No abstract available.
Abortion, Habitual* ; Cytogenetics* ; Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms* ; Thymidine Kinase* ; Thymidine*

No abstract available.
Sympathectomy

BACKGROUND: Prolongation of the QTc interval is a risk factor for ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, especially torsades de pointes, and sudden death. It is associated with increasing age, female sex, some of antiarrhythmic drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, and conditions such as hypokalemia, hypothermia, subarachnoid hemorrhage, congenital long QT syndrome. Earlier studies reported lengthening of the QTc interval with increasing body mass index (BMI) and intra-abdominal fat. But no such reports exist in Korea. Therefore, we determined the relationship between BMI and the QTc interval. METHODS: The study population consisted of 372 persons who undertook periodic health examination in a university hospital between September and December 1998. BMI and standard 12-lead electrocardiogram were measured in all subjects. Excluding 4 patients who had arrhythmia where QTc interval could not be calculated, the QT interval was measured in the electrocardiogram of 368 subjects. The QT interval was measured in the leads that showed the longest interval for three consecutive beats and then were averaged. Correlation between the calculated QTc interval and BMI was examined. The QTc interval difference according to sex and obesity was also analyzed. RESULTS: Among 368 subjects, there were 197 men (54%) and 171 women (46%). The mean ages were 44.5 years for men and 47.6 for women. The BMI was 23.8 3.13 (mean SD). Obese subjects with BMI above 27 kg/m2 totalled 61 (17%), including 31 men and 30 women. The QTc interval was 399 25 msec (mean SD), and the subjects showed prolonged QTc intervals of 24 (12 men and 12 women). There was a statistically significant correlation between BMI and QTc interval (r=0.135, P=0.0094), and the obese subjects were found to have a longer QTc interval than the nonobese controls. Women also had a longer QTc interval than men. CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation between BMI and QTc interval, and longer QTc interval was observed in obese patients. The QTc interval should be considered when analyzing electrocardiogram of obese patients.
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Body Mass Index* ; Death, Sudden ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Hypothermia ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Korea ; Long QT Syndrome ; Male ; Obesity ; Risk Factors ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Torsades de Pointes ; Ventricular Fibrillation

Three cases of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea and anterior skull base defects were successfully treated by applying mucoperichondrial free graft through the endonasal endoscopic technique. The causes of the skull base defects were trauma in two cases and endoscopic sinus surgery in one case. The defects were located in the sphenoid sinus in one case and the fovea ethmoidalis in two cases. In these cases, contralateral side septal mucoperichondrial free grafts were used to seal the defects and were supported with fibrin glue and Spongostan(R). Endoscopic repair with mucoperichondrial free graft appeared to be a safe and successful approach to the treatment of the anterior skull base defects.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive ; Skull Base ; Sphenoid Sinus ; Transplants*

Human Fasciola hepatica infection is a rare entity involving infestation of the liver and biliary tree with adult flukes, which can result in hepatitis, cirrhos is and biliary tract inflammation, obstruction and lithiasis. The patient had the typical diagnostic tetrad of fever, eosinophilic leukocytosis, tender hepatomegaly and fluke ova in the stools. Treatment consists of Emetine hydrochloride hydrochloride administration for hepatic involvement and common bile duct exploration for removal of flukes, with cholecystectomy for associated cholelithiasis. The combination of medical and surgical therapy can be expected to produce an arrest of this infection. The removed liver revealed eggs of the fasciola species in the intrahepatic bile duct. The clinical history, pathological findings and treatment of this case were described.
Adult ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Biliary Tract ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholelithiasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Eggs ; Emetine ; Eosinophils ; Fasciola ; Fasciola hepatica ; Fascioliasis* ; Fever ; Hepatitis ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Korea* ; Leukocytosis ; Lithiasis ; Liver* ; Ovum ; Trematoda

Extradural spinal meningiomas are uncommon, and their pathophysiology is not entirely understood. Here, we present the case of a 49-year-old woman with low back and left leg pain of 5 years duration. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass, 1.8-cm in size, with rim enhancement in the spinal canal at the T12 level and extending into the left T12-L1 foramen. In the surgical field, the mass presented with the characteristics of an extra-intradural spinal meningioma. The patient underwent a T12 total laminectomy. A linear durotomy was performed at the midline, and the intradural portion was removed. The extradural portion was not separable from the adjacent dura and the left T12 root, and it was removed by dural excision. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of psammomatous meningioma. We also conducted a literature review of similar cases. Based on our experience with this case, we believe that it is important to clearly distinguish extradural meningiomas from other types of tumors as misdiagnosis can change the operative plan. The long term prognosis of extradural meningiomas is not clear but total excision is thought to be essential.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Spinal Canal

BACKGROUND: Visceral ischemia-reperfusion produces injury both to the visceral organs that are made ischemic and to distant organs, such as the lung, that are not made ischemic. The pulmonary injury after visceral ischemia-reperfusion is, in part, a result of the production and release of a variety of humoral factors, such as proinflammatory cytokines, activated complements and lipid mediators. Two proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin (IL)-1, have been implicated as early initiators of this response to visceral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Recently, additional concepts have been developed to block the synthesis and release of proinflammatory cytokines by using anti-inflammatory cytokine. Interleukin (IL)-10 inhibits proinflammatory cytokine which is produced by activated monocyte/ macrophages and prevents production of TNFalpha in acute inflammatory states. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of exogenous administration of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, recombinant human IL-10, on proinflammatory cytokine production and pulmonary injury after visceral ischemia-reperfusion. METHODS: Two hours before 25 minutes of supraceliac aortic clamp, ICR mouse which weighed 30-40 g were injected with 0.2 microgram and 2.0 microgram of recombinant human IL-10 intraperitoneally and classified into A and B treatment groups, respectively. A control group underwent 25 minutes of supraceliac aortic clamp, and then reperfusion only. A sham group underwent laparatomy only. Two hours after reperfusion, all animals were sacrificed and submitted for a study of serology and histologic changes. To determine the pulmonary injury, wet/dry ratio, tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay of the lung were measured and the microscopic findings for the lung tissue were analyzed. To evaluate the change in the cytokine during study, murine serum TNFalpha level was also measured. RESULTS: The wet/dry ratios of the lung tissue were significantly decreased in both IL-10 treatmentgroups (A and B treatment group) compared to the control group (p<0.05, p<0.05). The tissue MPO assays of the lung were significantly decreased in the IL-10 2.0 microgram treatment group (B treatment group) compared to the control group (p<0.05). The level of serum TNFalpha was also decreased in B treatment group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Microscopic findings revealed severe neutrophilic infiltration and microvascular congestion in the control group, but in both IL-10 treatment groups, neutrophilic infiltration and microvascular congestion were mild or moderate. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibitory effect of IL-10 on pulmonary neutrophil infiltration and on the level of TNFalpha during visceral ischemia-reperfusion injury was significant in the experiment. The use of exogenous IL-10 may offer a new therapeutic approach for decreasing the complications associated with visceral ischemia-reperfusion.
Animals ; Complement System Proteins ; Cytokines ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukins ; Ischemia* ; Lung ; Lung Injury* ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Necrosis ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; Neutrophils ; Peroxidase ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancers in women and is responsible for about 14 percent of all female cancer found in Korean women. Early detection is very important because the likelihood of a complete cure is greater, and among the early screen only tools to detect cervical cancers, a Pap smear is most widely used. It has the clinical significance to follow - up patients whose results are classified as class II in their Pap smear. Thereto we tried to find the factors associated with follow-up in class II patients. METHODS: On Pap smear practiced from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31 in a University Hospital, 159 patients Pap smear results were categorized as class II, and among the 159 patients, we were able to collect data from 107 patients who voluntarily answered a phone survey. The categories in the survey were the followings : follow- up for the Pap smear, age, age of marriage, presence of menopause, age of menopause, occupation, family history of chronic diseases or cancers, educational level, presence of concomittant diseases, income, average hospital visit frequency in a year, belief of general health, and reason for doing follow- up and reason for not doing it. RESULTS: Among 107 patients, only 62 patients (57.9 Percent) did follow-up for their Pap smear results. The reasons were doctors follow-up recommendation for Pap smear results and regular health check-up, and the two main reasons not doing follow-up were nonexistence of further symptom and financial distress. In a single variable analysis, the higher educational level, individual income, and hospital visit frequency, the more People had follow-up. But in multiple logistic anarsis, only individual income was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The follow-up rate was as low as 57.9 percent, and the reasons why they did not follow-up were mainly the lack of understanding about the clinical significance of class II result on the Pap smear. Therefore, an advertisement and public education Programs to general public about cervical cancer will make more patients follow up their result on the Pap smear, especially to the low income and low education class people.
Chronic Disease ; Education ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Marriage ; Menopause ; Occupations ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Synovial sarcomas are rarely occurring, highly malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin. Most cases are confined to the extremities. Fewer than 100 cases of synovial sarcoma have been reported in the head and neck area. We experienced a 24-year-old male patient who first complained of globus sensation. Initial suspension laryngoscopic biopsy specimen of the primary lesion was consistent with hypopharyngeal synovial sarcoma. Surgical excision through lateral pharyngotomy approach and postoperative radiotherapy were performed. We report this rare case with a literature review.
Biopsy ; Extremities ; Head ; Humans ; Hypopharynx* ; Male ; Neck ; Radiotherapy ; Sarcoma, Synovial* ; Sensation ; Young Adult