OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of obese infertile women. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Height, weight, body mass index, menstrual pattern, glucose, insulin, glucose / insulin ratio, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone, free testosterone and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) of 15 obese infertile women were tested. RESULTS: Of 15 obese infertile women, the number of diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance was 2 (13%), 2 (13%), 2 (13%), respectively. The incidence of increased DHEA-S, testosterone, and free testosterone was 7 (47%), 1 (7%), 6 (40%), respectively. Notably, all patients showed increased PAI-1. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with infertility as well as many kinds of health problems. Obesity is closely related to insulin resistance and it also causes hyperandrogenism. Increased PAI-1 is one of the important causes of thrombophilia. Consequently, in the workup of obese infertile patient, many aspects of health problems should be considered.
Body Weight ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; Hyperinsulinism ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Obesity ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; Plasminogen Activators ; Testosterone ; Thrombophilia

No abstract available.
Thrombocythemia, Essential*

OBJECTIVE: To report the prevalence of lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion and infertility. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin antibodies were analyzed by Diluted Russell's Viper Venom Test (DRVVT) and solid phase enzyme immunoassay, respectively. RESULTS: In 200 patients with infertility, there were 6 cases (3%) with positive lupus anticoagulants or anticardiolipin antibodies. Of these, 3 patients (1.5%) showed positive lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin antibodies, respectively. In 120 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion, there were 13 cases (10.8%) of positive lupus anticoagulants or anticardiolipin antibodies. Of these, one patient (1%) showed lupus anticoagulants and 12 patients (10%) showed anticardiolipin antibodies. But in two groups, there was no cases with positive lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin antibodies. CONCLUSION: Lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin antibodies are definite cause of recurrent spontaneous abortion. There has been a speculation that they might be associated with infertility and repeated IVF failures. But it was found that the role of lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin antibodies in these cases are not clear.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin* ; Anticoagulants* ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Infertility* ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Russell's Viper ; Venoms

A 46-year-old male patient had recurrent episodes of generalized pruritic wheals during hemodialysis. He has experienced urticaria during hemodialysis whenever he used a capillary dialyser sterilized by ethylene oxide(EO, Polysulfone-) gas which is used to sterilize hemodialysers and other medical equipment. On the other hand, capillary dialyser sterilized by Gamma ray (Hemophad) has not evoked urticaria. Although the presence of EO-specific antibodies was not detected, urticarial rash never developed when the equipment was switched to a gamma-sterilized one. We herein report a case referred to ethylene oxide induced cutaneous hypersensitivity during hemodialysis.
Antibodies ; Capillaries ; Ethylene Oxide ; Exanthema ; Gamma Rays ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Kidneys, Artificial ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis* ; Urticaria

BACKGROUND: Evening primrose oil(EPO) is a rich source of cis-linoleic acid and gammalinolenic acid(GLA) and has been used as a therapeutic agent in various skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suppressive effect of EPO on murine contact sensitivity. METHODS: BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups, positive control, experimental and negative control groups: the positive control group represents a group of mice which were sensitized and challenged with DNFB, the experimental group represents EPO-pretreated positive control group and the negative control group represents a group of mice which were challenged only. The changes of ear thickness were measured, and H & E staining and immunohistochemical staining for ICAM-1 expression of ear skin were performed to evaluate the histological changes of each group. RESULTS: The Pretreatment of mice with EPO resulted in suppression of contact sensitivity by more than 82%. On H & E staining, only a mild inflammatory reaction was observed in the dermis. Also ICAM-1 expression of keratinocytes, the intensity of the staining was significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with positive group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that EPO was able to suppress the induction of contact sensitivity.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dermis ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Ear ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Keratinocytes ; Mice ; Oenothera biennis* ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: For the treatment of carotid cavernous fistula(CCF), transarterial detachable balloon occlusion(DBO) is the method of choice. When it has failed to occlude the fistula, various embolization methods are used to treat the fistula. Transvenous embolization through the superior ophthalmic vein(SOV) is another method of treatment. The venous approach through the SOV after surgical dissection and exposure of this vein has been recommended by some delete, but(here) delete delete(an) alternative treatment method by percutaneous puncture of the SOV without surgical dissection(is described). METHODS: A 19-year-old woman admitted to our hospital two months after accident, presented with proptosis, chemosis, occulomotor and abducens nerve palsies, and bruit of the right eye. The authors tried DBO via transarterial route in initial treatment and the fistula was occluded with subsequent disapearance of bruit. However, 2 weeks later, she complained of recurence of bruit. Transarterial approach was attempted again, but the fistula hole was too small for this approach. The venous approach via SOV by percutaneous puncture was then tried. Puncture was made at the medial one third of the superior orbital rim and the fistula was embolized with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs). RESULTS: The fistula was completely occluded and no early and late complications noted. The patient's clinical symptoms were improved within a few days. CONCLUSION: Treatment of CCF by percutaneous puncture of the SOV is an alternative and effective method when other approaches are not feasible.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Orbit ; Punctures* ; Veins* ; Young Adult

Recent technological advances in ultrasound instrumentation have resulted in equipment that will image in "real-time" slices of the human brain similar in quality to computerized tomography(CT). Multiple authors have attested to its usefulness in locatin, characterizing, and facilitating in the biopsy or removal, or both, of intracerebral masses. In this study, the author has examined the efficacy of intraoperative neurosurgical ultrasound in 18 patients who were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital. The results were as follows : 1) It can provide critical assistance in precise localization of subcortical masses, since in many instances the overlying surface of brain provides no clue for localization. 2) This technique is very useful for the identificantion of deep lesions, provding infromation about their solid and cystic components and about the shortest route of access to tumor. 3) It provides precise information to help guide biopsy needles into deep lesions, and to confirm their presence within the lesion itself. 4) The system is highly accurate in visualizing ventricular catheters during and after their placement. 5) The system is inherently safe for the patient and the operating room personnel since there is no radiation exposure.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Brain ; Catheters ; Humans ; Needles ; Neurosurgery* ; Operating Rooms ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Constriction, Pathologic*

Inflammatory pseudotumor, originally described in the lung, is a relatively rare tumor-like lesion that occurs in various organs and tissues. It is usually well demarcated from the surrounding tissue, however it can be unfortunately resected as a malignant tumor. A few inflammtory pseudotumor in the kidney have been reported in English literature, but there have been no reports in Korea. We report a case with inflammatory pseudotumor of the kidney. A 48 year old woman had an intermittent flank pain on the right side. An ultrasonographic study suggested a renal cell carcinoma and a nephrectomy was done. Grossly, there were two separate masses with a well demarcated yellowish appearance, measuring 2.3 cm and 1.3 cm in diameter, respectively. Histologically, they were composed of smooth muscle actin positive spindle cells and a large number of foamy histiocytes, lymphocytes, and plasma cells in the fibrotic backgound.
Actins ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Korea ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nephrectomy ; Plasma Cells