No abstract available.
Humans ; Pregnancy, Twin*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Heart*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Fontan Procedure* ; Heart Ventricles*

OBJECTIVES: Significant progress has been made in understanding psychosocial, psychological, and environmental factors associated with suicide. However it is only recently that attention has been paid to the understanding of the neurobiology of suicide. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between platelet serotonin level and suicidal behavior and psychological features of the suicidal attempters. METHODS: After a suicidal attempt platelet serotonin level was measured from 21 patients and compared it with those from depression patients and normal controls. Also MMPI, HAM-D, Barratt impulsiveness scale(BIS) were done to evaluate their psychological features. RESULTS: 1) There was no significant difference in sex ratio of the suicidal attempters. 2) There was no significant difference in platelet serotonin levels among three groups. 3) The analysis of MMPI revealed that the scores of D, Hs, Pt in clinical scales were significantly higher in suicide patients and scores of D, Pa, Si were in depression patients. 4)The HAM-D score was significantly higher in depression and suicide patients, especially in depression patients. 5) The analysis of Barratt impulsiveness scale revealed that the scores of nonplanning, motor and cognitive impulsiveness scale were significantly higher in suicide patients. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in platelet serotonin levels among three groups. However the analysis of psychological features revealed significant differences. Therefore we concluded that psychological examinations are benefit to evaluate the suicidal tendency.
Blood Platelets* ; Depression ; Humans ; MMPI ; Neurobiology ; Serotonin* ; Sex Ratio ; Suicide ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Humans ; Parents* ; Siblings*

Neurofibrosarcoma is the most common malignant change in patients with neurofibromatosis. But the incidence of neurofibrosarcoma arising from cutaneous neurofibroma is very low. We report two cases of neurofibrosarcoma arising from cutaneous neurofibroma in patients with neurofibromatosis showing typical clinical manifestations.
Humans ; Incidence ; Neurofibroma* ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibrosarcoma*

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening illness that is mainly caused by toxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Although TSS is classically known to be associated with tampon use, the number of TSS cases with non-menstrual causes such as skin and soft tissue infection has been increasing. Tattooing can result in several complications such as localized and systemic infections, inflammatory skin eruptions and neoplasms. We recently experienced a 26-year-old man diagnosed with typical TSS following tattooing. He complained of fever, chills and erythematous rash at tattoo site. Subsequently, the patient developed sign of shock. The skin cultures on the tattoo site were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was successfully treated with vasopressor infusion and intravenous antibiotics and was discharged without complications. On discharge from the hospital 7 days later, desquamations on the tattoo site, fingers and toes were observed.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chills ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Fingers ; Humans ; Shock ; Shock, Septic* ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tattooing* ; Toes

PURPOSE: Kidney transplantation is definite treatment in chronic renal failure (CRF). But CRF patients have contracted bladder due to disuse atrophy and fibrosis of bladder mucosa and muscle. Contracted bladder results in CRF itself and failure of transplantation. And this causes many difficulties in ureteroneocystostomy. So many authors suggest that preoperative bladder augmentations of contracted bladder (cystoplasty) using intestine increase success rate in kidney transplantation. But these methods have been usually studied in pediatric transplantation. Preoperative hydrostatic bladder dilatation is nonoperative treatment usually used in interstitial cystitis and hemorrhagic bladder tumor. METHODS: Since January 1996, we newly attempted pretransplant bladder augmentation using hydrostatic pressure in 22 CRF patients who had contracted bladder diagnosed through preoperative voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG). RESULTS: Pre-augmented average bladder volume was 87.7 mL (60~100 mL) and post-augmented bladder volume was 210.5 mL (100~250 mL). There was no complication associated with pretransplant bladder augmentation itself, and there was no transplanted kidney loss. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that pretransplant bladder augmentation using hydrostatic pressure be useful in kidney transplantation of CRF patient who had contracted bladder.
Cystitis, Interstitial ; Dilatation ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Hydrostatic Pressure* ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Kidney Transplantation ; Mucous Membrane ; Muscular Disorders, Atrophic ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder*

Giant basal cell carcinoma(BCC) is a clinical expression of a large-sized BCC, which can cause extensive local invasion and disfigurement and have a particular capacity for metastasis. In the development of this large tumor, several risk factors including patient neglect, aggressive histological features and long duration, are identified. We have observed a very large BCC on the forehead of anlderly man for more than 4 years. He had been suffering from psychiatric disease for a long time, and patient neglect due to this problem played a crucial role in the development of this giant BCC.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Forehead ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Risk Factors