Acute appendicitis is the most common acute surgical condition of the abdomen. when the clinical presentationis atypical, barium enema has proven to be safe and useful in confirming the diagnosis and reducing the negativesurgical exploration. However, the performance of barium enema in acute appendicitis has known contraindicationprimarily because of fear of leakage by perforation of the inflammed appendix. This study using barium enema as adiagnostic aid in acute appendicitis with atypical clinical presentation was performed to further support thepreviously noted efficacy and safety of this procedure. The results were as followings: 1. In case of acuteappendicitis with atypical clinical presentation, the use of barium enema as a diagnostic aid increased theaccuracy of diagnosis and decreased the negative surgical exploration. In women between 11 to 50 years old age,especially, it played important role differentiating appendicitis from nonsurgical acute abdomen. 2. The resultsof the study were 92.31% in sensitivity, 7.69% in false positive, 6.9% in false negative, and 10.26% in negativeappendectomy. 4. A simple partial or nonfilling of appendix without other associated possitive finding could notexclude appendicitis, therefore, close clinial observation was necessary. 5. The positive findings of barium enemaand their sensitivity were as followings: 1. Nonfilling of appendix: 9% 2. Partial filling of appendix: 91.7% 3.Displacement or a local impression on temrinal ileum: 100% *, In all cases, combined with a local impression oncecum and/or irritability of cecum or terminal ileum.
Abdomen ; Abdomen, Acute ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Barium ; Cecum ; Diagnosis ; Enema ; Female ; Humans ; Ileum

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy using Tc-labelled radiopharmaceuticals is employed primarily for the diagnosis ofacute cholecystitis and for demonstration of biliary tract patency. We conducted a retrospective study of 55patients with hepatobiliary disease from Jun. '84 to Sep. '84 at Taegu Catholic Hospital and tried to determinethe etiology and fine the possible differential points by analyzing the scintigraphic findings. The followingresults were obtained: 1. Tree-like photon defect on hepatic parenchyme was suggested characteristic of completeobstructive biliary diseases, but could be seen in either benign or malignant etiology. 2. The grade of hepatocyteclearance was not useful in detemining whether the cause of obstructive biliary disease was benign or malignant inthis study. 3. Hepatocyte clearance was more severely impaired in hepatocellular disease than in obstructivebiliary disease. 4. The photon defect in porta hapatis with complete biliary obstruction was suggestedcharacteristic of common bile duct cancer. 5. The meniscus appearance at obstructed site of common bile duct waspathognomonic sign of choledocholithiasis. 6. When the gallbladder was not visualized, the differential diagnosisbetween acute and chronic cholecystitis was possible without delayed image by observing the transist time tobowel. The delayed transit to bowel was a favorable of chronci cholecystitis rather than of acute cholecystitis.7. Acute pancreatitis could be easily differentiated from partial biliary obstruction by clinical and laboratoryexamination, but the finding of abrupt narrowing of pancreatic common bile duct with sligt proximal dilatation oncholescintigraphy was also a key point in acute pancreatitis. 8. The segmental dilatation of intrahepatic duct wasthought meaningful sign of clonorchiasis.
Biliary Tract ; Cholecystitis ; Choledocholithiasis ; Clonorchiasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Daegu ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Gallbladder ; Hepatocytes ; Pancreatitis ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Retrospective Studies

The ultrasonographic findings of 49 ovarian cystadenomas were analized. The results were as follows: 1. Themost common age group was 3rd decade and most patients(83%) belong to active reproductive period. 2. In 80% ofserous cystadenoma the size of the tumor was ranged in 6–10cm in diameter. The large tumors of 16–20 cm indiameter were mostly mucinous cystadenomas. 3. Purely cystic appearance was the most common finding(40%) of serouscystadenoma and thick linear septation with and without solid component was the most common finding (38%) ofmucious cystadenoma. 4. Thick linear septation with solid component was not found inserous cystadenoma. 5. Welldefined nodular projection was found in 3 cases of serous cystadenoma but not identified in mucinous cystadenoma.
Cystadenoma ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; Cystadenoma, Serous ; Humans ; Reproduction

It is well known that the spatial patterns of basement membrane[BM] components show a close correlation with the morphogenetic process in developing organs during pre- and postnatal period. But little is known about the chronological changes in BM components during the development of thyroid gland. To investigate the correlation of the distribution of BM components with the development of the thyroid gland, immunohistochemical localization of the BM components was performed, using rat fetuses[from 15 to 21 days of gestation] and pups[from 1 to 14 days]. According to the histological features with H.E. staining, prenatal development[El5-21] of the rat thyroid could be divided into 3 representative stages : 1] Undifferentiated primordium of thyroid epithelia, forming cell cords or cell nests [until El5 day]. 2] An intervening stage of cell proliferation with the pattern of lobulation[El6-17 days]. 3] Stage of maturing follicles[El8-21 days]. It could be concluded that differentiation of the thyroid follicle are terminated during the prenatal period and growth in size and number occurs during the first two weeks after birth. By the immunohistochemical localization of laminin[LM], fibronectin[FN], type IV collagen[CIV], the basement membranes investing thyroid follicles could be clearly delineated at 15 days of gestation. Reactivity for LN and CIV associated with BM increased with advancing development, while that of FH was apparently weakened during the 2 weeks after birth. On the other hand immunoreactivity for CIV in the same age group increased, compared to that of previous swage of development. These results indicate that BM components were expressed in distinct spatial patterns with advancing development of thyroid gland. Based on these observations, it could be concluded that these BM components are important determinants in epithelial growth and differentiation during thyroid development.
Animals ; Basement Membrane* ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagen Type IV ; Fibronectins ; Hand ; Humans ; Laminin ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Rats* ; Thyroid Gland*

BACKGROUND: Mean platelet volume (MPV) increases when platelets are activated, and it is known to increase in migraine patients. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a difference in MPV or platelet count between migraine patients with (MA) and without aura (MO).METHODS: Migraine patients were recruited from the out-patient department of a hospital between January 2012 and June 2017. Patients were divided into MA and MO groups. Platelet count and MPV were compared between groups, and the frequency of comorbidities such as ischemic stroke and cardiovascular disease, was investigated in both groups.RESULTS: Of the 123 patients, 46 were classified as MA, and 77 were classified as MO. The MPV of the MA group was significantly higher than that of the MO group (8.92±0.17 fL, 6.32±0.28 fL, respectively) (P=0.034). However, platelet count showed no significant difference between groups. Cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke incidences were significantly higher in the MA group than in the MO group (ischemic stroke: 15.2%, 7.8%, respectively, P=0.027; cardiovascular disease: 10.9%, 6.5%, respectively, P=0.018).CONCLUSION: Mean platelet volume was significantly greater in the MA group than in the MO group. This may be related to the pathophysiological differences between the two conditions.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Comorbidity ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Migraine Disorders ; Migraine with Aura ; Migraine without Aura ; Outpatients ; Platelet Activation ; Platelet Count ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: Cadmium is a toxic element in cigarette smoke associated with ischemic vascular disease. Its association with cerebral aneurysm is unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with headache who underwent imaging studies between March 2014 and August 2016. An unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) was confirmed by brain magnetic resonance angiography or computed tomography angiography. A control group included age- and sex-matched patients without an UIA. Whole blood and random urine tests were used for detection of cadmium and arsenic levels, respectively. Student t-test was used to compare subject characteristics, mean cadmium and arsenic levels between groups, and differences between groups with small (<4-mm) and large (≥4-mm) UIAs. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for aneurysm incidence. RESULTS: Of 238 patients, 25 had an UIA. Those with an UIA had more pack-years of smoking (19.5±3.8 vs. 12.5±6.8, P=0.044) and higher mean serum cadmium levels (1.77±0.19 vs. 0.87±0.21 µg/L, P=0.027). Arsenic levels showed no difference between groups. (67.4±23.5 vs. 62.2±18.3 µg/L, P=0.458). There were no significantly different demographic, clinical, or laboratory characteristics between small and large aneurysm groups. According to multivariate analysis, smoking (odds ratio [OR], 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–2.33; P=0.047) and serum cadmium >2.0 mcg/L (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.15–1.84; P=0.043) were associated with aneurysm incidence. CONCLUSION: UIA incidence was associated with pack-years of smoking and serum cadmium level, but aneurysm size was not associated with serum cadmium level.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arsenic ; Brain ; Cadmium ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Vascular Diseases

Thyroid gland is composed of follicles surrounded by basement membrane, which is known to be related to the regenerative processes in several organs. This study was performed to observe the morphological details and changes of the basement membrane components, which are the presumtive factors in thyroid regeneration, with time sequences after partial thyroidectomy and then the relations between the components and thyroid regeneration were confirmed. Thyroid galnds of adult male rats were examined before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 days after bilateral partial[50-60%] thyroidectomy. The basememnt membranes of follicles were prominent with high eosinophilicity at later stage when H & E stained. But in PAS and EM staining, the basement membrane of the operated groups didn`t show any specific changes comparing with control group but the dense collagenous fibers at the interfollicular space outside the membrane. Immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen[PCNA], which reflects the growth fraction, showed 2.3% positivity of total follicular cells in control group. The PCNA positive ratio in experimental groups were 10.3%, 15.9%, 19.9%, 12.2%, 10.5%, 1.9%, 2.7% on postoperative 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 days respectively. In unilaterally thyroidectomized rats, the resected lobe revealed 18.2% of PCNA positive ratio 3 days after operation, while that in the unresected lobe was only 5.9%. This suggested the predominence of local factors in thyroid regeneration. Meanwhile, with the double immunostaining of calcitonin and PCNA discriminate between follicular cells and C-cells among the PCNA positive cells, PCNA positive C-cells were very rare. The immunostaining of laminin, fibronectin, and collagen IV showed varying intensity with the progress of regeneration. Stainability for collagen IV was maintained in all groups with some increase in 5- and 7-day groups. Laminin was well localized to the basement membrane of the control follicle, and the staining intensity for laminin was markedly increased with additional cytoplasmic staining in follicular cells in 1- to 3-day groups and then decreased to attain the control level in 10-day group. In case of fibronectin, the control follicle showed scarce staining, but the resected group showed strong positivity for fibronectin with the most intense staining in 1- to 3-day groups. Immunostaining for fibronectin still showes in 10-day group with the gradual disappearance of immunoreactivity in the center of the lobe. This study revealed the accompaning changes of the basement membrane components during the regeneration process of partially resected thyroid glands. Among them, collagen IV seems to support the structural integrity of the basement membrane. Laminin and fibronectin were supposed to be related to the thyroid follicular regeneration.
Adult ; Animals ; Basement Membrane ; Calcitonin ; Collagen ; Collagen Type IV ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibronectins ; Humans ; Laminin ; Male ; Membranes ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Rats* ; Regeneration ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroidectomy

PURPOSE: To determine the MR imaging findings of spinal cord decompression sickness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the spinal MR images of eight patients (M : 6, F : 2) with decompression sickness affecting the cervical spine (n=1) or thoracic spine (n=7). The observed extent, location, continuity, signal intensity and contrast enhancement pattern of spinal cord lesions were analysed. RESULTS: The chief MR finding was continuous (n=2) or non-continuous (n=3) high signal intensity on T2-weighted images in the posterior paramedian spinal cord. In three cases, additional T2 signal abnormality in the ventral horn of the gray matter was observed. There was no signal intensity abnormality on T1- weighted images or abnormal enhancement on post-Gadolinium T1-weighted images. In one case, cord swelling in addition to T2 signal abnormality was observed. CONCLUSION: MR imaging is useful for evaluating spinal cord lesions in patients with decompression sickness.
Animals ; Decompression Sickness* ; Decompression* ; Horns ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine