No Abstract Available.
Fas Ligand Protein* ; Keratoconus*

No abstract available.
Genes, ras* ; Humans*

PURPOSE: Radionuclide cisternography may be helpful in understanding pathophysiology of postural headache and low CSF pressure in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. The purpose of this study was to characterize radionuclide cisternographic findings of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consists of 15 patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Diagnosis was based on their clinical symptoms and results of lumbar puncture. All patients underwent radionuclide cisternography following injection of 111 to 222 MBq of Tc-99m DTPA into the lumbar subarachnoid space. Sequential images were obtained between 1/2 hour and 24 hour after the injection of Tc-99m DTPA. Radioactivity of the bladder, soft tissue uptake, migration of radionuclide in the subarachnoid space, and extradural leakage of radionuclide were evaluated according to the scan time. RESULTS: Radionuclide cisternogram showed delayed migration of radionuclide into the cerebral convexity (14/15), increased soft tissue uptake (11/15), and early visualization of bladder activity at 30 min (6/10) and 2 hr (13/13). Cisternography also demonstrated leakage site of CSF in 4 cases and 2 of these were depicted at 30 min. Epidural blood patch was done in 11 patients and headache was improved in all cases. CONCLUSION: The characterstic findings of spontaneous intracranial hypotension were delayed migration of radionuclide and early visualization of the soft tissue and bladder activity. These scintigraphic findings suggest that CSF leakage rather than increased CSF absorption or decreased production may be the main pathophysiology of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Early and multiple imaging including the bladder and soft tissue is required to observe the entire dynamics of radionuclide migration.
Absorption ; Blood Patch, Epidural ; Diagnosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Hypotension* ; Pentetic Acid ; Radioactivity ; Spinal Puncture ; Subarachnoid Space ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the validity of the Pediatric Index of Mortality II(PIM II). METHOD: The first values on PIM II variables following ICU admission were collected from the patient's charts of 548 admissions retrospectively in three ICUs(medical, surgical, and neurosurgical) at P University Hospital and a cardiac ICU at D University Hospital in Busan from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003. Data was analyzed with the SPSSWIN 10.0 program for the descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, standardized mortality ratio(SMR), validity index(sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value), and AUC of ROC curve. RESULT: The mortality rate was 10.9%(60 cases) and the predicted death rate was 9.5%. The correlation coefficient(r) between observed and expected death rates was .929(p<.01) and SMR was 1.15. Se, Sp, pPv, nPv, and the correct classification rate were .80, .96, .70, .98, and 94.0% respectively. In addition, areas under the curve(AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) was 0.954(95% CI=0.919~0.989). According to demographic characteristics, mortality was underestimated in the medical group and overestimated in the surgical group. In addition, the AUCs of ROC curve were generally high in all subgroups. CONCLUSION: The PIM II showed a good, so it can be utilized for the subject hospital.
Severity of Illness Index ; Male ; *Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Humans ; *Hospital Mortality ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; *Child Mortality ; Child ; Adolescent

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pepsinogen A*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Hypercalciuria*

Urinary cytology has become an essential element in the diagnosis and management of transitional cell carcinoma(TCC) of the urinary tract. It has the advantage of being noninvasive, inexpensive, and easily accessible. Besides that it can even detect malignancy when unsuspected at cystoscopy. We report a retrospective review of urine cytology in the diagnosis of 83 TCC cases that underwent 295 cytologic evaluation. All patients had biopsy-proven TCC of the bladder, ureter and renal pelvis. The overall inci- dence of the positive cytology cases was 66.2%. To define the cytologic features of tumor cells, we tried to use three cytologic gradings such as "grade 1", "grade 2", and "grade 3" according to the cytologic degree of anaplastic neoplastic cells. These cytologic gades of TCC were relatively well correlated with the histologic grade and tumor invasiveness. This result suggests that the recognition of characteristic cellular features of TCC can suspect the histologic grade and tumor stage. The false negative TCC cases were 78.9%. They showed severe inflammatory or bloody background and a few neoplastic cells. Therefore, a cautious approach for accurate interpretation, personal experience, and proper fixation and processing could expand the role of urinary cytology.
Cystoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney Pelvis ; Nocturnal Enuresis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Thyroid Gland ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract

BACKGROUND:Acute vestibular neuronitis is the disease of which the etiology and pathophysiology are largely unknown . But the viral infection and ischemia of the labyrinth and the vestibular nerve are considered as general etiology. This study was performed to support the viral infection rather than the ischemic theory. MATERIALS & METHODS:We studied seventy years old female patient who showed painful vesicles on left auricle and vertigo with spontaneous nystagmus to the right side. We performed physical examination, serologic test, ENG test, pure tone audiogram, brain magnetic resonance imaging and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS:We found small vesicles and vascular injection in left EAC, herpes zoster IgG positive, spontaneous right beating in electronystagmograpy, 54% left canal paresis in Caloric test , decreasing left side Tc in velocity step rotatory test, decresed gain, deviation to left in symmetry and phase lead in sinusoidal harmonic acceleration test, normal range hearing in pure tone audiogram, microangiopathy on cortex in brain MRI and negative PCR. CONCLUSION:This case supports viral infection etiology rather than ischemia in vestibular neuritis. But more studies to find the etiology of vestibular neuronitis are required.
Acceleration ; Brain ; Caloric Tests ; Ear, Inner ; Female ; Hearing ; Herpes Zoster ; Herpes Zoster Oticus ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Ischemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paresis ; Physical Examination ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reference Values ; Serologic Tests ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Nerve ; Vestibular Neuronitis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the CT findings of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in children and to assess the correlation between these findings, clinical parameters and renal scar development, as seen on follow-up CT scans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contrast-enhanced CT scans of thirty children in whom APN had been diagnosed were assigned to one of three groups according to whether an abscess had formed, and then to subgroups on the basis of the number of lesions in the renal parenchyme. Initial CT findings were retrospectively correlated with five clinical parameters (maximal body temperature, fever duration, leukocytosis, pyuria and admission period) and renal scar development, as seen on follow-up CT (n=12). RESULTS: CT scans demonstrated linear, wedge-shaped, low-density renal parenchymal lesions in 35 kidneys of 25 patients and abscesses in seven kidneys of seven patients, but no abnormal lesions in five patients. In the three groups there was correlation between these findings and some clinical parameters (maximal body temperature, fever duration and admission period), but no subgroup showed significant correlation with any clini-cal parameter. Renal cortical scars detected by follow-up CT were more prevalent in patients in whom initial CT demonstrated the presence of an abscess. CONCLUSION: Clinical parameters correlated with the presence of renal parenchymal hypoenhancing lesions and abscess formation, as seen on CT scans, rather than the number of renal parenchymal lesions. Renal cortical scars were more prevalent in patients in whom initial CT revealed the presence of an abscess. Enhanced CT is thought to be useful both for diagnosing APN and for predicting its clinical course in children.
Abscess ; Body Temperature ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Leukocytosis ; Pyelonephritis* ; Pyuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Nephrotic Syndrome*