documented absent auditory and vestibular function on the affected side. We argue that vertigo of the acute infarction in AICA territory can be involved the eight and seventh nerve root entry zoon and mimic labyrinthine lesions
Audiometry ; Brain ; Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Electronystagmography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Facial Nerve* ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Examination ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Pons ; Vertigo* ; Vestibular Nerve

Ureteral stricture is a problem that always has confronted urology. The development of balloon dilatation has introduced new modalities for the management of ureteral stricture disease. We experienced the ten patients of the ureteral stricture from July 1988 to April 1990. The following results were obtained. 1. Transluminal balloon dilatation is simple, safe technique for ureteral stricture. 2. After dilatation. most cases of stricture were improved on urography immediately. but follow up results were not so much improved. 3. Success rate of ureteral balloon dilatation was low (40% ). Therefore, we felt that secondary therapy modalities should be considered if first attempt was failed.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ureter* ; Urography ; Urology

Peyronie's disease is characterized by localized fibrosis in the tunica albuginea of the corpus cavernosum with no confirmed etiology. We report 2 cases of Peyronie's disease, in which surgical1y corrected with the dermal graft technique. One patient is performed with the penile prosthesis be. cause of sexual impotence after correction of penile curvature.
Erectile Dysfunction ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Male ; Penile Induration* ; Penile Prosthesis ; Transplants*

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to know the prevalence of cognitive disorders in patients with thyroid cancer, and identify related variables to them. METHODS: Subjects were consisted of fourty-two patients with thyroid cancer, who were admitted for radioiodine ablative therapy at 6-12 months after total thyroidectomy. The data were obtained from interviews about history and assessments of depression and cognitive function(Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA-K). RESULTS: 1) Among subjects, those with below 22 of total score of the MoCA-K were twenty-one(50.0%). 2) Upon age, education, Pre-radioiodine therapy thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH), there were statistically significant difference between subgroup with above 23 of the total MoCA-K score and those below 22. 3) The total scores of the MoCA-K in subjects had significant correlation with age, education, comorbidity, Pre-radioiodine therapy TSH, total score of the HDRS-17. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive disorders were more prevalent among patients with thyroid cancer before radioiodine therapy. Therefore, further study should be needed to clarify the mechanism for the cognitive disorders in thyroid cancer. Furthermore, physicians should pay attention to the cognitive function and prepare preventative measures for cognitive disorder during management of thyroid cancer.
Carcinoma, Papillary* ; Comorbidity ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin

Authors examined 40,000 minifilms(boys and girls each 10,000 in junior and senior high schools) which were taken for survey of pulmonary tuberculosis for junior and senior high school students and checked the prevalence of scoliosis. It was considered lateral curvature of spine more than 10 degrees as nonpostural scoliosis, which were analyzed prevalence rate, degree of curvature, distribution of size of curvature, pattern of curve and direction of curvature. Following results were obtained. 1. The overall prevalence rate was 1.56; male 1.38. and female 1.70%(Junior high school 1.06%, Senior high school 2.05%). 2. Scoliosis secondary due to bony abnormality was found in 5 cases. 3. The most common pattern of curvature was the thoracic curve. 4. In sihgle curve, right to left ratio was 1.7, especially senior high school girls had more right curve and junior high school boys had more left curve. 5. The prevalence of senior high school students was greater than that of junior high school students and the degree of curvature was also severe in senior high school students than in junior high school students.
Busan ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Scoliosis ; Spine ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: The correlation between the high resolution computed tomography(HRCT) emphysema score and the physiologic parameters including resting and exercise pulmonary function test was investingated in 14 patients(60.6±10.3 years) with pulmonary emphysema. METHODS: The patients underwent a HRCT, a resting pulmonary function test, and incremental exercise testing(cycle ergometer, 10 W/min). Computed tomography scans were obtained on a GE highlight at 10 mm intervals using 10 mm collimation, from the apex to the base after a full inspiration. The emphysema scores wer determined by a CT program 'Density mask' outlining the areas with attenuation values less than -900 HU, indicating the emphysema areas, and providing an overall percentage of lung involvement by emphysema. RESULTS: Among the resing PFT parameters, only the diffusing capacity(r=-0.75) and PaO2 (r=-0.66) correlated with the emphysema score(p<0.05). Among the exercise test parameers, the emphysema score correlated significantly with the maximum power(r=-0.74), maximum oxygen consumption(r=-0.68), anaerobic threshold(V-slope method : r=-0.69), maximal O2-pulse(r=-0.73), and the physiologic dead space ratio at the maximum workload(r=-0.80)(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: We could find that exercise testing parameters showed a much better correlation with the HRCT emphysema score, which is known to have a good correlation with the pathologic severity than the resting PFT parameters. Therefore it is suggested that exercise testing is superior to resting PFT for estimating in the estimation of the physiologic disturbance in emphysema patients.
Emphysema* ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Lung ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Respiratory Function Tests

A case of vaginal and cervical adenocarcinoma, mostly of clear cell type, in young women have been associated with intrauterine exposure to diethystillbestrol(DES) or other nonsteroidal estrogenic substances and vaginal adenosis. We have encountered a case of clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix uteri of 27years young house wife, in which there was a history of intrauterine exposure to DES. We presented a case with a brief review of related literature.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Spouses