BACKGROUND: As the pleural inflammation progresses, exudative pleural fluid becomes loculated rapidly with pleural thickening. Complete drainage is important 13 prevent pleural fibrosis, entrapment and depression of lung function Intrapleural urokinase instillation therapy has been advocated as a method to facilitate drainage of gelatinous pleural fluid and to allow enzymatic debriment of pleural surface. This study was designed to investigate the Predictors of effeotiveness of intrapleural urokinase in treatment of loculated pleural effusion METHOD: Thirty-five patients received a single radiographically guided pig-tail catheter ranging in size from 10 to 12 French Twenty-two patients had tuberculous pleural effusions, and 13 had non-tuberculous postpneumonic empyemas. A total of 240,000 units of urokinase was dissolved in 240 ml of normal saline and the aliquots of 80mL was instilled into the pleura1 cavity via pig-tail catheter per every 8hr. Effectiveness of intrapleural urokinase instillation therapy was assessed by biochemical markers, ultrasonography, and technical details. A greater than 50% improvement on follow-up chest radiographs was defined as success group. RESULT: Twenty-seven of 35 (77.1%) patients had successful outcome to urokinase instillation therapy. Duration of symptoms before admission was shorter in sucess group (11.8α6.9day) than in failure group (26.62α16.5day) (P<0.05). Amount of drained fluid during urokinsse therapy was larger in success group (917.1α392.7ml) than in failure group (613.8α259.7ml) (P<0.05). Pleural fluid glucose was higher in success group (89.7 α35.9mg/dl) than in failure group (41.2α47.1mg/dl) (P<0.05). Pleural fluid LDH was lower in success group (878.4α654.31U/L) than in failure group (2711.1α973.1IU/L) (P<0.05). Honeycomb septated pattern on chest ultrasonography was observed in six of eight failure group, but none of success group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Longer duration of symptoms before admission smaller amount of drained fluid during urokinase therapy, lower glucose value, higher LDH value in pleural fluid examination and honeycomb septation pattern on chest ultrasonography were predictors for failure group of intrapleural urokinase instillation therapy.
Biomarkers ; Catheters ; Depression ; Drainage ; Empyema ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gelatin ; Glucose ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Pleural Effusion* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

Diagnostic value of the pressure difference (PDBC) between brachial artery systolic pressure (BASP) and cavernosal artery systolic occlusion pressure (CASOP) was comparatively analyzed with penile brachial index (PBI), cavernosal artery duplex ultrasonography (CADU) and selective internal pudendal arteriography in 60 cases (30 patients) with suggestive arteriogenic impotence. 1. When arteriogram set as a standard control. the specificity and sensitivity of PDBC were 58.8% 61.8%, those of CADU were 57.1%, 59.4% and those of PBI were 55.8%, 70.6%. 2. When PDBC set as a standard control, the specificity and sensitivity of internal pudendal arteriography were 43.5%, 75.0%, those of CADU were 34.8%, 67.9% and those of PBI were 34.3%. 68.8%. Those results suggest that PDBC is not significantly correlated with internal pudendal arteriogram and it has a limitation in evaluation of arteriogenic impotence. Thus, PDBC should be interpreted in comparison with PBI, CADU and/or arteriogram.
Angiography* ; Arteries* ; Blood Pressure ; Brachial Artery ; Female ; Impotence, Vasculogenic ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography

Monitoring of the central venous pressure is a simple, relatively inexpensive method of assessing a patient's cardiac status, circulating blood volume, and vasomotor tone. The simplest way of checking the intrathoraeic location of the catheter tip is by observing oscillation of 2~4cmH2O in the manometer column, synchronous with respiratory cycle. Inaccurate measurements are often obtained by the misplacement of the central venous catheter tip, in addition to the other well-known complications. Radiographic identification of the catheter tip is essential to eliminate these problems. We experienced a case of arrhythmia which appeared upon misplacement of the central venous catheter tip, and confirmed its misplacement by radiographic study.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Volume ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Central Venous Pressure ; Methods

In general, the long head of the biceps brachii originates from the superior glenoid labrum and the supraglenoid tubercle, crosses the rotator cuff interval, and extends into the bicipital groove. However, rare anatomic variations of the origins of the long head have been reported in the past. In this report, we review the clinical history, radiologic findings, and arthroscopic identifications of 3 anatomic variants of the biceps tendon long head. As the detection of long head of biceps tendon pathology during preoperative radiologic assessment can be difficult without prior knowledge, surgeons should be aware of such possible anatomic variations.
Anatomic Variation ; Head* ; Pathology ; Rotator Cuff ; Shoulder ; Tendons

One hundred patients who have a urethral stone lesser than 1.0cm in diameter were evaluated for spontaneous passage during 8 months between July, 1991 and February, 1992. The spontaneous, passage in accordance with duration of follow-up, the stone site, size, shape and degree of urethra obstruction was investigated. The overall rate of spontaneous passage was 56.0 % with the duration or 39.3 days ranging from 2 days to 8 months. Among these 56 patients, 48(85.7% ) obtained a spontaneous passage within 8 weeks. The rate and duration of spontaneous passage according to stone site were 57.7%, 67.4 days in upper ureter, 25.0%, 64.0 days in mid ureter and 57.1%. 21.9 days in lower ureter, respectively. Spontaneous passage rate was insignificantly correlated with the increment of stone size, but the duration requiring for spontaneous passage of lower ureteral stone was shorter than those of upper or mid ureteral stones. For stone shape the smooth surface or cylindrical shaped stone was more easily passed out spontaneously than the irregular or round shaped one. And, the severer ureteral obstruction, the poorer spontaneous passage was observed. Therefore, the ureteral stone which is smaller than 1.0cm in diameter could be expected a spontaneous passage for 8 weeks at least unless there are specific symptoms or impairment of renal function, especially when the stone has smooth-cylindrical shape and the ureter shows minimal obstruction.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Urethra

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of various serotonergic drugs on the inhibition of intraluminal pressure rise in the rat vas deferens induced by electrical stimulation of the hypogastric nerve. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-five Sprague Dawley rats (250-300 gm) were randomly divided into five groups of five animals each, which received intravenous injection of normal saline, clomipramine, sertraline, paroxetine, or fluoxetine. Before (baseline pressure) and 30 minutes after intravenous injection of four different doses (0.1 to 20 the therapeutic dose) of each agent, the hypogastric nerve, identified using microsurgical technique, was electrically stimulated, and the intraluminal pressure of the vas deferens was measured (central effect group). To evaluate the peripheral effects of clomipramine and sertraline, intraluminal vasal pressure was also measured after transection of all proximal sympathetic nerves projecting to the hypogastric nerve and the commissural branches between the right and left major and accessory pelvic ganglia. The adrenal veins were ligated bilaterally. RESULTS: Repeated stimulation of the hypogastric nerves, anesthesia of long duration (3hours), and repeated intravenous injection of normal saline did not result in significant changes in the intraluminal pressure of the vas deferens in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). The extent of inhibition by 20-fold therapeutic doses of clomipramine, sertraline, paroxetine, and fluoxetin were 74.4 1.8%, 34.1 8.3%, 24.8 7.8%, and 8.1 3.5%, respectively. At doses 10- and 20-fold the therapeutic dose, clomipramine had the strongest inhibitory effect, followed by sertraline and paroxetin, then fluoxetine (p<0.05). Definite inhibition was noted in all rats receiving clomipramine at 10- and 20-fold the therapeutic dose; the degree of inhibition was 80% in the sertraline-, 60% in the paroxetine-, and 20% in the fluoxetin-treated group. The inhibitory effect of sertraline on the elevation of the intraluminal vasal pressure in the peripheral-effect group was significantly (p<0.01) less than that in the central-effect group. However, there was no difference in the inhibitory effect of clomipramine in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Clomipramine was the most potent inhibitor of the elevation of the intraluminal pressure of the rat vas after electrical stimulation of the hypogastric nerve. The greater effect might be attributable to an additional peripheral effect of this drug on the vas deferens.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Clomipramine ; Electric Stimulation* ; Fluoxetine ; Ganglia ; Injections, Intravenous ; Paroxetine ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin Agents* ; Sertraline ; Vas Deferens* ; Veins

PURPOSE: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is an important mitogen in many types of malignancies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the IGF system on cell proliferation and cell death in mouse lung cancer cell lines (3LL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Northern analysis was performed in 3LL cells. We evaluated the phosphorylation of IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) with IGF-I stimulation. MTT assay was performed after treating 3LL cells with IGF-I and the treatment effect on cell death in the presence of anticancer drug was investigated. RESULTS: Northern analysis revealed the presence of IGF-I and IGF-IR mRNA expression in 3LL cells. IGF-I increased cellular proliferation in serum free media. IGF-I also stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of two proteins: one, with a molecular mass of 95 kDa, was the beta-subunit of IGF-IR; the other, with an approximate molecular mass of 185 kDa, was originally identified as the insulin receptor substrate-I (IRS-I). IGF-I at a low concentration inhibited the cell death induced by adriamycin. CONCLUSION: IGF-I, a mitogen through the phosphorylation of the IGF-IR beta-subunit, acts as a survival factor to inhibit cell death. Therefore, these findings suggest that IGF-I and IGF-IR are involved in both the cell proliferation and cell death associated with cancer cell growth.
Animals ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Doxorubicin ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Mice* ; Phosphorylation ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; Receptor, Insulin ; RNA, Messenger ; Tyrosine

The automation in autopsy data recording, particularly in the reporting and encoding system using computers requires well designed databases. This system employed multimedia computer techniques to design a database system with application programs along with the standardized autopsy data management flow. The benefit of the present development was verified by practical application into the autopsies performed in the department of forensic medicine, Kyungpook National University. The standardized medical information of forensic autopsy data provides mutual exchange of information between the institutions and information to law enforcement agencies. Statistics on autopsy data could be used not only for medical education and research, but also as a template for policy determination concerning forensic medicine in Korea. It is necessary to standardize information between the institutions.
Automation ; Autopsy* ; Education, Medical ; Forensic Medicine ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Korea ; Law Enforcement ; Multimedia

BACKGROUND: Asthmatic patients frequently suffer cold-weather-associated respiratory symptoms. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and diagnostic value of isocapnic hyperventilation of cold air(IHCA) using a multistep method was investigated in patients suspected to have asthma. METHOD: One hundred and 29 adult patients who had an IHCA performed between july 1999 and December 2000, had an methacholine bronchoprovocation test because of a clinical suspicion of asthma. RESULTS: According to strict criteria, 50 were defined as asthmatics and 79 as symptomatic nonashmatics. There were no differences in age, sex and smoking state between the asthmatic and symptomatic nonasthmatic groups. There was a significant decrease in the percentage reduction in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1) after the IHCA between the asthmatics(-10.0±6.8%) and the symptomatic nonasthmatics(-2.3±2.5%). The factors associated with a reactivity to IHCA were FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75/FVC and FEV1(% of predicted). The accuracy was highest using a 7% fall in FEV1; the sensitivity was 76% and the specificity 96%. CONCLUSION: IHCA is a specific, although not a sensitive, test for diagnosing asthma in adult patients. Furthermore, the diagnostic cut-off value of the different methods of IHCA need to be determined.
Adult* ; Asthma* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Hyperventilation* ; Methacholine Chloride ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: IGF-I is an important mitogen in many types of malignancies. Tumors also express many IGF binding proteins, which modulate IGF action. The purpose of this study was to evaluaste the effect of IGF-I and IGFBP on cell proliferation in mouse lung cancer cells (3LL). METHODS: The cellular proliferation of 3LL with the treatment of growth factors was evaluated using MTT assay. Western ligand blot was performed in order to determine whether 3LL cells secrete IGFBPs and we evaluated the effect of IGFBP on cellular proliferation. RESULTS: The treatment of 3LL cells with IGF-I increased cellular proliferation in a serum free media. Western ligand blot of conditioned medium of 3LL with 125I-IGF-I demonstrated one single major band with an estimated molecular mass of 24 kDa. This band was identified as IGFBP-4 with immunoblot analysis using antisera. The addition of anti-IGFBP-4 antibody to abrogate the effect of IGFBP-4 resulted in increased cellular prolife ration suggesting that IGFBP-4 inhibits cell growth. CONCLUSION: IGF-I increases cellular proliferation, however the secreted IGFBP- 4 has an ingibitory function on cell growth in 3LL. These findings suggest that IGF-I and IGFBP are involved in the cell proliferation.
Animals ; Carrier Proteins* ; Cell Proliferation ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Immune Sera ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Mice*