PURPOSE: Our purpose in this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bronchial and nonbronchial systemic arteries for the control of hemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with massive or recurrent hemoptysis underwent percutaneous transcatheter embolotherapy between 1991 and 1993. Retrospectively we reviewed 77 cases of bronchial artery embotization and 32 cases of nonbronchial systemic artery embolization in the 70 patients. RESULTS: Immdiate control of hemoptysis was achieved in 33 of 39 patients with massive hemoptysis(84.6%) and 20 of 24 patients with recurrent hemopt ysis(83.3%). In 32 cases, nonbronchial systemic arteries contributed significantly to areas of pathologic pulmonary tissue and frequently were the major arterial supply. CONCLUSION: Bronchial artery embolization is an effective and life saving procedure in non-surgical candidates. Recognition and occlusion of nonbronchial systemic arteries that feed to hypervascular pulmonary lesions is essential for successful percutaneous embolotherapy of hemoptysis.
Arteries ; Bronchial Arteries ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Hemoptysis* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies

Pelvic fistulas may result from obstetric complications, inflammatory bowel disease, pelvic malignancy, pelvic radiation therapy, pelvic surgery, or other traumatic causes, and their symptoms may be distressing. In our experience, various types of pelvic fistulas are identified after pelvic disease or pelvic surgery. Because of its close proximity, the majority of such fistulas occur in the pelvic cavity and include the vesicovaginal, vesicouterine, vesicoenteric, ureterovaginal, ureteroenteric and enterovaginal type. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the spectrum of imaging features of pelvic fistulas.
Bladder Fistula/diagnosis/etiology ; Female ; Fistula/*diagnosis/*etiology ; Human ; Intestinal Fistula/diagnosis/etiology ; *Pelvis ; Ureteral Diseases/diagnosis/etiology ; Urinary Fistula/diagnosis/etiology ; Uterine Diseases/diagnosis/etiology ; Vaginal Fistula/diagnosis/etiology

The ultrasonographic features in 26 cases of blunt testicular trauma were reviewed. Ultrasonography diagnosed correctly in 11 surgically proven cases of testicular rupture. There were three false-positive cases, two with a large scrotal hematocele and one with epididymis rupture. there were no false-negative cases. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonographic diagnosis were 100% and 80% respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 78. 6% and 100% respectively. Therefore, the negative diagnosis by ultrasonography can warrant conservative therapy.
Diagnosis ; Epididymis ; Hematocele ; Male ; Rupture ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: The extent of ESWL(Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy), a treatment for urinary calculus, shows gradual development and the treatment has become generally known as a noninvasive, safe, and efficacious method. Although the testicular effects are not within the vicinity of shock waves in carrying ESWL as a treatment for urinary calculus, research was initiated to examine effects which shock waves might cause on the testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After applying shock waves at intensity 4 for 1,000 times to the testis of Sprague Dawley immature rat, the histopathologic changes within the tissue of testis were observed after 1, 7, 14, 28 days, respectively. RESULTS: In the case of the experimental group having shock waves on the testis, destruction of seminiferous tubules, necrosis, and hemorrhage were found out a%or a day. One week later the atrophy of seminiferous tubules, interstitial fibrosis, and a small portion of chronic inflammatory cell appeared The capillary proliferation near the testis capsule also appeared. Two weeks later somewhat atrophied seminiferous tubules and proliferation of Leydig cells appeared. Diversely atrophied seminiferous tubules, diffusion of Leydig cell proliferation, calcified tubules, and foreignbody reaction were discovered after 4 weeks. As times went on, the tendency of recovery appeared. CONCLUSIONS: Noxious influences such as testicular atrophy and disturbance of spermatogenesis occurred in inflicting immediate shock wave on the testis. Therefore the need of more researches concerning long-term sequelae and the influences on the human body should be taken into consideration.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Capillaries ; Cell Proliferation ; Diffusion ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Human Body ; Leydig Cells ; Male ; Necrosis ; Rats* ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Shock* ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis* ; Urinary Calculi

No abstract available.
Acyclovir ; Chickenpox* ; Child* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatoses* ; Scoliosis*

BACKGROUND: N-acetylcysteine(ACE) is used both orally and intravenously in a variety of experimental pathologies resembling human disease states which exhibit endothelial toxicity as a result of oxidative stress, including acute pulmonary oxygen toxicity, septicemia and endotoxin shock. Despite these observations in vivo, it is not certain how this thiol drug produces its protective effects. ACE is a cysteine derivative which is able to directly react with oxygen radicals and may also act as a cysteine and glutathione(GSH) precursor following deacetylation. In this paper, we tried to know whether the therapeutic doses of ACE can modify the inflammatory function of the neutrophils and can increase the glutathione level of plasma in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) patients. In addition, the effect of ACE to the purified neutrophil in terms of superoxide release and glutathione synthesis were observed. METHOD: Firstly, we gave 600mg of ACE for seven days and compare the release of superoxide, luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence from the neutrophils, neutrophil chemotaxis, and plasma GSH levels before and after ACE treatment in COPD patients. Secondly, we observed the dose dependent effect of ACE to the purified neutrophil's superoxide release and GSH levels in vitro. RESULTS: 1) Usual oral therapeutic doses(600mg per day) of ACE for seven days did affect neither on the neutrophils superoxide release, chemiluminescence, chemotaxis, nor on the plasma GSH concentration in the COPD patients. 2) ACE decreases the purified neutrophil's superoxide release and increase the GSH production in dose dependent fashion in vitro. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that oral ACE treatment did not affect on the neutrophil's inflammatory function and plasma GSH concentration in COPD patients in usual therapeutic doses, it decreases the superoxide release and increases the GSH production from the isolated neutrophils in high molar concentrations. These findings suggest that to obtain an antioxidative effects of ACE, it might be needed to increase the daily dosage of ACE or therapeutic duration or change the route of adminisration in COPD patients.
Acetylcysteine* ; Chemotaxis* ; Cysteine ; Glutathione* ; Humans ; Luminescence ; Molar ; Neutrophils* ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxygen ; Pathology ; Plasma* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Sepsis ; Shock ; Superoxides*

Pulmonary artery sling is an uncommon and potentially lethal vascular anomaly that can produce airway obstruction. Despite the availibility of a corrective operation, the mortality rate remains very high due to the high incidence of associated obstructive anomalies of the tracheobronchial tree. We experienced a 70-day-old male infant who was admitted to our unit because of sudden dyspnea, cyanosis, coarse expiratory wheezing and inspiratory stridor. At first, he was treated with bronchodilator and steroid under the impression of infantile asthma, but the symptoms went on without interval change. We performed magnetic resonance imaging study followed esophagography and two dimensional echocardiography. Finally he was diagnosed as a vascular sling. We report this with a brief review and related literatures.
Airway Obstruction ; Asthma ; Cyanosis ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mortality ; Pulmonary Artery ; Respiratory Sounds

No abstract available.
Chylous Ascites*

We compared the effects of astigmatism correction by toric lenses with that by hard contact lenses performing over-refraction in 14 eyes of 8 patients. The results are as following; 1) In 10 eyes, the effects were superior by toric lenses. 2) In 2 eyes, the effects were same. 3) In 2 eyes, the effects were superior by hard contact lenses.
Astigmatism* ; Contact Lenses* ; Humans