Correction of funding statement.

Correction of funding statement.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVES: To report a rare posterior arch hypoplasia of the atlas and review the clinical significance. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Congenital hypoplasia of posterior arch of the atlas is uncommon. In particular, the combined fracture of the odontoid process has not been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 56-year-old man developed severe neck pain after a traffic accident. Cervical CT scan revealed a fracture of the odontoid process and hypoplasia of posterior arch of the atlas. RESULTS: Bony union was achieved after halo vest immobilization for three months. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoplasia of posterior arch of the atlas is determined incidentally in asymptomatic patients. However, the patients should be evaluated in detail with a 3D CT and MRI to avoid a misinterpretation as fracture, instability or misdiagnosis.
Accidents, Traffic ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Middle Aged ; Neck Pain ; Odontoid Process

Pancoast syndrome (PS) is characterized by a malignant neoplasm of the superior sulcus of the lung with destructive lesions of the thoracic inlet and involvement of the brachial plexus and cervical sympathetic nerves. The most common initial symptom of PS is shoulder pain; however, cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis, signs often associated with lung cancer, are not as common. Investigation of PS can be difficult even with plain radiographs of the chest because it is surrounded by osseous structures such as the ribs, vertebral bodies, and manubrium. Due to these characteristics, orthopedic surgeons tend to make a misdiagnosis resulting in delay of appropriate treatment. Here we report on a patient who was supposed to undergo rotator cuff repair for his shoulder pain and weakness, and was eventually diagnosed with PS.
Bays ; Brachial Plexus ; Cough ; Diagnostic Errors ; Dyspnea ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Manubrium ; Orthopedics ; Pancoast Syndrome* ; Ribs ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder Pain ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome ; Thorax

Congenital hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is a rare genodermatosis. It is characterized by hypohidrosis hypotrichosis, dental hypoplasia and characterstic facial features, which reflect a wide constellation of developmental defec of tissue from the ectoderm. We have encountered three cases of congenital hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia in a 28-year-old female, her new-born baby, and a 10-month-old boy with a family history. All of the three patients had hypohidrosis, hypotrichosis, defective dentition, and characterstic facial features, which were characterstic features of this disorder. In addition, they showed dry skin, sparse and thin hairs. Histopathologic findings of previous cases revealed no eccrine gland structure in the dermis with routine and immunohistochemical stainning such cytokeratin and filaggrin. We report three typical cases of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with the review of literature.
Adult ; Dentition ; Dermis ; Eccrine Glands ; Ectoderm ; Ectodermal Dysplasia 1, Anhidrotic* ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis ; Hypotrichosis ; Infant ; Keratins ; Male ; Skin

PURPOSE: To evaluate neurotoxic effects induced by oxygen-radicals, which were generated by adding xanthine oxidase(XO) and hypoxanthine(HX), and protective effects of glutamate receptor antagonist such as MK-801 and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline(CNQX). METHODS: Dissociated cell cultures were prepared from cerebrum of neonatal mouse. Tissues were dissected and diced into small pieces in phosphate buffered saline and were incubated at 37degrees C. Isolated cells were resuspended in Eagle's minimum essential medium and plated poly-L-lysine coated plastic coverslips in 96 well multichambers at a cell density of 3x105 cells/well. Cells were grown in a 5% CO2/95% air atmosphere at 37degrees C. Cytotoxic effects were examined in cerebral cortical neurons cultured for 3 hours in media containing various concentration of XO and HX. The protective effects of glutamate receptor antagonist were also examined by MTT assay and neurofilament enzymeimmunoassay(EIA). Microscopic examinations were also done. RESULTS: Oxygen radicals markedly induced decrement of the cell viability of cultured mouse cerebral cortical neurons in a dose-dependent manner. Midpoint cytotoxicity value was 30mU/ml XO/0.1mM HX, when mouse cerebral cortical neurons were incubated for 3 hours with various concentrations of XO and HX. The number of cells and neurites was decreased when cerebral cortical neurons were cultured for 3 hours in a medium containing 30mU/ml XO/0.1mM HX. MK- 801 was very effective in blocking oxidant-induced neurotoxicity, while CNQX falied to show any protective effect in these cultures. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that oxygen radicals are neurotoxic, and selective N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists such as MK-801 are very effective in protecting neurotoxicity induced by oxygen radicals in cultured cerebral cortical neurons of neonatal mouse.
6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione ; Animals ; Anoxia ; Atmosphere ; Cell Count ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Survival ; Cerebrum ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists* ; Glutamic Acid* ; Ischemia ; Mice* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neurites ; Neurons* ; Oxidative Stress* ; Plastics ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Receptors, Glutamate* ; Xanthine

Microsatellites are short nucleotide repeat sequences present throughout the human genome. Alterations of microsatellites, comprising extra or missing copies of these se quences, have been termed microsatellite instability(MSI, genetic instability, replication errors, RER(+) phenotype). To date, at least four genes involved in DNA mismatch repair, hMSH2, hMLH1, hPMS1 and hPMS2, are thought to account for the observation of microsatellite instability in tumor from Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) patients. The genetic defect responsible for the MIN+ phenotype in sporadic colorectal cancer, however, has yet to be clearly delineated. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of MSI in sporadic cancer and to correlate its occurrence with clinicopathological parameters, we have studied six microsatellite loci by use of polymerase chain reaction amplification and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We found that 20%(9 of 46 cases) sporadic colorectal cancers showed RER at two or several loci(RER+). Microsatellite instability was associated with location of the tumor in the proximal colon 66%(6 of 9 cases) and with poorly differentiated tumor phenotype 56%(5 of 9 cases). In order to better understand the role of somatic alterations within hMSH2 in the process of colorectal tumorigenesis, we examined the most conserved regions(codon 598~789) of this gene in nine patients with MIN spotadic colorectal cancer. 6 patient of RER(+) colorectal ca. patients had a polymorphism which was a T to C base change in the intron sequence at -6 position of the splice acceptor site at the 5'end of exon 13. This particular sequence variation is a polymorphism rather than a mutation which increase cancer susceptability. These data suggest that the genetic instability is detect ed in some colorectal cancers and play an important role in the pathogenesis of sporadic colorectal cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis ; DNA Mismatch Repair ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Exons ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Introns ; Microsatellite Instability* ; Microsatellite Repeats* ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Splice Sites

A collodion baby is born with a tough, inelastic parchment-like membrane covering the whole body surface. As the meinbrane fissures and peels, a more characteristic ichthyosiform change is evident beneath the collodion membrane. Uncommonly, normal skin is found under it. We herein present two cases af collodion baby, which were confirmed as a sporadic case of lamellar ichthyosis and a case of lamellar exfoliation of the newborn, respectively, after long-term clinical observation. It is necessary that detailed genetical and molecular biological studies should be perforrned in order to elucidate the fur:damental, molecular changes that cause these dramatic cutaneous changes.
Collodion* ; Humans ; Ichthyosis, Lamellar ; Infant, Newborn ; Membranes ; Skin

PURPOSE: In order to elucidate the neurotoxic mechanism of oxygen radicals which are pathological factor of ischemia, we evaluated the oxidant-induced neurotoxicity and the neuroprotective effect of antioxidant on cultured cerebral neurons derived from neonatal mouse. METHODS: Neurotoxic effect was investigated after cultured mouse neuronal cells were exposed to oxygen radicals which were generated enzymatically by reaction of xanthine oxidase (XO) and hypoxanthine (HX). And also the neuroprotective effect of antioxidant was assessed with catalase. Both effects determined by cell viability were assessesd by MTT assay and neurofilament enzymeimmuno assay (EIA). In order to see the histologic change microscopic exam also done on the cerebral neuronal cells. RESULTS: 1) Oxygen radicals were toxic on cultured mouse cerebral neurons in dose- and time-dependent manner. 2) The value of lethal concentration50 (LC50) of oxygen radicals was estimated at a concentration of 25mU/ml xanthine oxidase (XO) and 0.2mM hypoxanthine (HX) in these culture. 3) Catalase was effective in blocking the neurotoxicity induced by oxygen radicals at a concentration of 50ug/ml. 4) Oxygen radicals induced the decrease of cell number and the loss of neurites in cultured mouse cerebral neurons. CONCLUSION: It is suggest that oxygen radicals cause the neurotoxicity and the selective antioxidants such as catalase are very effective in blocking oxidant-mediated neurotoxicity on cultured cerebral neurons of neonatal mouse.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Catalase ; Cell Count ; Cell Survival ; Hypoxanthine ; Ischemia ; Mice* ; Neurites ; Neurons* ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Oxygen* ; Reactive Oxygen Species* ; Xanthine Oxidase

Recently halothane and enflurane are commonly used inhalational anesthetic agents in our country. However, it is a controversial matter whether these agents are a potential threat to the liver. Therefore, in order to evaluate the effects of halothane and enflurane on the hepatic function, we divided a anesthetized patients into the following 4 groups. 1st group; low spinal anesthesia. 2nd group; single inhalational anesthesia with halothane.3rd group; repeated secondary inhalational anesthesia with halothane. 4th group; secondary inhalational anesthesia with enflurane following halothane. On postoperative 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th day, we checked the levels of SGOT, SGPT and ALP. The results are as follows. group 1. Low spinal anesthesia(10 cases) ;SGOT and SGPT levels-no change or recovered in 9 cases (90%) ALP level-no change in all cases. group 2. Single inhalational anesthesia with halothane (14 cases) ;SGOT and SGPT levels-no change or recovered in 13 cases(92%) severely changed in 1 case. ALP level-no change or recovered in 13 cases (92%) group 3. Repeat 2ndary halothane anesthesia following previous halothane anesthesia. (14cases) ; SGOT level-no-change or recovered in 11 cases (79%), severely changed in 2 cases. SGPT level-no-change or recovered in 11 cases (79%), severely changed in 3 cases. ALP level-no-change or recovered in 11 cases (79%), severely changed in 1 case group 4. Repeated 2ndary enflurane anesthesia following previous halothane anesthesia. (11 cases) ; SGOT level-no-change or recovered in 8 cases (72%), severely changed in 2 cases SGPT level-no-change or recovered in 8 cases (63%), severely changed in 2 cases ALP level-no-change or recovered in 5 cases (45%), severely changed in 1 case From the above results, more cases of elevated SGOT, SGPT and ALP levels and slower recovery rate were noted in the repeated anesthesia group than in the one time anesthesia group. Not only the anesthetics themselves but also other variables such as disease severity coincidental illness, transfusion, duration of operation and so on are probably responsible for these alterations.
Alanine Transaminase* ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Anesthetics ; Aspartate Aminotransferases* ; Enflurane ; Halothane ; Humans ; Liver