No abstract available.
Temporal Bone*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities according to age and indications in midtrimester amniocentesis performed for prenatal genetic diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the results of 3,537 cases of midtrimester prenatal genetic amniocentesis which were performed from 1994 to June 2006 in the cytogenetic laboratory at Pusan National University Hospital. RESULTS: Of the 3,537 midtrimester amniocentesis cases, the most common maternal age group was 25~29 years old (32.8%), followed by 30-34 years old (32.1%) and 35~39 years old (24.3%). The indications for amniocentesis were abnormal triple test (42.6%), advanced maternal age (31.8%), family history of chromosomal abnormality (7.0%), in the respective order. The overall incidence of chromosomal abnormalities was 5.0%, of which numerical abnormalities and structural abnormalities were 2.4% and 2.6%, respectively. Chromosomal abnormalities were most frequently found in the maternal age over 45 (16.7%), followed by 40~44 years old (6.3%) and 25~29 years old (5.6%). According to the indications of amniocentesis, chromosomal abnormalities were found in patients with habitual abortion (21.2%), previous history of chromosomal abnormality (14.3%), abnormal finding on ultrasonography (11.5%) and advanced maternal age (5.7%), in the respective order. CONCLUSION: In this study, in addition to although abnormal triple test and advanced maternal age as important indications of midtrimester amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis, other indications such as habitual abortion, previous history of chromosomal abnormality and abnormal finding on ultrasonography should be considered important as indications of midtrimester amniocentesis.
Abortion, Habitual ; Amniocentesis* ; Busan ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytogenetics* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maternal Age ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between chromosome abnormalities and male or female reproductive dysfunction and to be convinced of the role of pericentric inversion of chromosome 9 (inv (9)) on human phenotypes. METHODS: Between Jan. 1995 and Dec. 2003, results of 1713 chromosomal analyses which were referred to our cytogenetic laboratory were analyzed. Study groups consisted of 658 cases of men and 18 cases of women with unexplained infertility, 65 cases of men and 109 cases of women with history of recurrent spontaneous abortion, 78 cases of women with primary amenorrhea, 61 cases of women with secondary amenorrhea and, 382 cases of men and 342 cases of women with no reproductive dysfunction (control group). The incidence of inv (9) among each group was compared with control group. RESULTS: Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 110 cases (16.7%), 2 cases (11.1%), 3 cases (4.6%), 15 cases (13.8%), 29 cases (37.2%) and 10 cases (16.4%) in each group. The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in male infertility was higher than previous reports, and 10 cases of inv (9) were detected in male infertility group. In cases of women with infertility and secondary amenorrhea, we couldn't find the relevance between reproductive dysfunction and chromosomal abnormality. In cases of women with recurrent spontaneous abortion, 6 cases (5.5%) had autosomal translocation and 7 cases (6.42%) had inv (9). In cases with primary amenorrhea, most chromosomal abnormalities found were related to sex chromosome such as Turner's syndrome, similar to other investigations. Thirty three cases of inv (9) was detected among the whole 1713 chromosomal analyses (1.93%). In cases of male infertility, 10 cases (1.52%) had inv (9), not significantly different with male control group. But 7 cases (6.42%) of inv (9) in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion were significantly higher than female control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Because considerable proportion of patients with reproductive dysfunction had various cytogenetic abnormalities, the chromosomal analysis should be considered as a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of reproductive dysfunction such as infertility, recurrent spontaneous abortion, and amenorrhea. We also found that Inv (9) had a significantly increased incidence in female recurrent spontaneous abortion.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Amenorrhea ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Cytogenetics* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; Sex Chromosomes ; Turner Syndrome

In this 21st century which is considered as the era of biotechnology, the regenerative medicine emerging as an important medical science has been expected to provide hope to patients of incurable diseases, such as myriad of degenerative disease or terminal organ failure which can not be solved until recently. Because It is also thought to be a epochal alternative therapy in every medical part including cardiovascular disease, neurological disorder, hereditary disease, liver disease, endocrine disorder, bone or cartilage disease, and skin disease, many stem cell researches are conducted and many results are reported. Stem cells are at the center of this regenerative medicine. Although there is public debate because it is inevitably associated with ethical problems like destruction of embryo or risk of reproductive cloning, stem cell research generated much interest because the expected therapeutic effect and the derived economic value would be enormous. This review will describe the characteristics of stem cell and summarize the published research results recently.
Adult Stem Cells ; Biotechnology ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cartilage Diseases ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Embryonic Structures ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Hope ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Nervous System Diseases ; Regenerative Medicine ; Skin Diseases ; Stem Cell Research ; Stem Cells*

No abstract available.
Humans

Schwannoma commonly arises from Schwann cells of the neural sheath, and is rare in the groin region. Here, we describe a vaginal schwannoma incidentally detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a patient with thigh pain. A 43-year-old woman presented with thigh pain with burning and tingling sensations in the medial aspect of her left thigh. MRI revealed a mass lesion of heterogeneous intensity 5.2 x 5.7 cm in the left vaginal wall. The mass was resected and histology revealed schwannoma.
Adult ; Burns ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Groin ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurilemmoma* ; Schwann Cells ; Sensation ; Thigh* ; Vaginal Neoplasms

Childhood onset nemaline myopathy, first described in 1963 by Shy, et al and Conen, et al, is rare congenital myopathy, characterized by nonprogressive or slowly progressive muscle weakness associated with rod-like structures in muscle fibers, often with dysmorphic features. This myopathy was confirmed by muscle biopsy. The light microscopic features noted generally small round fibers that showed variation in size and occasional internal nuclei and characteristic rod bodies that could be demonstrated in the longitudinal sections stained with modified Gomori trichrome stain. Electromicroscopically there were accumulations of numerous irregular electron dense materials scattered between the myofibrils, particularly under the sarcolemma and enlargement and streamimg of the Z disk. We report a case of childhood onset nemaline myopathy in Korea in a 7 year- old boy who had nonprogressive muscle weakness of the limbs with a waddling gait.
Biopsy ; Extremities ; Gait ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Diseases ; Myofibrils ; Myopathies, Nemaline* ; Sarcolemma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the injection rate affects the spread of spinal anesthesia in cesarean sections. METHODS: Spinal anesthesia was performed on 45 parturients in a cesaren section. Dural puncture was performed in the sitting position with a 27-gauge Whitacre needle. All patients received a mixture of 10 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine and 15 microgram fentanyl. Twenty five (Group I) patients received rapid injections (about 0.2-0.3 ml/sec) and twenty (Group II) received slow injections (about 0.1 ml/sec). Anesthetic levels, time to T4 sensory block, maximal height sensory block and incidence of hypotension were measured. RESULTS: There was significantly rapid T4 sensory block in group I but no differences in maximal height of sensory block and incidence of hypotension between the two groups. CONCLSIONS: We conclude that injection rate (about 0.1-0.3 ml/sec) has a statistically insignificant influence on the maximal height sensory block and incidence of hypotension.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Bupivacaine* ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Needles ; Pregnancy ; Punctures

OBJECTIVE: This study was designated to determine the effect of cord blood cell transplantation in ischemic injury model. METHODS: In this study, we administered human umbilical cord blood (hUCB)-derived CD34(+) cells into the lateral ventricle or directly into the striatum and assessed cell migration in mice with cryoinjury and behavioral recovery in rats with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). CD34(+) cells were isolated by magnetic cell sorting using CD34-microbeads and labeled with CM-Dil. RESULTS: When CD34(+) cells were injected into mice brain with cryoinjury, cells were migrated into a injury site after one week of injection. Similarly, injected CD34(+) cells were migrated into the periphery of infarcted area in rats with transient MCAo. When spontaneous activity was measured using a modified neurological severity score (mNSS), it was found that functional recovery was significantly higher when CD34(+) human umbilical cord blood cell (hUCBC) was transplanted 24 hours after stroke compared with phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-injected or CD34(-) transplanted, stroked animals (P<0.05). Although only small portion of transplanted cells were differentiated into neural lineages, CD34(+) hUCBC transplantation increased Brdu incorporation and recruitment of doublecortin (DCX) (+) cells in ischemic boundary zone. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that hUCBC transplantation may be an effective treatment for brain injuries, such as stroke, or neurodegenerative disorders by promoting endogenous repair process of the brain.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Movement ; Cell Transplantation ; Fetal Blood ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Lateral Ventricles ; Mice ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Rats* ; Stroke ; Transplants

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic factors of early endometrial cancer. METHODS: Medical records of patients with endometrial cancer stage I and II were reviewed retrospectively between 1999 and 2005. Progress-free survival rates of each prognostic factor were obtained. RESULTS: The mean age of 45 patients was 49 (27-74). Thirty-nine patients had stage I, 6 patients had stage II of the disease. Most cases of histology were diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma (42 patients, 93.3%). Twenty-three patients had grade 1, 16 patients had grade 2, and 6 patients had grade 3 histology. Thirty patients had myometrial invasion of less than 50%, while 15 patients had myometrial invasion of more than 50%. Thirty-one patients showed no lympho-vascular space involvement (LVSI), and 14 patients were LVSI positive. All patients were primarily treated by surgery. Twenty-four patients received adjuvant radiotherapy, and 1 patient received concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In univariate analysis, FIGO stage (p=0.004), tumor grade (p=0.043), myometrial invasion (p=0.030), and LVSI (p=0.003) had statistical significance with PFSR. However, age, parity, menopause, lymphadenectomy, and histology did not. CONCLUSION: Stage, tumor grade, myometrial invasion, and LVSI seemed to be statistical prognostic factors in early endometrial cancer.
Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Medical Records ; Menopause ; Parity ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate