OBJECTIVES: Some emotional components, such as self-esteem, depression and anxiety, have been reported to be associated with paranoia in non-clinical population and schizophrenia patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between self-esteem and paranoia in healthy controls, in ultra-high risk for psychosis and schizophrenia patients. METHODS: 34 subjects with recent onset schizophrenia, 36 subjects with ultra-high risk for psychosis, and 44 healthy volunteers participated in this study. A detailed assessment was made of the paranoia, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: In all three groups, there were a negative correlation between paranoia and self-esteem, and positive correlations between paranoia and depression and anxiety. In healthy control, lower self-esteem showed a trend to predict higher paranoia, and in ultra-high risk for psychosis, this trend tern on statistically significant level, and in recent onset schizophrenia group, this correlation was disappeared. CONCLUSION: The individual who have lower self-esteem showed higher paranoia tendency under delusional level, but after formation of persecutory delusion, the tendency was disappeared. This result supports the hypothesis that persecutory delusions are a defense against negative affective process.
Animals ; Anxiety ; Charadriiformes ; Delusions ; Depression ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Paranoid Disorders* ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Schizophrenia*

Normal C3WHeN strain mice exposed to topical 8inethoxypsomlen plus long wave ultraviolet (PUVA) showed a reduction in contact hypersensitivity, (CH) which was localized to the skin in the area of PUVA treatment (local suppression), whereas systemic PUVA treatment caused diffuse suppression of CH reaction, regardless of the application site of 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB). There seem to be two different mechanisms responsible for CH reduction by PUVA. Local suppression by topical PUVA treatment was thought to be a result of blocking the afferent phase of immune response, it was associated with a lack of CH effector cells in the peripheral lymph nodes and could not be reversed by indomethacin treatment. Diffuse suppression induced by systemic PUVA treatment seemed to be associated with blocking of egress of effector cells from the regional lymph nodes, this depressed CH response was prevented when indomethacin was administered before PUVA treatment.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Indomethacin ; Lymph Nodes ; Mice ; Skin

Since the first report by Tansini in 1896, the latissimus dorsi muscle free flap has been widely used for various types of soft tissue defect due to reliable anatomy with a sufficient diameter of neurovascular pedicle and a sizable muscle. However, for relatively small soft tissue defect, latissimus dorsi free flap offers several distinct disadvantages of donor site including loss of the posterior axillary fold and flattening of the posterolateral chest wall, weakness of upper arm strength in extension, adduction and internal rotation. We treated three patients having various types of soft tissue defect using segmental latissimus dorsi muscular free flap depending on its descending branch of thoracodorsal neurovascular pedicles. There were no serious complications during 18 months of mean follow-up. We concluded that this method has some advantages such as no weakness of strength of the upper arm including walking on crutches, preserving the posterior axillary fold, preventing winging of the scapula and increased chance of using a flow-through technique. Here we present our cases of reconstruction of soft tissue defect using segmental latissimus dorsi free flap with a review of the literature.
Arm ; Crutches ; Follow-Up Studies ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Humans ; Scapula ; Superficial Back Muscles* ; Thoracic Wall ; Tissue Donors ; Walking

Protozoa of the genus Cryptosporidium are small coccidian parasite known to infect the mucosal epithelium of a variety of animals including human, causing fatal course in immunodeficient patients as well as self-limited illness in healthy individuals. Various life cycle stages including trophozoite, meront, merozoite, gametocyte and oocyst in infected mucosa are a diagnostic feature. Electron microscopy (EM) provides sufficient findings for genus and species identification of this parasitic organism. The authors presented scanning and transmission EM findings of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in two children: one with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the other without any evidence of immune compromise.
Animals ; Child ; Cryptosporidium parvum ; Cryptosporidium* ; Epithelium ; Humans* ; Intestines* ; Life Cycle Stages ; Merozoites ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mucous Membrane ; Oocysts ; Parasites ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Trophozoites

BACKGROUND: Epidural blocks are widely used for the management of acute and chronic pain. The technique of loss of resistance is frequently adopted to determine the epidural space. A discontinuity of the ligamentum flavum may increase the risk of failure to identify the epidural space. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomic variations of the cervical and high thoracic ligamentum flavum in embalmed cadavers. METHODS: Vertebral column specimens of 15 human cadavers were obtained. After vertebral arches were detached from pedicles, the dural sac and epidural connective tissue were removed. The ligamentum flavum from C3 to T6 was directly examined anteriorly. RESULTS: The incidence of midline gaps in the ligamentum flavum was 87%-100% between C3 and T2. The incidence decreased below this level and was the lowest at T4-T5 (8%). Among the levels with a gap, the location of a gap in the caudal third of the ligamentum flavum was more frequent than in the middle or cephalic portion of the ligamentum flavum. CONCLUSIONS: The cervical and high thoracic ligamentum flavum frequently has midline intervals with various features, especially in the caudal portion of the intervertebral space. Therefore, the ligamentum flavum is not always reliable as a perceptible barrier to identify the epidural space at these vertebral levels. Additionally, it may be more useful to insert the needle into the cephalic portion of the intervertebral space than in the caudal portion.
Analgesia, Epidural ; Cadaver ; Chronic Pain ; Connective Tissue ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ligamentum Flavum* ; Needles ; Spine

BACKGROUND: Epidural blocks are widely used for the management of acute and chronic pain. The technique of loss of resistance is frequently adopted to determine the epidural space. A discontinuity of the ligamentum flavum may increase the risk of failure to identify the epidural space. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomic variations of the cervical and high thoracic ligamentum flavum in embalmed cadavers. METHODS: Vertebral column specimens of 15 human cadavers were obtained. After vertebral arches were detached from pedicles, the dural sac and epidural connective tissue were removed. The ligamentum flavum from C3 to T6 was directly examined anteriorly. RESULTS: The incidence of midline gaps in the ligamentum flavum was 87%-100% between C3 and T2. The incidence decreased below this level and was the lowest at T4-T5 (8%). Among the levels with a gap, the location of a gap in the caudal third of the ligamentum flavum was more frequent than in the middle or cephalic portion of the ligamentum flavum. CONCLUSIONS: The cervical and high thoracic ligamentum flavum frequently has midline intervals with various features, especially in the caudal portion of the intervertebral space. Therefore, the ligamentum flavum is not always reliable as a perceptible barrier to identify the epidural space at these vertebral levels. Additionally, it may be more useful to insert the needle into the cephalic portion of the intervertebral space than in the caudal portion.
Analgesia, Epidural ; Cadaver ; Chronic Pain ; Connective Tissue ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Needles ; Spine

No abstract available.
Rhabdomyolysis*

PURPOSE: To establish the CT findings and clinical characteristics of colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT features of 26 surgically proven cases of colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma were reviewed. The subjects were selected from among 262 patients with colorectal cancer, of whom 40 with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma were included as a control group. Contrast-enhaneed CT images were analyzed for tumor location, the presence or absence of tumoral calcification, tumor shape (circumferential or eccentric, polypoid or infiltrative), tumor thickness-to-length ratio, and attenuation and homogeneity. In each group, the TNM stage of pathologic specimens was compared. During follow-up, the incidence of recurrence, and outcome, were also compared. RESULTS: CT images of mucinous adenocarcinoma revealed intratumoral calcification in three patients (12%, p < 0.01). Tumors were eccentric and polypoid-shaped, with a high tumoral thickness/length ratio (p < 0.01). On contrast-enhanced images, most were seen as a heterogenous hypoattenvuted mass. No differences in T-NM stage were found in surgical specimens. In patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma, recurrence during the early follow-up period is more common than in patients with non-mucinous cancer. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced CT reveals mucinous adenocarcinoma as an eccentric polypoid mass with heterogeneous hypoattenuation. In patients with mucinous colorectal cancer, careful follow-up is required because tumors tend to recur early in the follow-up period.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucins* ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To establish the CT findings and clinical characteristics of colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT features of 26 surgically proven cases of colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma were reviewed. The subjects were selected from among 262 patients with colorectal cancer, of whom 40 with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma were included as a control group. Contrast-enhaneed CT images were analyzed for tumor location, the presence or absence of tumoral calcification, tumor shape (circumferential or eccentric, polypoid or infiltrative), tumor thickness-to-length ratio, and attenuation and homogeneity. In each group, the TNM stage of pathologic specimens was compared. During follow-up, the incidence of recurrence, and outcome, were also compared. RESULTS: CT images of mucinous adenocarcinoma revealed intratumoral calcification in three patients (12%, p < 0.01). Tumors were eccentric and polypoid-shaped, with a high tumoral thickness/length ratio (p < 0.01). On contrast-enhanced images, most were seen as a heterogenous hypoattenvuted mass. No differences in T-NM stage were found in surgical specimens. In patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma, recurrence during the early follow-up period is more common than in patients with non-mucinous cancer. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced CT reveals mucinous adenocarcinoma as an eccentric polypoid mass with heterogeneous hypoattenuation. In patients with mucinous colorectal cancer, careful follow-up is required because tumors tend to recur early in the follow-up period.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucins* ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Listeria* ; Meningitis, Listeria* ; Transplantation*