One fetal demise of twin pregnancy in the second or third trimester is an unusual and difficult problem in the managemcnt of pregnancy. It can be associated with an increased risk for mortality and morbidity in the remaining fetus and with maternal DIC. 255 twin gestations were delivered at our hospital between December 1984 and August 1998. 8 cases of twin pregnancies with one fetal demise were observed. We reviewed 8 cases of twin pregnancies with one fetal demise that had been managed conservatively. The incidence of twin pregnancies with one fetal demise was 3.14% in the study population. The incidence of preterm delivery was 87.5%. The perinatal mortality rate of surviving twins was 25%. There were no cases of maternal disseminated intravascular coagulation or infection. There were no cases of neurologic damages in the surviving twins. The main cause of neonatal death was prematurity. An expectant approach to the twin pregnancies with one fetal demise seems reasonable.
Dacarbazine ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy, Twin*

We report two cases of ectopic epididymal ducts and efferent ductules in the testicular appendices (TAs) of adult men with normally descended testes. In both cases, a sessile TA was incidentally found at the upper pole of the right testis during the scrotal hydrocelectomy. Microscopically, a few closely arranged tubules were detected within the TA. In the first case, the tubules were lined with a pseudostratified columnar epithelium with numerous, long microvilli, and were surrounded by a smooth muscle coat. In contrast, in the second case, the tubules had a wavy luminal surface, because ciliated columnar cells alternated with groups of cuboidal cells. In both cases, strong CD10 immunoreactivity was observed in the luminal border of the lining epithelium. Surgical pathologists should be aware of the presence of both ectopic epididymal ducts and efferent ductules that can occur in TAs, in order to avoid misinterpretation as transected, functional reproductive structures.
Adult ; Choristoma ; Epididymis ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microvilli ; Muscle, Smooth ; Parovarian Cyst ; Phenobarbital ; Testis ; Wolffian Ducts

No abstract available.
Health Promotion*

No abstract available.
Health Promotion*

No abstract available.
Mass Screening*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Retreatment*

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of endometriosis is generally accepted that retrograde menstruation and alterations in the local pelvic immune environment. This study was performed to help elucidate what kind of role various cytokines might play in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. METHOD: Concentrations of peritoneal fluid cytokines were compared in 7 women with normal pelvic finding and 23 women with endometriosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The patterns of cytokine mRNA expression in 8 ovarian endometrioma and 12 superficial pelvic endometriosis lesions were investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) amplification method. RESULT: Both IL-6 and IL-10 levels in peritoneal fluid specimens with endometriosis tended to be higher than normal. However, there were no significant differences between peritoneal fluid concentrations of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-5 of women with and without endometriosis. The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly higher in peritoneal fluid of women with severe endometriosis compared to women with mild endometriosis. IL-1beta mRNA was expressed in all of 8 deep and 12 superficial endometriosis lesions. IL-5 and IL-6 mRNA were expressed in only two black lesions respectively, however, both were not expressed in the all deep lesions. Expressions of IL-10 mRNA occurred in one red and one black lesion while this was expressed in only one of the deep lesions. TNF-alpha mRNA was expressed in one red and one black lesion of 12 superficial lesions compared with four of the deep lesions. There was the difference between kinds of increased cytokines in the peritoneal fluid and those of expressed cytokines in the endometriotic lesions of patients with endometriosis. CONCLUSION: This study supports the concept that local immunologic factors may be important in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of endometriosis. The pattern of cytokine mRNA expression of endometriotic lesions would seem to indicate that proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta and TNF-alpha are responsible for the development or progression of endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid ; Cytokines ; Endometriosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-5 ; Interleukin-6 ; Menstruation Disturbances ; RNA, Messenger* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Health Promotion*

No abstract available.
Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Mitomycin* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Infection of hepatitis B virus(HBV) is one of the most important cause of the liver diseases in Korea, although HBV infection tends to be decreased. Diagnostic kits more accurately detecting HBV infection have been required'in order to diagnose and prevent the HBV infection. Recently LG Chemical Ltd. developed new diagnostic kits for HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc, using HBV from Korean patients. We evaluated these new kits by comparing them with microplate enzyme immunoassay (EIA) from BehringTU(Germany) and microparticle EIA (MEIA) from AbbottTM(USA). METHOD: Sera from 1,500 healthy blood donors and 500 patients were obtained to test HBsAg, anti- HBs and anti-HBc using diagnostic kits from AbbottTM, BehringTM and LG Chemical Ltd. We analyzed the results of 3 manufacturers and confirmed the discordant results of HBsAg by Southern hybridization after HBV PCR and those of anti-HBs by neutralization assay with HBsAg from LGTM. We also evaluated the reproducibility and detection limit. RESULTS: Of 1,500 healthy blood donors, HBsAg was positive in 34 (2.3%), representing completely the same results from 3 manufacturers. However, of 500 patients, 7 (1.4%) had discordant results; HBsAg was positive in all 7 sera tested with BehringTM and positive in only one tested with AbbottTM and LGTM, respectively. HBV DNA was not detected in all 7 discordant results of HBsAg, so false positive results totaled 7 (1.4%) with BehringTM and 1 (0.2%) with AbbottTM and LGTM, respectively. Of 2,000 sera, the results of anti-HBs and anti-HBc from 3 manufacturers were same in 1,876 (93.8%) and in 1,949 (97.5%), respectively. Results of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc from 3 manufacturers were constant on repeating tests. When testing the detection limit, BehringTM kits for HBsAg and anti-HBs retained significantly higher sensitivity than AbbottTM and LGTM. On the other hand, BehringTM kit for anti-HBc showed significantly lower sensitivity than AbbottTM and LGTM. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic kits for HBV developed by LG Chemical Ltd. showed comparable results with those by AbbottTM or BehringTM and will be useful as screening blood donors or detecting patients with HBV infection.
Blood Donors ; DNA ; Hand ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Liver Diseases ; Mass Screening ; Polymerase Chain Reaction