Benign partial epilepsies in infancy.

Benign partial epilepsies are not rare in infancy and comprise two forms, although both are closely related. One is partial epilepsy with complex partial seizures (CPS) and the other one with secondarily generalized seizures (SGS). The most frequent site of seizure origin was in the temporal area in the former and central, parietal or occipital area in the latter.

[Clinical evaluation of spontaneous peripelvic extravasation].

We herein report 10 patients with spontaneous peripelvic extravasation. They were 7 males and 3 females, ranging in age from 39 to 78 years old. The spontaneous peripelvic extravasation were caused by ureteral stones in 6 patients, and by invasion of malignant tumors in 4 patients (2 gastric cancer, 1 prostatic cancer, 1 uterine cancer).

Bilateral basal ganglia-thalamic lesions subsequent to prolonged fetal bradycardia.

We report two infants with bilateral basal ganglia-thalamic lesions subsequent to prolonged fetal bradycardia. Cardiotocogram revealed severe bradycardia lasting for more than 20 min in both. They demonstrated a significant encephalopathy, abnormal muscle tones and signs of brainstem injury.

Early recognition of benign partial epilepsy in infancy.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine how precisely we can recognize the outcome in infants with epilepsy beginning in the first year of life.

Methods: We performed a prospective 5-year follow-up study on 63 patients who developed epilepsy in the first year of life. We first judged that patients met the criteria of "possible benign partial epilepsy in infancy (BPEI)" on enrollment in this study.

Different mechanisms between premitotic apoptosis and postmitotic apoptosis in X-irradiated U937 cells.

Purpose: Apoptosis is currently being evaluated for its importance as a pathway of radiation-induced cell death. However, the difference in the mechanisms between premitotic and postmitotic apoptosis following X-irradiation remains not well understood. We show here that the human monoblastoid cell line U937 can be induced to undergo these two different types of apoptosis.

Autografting with peripheral blood CD34-positive cells following high-dose chemotherapy against breast cancer.

We report autologous CD34+ cell transplantation performed in 3 cases of recurrent breast cancer. The hematological recovery in these cases was assessed by comparing with that in the previous cases of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed with the same high-dose chemotherapy regimen. Patient 1 was a 32-year-old woman with pulmonary and skeletal metastases; patient 2, a 55-year-old woman with pulmonary metastases; and patient 3, a 48-year-old woman with hepatic metastases.

Three cases of malignant lymphoma of the breast.

We report three cases of malignant lymphoma (ML) of the breast and discuss diagnosis and management. The first case is a 35-year-old woman who had a left breast tumor. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) showed ML.

A case of subarachnoid hemorrhage presenting with temporary blindness disclosed by Xe CT-CBF study.

A 69-year-old male with right oculomotor palsy caused by non-ruptured right internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm suddenly became blind after cerebral angiography. He lost consensual response of left eye, in spite of no preretinal hemorrhage. Xenon computed tomography(Xe-CT) showed moderate cerebral blood flow(CBF) decrease of bilateral posterior cerebral artery territories at the values of 26.

Palpability of breast tumors--correlation with ultrasonic findings.

With the recent development of high-resolution real-time ultrasonic devices and their application to clinical examination and breast screening, small non-palpable breast lesions have frequently been detected and controversy has arisen concerning their diagnosis and treatment. In order to evaluate the relationship between ultrasonic B-mode images and palpability of breast tumors, 71 breast tumors including 21 cancers were analyzed. Five basic measurements on tumor size and location were performed followed by calculation of secondary parameters of palpability.

Pseudo-obstruction of the extrahepatic bile duct due to artifact from arterial pulsatile compression: a diagnostic pitfall of MR cholangiopancreatography.

Purpose: To evaluate the frequency of artifact from arterial pulsatile compression as the cause of pseudo-obstruction of the extrahepatic bile duct at magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and specify the causative vessels.

Materials And Methods: In 234 patients (102 men, 132 women; age range, 25-80 years), MRCP images obtained by using a single-shot turbo spin-echo sequence were reviewed to assess pseudo-obstruction of the extrahepatic bile duct caused by vascular compression. Dual-phase spiral computed tomography, contrast material-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography, and/or digital subtraction angiography also were performed to determine the vessel that caused the pseudo-obstruction.

Positive rolandic sharp waves in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia: their relation to background electroencephalographic abnormalities.

The aim of this study was to clarify the significance of positive rolandic sharp waves (PRS) in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and their relation to background electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities. We retrospectively evaluated EEG findings of 93 preterm infants; 31 infants in the PVL group and 62 in the control group. PVL was diagnosed on the basis of ultrasonographic findings.

Dynamic subtraction contrast-enhanced MR angiography: technique, clinical applications, and pitfalls.

Rapid advances in techniques of contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography have enabled evaluation of the entire aorta and the main arteries. Dynamic subtraction MR angiography consists of first-pass imaging of long segments of arteries by using a three-dimensional fast field echo sequence with multiple rapid bolus injections of a small dose of gadopentetate dimeglumine. Subtraction enables clear demonstration of the enhanced vascular lumen by eliminating background signal.

Identification of the promoter region of human placental 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase gene.

The placenta-type isozyme of human 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (HP2K) is expressed in several tissues such as placenta, brain, testis, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and primary blood mononuclear cells. To better understand the regulation of HP2K gene expression, we isolated and characterized its genomic DNA, which includes the promoter region. The results of oligo-capping analysis indicate that the transcription start point (tsp) is an adenine residue 329 bp upstream of the translational start codon.

Dose escalation and pharmacokinetic study of a humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody in patients with HER2/neu-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer.

We conducted a phase I pharmacokinetic dose escalation study of a recombinant humanized anti-p185HER2 monoclonal antibody (MKC-454) in 18 patients with metastatic breast cancer refractory to chemotherapy. Three or six patients at each dose level received 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg kg(-1) of MKC-454 as 90-min intravenous infusions. The first dose was followed in 3 weeks by nine weekly doses.

Epilepsy in patients with spastic cerebral palsy: correlation with MRI findings at 5 years of age.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between epilepsy and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with spastic cerebral palsy at five years of age. We studied 14 patients with congenital anomaly and 116 with perinatal injury. The patients with perinatal injury were subdivided into two groups; those with preterm type injury alone (group P), and those with term type injury with or without preterm type injury (group T).

Epileptic spasms preceded by partial seizures with a close temporal association.

Purpose: To investigate the distinctive features of patients with West syndrome who had partial seizures followed by epileptic spasms (PS-ES).

Methods: We examined 45 patients with West syndrome whose epileptic spasms were recorded with simultaneous video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring between 1982 and 1996. We investigated the patients who had PS-ES and compared the PS-ES patients with the 37 patients without PS-ES.

[A case of congenital plasminogen abnormality with recurrent cerebrovascular ischemic attacks].

We reported a 10-year-old boy with congenital plasminogen abnormality resulting in recurrent cerebrovascular ischemic attacks. He suddenly developed dystonia of the left upper limb at 9 years of age. MRI demonstrated small infarcts in the right thalamus and caudate nucleus.

Determination of timing of brain injury in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia with serial neonatal electroencephalography.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the timing of brain injury in infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) with serial electroencephalography (EEG) recordings during the neonatal period.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated 172 preterm infants having a gestational age <33 weeks and weighing <2000 g. Initial EEG was recorded within 72 hours of life and then recorded once every 1 to 4 weeks.

Intra-operative optical method using intrinsic signals for localization of sensorimotor area in patients with brain tumor.

The purpose of this study is intra-operatively to localize the sensorimotor area by intrinsic optical method detecting the changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cortical temperature following neuronal activity during median nerve stimulation. In 18 patients with brain tumors located around the sensorimotor cortex, cortical recording of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) was performed and localized changes in rCBF during median nerve stimulation were measured by a laser-Doppler flowmeter on the locations of SEPs and around the activation area obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In two patients, cortical thermomapping was also performed during median nerve stimulation.

Correlation between the serum level of endotoxin and periventricular leukomalacia in preterm infants.

The objective of our study was to determine the relation between the serum level of endotoxin at birth and the development of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) in preterm infants. We studied 68 preterm infants whose gestational ages ranged between 27 and 33 weeks, and birthweights between 1000 and 2000 g. The serum endotoxin level was measured in the blood immediately after birth by means of a conventional chromogenic Limulus test.

Neonatal EEG: a powerful tool in the assessment of brain damage in preterm infants.

Serial EEG recordings beginning immediately after birth are not only of great diagnostic and prognostic value but also useful to elucidate the timing and the mode of brain injuries in the preterm newborn. It is extremely useful to distinguish between acute stage and chronic stage EEG abnormalities. The former is characterized by findings of acute depression such as increased discontinuity, decreased faster frequency activities, and lowered amplitudes.