Portable high-intensity focused ultrasound system with 3D electronic steering, real-time cavitation monitoring, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms: a preclinical study in pigs

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and accuracy of a new portable ultrasonography-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USg-HIFU) system with a 3-dimensional (3D) electronic steering transducer, a simultaneous ablation and imaging module, real-time cavitation monitoring, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms. METHODS: To address the accuracy of the transducer, hydrophones in a water chamber were used to assess the generation of sonic fields. An animal study was also performed in five pigs by ablating in vivo thighs by single-point sonication (n=10) or volume sonication (n=10) and ex vivo kidneys by single-point sonication (n=10). Histological and statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: In the hydrophone study, peak voltages were detected within 1.0 mm from the targets on the y- and z-axes and within 2.0-mm intervals along the x-axis (z-axis, direction of ultrasound propagation; y- and x-axes, perpendicular to the direction of ultrasound propagation). Twenty-nine of 30 HIFU sessions successfully created ablations at the target. The in vivo porcine thigh study showed only a small discrepancy (width, 0.5-1.1 mm; length, 3.0 mm) between the planning ultrasonograms and the pathological specimens. Inordinate thermal damage was not observed in the adjacent tissues or sonic pathways in the in vivo thigh and ex vivo kidney studies. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that this new USg-HIFU system may be a safe and accurate technique for ablating soft tissues and encapsulated organs.

Clinical Analysis of Prognostic Factors in Primary Intraventricular Hemorrhage / 대한뇌혈관외과학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic factors of primary intraventricular hemorrhage. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 26 patients who suffered from primary intraventricular hemorrhage between 2003 and 2007. We analyzed the various factors that might influence the prognosis and these included the patient age, the disease etiology, the initial Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) score, the pupil reflex, Evan's ratio, Graeb's score, the ventriculocranial ratio (VCR) and dilatation of the fourth ventricle. The clinical outcomes were evaluated for each patient by using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) three months after the hemorrhage. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 38.5%. The factors correlated with a poor clinical outcome are an initial GCS score below 12 (p0.05). Dilatation of the fourth ventricle showed a poor outcome in 10 patients (83.3%), but this was without clinical significance (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: A low initial GCS score, a high Graeb's score, the absence of a pupil reflex, a high VCR and the presence of obstructive hydrocephalus are associated with a poor outcome in patients with primary intraventricular hemorrhage.

Preliminary Radiological Outcomes of Cervical Arthroplasty with Bryan and Prestige LP Cervical Disc Prosthesis

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative motion preservation and prevention of adjacent segment degeneration is well recognized after placing artificial cervical disc prosthesis in patients with degenerative cervical disc disease. The authors investigated postoperative changes in motion dynamics in two different types of artificial cervical disc prosthesis, Bryan and Prestige LP cervical disc prosthesis, and compared them. METHODS: Twenty five patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and implantation of artificial cervical disc prosthesis: 10 with Bryan and 15 with Prestige LP. Radiological assessments, including overall sagittal alignment angle, range of motion (ROM) of overall sagittal, functional spine unit (FSU) angle, segmental ROM of FSU and ROM of adjacent segment (Upper and Lower level) using static and dynamic lateral radiographs, were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. The mean postoperative follow up period was 18.6 months (range 10.4~28.5) in Bryan and 9.2 months (range 6.5~12.6) in Prestige LP. RESULTS: The overall sagittal alignment angle was decreased 2.9degrees in Bryan group (p=0.033) and increased 5.7degrees in Prestige LP group (p=0.017). The FSU angle at treated level was decreased 0.4degrees in Bryan group (p=0.929) and increased 2.9degrees in Prestige LP group (p=0.008). The ROM of overall sagittal was decreased in both groups (Bryan: 8.6degrees p=0.075, Prestige LP: 2.9degrees p=0.182). The segmental ROM of FSU was increased 1.0degrees in Prestige LP group (p=0.191) but, decreased 0.6degrees in Bryan group (p=0.929). The ROM of adjacent segment was decreased in both groups (Bryan: upper p=0.023 lower p=0.050, Prestige LP: upper p=0.570 lower p=0.132). The postoperative radiological results of comparison between two different artificial disc showed that overall sagittal alignment angle and FSU angle were more increased in Prestige LP (p=0.005, p=0.026, respectively). CONCLUSION: The segmental ROM of FSU was preserved and ROM of adjacent segment was decreased in both groups. This means that postoperative adjacent segment disease may be prevented regardless of types of implants. On comparison study, postoperative cervical curvature was more lordotic in Prestige LP. Therefore, Prestige LP is more suitable to maintain postoperative cervical lordosis. The limitation of our study is small number of case and short and unequal follow up period between two types of implants. Further long term study will be needed.

Expression of Inhibin in the Whole-body gamma-irradiated Mouse Ovary / 대한불임학회지

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of the present study were to investigate the effect of gamma-radiation on the expression of inhibin-alpha proteins and genes for inhibin alpha, betaA, and betain the ovary. METHODS: Immature mice were whole-body gamma-irradiated with 25% of a lethal dose. At time 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the irradiation,the ovaries were collected and used for immunohistochemistry for inhibin-alpha, and RT_PCR for inhibin-alpha, betaA, and betaB. RESULTS: The expression of the immunoreactive inhibins-alpha was maintained at 12 hours post-irradiation and reduced thereafter. The expression of inhibin-alpha mRNA was significantly increased with the time after the irradiation. However there were no significant changes in the expression of betaA and betaB mRNAs. CONCLUSION: It might be thought that inhibin acts as one of the regulatory factors in the gamma-radiation-induced follicular atresia in mice

Effects of Tributyltin Acetate on the Testicular Expression of Steroidogenic Enzyme Genes in Immature Mouse Testes / 대한남성과학회지

PURPOSE: The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of tributyltin acetate(TBTA) on mouse testes. The effects of TBTA on mammalian reproduction are not well known. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three-week-old male mice(ICR strain) were orally administered TBTA at doses of 0 (control vehicle, CV), 25(T25), 50(T50), and 100 mg/kg(T100). Serum and intratesticular concentrations of testosterone and estradiol were determined by conventional radioimmunoassays. RT-PCR analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Transcriptional activity of 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD), 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(17 beta-HSD) and cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase/C17,20 lyase(P450 (17 alpha)) were decreased by treatment. whereas mRNA levels of P450 aromatase were unaffected. In addition, TBTA significantly decreased serum testosterone levels in T100, while estradiol levels were not affected significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of TBTA decreases testosterone level in testes, and this effect might be due to the alteration of mRNA levels of steroidogenic enzymes. Taken together, these findings suggest that TBTA, impairs testicular functions in a dose-dependent manner. The present results can be used as basic data in the study of TBTA action on gonads.

Follicular Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity and Steroid Concentrations in the Immature Gilt Ovary / 대한불임학회지

No abstract available.

Endocrine Disrupters and Reproduction / 대한내분비학회지

No abstract available.

Chondromyxoid fibroma of the femur: a case report with intra-cortical location

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is the least common benign cartilaginous tumor, comprising less than 0.5 to 1% of all skeletal neoplasms. This subject was a 16-year-old female with a three-year history of pain involving the distal femoral metaphysis. This case showed an unusual feature: it was intracortical in location. Radiologic differential diagnosis included metaphyseal fibrous defect, periosteal chondroma, simple or aneurysmal bone cyst, and cortical abscess. On operation, the lesion filled the intracortical defect with whitish myxoid soft tissue, bulging into the adjacent soft tissue. Microscopically, it showed typical features of chondromyxoid fibroma composed of mainly myxoid nodules and peripheral fibrous elements with focal chondroid differentiation.

An Investigation of Mercury Contamination Soures in Fluorescent Lamp Manufacturing Industries in Korea / 대한산업의학회지

This research was conducted to study the correlations between the airborne mercury concentration and each independent variable to detect the source of mercury contamination in a total or II fluorescent lamp manufacturing factories- The mercury concentraion in air was measured and informations about production management (operation hour, overtime, vacuum exhaustion system, number of droppers, number of vacuum exhaustion pumps, frequency of mercury infusion, mercury consumption per lamp, number of lamps producted, number of inferior lamps producted, number of breakage lamps, local exhaust ventilation system) were collected from January 1988 to March 1989. The results were as follows: 1. Among the airborne mercury concentrations according to the sampling point the highest mean concentration was 0.162mg/m3(0.016-0.635 mg/m3) at the workplace floor, and 0.074 mg/m3 at the vaccum exhaustion pump site, and 0.06 mg/m3 at the breathing zone in order. 2. The correlation between airborne mercury concentration and each Independent variable was significant in a following order; the number of Inferior lamps productedt(0.485), vacuum exhaustion syatem(-0,405), number of breakage lamps (0.344), operation hourl(0.341), number of vacuum exhaustion pumps(0.337) and local exhaust ventilation systern(0.331). 3. The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the airborne mercury consumption was affected by number of inferior lamps producted, frequency of mercury infusion, overtime, ventilator, mercury consumption amounts per lamp, local exhaust ventilation system in order. And these six variables explained 36.7% of the variance of airborne mercury concentration.

Treatment of Diaphyseal Fractures of the Forearm Bones / 대한정형외과학회잡지

In clinical practice fractures of the forearm bones are encoutered as frequently as fractures of other bones. As has been pointed out in many articles, however, the surgical anatomy of the forearm evokes problems in dealing with the diaphyseal fractures of the forearm bones not found in the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of other long bones, The authors have experienced 107 cases of diaphyseal fractures of the forearm bones during the fiveyear period from January, 1972 through December, 1976. A comparison has been made between the two groups one treated by conservative method and the other by open reduction and internal fixation. The results are as follows: 1. The time required for the healing of the fractures was shorter in the conservatively treated group. 2. Restoration of function was more satisfactory in the surgically treated group. 3. Rotational and angulatory deformities were less in the surgically treated group. 4. Forty-one fractures were internally fixed with compression plates, the union rate of which was 100%.

A Clinical Analysis of Open Fractures of Long Bone / 대한정형외과학회잡지

This is to present the clinical analysis of 197 (165 Patients) open fractures of long bones which were treated at Han Gang Sacred Heart Hospital from December 1971 June 1975. The results obtained as follows: 1. The causes of injury were traffic accident 91, industrial accident 63, home acident 8 and other 3. 2. In this study, there were 139 males and 26 females. The main age incidence ranged 11–40 years. 3. Among the 197 cases, Tibia and fibula were affected mostly(54.8%) 4. Associated injuries included closed fracture of long bone 35, cerebral contusion 15, skull fracture 10, maxillofascial inury 9, joint dislocation 6 and other 21. 5. The method of treatment was chiefly debridement and primary closure of open wound with 16 internal fixation, followed by cast immobilization 161, skeletal traction 15 and pin & plaster. 5. 6. Consequent incidence of infection was 10.7% (deep 5.1%, superficial 5.6%) 7. The causative strains were coliform bacillus 28, pseudomonas 16, staphylococcus 6, streptococcus 1, and bacillus subtilis 1, 8. Death occured in 3 cases: the causes were sepsis due to pseudomonas 2 and anuria due to renal shut down 1.

Clinical Evaluation of Stable Thoracolumbar Vertebral Fractures / 대한정형외과학회잡지

One hundred and fifteen thoracolumbar vertebrel fractures Out. of 85 patients were avaluated in this study. In 97 cases out of 65 patients, angular deformity and loss of height of the fractured vertebral bodies were measured, and for 6. 3 months in average follow up study was made in 23 cases out of 18 patients. The angular deformity became increased from 18.4 degrees to 21. 0 degrees wheroas loss of height has also increased from 38.6 to 40.8%, showing little statical value. Incidence was higher in male than in female without seasonal differences. Age incidence ranged from 16 to 78, and most frequent in third and fourth decades. Causes of injury were industrial accident, traffic accident, home accident and fall from height. Location of injury was mainly twelfth thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae. As associated injury, fracture of the rib, ulna, malleolus and calcaneus in order. Conservative treatment was a method of choice, while operstive treatment was performed in 7%.