Takayasu's arteritis(arteritis syndrome) is an inflammatory disease process affecting primarily the aorta and its main branches. It's etiology and pathogenesis are unknown. Controversy exists in treatment. Segmental stenoses, occlusions, and aneurysmal degeneration of the aorta and the proximal arterial tree are frequent findings. Clinical presentations may include cerebrovascular ischemia, limb ischemia, aortic valvular insufficiency, heart failure, renovascular hypertension, or renal failure. Recently, we experienced a case of Takayasu's arteritis in a 24 years old female with severe dizziness, claudication in right upper extremity. Patient was treated by angioplasty of left vertebral artery and concomitant left subclavian-to-right axillary artery bypass surgery followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent therapy of right vertebral artery to prevent cerebrovascular ischemia during the operation. Postoperative result was excellent and dizziness and claudication of right arm were completely relieved.
Aneurysm ; Angioplasty ; Aorta ; Arm ; Axillary Artery ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dizziness ; Extremities ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Ischemia ; Renal Insufficiency ; Stents ; Takayasu Arteritis* ; Upper Extremity ; Vertebral Artery* ; Young Adult

Cerebrovascular accident remains the second most common cause of death in Korea, following combined cancer mortality. It is one of the most common causes of disability, and atherothromboembolic ischemic infarction accounts for nearly half of stroke in Korea. Carotid endarterectomy is proven to be effective in preventing stroke from internal carotid artery stenosis. The authors report the results of prospective study of 63 carotid endarterectomies, performed from September, 1995 to November, 1997 at our institution, to clarify the persisting diversity of opinions as to ideal preoperative diagnostic tests, anesthetic management, intraoperative monitoring techniques for cerebral protection, type of arterial repair, and postoperative evaluation for cerebral function. We confirmed that preoperative diagnostic tests of duplex scanning and magnetic resonance angiogram can replace the invasive conventional cerebral angiography, and observation of consciousness under regional anesthesia is the most reliable and safe method for carotid endarterectomy utilizing selective shunting, if needed.
Anesthesia, Conduction ; Carotid Stenosis ; Cause of Death ; Cerebral Angiography ; Consciousness ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Endarterectomy, Carotid* ; Infarction ; Korea ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Mortality ; Prospective Studies* ; Stroke

We report a case of familial benign chroinic pemphigus in a 47 year old man. We had tried various treatments but no effect had been noted with systemic steroids, tetracycline, cephalosporin, rifampin, dapsone, and local application with antibiotic ar..d eteroid ointment. Thus the patient was started on 50mg of etretinate(Tigason) daily and almost complete resolution of the skin lesions was noted two moths after treatment. He was maintained on 15mg of etretinate daily and follow up evaluations for six months revealed no recurrence and no exacerbation of the lesions.
Acitretin* ; Dapsone ; Etretinate* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Moths ; Pemphigus ; Pemphigus, Benign Familial* ; Recurrence ; Rifampin ; Skin ; Steroids ; Tetracycline

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst*

Combined spinal epidural block with use of the needle-through-needle technique has become increasingly more popular during recent years because it provides rapidity and density of spinal block, combined with the ability to extend the block and provide postoperative analgesia by use of the extradural catheter. However, the combined spinal epidural block has some disadvantages. Since the spinal needle makes a hole in the dura, the accidental migration of an extradural catheter into the dural opening made previously by the spinal needle is thought to be theoretical risk. We report a case during combined spinal epidural anesthesia for a total hip replacement in which the clear fluid in the epidural catheter was found and tested to confirm the nature of fluid and migration of catheter by the dextrostix test and the immunoelectrophoresis test(prealbumin test).
Analgesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthetics, Local* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Catheters ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Needles

Seven cases of retroperitoneal laparoscopic lumbar sympathectomy were successfully performed in 10 patients with ischemic lesions of lower limbs or ischemic rest pain between June, 1996 and October, 1996. All patients had nonreconstructable distal vessels on femoral angiogram. Our techniques of retroperitoneal laparoscopic lumbar sympathectomy is described in detail. Procedure offers the advantage of minimally invasive surgery and can be performed more efficiently as the experience of the surgeon accumulates.
Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Sympathectomy*

A 51-year-old female had disseminated, symmetrically distributed, brownish black pigmentation and papillary hypertrophy on the intertriginous and flexural areas for 6 months, and gastric adenocarcinoma was confirmed during the evaluation of internal malignancy, The cutaneous finding of acanthosis nigricans was a significant cutaneous marker of internal malignancy in this case.
Acanthosis Nigricans* ; Adenocarcinoma* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation

We experienced a case of generalized granuloma annular e in a 68-year-old man. Many factors have been implicated in the genesis of this disease, but in this case no etiologic factors were identified. He was treated successfully with systemic corticosteroid for about l year.
Aged ; Granuloma Annulare* ; Granuloma* ; Humans

Silver sulfadiazine, an antibacterial agent, has been used successfully in the praphylaxis and treatment of burn infection. 42 volunteers with herpes zoster were enrolled in a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of topical silver sulfadiazine cream. 1% silver sulfadiazine cream was applied 4 times daily until crust removal and epithelialization on 21 patients. As the control, wet compress with 1: 5,000-1: 10,000 KMnO4 solution was done 4 times daily on 21 patients. ln treated group with silver sulfadiazine cream, the durations needed for marked reduction of erythema and edema of lesions, striking control of pain and burning sensation, complete drying of vesicles and crust formation, and crust removal and epithelialization were significantly decreased as compared to the control group. The rate of postherpetic neuralgia was also decreased markedly. The sooner the treatment began after the onset of symptoms, the more dramatic the response was. Signs of local or systemic side effects were not observed.
Burns ; Edema ; Erythema ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Sensation ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Silver* ; Strikes, Employee ; Volunteers

BACKGROUND: The infrarenal abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries are the most common sites of chronic atherosclerosis in patients with symptomatic occlusive disease of the lower extremities. Direct anatomic reconstruction is the standard surgical treatment for a patient with aortoiliac occlusive disease, but extraanatomic bypass is used in patients with high cardiac or other risks. The purpose of this study was to compare the operative results of direct anatomic reconstruction with those an extraanatomic bypass and to select the optimal surgical treatment according to the preoperative risk. METHOD: The cases of 40 patients who received vascular reconstruction for aortoiliac occlusive disease between January 1995 and October 1997 were reviewed. The patients were classified in two groups: a direct anatomic reconstruction group and an extraanatomic bypass group. Operative risks were analyzed by the scoring system recommended by the Subcommittee on Reporting Standards for Lower Extremity Ischemia of International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (ISCVS). Graft patency, operative mortality, and morbidity were also analyzed for the two groups. RESULT: There was no significant difference in operative risk (p>0.05) between the two groups, but the result of graft patency was better and the postoperative morbidity was less in direct anatomic reconstruction group. There was no postoperative mortality in either group. CONCLUSION: According to this study, direct anatomical reconstruction was superior to extraanatomic bypass inspite of same operative risks.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Atherosclerosis ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Ischemia ; Lower Extremity ; Mortality ; Transplants