No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Korea* ; Rural Population*

This study was performed to described morphology of mitral valve by observing and measuring anatomical structures of mitral valves in Korean which looked normal at autopsy, and to provided basic data the clinical application. The mean circumference of mitral valve annulus was 9.14±1.28cm in males and 8.14±1.18cm in females. The width of anterior cusp was 30.3±0.53cm in males and 2.80±0.53cm in females, and the height was 1.99±0.43cm in males and 1.51±0.39cm in females. The posterior cusp consisted of 3 scallops in 34 hearts and 4 scallops in 4 hearts, and 2 scallops in 2 hearts out of 40 hearts. The middle scallop was largest in 36 hearts out of 40 hearts. The width of posteromedial scallop was 1.18±0.37cm in males and 1.08±0.32cm in females, and the height was 0.97±0.31cm in males and 0.94±0.29cm in females. Thre width of midd1e scallop was 2.08±0.61cm in males and 1.84±0.63cm in feamales, and the height was 1.18±0.32cm in male and 1,11±0.25cm in females. The width of anterolateral scallop was 1.30±0.41cm in males and 1.10±0.43cm in females, and the height was 0.88±0.25cm in males and 0.94±0.33cm in females. In general, the values of male were greater than those of female, although there was no statistical significance. Measurements of this study were generally smaller than those of the Caucasian reported by other investigators. Measurements in male were generally larger than those in female and this result corresponded well to those of other authors.
Adult* ; Autopsy ; Female ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve* ; Pectinidae ; Research Personnel

PURPOSE: The determine the chest CT findings in breast cancer patients who have undergone postoperative irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chest CT findings in 36 female patients who underwent breast surgery and radiotherapy between May 1996 and March 2000 were retrospectively analysed. Prior to radiotherapy, baseline chest CT depicted normal parenchyma in all cases. In 11 patients, the ipsilateral breast and chest wall were irradiated using opposed tangential fields, while 25 were treated by the four fields method (opposed tangential fields plus anterior and posterior supraclavicular/high axillary fields), with a total dose of 5040-5400 cGy for 5-9 weeks. RESULTS: CT after radiotherapy demonstrated reticular opacity (n=24), perpendicular linear opacity (n=15), traction bronchiectasis (n=7), consolidation (n=6), ground glass attenuation (n=3), pathologic rib fractures (n=3), pleural effusion (n=2), and pleural thickening (n=1), while in five patients no abnormality was observed. In addition, in the anterolateral lung area of 23 (64%) of 36 patients who underwent tangential beam irradiation, CT demonstrated peripheral opacities. When supraclavicular and axillary portals were used, radiation-induced lung changes mostly occurred at the apex of the lung (n=24). Chest radiographs were abnormal in 26 patients and normal in ten; in five of these ten, CT demonstrated reticular opacity. CONCLUSION: Depending on the irradiation CT findings of radiation-induced lung injury in breast cancer include areas of increased opacity with or without fibrosis, in apical and/or anterior subpleural regions. CT may help differentiate radiation-induced parenchymal change from superimposed or combined lung disease.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Bronchiectasis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Glass ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Injury ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Rib Fractures ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed* ; Traction

A three-year-old female beaver (Castor canadensis) was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Chungbuk National University. It had been raised in the Cheong-ju zoo and had a history of malocclusion caused by improper feeding. General anesthesia was induced, and preoperative intraoral dental radiographs of the rostal maxillary and mandibular dentition were taken and lateral and ventrodorsal extraoral radiographs of the cheek teeth were also taken. The radiographs were negative for apical pathology and revealed a normal appearance of the cheek teeth. The lesion was likely to be related to the excessive length of the maxillary and mandibular incisors. Odontoplasty was performed to reduce overgrowth of the crowns of the incisors. Sequential transverse sections were removed until the crown was reduced by approximately its original length. The pulp chamber was not approached during the operation, as confirmed by postoperative intraoral radiographic evaluation of the incisors. Recovery from anesthesia was uneventful and the beaver returned to normal masticatory activities immediately after the operation.
Animals ; Animals, Zoo ; Female ; Incisor/pathology/*surgery ; Malocclusion/pathology/surgery/*veterinary ; Rodentia/*surgery

Myasthenia gravis is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized clinically by the weakness of skeletal muscles and fatigability on exertion. Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sj?gren syndrome and polymyositis may be associated with myasthenia gravis. However, there are only a few reports of transverse myelitis with myasthenia gravis. We report a case of myasthenia gravis with recurrent transverse myelitis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Myelitis, Transverse* ; Polymyositis ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune

BACKGROUND: Aspirin resistance (AR) in platelet function assays showed substantial variation depending on the methods used to evaluate it. METHODS: In this study, we prospectively compared the results of Multiplate impedance platelet aggregometry (IPA) with those of light transmission aggregometry (LTA) and VerifyNow(R) system in determination of the prevalence of aspirin resistance (AR) and investigated the correlation between its presence and poor outcome (modified Rankin scale >2) in 105 patients with aspirin after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). RESULTS: After 5 days of using aspirin, 15 patients (14.3%) were classified as aspirin-resistance with the use of IPA, 24 patients (22.9%) by the LTA, and 14 patients (13.3%) by VerifyNow. Good agreement between the results of IPA and VerifyNow, was found (R=0.674, P<0.01). The concordance rate of AR detection was high between VerifyNow and IPA (k=0.72, P<0.01), albeit quite low between LTA and IPA. Regarding on its influence on clinical outcome after AIS, there wasn't any significant relationship between occurrence of poor outcome and the presence of AR in three platelet function assays. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the incidence of AR in AIS might be highly test-specific. IPA seems to be similar to VerifyNow as a platelet function test.
Aspirin ; Blood Platelets ; Electric Impedance ; Humans ; Incidence ; Light ; Platelet Function Tests ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: Neurosyphilis develops into ischemic stroke due to the occlusion of intracranial arteries, which has the histopathological change of intracranial syphilitic arteritis. There might be an association between a latent syphilis and arterial changes before the neurosyphilis develops. We evaluated the relationship between the latent syphilis and the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in acute ischemic stroke patients to study whether the latent syphilis affected pathological arterial changes. METHODS: Retrospectively consecutive 96 acute ischemic first ever stroke patients were selected from the Gachon stroke registration from January 2003 to May 2005. The latent syphilis group was made up of 44 patients and the non-syphilis group matched in the age and the sex and consisted of 52 patients. The stroke subtype was classified by TOAST classification. RESULTS: The mean carotid IMT of the latent syphilis group (3.06+/-3.78 mm right, 2.68+/-3.39 mm left) was thicker than that of the non-syphilis group (1.49 +/-2.37 mm right, 1.43+/-1.99 mm left)(p<0.05). The hs-CRP was more elevated in the latent syphilis group than the non-syphilis group (1.6+/-2.2 mg/dl, 1.0+/-2.3 mg/dl respectively) (p<0.05). There were no significant differences of in each of the risk factors between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed the patients with latent syphilis had thicker carotid IMT, and a higher level of hs-CRP than the non-syphilis patients. It could be possible that the latent syphilis attributed to the pathological changes by the inflammation in the extracranial carotid artery.
Arteries ; Arteritis ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness* ; Classification ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Neurosyphilis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke* ; Syphilis, Latent*

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with cardiac arrhythmia due to autonomic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of OSAS on the QT interval and the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on a prolonged QT interval. METHODS: From March 2007 to January 2008, 13 patients diagnosed as OSAS received CPAP treatment. Ten age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled, and nighttime polysomnography was performed. We analyzed the full-night electrocardiogram.which is one of the elements of nighttime polysomnography.in all patients and controls. RESULTS: In the patient group, the QTc interval was 0.380+/-0.45 ms (mean+/-SD) before CPAP treatment and 0.368+/-0.32 ms during CPAP treatment. In the control group, the QTc interval was 0.348+/-0.26 ms. The QTc interval did not differ between OSAS patients and controls (p=0.143), but it did significantly shorten between before and after CPAP treatment (p=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that CPAP treatment can improve QTc prolongation and thereby prevent future ventricular arrhythmia.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

Primary thyroid lymphoma is defined as a lymphoma involving either the thyroid gland alone or both the thyroid gland and neck lymph nodes, without contiguous spread or distant metastases from other areas of involvement at the time of diagnosis. Despite its rarity, prompt recognition of primary thyroid lymphoma is essential due to its distinct management, which differs significantly from the treatment approaches for other neoplasms of the thyroid gland. Herein, we report a 64 years old female patient who complained of hoarseness, and was diagnosed as thyroid lymphoma with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. After chemotherapy, vocal fold paralysis was relieved and the patient’s hoarseness improved.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the role of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in relation to nocturnal polyuria, and to identify the factors influencing on the diurnal antidiuretic hormone level. METHOD: The ADH was measured by radioimmuoassay at daytime (2:00 PM) and at nighttime (2:00 AM) with nocturnal polyuria group (11) and without nocturnal polyuria group (8). Urine volume, serum osmolarity, urine osmolarity, and blood pressure were also measured at the same time. RESULTS: 1) The ADH at 2:00 AM did not increase in nocturnal polyuria group, although it increased in no-symptom group. 2) There was a statistically significant correlation between wheelchair ambulation time and daytime ADH level. 3) The difference of ADH level between daytime and nighttime showed decrease in orthostatic hypotension group. CONCLUSION: There was relationship between nocturnal polyuria and diurnal variation of ADH level. The ADH concentration seems to be influenced by the postural factors and sympathetic factors.
Blood Pressure ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Osmolar Concentration ; Polyuria* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Walking ; Wheelchairs