Paraffinoma is a well known complication of previous paraffin injection into the subcutaneous layer that presents as various conditions including firm mass formation, edema, induration, ulceration, and skin necrosis. Paraffinoma can mimic neoplasm on physical examination and imaging studies and may complicate ultrasonographic diagnoses due to typical posterior shadowing and high echogenicity. When paraffinomas involve around the thyroid gland, the diagnosis of thyroid tumors is very difficult. We present a case of thyroid cancer, the evaluation of which was complicated by the presence of cervical paraffinoma.
Edema ; Hydrazines ; Necrosis ; Paraffin ; Physical Examination ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Skin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Ulcer

This is the first report on an occupational bladder cancer in Korea. The ease is 41 years old man who worked as a dyer for 17 years at two dyeing factories, which handled nylon and polyester fabrics in Taegu. He was exposed to many kinds of dyes during weighing, mixing, dissolving and dyeing processes. Among many kinds of acid, disperse and direct dyes that he has been exposed to, several dyes have confirmed to contain benzidine-based dyes, one was o-tolidine-based dye, and one was o-dianisidine-based dye. He visited a hospital due to the gross hematuria and urinary frequency in June, 1998, and he had radical cystectomy with ileal conduit diversion. He had smoked a half-pack of cigarette for 20 years. The main risk factor of bladder cancer is smoking, however, he was relatively a light smoker than usual Korean men. He was exposed to the definite occupational carcinogen even though the level was relatively lower than that of dye manufacturers. His age was younger than the prevalence age of bladder cancer caused by smoking. These evidences support that the dyer' s bladder cancer could be related to the occupational exposure to benzidine-based dyes.
Adult ; Coloring Agents* ; Cystectomy ; Daegu ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nylons ; Occupational Exposure ; Polyesters ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Diversion

From January 1986 to December 1991, 87 men who underwent single-layer microscopic vasovasotomy were evaluated and also 61 men were followed postoperatively. There was 90.2 (55/ 61 ) per cent return of sperm and 50.8 (31/61) per cent pregnancy using this technique. A 78.4 (24/ 31 ) per cent pregnancy rate was achieved within 8 months postoperatively. In this study there is no difference between the single-layer microscopic vasovasostomy and other microscopic vasectomy reversal in per cent of postoperatively obtaining normal sperm count and pregnancy. Since the single-layer microscopic vasovasostomy is easier, simpler, and time saving, this technique deserves further evaluation and performance.
Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; Vasovasostomy*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to assess the prognosis of pT3 transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis(renal pelvic tumor) according to the parenchymal invasion pattern and adjuvant chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48(34 males and 14 females) patients were surgically treated for a renal pelvic tumor. Of these 48 patients, the 27 pT3 renal pelvic tumor patients who had over one year follow-up period were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according to the invasion pattern(Group 1: renal parenchymal invasion, Group 2: peripelvic fat invasion). Among these 27 patients, 15 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery, whereas the other 12 patients did not. The prognostic factors, including age, gender, laterality, tumor grade, size, lympho-vascular invasion, lymph node involvement, the invasion pattern and adjuvant chemotherapy, were analyzed with respect to disease-free survival. RESULTS: There were seventeen patients in Group 1 and 10 patients in Group 2. The mean duration of follow up was 39.4 months. Age, gender, laterality, tumor grade, size, lympho-vascular invasion, invasion pattern and adjuvant chemotherapy had no significant impact on disease-free survival on both the univariate and multivariate analyses. Only lymph node involvement(p=0.028, hazard ratio=20.98) was a prognostic predictor in this study. However, the incidence of renal parenchymal invasion was higher for the high grade tumors than for the low grade tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The renal parenchymal invasion pattern and adjuvant chemotherapy had no significant impact on disease-free survival on both univariate and multivariate analyses for the patients with pT3 renal pelvic tumor. Further studies are necessary to clarify this result.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Pelvis* ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis

Spermatic cord rhabdomyosarcoma is extremely rare and highly malignant. Most of these tumors occur during the first two decades of life. Since 1849, when Rokitansky first described this tumor, 54 cases have been reported in the literature. Herein we add a case of spermatic cord rhabdomyosarcoma in 48 years old man.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Rhabdomyosarcoma* ; Spermatic Cord*

Actinomycosis is a rare opportunistic infection by Actinomyces israelii that may be localized to cervicofacial, thoracic and abdominopelvic sites. Pelvic actinomycosis commonly arises from genital tract in women with an intrauterine device. Vesical actinomycosis is very rare and imaging features are suggestive of bladder tumor. Herein we report two cases of vesical actinomycosis which were misdiagnosed as bladder tumor preoperatively.
Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Intrauterine Devices ; Opportunistic Infections ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: To realistically map the electric fields of biological tissues using a diffusion tensor magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (DT-MREIT) method to estimate tissue response during electrical stimulation. METHODS: Imaging experiments were performed using chunks of bovine muscle. Two silver wire electrodes were positioned inside the muscle tissue for electrical stimulation. Electric pulses were applied with a 100-V amplitude and 100-μs width using a voltage stimulator. During electrical stimulation, we collected DT-MREIT data from a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We adopted the projected current density method to calculate the electric field. Based on the relation between the water diffusion tensor and the conductivity tensor, we computed the position-dependent scale factor using the measured magnetic flux density data. Then, a final conductivity tensor map was reconstructed using the multiplication of the water diffusion tensor and the scale factor. RESULTS: The current density images from DT-MREIT data represent the internal current flows that exist not only in the electrodes but also in surrounding regions. The reconstructed electric filed map from our anisotropic conductivity tensor with the projected current density shows coverage that is more than 2 times as wide, and higher signals in both the electrodes and surrounding tissues, than the previous isotropic method owing to the consideration of tissue anisotropy. CONCLUSIONS: An electric field map obtained by an anisotropic reconstruction method showed different patterns from the results of the previous isotropic reconstruction method. Since accurate electric field mapping is important to correctly estimate the coverage of the electrical treatment, future studies should include more rigorous validations of the new method through in vivo and in situ experiments.
Anisotropy ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Diffusion* ; Electric Conductivity* ; Electric Impedance ; Electric Stimulation* ; Electrodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methods ; Silver ; Water*

PURPOSE: Ultrasound (US) and US-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) are considered the modalities of choice for assessing lymph nodes suspected of containing metastases, but the sensitivity of FNAB varies and is specific to the operator. We analyzed the risk of FNAB providing false negative results of lateral neck node metastasis, and evaluated diagnostic accuracy of FNAB, in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FNAB was performed in 242 patients suspected of having lateral neck node metastasis on preoperative imaging. Thyroglobulin in the fine-needle aspirate washout (FNA wash-out Tg) and computed tomography enhancement (Hounsfield units) were measured. Patients with negative results on FNAB were examined by intraoperative frozen section. The false negative and true negative groups were compared. RESULTS: Of the 242 patients, 130 were confirmed as having lateral neck node metastases. In 74 patients, the metastasis was identified by FNAB. False positive results were observed in 2 patients (0.8%) and false negatives in 58 (44.6%). Risk analysis showed that patient age <45 years (p=0.006), tumor size >1 cm (p=0.008) and elevated FNA wash-out Tg (p=0.004) were significantly associated with false negative results on FNAB. The accuracy of FNAB increased significantly when combined with FNA wash-out Tg (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: To reduce the false negative rate of FNAB, patient age (<45 years), tumor size (>1 cm) and FNA wash-out Tg (>34.8 ng/mL) should be considered in preoperative planning. Accuracy may be improved by combining the results of FNAB and FNA wash-out Tg.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma/*diagnosis/*pathology/radiography/surgery ; False Negative Reactions ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes/*pathology/radiography ; Lymphatic Metastasis/*pathology/radiography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Preoperative Care ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroglobulin/metabolism ; Thyroid Gland/*pathology ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*pathology/radiography/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The cervical lymph nodes are the most common sites of locoregional recurrence in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Accurate tumor localization is important for the successful removal of impalpable recurrences in the cervical lymph nodes. We evaluated the benefits of ultrasound-guided localization (UGL) performed by a single surgeon on site. METHODS: Of 53 PTC patients who underwent reoperation for impalpable nodal recurrences, 32 (group 1) were assessed only using preoperative imaging, while 21 (group 2) were additionally evaluated by on-site UGL performed by the operating surgeon. Postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Operation times were significantly shorter (P < 0.001) and the mean size of the resected lymph nodes were smaller (P = 0.013) for group 2 patients. More lymph nodes were identified and resected in group 1 (3.56 vs. 3.19), but the rate of positive lymph nodes was significantly higher in group 2 (P < 0.001). There were no differences between the two groups in terms of resection success rate, complication rate, and postoperative hospital stay. During a mean follow-up period of 27.6 months, 52 patients (98.1%) showed no evidence of recurrence on routine ultrasound, and serum thyroglobulin concentrations remained < 1 ng/mL in 49 patients (92.5%). CONCLUSION: On-site UGL performed by the operating surgeon is useful for accurate resection of impalpable nodal recurrences in PTC patients.
Carcinoma ; Factor IX ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Nodes ; Recurrence ; Reoperation ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Primary carcinoma of the female urethra is an uncommon neoplasm that accounts for less than 0.02% of all malignant disease occurring in women. The rarity of the disease as well as varieties of treatment modalities has prevented unanimity of opinion as to the selection of proper treatment in individual cases. Herein we report two cases of female urethral primary carcinoma with brief review of the literatures.
Female* ; Humans ; Urethra*