In order to compare mechanical stability of the Ilizarov external fixation methods for treatment of pilon fracture of the tibia, six human amputed tibiae were utilized to simulate Ruedi type I, II, and III fractures anatomically and non-anatomically reduced. Six fracture models which were either anatomically(3) or non-anatomically(3) reduced were first stailized by the Ilizarov construct composed of two tibial rings and foot assembly with connecting rods and ankle hinges and underwent axial load compression test using Instron. And then same tests were repeated on the models in which ankle hinges between the tibial rings and foot assembly were removed to examine biomechanical effect of the ankle hinges on the fracture stability. When the fracture model was fixed by the construct without ankle hinges, 720 N-780 N were required to disrupt fracture stability. When the fracture was non-anatomically reduced and was fixed by the construct without ankle hinges, 420 N-520 N were required to disrupt the fracture stability. The current study suggests that Ilizarov fixation system should have the construct composed of two tibial rings and foot assembly with connection rods and ankle hinges to prevent fracture destabilization during early ankle motion and weight-bearing in the tibial pilon fracture.
Ankle ; Foot ; Humans ; Methods ; Tibia ; Weight-Bearing

PURPOSE: Results of 181 percutaneous needle aspiration biopsies performed with an 18-gauge needle during a period of 3 years were analyzed to determine efficacy and safety of the procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biposies were performed in patients that could not be diagnosed by bronchoscopy or sputum cytology. The biopsy procedure with 18-gauge Crown needle was guided by fiuoroscopy. The biopsy specimen placed in 10% formalin solution were histologically confirmed. RESULTS: In 160 patients(89%), the positive diagnosis was made by percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy. There were 153 lung lesions(120 malignant and 33 benign lesions) and 7 mediastinal lesions. the diagnostic accuracy of malignant and benign disease was 91% and 80% respectively. Complications included pneumothorax(n=11) and hemothorax(n=l):six of them required treatment with chest tube and the remainder showed spontaneous resporption. CONCLUSION: PCNB with an 18-gauge needle provided a reliable, relatively safe diagnostic tool to establish the diagnosis of both malignant and benign chest lesions.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle* ; Bronchoscopy ; Chest Tubes ; Crowns ; Diagnosis ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Lung ; Needles* ; Sputum ; Thorax*

PURPOSE: Results of 181 percutaneous needle aspiration biopsies performed with an 18-gauge needle during a period of 3 years were analyzed to determine efficacy and safety of the procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biposies were performed in patients that could not be diagnosed by bronchoscopy or sputum cytology. The biopsy procedure with 18-gauge Crown needle was guided by fiuoroscopy. The biopsy specimen placed in 10% formalin solution were histologically confirmed. RESULTS: In 160 patients(89%), the positive diagnosis was made by percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy. There were 153 lung lesions(120 malignant and 33 benign lesions) and 7 mediastinal lesions. the diagnostic accuracy of malignant and benign disease was 91% and 80% respectively. Complications included pneumothorax(n=11) and hemothorax(n=l):six of them required treatment with chest tube and the remainder showed spontaneous resporption. CONCLUSION: PCNB with an 18-gauge needle provided a reliable, relatively safe diagnostic tool to establish the diagnosis of both malignant and benign chest lesions.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle* ; Bronchoscopy ; Chest Tubes ; Crowns ; Diagnosis ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Lung ; Needles* ; Sputum ; Thorax*

PURPOSE: Congenital Iobar agenesis of the liver is a rare anomaly. We report five cases (three cases of right Iobar agenesis and two cases of left Iobar agenesis) and discuss the radiologic findings of this congenital anomaly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July, 1992 and February, 1993, three cases of right Iobar agenesis and two cases of left Iobar agenesis of the liver were diagnosed by means of computed tomography(CT) and/or sonography. MR imging was performed in two patients, cholangiography in two, and digital subtraction angiography in one. RESULTS: The main findings of right Iobar agenesis of the liver were nonvisualization of the right portal vein and absence of liver tissue to the right of gallbladder. The findings of left Iobar agenesis were nonvisualization of left portal vein, absence of liver tissue to the left of the gallbladder, and absence of ligamentum teres. The ancillary finding of the Iobar agenesis was visualization of less than three hepatic veins. CONCLUSION: It is important to consider Iobar agenesis of the liver in differential diagnosis when imaging studies reveal abnormal portal vein branches, unusual position of gallblader, absence of ligamentum teres, and visualization of less than three hepatic veins.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Cholangiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gallbladder ; Hepatic Veins ; Humans ; Liver ; Portal Vein

We investigated the sero-prevalence of toxocariasis among healthy Korean adults in 1999. A total of 314 sera from normal inhabitants in Whachon-gun, Gangwondo, Korea was examined for specific antibody levels against excretory-secretory products of second stage larvae of Toxocara (TES). The presence of cross-reactions with other helminthiases such as cysticercosis, paragonimiasis, sparganosis or clonorchiasis was also checked by specific IgG ELISA. Sera showing positive reaction against TES were also tested by IgG immunoblot and by IgE ELISA. Out of 314 subjects, 16 was found to be positive by TES IgG ELISA and immunoblot, among whom 12 were also positive by TES IgE ELISA. Among the 16 seropositive samples, two sera showed positive reaction against Paragonimus and sparganum antigen, respectively. These results inferred that cross-reactions were negligible between toxocariasis and other helminthiases. Toxocariasis seroprevalence among Korean rural adults was detected to be approximately 5%.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Cross Reactions ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Larva Migrans, Visceral/*epidemiology/immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxocara/immunology

The reservoir hosts of Thelazia callipaeda were examined. The eyes of the 76 dogs raised at farm, 78 military dogs (shepherds), 96 cattle, and 105 pigs were investigated for the presence of eyeworm. Among them, six worms of T. callipaeda were collected from two dogs raised at farm (2.7%), and 188 worms from 26 shepherds (33.5%). No worms were recovered from the cattle or pigs. These results suggest that the dogs, especially the military dogs are serving as a reservoir host of T. callipaeda. in Korea.
Animals ; Cattle ; Disease Reservoirs/*veterinary ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Eye/parasitology ; Female ; *Host-Parasite Interactions ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Spirurida Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Swine ; Thelazioidea/*isolation & purification

Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) is a Ca2+ -dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule that connects cells via homotypic interactions. Its function is critical in the induction and maintenance of cell polarity and differentiation, and its loss is associated with an invasive and poorly differentiated phenotype in a wide range of tumors. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 36 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 14 cervical squamous cell carcinomas were investigated for the expression of E-cadherin immunohistochemically. While E-cadherin expression was usually restricted on the cell membrane of basal and parabasal cells in normal cervix, the presence of cytoplasmic E-cadherin was found to be associated with its grade in CIN lesions. Also, marked cytoplasmic staining was commonly revealed in poorly differentiated ones than well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. More intense reactivity of cytoplasmic E-cadherin was frequently seen in the foci of invasion than adjacent carcinoma in situ, and in its periphery than the center of tumor islands. In addition, DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction of squamous cell carcinomas were analyzed and compared with those of CIN lesion. We found that invasive squamous cell carcinomas more frequently disclosed DNA aneuploidy than CIN lesions, and there was correlation between cytoplasmic E-cadherin expression and DNA aneuploidy. Also, cytoplasmic E-cadherin-reactive cervical neoplasms had a higher rate of cell proliferation than that of membranous E-cadherin-reactive cases. These data suggest that the increased cytoplasmic E-cadherin expression may represent one of the abnormalities underlying the loss of polarity and invasiveness of cancer cells, and the abnormal E-cadherin expression combined with/without DNA ploidy or S-phase fraction may serve as a prognostic indicator.
Aneuploidy ; Cadherins* ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Membrane ; Cell Polarity ; Cell Proliferation ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri* ; Cytoplasm ; DNA* ; Female ; Islands ; Phenotype ; Ploidies* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: In two-kidney one clip Goldbaltt hypertensive rats(2K1C GHR), clipped kidney may be exposed to low pressure and unclipped kidney to high pressure. In addition, both kidneys may have a different amount of adenosine which is increased by ischemia and plays an important role for renin release. The aim of this study was to invstigate the responsmiveness for renin release to adenosine agonists and antagonist in clipped and unclipped kidney of 2K1C GHR. METHODS: Emplying kidney slices from both unclipped and unclipped kidney of 2K1C GHR, the alteration by adenosine agonists and antagonist of renin release was studied. RESULTS: The renal renin content and basal renin release from unclipped kidney slices were suppressed, whereas those from clipped kidney were augmented Adenosine Al receptor agonist, cyclohexyladenosne(CHA), phenylisopropyl adenosine(PIA) and adenosine caused a decrease in renin release from clipped kidney slices. Adenosine A2 receptor agonist, NECA, and nonspecific adenosine receptor aganist, 2-chloroadenosine(CA) caused an increase in renin release from clipped kidney slices. Adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-phenyltheophylline(8-PT) caused an increase in renin release from clipped kidney slices. In unclipped kidney, however, the renin release in response to NECA, CA or 8-PT was reversed and the decreasing effect of renin release to CHA and adenosine was slightly inereased. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the responsiveness of adenosine receptors, which may participate in renin release is modified in clipped and unclipped kidney of 2K1C GHR.
Adenosine* ; Adenosine-5'-(N-ethylcarboxamide) ; Animals ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Ischemia ; Kidney ; Rats* ; Receptors, Adenosine A2 ; Receptors, Purinergic P1 ; Renin*

The components of bore marrow change dramatically during lifetime. To evaluate the bone marrow of cranium and upper cervical spine, the authors retrospectively evaluated 300 examinations of cranium and the second cervical bone in patients without known bone marrow abnormality. T1-weighted images were used to analyze the changes of lone marrow signal intensity according to the age and sex. The signal intensity of bone marrow of cranium increased most rapidly from birth to age of 10 years. Between 11 and 20 years of age, gradual increase of signal intensity was noted. There was minimal augment of signal intensity after age of 20 years. The examination of signal intensity of bone marrow of the cranium revealed slightly higher score in male than in female. The synchondrosis of the second cervical vertebra was visible in 97%. These results may be useful in the detection of abnormal bone marrow signal of cranium and upper cervical spine.
Bone Marrow* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull* ; Spine*

The relationship between the intestinal histopathology and number and position of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was observed chronologically in the small intestine of rats experimentally infected with Metagonimus yokogawai. Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were orally infected each with 3,000 metacecariae, and 3 were kept uninfected for controls. Three rats each were sacrificed on the day 5, 10, 15, 24 and 70 post-infection (PI) and samples of the small intestine, 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm and 70 cm posterior to the pylorus were taken. The samples were processed routinely and stained with Giemsa. The intestinal histopathology was severe during the day 5-15 PI and characterized by villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, and decrease of villus/crypt height ratio. After the day 24 PI, the intestinal lesions showed some tendency of recovery. The number of IEL increased at the early stage of infection, but decreased thereafter to a lower level than that of controls, with progression of the pathological changes. Then, the IEL number began to increase again after the day 24 PI. In control rats, the great majority of the IEL were located at the basal region of the epithelium. During the early stage of infection, however, a considerable proportion of IEL was found to have moved to the intermediate or apical region of the epithelium. From the above results, it is suggested that the change of IEL number and position during the course of M. yokogawai infection should be closely related to the progression and recovery of the intestinal histopathology.
English-Abstract ; Epithelium-pathology ; Rats- ; Rats,-Sprague-Dawley ; Time-Factors ; *Heterophyidae- ; *Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-pathology ; *Intestines-pathology ; *Lymphocytes-pathology ; *Trematode-Infections-pathology