The wandering spleen is a rare condition, in which the spleen is located in other than the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. The clinical manifestation is variable from asymptomatic to abdominal catastrophy due to torsion of the splenic pedicle. We experienced a case of torsion of wandering spleen in 8-year-old girl who admitted with fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, palpable left abdominal mass. She was diagnosed preoperatively with the aid of abdominal sonography and C.T. scanning. A splenectomy was performed and she made uneventful recovery. The case report illustrates some of the diagnostic and therapeutic considerations pertaining to wandering spleen with a brief review of related literature.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Child ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Vomiting ; Wandering Spleen*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The endoscopic mucosal resection has now been adopted for a useful modality in both curative therapy and accurate diagnosis of early gastric cancer. A retrospective study was done to evaluate the indication and the limitation of endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer. METHODS: We studied 20 cases of early gastric cancer treated by endoscopic mucosal resection in Chungnam National University Hospital from November, 1995 to July, 1997. RESULTS: 1) The size affected the curability: 83. 3% of lesions less than 2 cm and 50. 0% of those larger than 2 cm were resected completely. 2) The depth of cancer invasion affected the curability: 87. 5% of lesion confined to mucosa were resected completely, while all of submucosal cancers were resected incompletely. 3) Among fourteen cases resected completely, three cases of lesions larger than 2 cm were residual cancer and two of those less than 2 cm were recurred locally. CONCLUSIONS: To be a curative therapy by endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer, we think that careful selection of the lesion, that is lesion less than 2cm and confined to mucosa, is necessary
Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Endometriosis in the episiotomy scar following vaginal delivery is one of the very rare condition among the extrapelvic endometriosis. We have experienced two cases of endometriosis in the episiotomy scar following vaginal delivery. We report two cases with a brief review of the concerned literatures.
Cicatrix* ; Endometriosis* ; Episiotomy* ; Female

OBJECTIVES: Alcoholism is known to be a heritable disease. It has been hypothesized that dopamineergic systems play an important heritable role in human behavor related to alcohol dependence, such as alcohol seeking. Therefore, genes involved in this pathway, including dopamine transporter(DAT1) which is responsible for taking released dopamine back up into presynaptic terminals and terminating dopaminergic activity, are potential candidate that may affect susceptibility to alcoholism. Analysis of a 40-base pair(bp)repeat(VNTR)in the 3'untranslated region of the DAT1 gene revealed variable number of the repeat ranging from 3 to 11 copies. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the association between alcoholism and VNTR polymorphism of DAT1. METHODS: Genomic DNA analysis with polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to identify the presence of a VNTR polymorphism. It was carried out within a group of 94 alcoholic patients and 113 normal controls. RESULTS: 1)There were no significant differences in allelic or genotype frequencies between the group of alcoholic patients and controls. 2)There were no significant differences in the first drinking age, onset age and latency of alcoholism according to DAT1 genotypes. 3)There was a significant difference in allelic frequencies between alcoholics with family history and those without family history. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that VNTR polymorphism of DAT1 is unlikely to be a factor in the genetic etiology of alcoholism, but might be related to familial transmission of alcoholism.
Age of Onset ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism* ; DNA ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Dopamine* ; Drinking ; Genotype ; Humans ; Presynaptic Terminals

No abstract available.

Twelve cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system experienced between 1980 and 1990 were investigated by histological and immunohistochemical findings correlated with clinical observation. Of the 12 patients, 6 were male and 6 were female. Their ages ranged from 31 to 58 years(mean, 45.8 years). All Tumors were supratentorial except 1 case which was found in the spinal cord. The fronto-parietal lobe was the most common site, which accounted for 66.7%. Histologically, all the tumors showed unfavorable histology. Diffuse large cell type was the most frequent(66.7%). Immunohistochemical studies using monoclonal antibodies revealed predominance of B-cell phenotype. Although most cases were treated with a combination of surgery and irradiation, the outcome was poor in all.
Female ; Male ; Humans

In order to survey the reality of anxiety and depression among the Koreans residing in china, a study was conducted between January and March of 1991, on the residents of Yun-Kil city, with subjects of 472 Koreans and 479 Chinese. The evaluation was based on the questionnaires, named Combined self-rating anxiety depression scale (CADS), distributed among the subjects. ANOVA and t-test were applied for data processing. The results were as follows: There was not significant difference in the mean of total scores between the two groups. The scores of Koreans were 29.70±7.03, while those of Chinese were 29.45±9.01. The score of the CADS above 50 (clinically significant level) was seen in 12 (2.54%) Koreans and 21 (4.38%) Chinese. The anxiety-depression scores relating to the items of indigestion and decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libido were relatively high among the Koreans. The items appeared low in scores among the Koreans were faintness, fear, suicidal rumination, hopelessness, paresthesias. The highs among the Chinese were facial flushing, anxiousness, dissatisfaction, suicidal rumination. The items appeared low among the Chinese were fear, faintness, paresthesias, weight loss, suicidal rumination. In the compatison of evaluation by items between the two groups, the items placing the Koreans significantly higher over the Chinese are indigestion & decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libldo. The Chinese marked significantly higher in facial flushing, anxiousness, dissastisfaction, suicidal rumination. Those in the case of female (p<0.01 respectively), less than twenty years old (p<0.01 respectively), dissatisfied with family relationship (p<0.01 respectively), with past history of psychiatric hospitalization (Koreans p<0.01, Chinese p<0.05), pessimistic toward future, present, past self image (p<0.01 respectively) had significantly higher scores in both groups. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In marital status, the Koreans showed a higher degree of divorce and separation and the Chinese in singleness (p<0.01 respectively). The Korean were higher in illiteracy and the Chinese had more college education (p<0.01 respectively). In place of growth, The Koreans showed not much difference in the areas while more Chinese grew up un large cities (p<0.01). More Koreans lived in the dormitory while the Chinese were engaged more in self-cooking (p<0.01 respectively), In pocket money per mouth, more Koreans were less than 1 dollar while the Chinese were between 7 and 10 dollars (p<0.01 respectively). There were no significant difference between two groups about religion.
Anxiety* ; Appetite ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China* ; Depression* ; Divorce ; Dyspepsia ; Education ; Ethnopsychology ; Family Relations ; Female ; Flushing ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Libido ; Literacy ; Marital Status ; Mouth ; Paresthesia ; United Nations ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Massive bleeding, inability to identify important landmarks and structures, and necessity for a blood transfusion have been the usual problems of hemangioma excision. OBJECTIVE: We introduce a CO2 laser excision technique as a surgical method for the treatment of hemangioma of the lips and demonstrate its benefits. METHODS: In 4 patients with nevus flammeus of hemiface and accompanying hemangioma of the lips, excision of the hemangioma was performed using a focused beam from a CO2 laser under local anesthesia. RESULTS: Excellent to good results were achieved with minimal blood losses in all patients. No or minimal post-operative pain and edema and no significant complications were observed. CONCLUSION:The CO2 laser excision technique is recommended since it renders less textural change, greater volume reduction, hemostasis and an overall good cosmetic outcome than defocused modes or conventional scalpel surgery.
Anesthesia, Local ; Blood Transfusion ; Edema ; Hemangioma* ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas* ; Lip* ; Port-Wine Stain

PURPOSE: Tacrolimus (FK506) is a new potent immunosuppressive agent which has been used as a primary immunosuppressive agent and rescue therapy for refractory rejection in kidney transplantation. In vitro, on a molecular basis, tacrolimus is 10 to 100 times more potent than cyclosporine. Complications associated with tacrolimus are similar to those seen in cyclosporine, including nephrotoxicity. An early marker of tacrolimus-induced nephropathy is tubular vacuolization, whereas long-term administration of tacrolimus is associated with striped interstitial fibrosis and arteriolar hyalinosis. However, morphological changes and pathogenesis of fibrosis in chronic tacrolimus-induced nephropathy remain poorly understood. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 has been implicated in the fibrosis of a number of chronic diseases of the kidney and other organs. This study was designed to clarify the ultrastructural changes of tacrolimus-induced nephropathy, and to evaluate the relationship between tacrolimus- induced nephropathy and expression of TGF-beta1. METHODS: Male ICR mice received tacrolimus daily at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg by intraperitoneal route for 12 weeks and sacrified 1, 4, 8, 10, and 12 weeks after the initiation of the study, respectively. The kidneys were removed, the cortex is carefully dissected from the medulla, and the tissues are processed for evaluation by light microscopy, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR for RNA analysis. RESULTS: Characteristic histological changes of tacrolimus-induced nephropathy were peritubular capillary and intraglomerular capillary congestions, vacuolizations of the tubular epithelium, pericapillary focal fibrosis, and tubular atrophy. Tacrolimus- treated kidneys had a progressive increase in the expression of TGF-beta1, especially in the glomerular and interstitial capillary endothelial cells and atrophied tubular epithelial cells. TGF-beta1 mRNA is expressed persistently in tacrolimus- treated mice for 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that TGF-beta1 may be involved in the fibrogenesis in the tacrolimus-induced nephropathy.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Capillaries ; Chronic Disease ; Cyclosporine ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Tacrolimus ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Transforming Growth Factors

Inflammatory mediators, such as oxidants, TNF-alpha, and IL-6, play a major role in the systemic response to bum injury It has been known that a continuing inflammatory response cause a sepsis and subsequent multiple organ failure. Recent studies have shown that burn patients receiving recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) therapy have an improvement of the general condition, but the mechanism by which rhGH exerts its effects has not been clearly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of rhGH on the early bum injury. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups : control group, bum group, burn plus rhGH treated group, and rhGH only treated group. Animals were killed at 30min., 3, 6, 24, and 48 hours after treatment. Histology and biochemical changes including malondialdehyde(MDA) content, tissue reduced glutathione(GSH) and catalase activity in the lung and liver, and plasma TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels were examined. Lung histology in the bum plus rhGH treated group showed decreased inflammtory response such as neutrophil and lymphocyte infiltrations, interstitial thickening, and edema compared with the bum group. Liver histology in the bum group revealed mild neutrophil and lymphocyte infiltrations, vacuolization .of hepatocytes, disrupted lobular structures, and dilated sinusoids. But liver histology of the bum plus rhGH was similar to control group. Lung and liver MDA in the burn plus rhGH and rhGH only treated groups were decreased with time compared with the burn group. Lung and liver GSH and catalase activities in the bum plus rhGH and GH only treated groups remained significantly increased compared with the bum group for the 48-hours period. Plasma TNF-alpha levels in the bum group remained elevated for the 48-hours period compared with the bum plus rhGH and rhGH only treated groups. Plasma IL-6 levels in the burn group were significantly increased only at first compared with the bum plus rhGH and rhGH only treated groups. These results suggested that rhGH showed inhibitory effects on the inflammatory cell infiltration and lipid peroxidation in the lung and liver after bum injury. Increased GSH levels and catalase activities seemed to be associated with the antioxidant effect of rhGH. But the inhibitory effect of rhGH on plasma TNF- and R-6 levels was not clearly demonstrated.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Burns ; Catalase ; Edema ; Female ; Hepatocytes ; Human Growth Hormone* ; Humans* ; Interleukin-6* ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Neutrophils ; Oxidants ; Plasma* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sepsis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*