Successful repair of coracoid and femur fractures in a Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) and its post-release survival

To our knowledge, this is the first case of concurrent diaphyseal left coracoid and left femoral fractures in a Eurasian eagle owl and its post-release survival in Korea. The femur was surgically repaired using an external skeletal fixator-intramedullary (IM) pin tie-in method, and the coracoid was repaired solely with an IM pin on day 6 after femur surgery. The eagle owl underwent a gradual rehabilitation process. The bird was successfully rehabilitated and released 101 d after initial presentation. The bird was monitored using a wildlife tracking device and was confirmed to have survived for over 5 mon in the wild.

Serological and Molecular Detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Babesia microti in the Blood of Rescued Wild Animals in Gangwon-do (Province), Korea

Infections of Toxoplasma gondii and Babesia microti are reported in many wild animals worldwide, but information on their incidence and molecular detection in Korean wild fields is limited. In this study, the prevalence of T. gondii and B. microti infection in blood samples of 5 animal species (37 Chinese water deer, 23 raccoon dogs, 6 roe deer, 1 wild boar, and 3 Eurasian badgers) was examined during 2008–2009 in Gangwon-do (Province), the Republic of Korea (=Korea) by using serological and molecular tests. The overall seropositivity of T. gondii was 8.6% (6/70); 10.8% in Chinese water deer, 4.3% in raccoon dogs, and 16.7% in roe deer. PCR revealed only 1 case of T. gondii infection in Chinese water deer, and phylogenic analysis showed that the positive isolate was practically identical to the highly pathogenetic strain type I. In B. microti PCR, the positive rate was 5.7% (4/70), including 2 Chinese water deer and 2 Eurasian badgers. Phylogenetic analysis results of 18S rRNA and the β-tubulin gene showed that all positive isolates were US-type B. microti. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. microti detected in Chinese water deer and Eurasian badger from Korea. These results indicate a potentially high prevalence of T. gondii and B. microti in wild animals of Gangwon-do, Korea. Furthermore, Chinese water deer might act as a reservoir for parasite infections of domestic animals.

Radiobiological mechanisms of stereotactic body radiation therapy and stereotactic radiation surgery

Despite the increasing use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) in recent years, the biological base of these high-dose hypo-fractionated radiotherapy modalities has been elusive. Given that most human tumors contain radioresistant hypoxic tumor cells, the radiobiological principles for the conventional multiple-fractionated radiotherapy cannot account for the high efficacy of SBRT and SRS. Recent emerging evidence strongly indicates that SBRT and SRS not only directly kill tumor cells, but also destroy the tumor vascular beds, thereby deteriorating intratumor microenvironment leading to indirect tumor cell death. Furthermore, indications are that the massive release of tumor antigens from the tumor cells directly and indirectly killed by SBRT and SRS stimulate anti-tumor immunity, thereby suppressing recurrence and metastatic tumor growth. The reoxygenation, repair, repopulation, and redistribution, which are important components in the response of tumors to conventional fractionated radiotherapy, play relatively little role in SBRT and SRS. The linear-quadratic model, which accounts for only direct cell death has been suggested to overestimate the cell death by high dose per fraction irradiation. However, the model may in some clinical cases incidentally do not overestimate total cell death because high-dose irradiation causes additional cell death through indirect mechanisms. For the improvement of the efficacy of SBRT and SRS, further investigation is warranted to gain detailed insights into the mechanisms underlying the SBRT and SRS.

A Case of Periaortitis Diagnosed with Abdomen CT in a Patient with Malignant Fibrous Histiocytosis

Periaortitis is a very rare disease, characterized by a fibro-inflammatory tissue which develops around abdominal aorta and iliac arteries, and spreads into the structures of retroperitoneum. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for the diagnosis. Here, we report a case of periaortitis diagnosed with abdomen CT in patient with malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Clinical Outcome of Veterans with Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Had Been Exposed to Agent Orange / 전남의대학술지

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), one of the components of Agent Orange, has been reported to be a deadly poison despite its presence at extremely small doses. TCDD is reported to cause various kinds of cancers and other harmful effects on humans. However, a correlation between exposure to TCDD and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is not yet proven. Thus, we examined the correlation between exposure to TCDD and ACS through an analysis of coronary angiograms from veterans of the Vietnam War. Two hundred fifty-one consecutive men undergoing coronary angiograms owing to ACS between April 2004 and May 2009 at Gwangju Veterans Hospital were analyzed. Included subjects were between 50 and 70 years of age. The patients were divided into two groups: 121 patients who had been exposed to TCDD (Group I) and 130 patients who had not been exposed to TCDD (Group II). Clinical and coronary angiographic findings were evaluated. Baseline clinical characteristics, inflammatory markers, and echocardiographic parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. The incidence of hypertension (71.1% vs. 60.0%, p=0.039) and hyperlipidemia (27.3% vs. 16.9%, p=0.038) was higher in Group I than in Group II. Total occlusion, stent length, stent use, and coronary lesion characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) had no relationship with exposure to TCDD. Exposure to TCDD might not affect severity or the rate of MACE in persons with ACS.

Clinical Outcome of Veterans with Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Had Been Exposed to Agent Orange / 전남의대학술지

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), one of the components of Agent Orange, has been reported to be a deadly poison despite its presence at extremely small doses. TCDD is reported to cause various kinds of cancers and other harmful effects on humans. However, a correlation between exposure to TCDD and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is not yet proven. Thus, we examined the correlation between exposure to TCDD and ACS through an analysis of coronary angiograms from veterans of the Vietnam War. Two hundred fifty-one consecutive men undergoing coronary angiograms owing to ACS between April 2004 and May 2009 at Gwangju Veterans Hospital were analyzed. Included subjects were between 50 and 70 years of age. The patients were divided into two groups: 121 patients who had been exposed to TCDD (Group I) and 130 patients who had not been exposed to TCDD (Group II). Clinical and coronary angiographic findings were evaluated. Baseline clinical characteristics, inflammatory markers, and echocardiographic parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. The incidence of hypertension (71.1% vs. 60.0%, p=0.039) and hyperlipidemia (27.3% vs. 16.9%, p=0.038) was higher in Group I than in Group II. Total occlusion, stent length, stent use, and coronary lesion characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) had no relationship with exposure to TCDD. Exposure to TCDD might not affect severity or the rate of MACE in persons with ACS.

Reverse Controlled Antegrade and Retrograde Subintimal Tracking in Chronic Total Occlusion of Right Coronary Artery

Passage failure of guidewire is still remained most common reason for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) failure in chronic total occlusion (CTO). Intravascular ultrasound study (IVUS) and cardiac CT angiography can help identify features that most influence current success rates of PCI. We report our experience using the reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking technique under the aid of IVUS, cardiac CT angiography for an ambiguous CTO of proximal right coronary artery.

Hypertensive Heart Failure Associated with Middle Aortic Syndrome Reversed Dramatically by Endovascular Management

A 42-year-old male patient presented with refractory hypertension and congestive heart failure. He had taken hydrochlorthiazide 50 mg, carvedilol 25 mg, diltiazem 180 mg, and losartan 100 mg per day. Aortogram revealed a severe luminal narrowing in the distal thoracic aorta with a peak systolic pressure gradient of 60 mmHg across the lesion. Endovascular management was performed with 22 x 80 mm self-expandable Nitinol-S stent after predilation with 10 x 40 mm balloon. After endovascular management, the patient's blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and dilated LV dimension were remarkably improved.

The Effect of Combination Therapy with Radiation and Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor on Xenografted Human Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Nude Mice / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is known that tumor cells over-expressing COX-2 have resistance to many anticancer treatments. Among those treatments, along with surgery and chemotherapy, radiation therapy plays a significant role in the treatment of head and neck cancer. However, radiosensitivity of each cancer varies according to cancer types. Especially, the cancer over-expressing COX-2 is reported to have higher radioresistance to radiation therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of selective COX-2 inhibitor when combined with the radiation therapy, and to assess the possibility of clinical application of the selective COX-2 inhibitor for radiation therapy in the head and neck cancer. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The human oral cavity squamous carcinoma cells were cultured and xenografted in 40 athymic nude mice (1 x 10(7), left thigh, subcutaneous injection) and the mice were divided into 4 groups: the control group (10 mice), the radiation therapy group (10 mice, Group A), the Meloxicam injection group (10 mice, Group B), and the combination therapy group with radiation and Meloxicam (10 mice, Group C). The tumor volume was measured on every five days during the treatment and the tumor specimen was taken for immunohistochemical staining when the treatment was finished. The mean tumor volume, the apoptosis index and the proliferation index were measured. RESULTS: In the combination therapy group (Group C), the tumor growth rate was decreased compared to the radiation therapy group (Group A). Also, according to the result of the apoptosis index and the proliferation index measured using immunohistochemical staining, the combination therapy group presented a higher apoptosis index but a lower proliferation index than other groups. CONCLUSION: Meloxicam, selective COX-2 inhibitor, improves the efficacy of the radiation therapy for the human oral cavity squamous carcinoma and this effect was due to apoptosis modulation by selective COX-2 inhibitor.

Ectopic Prostate Tissue in the Posterior Wall of the Bladder / 대한비뇨기과학회지

We herein report a case of ectopic prostate tissue involving the posterior wall of the bladder. A 33-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a bladder tumor that was incidentally discovered on abdominal ultrasonography (US). US and computed tomography (CT) showed a 1.5x2.0cm sized tumor in the posterior wall of the bladder. Cystoscopic examination revealed a sessile tumor, covered with normal bladder mucosa in the posterior wall of the bladder. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor was carried out and the origin of the tissue was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining for prostate specific antigen. The histopathological examination revealed benign prostate tissue that was situated ectopically.

The Use of Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in the Prediction of Stone Fragility in Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether the stone mineral content (SMC) and stone mineral density (SMD), as measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, can predict the stone fragility in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Materials and Methods: In the experimental study, the stone size, weight, SMC and SMD of 111 urinary calculi, obtained by open surgery, were measured. The SMC and SMD were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, which is the gold standard for measuring the bone mineral content and density. The number of shock waves necessary for full fragmentation was accepted as a measure of the stone fragility in ESWL (EDAP-sonolith Praktis). In the clinical study, the stone size, SMC and SMD were measured in a total of 48 patients with a solitary renal stone of less than 3cm. Prior to ESWL all patients underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to calculate the SMC and SMD. The correlations between the number of total shock waves and the stone size, SMC and SMD were analyzed. Results: In the experimental study, the stone size, stone weight, SMC and SMD values correlated with total shock waves, with a correlation coefficients (R) of 0.79, 0.95, 0.99 and 0.86, respectively (n=111). In the clinical study, the mean stone size, mean MC and MD values differed significantly between the clinically successful and failed ESWL (n=36 and n=12), respectively (p=0.0002, p=0.004, p=0.004). On a simple regression analysis, the SMC (R2=0.74), SMD (R2=0.56) and stone size (R2=0.51) were significant factors in predicting the number of shock waves. Using the receiver operating characteristic curves for comparing the stone size, SMC and SMD in relation to the number of shock waves, the areas under the respective curves were 0.79, 0.84 and 0.81 with cut-off values of 1.8, 1.4 and 1.8. Conclusions: The stone size, SMC and SMD measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry may provide a prediction of the outcome of patients prior to ESWL treatment. Patients with high SMC (greater than 1.4gm) could be recommended for percutaneous nephrolithotripsy or another treatment modality, thus, avoiding the unnecessary cost of prior ESWL.

Analysis of Results and Prognostic Factors according to the Beginning Time of Treatment of Lasix, Vitamin and Carbogen Inhalation Therapy on Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss generally refers to hearing losses of sensorineural origin, which have evolved over a period of a few hours to a few days. Therapy follows a polypragmatic approach based on the different theories of its origin. Therefore, drugs applied are mainly antiinflammatory, antiviral and vasoactive in nature. The likelihood of recovery is influenced by the shape of the audiogram, the age of the patients, and the presence or absence of vertigo. Very little information is available about the results of therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss with the delayed treatment. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic factors and therapeutic results of Lasix-Vitamin and carbogen inhalation therapy on sudden sensorineural hearing loss depending on the initiation time of treatment. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We studied 167 cases of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, which were treated with Lasix-Vitamin and carbogen inhalation therapy at the Chung-Ang University Hospital from May 1990 to April 2004. In a retrospective chart review, we evaluated the prognostic factors and the results depending on different beginning time of treatment. RESULTS: The therapeutic results showed that 90 cases (53.9%) gained hearing recovery. Patients who were treated within 7 days of onset showed recovery in 64 cases (76.2%), but 26 cases (31.3%) of the patients with who began treatment later than 8 days showed improvement of 15 dB or more in hearing threshold in pure tone audiometry. Among many prognostic factor, dizziness showed statistically significant correlation with the final result of hearing recovery in the delayed treatment group. CONCLUSION: The patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss must be treated within 7 days, and dizziness is significant prognostic factor of patient with delayed treatment.

Bladder Xanthoma / 대한비뇨기과학회지

A xanthoma is an abnormal localized collection of histiocytic tissue containing lipid. It is not a true tumor, but is a reactive histiocytic proliferation often secondary to alternations in serum lipids. Xanthoma lesions are seen in the skin and tendons, and may occur at other sites, such as the stomach and arytenoepiglottic fold. However, a xanthoma is rare in the bladder, with only 9 reported cases. Here, a case of a xanthoma of the bladder detected incidentally during cystoscopic examination for a gross hematuria is reported.

Isolation and Characterization of the Salicylic Acid Induced Gene in Rehmannia glutinosa by Differential Display

Rehmannia glutinosa is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae with more than 300 species known in the world, especially in temperate regions. Its roots have been used widely in Korea for medicinal purposes. However, it is commonly infected by various pathogens during storage, causing great damage to the roots, and impedes the intensive farming of the crop. Therefore, an attempt has been made to isolate and screen a resistance gene against the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum using differential display. We treated salicylic acid (SA), and isolated a resistance gene that responds to SA. As a result, we found that SA was involved in plant defense mechanism in pathogenicity tests with SA treated and non-treted plants, and we isolated a partial PR-la gene through differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) method.

A Case of Left Main Coronary Artery Disease Treated with Medication

We report a case of 34-year-old woman who had left main coronary artery disease and treated with medication only. She was presented with severe chest pain. Isolated left main coronary disease was demonstrated on selective left coronary angiography. There was no regional wall motion abnormality on echocardiogram with normal global LV systolic function. We considered the lesion as a varient of Takayasu's arteritis. So with anti-anginal medication, treatment started with steroid therapy. After then there was no chest pain. We performed follow-up coronary angiography after 1 month and 3 month in which revealed improved left main lesion. Since then there was no subjective symptom and Thallium-201 SPECT revealed no significant ischemic finding. We think that this case's underlying disease is may be Takayasu's arteritis which has isolated left main stenosis without systemic involvement and improved with medical treatement only.

Clinical analysis of 8 cases on double primary malignancy associated with hematopoietic malignancy / 대한혈액학회지

No abstract available.

A case of primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lung / 결핵

No abstract available.