Twenty-two cases of idiopathic myocardiopathy were observed during the period of 1962 to 1971 and follow up clinical study was made in 5 cases. The criteria of diagnosis was based mainly on exclusive diagnosis in etiology unknown marked cardiomegaly. 1) Male and female ratio of idiopathic myocardiopathy was 1.1:1 and age of onset were distributed from first decade to fifth decade with similar number of cases. 2) Cardinal symptoms were dyspnea, palpitation, chest pain and cough. Common physical findings were protodiastolic gallop (in 2 cases), moist rales (in 3 cases) and hepatomegaly(in 3 cases). 3) Laboratory findings were normal except elevated T.T.T. in one case. 4) Electrocardiogram were abnormal in all cases. There were 3 cases of left ventricular hypertrophy, 3 cases of non-specific ST-T changes and one case of first degree A-V block, intraventricular conduction defect, abnormal Q wave and low valtage, respectively. 5) After medical treatment, symptoms were improved in 4 cases but heart size was reduced in only one case and E.C.G. abnormalities were unchanged in all cases.
Age of Onset ; Cardiomegaly ; Cardiomyopathies* ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Male ; Respiratory Sounds

A 49-year-old male was found unconscious at his accommodation and visited the emergency room. He was on antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs (vortioxetine hydrobromide, mirtazapine, sertraline hydrochloride, quetiapine, and alprazolam) for schizophrenia and major depression. At the time of discovery there were signs of overdose of the drugs around the patient. A physical examination revealed, pain, pallor, and edema in the left buttocks and lateral thigh. Active ankle movements below the left ankle were not possible and sensations in the tibia and peroneal nerves were lost. The pressure in the buttock compartment was measured at 42 mmHg. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed edema and high intensity signals in the left hip muscles and surrounding soft tissue. An emergency fasciotomy was performed and partial restoration of the lower extremity sensation and muscle strength were achieved after 24 hours.

A lumbar juxtafacet cyst is a rare disease that causes low back pain, radiculopathy and neurological claudication by compressing the nerve roots. A 34-year-old male complained of severe low back pain and radicular pain in the right lower extremity. Magnetic resonance images revealed a cyst at the lateral recess of the spinal canal between the L3-4 disc and posterior facet joint that extended to the L4 body level. Under the guidance of an image intensifier, needle aspiration of the cyst was performed, which extracted 1.5 ml of serous, yellowish colored fluid. After the aspiration, the symptoms subsided dramatically. The follow-up magnetic resonance images showed no recurrence of the cyst. To the best of the author’s knowledge, there are no reports of lumbar juxtafacet cyst treated with needle aspiration in Korea. This case is reported with a review of the relevant literature.

PURPOSE: In the diagnosis of pediatric urinary tract infection(UTI), the use of invasive methods, such as voiding cystourethrography(VCUG), is controversial. A retrospective study was carried out to evaluate the necessity for VCUG in assessing pediatric UTI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2000 and March 2002, 70 children (60 boys, 10 girls) with symptomatic UTI were evaluated. All patients were evaluated with renal ultrasonography(RUS), 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphy(DMSA renal scan) and VCUG. The results of the VCUG were compared with RUS and similar comparisons made between the results of the VCUG and DMSA renal scans. Patients with both normal a RUS and DMSA renal scan were then evaluated for the frequency and grade of vesicoureteral reflux(VUR) on the VCUG. RESULTS: The mean age at the initial evaluation was 7.95 months, ranging from 1 to 52 months. RUS and DMSA scan abnormalities were found in 38(54.3%) and 26(37.1%) children, respectively. Of the 22 patients with VUR confirmed by VCUG, 11(50.0%) had an abnormal RUS, and 12 (54.5%) patients had abnormal DMSA renal scans. Of the 19 patients with both a normal RUS and DMSA scan, 4(21.2%, 6 kidney-ureter unit) were found to have VUR on VCUG. CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrated that a considerable number of patients may have significant VUR, despite normal renal ultrasonography and DMSA scans. Therefore, VCUG remains important in assessing pediatric UTI.
Child* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Succimer ; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

No abstract available.
Mediastinum* ; Neuroblastoma*

No abstract available.
Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell*

A diagnosis of gout is often straightforward because gout has well known clinical presentations, laboratory analyses, and radiologic features. On the other hand, gout can mimic other diseases by showing a range of atypical clinical manifestations. This paper reports a 35-year-old male with no prior history of gout who developed tophaceous gout at his previously repaired Achilles tendon 11 years after surgery. He was initially misdiagnosed with cellulitis because of his atypical clinical features. This case is presented with a review of the relevant literature.

Spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) can occur naturally or traumatically and is most common in patients with an underlying disease of the vascular structure or coagulation disorder. Most SEHs occur naturally for no apparent reason, and epidural hematoma caused by trauma is less common, comprising 1.0%–1.7% of total spinal injuries. Few reports of SEH induced cauda equine syndrome resulting from low-energy injury caused by osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are available. The authors experienced a case of delayed SEH after hemorrhage due to a low-energy injury in an elderly patient. No cases in Korea have been reported; therefore, this case is reported with a review of the relevant literature.
Aged ; Allografts ; Arthroplasty ; Fractures, Compression ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Humerus ; Korea ; Spinal Injuries

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the incidence of colon cancer. In addition, NSAIDs reduce the number and size of polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The mechanisms of the anti-neoplastic effect of NSAIDs are still far from complete understanding, but one possible mechanism is the induction of apoptosis. Several lines of evidence suggest that NSAIDs-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells are mediated through the cyclooxygenase (COX)-independent pathway. In this study we explored the mechanism of NSAIDs-induced apoptosis in the colon cancer cell line, HT-29. We confirmed that NSAIDs induce apoptosis in HT-29 cells irrespective of their COX-selectivity. Indomethacin enhanced the expression of p21waf-1 in HT-29 cells. However the expression of apoptosis-related genes such as Fas, bcl-2 and bax was not affected by indomethacin. Intra- and extra-cellular calcium chelators, protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor, protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors did not influence indomethacin-induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells. We concluded that NSAIDs-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells may be independent from signals transducted through [Ca++]i, PTK, PKA, PKC or the expression of apoptosis-related genes. In contrast, our results demonstrating the induction of p21waf-1 transcription by NSAIDs suggest the possible association of NSAIDs-induced apoptosis and cell-cycle control in colon cancer cells.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Calcium/metabolism ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Colonic Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Colonic Neoplasms/pathology ; Cyclins/genetics ; Cyclins/biosynthesis ; HT29 Cells ; Human ; Protein Kinases/physiology ; Protein p53/physiology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/analysis ; RNA, Messenger/analysis

In 40 patients with aortic regurgitation(AR), the incidence of reverse doming of anterior mitral leaflet was studied by 2-D echocardiography. Reverse doming could be indentified in 17 of 18 patients(94.4%)with severe AR, in 6 of 15 patients(14.3%)with mild AR. And in relation to the direction of regurgitant jet, reverse doming was noticed in 9 of 11 patients(82%) toward the center of left ventricular cavity. In conclusion, the appearance of reverse doming of anterior mitral leaflet is thought to be related to the degree of AR and the direction of regurgitant jet. And reverse doming by 2-D echocardiography is a helpful parameter for the diagnosis of moderate to severe AR.
Aortic Valve Insufficiency* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence