Sodium nitroprusside(SNP) is used to induce hypotension for a wide variety of indica- tions. Ordinarily, blood pressure responds sensitively to infusion of SNP in low doses, but occasioally resistance is seen, and actual tachyphylaxis during SNP infusion has been reported. To investigste the continuous infusion rates of SNP, we retrospectively reviewed 144 cases of spinal fusion operations which had been performed under deliberate hypotensive anesthesia (mean arterial pressure at 50-60 mmHg). To produce deliberate hypotension, The mean dose of SNP was 17.16 mg, the mean infusion time 283.85 minutes, and the average infusion rates 1.05 ug/kg/min. Patients who received csptopril required less SNP than untreated patients(0.95 vs 1.23 ug /kg/min., p<0.05). Isovolemic hemodilution also reduced aversge infusion rates of SNP (0. 87 vs 1.22ug/kg/min., p<0.05). There were, however, no significant differences in preoperative hypertention vs normotension, mild hypothermia vs. normothermia during the operation, and male vs. female. In addition, the average infusion rates of SNP were significantly correlated with body mass index(r=0.3329, p<0.01). But those were not correlated with age, infusion time of SNP, weight, volume of transfusion, height/age, and height.
Anesthesia* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Hypothermia ; Male ; Nitroprusside ; Retrospective Studies ; Sodium* ; Spinal Fusion ; Tachyphylaxis

Melanoacanthoma is an extremely rare pigmented benign mixed epithelial tumor of both melanocytes and keratinocytes. A 52-year-old female presented an asymptomatic, slightly elevated, 1. 2 cm x 0. 8 cm, dark black-colored plaque on her right buttock of 2 years' duration. Histopathologic finding of the plaque shows hyperkeratosis, focal parakeratosis, follicular plugging, acanthosih, papillomatosis and pseudo-horn cyst in the epidermis. The tumor is composed of basaloid and squarnous cells with many foci of clusters and whorls of melanin pigment-laden cells. Electron microscopic finding reveals many scattered melanocytes in the entire epidermis. Melanin granules are found mostly in the melanocytes but can also be found in a few keratinocytes.
Buttocks ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Middle Aged ; Papilloma ; Parakeratosis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the selective nerve root block prior to the surgery. METHODS: Between January 2007 and December 2009, 52 cases of selective nerve root block prior to the spine surgery were performed. Three cervical lesions and 49 lumbar spinal lesions were selected. All selected patients had multilevel spine lesions or poorly defined radiologic findings with significant symptoms of neural foramen stenosis. RESULTS: In total of the 52 patients, 41 had positive and 11 had negative results with the nerve root block. Out of the 41 patients with positive results, 40 patients had good surgical outcome. From the 11 patients with negative results, 6 patients had good surgical outcome. All surgeries were performed at the positive level at the selective nerve root block and the most suspected lesion. CONCLUSION: Selective nerve root block can be used to evaluate the location generating the most serious radiating pain. Results of selective nerve root block corresponded with the results of the surgical outcome in the most cases. We can predict the outcome of the surgery, especially in case of multilevel spine problems or poorly defined radiologic findings, by performing preoperative selective nerve root block.
Humans ; Spine

Spinal anesthesia has a rapid onset and requires small doses of local anesthenc to provide reliable surgical anesthesia and good muscular reiaxation but the disadvantages are the unpredictability of upper level of block, precipitous hypotension, inability to extend the block, and the risk of postdural puncture headache. A combined spinalepidural (CSE) technique can be used to reduce or eliminate some of the disadvantages of spinal and epidural anesthesia while preserving their activity. A combined spinalepidural block may combine the reliability of spinal block and the flexibility of epidural block while minimizing their drawbacks. CSE anesthesia was performed in the 19 patients scheduled for elective total knee arthroplasty. At first 17 G Tuohy needle was inserted L2-3 interspace, the epidual space would be identified, and then a long 22 G spinal needle was introduced through the Tuohy needle until the tip of the spinal needle would penetrate the dura. The correct placement of the spinal needle was confirmed by the appearence of cerebrospinal fluid at the head of needle, then 0.5% hyperbaric tetracaine 1.6-2 ml was injected into subarachnoid space. The spinal needle was withdrawn and a 18 G epidural catheter was introduced into the epidural space. If the patients complained pain during operation, 5 ml of 2% lidocaine was injected through epidural catheter, 2.5 mg Morphine was injected into epidural space for postoperative pain control after operation. Operations were well performed under CSE anesthesia and postoperative pain controls were well managed, too. The responses of the patients who has experienced CSE anesthesia were mostly good.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Arthroplasty* ; Catheters ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Epidural Space ; Head ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Knee* ; Lidocaine ; Morphine ; Needles ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pliability ; Post-Dural Puncture Headache ; Subarachnoid Space ; Tetracaine

No abstract available.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Hair Removal* ; Pigmentation Disorders*

We present a case of tuberculous spondylitis in which diagnosis was masked by a concomitant pyogenic infection. The patient had undergone percutaneous needle aspiration of an abscess in the cavity of the psoas muscle. Early results from the culture regimen showed isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. After eight weeks, mycobacterium tuberculosis was grown at regimen which was cultured at the same site. Initial isolation of pyogenic bacteria, considered to be highly virulent organisms, led to delayed diagnosis and treatment of the tuberculosis.
Abscess ; Bacteria ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Humans ; Masks ; Methicillin ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Needles ; Psoas Muscles ; Spondylitis ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tuberculosis

An intraosseous epidermal cyst is a rare benign cystic lesion. It is thought to result from congenital factors or trauma and can lead to bone destruction because the cyst develops at the soft tissue around the bone. Radiological findings of intraosseous epidermal cysts are a well-defined radiolucent lesion, with cortical expansion. It is important to differentiate an intraosseous epidermal cyst with other disease developed at distal phalanx because its clinical and radiological findings are similar. We report two rare cases of intraosseous epidermal cysts that developed at the distal phalanx.
Epidermal Cyst*

A case of Klinefelter's syndrome was reported and recent related literatures were reviewed. Case report: T. B., a 29 year-old Korean unmarried man, complained of small testes and gynecomastia. The history revealed no significant antecedent episodes which could have related to his problem. He was born when his father was 40 and his mother was 38 years old. He has no brothers nor sisters. He graduated from a university four years ago with poor record. He has been employed as a clerk of a bank Physical examination revealed a well-nourished and developed man: height, 166cm.; symphysis pubis to floor, 97 cm.; span, 168 cm.; breadth of hips, 43 cm.; breadth of shoulders, 42 cm.; hips. 92 cm.; bast, 93 cm.; weight, 67 kg. Body hairs, beard and axillary hairs were rudimentary. Pubic escutcheon was of female type and breasts were also of female type. Fatty tissue was distributed so well around the hips and breasts, that he was of female body constitution. No abnormalities were demonstrated on eyes, chest and abdomen. The penis was 5.7cm. in length. Each testis in the scrotum was palpated as a bean size. Epididymes were almost normal but prostate gland was felt flat and small. Frequency of ejaculations was once a week. (fig. 1) Laboratory examinations: routine blood and urine tests were within normal ranges. A semen sample was devoid of spermatozoa. VDRL was negative. Urinary gonadotropins for 24 hours were elevated. Urinary 17-ketosteroid for 24 hours showed 11.09 mg. The oral mucosal smear revealed that 25 per cent of the cells contained a single chromatin masses (Barr bodies). Testicular biopsies revealed characteristic findings of the syndrome. There were hyalinized seminiferous tubules, occasional tubules which contained only Sertoli ells and an increased number of interstitial cells for the most part appearing in clumps adjacent to the larger seminiferous tubules containing cells. (fig. 2) The recent literatures related to pathogenesis, terminology, sex differentiation, sex chromosome. sex chromatin, signs and symptoms of the syndrome were reviewed.
Abdomen ; Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Body Constitution ; Breast ; Chromatin ; Ejaculation ; Fathers ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; Gynecomastia ; Hair ; Hip ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Klinefelter Syndrome* ; Male ; Mothers ; Penis ; Physical Examination ; Prostate ; Reference Values ; Scrotum ; Semen ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Sex Chromatin ; Sex Chromosomes ; Sex Differentiation ; Shoulder ; Siblings ; Single Person ; Spermatozoa ; Testis ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to present our 5-year experience of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) performed by emergency physicians. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 58 patients who underwent ECPR between January 2010 and December 2014. The primary parameter analyzed was survival to hospital discharge. The secondary parameters analyzed were neurologic outcome at hospital discharge, cannulation time, and ECPR-related complications. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (53.4%) were successfully weaned from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and 18 (31.0%) survived to hospital discharge. Twelve patients (20.7%) were discharged with good neurologic outcomes. The median cannulation time was 25.0 min (interquartile range 20.0-31.0 min). Nineteen patients (32.8%) had ECPR-related complications, the most frequent being distal limb ischemia. Regarding the initial presentation, 52 patients (83.9%) collapsed due to a cardiac etiology, and acute myocardial infarction (33/62, 53.2%) was the most common cause of cardiac arrest. CONCLUSIONS: The survival to hospital discharge rate for cardiac arrest patients who underwent ECPR conducted by an emergency physician was within the acceptable limits. The cannulation time and complications following ECPR were comparable to those found in previous studies.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Catheterization ; Emergencies* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Extremities ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

In a murine model system, enhancement of the total IgA and rotavirus-specific IgA of suckling mice was measured by ELISA with the intestinal fluid following oral administration of murine rotavirus EC (EDIM-Cambridge) strain. In the EC strain-administered group, the geometric mean titers (GMT) of total IgAs were 512 and 91 at 1 and 2 week postinfection, respectively. On the other hand, the GMTs of the rotavirus-specific IgAs were 108 and 3 at the same periods, respectively. Thus increase in the total IgAs was 64 folds and that in the rotavirus-specific IgAs was 43 folds compared with the negative control group. As the maximal titers of both the total and rotavirus-specific IgAs were observed at 1 week decreasing until 2 weeks after infection, it is evident that the GMT of the total IgA implies that of rotavirus-specific IgA. In our ELISA system, whose specificity was verified by Western blot analysis, the total IgA in the administered group was determined to be 40-400 ng per 1 ml of the intestinal fluid. Therefore it is concluded that determination of the rotavirus-specific IgA in murine models can be a sensitive indication of rotavirus infection, and will be another promising tool in viral challenge experiments in vaccine development.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Hand ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR* ; Rotavirus Infections ; Rotavirus* ; Sensitivity and Specificity