• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.545-552
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• 2001

Nondestructive methods such as ultrasonic and magnetic resonance imaging systems have many advantages but still much expensive. And they do not give exact color information and may miss some details. If it is allowed to destruct a biological object to obtain interior and exterior informations, 3D image visualization model from a series of sliced sectional images gives more useful information with relatively low cost. In this paper, a PC based automatic 3D visualization system is presented. The system is composed of three modules. The first module is the handling and image acquisition module. The handling module feeds and slices a cylindrical shape paraffin, which holds a biological object inside the paraffin. And the paraffin is kept being solid by cooling while being handled. The image acquisition modulo captures the sectional image of the object merged into the paraffin consecutively. The second one is the system control and interface module, which controls actuators for feeding, slicing, and image capturing. And the last one is the image processing and visualization module, which processes a series of acquired sectional images and generates a 3D volumetric model. To verify the condition for the uniform slicing, normal directional forces of the cutting edge according to the various cutting angles were measured using a strain gauge and the amount of the sliced chips were weighed and analyzed. Once the 3D model was constructed on the computer, user could manipulate it with various transformation methods such as translation, rotation, and scaling including arbitrary sectional view.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2007

Objective : Pituitary apoplexy, resulting from an acute infarction or hemorrhage mainly in pituitary adenomas, is a rare yet major clinical event with neurological, ophthalmological and hormonal emergent consequences. The authors review our surgical experience with a series of 16 cases of pituitary apoplexy. Methods : The cases of pituitary apoplexy, operated via trans-sphenoidal approach in our hospital between 1998-2005, were retrospectively analyzed in terms of their clinicoradiological features, pathological findings and surgical outcomes. Results : The mean age of patients (9 male and 7 female) was 47.1 years. The average time of presentation after onset of symptom was 8.9 days. Pituitary apoplexy occurred as an initial manifestation of pituitary adenoma in all patients. Headache was the most common presenting symptom (94%). Visual disturbance was found in 56% of patients. Thirty-one percent of the patients had hypopituitarism. On magnetic resonance imaging, this entire catastrophic event accompanied with macroadenoma in a mean size of 22.5 mm. Only four patients needed postoperative hormone replacement therapy. Three of them showed preoperative hypopituitary function, and one patient in normal pituitary function. There was no specific complication in any of these patients. Conclusion : Early trans-sphenoidal decompression with high-dose corticosteroid replacement showed good outcomes of pituitary apoplexy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2015

Objective : To investigate the incidence of corpus callosum injury (CCI) in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) using brain MRI. We also performed a review of the clinical characteristics associated with this injury. Methods : A total of 356 patients in the study were diagnosed with TBI, with 94 patients classified as having mild TBI. We included patients with mild TBI for further evaluation if they had normal findings via brain computed tomography (CT) scans and also underwent brain MRI in the acute phase following trauma. As assessed by brain MRI, CCI was defined as a high-signal lesion in T2 sagittal images and a corresponding low-signal lesion as determined by axial gradient echo (GRE) imaging. Based on these criteria, we divided patients into two groups for further analysis : Group I (TBI patients with CCI) and Group II (TBI patients without CCI). Results : A total of 56 patients were enrolled in this study (including 16 patients in Group I and 40 patients in Group II). Analysis of clinical symptoms revealed a significant difference in headache severity between groups. Over 50% of patients in Group I experienced prolonged neurological symptoms including dizziness and gait disturbance and were more common in Group I than Group II (dizziness : 37 and 12% in Groups I and II, respectively; gait disturbance : 12 and 0% in Groups I and II, respectively). Conclusion : The incidence of CCI in patients with mild TBI was approximately 29%. We suggest that brain MRI is a useful method to reveal the cause of persistent symptoms and predict clinical prognosis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.350-353
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• 2014

A 13-year-old, castrated male, Shih Tzu dog with a history of acute ataxia was referred to veterinary medical teaching hospital and anesthetized for diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging of cervical intervertebral disk disease. After preanesthetic evaluation including physical examination, blood chemistry, radiography and ultrasound, the patient was premedicated with intravenous butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg). Anesthesia was induced by intravenous propofol (6 mg/kg) and maintained with isoflurane at 1.2 minimal alveolar concentrations. Because the mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased from 70 to 58 mmHg at 70 minutes after induction, dobutamine was administered by constant rate infusion ($5{\mu}g/kg/min$) to treat hypotension. However MAP did not increase, and heart rate rapidly decreased from 100 to 55 beats per minute (bpm). To treat bradycardia, intravenous glycopyrrolate ($5{\mu}g/kg$) was administered, and heart rate increased to 165 bpm. After extubation of endotracheal tube, the patient showed normal recovery without any problems related to cardiovascular system. Unexpected dobutamine-induced bradycardia was considered as Bezold-Jarisch reflex. It is recommended that clinicians know and prepare the possibility of bradycardia during dobutamine therapy under general anesthesia.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.158-162
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• 2012

Although 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the advantages of a higher signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast than 1.5T MRI, there are limitations on the contrast between white and grey matter because of the long T1 recovery time when T1 images are obtained using the Spin Echo Technique. To overcome this, T1 weighted images are obtained occasionally using the inversion recovery (IR) technique, which employs a relatively long TR. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal TI in a brain examination when a T1 weighted image is obtained using the IR technique. Eight participants (male: 7, female: 1, average age: $34{\pm}14.11$) with a normal diagnosis were targeted from February 18, 2012 to February 27, 2012, and the contrast between white and grey matter as well as the contrast to noise ratio (CNRs) in each participant were measured. The CNRs of white matter and grey matter were highest at TI = 600, 650, 750, 900, 1050 and 1100 ms when the TR was 1100, 1400, 1700, 2000, 2300 and 2600 ms, respectively. Therefore, as the TIs were $44.425{\pm}0.877%$ of the TRs in the TR range of 1400-2300 ms, the optimal T1 weighted images that describe the contrast between white and grey matter can be obtained if the TIs are compensated for with $44.425{\pm}0.877%$ of the TRs in the time of setting TIs.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.280-284
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• 2016

Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is a vascular malformation characterized by abnormally enlarged capillary cavities without any intervening neural tissue. We report 2 cases of familial CCMs diagnosed with the CCM1 mutation by using a genetic assay. A 5-year-old boy presented with headache, vomiting, and seizure-like movements. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple CCM lesions in the cerebral hemispheres. Subsequent mutation analysis of his father and other family members revealed c.940_943 del (p.Val314 Asn315delinsThrfsX3) mutations of the CCM1 gene. A 10-month-old boy who presented with seizure-like movements was reported to have had no perinatal event. His aunt was diagnosed with cerebral angioma. Brain and spine MRI revealed multiple angiomas in the cerebral hemisphere and thoracic spinal cord. Mutation analysis of his father was normal, although that of the patient and his mother revealed c.535C>T (p.Arg179X) mutations of the CCM1 gene. Based on these studies, we suggest that when a child with a familial history of CCMs exhibits neurological symptoms, the physician should suspect familial CCMs and consider brain imaging or a genetic assay.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2015

Cases of incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD), wherein the patient does not fulfill the full diagnostic criteria for KD, are often detected in infants younger than 6 months of age. The clinical manifestations in infants with incomplete KD may resemble other infectious diseases, including meningitis. For this reason, clinicians may have difficulty differentiating incomplete KD from other infectious diseases in this population. Various neurological features are associated with KD, including aseptic meningitis, subdural effusion, facial nerve palsy, cerebral infarction, encephalopathy, and reversible corpus callosum splenial lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. We report a case of a 5-month-old girl with incomplete KD, associated with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and an epidural fluid collection. Echocardiography indicated dilatation of the main coronary arteries. The girl made a complete recovery, with resolution of both the epidural fluid collection and coronary artery aneurysms. In this case, the child is well, and showed normal developmental milestones at the 7-month follow-up.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 2020

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a part of the normal skin flora of humans. However, it can cause serious infections in people exposed to foreign bodies or in immunocompromised patients. A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized with fever and myalgia. Painful nodular lesions were detected on the scalp, arms, and legs. Pancytopenia and blasts were present in the peripheral blood. He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole body showed multiple peripheral rim-enhancing, cyst-like lesions. Ultrasonography showed echogenic nodules inside the cystic lesions in the intramuscular space of the arms and legs. Therefore, cysticercosis was strongly suggested initially. However, an abscess was confirmed on sono-guided biopsy and S. epidermidis was isolated from a microbial culture of the tissue. We report a case of multiple disseminated lesions caused by S. epidermidis in a leukemia patient, initially mistaken for cysticercosis.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2013

Background Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) may persist after primary repair of the cleft palate, and surgical correction is necessary in many cases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of double opposing Z-plasty (DOZ) in cleft palate patients suffering from VPI after primary two-flap palatoplasty. Methods Between March 1999 and August 2005, we identified 82 patients who underwent two-flap palatoplasty for cleft palate repair. After excluding the patients with congenital syndrome and mental retardation, 13 patients were included in the final study group. The average age of the patients who underwent DOZ at was 5 years and 1 month. Resonance, nasal emission, and articulation were evaluated by a speech pathologist. The velopharyngeal gaps were measured before and after surgery. Results Six patients attained normal speech capabilities after DOZ. The hypernasality grade was significantly improved after surgery in all of the patients (P=0.0015). Whereas nasal emission disappeared in 8 patients (61.5%), it was diminished but still persisted in the remaining 5 patients. Articulation was improved in all of the cases. In two cases, the velopharyngeal gap was measured using a ruler. The gap decreased from 11.5 to 7 mm in one case, and from 12.5 to 8 mm in the second case. Conclusions The use of DOZ as a surgical option to correct VPI has many advantages compared with other procedures. These include short surgery time, few troublesome complications, and no harmful effects on the dynamic physiological functioning of the pharynx. This study shows that DOZ can be another option for surgical treatment of patients with VPI after two-flap palatoplasty.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.152-154
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• 2007

Submucosal type cleft palate is subdivision of cleft palate. Because of late detection, the treatment - for example, the operation or the speech therapy - for the submucosal type cleft palate patient usually late. In this study, we want to find the objective characteristics of submucosal type cleft palate patient, comparing with the normal and the complete cleft palate patient. Experimental groups are 10 submucosal type cleft palate patients who got the operation in our hospital, 10 complete cleft palate patients. And, 10 normals as control group. The sentence patterns using in this study is simple 5 vowels. Using CSL program we evaluate the Formant, Bandwidth. We analized the spectral characteristics of speech signals of 3 groups, before and after the operation.