No abstract available.
Latex* ; Polystyrenes* ; Potassium Channels* ; Potassium* ; Vasospasm, Intracranial*

We experienced a case of submucosal gastric actinomycosis, presenting as bleeding. The 65-year-old woman had a symptom of epigastric pain, without any other intra-abdominal disease entity. A gastrofiberscopic study demonstrated a submucosal mass lesion with bleeding at the fundus. Because of the bleeding, laparotomy was undertaken, and a abscess containing a large mass was found at the gastric fundus, and total gastrectomy undertaken. Histological examination revealed a giant acute ulcer with a submucosal abscess due to actinomycosis. Because of its rarity, submucosal gastric actinomycosis is an entity overlooked by most surgeons. We report upon this case of submucosal gastric actinomycosis and include a review of the literature.
Female ; Humans

The reactions of cerebral pial vessels following the injection of normal saline(0.05cc, at 37 degrees C, pH7.4) and autogenous hemolytic blood(0.05cc, 0.1cc 0.2cc) into the cisterna magna of rabbits were tested in vivo. This experiment was performed in order to observe the effect of intravenous nimodipine(30 microgram/kg) injection at the maximally constricted time of the pial vessels, about 6 hours after intracisternal injection of autogenous hemolytic blood. The diameter changes of the pial vessels were measured under operating microscope through a cranial window on craniectomized area. Pial vessels were not significantly changed after an intracisternal injection of normal saline. But after intracisternal injection of autogenous hemolytic blood(0.05cc, 0.1cc, 0.2cc), pial vessels were maximally constricted at 6 hours and the constriction was continued during the experiments. Percentile constriction was increased as the amount of subarachnoid hemolytic blood increased. According to the results, pial vessels, especially small pial artery, were constricted by autogenous hemolytic blood containing oxyhemoglobin. Nimodipine, calcium antagonist, showed dilating effect on vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage with autogenous hemolytic blood in rabbits.
Administration, Intravenous* ; Arteries ; Calcium ; Cisterna Magna* ; Constriction ; Nimodipine* ; Oxyhemoglobins ; Rabbits* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

We report on a case of right thalamic hemorrhage resulting from low-voltage electrical injury caused by contact between a wet hand and an electronic scale. The patient was treated with clopidogrel for control of a previous cerebral infarction. The patient complained of numbness of the left upper extremity. On neurological examination, decreased motor power of her left side, grade IV, was observed. Findings on computerized tomography of the brain revealed a right thalamic hemorrhage. To the best of our knowledge, cerebral hemorrhage resulting from low-voltage electrical injury has not been previously reported in the literature.
Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction ; Electric Injuries ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Hand ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Neurologic Examination ; Ticlopidine ; Upper Extremity

Between 1989 and 1993, 31 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction using autogenous patellar bone-tendon-bone were studied to evaluate the effects on knee joint function. After having harvested the central one third of the patellar tendon, it was positioned isometrically through tunnels of tibia and femur and also central defect of the patellar ligament was sutured loosely. Clinically Hospital for special surgery(HSS) knee socre by Marshall 1997, manual knee test, knee extention and flexion angles, Cybex test, KT-2000 measurments and radiological study were performed for subjective and objective symptoms at the average follow-up 33 months (range 18-72 months). Quadriceps weakness of strength less than 80% of the normal side was present in 61% of patients, patellofemoral joint pain in 15%, AP translation more than 3mm in 23%, flexion contracture of 5 degree or more in 29%. Hospital for special surgery(HSS) knee score was improved from 35 to 46 in average during follow-up period. The height of the patella was increased in 2 cases and decreased in 6 cases within normal variation which was not significant statistically. The above results indicate that importance of postoperative rehabilitation program and extension position of knee joint after surgery place a major emphasis on the avoidance of flexion contracture and on the improvement of joint function.
Contracture ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Patella ; Patellar Ligament ; Patellofemoral Joint ; Rehabilitation ; Tibia ; Transplants

Many objects create penetrating cranial injuries. Metallic objects and low velosity missiles are the most common offenders. Wood as wounding agent of the brain, has some characteristics. It has profound risk of infection, a significant propensity to fragmentation that is virtually undetechable on routine X-ray screening and very low atteunation value in CT scan. Because of its characteristics and rarity, we report a case of penetrating cranial injury by a wooden foreign body with review of literature.
Brain ; Criminals ; Debridement ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Wood ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: The inhibitory effects of nitric oxide(NO) on platelet adhesion and vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC) proliferation may have a possible role inhibiting development of neointima following balloon catheter induced injury. We tested the hypothesis that L-arginine, the precursor of NO, would attenuate neointima formation following balloon catheter induced injury via regulation of antagonistic balance between proliferation and apoptosis of VSMC. METHODS: Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats(300 to 400g) were anesthetized with ketamine (100mg/kg intraperitoneally). The left common and external carotid artery were exposed. For endothelial denudation, 2mm angioplasty catheter was introduced through the left external carotid artery into the left common carotid artery. The catheter was inflated at I atm. and withdrawn three times. Animals were randomized to receive 2.25% L-arginine in their drinking water(n=14) or placebo(n=16) from 2 days prior to and 9 days following denudation. VSMC proliferation was quantified by immunohistochemical staining with an antibody to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA). The cells undergoing apoptosis were identified by terminal nucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling(TUNEL) method and morphologic changes by computerized planimetry and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: 1) The neointimal area in injured arteries were significantly reduced in L-arginine supplemented animals compared with placebo group(p<0.05). 2) L-arginine administration significantly reduced the number of PCNA positive cells in neointima when compared with placebo at 9 days(p<0.05). 3) Positive TUNEL cells were not influenced by L-arginine supplementation. 4) On transmission electron microscopy, there were no cells showing characteristics of apoptosis in neointima. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the inhibitory effect of L-arginine on neointima formation is due to reduced VSMC proliferation, but is not due to increased VSMC apoptosis at the early time period after initmal injur .
Adult ; Angioplasty ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Arginine* ; Arteries ; Blood Platelets ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Artery, External ; Catheters ; Drinking ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Ketamine ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Neointima* ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular System Injuries*

No abstract available.
Angina Pectoris* ; Electrocardiography* ; Pheochromocytoma*

BACKGROUND: In spite of the successful reperfusion therapy, coronary blood flow in infarcted myocardium was known to decrease for a long time. Abciximab is known to inhibit the final pathway of platelet aggregation and maintenance the large vessel patency. But abciximab may have another important effect beyond the these effect. TIMI frame count method is simple, reproducible, objective and quantitative index of coronary flow. We tried to define the effect of abciximab that used with primary angioplasty on the coronary blood flow using TIMI frame count methods. METHODS: We consecutively studied 30 patients who admitted for acute myocardial infarction without cardiogenic shock from September 1997 to August 1999. We analyzed the changes of corrected TIMI frame count(CTFC) between the baseline(immediate after the angioplasty) and follow-up(post-op 7th day) coronary angiogram and compared the results between the group of primary angioplasty with abciximab(abciximab group, n=1) and the group of primary angioplasty without abciximab(non-abciximab group, n=9). RESULTS: There were no differences between abciximab group and non-abciximab group in baseline characteristics, treatment modalities and angiographic results. According to the results of the comparison of deltaCTFC, changing rate of CTFC, deltavelocity and changing rate of velocity, there were significant improvement of the coronary blood flow in infarct related artery in the abciximab group than non-abciximab group. But there were no differences in the changes of coronary blood flow in non-infarct related artery between two groups. The frequency of major adverse coronary events during follow up periods(mean 6 months) were similar(9.1% and 5.2% each other, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Abciximab used with primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction improved the coronary blood flow significantly in infarcted myocardium. This finding may be related that abciximab enhance the perfusion and function of microvasculature in infarcted myocardium.
Angioplasty* ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Microvessels ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardium ; Perfusion ; Platelet Aggregation ; Reperfusion ; Shock, Cardiogenic

Aneurysmal bone cysts are lytic lesions that have been described in virtually every portion of the skeleton but most commonly occur as solitary lesions in the metaphyseal portions of long bones. One fifth of aneurysmal bone cysts occur in the spine where they most frequently involve the posterior elements. In the spine, aneurysmal bone cyst have been reported to occur in the lower thoracic and lumbar regions, but their occurrence in the cervicodorsal area is uncommon. In this case, the second cervical vertebral body and posterior elements are affected. Fortunately, the lesion didn't invade into the spinal canal. The main symptom on admission was pressure pain, tenderness and motion limitation of the cervical spine. We removed the lesion involving posterior elements of second cervical spine and used horse-shoe shaped pediatric C-D device for occipito-cervical fixation. The clinical symptoms were resolved after operation. The clinical, radiologic, operative and pathological findings are reported and the corresponding literature are reviewed.
Aneurysm* ; Bone Cysts* ; Bone Cysts, Aneurysmal ; Lumbosacral Region ; Skeleton ; Spinal Canal ; Spine*