• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.497-507
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• 2000

Purpose: We have examined the utility of $^{99m}Tc$-MAG3 perfusion indices for assessing renal graft function in early post-transplantation period. Materials and Methods: Our study included 80 renal transplant recipients (48 men and 32 women, mean age: 40.3 years). Diagnosis was based on biopsy, laboratory data and clinical course. Renal scintigraphy (RS) was obtained using 100 MBq of $^{99m}Tc$-MAG3 from 11 days to 23 days of kidney transplantation. We measured 5 indices in whole-kidney (WK) and cortical (C) renograms; Hilson's perfusion index (PI), transplant perfusion index (TP) and transplant function index (TF) as perfusion parameter, and the time to peak activity (Tmax) and the ratio of renal counts at 20 min to that at 3 min (K20/3) as functional parameter. Results: The diagnoses at the day of RS were normal graft (NG) in 44, acute rejection (AR) in 14, acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in 10, and Cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity (CsA) in 12. TP and TF were significantly decreased in AR, ATN and CsA, compared to those in NG. K20/3 of AR and ATN wore significantly greater than that of NG. WK-Tmax of AR was significantly longer than that of NG. K20/3 of AR and C-K20/3 of ATN were significantly prolonged relative to those of CsA. There were no statistically significant perfusion indices among complication groups. Conclusion: TP and TF reflecting microperfusion and initial tubular extraction are reliable in assessing graft function. However, it is required to correlate perfusion indices with functional indices and clinical course in differentiating from one another among complication groups.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.1083-1093
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• 1997

Background : So far, there have been numerous reports on organ damage due to cryptococcosis, however, cases of lung localization have been infrequently reported. Recently pulmonary cryptococcosis has been reported more frequently than before due to enhanced diagnostic techniques and increased underlying diseases. Method : The author, therefore, analyzed the clinical manifestations of 5 cryptococcosis cases that we experienced at Hanyang University Hospital from 1985 to 1996 and 9 cases reported in Korea from 1984 and 1996 retrospectively. The following results were obtained. Results : Cryptococcosis occurred frequently over sixth decade and the male to female ratio was 3.6 : 1. Underlying diseases included acute rejection after kidney transplantation, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, diabetes mellitus and state of bilateral adrenalectomy. Remaining 8 cases had no evidence of an underlying disease. Because the symptoms were subacute & nonspecific, and not improved by conventional antibiotics, 6 patients of 14 pulmonary cryptococcosis patients were treated as pulmonary tuberculosis before correct diagnosis was made. There were three asymptomatic cases. According to the results of CXR, solitary alveolar consolidation was the most common finding(8 cases) followed by diffuse infiltration(5 cases). It also showed pleural effusion, hilar lymphadenopathy and cavity formation that was rarely reported in world literature. The diagnasis was made through fine needle aspiration biopsy in 10 cases, open thoracotomy in 2 cases, transbronchial lung biopsy in 1 case. and thoracentesis with pleural biopsy in 1 case. Only one case showed positive result in sputum stain and culture, serum latex agglutination test for cryptococcus neoformans. Treatment modalities were various such as fluconazole, amphotericin B, flucytosine, ketoconazole, surgery and it's combination. After 1990 year, there was a trend that fluconazole or ketoconazole are more used than other therapeutic modalities. Conclusion : Because the symptoms are subacute & nonspecific and not improved by conventional antibiotics, pulmonary cryptococcosis is likely to misdiagnosis as pulmonary tuberculosis in Korea. Because the diagnosic yield of sputum stain, culture and serologic test for pulmonary cryptococcosis is low, histologic diagnosis is need in most pulmonary cryptococcosis.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.63-70
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• 2001

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effective role of living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) on posttransplant linear growth in children. Methods: Thirty six children were enrolled who received LRLT at Asan Medical Center from December, 1994 to February, 1999 and showed more than one-year postoperative survival. Mean height standard deviation score (zH) was analyzed according to medical records including heights during pretransplant and posttransplant follow-up periods. Results: zH of total children showed significant linear growth after LRLT from -1.58 to 0.33 at 24 posttransplant month (p<0.05). zH in children under 6 years of age, to exclude the effect of adolescent linear growth spurt, showed increment in height (p<0.05). Linear growth of children with liver cirrhosis improved and that with fulminant hepatitis was matained same. While stunted children (mean zH=-2.30) achieved good catch-up growth after transplantation, children with normal growth remained same. Children with significant hepatic dysfunction after LRLT such as chronic rejection or posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder showed retarded posttrasplant linear growth. There was no statistical difference according to the type of immunosuppressants. Conclusion: LRLT resulted in adequate or catch-up linear growth in children with acute, chronic and metabolic liver disease. Successful LRLT suggested to be a promising option not only in long term survival but also in normal linear growth.