No abstract available.
Humans ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

We inspected reliability of A-constant of AMO SI-30NB by comparing target diopter and actual postoperative refractive status. Group 1 comprised 191 eyes which were implanted AMO PhacoFlex SI-30NB with corneal incision. Group 2 comprised 45 eyes implanted Pharmacia 812C with scleral incisions. Group 3 comprised 17 eyes implanted AMO OgaciFlex SI-30NB with corneal incision. Refraction was performed on post operative day 1, day 5, day 14, 1 month, and 3 month. It revealed hyperopic shift of 0.31 to 0.40 diopter compared to the target diopters in both Group 1 and Group 3 and no statistical difference was found between two groups(p value>0.05). On the other hand, Group 2 were statistically significant(p value<0.01). We attempted mathematical modelling of this phenomenon and the cause of hyperopylene haptics, structural weakness of haptic-optic junction, and the structure of SI-30NB itself.
Hand ; Models, Theoretical

PURPOSE: The prognosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) in elderly patients seems to be poorer than that in patients aged less than 60 years. This may be due to the lower tolerance for combination chemotherapy in the elderly. Aggressive combination chemo-therapy, which is the treatment of choice in intermediate and high grade NHL of adulthood, may be associated with unpredictab1y severe and lethal toxicity and worsened quality of life in the elderly. We investigated the treatment responses, toxicities and prognostic factors of NHL in elderly patients treated with combination chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated 116 elderly (>60 yrs) patients with NHL between January 1986 and June 1996 with adriamycin-containing regimens, such as CHOP (cyclo- phosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone), BACOP (bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone), and mBACOP (methotrexate, bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone). Patients in this study ranged from 60 to 81 (median 67) years of age. Fifty-five percent of patients were in stage I or II and the rest (45%) were in stage III or IV. The histologic grade was predominantly (91%) of intermediate and high grade type. RESULTS: The treatment responses were complete (CR) in 55% and partial (PR) in 25%. The median durstion of CR was 32 (3-132) months. The CR rate was significantly higher in patients treated with RDI (relative dose intensity) > 75% than that in the patients treated with RDI < 75% (p 0.003), but there was no significant difference in CR rate between treatment regimens (p-0.38). At a median follow up of 48-months (range, 12 to 132 months), the estimated 5-year ovetall survival was 46%. Ann Arbor Stage (I, II vs III, IV), ECOG performance (0-1 vs 2-3), RDI (>75% vs <75%) and the treatment response were important prognostic factors in the univariate analysis, and the treament response (CR vs non-CR) was the only independent prognostic parameter in the multivariate analysis. The most frequent and severe toxicity associated with chemotherapy was infection with or without neutropenia. The rate of severe infection was significantly decreased in the patients supported with G/GM-CSF but not in the dose-reduction group (RDI<75% vs >75%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that achievement of the CR after combination chemotherpy is the most important prognostic factor in the elderly patients with NHL. Suboptimal chemotherapy (RDI<75%) reduced the complete remission rate without reducing the likelihood of developing severe toxicities. Optimal chemotherapy with supportive cares involving the use of hematopoietic growth factors may be needed to improve the treatment response and the survival in the elderly patients with aggressive NHL.
Aged ; Bleomycin ; Cyclophosphamide ; Dimethoate ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutropenia ; Prognosis* ; Quality of Life ; Vincristine

No abstract available.
Fibroma

Rheumatoid nodules are the most common extra-articular presentations of rheumatoid arthritis. Although rheumatoid nodules can develop anywhere in the body, they develop most commonly in the subcutaneous region, where they are easily exposed to repetitive trauma or pressure. However, an infrascapular presentation has not yet been reported. We report a case of giant bilateral rheumatoid nodules that developed in the infrascapular area, complicating its distinction from elastofibroma dorsi on radiological examination.

The complications following the use of laryngeal mask(LM) are usually mild and cause clinical problems rarely. However, as the use of LM increases, it seems important to know the common injuries, symptoms, and factors relevant to complications from its use. We investigated prospectively the influence of age, sex, height, weight, duration of LM placement, presence of blood tinged on LM and coughing on LM placement, use of anticholinergics, anticholinesterase, and opioid on the mucosal injuries and patient symptoms in 97 healthy adult patients undergoing elective surgery by the indirect laryngoscopy and questionnaire 8~24 hours after surgery. The upper airway symptoms were throat discomfort(22.7%), and sore throat(10.3%). The findings of mucosal injuries were erythema(27%), edema(5%), and petechial hematoma(2%). The mucosal injuries were centered around the pharynx and the epiglottis(63.6% of total mucosal injuries), and 17 of 21 patients who were observed to have mucosal injuries complained upper airway symptoms. These resuts suggest that the pharynx and epiglottis are most vulnerable to injuries and most common sites causing upper airway symptoms from the LM placement. Vocal cord erythema was found in 8.2% of patients, which was seemed to be due to the grates of the LM aperture. The severity of the mucosal injuries was correlated to the severity of upper airway symptoms(P < 0.05, r=0.464). Male sex, presence of blood on LM, and the longer duration of LM placement were associated with a relatively high incidence of mucosal injuries, and the longer duration of LM placement with that of upper airway symptoms(P < 0.05). After above variables were controlled for, presence of blood on LM was a precipitating factor in mucosal injuries and the longer duration of LM placement was precipitating factor in symptoms(P < 0.05). We failed to find a significant correlation of duration of LM placement with the severity of mucosal injuries or symptoms.
Adult ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Cough ; Epiglottis ; Erythema ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Laryngoscopy ; Male ; Pharynx ; Precipitating Factors ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tolnaftate ; Vocal Cords

No abstract available.
Alopecia ; Humans ; Male

No abstract available.
Child* ; Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells* ; Humans ; Tendons*

PURPOSE: In an aerobic environment, all biological organisms react with reactive oxygen specise, especially O2 free radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Although acute disorders do not appear, continuous increases of it can lead to aging or cancer. In this study, the acute effects of duroquinone (2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, DQ, superoxide radical generator) on corporal smooth muscle was investigated, which causes flavorprotein to produce superoxide via chemical reduction reaction. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Under the same conditions, corporal smooth muscle strips were acquired from 2.0-2.5 kg Male New Zealand White rabbit. Then strips were placed in tension measuring apparatus. After strip was contracted by phenylephrine, an electric field stimulation (EFS)- and various drugs-induced relaxation rate was measured. Relaxation rates by above-mentioned methods were measured again following incubation of DQ or DQ and diethyldithiocarbamate (DETCA, superoxide dismutase inhibitor). The tension percentages were calculated with respect to the control group. RESULTS: The resting tension of the muscle strip was not changed by applying of DQ (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mM). The relaxation rates by EFS and bethanechol were not attenuated after DQ was incubated, but attenuated after DQ and DETCA were incubated. The relaxation rate by ATP was not attenuated after DQ, or DQ and DETCA was incubated. The relaxation rates by sodium nitroprusside was attenuated after DQ only was incubated. CONCLUSIONS: Superoxide seems to eliminate nitric oxide, and thus be an important corporal smooth muscle relaxation inhibitor.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Aging ; Bethanechol ; Ditiocarb ; Free Radicals ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth* ; New Zealand ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Oxygen ; Phenylephrine ; Relaxation* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Superoxides*

Alexander disease (ALXD) is a rare demyelinating disease of the white matter of the brain that is caused by a mutation in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene. The overexpression of GFAP in astrocytes induces a failure in the developmental growth of the myelin sheath. The neurodegenerative destruction of the myelin sheath of the white matter is accompanied by an accumulation of abnormal deposits of Rosenthal fibers in astrocytes, which is the hallmark of ALXD. The disease can be divided into four groups based on the onset age of the patients: neonatal, infantile, juvenile, or adult. Early-onset disease is more severe, progresses rapidly, and results in a shorter life span than late-onset cases. Magnetic resonance imaging and genetic tests are mostly used for diagnostic purposes. Pathological tests of brain tissue for Rosenthal fibers are definitive diagnostic methods. Therapeutic strategies are being investigated. Ceftriaxone, which is an enhancer of glial glutamate transporter (GLT-1) expression, is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with ALXD. To date, there are no clinically available treatments. The cause, pathology, pathophysiology, inheritance, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of ALXD will be reviewed comprehensively.
Adult ; Age of Onset ; Alexander Disease* ; Amino Acid Transport System X-AG ; Astrocytes ; Brain ; Ceftriaxone ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methods ; Myelin Sheath ; Pathology ; Wills