Background: Cerebral palsy is due to static encephalopathy during perinatal period. Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) involves selective division of posterior nerve roots to reduce spasticity and improve function in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Anesthesia during SDR must preserve muscle contraction in response to direct electrical stimulation of the dorsal nerve roots. We did this study to get the better management of anesthesia for SDR. Methods: Anesthetic records were reviewed for 16 patients who underwent SDR during January 1996 to August 1997. Demographic data; anesthetic drugs and doses; changes of vital signs and end tidal CO2; dorsal root stimulation; postoperative pain control were analysed. Results: The mean age of patients was 4.9+/-1.7 years old. The mean weight was 16.3+/-4.0 kg. The under 1 MAC concentration of isoflurane and 2~3 mcg/kg/hr fentanyl did not interfere with electrophysiologic monitoring. Esophageal temperature was increased significantly during electrical stimulation of dorsal roots. End tidal CO2 concentration had a tendency to increase after electrical stimulation too. Direct installation of 10~15 mcg/kg intrathecal morphine prior to dural closure, and postoperative 0.5 mcg/kg/hr fentanyl had a good postoperative analgesia without complication. Conclusions: Isoflurane and fentanyl during anesthesia, and intrathecal morphine with continuous infusion of fentany postoperatively are suggested a good anesthetic method for SDR.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Cerebral Palsy ; Child ; Electric Stimulation ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; Morphine ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle Spasticity ; Pain, Postoperative ; Rhizotomy* ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Vital Signs

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Tissue Donors*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Organophosphate Poisoning* ; Respiratory Insufficiency*

A 60-year-old man with hypertension presented with an acute onset of an isolated sudden deafness with vertigo. On admission, initial brain MRI, including diffusion images, was normal. During admission, the patient presented with an exacerbation of vertigo. A follow-up MRI revealed new infarcts involving the right middle cerebellar peduncle, the right dorsolateral pons, and right anterior cerebellum. In this patient, an acute onset of an isolated sudden deafness with vertigo may be a heralding manifestation of the pontocerebellar infarction.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Diffusion ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing Loss, Sudden* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Pons ; Vertigo*

An isolated nodular infarction presenting as an isolated vertigo with unidirectional, gaze-fixed nystagmus has not been previously reported. We reported a patient with cerebellar infarction who presented with purely isolated vertigo, ipsilesional, spontaneous nystagmus, and contralesional axial lateropulsion without usual symptoms or signs of cerebellar dysfunction. An MRI of the brain showed a small infarct selectively involving the nodulus. A pure vestibular syndrome in our patient may be explained by an ipsilateral involvement of nodulo-vestibular inhibitory projection to vestibular nucleus. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of a nodulus infarction in patients with an acute vestibular syndrome, even if the pattern of nystagmus and lateropulsion is typical of vestibular neuritis.
Brain ; Cerebellar Diseases ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Neuronitis*

No abstract available.
Myasthenia Gravis* ; Thymectomy*

In order to evaluate the genotoxic hazard among workers potentially exposed to low level petrochemical substances, the analyses of micronuclei (MN) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in lymphocytes were performed in 46 male workers (as exposed group) and 46 nonexposed subjects (as control group). Mean frequencies of MN and SCEs (respectively, 12.9/1000 cells and 6.5/cell) in exposed group were very significantly higher than those (10.2/1000 cells and 5.4/cell) in control group. And there were also significant differences in mean frequencies of MN and SCEs adjusted for age, employment duration, smoking, and drinking between two groups. Median frequencies of MN and SCEs in exposed group were very significantly higher than those in control group. Frequencies of SCEs were higher in smokers than in non-smoker. Frequencies of MN in smokers, however, were similiar to those of non-smoker. Interaction between exposure and smoking on MN and SCEs induction was not observed. The results suggest that there is genotoxic hazard in high risk group like workers handling carcinogens in petrochemical plants and the analyses of MN and SCEs are useful biomarkers for the exposure to hazard substances even at the level below the exposure limit.
Biological Markers ; Carcinogens ; Drinking ; Employment ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: Intestinal atresia is a well-recognized cause of bowel obstruction in the newborn. The management of neonates with intestinal atresia has improved in recent decades due to refinements in neonatal intensive care, operative techniques, use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and neonatal anesthesia. More recently, the survival rate has risen rapidly up to 90%. METHODS: Twenty-five (25) cases of intestinal atresia were encountered at Kwangju-Christian Hospital between January 1985 and December 1998. We reviewed sex, gestational age, body weight, clinical manifestations, associated ano malies, causes, interval to operation, preoperative complications, operative methods, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Sites involved were the duodenum (n=10; 40%), the jejunum (n=5; 20%), and the ileum (n=10; 40%). The sex distribution was male predominant (1.8:1). The overall survival rate in our hospital was 76%. CONCLUSION: Refinements in neonatal intensive care and perioperative management were important in decreasing postoperative mortality.
Anesthesia ; Body Weight ; Duodenum ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Ileum ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Intestinal Atresia* ; Jejunum ; Male ; Mali ; Mortality ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Postoperative Complications ; Sex Distribution ; Survival Rate

Urticaria pigmentosa developed in twins at the age of 6 weeks. They have numerous round to oval shaped, discrete or confluent reddish brown colored macules over whole body surface and neither twin had vomiting, diarrhea, flushing or irritability. Their relatives are unaffected. Biopsy specimen of. back lesion showed. pooling of mast cells in the upper dermis, and electron microscopic examinattion revealed normal mast cells.
Biopsy ; Dermis ; Diarrhea ; Flushing ; Humans ; Mast Cells ; Twins* ; Urticaria Pigmentosa* ; Urticaria* ; Vomiting