Facial dysmorphisms associated with holoprosencephaly / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine and classify holoprosencephlay with the associated facial abnormalities. METHODS: This was a retrospective study in which were reviewed the sonographic findings in correlation with the clinical and pathologic data of fetuses or neonates identified with holoprosencephaly at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Catholic University in the period 1995-2007. RESULTS: Twelve cases with a Holoprosencephaly were found. Mean gestational age at diagnosis and delivery was 28 weeks of pregnancy (range from 14 to 41 weeks). Modes of delivery were 8 cases of preterm spontaneous delivery, 2 cases of missed abortion, 1 case of normal fullterm spontaneous delivery, and 1 case of full term cesarean delivery. Associated facial anomalies were present in 9/12 cases (75%) which involved with cyclopia, proboscis, cleft lip and palate, ethomocephaly and otocephaly. Among those anomalies, abnormal karyotypes were 3/6 cases (50%). CONCLUSIONS: When a midline brain anomaly is detected by antenatal sonography, accurate sonographic analysis of midline facial defect may allow more definitive diagnosis of holoprosencephaly, and the outcome of affected fetuses often have other major structural abnormalities and nearly always fatal.

Factors Related to Mortality of Elderly Patients Admitted with Community-acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the main causes of hospitalization and death, especially in elderly patients. There have been many studies on prognosis for community-acquired pneumonia, but few in Korea. We sought to identify characteristics on admission predicting mortality in elderly patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia and to compare mortality rates by PORT score with PORT study's ones. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 267 patients aged 65 years and over admitted with community- acquired pneumonia from January 2000 to December 2002. We reviewed demographic, clinical, laboratory, microbiological and radiologic data and identified independent factors associated with the mortality using logistic regression analysis. We classified patients into risk classes by PORT score and calculated the mortality rate. RESULTS: Among of 267 patients, 48 (18.0%) died. We identified six independent predictors of mortality; male (OR, 2,496; 95% CI, 1,012~6,153), lung cancer (OR, 3,409; 95% CI, 1,302~8,920), general weakness (OR, 5.218; 95% CI, 2,140~12,718), unable to walk (OR, 9,232; 95% CI, 2,228~38,257), BUN > or =30 mg/dL (OR, 3,327; 95% CI, 1.072~10.327), albumin <3 g/dL (OR, 3,219; 95% CI, 1,351~7,670) and pleural effusion (OR, 3.135; 95% CI, 1,052~9,342). Mortality rates of risk class II-V by PORT score were 6.7%, 9.5%, 30.4% and 34.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: There were factors that were associated with mortality in elderly patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.

Expression of mullerian inhibiting substance and its receptor in ovarian neoplsia / 대한산부인과학회지

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) is a glycoprotein hormone produced by fetal Sertoli cells that causes regression of the Mullerian ducts in males during sexual differentiation. Cell lines derived from human ovarian epithelium and rodent Leydig cell tumors, which respond to MIS in growth inhibition assays and express the MIS type II receptors (MISR II). But the pathophysiological role of MIS in human ovarian neoplasia development has not yet been fully established. In order to understand its role in pathogenesis of ovarian neoplasia, the expression and localization of the MIS and MISR II were studied in 5 normal ovaries, 11 benign tumors, 9 borderline ovarian malignancies, 40 ovarian malignancies in paraffin embedded tissue and tissue microarrays by using immunohistochemical stain. The results were as follows; 1. The first staining for MIS and MISR II were detected in granulosa cells in primary follicles of normal ovary. Among the growing follicles, larger developing follicles stained more intensely than smaller follicles. 2. In benign ovarian tumors, 8 (72.73%) in MIS and 5 (45.45%) in MISR II out of 11 cases were stained. The intensity scores of staining were 1.18 in MIS and 0.64 in MISR II. 3. In borderline malignancies, 6 (66.67%) in MIS and 7 (77.78%) in MISR II out of 9 cases were stained. The intensity scores of staining were 0.89 in MIS and 1.22 in MISR II. 4. In ovarian malignancies, the expression of MIS and MISR II were 50% (9/18) and 50% (9/18) in epithelial, 92.30% (12/13) and 76.72% (10/13) in germ cell, and 88.9% (8/9) and 100% (9/9) in sex-cord stromal tumors. The intensity scores of MIS and MISR II expression were 0.72 and 0.72 in epithelial, 1.45 and 1.62 in germ cell, and 1.78 and 1.67 in sex-cord stromal tumors. 5. There was significant high expression of MIS and MISR II in non-epithelial (90.91%, 86.36%) than epithelial ovarian cancers (50%, 50%). The scores of expression intensity was also higher in non-elithelial cancers (MIS: 1.67 +/- 0.16 vs 0.72 +/- 0.20, p=0.003, MISR II: 1.64 +/- 0.20 vs 0.72 +/- 0.21, p=0.022). In conlusion, the expression of MIS and MISR II were not different according to the differentiation, but tissue type specific. The frequency of MIS and MISR II expression was higher in non-epithelial cancers, especially in sex-cord stromal tumors. The results of this experiment could be utilized as scientific basis of researches, furthermore clinical applications in diagnosis and treatment of non-epithelial ovarian malignancies.