No abstract available.
Nephrectomy*

The development of aorticpulmonary bodies was studied by electron microscope in human fatuses ranging from 40mm to 260mm crowm-rump length. The aorticpulmonary bodies were observed in the wall of the aorta, and of the pulmonart trunk and arteries. At 40mm fetus, the aorticopulmonary bodies were composed of clusters of primitive glomus cells, primative supporting cells, unmyelinated nerve fibers, and capillaries. The primitive glomus cells possessed large nuclei, dense-cored vesicles, many Golgi complexes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and, multivesicular bodies, the primitive supporting cells were agranular with attenuated cytoplasmic processed which partially ensheathed the primitive glomus cells. Synaptic contacts between the axon terminals and the aoma of primitive glomus cells were first observed. The primitive glomus cells increased somewhat in size and number by 90mm fetus, but retained essentially the same characteristics as at the earlier stage. Desmosome-like contacts between glomus cells and adjacent cells were commonly seen. At 160mm fetus, the glomus cells had increased accumulations of all organells and numerous dense cored vesicles. The supporting cells completely invested the glomus cells. Two types of nerve terminals were observed. One type contained small agranular vesicles which was identified as cholinergic axon terminal. The other contained a majority of small granular vesicles which was classfied as adrenergic axon terminal. Synaptic contacts between the cholinergic axon terminals and the soma of the glomus cell were observed. During next prenatal stage up to 260mm fetus the glomus cells and the supporting cells resembling those in adult were present. It is concluded that the ultrastructural features of these aorticopulmonary bodies are similar to those of the carotid body. It is therefore suggested that the aorticopulmonary bodies of the human fetures have a chemorecepter function similar to that of the carotid body.
Adult ; Aorta ; Arteries ; Capillaries ; Carisoprodol ; Carotid Body ; Cytoplasm ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fetus* ; Golgi Apparatus ; Humans* ; Multivesicular Bodies ; Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated ; Presynaptic Terminals

No abstract available.
Urinary Retention*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Foot* ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease* ; Hand* ; Paralysis*

BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions occurs in 2 to 10% of patients with herpes zoster. It occurs mainly in old or debilitated persons especially those who have immunologic defects such as lymphoproliferative diseases, AIDS, or recipients of immunosuppressive therapy. The reported incidence of herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions is variable. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the incidence and clinical features of herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of 962 patients with herpes zoster by retrospective methods. The annual incidence, age, sex, seasonal variation, predilection sites, and associated conditions of herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions were analyzed from January 1990 to December 1996 (7 years). RESULTS: 1. Among 962 patients, 8 patients with herpes zoster revealed generalixed varicelliform eruptions (0.83%). 2. The age ranged from 20 to 85 and the majority of cases occurred in the 6th decade. There were 4 females and 4 males. 3. Past histories of malignancy were observed in 2 patients. However, there were no signs of malignancy at the time of diagnosis of herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions. 4. The most common site of initial lesion was the thoracic dermatome,followed by the lumbar and the cervical ones. CONCLUSION: From our observation, it is suggested that herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions may occur in patients without underlying malignancy or immunosuppressive disorders. Sudden incidental uprising of herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruptions was observed in 1996.
Clinical Study* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hypoplastic, Congenital*

The Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment(LOTCA) battery provides an initial profile of the cognitive abilities of the brain-injured patient that can be used as a starting point for occupational therapy intervention and as a screening test for further assessment. Reliability and validity for the LOTCA have been reported in the literatures. This study investigated the relationship between LOTCA scores and functional assessments in 34 brain-injured patients, consisting of 21 stroke patients and 13 traumatic brain injury patients. Subjects were administered the LOTCA and, as functional assessment tools, the Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination(CCSE) and the Modified Barthel Index(MBI) upon referral to occupational therapy initially, and again at discharge. The initial and the last LOTCA scores were significantly related to the initial and the last CCSE scores and the MBI scores, respectively, in brain-injured patients. Each of the last LOTCA scores, CCSE scores, and MBI scores increased significantly compared to the initial scores. There were no significant differences in the initial and the last LOTCA scores, CCSE scores, and MBI scores between stroke patients and traumatic brain injury patients. Greater LOTCA gain was significantly related to greater MBI gain. These results suggest that the LOTCA battery for brain-injured patients is related not only to cognitive function, but also to functional evaluation as activities of daily living and functional recovery at discharge.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain Injuries ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Occupational Therapy* ; Referral and Consultation ; Reproducibility of Results ; Stroke

The aim of this study was to determine whether losartan, an angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1) receptor could influence the CA release from the isolated perfused model of the rat adrenal medulla. Losartan (5~50 micrometer) perfused into an adrenal vein for 90 min produced dose- and time-dependent inhibition of the CA secretory responses evoked by ACh (5.32 mM), high K+ (56 mM, a direct membrane depolarizer), DMPP (100 micrometer) and McN-A-343 (100 micrometer). Losartan failed to affect basal CA output. Furthermore, in adrenal glands loaded with losartan (15 micrometer) for 90 min, the CA secretory responses evoked by Bay-K-8644 (10 micrometer, an activator of L-type Ca2+ channels), cyclopiazonic acid (10 micrometer, an inhibitor of cytoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase), veratridine (100 micrometer, an activator of Na+ channels), and Ang II (100 nM) were markedly inhibited. However, at high concentrations (150~300 micrometer), losartan rather enhanced the CA secretion evoked by ACh. Collectively, these experimental results suggest that losartan at low concentrations inhibits the CA secretion evoked by cholinergic stimulation (both nicotininc and muscarinic receptors) as well as by membrane depolarization from the rat adrenal medulla, but at high concentration it rather inhibits ACh-evoked CA secretion. It seems that losartan has a dual action, acting as both agonist and antagonist to nicotinic receptors of the rat adrenal medulla, which might be dependent on the concentration. It is also thought that this inhibitory effect of losartan may be mediated by blocking the influx of both Na+ and Ca2+ into the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells as well as by inhibiting the Ca2+ release from the cytoplasmic calcium store, which is thought to be relevant to the AT1 receptor blockade, in addition to its enhancement of the CA release.
(4-(m-Chlorophenylcarbamoyloxy)-2-butynyl)trimethylammonium Chloride ; 3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester ; Adrenal Glands ; Adrenal Medulla ; Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Calcium ; Chromaffin Cells ; Cytoplasm ; Dimethylphenylpiperazinium Iodide ; Indoles ; Losartan ; Membranes ; Rats ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; Veins ; Veratridine

PURPOSE: To investigate long-term visual outcomes and prognostic factors to predict visual outcomes in patients with anatomic success after macular hole surgery. METHODS: Medical records of 36 eyes with successfully repaired stage 3 or 4 idiopathic macular hole and with at least 24 months of follow-up were reviewed. Hole height, stage of macular hole, base diameter, minimum diameter, hole form factor, macular hole index, and hole closure type were measured or calculated, and the correlations of visual outcomes with variables of preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients were classified into 3 groups according to the time period necessary to achieve the best corrective visual acuity. The visual acuity of 16 eyes (44.4%) recovered in a mean of 6 months, 13 eyes (36.1%) improved slowly and continuously, and 7 eyes had no improvement despite successful anatomical closure. There were no statistical differences in hole height, base diameter, minimum diameter, hole form factor, macular hole index, or closure type among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in visual acuity after successful macular hole surgery persisted at the 24-month follow-up and after. There were no correlations between delayed visual acuity after macular hole surgery and minimum diameter, base diameter, hole height, hole form factor, macular hole index, or closure type.
Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Retinal Perforations ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

Both cytogenetic analysis and flow cytometric analysis (FCM) are well known prognostic indicators in the transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. To correlate results of the two methods, FCM cell DNA studies and cytogenetic analysis were performed concurrently on clinical samples from the twelve patients with TCC of urinary bladder and the cells taken from these comparisons were possible showed concordance between FCM and cytogenetics with respect to the presence or absence of aneuploidy. Among the four cases with discrepancies, three (27.2 % of all cases) showed peridiploid pattern by cytogenetic analysis and had tetraploid aneuploid DNA histograms. In one case with hyperdiploid pattern by cytogenetics (9.1 %) showed diploid on the nine patients with peridiploid pattern one has recurred. Also, two of the three patients with aneuploid pattern by cytogenetic study were recurred. In flow cytometric analysis, all of the nine patients with diploid pattern were not recurred. Whereas, of the nine cases of aneuploid patterns five were recurred. Although the number of samples were too small to compare the correlations statistically, our results indicate that these two methods are not related to each other in predicting the prognosis in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
Aneuploidy ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Cytogenetic Analysis* ; Cytogenetics* ; Diploidy ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Tetraploidy ; Urinary Bladder*