No abstract available.
Aged, 80 and over* ; Humans

The parathyroid carcinoma is rare disorder and its reported incidence is 1-2% of primary hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroid cancer shows more profound clinical symptoms and signs than adenoma or hyperplasia: more severe renal and bony complications, higher calcium levels (>15 mg/dL) and palpable neck mass. It usually diagnosed after operation when it shows malignant pathologic findings, local invasion, distant metastasis, or even recurrence. The treatment is surgical resection. Hypokalemia is relatively common feature of primary hyperparathyroidism but it should be marked because of its arrhythmogenic effect when accompanies with hypercalcemia. We experienced a hyperfunctioning parathyroid carcinoma in 53 year old rnan confirmed postoperatively which showed hypokalemia normalized after operation.
Adenoma ; Calcium ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary ; Hyperplasia ; Hypokalemia* ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Parathyroid Neoplasms* ; Recurrence

Colonic sarcomatoid carcinomas are known to be extremely rare tumors, with only 22 cases reported either as sarcomatoid carcinomas or carcinosarcomas in the literature. The known characteristics are rapid growth, a high recurrence rate, and an extremely poor prognosis. Herein we report a case of a patient who had a sarcomatoid carcinoma of the sigmoid colon and died only 22 days after surgery due to rapid tumor growth.
Carcinosarcoma ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

Clinically, the Rh blood group system is important since Rh antibodies are readily induced by transfusion or pregnancy in individuals negative for the antigert and may cause hemolytic reactions or hemolytic disease of the newborn. Since the D antigert is strongly immunogenic, donors and patients are routinely typed for D status and patients are generally given D compatible blood. But under several circumstances such as spontaneous agglutination of red blood cells coated with immunoglobulin, antisera with additives may cause false positive results in test using high-protein reagents. And facton in the patient' s own serum may also affect the test, since unwashed red blood cells suspended in their own serum or plasma are frequently tested. Therefore, manufacturers and American Association of Blood Banks(AABB) recommend that the Rh(D) control test with Rh(D) control reagent which contains the same additive present in high-protein anti-D except for the anti-D. This study was undertaken to evaluate the usefss of the Rh(D) control test in Korea where Rh(D) negative population is small. Red blood cells from 1115 in-patients and 468 out-patients at Korea University Medical Center were employed in Rh(D) typing and Rh(D) control test in parellel. 1580 cases are Rh(D) positive and 3 cases were Rh(D) negative. No agglutination was observed with Rh(D) control test. Though AABB and manufacturers recommended that the Rh(D) control test should be done in parellel with Rh(D) typing test, the authers concluded that there were no need to run the Rh(D) control test in Korea.
Academic Medical Centers ; Agglutination ; Antibodies ; Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Immunoglobulins ; Indicators and Reagents ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Plasma ; Pregnancy ; Tissue Donors

Mitral regurgitation (MR) was analyzed by Doppler echocardiography, preoperatively and postoperatively, in 59 patients with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The ratio of left atrial dimension and aortic root dimension (LAD/AOD) and the maximal velocity of the mitral valve (MVmax) were compared in pre, postop group. The degree of the regurgitation was given to the MR group. In preop MR group (13 of 59,22%), we compared the LAD/AOD by echo and the Qp/Qs by catheterization with non-MR group. The following results were obtained: 1) In preop MR group, about half of them had a grade 1 regurgitation, where as one fourth showed grade 2, remaining one fourth showed grade 3. The later were all changed to grade 2, postoperatively. The whiffle or mild MR (grade 1 or 2) shown preoperatively were slightly reduced in their degrees of regurgitation, but most were not disappeared and persisted to 7th postop day. 2) LAD/AOD and MVmax were significantly reduced at postop state of PDA. 3) In preop MR group (n=13), LAD/AOD was significantly increased. Qp/Qs was higher in MR grade 2 group (n=6). In conclusion, left atrial dilatation could be a factor causing mitral regurgitation in the PDA. The amount of the pulmonary blood flow also related to that. The size of the PDA itself, Rp/Rs and associated cardiac lesions were not related to the regurgitation.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Dilatation ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency*

I deeply regret but request a retraction of our paper published in Immune Network.

I deeply regret but request a retraction of our paper published in Immune Network.

The posterior fossa, containing roughly 6ne fourth of the intracranial contents, is the site of about 30-35% of the intracranial tumors. The incidence of primary tumors in the posterior fossa is quite different from that of the cerebivm. We analysed 124 cases of posterior fossa tumor, over a 10 year period, to understand the status of posterior fossa tumor and its histologic characteristics. Medulloblastoma was most common(37cases, 29.8%), followed by astrocytoma, hemangiobla-stoma, ependymoma, meningioma, metastatic tumor, arteriovenous malformation and choroid plexus papilloma in descending order of frequency. Tumors were found most frequently between the ages of two and ten years(28.2%) and sixty seven(54.0%) cases were diagnosed before the age of fifteen. The ratio of male to female was 60 : 64. Astrocytoma revealed a characteristic juvenile pilocytic type and a microcystic change. Hemangioblastoma showed higher frequency(17.7%) than previous reports and the origin of tumor cells is still equivocal. Other tumors revealed the same histologic features as other intracranial tumors.
Child ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Prenatal development of the thoracic aorta of the human during the period ranging from gestation weeks 7 (C-R length 20mm) to 30 (C-R length 260mm) was examined by transmission electron microscopy and the following results were obtained. The early form of cuboidal or columnar endothelial cells at 7-9 weeks of gestation changed gradually to typical flat endothelial cells at 12-14 weeks of gestation. At 9 weeks of gestation, the mesenchymal cells begin to differentiate to myoblasts, which have small clusters of myofilaments with dense bodies and rough endoplasmic reticulum. And from 14 weeks the differentiating cells begin to form a parallel concentric lamellar structure. At 12th week of gestation, elastic fibers were first seen in subendothelial connective tissue and the intercellular spaces between smooth muscle cells. Elastic fibers appeared as small globular shape which composed of a central core of elastic and peripheral microfibrils. From this period the amount of elastic fibers and their aggregation increases gradually in both the subendothelial space and the intercellular spaces between smooth muscle cells. At 30th week of gestation, subendothelial elastic fibers almost completed the internal elastic lamina and also well formed elastic laminae were seen between the smooth muscle cells adjacent to endothelial cells. However, in the space between the smooth muscle cells near the adventitia the elastic lamina formation is delayed. In the adventitia elastic fiber were scanty but collagen fibers are abundant.
Adventitia ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Elastic Tissue ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Endothelial Cells ; Extracellular Space ; Fetus* ; Humans* ; Microfibrils ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myoblasts ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Myofibrils ; Pregnancy

In eyes with media opacity and equivocal ultrasonographic findings, we can differenciate retinal detachment from vitreous membrane using color doppler imaging(CDI), which allows the display of blood flow characteristics on conventional ultrasonography. The authors performed high resolution Bscan ultrasonography and color doppler imaging simultaneously in 31 eyes with opacity of ocular media, and their intraoperative characteristics and post operative results were evaluated. In 30 eyes with retinal detachment or vitreous membrane, 7 eyes(23%) had equivocal ultrasonographic findings and needed color doppler imaging. Nine eyes(75%) had positive color signal in 12 eyes with retinal detachment, whereas 3 eyes negative. 17 eyes(94%) had negative color signal in 18 eyes with vitreous membrane, 1 eye with proliferative diabetic retinopathy had positive. In conclusion, color doppler imaging is a useful diagnostic method in differentiating retinal detachment from vitreous membrane.
Diabetic Retinopathy ; Membranes* ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Ultrasonography