PURPOSE: To describe the associated conditions and clinical significance of lenticulostriate uasculopathy (LSV) as demonstrated by cranial sonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 77 LSV cases who between January 1994 and January 1996 had undergone cranial sonography for neonatal asphyxia, seizure, or bulging of anterior fontanel. Cranial sonography was performed with 7 MHz real-time linear and sector transducers using an Acuson computed sonography unit ; examinations were performed in sagittal and coronal planes. Twenty-six LSV patients underwent color Doppler studies, and in 24 of these, color signal and arterial pulse spectral wave were detected. LSV was grouped as one of three types, according to echogenicity : type I (less echogenic than sylvian fissure), type II (similar to sylvian fissure), and type III (more echogenic than sylvian fissures). We retrospectively evaluated associated sonographic abnormalities of the brain, and reviewed medical records for associated conditions and neurologic sequelae. Follow-up sonographic examinations were performed in 23 patients. RESULTS: There were 56 type I cases (73 %), 17 of type II (22 %) and 4 of type III (5 %). Cranial sonographic results were normal in 36 cases (47 %) and abnormal in 41(53 %). Forty-eight cases of nonspecific causes and 29 cases of perinatal and acquired causes accounted for associated conditions. The echogenicity of LSV had not changed in 21 of 23 follow-up cases. Neurologic examinations were performed in 18 cases and in 14 of these (78 %) there was no neurologic sequela. CONCLUSION: LSV in basal ganglia may be associated with nonspecific neonatal conditions, in addition to well known perinatal causes.
Asphyxia ; Basal Ganglia ; Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease* ; Brain* ; Cranial Fontanelles ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neurologic Examination ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Transducers ; Ultrasonography*

The purpose of a conculation is to seek the opinions and advice of those whom we recognize to be more expert in a particular field of medicine than we are. Most surgeons regard the anesthesiolgist as a conculatant. Thus we analyzed 308 cases of interdepartmental consulatation submitted to our department from June 1991 to Novermber 1991. All case were elective ones and emergent cases were excluded. The analysis were as follow. 1) The overall conculation rate were 11.5%. 2) The highest rate of consultation were requested from orthopedic surgery department(29.9%) followed by ophthalmology department(25.0%), neurosurgery department(24.6%) and urology department(13.4%). 3) Male was 42.8% and female was 57.2%. 4) Most requestered problem was hepatic diseases including elevated transaminase, hepatitis and liver cirrhosis(35.1%) and then cardiovascular problem was 20.5%. 5) Because of our opinion, 22 cases were postponed. 6) Consultation rate increased according to advancing of age.
Female ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Neurosurgery ; Ophthalmology ; Orthopedics ; Urology

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder that frequently occurs in dialysis patients, which disturbs the sleep and reduces the quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for RLS in dialysis patients. METHODS: Patients who visited any of four outpatient dialysis clinics between September 2005 and May 2006 were included in this study. The diagnosis of RLS and the severity assessment were made using the criteria described by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. We collected basic demographic data, clinical information, and laboratory findings, and then analyzed their association with various aspects of RLS using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: RLS was present in 46 (28.0%) of 164 dialysis patients. We found no significant risk factor for inducing RLS. The predialysis serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level in the dialysis patients with RLS was significantly correlated with RLS symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Predialysis BUN is related to RLS symptom severity. Further studies on the underlying mechanism are needed.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Most surgeons prefer delivering cardioplegia alternatively via the aortic root and coronary sinus in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Recently, some surgeons have delivered cardioplegia via the grafted vessel to the obstructed right coronary artery in order to preserve right ventricular function whenever retrograde cardioplegia is delivered. Thus, we have compared the effect on right ventricular preservation between the aforementioned two methods after cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing a right CABG. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients undergoing an elective CABG with significant right coronary artery obstructive disease were allocated into 2 groups. In the alternative cardioplegia delivery group (A-group), cold blood cardioplegia was delivered via the aortic root and coronary sinus alternatively. In the simultaneous cardioplegia delivery group (S-group), cold blood cardioplegia was delivered via the coronary sinus and grafted vessel to the obstructed right coronary artery simultaneously. Hemodynamic measurements were obtained pre-bypass, at pericardial closure and at sternal closure. Data recorded included right ventricular ejection fraction, right ventricular volume index and right and left ventricular hemodynamics. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the right ventricular ejection fraction between the two groups at pre-bypass, pericardial closure and sternal closure. In both groups, the right ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac index were not decreased, and the left ventricular ejection fraction was higher at pericardial closure than pre-bypass. However, in both groups, there was a decrease in the right andleft ventricular stroke work index and right ventricular stroke volume index at sternal closure. CONCLUSIONS: We have concluded that simultaneous cardioplegia delivery via the coronary sinus and grafted vessel to the obstructed right coronary artery was not superior to the alternative cardioplegia delivery via the aortic root and coronary sinus for preservation of right ventricular function in patients undergoing a right CABG.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Sinus ; Coronary Vessels* ; Heart Arrest, Induced* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Stroke ; Stroke Volume ; Transplants ; Ventricular Function, Right

No abstract available.
Acid-Base Equilibrium* ; Acidosis*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the significance of sonographically detected thyroid calcifications in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Two hundred ninety-one patients with thyroid disease, including 75 with thyroid cancer and 54 with calcified thyroid nodule, were reviewed during the period of January 2001 to May 2003. Each patient underwent preoperative high resolution sonography to evaluate the thyroid gland for the presence of calcifications. RESULTS: The highest incidence of calcification was found in thyroid cancer (36%), followed by multinodular goiter (20%), follicular adenoma (13%), and single nodular goiter (3%). The incidence of cancer was significantly higher in calcified nodules (50%) than in noncalcified nodules in the entire group (20%) (p<0.001), with a relative risk of 3.9. In the group of solitary thyroid nodules, the incidence of cancer in the calcified nodules (56%) was higher than that in the nodules without calcification (21%) (p=0.002). In the group of multiple thyroid nodules, the incidence of cancer in the calcified nodules (47%) was higher than that in the nodules without calcification (19%) (p=0.001). The relative risk in presence of calcification was 4.6 in the solitary nodules and 3.7 in the multiple nodules. Compared with multiple noncalcified thyroid nodules, the solitary calcified nodules demonstrated a relative risk of 5.2. In patients younger and older than 40 years, the relative risk in the presence of calcification was about the same, around 4. CONCLUSION: The detection of thyroid calcifications by sonography is diagnostically valuable. The presence of calcifications should raise the suspicion of malignancy.
Adenoma ; Diagnosis ; Goiter ; Goiter, Nodular ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Ultrasonography

Race and ethnicity are influential in estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We aimed to find the Korean coefficients for the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equations and to obtain novel proper estimation equations. Reference GFR was measured by systemic inulin clearance. Serum creatinine (SCr) values were measured by the alkaline picrate Jaffe kinetic method, then, recalibrated to CX3 analyzer and to isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). The Korean coefficients for the 4 and 6 variable MDRD and IDMS MDRD study equations based on the SCr recalibrated to CX3 and to IDMS were 0.73989/0.74254 and 0.99096/0.9554, respectively. Coefficients for the 4 and 6 variable MDRD equations based on the SCr measured by Jaffe method were 1.09825 and 1.04334, respectively. The modified equations showed better performances than the original equations. The novel 4 variable equations for Korean based on the SCr measured and recalibrated to IDMS were 107.904xSCr-1.009xage-0.02 (x0.667, if woman) and 87.832xSCr-0.882xage0.01 (x0.653, if woman), respectively. Modified estimations of the MDRD and IDMS MDRD study equations with ethnic coefficients and the novel equations improve the performance of GFR estimation for the overall renal function.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Algorithms ; Creatinine/blood ; *Diet ; Female ; *Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Inulin/metabolism ; Kidney Diseases/*ethnology/physiopathology ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/ethnology

Despite the current knowledge about the risk of stroke and its related factors in general population, this issue in elderly patients receiving dialysis remains unresolved. Firstly, to compare the risk of stroke between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), data on 13,065 incident dialysis patients (aged ≥ 65 years; 10,675 in HD and 2,390 in PD) were retrieved from the Korean Health Insurance dataset. Secondly, to identify the risk factors of stroke amongst various clinical and laboratory parameters in HD, 980 elderly patients were retrospectively analyzed using an independent prospective cohort from 31 dialysis centers. For a mean duration of 1.8 years (maximum of 5 years), the risk of all cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart disease and stroke) did not differ between HD and PD. However, when analyses were conducted separately by subtype, the risk of stroke, not ischemic heart disease, was significantly higher in HD patients than in PD patients. When the risk factors of stroke were probed after HD for a mean duration of 2.6 years (maximum of 7 years), the absolute dependence on social support, a previous history of cardiovascular disease, high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the use of a high number of anti-hypertensive drugs were identified as being significant. Based on the discrepancy of stroke risk between modalities and the HD-tailored risk factors of stroke, the monitoring and management of these factors may be a key strategy to reduce the risk of stroke in elderly patients receiving dialysis.
Aged* ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Cohort Studies ; Dataset ; Dialysis* ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Lipoproteins ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke*

The roles of interleukin-10 (IL-10) have been emphasized in several models of glomerulonephritis (GN). Three biallelic polymorphisms within the IL-10 promoter region, at positions -1,082, -819, and -592 from the transcription initiation site, were shown to affect the level of IL-10 production. To investigate the effect of IL-10 promoter polymorphisms on the predisposition to development of GN in Korea, IL-10 promoter polymorphisms were assayed by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism in 108 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), 49 focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and 100 healthy controls. In comparison with the control, the frequency of -1,082*G alleles were lower in IgAN and the frequencies of -592*C and -819*C were lower in FSGS, respectively. As for the haplotype, GCC haplotype was less frequent among IgAN than the control and ATA haplotype was more frequent among FSGS than the control (p<0.05). The frequency of intermediate producer genotypes (GCC/ACC and GCC/ATA) were lower among IgAN or FSGS than the control. Our findings suggested that IL-10 promoter polymorphism predisposed to the development of IgAN and FSGS in Korean patients.
Alleles ; Base Sequence ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/*genetics/*immunology ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal/*genetics/*immunology ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Interleukin-10/*genetics ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; *Promoter Regions (Genetics) ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

IgA nephropathy is one of the most common forms of primary glomerulonephritis in adults, and the pathogenetic mechanisms seem to be diverse. Proinflammatory cytokines, Th1/Th2 cytokines, and chemokines would be involved in the pathogenetic pathways and would affect the functional and histologic consequences. To evaluate this hypothesis, we tried to quantify the magnitude of intrarenal gene expression of various cytokines(TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL- 6, IL-15, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-10) and chemokines(IL-8, RANTES) in 61 renal core biopsy specimens confirmed as IgA nephropathy by immunofluorescent microscopy. Semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reactions(RT-PCR) using the internal competitors were done for the quantification of gene transcripts. And using the immunohistochemistry (IHC), we tried to determine the degree of expression and the location of various cytokines and chemokines in renal tissues in 29 patients among the above patients. The IFN-gamma/IL-10 ratio was higher in patients with renal dysfunction than that in patients with normal renal function(p=0.0483). Gene transcript levels of proinflammatory cytokines(TNF-alpha, IL-1beta) were high in patients with significant proteinuria. In patients with severe glomerular sclerosis, the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-10 gene transcripts was high(p=0.0363). IL-10 gene transcript level was related to the severity of tubulointerstitial damage. The levels of gene expression of TNF-alpha(p=0.0026), IL-10(p=0.0092) and IFN-gamma(p=0.0188) were related to the degree of mesangial matrix expansion, and the extent of intrarenal arteriolar lesions correlated with the expression of the IL-8 genetranscript(r=0.3828, p=0.0033). The cellular infiltration in glomeruli was related with chemokine(IL-8) gene expression, but the relation was not significant statistically. The degree of IgA deposition in glomeruli was related with the expression of IL-6 and IL-15. The expression of intrarenal gene transcripts of various cytokines and chemokines were closely interrelated. Th1 or Th2 cytokine polarization was not present in IgA nephropathy. In IHC, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-2 were immunostained dominantly in mesangial region, but not in tubulointerstitial region. In contrast, positive reactions for IL-10 were observed mainly in tubules. The significant reactions for IL-8 were noted in the periarteriolar and arteriolar areas. The results of RT- PCR and IHC showed positive relationships, but those were not significant statistically. This study suggests that proinflammatory, Th1/ Th2 cytokines and chemokines are involved in the specific processes of inflammation and immunologic injury, and their predominance and the level of expression could determine the pathogenetic processes and the severity of the clinical manifestations in IgA nephropathy.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Chemokines* ; Cytokines* ; Gene Expression ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-15 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Microscopy ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proteinuria ; Sclerosis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha