A Case of Venous Thrombosis developed in a woman taking Oral Contraceptives with Antithrombin III, Protein C and Protein S deficiencies / 대한산부인과학회지

Oal contraceptives are one of the most frequently used methods of hormonal contraception. In general, oral contraceptives have proven to be safe for most women. However, the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are increased in women taking oral contraceptives. We have experienced a case of a woman who had superior mesenteric venous (SMV) and portal vein thromboses on taking oral contraceptives with antithrombin III, protein C, and protein S deficiencies.

A Case of Heterotopic Pregnancy in a Natural Cycle / 대한불임학회지

Heterotopic pregnancy is the coexistency of intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy is about 1 to 30,000 pregnancy in a natural cycle. However, the frequency of heterotopic pregnancy has steadily increased because of rising incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic surgery and the development of ovulation induction and assisted reproduction. Because heterotopic pregnancy is difficult to diagnose and it has high morbidity and mortality rate, one should always take this into consideration and should conduct careful and thorough gynecologic evaluation. We have experienced a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 29-year old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain in a natural cycle and report this case with a brief review of literature.

A Case of Pelvic Actinomycosis / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Actinomycosis is a chronic, progressive, suppurative disease which present some difficulty in establishing a correct preoperative diagnosis. Because pelvic actinomycosis has variable nonspecific clinical manifestations. Actinomyces species are gram-positive, non-acid fast, anaerobic bacteria that exhibit branching filamentous growth. After trauma, surgery, or other infection that alter the host's mucosal barriers, these organism advance to invade surrounding tissues and organs. Recent reports have demonstrated an increased incidence in women using Intrauterine device (IUD). It is accounted that IUD cause chronic intrauterine infection, tissue injury, and act as nucleus for parasitic infestation. We have experienced a cause of pelvic actinomycosis in a 37-year-old woman using IUD and report it with brief review of literature.

Combined Oculopalatine and Midbrain Tremor in Upper Limb Caused by a Pontine Hemorrhage

A 67-year-old man, with a history of pontine hemorrhage, was admitted because of ocular tremors. Also, tremors in the right upper limb and palates were detected. Oculopalatine tremors showed synchronous vertical oscillations and the limb showed midbrain tremor. Brain MRI revealed high signal intensities of both inferior olivary nuclei and right superior cerebellar peduncle. Electromyogram showed different tremor frequencies in the oculopalate and limb. Clinical, MRI and electromyographic findings indicate that the origins of oculopalatine and limb tremors are different.

A Case of Dentatorubropallidoluysian Atrophy with Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy

The dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is a neurodegenerative disorder with expansion of an unstable CAG trinucleotide repeat in a gene on chromosome 12 and a rare cause of progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). A 34-year-old female showed progressive myoclonus, choreoathetosis, generalized tonicclonic seizure, dementia and ataxia. Her uncle died during convulsion at the age of 19. Brain MRI revealed cerebral, cerebellar and brainstem atrophy accompanied by dilatation of the fourth ventricle. The demonstration of expanded CAG repeat (67/11) in the gene for DRPLA was used to confirm the diagnosis. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(2):173~175, 2001)

A Case of Dentatorubropallidoluysian Atrophy with Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy

The dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is a neurodegenerative disorder with expansion of an unstable CAG trinucleotide repeat in a gene on chromosome 12 and a rare cause of progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). A 34-year-old female showed progressive myoclonus, choreoathetosis, generalized tonicclonic seizure, dementia and ataxia. Her uncle died during convulsion at the age of 19. Brain MRI revealed cerebral, cerebellar and brainstem atrophy accompanied by dilatation of the fourth ventricle. The demonstration of expanded CAG repeat (67/11) in the gene for DRPLA was used to confirm the diagnosis. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(2):173~175, 2001)

Molecular characteristics of the inhibition of human neutrophil elastase by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are known as clinically effective agents for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase has been thought to be a major facet of the pharmacological mechanism of NSAIDs. However, it is difficult to ascribe the antiinflammatory effects of NSAIDs solely to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Human neutrophil elastase (HNElastase; HNE, EC 3.4.21.37) has been known as a causative factor in inflammatory diseases. To investigate the specific relationship between HNElastase inhibition and specificity of molecular structure of several NSAIDs, HNElastase was purified by Ultrogel AcA54 gel filtration, CM-Sephadex ion exchange, and HPLC (with TSK 250 column) chromatography. HNElastase was inhibited by aspirin and salicylate in a competitive manner and by naproxen, ketoprofen, phenylbutazone, and oxyphenbutazone in a partial competative manner, but not by ibuprofen and tolmetin. HNElastase-phenylbutazone-complex showed strong Raman shifts at 200, 440, 1124, 1194, 1384, 1506, and 1768 cm(-1). The Raman bands 1194, 1384, and 1768 cm(-1) may represent evidences of the conformational change at -N=N-phi radical, pyrazol ring, and -C=O radical of the elastase-drug complex, respectively. Phenylbutazone might be bound to HNElastase by ionic and hydrophobic interaction, and masked the active site. Inhibition of HNElastase could be another mechanism of action of NSAIDs besides cyclooxygenase inhibition in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Different inhibition characteristics of HNE-lastase by NSAIDs such as aspirin, phenylbutazone-like drugs and ineffective drugs could be important points for drawing the criteria for appropriate drugs in clinical application.