Intramedullary myelitis due to bacterial meningitis associated with cervical epidural abscess is very rare. Its cause and clinical features are non-specific, therefore exact diagnosis is often missed or mistaken for other disease and immediate treatment may be delayed. We report a case of intramedullary myelitis due to epidural abscess presented with prominent symptoms of meningitis and manifestations of acute cerebrovacular accident. A 69 -year-old man was admitted due to right hemicranial headache with pain on right posterior neck and febrile sensation. At first, the patient's headache was improved by conservative therapy. Three weeks later, the patient showed abrupt right hemiparesis (MRC grade 2/5) with drowsy mentality. The CSF findings of the patient were compatible with acute bacterial meningitis. Cervical spine MRI showed cervical epidural abscess and extensive intramedullary myelitis from cervical to lumbar spinal cord. After antibiotic therapy, mentality of the patient became to be alert and right hemiparesis was improved to MRC grade 4/5. Follow up cervical spine MRI after several weeks represented that the lesions of cervical epidural abscess and intramedullary myelitis were significantly diminished.
Diagnosis ; Epidural Abscess* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial* ; Myelitis* ; Neck ; Paresis ; Sensation ; Spinal Cord ; Spine

No Abstract Available.
Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium*

BACKGROUND: Local anesthetics depress smooth muscle contractions in the intact bowel and in strips of isolated intestine, and also relax bronchial smooth muscle. Following systemic absorption, local anesthetics act on the cardiovascular system. Their primary site of action is the myocardium, where decreases in electrical excitability, conduction rates, and contraction force occur. In addition, most local anesthetics cause arteriolar dilation. METHODS: The ability of bupivacaine to elicit a direct relaxant effect on vascular smooth muscle was studied using isolated rat thoracic aortic rings contracted by phenylephrine (PE). Each thoracic aorta ring was suspended on wire supports in a 20 ml tissue bath under 2 g of resting tension. All tissues were bathed in Tris Tyrode solution at 37 degrees C and 100% oxygen was supplied. RESULTS: 1. Bupivacaine (10(-5) M) inhibited PE induced contractions of aortic rings significantly (P < 0.05). 2. Relaxation of aortic rings by bupivacaine (10(-5) M) was reversed by L-NAME pretreatment. 3. Relaxation of aortic rings by bupivacaine (10(-5) M) was not recovered by methylene blue. 4. Indomethacine enhanced the contraction of aortic rings by bupivacaine (10(-5) M). 5. Bupivacaine (10(-5) M) inhibited both the influx of extracellular Ca+2 and intracellular Ca+2 release. 6. Relaxation of aortic rings by bupivacaine 10(-5) M was recovered by tetraethylammonium. CONCLUSIONS: From the results obtained, it is concluded that the relaxation effects of bupivacaine are related with endothelium dependent, and that cyclooxygenase and not guanylate cyclase participates in this relaxation. Bupivacaine inhibited both intracellular calcium release and extracelluar calcium influx. In addition, the potassium channel was also found to be related to this relaxation effect.
Absorption ; Anesthetics, Local ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Baths ; Bupivacaine* ; Calcium ; Cardiovascular System ; Endothelium ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Indomethacin ; Intestines ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Myocardium ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Oxygen ; Phenylephrine ; Potassium Channels ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Tetraethylammonium

PURPOSE: A colorectal adenoma (CRA) is a well-defined precursor to colorectal cancer (CRC). Additionally, smoking is a potent risk factor for developing a CRA, as well as CRC. However, the association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and the risk for developing a CRA has not yet been fully evaluated in epidemiologic studies. We performed a cross-sectional analysis on the association between exposure to ETS at the workplace and the risk for developing a CRA. METHODS: The study was conducted on subjects who had undergone a colonoscopy at a health promotion center from January 2012 to December 2012. After descriptive analyses, overall and subgroup analyses by smoking status were performed by using a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 1,129 participants, 300 (26.6%) were diagnosed as having CRAs. Exposure to ETS was found to be associated with CRAs in all subjects (fully adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.44; P = 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, exposure to ETS in former smokers increased the risk for developing a CRA (fully adjusted OR, 4.44; 95% CI, 2.07-9.51; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Exposure to occupational ETS at the workplace, independent of the other factors, was associated with increased risk for developing a CRA in all subjects and in former smokers. Further retrospective studies with large sample sizes may be necessary to clarify the causal effect of this relationship.
Adenoma* ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Health Promotion ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sample Size ; Smoke* ; Smoking ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; Tobacco*

The Shy-Drager syndrome is a very rare chronic progressive disease characterised by autonomic failure and multiple system atropy. The main clinical manifestations of this syndrome are orthostatic hypotension, urinary and bowel dysfunction, impaired sexual potency and parkinsonean symptoms. A key in the management of anesthesia is the maintenance of cardiovascular atability. These patient are suffered from defective baroreceptor regulation of the blood pressure as a result of autonomic failure. We report a successful epidural anesthesia for vwicolithotomy in a female patient with Shy-Drager syndrome.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Pressoreceptors ; Shy-Drager Syndrome

The Shy-Drager syndrome is a very rare chronic progressive disease characterised by autonomic failure and multiple system atropy. The main clinical manifestations of this syndrome are orthostatic hypotension, urinary and bowel dysfunction, impaired sexual potency and parkinsonean symptoms. A key in the management of anesthesia is the maintenance of cardiovascular atability. These patient are suffered from defective baroreceptor regulation of the blood pressure as a result of autonomic failure. We report a successful epidural anesthesia for vwicolithotomy in a female patient with Shy-Drager syndrome.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Pressoreceptors ; Shy-Drager Syndrome

Fabella impingement syndrome after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a rare condition. However, the location of the inserted prosthesis and the size of the fabella are considered major causative factors. Thus far, a conventional surgical excision of the impinged fabella is recommended treatment for the impingement. A 72-year-old woman was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the knee. She complained of fabella impingement due to an incompletely excised bony spur behind the posterolateral femoral prosthesis after TKA. The fabella and remaining bony spur were removed using an arthroscopic procedure. The impingement has not recurred and the range of motion (ROM) of the knee was improved after a 12 months follow-up. Arthroscopic surgery might be an alternative treatment for fabella impingement after TKA.
Aged ; Arthroplasty* ; Arthroscopy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee* ; Osteoarthritis ; Prostheses and Implants ; Range of Motion, Articular

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected macrophages can become ineffective at activating CD4+ T cells through presentation of peptide antigens by MHC class II, possibly contributing to the ability of M tuberculosis to persist despite the presence of an intact immune system. Presentation of lipid antigens may help to overcome this problem. CD1 represents the key component of an MHC independent pathway for presentation nonpeptide lipid antigens to T cells. The 38 kDa glycolipoprotein antigen of M. tuberculosis is actively secreted. The antigen induces strong antibody and T-cell responses and provided partial protection against M. tuberculosis infection in mice when it is administered either entrapped in biodegradable microparticles or in the form of a DNA vaccine. But an selective anergy to stimulation with peptide of the 38 kDa was observed in the majority of tuberculosis patients. An 38 kDa antigen has been isolated by affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody. This antigen contains some immunosuppressive cell wall associated antigens such as lipoarabinomannan. Therefore, we purified the 38 kDa glycolipoprotein from the culture filtrate of M tuberculosis H37Rv by ammonium sulfate precipitation (55~80%), hydroxylapatite and DEAE-Sephacel column. The purified antigen showed three major bands on isoelectric focusing gel, and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis of this antigen revealed five distinct spots of the 38 kDa molecular mass. One of five spots had a N-terminal sequence identical to that of the 38 kDa glycolipoprotein (pstS-1). Other protein spots could not determine sequences. An antiserum against the recombinant 38 kDa antigen of M tuberculosis reacted strongly with the purified the 38 kDa antigen.
Ammonium Sulfate ; Animals ; Cell Wall ; Chromatography, Affinity ; DNA ; Durapatite ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Immune System ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tuberculosis

No Abstract Available.
Humans ; Interleukin-12* ; Interleukin-18* ; Tuberculosis, Pleural*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Interleukin-12* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*