A case of cavernous angioma of the cerebellar vermis is described. Cevernous angioma is rare vascular malformation of the central nervous system and the cerebellar vermis is very unusual site. Exact preoperative diagnosis of this lesion is difficult because cavernous angioma is angiographically silent and generally accepted to be very rare. The relevant literature is reviewed.
Central Nervous System ; Diagnosis ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Vascular Malformations

Isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficiency is an uncommon disorder for which the pathogenetic mechanism has not yet been identified. It has been reported that isolated ACTH deficiency (ICD) may be accompanied by deficiencies in other pituitary hormones; impaired growth hormone (GH) secretion was noted in 20 to 30% of ICD patients. Here, we describe a female patient with isolated ACTH deficiency accompanied by empty sella syndrome presenting as hypoglycemia, which was confirmed via various endocrine tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sella turcica. The patient's symptoms improved rapidly with prednisolone therapy and, during follow-up, her previously impaired GH response to provocative stimuli and high TSH levels were corrected by glucocorticoid replacement alone. However, treatment failed to normalize plasma IGF-1 levels, suggesting that physiological cortisol levels are necessary for a normal plasma GH response to provocative stimuli.
Adrenal Insufficiency ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Empty Sella Syndrome ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypoglycemia ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Plasma ; Prednisolone ; Sella Turcica

Myasthenia gravis and autoimmune thyroid disorders often overlap. It is known that hyperthyroidism occurs in 2~17.5% of patients with myasthenia gravis. Thyrotoxicosis may influence the clinical course of myasthenia gravis. Overlapping clinical features may cause diagnostic confusion when Graves' disease and myasthenia gravis co-exist. Thus, various tests may be needed to distinguish these two diseases. It is clinically important to screen patients with myasthenia gravis for the co-existence of autoimmune thyroid disorders and vice versa. We cared for a patient with Graves' disease associated with ocular myasthenia gravis who presented with fluctuating double vision and ptosis. Ocular myasthenia gravis was diagnosed by electrophysiologic study and presence of acetylcholine receptor antibody. The patient had a favorable clinical and laboratory response to treatment with an anticholinesterase (pyridostigmine) and an antithyroid drug (propylthiouracil), and he had minimal symptoms at the 9-month follow-up examination.
Acetylcholine ; Diplopia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotoxicosis

Duplications of the alimentary tract are relatively rare congenital malformations usually present during infancy or young childhood. They can occur anywhere in the intestinal tract. The most common site is the terminal ileum, and the least common site is the colon. Duplication of the cecum is very rare. The importance of these congenital lesions lies in the fact that they mimic other surgical disease processes and may result in significant morbidity if left untreated. Prompt recognition and treatment using combined radiologic and surgical management are associated with an excellent outcome. We experienced a case of cystic duplication in the cecum, which gave rise to partial intestinal obstruction and bleeding. We performed a resection of the cecum, including a part of the terminal ileum, and anastomosed in end-to-end fashion with a good result.
Cecum ; Colon ; Hemorrhage ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction

We report a case of advanced gastric cancer with Virchow's node and lung metastasis that responded remarkably to preoperative chemotherapy. A 47-year-old female patient was diagnosed as having incurable advanced gastric cancer with Virchow's node and multiple lung metastasis. Preoperative chemotherapy with Taxotere, CDDP and 5FU was carried out. After four courses of the regimen, the Virchow's node and the lung metastasis had disappeared, and a marked reduction of the gastric lesion was observed on the CT scan. Consequently, the patient underwent a total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. On histopathological examination, cancer cells were found to have infiltrated up to the muscle layer of the gastric wall, and 42 out of 60 resected lymph nodes were found to be metastatic. The patient received another two courses of chemotherapy after the operation
Drug Therapy* ; Female ; Fluorouracil* ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Lung* ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Tonsillar lymphangiomatous polyp is an uncommon hamartomatous lesion that generally arises from the tonsillar surface. Due to the uncommon clinical and pathological features of these polyps, pathologist and clinician may experience difficulty in correctly classifying them. Although this is a rare clinical and pathologic entity for pathologists and clinicians, the diagnosis is not so difficult if one has a bit of experience about that. Recently, we experienced a 37-year-old women with a pale lymphangiomatous polyp of 3x1.5 cm size, which was treated by tonsillectomy. We report this case with a review of literature.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Isothiocyanates ; Palatine Tonsil ; Polyps ; Tonsillectomy

BACKGROUND: Lung pericytes are important constituent cells of blood-air barrier in pulmonary microvasculature. These cells take part in the control of vascular contractility and permeability. In this study, it was hypothesized that change of lung pericytes might be attributable to pathologic change in microvasculature in acute lung injury. The purpose of this study was how hypoxia change proliferation and genetic expression in lung pericytes. METHODS: From the lungs of several Sprague-Dawley rats, performed the primary culture of lung pericytes and subculture. Characteristics of lung pericytes were confirmed with stellate shape in light microscopy and immunocytochemistry. 2% concentration of oxygen and 200muM CoCl2 were treated to cells. Tryphan blue method and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were done. RESULTS: 1. We established methodology for primary culture of lung pericytes. 2. Hypoxia inhibited cellular proliferation in pericytes. 3. Hypoxia could markedly induce vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and smad-2. 4. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha)was also induced by 2% oxygen. CONCLUSION: Viability of lung pericytes are inhibited by hypoxia. Hypoxia can stimulate expression of hypoxia-responsive genes. Pericytic change may be contributed to dysfunction of alveolar-capillary barrier in various pulmonary disorders.
Acute Lung Injury ; Anoxia ; Blood-Air Barrier ; Cell Proliferation ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung* ; Microscopy ; Microvessels ; Oxygen ; Pericytes* ; Permeability ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

BACKGROUND: Although cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) is a very effective therapy in cardiac arrest, it is hard to prove the true effectiveness of CPR. Several studies about out-of-hospital and emergency department CPR exist, but only a few reports about in-hospital CPR are available. This study was designed to investigate in-hospital cardiac arrest, to analyze the result of CPR, and to evaluate the problems associated with in-hospital CPR. METHODS: A clinical analysis of 71 cases of in-hospital CPR announcement from January 2000 to August 2000 was performed. The initial rhythm on cardiac arrest, return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC), and the survivals were analyzed in the case of the 46 true cardiac arrest patients. RESULTS: During 8 months, there were 71 cases of in-hospital CPR announcement. Among them, there were 46 cases of true cardiac arrest and 25 cases of non-cardiac arrest. Of the 46 true cardiac-arrest cases, 27(58.7%) experienced ROSC, 15(32.6) survived for over 24 hours, and 7(15.2%) survived to be discharged. The initial rhythms on cardiac arrest were 30 cases(65.2%) of asystole, 14(30.4%) of PEA(pulseless electrical activity), and 2(4.3%) of ventricular fibrillation, with ROSC being 17 cases(56.7%), 9(64.3%) and 1(50.0%) cases and discharged survivors being 4 cases(13.3%), 3(21.4%) and 0(0.0%) cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Extraordinarily high proportions of asystole and PEA were seen in the initial rhythm of cardiac arrest, and those were associated with high survival rates. Although further study is needed to evaluate the course leading to this high proportion of asystole and PEA, this result suggests that if the EMS system in the hospital is activated promptly and systematically, a better outcome will be achieved in case of cardiac arrest with asystole and PEA.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Peas ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Ventricular Fibrillation

Streptococcal myositis is an extremely uncommon infectious disease caused by Group A streptococcus (GAS). GAS infection spreads rapidly and diffusely through the muscle, resulting in edema and necrosis. Consequently, it results in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome having extremely high mortality. We report a 42 year-old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus accompanying with streptococcal myositis who initially presented with fever, severe pain, and tenderness on the calf. Her systemic toxic symptoms were aggravated and finally she died of the disease in spite of aggressive management.
Adult ; Communicable Diseases ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Mortality ; Myositis* ; Necrosis ; Shock, Septic ; Streptococcus

Desmoid tumor is a rare benign tumor derived from fibrous sheath or musculoaponeurotic structure. The tumor is benign histologically but considered as malignant clinically because it has high propensity on infiltrative growth with local invasion and tendency to recurrence after local excision. Especially, when this tumor happens to be in the intra-abdomen, the prognosis is worse because it can cause intestinal obstruction, ureter obstruction and, fistula formation. It also can invade major vessels in abdomen. This tumor occurs more frequently in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), in post-partume women, and at old surgical incision site. However, in this case, the patient had neither previous surgery nor a FAP history. We report a rare case of the young male patient who presented with an acute abdomen and underwent laparotomy and was found to have an intra-abdominal desmoid tumor with abscess formation.
Abdominal Abscess/diagnosis ; Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibromatosis, Abdominal/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Peritoneal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed