No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Brief episode of coronary artery occlusion (i.e., ischemic preconditioning) makes the heart more resistant to injury from a subsequent ischemic insult. Although a great deal of effort has been made in studying ischemic preconditioning, the underlying mechanism of ischemic preconditioning and its effect on hypothermic insult has not been elucidated. This study was performed to see whether ischemic preconditioning protects against the depression of cardiac contractility induced by hypothermic cardioplegic arrest/reperfusion. And recently, adenosine was known to have some correlation with the mechanism of preconditioning. If so, does this effect remain after the blockade of adenosine receptor by 8-phenyl theophylline? METHOD: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rat weighed 250-350g were used and divided into three groups. Rat hearts were removed rapidly, and each isolated heart paced with a rate of 180/min was perused by modified Krebs-Hensleit buffer(KHB) solution on a Langendorff apparatus far an hour. After obtaining baseline data including left ventricular pressure(LVP), dp/dt, and coronary flow, cardiac arrest was induced by perfusion of 0degrees C crystalloid cardioplegic(St Thomas) solution. After that, all hearts were stored in the same St Thomas solution at salute temperature far 2 hours. In group I (control group), the hear was reperfused by KHB solution. In group II(preconditioning group), the heart was subjected to two 2-minute episode of global ischemia followed by 5 minute reperfusion with KHB solution(preconditioning) before cardiac arrest. In group III(phenyl theophylline group), the heart was subjected to preconditioning procedure and 8-phenyl theophylline at 10muM in concentration was added to KHB solution at time of reperfusion. Observing parameter was obtained in each group at 10, 20, 40 and 60 minutes after starting reperfusion and compared statistically by use of one way ANOVA test(STASTICA, release 4.5). P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Although depressed LVP, dp/dt, and Coronary flow were seen in all groups during the reperfusion period, the preconditioned group showed more effective recovery of LVP than that of the control group, especially at 10, 20 and 40 minutes(p<.05). We failed to demonstrate the difference between the phenyl theophylline group and the control group(p=NS). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ischemic preconditioning has protective effect on recovery state of hypothermic cardioplegic arrest/reperfusion. Its protective effect was limited during early reperfusion stage and was blocked by adenosine blocker.
Adenosine ; Animals ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression ; Heart Arrest ; Heart* ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning* ; Myocardium* ; Perfusion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Purinergic P1 ; Reperfusion ; Theophylline

Traditionally, the Rhododendron species has been used in gastrointestinal disorder or hypertension. Grayanotoxin exists in honey, flowers, pollen, and the nectar of the Rhododendron species. We experienced 3 cases of Grayanotoxin intoxication. The symptoms of intoxication were nausea, vomiting, hypotension, bradycardia, diplopia, dizziness, and chest discomfort. Generally, the treatment for Grayanotoxin intoxication is fluid resuscitation and injection of atropine sulfate. The patients who were intoxicated with Grayanotoxin were discharged without complication after supportive care.
Atropine ; Bradycardia ; Diplopia ; Dizziness ; Flowers ; Honey ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypotension ; Nausea ; Plant Nectar ; Pollen ; Resuscitation ; Rhododendron ; Thorax ; Vomiting

Aortic transection or interruption is a rare condition which developed after an acute deceleration injury. Its occurrence depends on the location and direction of the force applied and is usually from motor vehicle accident or falling down. The exact incidence of aortic transection in trauma is not known but, when develops, only about 10-15% of the victims can furtive and be transported to the hospital. Even in the survivors, majority of them will be fatal within a few days if a prompt diagnosis and surgical treatments are not made. Aggressive diagnostic work-up is recommended for the patients with high suspicious index, which would salvage the victims with this fatal condition. We report the experience of two cases of aortic transection or interruption following motor vehicle accidents.
Deceleration ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Motor Vehicles ; Survivors ; Thorax* ; Wounds and Injuries*

Split hand and split foot(SHSF) is a human developmental defect characterized by missing digits, fusion of remaining digits, and a deep median cleft resulting in a clawlike appearance of the hands and feets. SHSF is usually inherited in an autosomer dominant fashion. The incidence of SHSF is between 1/10,000 and 1/90,000. Thirteen cases of SHSF and chromosomal aberrations involving 7q21-22 have been described so far in the world. We experienced a case of typical tetramelic SHSF in neonate. Chromosome studies showed a pericentric inversion of chromosome 7:46,XY,inv(7) (p22q22). Inspection of the extremities and chromosome studies in the parents were normal.
Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7* ; Extremities ; Foot* ; Hand* ; Human Development ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Parents

A 17-year-old male was presented withfpruritic grouped erythematous papules on the face, chest, upper back, both axillae, and genital area. The histologic picture of a benign papilloma and spongiosis around the acrosyringium were prominent findings. The term acrosyringeal epidermal nevus is proposed for this histological picture, and some explanations for its pathogenesis are suggested.
Adolescent ; Axilla ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus* ; Papilloma ; Thorax

The long-term studies of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have confirmed reliable relief of pain and maintenance of function. However there have been few generalized studies of factors influencing the results of TKA. We evaluated retrospectively 187 TKAs (137 patients) which had been performed between January 1987 and May 1995. The follow-up period was from one year to eight years (mean, 3 years and 8 months). There were 133 knees of osteoarthritis (OA), 43 knees of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 11 knees of other causes including septic knee sequelae. We considered the preoperative factors as age, sex, side (right or left), body weight, height, primary disease, flexion contracture (FC), further flexion (FF), range of motion (ROM) of joint, deformity of varus and valgus and pain score, muscle strength score, instability score, total knee score according to the knee rating scale of the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). We considered the clinical results as FC, FF, ROM, pain, muscle strength, instability, total knee score according to the knee rating scale of the HSS and the radiological results as Roentgenographic Evaluation and Scoring System of American Knee Society and radiolucent line more than 2mm in width. We evaluated the clinical and radiological results of TKAs followed up more than I year and analyzed the results based on above factors. The results were as follows: 1. The preoperative factors influencing final FC were not the primary disease and FC, but the FF and ROM. The preoperative factors influencing final FF and ROM were the primary disease, the FF and ROM. 2. The pain, muscle power, instability scores were improved but there was no significant factor influencing them. The HSS knee scores were higher in OA group than RA group postoperatively. 3. There was no preoperative factor influencing the complication, revision, the radiological results. The preoperative factors influencing the results of TKA were the FF, ROM and the primary disease.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthroplasty* ; Body Weight ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Follow-Up Studies ; Joints ; Knee* ; Muscle Strength ; Myalgia ; Osteoarthritis ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies

The pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatitis of Gougerot-Blum is a subtype of the pigmented purpuric dermatoses characterized by small red-brown lichenoid papules that coalesce to form plaque lesions. This disorder usually persists for months to years and is resistant to conventional therapy. Pentoxifylline has been used to treat various dermatologic diseases, but its effectiveness in pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatitis has not been reported. We tried oral pentoxifylline treatment, 400mg twice a day on a 63-year-old man with pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatitis. A response was observed within 2 weeks. And after 8weeks, the skin lesion showed much improvement and therapy was discontinned. Four month later, he had a recurrence on the leg. He was treated again with pentoxifylline and after 3 weeks, the recurrent lesion showed resolution.
Dermatitis* ; Humans ; Leg ; Middle Aged ; Pentoxifylline* ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe and compare the changes in the patterns of hemodynamic and blood profiles on the circuit of Extra-corporeal life support system (ECLS) by using a dual pulsatile pump (T-PLS). METHODS: An acute heart failure model using partial pulmonary artery banding was constructed in 12 piglets (20 -25kg). The animals were divided into centrifugal (n=6) and dual pulsatile pump (n=6) group. Each animal was placed on an ECLS system with a membrane oxygenator bypassing the right atrium and the aorta for 2 hours under general anesthesia. The parameters mainly observed were intra-circuit pressure changes, arterial pulsatility (pulse pressure), plasma free hemoglobin, hemodynamic changes, and other blood profiles. The parameters obtained just prior to the bypass were compared with the corresponding parameters obtained two hours after the bypass. RESULTS: Before bypass, the parameters were statistically the same between the groups. Two hours after the bypass, no significant differences were observed between the groups in ABGA, VBGA, AST/ALT, BUN/Cr, and electrolytes; the plasma free hemoglobin was 14.8+/-4.7 g/dl in the dual pulsatile group and 19.1+/-9.1 g/dl in the centrifugal group (p=NS). The pulse pressure was higher in the dual pulsatile pump than in the centrifugal pump group (35+/-8 vs. 11+/-7 mmHg, p=0.0253 mmHg). The highest circuit pressure was generated at the inlet of the membrane oxygenator and was higher in the dual pulsatile group than in the centrifugal group (173+/-12 mmHg vs. 222+/-8 mmHg, p=0.0000). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that a dual pulsating mechanism lessens blood cell trauma while providing physiologic pulsatile blood flow. The ECLS system using a dual pulsatile pump (T-PLS) can be useed as an effective and safe driving motor for an ECLS.
Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Aorta ; Bays ; Blood Cells ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Electrolytes ; Heart Atria ; Heart Failure ; Hemodynamics ; Life Support Systems* ; Oxygenators, Membrane ; Plasma ; Pulmonary Artery

PURPOSE: There has been considerable controversy over the prognosis of gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC). To clarify the biologic behavior of SRC, we evaluated the clinicopathologic features and the prognosis of SRC. METHODS: A total of 3,104 patients with a gastric carcinoma who had undergone a gastrectomy from 1987 to 1995 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 556 patients with SRC were compared to 2,548 patients with non-SRC. RESULTS: Patients with SRC were younger than those with non-SRC, and female were prevalent. Incidence of EGC were higher in patients with SRC. EGC with SRC had a larger proportion of mucosa-confined lesions and a lower rate of lymph node metastasis than EGC with non-SRC. Multivariate analysis showed that SRC was a negative inde pendent risk factor for lymph node metastasis. Among advanced gastric cancers SRCs showed a higher prevalence of large-sized lesions, Borrmann type IV lesions, and advanced nodal stage, as well as a higher rate of peritoneal metastasis. The 5-year survival rate of EGC with SRC (93.8%) was higher than that of non-SRC (91.2%). However, the prognosis of advanced SRC (49.0%) was poorer than that of non-SRC (53.5%). CONCLUSION: A female preponderance, a younger age, and a higher proportion of early gastric cancer characterized the peculiar biologic behavior of gastric signet ring cell carcinoma. In addi tion, the prognosis of SRC was poor once invasion had gone beyond the submucosa. These findings suggest that signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach should be regarded as a distinct type of gastric cancer.
Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell* ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prevalence ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate