We have designed the multi channel detector for the quality assurance of clinical photon beams. The detector was composed of solid phantom inserted by six plane-parallel ionization chambers at different depth. The chamber as a mini plane parallel chamber was made of carbon coated microfilms. In this study the electrical characteristics of the six chambers in the solid phantom were evaluated using 6 MV photon beam. The leakage currents were less than 0.5 pA, reproducibility was less than 0.5%, linearity was less than 0.5%, and dose rate effect was less than 0.7%. In addition the effect of dose variation from other chambers was estimated to maximum 0.8% approximately. The developed detector can be used for quality determination in output dosimetry or measurement of percentage depth dose approximately for clinical photon beam.
Carbon* ; Electrodes*

A case of a 42-year-old man who had massive and refractoty bleeding from multiple gastric ulcers complicating gastric amyloidosis and a case of a 62- year-old woman who had massive hematochezia from rectal amyloidosis in predialytic chronic renal failure patients are reported. Emergency total gastrectomy and simple ligation were performed in two patients. Two patients were confirmed by showing apple green birefringence under the polarized microscope with Congo-red stain through stomach and rectal specimen. Immunoelectrophoresis and protein electrophoresis of serum and urine showed no significant findings. 2 cases of gastrointestinal amyloidosis presenting massive bleeding in predialytic chronic renal failure patients were discussed with brief literature.
Adult ; Amyloidosis* ; Birefringence ; Electrophoresis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Ligation ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer

Malakoplakia is a rare chronic inflammatory process, most commonly affecting the urinary tract. This entity was first described by Michaelis and Gutman in 1902. As of 1995, only 85 cases of malakoplakia of the gastrointestinal tract has been reported. The common sites of colonic involvement are the rectum, sigmoid, and right colon, in descending order of frequency. The most common disease associated with malakoplakia is colorectal carcinoma. Surgical resection is the treatement of choice for cases associated with carcinoma or complications. But in other cases, medical treatment could be attempted. Antimicrobial drugs, such as trimethoprime-sufamethoxazole, rifampin, or as recently suggested, ciprofloxacin can be used. We report a case of rectal malakoplakia treated by ciprofloxacin with a review of literatures.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Ciprofloxacin ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Malacoplakia* ; Rectum* ; Rifampin ; Urinary Tract

PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome is a spectrum of disorders characterized by unique phenotypic features including multiple hamartomas caused by mutations of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN. Cowden syndrome and Bannayan–Riley–Ruvalcaba syndrome are representative diseases, and both have several common clinical features and differences. Because PTEN mutations are associated with an increased risk of malignancy including breast, thyroid, endometrial, and renal cancers, cancer surveillance is an important element of disease management. We report a germline mutation of the PTEN (c.723dupT, exon 7) identified in a young woman with a simultaneous occurrence of breast cancer, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and follicular neoplasm. This case suggests that it is critical for clinicians to recognize the phenotypic features associated with these syndromes to accurately diagnose them and provide preventive care.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Dermatofibrosarcoma ; Disease Management ; Exons ; Female ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Hamartoma ; Hamartoma Syndrome, Multiple ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland

Child ; Dental Arch ; Diagnosis ; Facial Asymmetry ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jaw Relation Record ; Mandible ; Parents ; Splints ; Temporomandibular Joint

Esthesioneuroblastoma, Olfactory ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus ; Nasal Cavity ; Neural Plate ; Olfactory Mucosa ; Radiotherapy

Objective: : We performed an expanded multi-ethnic meta-analysis to identify associations between inflammation-related loci with intracranial aneurysm (IA) susceptibility. This meta-analysis possesses increased statistical power as it is based on the most data ever evaluated. Methods: : We searched and reviewed relevant literature through electronic search engines up to August 2022. Overall estimates were calculated under the fixed- or random-effect models using pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were performed according to ethnicity. Results: : Our meta-analysis enrolled 15 studies and involved 3070 patients and 5528 controls including European, Asian, Hispanic, and mixed ethnic populations. Of 17 inflammation-related variants, the rs1800796 locus (interleukin [IL]-6) showed the most significant genome-wide association with IA in East-Asian populations, including 1276 IA patients and 1322 controls (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.56–0.75; p=3.24×10-9) under a fixed-effect model. However, this association was not observed in the European population (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.80–1.47; p=0.5929). Three other variants, rs16944 (IL-1β), rs2195940 (IL-12B), and rs1800629 (tumor necrosis factor-α) showed a statistically nominal association with IA in both the overall, as well as East-Asian populations (0.01Conclusion : Our updated meta-analysis with increased statistical power highlights that rs1800796 which maps on the IL-6 gene is associated with IA, and in particular confers a protective effect against occurrence of IA in the East-Asian population.

Infected aneurysms are uncommon, frequently fatal lesions. "True" fungus-infected aneurysms are even rarer. Fungal infections have high morbidity and mortality. However, diagnosis is frequently difficult, since the symptoms are non-specific and standard diagnostic procedures are often insensitive. We experienced a patient with persistent fever and negative blood cultures. The patient was immunocompetent and had no risk factors, and was diagnosed with a fungus-infected aneurysm based on computed tomography and vascular surgery. The vascular tissue revealed some narrow-based budding yeast within the thrombus, suggesting Candida infection. Seventeen cases of infected aneurysm of the abdomen were reported in Korea from 1988 to 2007, although none were "true" fungus-infected aneurysms, making this the first fungus-infected aneurysm of the abdomen in Korea. Prompt diagnostic procedures and aggressive treatment modalities are necessary for patients with occult infection and negative blood cultures, regardless of their immunocompetence, because of the high morbidity and mortality of this condition.
Abdomen ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Infected ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Candida ; Fever ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunocompetence ; Korea ; Risk Factors ; Saccharomycetales ; Thrombosis

Infected aneurysms are uncommon, frequently fatal lesions. "True" fungus-infected aneurysms are even rarer. Fungal infections have high morbidity and mortality. However, diagnosis is frequently difficult, since the symptoms are non-specific and standard diagnostic procedures are often insensitive. We experienced a patient with persistent fever and negative blood cultures. The patient was immunocompetent and had no risk factors, and was diagnosed with a fungus-infected aneurysm based on computed tomography and vascular surgery. The vascular tissue revealed some narrow-based budding yeast within the thrombus, suggesting Candida infection. Seventeen cases of infected aneurysm of the abdomen were reported in Korea from 1988 to 2007, although none were "true" fungus-infected aneurysms, making this the first fungus-infected aneurysm of the abdomen in Korea. Prompt diagnostic procedures and aggressive treatment modalities are necessary for patients with occult infection and negative blood cultures, regardless of their immunocompetence, because of the high morbidity and mortality of this condition.
Abdomen ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Infected ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Candida ; Fever ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunocompetence ; Korea ; Risk Factors ; Saccharomycetales ; Thrombosis

Burkitt`s lymphoma is a distinct pathologic entity characterized by a diffuse proliferation of small, noncleaved cells of B-lymphocytes origin. It was first reported as "jaw sarcoma" in East African children and described as endemic in tropical Africa. Burkitt`s lymphoma usually occurs in youth and children, but it is very rare in an adult gastrointestinal tract of an adult. We recently experienced an unusual case of Burkitt`s lymphoma in a 69-year-old male with lower abdominal pain and a mass. A colonoscopy and abdominal CT scan detected an ileocecal fungating mass with intussusception, and the histologic examination of the resected and biopsy specimens showed infiltration of medium-sized lymphoblasts with characteristic "starry sky" machrophages. So we report it with a brief review of literatures.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent ; Adult* ; Africa ; Aged ; B-Lymphocytes ; Biopsy ; Child ; Colonoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Lymphoma* ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed