Pelvic actinomycosis is a rare disease, and has variable clinical manifestations and courses, which make it difficult to diagnose the disease initially. We experienced a pelvic actinomycosis in a woman who complained vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain, and had not been carring a intrauterine contraceptive device. This infection results in tissue destruction, fibrosis, and the formation of draining sinuses. We describe the case with brief review of clinical diagnosis and management.
Abdominal Pain ; Actinomycosis* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Intrauterine Devices ; Rare Diseases ; Vaginal Discharge

Osteopoikilosis is a rare, benign hereditary disease, which presents multiple osteosclerotic, and small round nodules in the bone. It is usually detected incidentally by radiological examination. A radionuclide bone scintigraphy is essential in distinguishing osteopoikilosis from osteoblastic metastases, because scintigraphic findings are usually normal in patients with osteopoikilosis. However, there have been no reports about F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET findings in osteopoikilosis. Herein, we wish to report a case of osteopoikilosis with breast cancer, which could not be seen in either bone scintigraphy or F-18 FDG PET/CT.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteoblasts ; Osteopoikilosis

BACKGROUND: Head and neck anatomy affects the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) cuff volume. The purpose of this study was to identify physical parameters that can be standardized to predict LMA cuff volume and measure the optimal and minimal LMA cuff volume in adults. METHODS: The predictors of volume or pressure of the LMA cuff were investigated in 167 patients. Manufacturers recommend a maximal cuff pressure (MCP) (i.e., 40 ml for size 5, 30 ml for size 4), an optimal cuff volume (OCV) at a cuff pressure of 60 cmH2O, and a minimal cuff volume (MCV) just before audible air leakage. The physical parameters measured included height, weight, body mass index, modified Mallampati classification (MMP), neck circumference, neck length, and thyro-mental distance. Data were analyzed by stepwise multilinear analysis. RESULTS: The regression equations (REs) were as follows: OCV (1.2 + [0.1 × height] + [0.5 × neck length]); MCV for men (−35.7 + [0.25 × height] + [0.7 × neck length] − [4.1 × MMP]); and MCV for women (−42.5 + [0.27 × height] + [0.75 × neck length] − [2.5 × MMP]). The mean values were as follows: MCP > 200 cmH2O, minimal cuff pressure < 20 cmH2O, OCV of 24.7 ml for men and 15.9 ml for women, and MCV of 12.1 ml for men and 7.1 ml for women. CONCLUSIONS: LMA cuff volume is estimated from the patient's height, neck length, and MMP. The RE for calculating the MCV shows a high correlation with height, neck length, and MMP.
Adult ; Airway Management ; Body Weight ; Classification ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Male ; Neck ; Physical Examination*

BACKGROUND: Head and neck anatomy affects the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) cuff volume. The purpose of this study was to identify physical parameters that can be standardized to predict LMA cuff volume and measure the optimal and minimal LMA cuff volume in adults. METHODS: The predictors of volume or pressure of the LMA cuff were investigated in 167 patients. Manufacturers recommend a maximal cuff pressure (MCP) (i.e., 40 ml for size 5, 30 ml for size 4), an optimal cuff volume (OCV) at a cuff pressure of 60 cmH2O, and a minimal cuff volume (MCV) just before audible air leakage. The physical parameters measured included height, weight, body mass index, modified Mallampati classification (MMP), neck circumference, neck length, and thyro-mental distance. Data were analyzed by stepwise multilinear analysis. RESULTS: The regression equations (REs) were as follows: OCV (1.2 + [0.1 × height] + [0.5 × neck length]); MCV for men (−35.7 + [0.25 × height] + [0.7 × neck length] − [4.1 × MMP]); and MCV for women (−42.5 + [0.27 × height] + [0.75 × neck length] − [2.5 × MMP]). The mean values were as follows: MCP > 200 cmH2O, minimal cuff pressure < 20 cmH2O, OCV of 24.7 ml for men and 15.9 ml for women, and MCV of 12.1 ml for men and 7.1 ml for women. CONCLUSIONS: LMA cuff volume is estimated from the patient's height, neck length, and MMP. The RE for calculating the MCV shows a high correlation with height, neck length, and MMP.
Adult ; Airway Management ; Body Weight ; Classification ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Male ; Neck ; Physical Examination*

PURPOSE: Current study was designed to understand the personality and emotional composition of patients with chronic constipation. Specifically, the personality differences were evaluated in the ramified subgroups based on the physiologic characteristics. METHODS: Forty patients (31 females and 9 males) of a mean age of 48 (range, 16~86) years underwent the MMPI among 310 patients with chronic constipation. MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) profiles were utilized for psychologic assessment for all patients prior to making diagnosis. Three validity scales of MMPI included L (Lie scale), F (Infrequency scale), K (Suppressor scale). Ten clinical scales included HS (hypochondriasis), DP (depression), HY (hysteria), PD (psychopathic deviant), MF (masculinity- feminity), PA (paranoia), PT (psychasthenia), SC (schizophrenia), MA (mania), SI (social introversion). On the basis of findings with use of anorectal physiologic studies, subgroups were categorized as patients with rectocele (A1, n=22), patient without rectocele (A2, n=18), patients with nonrelaxing puborectalis syndrome (B1, n=10), patients without nonrelaxing puborectalis syndrome (B2, n=30). The MMPI profiles were compared between subgroup patients. RESULTS: In overall patients, mean scores for scales HS, DP were elevated as compared with mean profiles (60~65 and 45~55, respectively). Male patients showed higher mean scores for scale SI than those of female patients (male vs. female; 63.5 vs. 53.9, P<0.05). A1 group showed higher mean scores for PD scale than those of A2 group (A1 vs. A2; 57.4 vs. 49.8, P=0.01). B1 group showed higher mean scores for DP scale than those of B2 group (B1 vs. B2; 67.5 vs. 59.8, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Present series provided that the MMPI is a valuable tool for assessing the psychologic functioning of patients with chronic constipation. It has revealed a different personality and emotional composition in the subgroup patients based on the anorectal physiologic studies. An aspect of social introversion, psychopathic deviant and depression should be emphasized. These findings can provide the fundamental information for guideline of future diagnostic evaluation and therapy in the patients with chronic constipation.
Constipation* ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Male ; Minnesota* ; MMPI* ; Psychology ; Rectocele ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to evaluate F-18 FDG uptake in pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) according to CT findings and histology of lung cancer. Materials and METHODS: Thirty-three lung cancer patients with PLC were enrolled in this retrospective study. All the patients had a CT-based diagnosis of PLC. Chest CT findings of PLC were classified on the basis of involvement of axial interstitium. We categorized the involvement of axial interstitium as group 1, and the involvement of peripheral interstitium only as group 2. Visual and semiquantitative analyses by F-18 FDG PET/CT were performed in the PLC lesions. At first, we analyzed the F-18 FDG uptake in the PLC by visual assessment. If abnormal uptake was seen in the PLC, we drew regions of interest in the PLC lesions to obtain the maximum SUVs (maxSUVs). RESULTS: Of the 33 patients, 22 had abnormal F-18 FDG uptake in the visual assessment. There was no significant difference in the frequency of abnormal F-18 FDG uptake between group 1 and group 2 (p=0.17), although the frequency of group 1 tended to be higher than group 2 (15/19 (78.9%) in group 1, 7/14 (50.0%) in group 2). However, group 1 had a higher maxSUV than group 2 (p<0.01, group 1: 2.9+/-1.4, group 2: 1.5+/-0.6). There was no significant difference in the frequency of abnormal F-18 FDG uptake and maxSUV among the histology of the lung cancers. CONCLUSION: The involvement of axial interstitium in the PLC by lung cancer has a higher maxSUV than the involvement of only peripheral interstitium.
Carcinoma ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax

RESULTS: Resveratrol significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling in aging hearts. In addition, resveratrol significantly ameliorated aging-induced mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., decreased oxygen respiration and increased hydrogen peroxide emission) and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling (the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening sensitivity, and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels).Resveratrol also significantly attenuated aging-induced apoptosis (determined via cleaved caspase-3 staining and TUNEL-positive myonuclei) in cardiac muscles. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that resveratrol treatment has a beneficial effect on aging-induced cardiac remodeling by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in the heart.

RESULTS: Resveratrol significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling in aging hearts. In addition, resveratrol significantly ameliorated aging-induced mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., decreased oxygen respiration and increased hydrogen peroxide emission) and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling (the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening sensitivity, and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels).Resveratrol also significantly attenuated aging-induced apoptosis (determined via cleaved caspase-3 staining and TUNEL-positive myonuclei) in cardiac muscles. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that resveratrol treatment has a beneficial effect on aging-induced cardiac remodeling by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in the heart.

RESULTS: Resveratrol significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling in aging hearts. In addition, resveratrol significantly ameliorated aging-induced mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., decreased oxygen respiration and increased hydrogen peroxide emission) and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling (the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening sensitivity, and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels).Resveratrol also significantly attenuated aging-induced apoptosis (determined via cleaved caspase-3 staining and TUNEL-positive myonuclei) in cardiac muscles. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that resveratrol treatment has a beneficial effect on aging-induced cardiac remodeling by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in the heart.

RESULTS: Resveratrol significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling in aging hearts. In addition, resveratrol significantly ameliorated aging-induced mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., decreased oxygen respiration and increased hydrogen peroxide emission) and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling (the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening sensitivity, and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels).Resveratrol also significantly attenuated aging-induced apoptosis (determined via cleaved caspase-3 staining and TUNEL-positive myonuclei) in cardiac muscles. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that resveratrol treatment has a beneficial effect on aging-induced cardiac remodeling by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in the heart.