No abstract available.
Evoked Potentials* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine*

Hyponatremia frequently occurs in patients with chronic schizophrenia and has various causes such as compulsive drinking, neuroleptics, and physical illness. If not corrected immediately, it leads to severe problems such as seizures, change in mental status, and even death. We detected five cases of hyponatremia with neurological symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia. One case had a long history of primary polydipsia, whereas the other four cases had no history of polydipsia. We speculated that the cause in these latter four cases was neuroleptics or physical illness. All five cases improved with conservative treatment. Possible implications and the need for future study are discussed.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Drinking ; Humans ; Hyponatremia* ; Polydipsia ; Polydipsia, Psychogenic ; Schizophrenia* ; Seizures

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benig nepithelial tumor of the liver. The etiology of FNH is unknown, but recent evidence suggests that FNH may represent a localized, hyperplastic response to a pre-existing vascular malformat ion. There is a high probability of as sociat edlesions , most commonly hepatic hemangiomas, meningioma, as trocytoma, and arterial dysplasia in various organs . In the present report we describe a FNH with aberrant lymphatics in a 24-year-old woman. In operation field, lymphatics were located on the site of falciform ligament. Histologically, aberrant lymphatics were composed of well vas cularized complex lymphatic channels and the mass were typical FNH. In this case, the role of aberrant lymphatics in the development of FNH was unclear . But as the FNH frequently as sociated with ot her anomalies , we think the aberrant lymphatic as such anomaly that have not been reported.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Female ; Focal Nodular Hyperplasia ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Liver ; Meningioma ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and their relationship with the onset age of wheeze in school-age children and adolescents with asthma. METHODS: Three hundred twenty-six patients, aged 6 to 19 years, diagnosed with asthma at 6 hospitals from Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daegu, and Busan were enrolled. They were categorized into 3 groups by the onset age of wheeze: group A, early onset (age <3 years); group B, preschool onset (age 3-6 years); group C, late onset (age > or =6 years). Clinical characteristics including atopic sensitization, family history, combined allergic diseases, severity of asthma, and influence of asthma on daily life were examined. A history of hospitalization for early lower respiratory infection (LRI) and environmental tobacco smoking were studied and lung function tests were also performed. RESULTS: There was no difference in demographics, prevalence of atopy, combined allergic diseases, and family history of allergy between 3 groups. A history of sever LRI in early life was more common in groups A and B compared with group C. Sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was more prevalent in groups A and B than in group C. Forced expiratory flow between 25% to 75% (FEF(25%-75%)) was lower in groups A and B than in group C, and methacholine PC20 (provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second) was lowest in group B. Significantly lower FEF(25%-75%) and methacholine PC20 were observed in the patients who had been hospitalized with LRI in early life. CONCLUSION: Our study shows significant difference in lung function and atopic sensitization in relation to the onset age of wheeze in school-age children and adolescents with asthma, and suggests that early LRI might contribute to the development of asthma in early life.
Adolescent* ; Age of Onset* ; Asthma* ; Busan ; Child* ; Daegu ; Demography ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Seoul ; Smoking

Nocardiosis refers to a locally invasive or disseminated infection associated with the Nocardia species. Most infections enter through the respiratory tract and then disseminate systemically. Rarely can a primary nocardial infection of the skin spread to contiguous structures or disseminate to other internal organs in immunocompromised hosts. We describe a 70-year-old woman who suffered from recurrent nodular skin lesions on her right hand, forearm and elbow following inoculation of a traumatic injury. Analysis of the purulent exudates obtained from the nodule revealed Nocardia species. After 20 days, a chest X-ray showed newly developed multiple nodules in both lungs. The diagnosis of systemic nocardiosis was established, and we treated this case with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Aged ; Elbow ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Lung ; Nocardia ; Nocardia Infections ; Respiratory System ; Skin ; Thorax ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the lacrimal and salivary glands, leading to dryness of eyes (kerato-conjunctivitis sicca) and mouth (xerostomia). The skin lesions in Sjogren's syndrome are usually manifested as xeroderma, but sometimes appear as annular erythema or vasculitis. Central nervous system symptoms may be presented as one of extraglandular manifestations, though rare in incidence, and need differential diagnosis from multiple sclerosis. We report a case of a 45-year-old woman diagnosed as multiple sclerosis at first but later as neurologic manifestation of primary Sjogren's syndrome, showing signs of multiple sclerosis and cutaneous erythematous lesions.
Case Report ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Erythema/pathology ; Erythema/diagnosis* ; Female ; Human ; Middle Age ; Multiple Sclerosis/pathology ; Multiple Sclerosis/diagnosis* ; Sjogren's Syndrome/pathology ; Sjogren's Syndrome/diagnosis*

PURPOSE: We undertook this study to evaluate the significance of p53 immunoreactivity in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, treated with radiotherapy alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining of p53 proteins were performed in eighty patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, and who completed curative radiotherapy between Jan. 1996 and Apr. 1998 at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital. External- beam radiotherapy was combined with intracavitary brachytherapy. Results were analyzed for the end points of pelvic tumor control and distant failure rates. The follow-up time ranged from 7 to 58 months with a median of 40 months. RESULTS: p53 positive and negative groups involved 45 and 35 patients, respectively, and the positive p53 immunoreactivity rate was 56% (45/80). p53 immunoreactivity showed no significant correlation with age, tumor size, serum tumor marker (SCC), or HPV18 expression, while there was a statistically marginally significant correlation with HPV16 expression. The pelvic tumor control rate of the p53 positive group was 87% and that of p53 negative group was 83% (0.05). The other parameters influencing negatively to the pelvic tumor control and with statistical significance were tumor ulceration and barrel type. Multivariate analysis also showed that p53 immunoreactivity had no prognostic value for pelvic tumor control of the disease, and that the statistically significant factor was tumor ulceration. The treatment failure rate of the p53 positive group was 23% and that of the negative group was 26% (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: p53 immunoreactivity in the cervix cancer stage IB, II patients seems to have no value as a predictor of tumor behavior after curative radiotherapy.
Brachytherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Multivariate Analysis ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy* ; Treatment Failure ; Ulcer ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: We evaluated retrospectively the outcomes of inoperable squamous cell lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy to find out prognostic factors affecting survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred and eleven patients diagnosed as squamous cell lung cancer between November 1988 and December 1997 were the basis of this analyses. The planned dose to the gross tumor volume was ranged from 30 to 70.2 Gy. Chemotherapy was combined in 72 patients (17.5%) with the variable schedule and drug combination regimens. Follow-up period ranged from 1 to 113 months with the median of 8 months and survival status was identified in 381 patients (92.7%). Overall survival rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Age ranged from 23 years to 83 years with the median 63 years. The male to female ratio was about 16:1. For all 411 patients, the median overall survival was 8 months and the 1-year survival rate (YSR), 2-YSR, and 5-YSR were 35.6%, 12.6%, and 3.7%, respectively. The median and 5-YSR were 29 months and 33.3% for Stage IA, 13 months and 6.3% for Stage IIIA, and 9 months and 3.4% for Stage IIIB, respectively( p=0.00). The median survival by treatment aim was 11 months in radical intent group and 5 months in palliative, respectively ( p=0.00). Of 344 patients treated with radical intent, median survival of patients (N=247) who received planned radiotherapy completely was 12 months while that of patients (N=97) who did not was 5 months ( p=0.0006). In the analyses of the various prognostic factors affecting to the survival outcomes in 247 patients who completed the planned radiotherapy, tumor location, supraclavicular LAP, SVC syndrome, pleural effusion, total lung atelectasis and hoarseness were statistically significant prognostic factors both in the univariate and multivariate analyses while the addition of chemotherapy was statistically significant only in multivariate analyses. The acute radiation esophagitis requiring analgesics was appeared in 49 patients (11.9%) and severe radiation esophagitis requiring hospitalization was shown in 2 patients (0.5%). The radiation pneumonitis requiring steroid medication was shown in 62 patients (15.1%) and severe pneumonitis requiring hospitalization was occurred in 2 patients (0.5%). During follow-up, 114 patients (27.7%) had progression of local disease with 10 months of median time to recur (range : 1~87 months) and 49 patients (11.9%) had distant failure with 7 months of median value (range : 1~52 months). Second malignancy before or after the diagnosis of lung cancer was appeared in 11 patients. CONCLUSION: The conventional radiotherapy in the patients with locally advanced squamous cell lung cancer has given small survival advantage over supportive care and it is very important to select the patient group who can obtain the maximal benefit and to select the radiotherapy technique that would not compromise the life quality in these patients.
Analgesics ; Appointments and Schedules ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Esophagitis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hoarseness ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Quality of Life ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden

This study was performed to define the cytotoxicity and the anti-inflammatory action of Pulsatilla koreana extracts. To analyze cytotoxic effects, gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts were used, and anti-inflammatory actions related to reduction of IL-1beta and PGE2 production were performed in vitro, for the suggestion of efficacy and safety on periodontal therapeutic use of Pulsatilla koreana extracts. We extracted ethylacetate and butylalcohol from well-dried and ground Pulsatilla koreana throughout multiple processing, then used different concentration solution(0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.4 %, 0.01 %, 0.02 %, 0.04 %, 1 %, 2 %) of ethylacetate and butylalcohol extracts to examine cytotoxic effects and anti-inflammatory actions Cytotoxic effects were examined by ELISA reader using MTT(Methyl Thiazol-2-YL-2, 5-diphenyl Tetrazolium bromide)solution following culture of human gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts. Synthesis of IL-1beta was examined by IL-1beta enzyme-immunoassay(EIA)system after separation and culture of monocyte, and PGE2 was examined by PGE2 EIA system after culture of gingival fibroblasts. The results were as follows: 1. In the MTT test of gingival fibroblasts, the change of optical density was decreased significantly at 2 % of butylalcohol extracts and 0.04 %, 0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.4 %, 1 %, 2 % of ethylacetate extracts.(p<0.05) 2. In the MTT test of periodontal ligament cells, the change of optical density were not differ significantly. but butylalcohol and ethylacetate extracts except from butylalcohol 0.01 % showed high cell cytotoxity. 3. Both ethylacetate and butylalcohol extracts from Pulsatilla koreana inhibited the synthesis of IL-1beta, and inhibition effect of ethylacetate extracts were higher than butylalcohol extracts. 4. Both ethylacetate and butylalcohol extracts from Pulsatilla koreana inhibited the synthesis of PGE2, and ethylacetate extracts were higher than butylalcohol extracts. In conclusion, ethylacetate and butylalcohol extracts from Pulsatilla koreana showed little cell cytotoxity for gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts, and the inhibition of IL-1beta and PGE2 synthesis, therefore it is considered that these extracts can be developed as the therapeutics of the periodontal disease.
Dinoprostone ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Monocytes ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontal Ligament ; Pulsatilla*

Potassium (K+) balance is achieved by the control of urinary K+ excretion and by the control of K+ absorption from the digestive tract. While it is well established that colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit mRNA is expressed in the kidney, distal colon, and uterus, little is known about the cellular localization and expression levels of this gene in chronic hypokalemia. Accordingly, Northern analysis and in situ hybridization (ISH) were carried out to analyze the expression of mRNA encoding the colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit in normal and potassium-restricted (2 weeks) rats. Northern analysis demonstrated that colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit mRNA was abundantly expressed in normal and potassium-restricted rat uterus. Abundance of colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit mRNA in potassium-restricted rat uterus was increased but, not statistically significant compared to that of controls. By ISH, mRNA for colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit was detected in the endometrial epithelial cells and the uterine glands. Both groups exhibited comparable cellular patterns of labeling, but signal intensity of potassium- restricted rats was higher than normal rats. The endometrial epithelial cells exhibited a mixture of hybridization signal intensity. Most cells had intense hybridization signal for colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit mRNA, some cells had moderate, and a few cells had weak. In summary, colonic H/K-ATPase a subunit mRNA is expressed in the endometrial epithelial cells and the uterine glands. These results suggest that two (or more) H/K-ATPase a subunit isoforms are present in rat uterus and this gene contributes to potassium reclamation during chronic hypokalemia to regulate the pH and/or electrolyte concentration of uterine fluid.
Absorption ; Animals ; Colon* ; Epithelial Cells ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypokalemia* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Kidney ; Potassium ; Protein Isoforms ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Uterus*