The virtues of the pantopaque myelography in the study of the herniated intervertebral disc have been generally accepted. As expected, it shows the presence of ruptured disc in the accuracy over 80%. But it is open to discussion whether the myelographic defects can indicate the exact location and type of herniated discs or not. In this article, we attempted to find out some correlation between the myelographic defect and the operative finding in viewing the size and shape of myelographic defects. This consideration may be helpful to make a clear cut diagnosis in the lumbar disc disease. One hundred and sixtytwo operative cases undergoing pantopaque myelography were subjected. Some obtained results will be presented.
Diagnosis ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Iophendylate ; Myelography ; Virtues

Cerebral cysticercosis is relatively common along the regional distribution of the world, but spinal cysticercosis is extremely rare. Furthermore combined forms of the two are not ever reported in the literature. Recently we have experienced a case, which was characterized by mental confusion, gait disturbance and urinary and fecal incontinence of 6 years' duration in 45 years old woman. We found these simultaneous two lesions by myelography and conray ventriculography and carried out surgical removal of the two lesions successfully.
Cysticercosis ; Fecal Incontinence ; Female ; Gait ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myelography

The traumatic middle meningeal arteriovenous fistula is a rare condition complicated from head injury and usually found incidentally by carotid angiography. A few articles reported previously showed this condition if formed due to tearing of the walls of middle meningeal vessels by skull fracture and regarded as a wonderful defence mechanism keeping from a big intracranial hematoma. We have encountered 3 cases of them, all of which were accompanied by skull fracture. On of them had a big epidural hematoma and others only small amount. We show these cases in detail with the review of literatures.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Hematoma ; Skull Fractures

Many cases of cerebral rete mirabile, a particular disease entity, had been reported and discussed by some authors over the world including Japan, United States, Europe and Korea in these ten years. In spite of variable opinions concerning to its exact pathogenesis and etiology, most authors are in good agreement with the specific findings of carotid angiography. But we couldn't find any reports of cerebral rete mirabile accompanied by similar changes in vertebrobasilar system in the literature. Recently we encountered a case of typical cerebral rete mirabile with fine arborization of posterior cerebral arteries and irregular narrowing of vertebrobasilar arteries. It is our sixth case of cerebral rete mirabile and will be presented with the brief review of literature.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Basilar Artery* ; Europe ; Japan ; Korea ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; United States

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Plasma Cell* ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma*

PURPOSE: Splicing factors play important roles in tumorigenesis. Serine/arginine-rich splicing factors 2 (SRSF2) and SRSF4 proteins, the members of SR family proteins, are dysregulated in various cancers. However, their protein expression levels and diagnostic values are unclear in colorectal cancer.METHODS: We quantified the protein levels of SRSF2, SRSF4, and previously known colon cancer markers (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 [HNRNPA1] and carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA]) in tumor compared with adjacent normal-looking areas (non-tumor) of the colon in Korean patients with colon cancer using immunoblot analysis.RESULTS: The protein levels of HNRNPA1 and CEA were remarkably increased in tumor compared to non-tumor tissue and up-regulated in all of the tumor samples. However, the protein levels of SRSF2 and SRSF4 in tumor tissue were reduced in contrast with those of non-tumor tissue.CONCLUSION: None of the SRSF proteins were significantly different between the low (≤II) and high (>II) stages.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Ribonucleoproteins

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the microstructural changes according to aging on the thickness and signal intensity (SI) of the cortical gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) on the T2-, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T1-weighted MR images in normal subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 year age groups of men and women (each 10 individuals) who underwent routine brain MRI, including the T2-, FLAIR and T1-weighted images, were selected for this study. We measured the thickness and the SI of the cortical GM and WM at the postcentral gyrus, which has an even thickness at the level of centrum semiovale, on the axial scans and we calculated the mean values of the thickness ratio of the gray/white matter (TRGW) and the signal intensity ratio of the gray/white matter (SRGW), and we compared the ratios of each age group. RESULTS: On the T2-weighted images, the TRGWs were 0.81 and 0.79 at the age of 10 and they were 0.73 and 0.71 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. So, the GM thickness was decreased more than the WM thickness was with aging. On the FLAIR images, the TRGWs were 1.09 and 1.00 at the age of 10 and they were 1.11 and 0.95 at the age of 70 in the men and women, respectively. On the T1-weighted images, the TRGWs were 0.66 and 0.80 at the age of 10, and the ratio was changed to 0.90 and 0.78 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. On the T2-weighted image, the SRGWs were 1.53 and 1.43 at the age of 10, and they were 1.23 and 1.27 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. On the FLAIR images, the SRGWs were 1.23 and 1.25 at the age of 10 and they were 1.06 and 1.05 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. On the T1-weighted images, the SRGWs were 0.86 and 0.85 at the age of 10, and they were 0.90 and 0.87 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the age-related microstructural changes of the thickness and the SI of the cortical GM and WM on the T2-, FLAIR and T1-weighted images are unique, and so this knowledge will be helpful to differentiate neurodegenerative disease from normal aging of the brain.
Aging ; Brain ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neurodegenerative Diseases

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the microstructural changes according to aging on the thickness and signal intensity (SI) of the cortical gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) on the T2-, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T1-weighted MR images in normal subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 year age groups of men and women (each 10 individuals) who underwent routine brain MRI, including the T2-, FLAIR and T1-weighted images, were selected for this study. We measured the thickness and the SI of the cortical GM and WM at the postcentral gyrus, which has an even thickness at the level of centrum semiovale, on the axial scans and we calculated the mean values of the thickness ratio of the gray/white matter (TRGW) and the signal intensity ratio of the gray/white matter (SRGW), and we compared the ratios of each age group. RESULTS: On the T2-weighted images, the TRGWs were 0.81 and 0.79 at the age of 10 and they were 0.73 and 0.71 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. So, the GM thickness was decreased more than the WM thickness was with aging. On the FLAIR images, the TRGWs were 1.09 and 1.00 at the age of 10 and they were 1.11 and 0.95 at the age of 70 in the men and women, respectively. On the T1-weighted images, the TRGWs were 0.66 and 0.80 at the age of 10, and the ratio was changed to 0.90 and 0.78 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. On the T2-weighted image, the SRGWs were 1.53 and 1.43 at the age of 10, and they were 1.23 and 1.27 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. On the FLAIR images, the SRGWs were 1.23 and 1.25 at the age of 10 and they were 1.06 and 1.05 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. On the T1-weighted images, the SRGWs were 0.86 and 0.85 at the age of 10, and they were 0.90 and 0.87 at the age of 90 in the men and women, respectively. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the age-related microstructural changes of the thickness and the SI of the cortical GM and WM on the T2-, FLAIR and T1-weighted images are unique, and so this knowledge will be helpful to differentiate neurodegenerative disease from normal aging of the brain.
Aging ; Brain ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neurodegenerative Diseases

PURPOSE: To describe the characteristic MR imaging findings of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor(DNT). MATERIALS & METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed MR images and pathologic findings of seven patients(five maleand two female, mean age 22) with surgically proven DNTs. We analyzed the location, size, configuration, signal intensity and contrast enhancement of nodules and accompanying calcifications, surrounding edema and calvarialchanges. RESULTS: All tumors were located in the cortical and subcortical portions of the temporal lobes. Most tumors showed small well-demarcated gyriform cystic nodules with almost the same signal intensity as that of the cerebrospinal fluid. Nodule margins were more sharply delineated on T2 than on T1-weighted images because on the former the peripheral portion of nodules shows high signal intensity. None of the patients showed surrounding edema or mass effect. On contrast-enhanced study, one of five patients showed subtle peripheral enhancement. Two patients showed included dense calcified nodules adjacent to cystic nodules, and two showed overlying calvarial thinning. CONCLUSION: Multiple small gyriform intracortical cystic nodules and occasional dense nodular calcifications are the characteristic findings of DNTs, and these may be differentiated from other focal lesion sin patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with the help of MR imaging.
Edema ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial* ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Lobe

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pretreatment evaluation with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is effective for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with poor conspicuity on conventional ultrasonography (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board and informed consent was waived. From June 2008 to July 2011, 82 patients having HCCs (1.2 +/- 0.4 cm) with poor conspicuity on planning US for RFA were evaluated with CEUS prior to percutaneous RFA. We analyzed our database, radiologic reports, and US images in order to determine whether the location of HCC candidates on planning US coincide with that on CEUS. To avoid incomplete ablation, percutaneous RFA was performed only when HCC nodules were identified on CEUS. The rate of technical success was assessed. The cumulative rate of local tumor progression was estimated with the use of the Kaplan-Meier method (mean follow-up: 24.0 +/- 13.0 months). RESULTS: Among 82 patients, 73 (89%) HCCs were identified on CEUS, whereas 9 (11%) were not. Of 73 identifiable HCCs on CEUS, the location of HCC on planning US corresponded with that on CEUS in 64 (87.7%), whereas the location did not correspond in 9 (12.3%) HCCs. Technical success was achieved for all 73 identifiable HCCs on CEUS in a single (n = 72) or two (n = 1) RFA sessions. Cumulative rates of local tumor progression were estimated as 1.9% and 15.4% at 1 and 3 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment evaluation with CEUS is effective for percutaneous RFA of HCCs with poor conspicuity on conventional US.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Catheter Ablation/*methods ; Contrast Media/*diagnostic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Preoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies