Torsades de pointes, a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with prolonged QT interval, is a well-known life-threatening arrhythmia, which has been found to be induced by various causes such as drugs, electrolyte imbalances, and severe bradycardia. Cisapride is a gastrointestinal prokinetic drug, which is widely used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease or other functional gastrointestinal disorders. Cisapride can cause torsades de pointes and cases of torsedes de pointes induced by cisapride have been reported in other countries. Cases of torsades de pointes associated with antihistamine drugs have been reported in Korea, however, cisapride-induced torsades de pointes case has not been reported. We report a case of 31 year-old female patient who experienced repeated loss of consciousness due to cisapride-induced torsades de pointes.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Bradycardia ; Cisapride* ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Torsades de Pointes* ; Unconsciousness

No abstract available.
Lithotripsy* ; Shock*

No abstract available.
Lithotripsy* ; Shock*

Black adenoma is known to be a rare variant of adrenal cortical adenoma containing characteristic abundant lipofuscin pigments in the cytoplasm. Almost all of them are nonfunctioning and only occasionally they are associated with Cushing's syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism. We present two cases of black cortical adenoma of the adrenal gland associated with Cushing's syndrome in a 24-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man. This report dealt with clinical and pathologic presentation including ultrastructural identification of lipofuscin pigment.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adenoma

Meningiomas are usually thought of as firm solid tumors and most standard references make no mention of cystic meningiomas. Although several cases of cystic meningioma have been reported in the literature and their neuroradiological features discussed, the rarity of this entity makes its preoperative diagnosis difficult. Recently, the authors encountered a case of cystic meningioma, which was thought as ependymal cyst or infarction, preoperatively. In this report the authors discussed its clinical, neuroradiological and pathological characteristics with brief reviews of the literature.
Cysts ; Meningioma

No abstract available.
Gonadotropins* ; Humans*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Kidney* ; Living Donors* ; Transplants*

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma(UES) is an uncommon malignant hepatic tumor that occurs in older children and young adults. Six cases of UES were reviewed to determine their characterisfic findings on sonography (US) (n=5), computed tomography (CT) (n=6), and angiography (n=2) US demonstrated a single large, echogenic mass with some anechoic spaces in each case. CT revealed a well demarcated hypodense mass with hyperdense septa of variable shape and thickness. Four cases showed enhancing peripheral rim and some solid portions at the periphery or adjacent to the septa. Follow-up CT scan in one case who had not been treated showed enhancing solid portion changed to hypodense areas. Angiography showed hypovascular or avascular mass. Familiarity with these radiological findings of UES of liver will be helpful in differential diagnosis of primary hepatic tumors of childhood.
Angiography ; Child* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Sarcoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil(MMF) for the prevention of acute rejection episodes when given in combination with cyclosporine and corticosteroids during the first 6 postoperative months in living donor kidney transplantation. One hundred patients were enrolled; 50 patients received dual immunosuppression (cyclosporine+corticosteroids: control group) and another 50 patients received triple regimen including MMF 2 g/day(cyclosporine+corticosteroids+MMF: study group) through randomization. In the protocol, first-line treatment for acute rejection was a high-dose steroid pulse therapy. Steroid resistant acute rejection was to be treated with polyclonal antilymphocyte agents(ATG). There was no demographic difference between study and control groups. There were 7(14%) acute rejection episodes in the study group and 16(32%) in the control group with statistical significance. Two cases of premature withdrawal were developed in the study group(one severe abdominal pain and another profound leukopenia). The incidence of opportunistic infection was 7(14%) in the study group and 6(12%) in the control group within 6 months post transplantation. There was no statistical differences in serum creatinine level between study and control group at 6 months after transplantation(1.28+/-0.33 mg/dl vs. 1.24+/-0.51 mg/dl). The addition of MMF to a dual immunosuppressive regimen with cyclosporine and corticosteroids seems to lower the incidence and severity of acute rejection in living donor kidney transplantation during the early post-transplantation period. The graft function of the MMF group is comparable with that of the control group. The most common adverse effect of MMF was abdominal pain and diarrhea but almostly resolved with symptomatic treatment. If the frequency of acute rejection during the first 6 months is one of the main determinants of long-term graft survival, it might be expected that MMF could lead to an improved graft survival in combination with cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
Abdominal Pain ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Allografts* ; Creatinine ; Cyclosporine ; Diarrhea ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation ; Living Donors* ; Opportunistic Infections ; Prospective Studies* ; Random Allocation ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical characteristics of posterior lenticonus associated with pediatric cataracts and to identify the factors associated with final visual acuities after cataract surgery. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients (46 eyes) who were diagnosed with posterior lenticonus preoperatively or during the operation were involved in this study. We investigated the age at diagnosis, the severity of lens opacity, the pre- and postoperative best corrected visual acuity, and the effectiveness of amblyopia treatment. RESULTS: The mean age at presentation was 39.0+/-37.4 months, and the mean follow-up period was 42.8+/-33.5 months postoperatively. Nine patients (23%) had bilateral posterior lenticonus, and the mean age of bilateral cases was lower (p<0.001) and the lens opacity more severe than those of unilateral cases (P=0.001). Fifteen eyes (32.6%) were surgically identified as having posterior lenticonus during lens aspiration, the mean age of surgically identified cases was lower (p<0.001) and the lens opacity more severe then those of preoperatively diagnosed cases (P=0.014). The age at initial examination was negatively correlated with final visual acuities in log MAR (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral and surgically identified posterior lenticoni were associated with younger age and more severe lens opacity. The final visual acuities were better in patients with late onsets of lens opacities.
Amblyopia ; Cataract* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Visual Acuity