• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.580-584
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• 2007

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disorder that affects discrete areas of the CNS, including the optic nerves, in a quite variable relapsing-remitting fashion over a prolonged period of time. Although MS is usually considered to be a disease that affects peoples in early to middle adulthood, children do develop multiple sclerosis. The frequency of MS onset before the age of 15 years is 2.7-5% of all cases, while MS onset during infancy and early childhood was observed to be 0.2-0.7% of all cases. We report here on a Korean case of a relapsing-remitting MS female child who was treated with four rounds of intravenous methylpredinsolone pulse therapy and preventive Interferon-$\beta$-1b ($Betaferon^{(R)}$).

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 1989

Clonidine, ${\alpha}2$-adrenergic agonist, applied spinally or epidurally has been shown to be effective in blocking noxious stimuli in human applications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of epidurally administered clonidine. In 40 patients undergoing hemorrhoidectomy or anal fistulectomy, 1.33% lidocaine 15ml (Group I) or 1.33% lidocaine mixed with $75{\mu}g$ clonidine(Group II) administered epidurally through sacral hiatus. Intraoperative changes of vital signs and duration of postoperative analgesic effects were observed. The results were as follows : 1) In the group I, average analgesic duration was 2.42 hours. 2) In the group II, average analgesic duration was 7.32 hours. 3) After epidural clonidine injection, the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure was not significant without sedation. 4) Postoperatively, any complaints related clonidine were not reported. In conclusion, postoperative pain control with epidural clonidine was effective.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2013

Nocardiosis is an uncommon Gram-positive bacterial infection caused by aerobic actinomycetes in the genus Nocardia. Nocardia spp. have the ability to cause localized or systemic suppurative disease in humans and animals. Nocardiosis is typically regarded as an opportunistic infection, but approximately one-third of infected patients are immunocompetent. We report a rare case of pulmonary nocardiosis and a brain abscess caused by Nocardia asteroides in an elderly woman with a history of Crohn's disease. Radiographic imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing lesion with perilesional parenchymal edema that was preoperatively thought to be a neoplasm. The patient experienced aggressive disease progression simulating a metastatic brain tumor. Early diagnosis of norcadiosis, the absence of underlying disease, and the administration of appropriate antibiotics has a positive impact on prognosis. Familiarity with the magnetic resonance and computed tomography findings associated with CNS nocardiosis, such as those presented here, is essential for making an early diagnosis.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.207-210
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• 2003

The locus coeruleus (LC) contains about half of the total number of noradrenergic neurons in the brain and those noradrenergic neurons from the LC innervate entire brain regions. The LC is a major common target region in several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Pakinson's and Huntington's diseases. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulate neuronal cell survival and differentiation of central nervous system neurons, including LC noradrenergic neurons. In this study, various small molecules and growth factors were tested as candidates to promote the production of BDNF in LC noradrenergic neuronal cells. The molecules tested include neuropeptides, cytokines, growth factors, neurotransmitters, and intracellular signaling agents. Four small molecules or growth factors, FGF8b, BMP-4, forskolin, and dibutyryl cGMP, were found to increase the release of BDNF in LC noradrenergic neurons. Especially, BMP-4 significantly enhanced BDNF production over 2.5-fold in LC noradrenergic neurons.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.109-116
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• 2005

목적 : 골관절염은 진통을 수반하는 퇴행성 관절질환이며, 장애를 일으키는 주요한 원인이 된다. 또한 노인들에 있어서 골관절염은 매우 흔한 질환이라 할 수 있다. Nitric oxide(NO)는 Nitric Oxide Synthase(NOS)에 의하여 칼슘의존성통로를 통하여 L-arginine 으로부터 합성되어지며, NO는 중추신경계에 있어서 중요한 세포사이의 전달자이다. 방법 :본 연구에서는 위령선 으로부터 추출한 액이 콜라겐으로 유도된 관절염에 걸린 쥐의 dorsolateral periaqueductal gray(DL-PAG) 영역에서 nNOS(neuronal NOS)와 NOS에 대하여 미치는 영향 을 nNOS immunohistochemistry와 nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase(NADPH-d) 검사법을 통하여 조사하였다. 결과 : 골관절염이 유발된 흰쥐의 DL-PAG 영역에서 nNOS와 NOS의 발현억제가 관찰되었으며, 위령선이 콜라겐으로 유도된 골관절염에서 감소된 nNOS와 NOS의 발현이 증가되었다. 결론 : 본 연구를 통하여 위령선은 골관절염이 유발된 흰쥐의 DL-PAG에서의 nNOS와 NOS의 발현에 영향을 미친다는 결과를 얻을 수 있었다.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.180-187
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• 2015

Incontinentia pigmenti, also called Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome, is a rare X-linked inherited dominant disorder that affects females, but causes spontaneous abortion of prenatal males. Incontinentia pigmenti is a systemic disease with clinical features similar to ectodermal dysplasia, including congenitally missing teeth. The pathogenesis is related to gene mutations in NF-kappa-B essential modulator on chromosome Xq28. Incontinentia pigmenti is caused by a defect in the developmental stage of organs originating from the ectoderm or mesoderm and involves the skin, eyes, hair, teeth and central nervous system. This report discusses the management of three cases of 3 to 5 years old females with incontinentia pigmenti and accompanying multiple missing teeth. The cases had sparse hair, and showed oligodontia and anomalous crowns with supplementary cusps in the posterior teeth and conical anterior teeth. Removable space maintainers were applied, achieving improved esthetics, recovery of mastication and increased self-esteem in the patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2005

Purpose : S. pneumoniae is one of major pathogens of community-acquired respiratory infections. The rate of antibiotic resistance to this organism has increased, and resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents in a single strain of S. pneumoniae may compromise the efficacy of empiric antimicrobial treatment commonly used for respiratory infections. We did this study to find out the penicillin resistant distributions and oral antibiotics susceptibility patterns against S. pneumoniae, isolated from pediatric patients with community-acquired respiratory infections in Korea. Methods : One hundred fifty six pneumococcal isolates obtained from pediatric patients with community-acquired respiratory infections such as acute otitis media(AOM), sinusitis and pneumonia between May 2000 to June 2003. And MICs of penicillin and oral antibiotics(amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefaclor) were performed by broth microdilution methods according to the NCCLS(2003a). Results : Seventy eight percent of the isolates were resistant to penicillin. The isolates, collected from AOM patients showed the highest penicillin resistance(92.7%). The resistant rates of amoxicillin (16.7%) and amoxicillin-clavulanate(9.6%), based on susceptibility breakpoints established by the NCCLS, were markedly lower than these of penicillin. But, the resistant rate of cefaclor was very high, above 95%. Conclusion : We concluded that pneumococci isolated from study cases may be one of the world's highest penicillin resistant rates. But, amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate can be used as a first-line antibiotics. Finally, we hope that a continuous surveillance study to monitor resistant patterns of pneumococcal respiratory infections will be needed for the standard guidelines of empiric antibiotic treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.718-723
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• 2008

Background: The advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia management, perfusion methodology and postoperative intensive care have markedly decreased the mortality and cardiac morbidity of patients who undergo heart surgery over the past 2 decades. Nevertheless, it is well recognized that cardiac surgery carries a substantial risk for central nervous system complications. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of subclinical cerebrovascular lesions in the head and neck by performing magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and we investigated the clinical course of patients who had abnormal lesion seen on head and neck MRA. Material and Method: The subjects were 107 patients (71 men and 36 women ranging in age from 21 to 83 years) who were scheduled for cardiac surgery under nonemergency conditions between October 2005 and June 2008. Informed consent was obtained before the MRA. The carotid arteries, intracranial arteries and brain parenchyme were examined for subclinical cerebrovascular lesions by performing MRA. We reviewed the patients' medical records and MR findings to evaluate the prevalence of neurologically high risk patients and their clinical course. Result: The overall prevalence of neurologically high risk patients was 15.7% (17 patients). Among these patients, 11 patients had ischemic heart disease and 6 patients had valvular heart disease. Only 2 patients had a history of cerebrovascular disease. The clinical courses of 14 patients (13.1%) were changed according to their MRI findings. Conclusion: The prevalence of subclinical cerebrovascular disease in patients who were scheduled for cardiac surgery was higher than was expected. MR angiography was of value to identify these patients.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2001

스트레스가 질병 및 동통과 밀접하게 관련되어 있다는 것은 주지의 사실이며, 정서적으로 중요한 구강안면영역에는 측두하악관절장애증, 구강작열감증후군 등의 다양한 스트레스성 질환이 존재하는데, 이들의 병리학적 기전에 대해서는 아직도 논란의 여지가 있다. 그리고 중추신경계인 뇌는 스트레스 반응 및 동통 신호의 전달과 조절 등에서 중요한 역할을 하는 부분이다. 이에 저자는 스트레스와 신경과의 병리적관계를 조직학적으로 밝히고자 구속스트레스하의 백서 뇌조직을 채취하여 전자현미경으로 세포변화를 관찰하였다. 생후 8주된 Sprague-Dawley계 웅성 백서 (322-367 g/bw)를 대조군으로 3마리, 실험군으로 15마리를 배정하였다. 실험군은 구속스트레스를 실험 전기간에 걸쳐 부여하였다. 모든 실험동물의 뇌간을 적출하여, 전자현미경으로 조직변화를 관찰하였으며, 그 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 정상 대조군에서는 정상적인 형태의 수상돌기 및 세포체가 관찰되었다. 2. 구속스트레스군의 5일군과 7일군에서 작은 크기의 사립체가 다수 출현하였다. 3. 구속스트레스 3일군부터 핵주위의 공포화(vacuolization)로 핵과 세포질이 이개되었으며, 7일군에서는 이러한 핵주위의 변성이 현저하였다. 구속스트레스 부여 후 뇌세포의 미세구조를 관찰한 결과, 세포내 미세구조 및 세포간극의 변화가 있었던 것은 스트레스에 의해 신경세포가 변성될 수 있다는 것을 의미하는 것으로, 이는 스트레스와 관련된 구강안면동통 등의 질병 기전을 밝히는데 도움이 되리라 사료되며, 향후 이에 대한 추가적인 조직학적, 분자생물학적인 연구가 필요하리라 생각된다.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.565-568
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• 2017

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by dry mouth and neutropenia. Although it does not commonly involve the central nervous system, Sjogren's syndrome sometimes affects small vessels through microangiopathic alterations. A 34-year-old woman was hospitalized for left upper quadrantanopia and a tingling sensation in the left hemibody. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed acute infarction in the right posterior cerebral artery territory. In laboratory tests, antinuclear (FANA2+) and anti-DNA antibodies (anti-SS-A (Ro)) were detected. Salivary gland scintigraphy revealed moderately decreasedexcretion of saliva. Based on these findings, we concluded she had Sjogren's syndrome. As in this patient, large vessel involvement in Sjogren's syndrome is far less common. Furthermore, it is difficult to administer antiplatelet drugsto patients with thrombocytopenia in Sjogren's syndrome. This is a case of the patient with Sjogren's syndrome that involved thrombocytopenia and large vessel invasion who was treated with antiplatelet drugs and hydroxychloroquine.