Polyamines are closely related to cell growth and differentiation and increased levels of urine polyamines (UPs) has been reported in various human cancers. However, there were few reports on changes of UPs in patients with cervical carcinoma. We investigated the clinical utility of UPs as well as serum squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in cervical carcinoma. The association of pretreatment SCC antigen and UPs with clinicopathologic parameters was assessed in 478 patients with cervical carcinoma. SCC antigen was measured by radioimmunoassay and UPs by enzymatic assay method. The prognostic significance of pretreatment SCC antigen and UPs, and the relationship between pretreatment and posttreatment SCC antigen and UPs according to treatment modalities were analyzed. There was a trend of increased level of UPs with cancer progression, whereas significant difference of SCC antigen value was found with cancer progression. Among various clinicopathologic parameters, tumor size and macroscopic lymph node metastasis were associated with pretreatment SCC antigen and UPs level as well. Increased pretreatment SCC antigen level (>2.0ng/ml) and UPs level (>45 micromol/g creatinine) had significant impact on survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that pretreatment SCC antigen, lymph node metastasis and tumor size were independent prognostic factors on survival in the same stage patients. SCC antigen levels decreased after radiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In patients treated by radiation, response status was associated with postradiation SCC antigen, which showed a good correlation with survivals. UPs positivity and SCC antigen positivity in 42 recurrent cervical cancers were 64.7% and 57.9%, respectively. Pretreatment SCC antigen, combination of SCC antigen and UPs, tumor size, macroscopic lymph node metastasis and invasion depth were correlated with recurrent or residual cervical carcinoma. In conclusion, UPs together with SCC antigen may be used to assess the extent of disease status and to define the prognosis in cervical carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Drug Therapy ; Enzyme Assays ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polyamines* ; Prognosis ; Radioimmunoassay ; Radiotherapy

Keratosis punctata of the palmar creases (KPPC) is rare skin condition characterized by punctiform hyperkeratotic pits confined to the palmar and digital creases. Although this condition has been regarded as a variant of classical punctate keratoses, there are some differences between classical punctate keratosis and KPPC. We herein report a case of KPPC in a 22-year-old man who had numerous, tiny, hyperkeratotic pits limited to the palmar creases of both hands with typical histologic findings.
Hand ; Humans ; Keratosis* ; Skin ; Young Adult

The health conditions under which the mothers and children of Korea live are not adequate. We realize that the needs in the field of MCH a re enormous, but that it is unrealistic and unwise to use the entire health budget of 4.9 million dollars to build maternity and pediatric hospitals. There must be an extensive program to reduce the number of births as well as the number of deaths if the living standrds in Korea are to improve. The success of Korea's health program is closely related to the general economic development. Without a reduction in the number of births it seems impossible that a successful economic development program can be planned, or executed. In the first five years of the program the group successfully reached by the family planning program was largely the receptive, motivated women in the older child bearing age group. A strategic platform for the success of the next five year plan would be to concentrate on the younger less motivated mothers; to educate them to better family spacing and child care. Inclusion of family planning in a comprehensive, total maternal and child care program seems a rational and effective approach. Therefore a successful national family planning program would seem to be a sound basic platform on which to base maternal and child health work as well as the economic development program in Korea. We need not repeat here the merits of family planning in Korea. A1ready the national program has accomplished much towards improving the health of Korea's mothers and children. It is hoped that in the coming decade the family planning program will go beyond the immediate aim of curbing the explosive population growth and adopt as its long-term objective promotion of total maternal and chi1d health. This objective can only be achieved by good organization, careful planning, competent staff and an adequate budget. A comprehensive maternal and child health program should include better care of children, responsible parenthood, marriage guidance, maternity care, and sterility correction all leading to better mental and physical health.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; *Child Welfare ; Child, Preschool ; *Family Planning Services ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Korea ; *Maternal Welfare ; *Public Health

From the Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, 505, Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Gu, 137-040, Seoul, Korea, Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are usually late manifestations of neurofibromatosis (von Recklinghausen's disease) and most become clinically apparent in middle-aged patients as multiple benign tumors. To our review of the literature, solitary malignant stromal tumor of gastrointestinal tract is exceptionally rare in von Recklinghausen's disease. We herein present a case of solitary jejunal stromal tumor in a 50-year-old woman with NF1, which histopathologically showed a malignant change and combined smooth muscle-neural type.
Dermatology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the MR findings of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy regarding the extent of white matter degeneration and the pattern of enhancement, and to correlate these findings with clinical manifestations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six male patients (5-13 years old;mean age, 8.7 years) of biochemically confirmed adrenoleukodystrophy were included in this study. We evaluated the extent of white matter degeneration which was shown as high signal intensity on T2-weighted image, and the pattern of enhancement. Also we correlated the MR findings with clinical manifestations of symptoms and the results of evoked potential studies. RESULTS:The most common sites of predominant involvement were occipital deep white matter, optic radiation, and splenium of corpus callosum (n = 4, 66.7%). The other sites of predominant involvement were frontal deep white matter (n = 1, 16.7%) and pyramidal tract with cerebellum (n = 1, 16.7%). After contrast enhancement, there was peripheral rim enhancement surrounding the most severely affected areas in five cases (83. 3%). These findings were consistent with clinical symptoms in five cases (83.3%), but the results of evoked potential studies were consistent with clinical symptoms in only two cases (33.3%). CONCLUSION:In childhood adrenoleukodystrophy, MRI can clearly demonstrate specific tracts of involvement and these findings were well correlated with clinical manifestations.
Adrenoleukodystrophy* ; Cerebellum ; Corpus Callosum ; Evoked Potentials ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Pyramidal Tracts

No abstract available.
Korea*

To investigate the human lung development and the distribution of elastic and reticular fibers during the fetal period proper, lung tissues taken from the periphery of the right lower lobes of Korean fetuses (n=49) of both sex were studied. The fetuses were the prodocts of spontaneous or therapeutic abortions and were found to have no associated lesions or anomalies at autopsy. The fetal age were estimated from crown-rump length or foot length. Paraffin sections, cut at 5-7 µm, were stained with routine hematoxylin and eosin for general structure, acid orcein and a1dehyde fuchsin for elastic fiber, and with Gomori's silver technique for reticular fiber, respectively. The lung development during fetal period proper, could be subdivided into three continuous periods according to the relation between airspaces, surrounding mesenchymal tissue, their structural changes and distribution, i.e., an early stage of the formation of conductive airways (pseudoglandular period, before 16th week of gestation), a middle stage of the development of lung parenchyma and new blood vessels (canalicular period, between 16th and 28th week of gestation), and a late stage of transition of respiratory portion to vascular organ (terminal sac stage, after 28th week of gestation). In places, secondary septa of sac or saccule formed by capillaries, capillary connective tissue, elastic and reticular fuel could be identified by the 33rd week of gestation. Elastic fibers could be noted in pleura, subepithelial areas of bronchioles and the wall of blood vessels in the late stage of pseudoglandular period. By the 28th week of gestation, elastic fibers were seen in the wall of small blood vessels or capillaries in the septal wall among the airspaces. And these fibers were observed in the tip of the secondary septa by the 33rd week of gestation but were not still completely developed in the walls of primary or secondary septa. Reticular fibers were already developed and widely distributed in fetal lung by the 10th week of gestation. These fibers were concentrated particular around the subepithelial area of bronchicoles, the airspaces and the blood vessel wall in the canalicular period. By the late stage of terminal sac period, reticular fibers formed a network along the small blood vessels in the septum of airspaces. These results indicate that primitive alveoli might be formed by the late stage of fetal period proper. The fibrous framework could partially formed by collagenous and reticular fibers during the pseudoglandular period, by addition of elastic fiber to the preformed network, and incompletely still finally by the three kinds of connective tissue fiber.
Abortion, Therapeutic ; Autopsy ; Blood Vessels ; Bronchioles ; Capillaries ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Crown-Rump Length ; Elastic Tissue ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Female ; Fetus ; Foot ; Gestational Age ; Hematoxylin ; Humans ; Lung* ; Paraffin ; Pleura ; Pregnancy ; Reticulin* ; Rosaniline Dyes ; Saccule and Utricle ; Silver

No abstract available.
Genes, Viral* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

Because sex hormones influence the lower urinary tract, menopause can cause several urinary diseases including overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infection. However, the results of many clinical studies have indicated that menopausal hormone replacement therapy is not effective for the treatment of previous diseases, especially via the oral route. Although estrogen vaginal cream or pessary is an effective treatment for overactive bladders and can prevent recurrent urinary tract infection, its beneficial effects only last for the duration of the treatment. If patients with previous mentioned urologic disease have other local symptoms and conditions, such as atrophic vaginitis and dyspareunia, local estrogen replacement therapy will be helpful in relieving the local symptoms. However, the potential for breast cancer or return of withdrawal of bleeding, patient's age, adverse effect of systemic administration, estrogen-progesterone combination therapy, and effectiveness among other treatment modalities must be considered before a treatment decision can be made. In this article, we will review the current issues on the relationship among urinary tract and sex hormone and menopause, and the effectiveness of menopausal hormone replacement therapy for the treatment of overactive bladders, stress urinary tract incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infection.
Atrophic Vaginitis ; Breast Neoplasms ; Dyspareunia ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Estrogens ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Hemorrhage ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Menopause ; Pessaries ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Urologic Diseases ; Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies

PURPOSE: To evaluate CT features of metastatic ureteral tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT findings in 16 patients with ureteral metastases were evaluated retrospectively ;there were eight cases of bilateral ureteral involvement. Primary tumors metastatic to the ureter were advanced gastric cancer (n=13), breast cancer (n=l), colon cancer (n=l), or adenocarcinoma of unknown primary (n=l). We analysed CT findings with regard to the site of ureteral obstruction, configuration of obstructed sites of ureter, presence or absence of periureteral soft tissue density, and status in other organs. RESULTS: Among 24 ureters involved, ureteral wail thickening was noted in 15, periureteral soft tissue density in 13. Small nodular enhancing lesions less than lcm, within the retroperitoneal space around the involved ureters were noted in seven patients, and four of them were multiple lesions. CONCLUSION: Among various primary tumors, gastric cancer was the most common cause of ureteral metastasis. The common CT findings of ureteral metastases were thickening of ureteral wall, periureteral soft tissue density, and small periureteral enhancing nodular lesions. The constellation of these CT findings may be helpful in making the diagnosis of ureteral metastases.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction