No abstract available.
Korea* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis, Differential*

We studied three patients in whom otorrhea occurred without bacterial infection following ventilation tube (VT) insertion. These patients took oral steroids since the conventional therapy was not effective; however, the oral steroids produced temporal effect since sticky otorrhea occurred when the oral steroids were stopped. We collected ear discharge from each patient and consulted the pathologist about histopathologic findings of it. We identified the predominant eosinophilic infiltration at specimen. We tried to relate this type of otitis media with eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) and treated the patients with intratympanic steroid injection.
Bacterial Infections ; Dexamethasone ; Ear ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Middle Ear Ventilation ; Otitis ; Otitis Media ; Polymethacrylic Acids ; Steroids ; Ventilation

OBJECTIVE: The prolactinoma is the most common pituitary tumor and sometimes shows severe invasiveness to the adjacent cavernous sinus, especially in the male patient. The dopamine agonist can be used as an alternative treatment modality to surgery. But, the transsphenoidal or transcranial approach for tumor removal has been more preferred treatment option of neurosurgeons in invasive prolactinoma. Especially rapid decompression of mass effect and resolution of the neurologic deficit is demanded. The prospective study is done in order to identify the therapeutic efficacy of bromocriptine as an initial treatment option for the invasive prolactionomas. METHODS: Twenty patients with invasive prolactinoma were studied. Preoperative neurological and endocrinological evaluations were done, and size and invasiveness of the tumor was estimated on MRI. Bromocriptine was administrated by increasing dose planning reaching maximum dose at 1month of treatment, with close neurological and endocrinological monitoring. At 3months after treatment, MRI was taken and decision was made whether to continue bromocriptine or to have surgical intervention. RESULTS: Thirteen patients showed excellent result with only bromocriptine treatment. These patients showed not only marked reduction of tumor volume and prolactin level, but also, improving clinical symptoms and other hormonal deficits. 13patients who had visual field defect and decreased visual acuity had all improved visual symptoms. But, the remaining 4patients required surgical treatment due to insufficient reduction of tumor size inspite of normalized prolactin level within 3months. Remaining 2patients had 20~30% of tumor size reduction, but prolactin level was not normalized. One patient required radiation therapy. CONCLUSION: Bromociptine can be used as initial treatment for the invasive prolactinomas with careful monitoring of the neurological and endocrinological status. It should be carefully followed up for tumor size reduction within 3 months after initiation of treatment.
Bromocriptine* ; Cavernous Sinus ; Decompression ; Dopamine Agonists ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Prolactin ; Prolactinoma* ; Prospective Studies ; Tumor Burden ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that is often fatal. Vaginal metastasis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma is very rare. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second such report worldwide and the first one from Korea. A 67-year-old woman presented with cough, excessive sputum and dyspnea that she had sufferd with for the past one year and she had a palpable lesion in the vagina. Chest CT showed diffuse bronchial wall thickening involving the left main bronchus, the left upper lobar bronchus and the lingular divisional bronchus of the left upper lobe. There were multiple, various sized nodules in both lungs, of which the largest one measured about 1.0 cm in diameter. Both lung and vaginal biopsies were performed and the masses were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin 7 and TTF-1, but they were negative for cytokeratin 20. We present this case of primary lung adenocarcinoma metastasis to the vagina.
Adenocarcinoma ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Keratin-20 ; Keratin-7 ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Vagina

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant heritable disease of connective tissue which is characterized by cardinal features mainly in the cardiovascular, ocular and skeletal systems. Aneurysms or dissections of the aorta are the major cardiovascular complications of the disorder causing early mortality. Mutations in the fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene on chromosome 15q21.1 have been found to be major causes of Marfan syndrome. The purpose of this study was to characterize the molecular defect in Korean Marfan patients, thus contributing to the effort of correlating the genotype with the phenotype. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We screened all 65 exons of the FBN1 gene in 14 subjects diagnosed as Marfan syndrome by the method of single strand conformation polymorphism-heteroduplex analysis. RESULTS: We found mutations in only 10 among 14 patients. This study identified 8 novel mutations and 2 previously reported mutations in 14 Korean Marfan patients. Two cases were nonsense mutations and 8 were missense mutations, including 3 frameshift. Seven cases of the mutations occurred in one of the 43 calcium binding epidermal growth factor-like domains within an FBN1 gene. Mutations in Marfan patients occurred variably over the whole field of this FBN1 gene. CONCLUSION: Our results will contribute to the establishment of a database of Korean Marfan patients. Extending this study and using the database will help early detection of the disease and prevention of complications.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Calcium ; Codon, Nonsense ; Connective Tissue ; Exons ; Genotype ; Humans ; Marfan Syndrome* ; Mortality ; Mutation, Missense ; Phenotype

OBJECTIVE: The variable operative methods are underwent as a treatment of tuberculous spondylitis. We propose hemilaminectomy and debridement as a one of operative method at a certain circumstance. METHODS: From July 1998 to June 2002, 13 consecutive patients with spinal tuberculosis were treated surgically in our institution. Among them, the authors analysed 7 patients in whom posterior approach were performed. The lumbar spine was involved in 6 patients, the thoracic in 1. The hemilaminectomy with debridement was done in all cases. The changes in the Kyphotic angle and the height of involved vertebras retrospectively measured from lateral spinal radiographs obtained preoperatively and postoperatively. Mean follow up periods were 16 months. RESULTS: Clinical symptoms and signs were improved in all cases. One patient (14%) was needed anterior fusion because of aggravation of lesion. Another one needed reoperation because of relapse of epidural abscess. The arithmethical average of kyphotic angle was worsened about 2 degrees and that of height loss was lesser than 5% postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The hemilaminectomy with debridement for spinal spondylitis can be a first therapeutic modality in a mild neurologic deficit and minor lesions with extended epidural abscess and granulation tissue to the adjacent vertebras in radiologic finding. Especially if epidural abscess and granulation tissue involve the multiple vertebras, we recommend this operative method.
Debridement ; Epidural Abscess ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Recurrence ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Spondylitis ; Tuberculosis, Spinal*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Jerusalem artichoke has inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and decreases fasting serum glucose levels, which may be related to its fructan content. The biological activity of fructan can be influenced by the degree of polymerization. Thus, in this study, the inhibitory effects of original and fermented purple Jerusalem artichoke (PJA) on α-glucosidase were compared in vitro. Additionally, the anti-diabetes effect of Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented PJA (LJA) was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db). MATERIALS/METHODS: The water extract of PJA was fermented by L. plantarum, and two strains of Bacillus subtilis to compare their anti-α-glucosidase activities in vitro by α-glucosidase assays. The anti-diabetes effect of LJA was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db) for seven weeks. During the experiment, food intake, body weight, and fasting blood glucose were measured every week. At the end of the treatment period, several diabetic parameters and the intestinal α-glucosidase activity were measured. RESULTS: The LJA showed the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. In the in vivo study, it resulted in a significantly lower blood glucose concentration than the control. Serum insulin and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher and the concentrations of triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and total cholesterol were significant lower in mice treated with LJA after seven weeks. In addition, the intestinal α-glucosidase activity was partially inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that LJA regulates blood glucose and has potential use as a dietary supplement.
Animals ; Bacillus subtilis ; Blood Glucose* ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Dietary Supplements ; Eating ; Fasting ; Fatty Acids ; Fermentation* ; Helianthus* ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Insulin ; Lactobacillus ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Polymerization ; Polymers ; Triglycerides ; Water

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Jerusalem artichoke has inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and decreases fasting serum glucose levels, which may be related to its fructan content. The biological activity of fructan can be influenced by the degree of polymerization. Thus, in this study, the inhibitory effects of original and fermented purple Jerusalem artichoke (PJA) on α-glucosidase were compared in vitro. Additionally, the anti-diabetes effect of Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented PJA (LJA) was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db). MATERIALS/METHODS: The water extract of PJA was fermented by L. plantarum, and two strains of Bacillus subtilis to compare their anti-α-glucosidase activities in vitro by α-glucosidase assays. The anti-diabetes effect of LJA was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db) for seven weeks. During the experiment, food intake, body weight, and fasting blood glucose were measured every week. At the end of the treatment period, several diabetic parameters and the intestinal α-glucosidase activity were measured. RESULTS: The LJA showed the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. In the in vivo study, it resulted in a significantly lower blood glucose concentration than the control. Serum insulin and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher and the concentrations of triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and total cholesterol were significant lower in mice treated with LJA after seven weeks. In addition, the intestinal α-glucosidase activity was partially inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that LJA regulates blood glucose and has potential use as a dietary supplement.
Animals ; Bacillus subtilis ; Blood Glucose* ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Dietary Supplements ; Eating ; Fasting ; Fatty Acids ; Fermentation* ; Helianthus* ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Insulin ; Lactobacillus ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Polymerization ; Polymers ; Triglycerides ; Water

OBJECTIVE: A general orientation along the cervical spine could be estimated by external landmarks, and it was useful, quick and less exposable to radiation, but, sometimes it gave reference confusion of target cervical level. The authors reviewed the corresponding between the neck external landmarks and cervical levels. METHODS: Totally 1,031 cervical lateral radiographs of different patients were reviewed in single university hospital. Its compositions were 534 of males and 497 females; 86 of second decades (10-19 years-old), 169 of third decades, 159 of fourth decades, 209 of fifth decades, 275 of sixth decades, and 133 of more than seventh decades (>60 years-old). Reference external landmarks (mandible, hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, and cricothyroid membrane) with compounding factors were reviewed. RESULTS: The reference levels of cervical landmarks were C2.13 with mandible angle, C3.54 with hyoid bone, C5.12 with thyroid cartilage, and C6.01 with cricothyroid membrane. The reference levels of cervical landmarks were differently observed by sex, age, and somatometric measurement (height) accordingly mandible angle from C1 to C3, hyoid bone from disc level of C2 and C3 to C5, thyroid cartilage from disc level of C3 and C4 to C7, and cricothyroid membrane from C4 to disc level of C7 and T1. CONCLUSION: Surface landmarks only provide general reference points, but not correspond to exact levels of the cervical spine. Intraoperative fluoroscopy ensures a more precise placement to the targeted cervical level.
Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Male ; Mandible ; Membranes ; Neck ; Spine* ; Thyroid Cartilage