Castleman disease is a relatively rare disease of differential diagnostic interest in patients with lymphadenophathy. The etiology and pathogenesis of the Castleman disease are still not elucidated and the MRI findings of disease has not yet been reported. Two patients with Castleman disease studied by MRI are presented: one case presented with a localized anterior mediastinal mass and the other case, with a neck mass. The lesions were characterized by relatively high signal intensities on both T1 and T2 weighted images in both cases, and significant degree of enhancement was seen in the cervical Castleman disease.
Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neck ; Rare Diseases

This study was performed to assess the nutritional status of nursing home residents and to assess the effect of nutrition intervention. The subjects were 123 people aged over 60 years from 5 different nursing homes. The nutrition intervention study was carried out by supplementing their diet with multivitamin-minerals for 2 months. The mean intakes of most nutrients did not meet the RDA, Though the nutrient content of the menus provided by the facilities were satisfactory. Nutrients of which intakes fell below 75% of the RDA were protein, Ca, Fe, vitamin A vitamin B1, and vitamin B2. The BMIs of male and female subjects were 22.0 kg/m2 and 24.6 kg/m2 and the WHRs were 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. The percentage of subjects with hypertention (BP> or =140/90 mmHg) and with anemia(Hb< or =13 mg/100ml in men, Hb< or =12 mg/100ml in women) were 34.6% and 41.9%, respectively. The serum cncentrations of albumin, total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and total lipid fell within normal ranges. However, 27.5% of the subjects showed a high serum cholesterol level of over 250 mg/100ml. The concentration of C3 was 81.2 mg/100ml, IgG, 1343 mg/100ml, and IL-2, 0.766 mg/ml. after 2 months of vitamin-mineral supplementation, the levels of blood glucose and total cholesterol were significantly decreased and triglyceride was significantly increased. The vitamin-mineral supplementation had no effect on the mean levels of vitamin A and E, IgG, IL2, and C3. However, the intervention resulted int he improvement of serum vitamin A and E levels when the subject's serum levels were low before the supplementation.
Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Interleukin-2 ; Clinical Trial ; Korea* ; Male ; Nursing Homes ; Nutritional Status* ; Reference Values ; Riboflavin ; Thiamine ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin A

Idiopathic renal hypouricemia (iRHUC) is a rare hereditary disease caused by a defect in urate handling of renal tubules. Type 1 renal hypouricemia (RHUC1) is diagnosed with confirmation of a mutation in SLC22A12 gene which encodes a renal urate-anion exchanger (URAT1). The majority of iRHUC patients are asymptomatic, especially during childhood, and thus many cases go undiagnosed or they are diagnosed late in older age with complications of hematuria, renal stones, or acute kidney injury (AKI). We report a case of a 7-year-old boy with subtle symptoms such as general weakness and dizziness and revealed hypouricemia and incidental nephrolithiasis. Homozygous mutations were detected in the SLC22A12(c.774G>A) by molecular analysis. The present case suggests that fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA) screening could be better followed by the coincidental discovery of hypouricemia, to prevent conflicting complications of iRHUC, even with normal urine uric acid to creatinine ratio (UUA/UCr), and sequential genetic analysis if needed.

Idiopathic renal hypouricemia (iRHUC) is a rare hereditary disease caused by a defect in urate handling of renal tubules. Type 1 renal hypouricemia (RHUC1) is diagnosed with confirmation of a mutation in SLC22A12 gene which encodes a renal urate-anion exchanger (URAT1). The majority of iRHUC patients are asymptomatic, especially during childhood, and thus many cases go undiagnosed or they are diagnosed late in older age with complications of hematuria, renal stones, or acute kidney injury (AKI). We report a case of a 7-year-old boy with subtle symptoms such as general weakness and dizziness and revealed hypouricemia and incidental nephrolithiasis. Homozygous mutations were detected in the SLC22A12(c.774G>A) by molecular analysis. The present case suggests that fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA) screening could be better followed by the coincidental discovery of hypouricemia, to prevent conflicting complications of iRHUC, even with normal urine uric acid to creatinine ratio (UUA/UCr), and sequential genetic analysis if needed.

OBJECTIVES: Leptin is a 16-kD protein encoded by the ob/ob gene and represent the amount of body fat. In pregnancy, it is thought to act in intrauterine fetal growth and energy metabolism. In this study, we investigated the effect of gestational age, fetal sex, maternal body mass index (BMI), and fetal weight estimated by ultrasound on amniotic fluid and maternal serum leptin levels at mid-trimester, respectively. METHODS: Amniotic fluid and maternal blood sampling were collected from women who was performed for genetic amniocentesis at mid-trimester (n = 26). Leptin concentrations were measured by a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) employing human recombinant leptin. Mean gestational age was 18.19+/-1.77 weeks. Mean maternal BMI was 23.83 +/-5.12kg/m2. Male fetus was 10, and female 16. Mean fetal weight estimated by ultrasound was 254.42+/-83.80gm. RESULTS: Mean maternal leptin level( 12.49+/-4.46 ng/mL) was significantly higher than mean amniotic leptin level(5.06+/-3.20 ng/mL)( p = 0.0001) at mid-trimester. But there was no significant correlationship between maternal and amniotic leptin levels( p = 0.1376). Maternal leptin concentrations at mid-trimester were correlated positively with maternal BMI(y = 2.24 + 0.43 x, R2 = 0.494, p = 0.0103). In contrast, leptin levels in amniotic fluid did not correlate with maternal leptin levels, gestational age, fetal sex, maternal BMI, and fetal weight estimated by ultrasound respectively. CONCLUSION: Maternal leptin level was higher than amniotic leptin level and could represent maternal fat mass. It was suggested that amniotic leptin level was not associated with several factors such as maternal, fetal, and amniotic factors.
Adipose Tissue ; Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Body Mass Index ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Fetal Weight* ; Fetus ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Aortic Valve

OBJECTIVE: To understand the difference of defecation physiology between postpartum and postoperative women. METHODS: Between July 1998 to April 1999, we performed defecogram and pudendal nerve motor latency to 31 women, who were 8 postoperative women, 9 post cesarean-section state women, and 14 normal vaginal delivery-state women. RESULTS: According to the defecogram results, only squeezing angles of the anorectal angle were significantly increased(96.0 vs 72.3, 74.9 degree) in normal vaginal delivery-state women compared to post cesarean-section state and postoperative women, but rest and evacuation angles were not. And to pudendal nerve latency, there were no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the pudendal plexus was damaged during labor, therefore its ability to control puborectalis muscle was damaged. So, the anorectal angles of squeezing of postpartum women were significantly increased, compared to those of post cesarean section women or postoperative women.
Cesarean Section ; Defecation* ; Female ; Humans ; Physiology* ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Pudendal Nerve*

The first author's name was misspelled as Saija Seo. The correct spelling is Saiju Seo.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intralesional color flows and resistive index (RI) on color Doppler US were prospectively analyzed in 21 consecutive suspected GTN cases. RI of the intralesional artery was investigated on the basis of the presence or absence of mass and metastasis. Correlation between RI of intralesional artery and urinary beta-hCG was also investigated. RESULTS: Intralesional color flows were identified in 15 patients with GTN. On operation, intralesional color flows were observed in one of two patients in whom the presence of completely necrotic tissue was confirmed. Intralesional color flows, however, were not detected in four patients who were proved not to be GTN sufferers. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy were 100%, 83%, 95%, 94% and 100%, respectively. Significant correlation between RI of the intralesional artery and urinary beta-hCG was not established(p=0.49, r=0.19). RI of this artery was not substantially different between groups with and without mass, and between groups with and without metastasis(p=0.32, p=0.82). CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates that color Doppler US is a sensitive and useful method for the diagnosis of GTN.
Arteries ; Diagnosis ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease* ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

The purpose of this study is to report our 5-year experience with fluoroscopic removal of blunt esophageal foreign body or impacted food in 15 consecutive patients who were referred by endoscopists because they couldn's remove it endoscopically. The foreign body or impacted food was a pieced of meat, a bean, a badug stone or a beef bone. Thirteen patients had underlying disease(11 of corrosive stricture, 2 of postoperative stricture) but 2 patients did not. We removed the object using one of the following 4 techniques: Basket extraction technique, Foley catheter technique, single balloon technique (dilatation of stenosis for passing the food into the stomach and for the treatment of the stricture as well), double balloon technique(removal of the foreign body by trapping it with two valvuloplasty balloons). Removal was successful in all patients. Esophageal perforation occurred in one patient using the single balloon technique, who treated nonoperatively by means of fasting, antibiotics and parenteral alimentation. No procedure related death occurred in these series. In conclusion, fluoroscopic removal of blunt esophageal foreign bodies of impacted food with various techniques is promising alternative to esophagoscopic removal.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Esophageal Perforation ; Fasting ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Meat ; Red Meat ; Stomach