Nimodipine the potent, centrally active, clacium channel blocker, is known to increase cerebral and spinal blood flow. In the present study, the authors investigated the effect on Nimodipine on injured spinal cord. The experiment was a randomized blind study in which four groups of five cats received Nimodipine(0.05mg/kg) intravenously, and control groups of five cats received only Diluent. As a step in the investigation of the possible effect of spinal cord trauma on biochemical and ultrastructural changes in the injured cord, activities of lipid peroxidation were measured in the frozened-dried sample of the spinal cord and fine structure of the mylinated nerve fiber in the white matter were observed. An increase of lipid peroxidation level was found as early as 1 hour after the injury and the highest concentration was reached at 5 hours after the injury(P<0.01). Fine structures of the myelinated nerve fibers were changed progressively with the lapse of time after the injury. The effect of Nimodipine on lipid peroxidation and fine ultrastructural changes of myelinated nerve fibers were studied, and the result of this study revealed that Nimodipine groups showed a lower level of lipid peroxidation with statistical significance(P<0.05) and preservation of ultrastructural myelinated nerve fiber was prominent.
Animals ; Cats ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Nerve Fibers ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; Nimodipine* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

BACKGROUND: Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor for patients with unstable angina undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of bivalirudin, in human plasma using nafarelin as internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was performed using a Shiseido MG3 mm column (2.0 x 50 mm) with a gradient mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile containing 0.1 % formic acid at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min, and total run time was within 5 min. Detection and quantification was performed by the mass spectrometer using a multiple reaction-monitoring mode at m/z 1091.0 --> 650.3 for bivalirudin, and m/z 662.1 --> 249.3 for IS. RESULTS: The assay was linear over a concentration range of 10 - 10000 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification of 10 ng/mL in human plasma. CONCLUSION: This method was successfully applied for pharmacokinetics study after intravenous administration of bivalirudin to healthy Korean male volunteers.
Administration, Intravenous ; Angina, Unstable ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Humans* ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Methods ; Nafarelin ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Pharmacokinetics ; Plasma* ; Thrombin ; Water

Poststernotomy mediastinitis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of cardiac surgery. Up to present, poststernotomy wound infection has been treated by closure of wound directly or by use of myocutaneous flaps after irrigation and debridement of wound. We describe a new treatment of poststernotomy wound infection by using the vacuum- assisted closure technique. This technique was successfully applied in 3 patients with poststernotomy wound infection and mediastinitis, and a healed sternotomy wound could be achieved using this new technique.
Debridement ; Humans ; Mediastinitis* ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy* ; Sternotomy ; Thoracic Surgery ; Wound Infection* ; Wounds and Injuries*

Neurofibromatosis type I is one of the most common neurocutaneous syndrome which is inherited by autosomal dominant manner, characterized by cafe au-lait spots, axillary freckling, Lisch nodules in iris, multiple neurofibromas and bone involvement with pseudoarthrosis, bowing of the long bone. And Moyamoya disease is a specific disease characterized by progressive idiopathic stenosis and eventual occlusion of the large cerebral arteries at the circle of Willis. In response to the stenosis, an abnormal network of small collateral vessels develops, creating the "puff of smoke". Intracranial lesions associated with Neurofibromatosis type I include optic glioma, sphenoid wing dysplasia, "unidentified bright objects" and cerebrovascular lesions such as Moyamoya syndrome and aneurysm. Moyamoya syndrome is an uncommon association of neurofibromatosis type 1 and lung mass has not frequently been found with neurofibromatosis and moyamoya syndrome. We report a case with Neurofibromatosis type I with Moyamoya syndrome and ganglioneuroma in lung with reviewing literatures.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Arteries ; Circle of Willis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Ganglioneuroma ; Iris ; Lung ; Moyamoya Disease ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes ; Neurofibromatoses ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Optic Nerve Glioma ; Pseudarthrosis

Reye syndrome is characterized by an encephalopathy and fatty infiltration of the liver and other organs. Reye syndrome is usually associated with influenza B or varicella. Frequently these patients have been treated with aspirin-containing compounds. Other disorders may mimic the phenotypes of Reye syndrome, and these conditions include various intoxications and some inborn problems of metabolism. This is to report our experience in a case of Reye like syndrome combined with the aspirin medication after Kawasaki disease. We present this case with a brief review of related literatures.
Aspirin ; Chickenpox ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Phenotype ; Reye Syndrome*

The esophageal lymphoma is a very rare feature among gastrointestinal lymphoma, and there was no surgical report in Korea. A 62-year-old male patient with submucosal tumor detected on routine esophagoscopy had resection of tumor including the esophageal mucosa, which was confirmed as esophageal lymphoma. As the severe leakage was detected on esophagogram on post-op 7th day, esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy was followed. Though adjuvant chemotherapy was not performed, there were no evidence of recurrence for 1 year follow up. We experienced a patient with esophageal lymphoma and reported with brief review of literature.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Esophagectomy ; Esophagoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymphoma* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVES: The phase of the menstrual cycle was demonstrated to have an influence on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery, but little was known for breast surgery, which was shown to have relatively higher incidence of PONV, >60%. We performed this study to investigate the influence of the phase of menstrual cycle on PONV after breast cancer surgery. METHODS: A total of 103 patients, who were scheduled for breast cancer surgery under general anesthesia, were recruited, and patients with irregular menstrual cycles, history of previous history of PONV were excluded. Groups were divided in two ways as follows: 1) gynecologic classification: premenstrual and menstrual (days 25 to 6), follicular (days 8 to 12), ovulation (days 13 to 15), and luteal phase (days 20 to 24); 2) menstrual classification: menstrual (days 1 to 8) and non-menstrual (days 9 to 28). PONV were recorded using Rhodes index of nausea, vomiting and retching at postoperative 6 and 24 hours. RESULTS: The overall incidence of PONV during postoperative 24 hours was 35.4%. At the menstrual classification, the incidence of PONV at postoperative 24 hours was higher in the menstrual group than that in the non-menstrual group (16.7% vs. 4.2%, P=0.057). The severity of PONV, measured with Rhodes index of nausea, vomiting and retching was significantly different between menstrual and non-menstrual groups (P=0.034). CONCLUSION: The duration and severity of the PONV after breast cancer surgery were demonstrated to be prolonged and aggravated during menstruation, respectively. Therefore, consideration of menstrual cycle for scheduling breast cancer surgery could effectively prevent the PONV and reduce medical cost.
Anesthesia, General ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Classification ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Luteal Phase ; Menstrual Cycle ; Menstruation ; Nausea ; Ovulation ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Vomiting

An abdominal pregnancy is defined as an ectopic pregnancy, which implants in the peritoneal cavity and can be classified as either primary or secondary. The incidence of abdominal pregnancy is increased after IVF or GIFT, induced abortion, endometriosis, and intrauterine devices may also contribute to an increased incidence. Early diagnosis and appropriate surgical management, regardless of stage of gestation, appear to be important in achieving good results. A case of early primary abdominal pregnancy which was implanted on the left uterosacral ligament. We report the case and brief review of literature.
Abortion, Induced ; Early Diagnosis ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Incidence ; Intrauterine Devices ; Ligaments ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Abdominal* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in expressions of neuregulin (NRG)1 and erbB2 tyrosine kinase (ErbB2) in bladders of rats with cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced interstitial cystitis (IC). METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the IC group (n=16) and the control group (n=8). After inducing IC with intraperitoneal CYP injection, expressions of NRG1 and ErbB2 were analyzed using western blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: In Western blotting, relative intensities and distributions of both NRG1 and ErbB2 were approximately 1.5- and 3.2-fold higher, respectively, in the IC group than in the control group (mean+/-standard deviation: 1.42+/-0.09 vs. 0.93+/-0.15 and 0.93+/-0.16 vs. 0.29+/-0.08, P<0.05). In the rat bladder samples, mRNA expression levels of NRG1 and ErbB2 were higher in the IC group than in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study has demonstrated significant changes in mRNA expression and immunoreactivity of NRG1 and ErbB2 receptors in the urinary bladder after CYP-induced IC. These results suggest that the up-regulated NRG1 may play a role in inducing an overactive bladder and promoting regeneration in the inflammatory bladder with CYP-induced IC.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cystitis, Interstitial* ; Neuregulin-1* ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, erbB-2 ; Regeneration ; RNA, Messenger ; Tyrosine* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive

Although intestinal bleeding is known to occur in amyloidosis, it is rare as a presenting symptom or sole manifestation of the disease. We experienced a case of intestinal hemor-rhage in a 64-year old female patient with primary amyloidosis, kappa type. Antral muco-sal erosions were discovered and one shallow healing ulcer at the angle. Colonoscopy revealed multiple purplish nodules in the sigmoid colon and descending colon, as well as a large shallow ulcer with blood clots in the sigmoid colon which was suspected to be the intestinal hemorrhage site. Endoscopic biopsy established amyloidosis. Polarizing microscopy after Congo red staining and immunohistochemical staining identified primary amyloid, kappa type. A case of intestinal hemorrhage in patients with primary amyloidosis is presented and the literature is reviewed.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Biopsy ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Congo Red ; Female ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Middle Aged ; Ulcer