OBJECTIVE: The authors demonstrate neuroprotective effects of antioxidant in reperfusion injury using ischemic rat model and evaluate the clinical eligibility of this agent to ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: Rat model was made according to Longa method. Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were used and were equally divided into three groups;A) treated subcutaneously with D,L-6,8-Thioctic acid 30 minutes before occlusion, B) within one hour after occlusion, and C) with vehicle only. Neurologic examination was performed immediately and 24 hours after reperfusion. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, brains were extracted and stained with 2% 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolim chloride in 2mm-thickness section. Then, fixed sections were digitalized and used for infarct area calculation. RESULTS: There was no significant statistical difference in recorded hemodynamic and physiologic parameters between three groups. The neurologic status taken immediately following reperfusion were A) 2.67+/-0.492, B) 2.75+/-0.452, and C) 2.83+/-0.389, and were improved to A) 1.67+/-0.898, B) 1.92+/-0.900, and C) 2.08+/-0.793 just before sacrificing. However, there was no statistically significant difference between three groups. Mean volume of cerebral infarction was A) 9.5+/-1.67%, B) 10.4+/-1.58%, and C) 11.3+/-1.12% with no significant difference. Any specific correlation between the neurologic status and the mean infarction volume was not observed. CONCLUSION: Any single agent does not seem to reduce the infarction volume holistically, therefore, the incoming therapeutic target should be the development of versatile neuroprotective agents or the selection of preexisting synergistic compounds without compromising patients' safety.
Animals ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Hemodynamics ; Infarction ; Models, Animal* ; Neurologic Examination ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND: In chronic airway disease, mucus secretion in increased, but extraction of mucin, which is the main component of mucus secretion, is a very complicated and limited in clinical use. Recently, monoclonal antibody for mucin was developed for possible clinical use. In this study, cellular analysis and quantification of respiratory mucin in sputum of patients with chronic airway diseases were performed. METHOD: Sputum was collected from patients with asthma(n=33), bronchiectasis(n=8) or chronic bronchitis(n=13) by spontaneous expectoration or by hypertonic saline induction, Collected sputums was treated by 0.1% dithiotreitol to dissociate the disulfide bond of the mucus and filtered through a nylon gauze. Total cell count, viability and differential count were measured. For detection of mucin, collected samples were treated with sodium dodoecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then with monoclonal antibody(HMO2), as the primary antibody, and PAS stain. The amount of mucin was measured with ELISA by HMO2. Correlation with clinical information, cellular analysis, and amount of measured mucin were analyzed. RESULTS: Total cell counts of sputum were significantly increased in patients with bronchiectasis but viability remained the same. Eosinophils were significantly increased in patients with asthma, neutrophils in bronchiectasis chronic bronchitis, respectively (p<0.05). The results of Western blotting and PAS staining confirmed the presence of glycoproteins and matched? with mucin. The amounts of mucin measured by ELISA were not significantly different among the disease groups. Significant correlation was identified between the amount of mucin and viability(r=-0.482, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Inflammatory cells in the sputum of those with chronic airway disease were different for each disease type. Measurement of mucin by ELISA via monoclonal antibodies may be a simple method for the evaluation of chronic airway disease.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Asthma ; Blotting, Western ; Bronchiectasis ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Cell Count ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophils ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Mucins* ; Mucus ; Neutrophils ; Nylons ; Sodium ; Sputum*

Sebaceous trichofolliculoma, which is a variant of trichofolliculoma, is a rare disease that clinically show a centrally depressed lesion usually singly on the nose, and histologically a centrally located cavity, lined by squamous epithelium, with numerous sebaceous lobules connected to them. We describe a case of sebaceous trichofolliculoma in a 27-year-old woman who had several brown papules on the nose. We think that this is the first report of sebaceous trichofolliculloma in Korean literature.
Adult ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Nose ; Rare Diseases

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to detail clinical experiences with a new type of tension-free herniorrhaphy using the Prolene Hernia System (PHS) and analyze the system' usefulness. METHODS: We reviewed 48 cases of herniorrhaphy using PHS and 45 cases of conventional herniorrhaphy retrospectively by reviewing the medical records of patients undergoing either procedure between January 2000 and February 2005. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the operation time (P=0.054) or the length of hospital stay (P=0.138) between the groups. However, the need for analgesic therapy in the PHS group was less than in the control group (P= 0.008). There were no serious postoperative complications, but wound complications occurred more often in the PHS group (6 seromas and 2 hematomas), and urinary retention occurred more frequently in the control group. The recurrence rate in the control group was 2.2% (1/45), but there were no recurrences in the PHS group for 46 months. CONCLUSION: Herniorrhaphy using the PHS is safe and effective as conventional surgery. It can be carried out under local anesthesia more easily, and it is less painful than the conventional surgery. We suggest that the PHS be widely adopted as a method of tension-free herniorrhaphy.
Anesthesia, Local ; Hernia ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Herniorrhaphy ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Polypropylenes ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seroma ; Urinary Retention

PURPOSE: We hoped to evaluate the possibility of substitution of the local anesthesia for the spinal anesthesia in hemorrhoidectomy. METHODS: We did Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy under local anesthesia for the sixty- eight patients from January 1998 to December 2005. These patients were compared with seventy-nine patients of spinal anesthesia, sampled with similar gender, age, a surgeon, retrospectively. We used a mixture of 0.5% lidocaine and 1:200,000 epinephrine into perianal skin and intersphincteric space. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1:1 in local anesthesia group and 1:0.84 in spinal anesthesia group. The mean age was 50 and 46 respectively. The number of excised pile was 3.9 and 3.8 respectively. The frequency of the analgegics injected within first 24 hours was 1.79 and 2.70 respectively (P=0.001). The frequency of the urinary catheterization was 0.07 and 0.69 respectively (P < 0.001). The first bowel movement after surgery was 1.2 days and 1.6 days respectively. The hospital stay was 6.4 days and 8.1 days respectively (P=0.06). CONCLUISIONS: Local anesthesia is simple, safe and effective in the hemorrhoidectomy.
Anesthesia, Local* ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Epinephrine ; Hemorrhoidectomy* ; Hope ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lidocaine ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rapidly growing malignant neuroendocrine tumor with a high rate of recurrence and metastasis for which wide excision is recommended. About 10 cases of spontaneous regression have been reported in the world. We report a case of Merkel cell carcinoma which showed spontaneous regression. The patient was a 68-year-old woman with a two-month history of a rapidly enlarging dusky red tumor on her right cheek. Microscopically, the tumor cells were uniform with round to oval shaped nucleus and scanty cytoplasm, and showed trabecular arrangement. Ultrastructually, dense core neurosecretory granules 100 to 200nm in diameter were found in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. As far as we know, this is the first case of the spontaneous regression of the tumor in the country.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* ; Cheek ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Recurrence

We reviewed twenty-six tibial bone defects which had been treated by internal bone transport to evaluate the results and complications and of the Ilizarov method. The causes of defects were open fracture(13 cases) and infected non-union(13 cases) The mean bone defect was 8.2 cm, ranging from 2 cm to 20 cm, in open fracture and 6.5 cm, ranging from 2 cm to 17 cm, in infected nonunion. All cases attained bone union. The mean radiologic consolidation index was 1.3 month/cm. The mean external fixation time was 18.5 months, ranging from 4 months to 33 months. Complications were pin-tract infection(20 cases), equines contracture of ankle(4 cases), knee flexion contracture(1 case), axial deviation(5 cases), valgus deformity of ankle(1 case), leg length discrepancy(7 cases), stress fracture at corticotomy site(2 cases), delayed union(1 case), infection recurrence(1 case), soft tissue invagination(3 cases) and refracture(2 case). The Ilizarov method is a useful treatment for tibial bone defects. Bone grafting at the docking site is recommended in order to shorten the treatment time and to avoid refracture and nonunion.
Bone Transplantation ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Fractures, Open ; Fractures, Stress ; Ilizarov Technique ; Knee ; Leg

Coronary artery fistula is an abnormal communication between the coronary artery and the cardiac chambers. In particular, an abnormal connection between the conus branch of the right coronary artery and the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery is defined as Vieussens’ arterial ring. Coronary artery fistulas are usually asymptomatic, but some can cause complications such as infective endocarditis. Here, we report a case of Vieussens’ arterial ring causing infective endocarditis with severe mitral regurgitation.
Conus Snail ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels ; Endocarditis ; Fistula ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Pulmonary Artery

No abstract available.
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Dopamine ; Methylphenidate ; Parkinsonian Disorders

Myopericytoma is a benign tumor that occurs in soft tissues. Myopericytoma in the lungs is very rare. We report the case of a 63-year-old woman presenting with cavitary masses in the left lung and multiple tiny nodules in both lungs. She underwent surgery, and a histological examination revealed primary pulmonary myopericytoma.
Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules