Meningoencephalocele in the anterior part of the cranium is a rare congenital anomaly and has been sparsely reported in the neurologic literature. Recently we encountered a case of bilateral frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele in a 3-year-old otherwise healthy boy. The cranial ends of the tumors were amputated by bifrontal craniotomy and dural defect was tightly repaired with Neodura. The external portions of the tumors were excised at the second stage and double-limbed YV shaped canthoplasty was performed. Postoperatively, the patient recovered uneventfully without any complication.
Child, Preschool ; Craniotomy ; Humans ; Male ; Skull

It was well known that atrial myocytes systhesize atrial natriuretic peptide[ANP], and secrete it into the atrial lumen through the atrial endocardium. But the mechanism for regulation of ANP secretion has not been clearly elucidated, because there was little information of the atrial morphology concerning basal lamina. Basal lamina is surmised as one of barriers that control the movement of ANP, a large molecule. This study was attempted to elucidate the morphological characteristics of basal lamina and connective tissue fibers of atrial endocardial layer by scanning electron microscopy. Basal lamina was exposed by removal of the overlying endothelium. This was achieved by using OsO4 maceration, immersion in aqueous boric acid or EDTA treatment. After removal of the endothelial cell, the specimens were exposed to ultrasonic vibration in case of need. The external surface of basal lamina showed a fairly smooth appearance on the whole, although a few irregular folds are often encountered. Fenestrations, 0.1-1 micrometer in diameter, were randomly observed on the basal lamina, and they were circular to oval in shape. Margin of fenestrations was somewhat distinct and some was divided into two parts by linear structures. The structural differences of fenestrations between right and left atria were not found. The fibroreticular lamina under the basal lamina was revealed by removal of the endothelial cells and their basal lamina. This layer was consisted of interwoven fine fibers. These fine fibers were repeatedly divided and fused, forming reticular network. Some fine fibers connected with basal lamina. Some connective tissue fibers below fibroreticular layer were collected into thick bundles running parallel to myocytes. Above results may serve as a basis for the physiological and morphological studies of atrium.
Animals ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Basement Membrane* ; Connective Tissue ; Edetic Acid ; Endocardium* ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium ; Immersion ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Muscle Cells ; Rats* ; Running ; Ultrasonics ; Vibration

Brain size is a useful parameter describing ontogenic character and function. Despite its potential contribution to functional study and diagnosis of disease, it has been hampered by poor assessment tools in vivo and postmortem changes. Recent development of medical imaging techniques such as MRI and CT enable us to understand brain structures in vivo. Many morphometirc studies of the brain has given us new insights in the field of functional neuroanatomy and neuropsychiatric diseases. In spite of these advances, volumetric data of normal Korean brain is not available yet. As an initial approach to Korean standard brain size, we measured the cerebellar volume between 20 and 80 years old Koreans. The MRI films free from lesions in brain was analyzed and measured by NIH image program. The Korean cerebellar volume were ranged between 86.2cm(3) and 141.3 cm(3) and average male cerebellum volume was significantly larger than that of female[male : 118.2+/-11.2cm(3)] > female : 108.0+/-9.6cm(3), P=0.1021E-07<0.05]. And we could not find volume change according to aging process. This is the first report on normal Korean cerebellar volume and the presence of gender difference in the Korean cerebellar volume. These data will be used for the standard useful in studying cerebellar function and cerebellum associated disorders in the future.
Aged, 80 and over ; Aging ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Neuroanatomy ; Postmortem Changes

Crohn's disease is a rare inflammatory bowel disease in Korea which requires a differential diagnosis with intestinal tuberculosis. In the early stages of Crohn's diseaae, the combiation of bowel wall edema and spasm produces intermittent obstructive manifestations, so the usual subjective symptoms were appeared long standing diarrhea, low grade fever and abdominal pain and distension. We recently experienced a case of Crohn's colitis with repeated bowel obstruction in female adult who underwent surgical resection.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colitis ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Korea ; Spasm ; Tuberculosis

Crohn's disease is a rare inflammatory bowel disease in Korea which requires a differential diagnosis with intestinal tuberculosis. In the early stages of Crohn's diseaae, the combiation of bowel wall edema and spasm produces intermittent obstructive manifestations, so the usual subjective symptoms were appeared long standing diarrhea, low grade fever and abdominal pain and distension. We recently experienced a case of Crohn's colitis with repeated bowel obstruction in female adult who underwent surgical resection.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colitis ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Korea ; Spasm ; Tuberculosis

To evaluate trends, if any, anesthetic experiences of 10,000 cases in the total performed at the department of Anesthesiology, Han Kang Sung Shim Hospital, Choong Ang University, School of Medicine from Dec. 197I through Nov. 1976 were analyzed statistically according to anesthetic method, age, sex, department, anesthetic agent, anesthetic duration, physical status and cause of death. The results are as follows; 1. About forty-five percent of all surgical patients were emergency cases. 2. The spinal and regional blocks tended to increase compared with inhalation anesthesia. 3. The patients under 1 year and over 60-years of age also tended to increase. 4. In almost all cases, post-operative and post-anesthetic cause of death was due to the severity of preexisting disease itself and overall death rate of surgical patients who received anesthesia was 0.16% 5. Through this statistical study, we can perform anesthesia with more safety and ease, and also eliminate post-operative and post-anesthetic complications, with further study of new agents and techniques.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Anesthesiology ; Cause of Death ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Methods ; Mortality ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVES: We conduct this study to investigate the common features between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) and epileptic patients compared to normal control. METHODS: Epileptic patients were recruited from the department of pediatic in Jesus Hospital. ADHD patients were recruited from the department of neuropsychiatry in Jesus Hospital. We excluded mental retardation or brain organic pathology. We use ADHD Diagnostic System and Korean-Child Behavior Checklist(K-CBCL) to assess features of ADHD. Electroencephalogram(EEG) of ADHD, epileptic patients and normal control were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Compared to normal control group, inattention, reaction time deviation were increased in both ADHD and epilepsy group. EEG abnormalities(control 13.8%, epilepsy 97.1%, ADHD 40%) in three groups were reported. CONCLUSION: There are common features of ADHD and epileptic patients.
Adolescent ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Neuropsychiatry ; Reaction Time

BACKGROUND: Although degree of motor blockade during high thoracic spinal anesthesia is difficult to determine, pulmonary function may reflect the level of motor blockade. So we checked pulmonary function during spinal anesthesia with two different local anesthetic agents. METHODS: 50 patients, ASA PS 1-2, were randomly divided into two groups. After basal pulmonary function test (FVC: forced vital capacity, FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second, PEFR: peak expiratory flow rate, PEP: peak expiratory pressure, PIP: peak inspiratory pressure.), the patients received spinal anesthesia with either 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine or 0.5% hyperbaric tetracaine. Thirty minutes after injection, level of sensory blockade was checked by pinprick test and pulmonary function test was performed. RESULTS: Almost all the values of pulmonary function reduced after spinal anesthesia, but the degrees of reduction were not differ in two groups except PEP, which reduced more profoundly in tetracaine group than bupivacaine group. CONCLUSIONS: It is more desirable that we use bupivacaine rather than tetracaine as spinal anesthetic agent in the patient with poor pulmonary function.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Anesthetics ; Bupivacaine* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Tetracaine* ; Vital Capacity

Ventricular tachycardia is an important tachyarrhythmia which is encountered commonly in clinical field. The accompanying manifestations could be variable just from palpitation to sudden cardiac death. The classification of this arrhythmia has not completly settled yet, but in a broad way this arrhythmia is classified according to the prescence or abscence or underlying heart disease, especially coronary artery disease. Recently, therapeutic modalities for this arrhythmia have been changed a lot from classical antiarrhythmic drugs to radiofrequency ablation or ICD implantation although there are still some problems to overcome. We experienced a case of 34-year-old female having an incessant ventricular tacycardia which was abolished after endomyocardial biopsy performed to differentiate underlying myocardial pathology.
Adult ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biopsy* ; Catheter Ablation ; Classification ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Pathology ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ventricular*

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and the toxicity of preoperative treatment with capecitabine in combination with radiation therapy (RT) in patients with locally-advanced, resectable rectal cancer. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with locally-advanced rectal cancer (cT3/4, N-/+) were treated with capecitabine (825 mg/m2, twice daily for 7 days/wk) and concomitant RT (50.4 Gy/28 fractions). Surgery was performed 6-8 wk after completion of the chemoradiation followed by 4-6 cycles of adjuvant capecitabine monotherapy (1,250 mg/m2, twice daily for 14 days every 3 wk). RESULTS: The chemoradiation program was completed in all but 2 patients, for whom both capecitabine and RT were interrupted for 2 wk because of grade-3 diarrhea. A R0 resection under the principle of total mesorectal excision (low anterior resection, 26; intersphincteric resection, 6; abdominoperineal resection, 2) was performed in all but one patient with a low anterior resection with positive circumferential margin (R1). Primary tumor and node downstaging occurred in 57% and 60% of patients, respectively. The overall rate of downstaging, including both the primary tumor and node, was 77% (27 patients). A pathological complete response of the primary tumor was achieved in 4 patients (11%). No patient had grade-4 toxicity, and the only grade-3 toxicity developed was diarrhea in 2 patients (6%) during chemoradiation. During a median follow-up of 38 mo, distant metastases developed in 4 patients (multiple lung metastases, 2; aortocaval nodal metastases, 2), and another 2 patients showed local recurrence. The three-year disease-free survival was 83%. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that preoperative capecitabine-based chemoradiation therapy is an effective and safe treatment modality for the tratment of locally-advanced, resectable rectal cancer.
Capecitabine ; Deoxycytidine ; Diarrhea ; Disease-Free Survival ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence