Intrathecal administration of methotrexate(IT-MTX) has constituted the standard approach to prophylaxis and treatment of central nevous system(CNS) leukemia. We experienced a quadriplegia and motor aphasia in a 14-year-old boy following repeated IT-MTX for the prophylaxis of meningeal leukemia. He was diagnosed as ALL without CNS involvement and treated by CCG- 1882 protocol. IT-MTX was administered for CNS prophylaxis. The patient began complaining of urinary incontinence, motor aphasia and weakness in his right leg from 12 days after the 5th dose of the IT-MTX therapy. Even though the IT-MTX was discontinued, loss of muscle power progressed upward resulting in quadriplegia. The patient showed slow and partial recovery on right extremities over 3 months. We report this case with brief review of literature.
Adolescent ; Aphasia, Broca* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Leg ; Leukemia ; Male ; Methotrexate* ; Quadriplegia* ; Urinary Incontinence

A total of 672 surgically resected gastric carcinomas were reviewed, and fourteen cases(2.1%) of "gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma" were identified. The tumor was located mostly in cardia and body portion(86%). Thirteen patients one was lost to follow up were alive without recurrence of tumor. Grossly, this carcinoma was characterized by an expanding growth pattern or a multinodular pattern. Histologically, this carcinoma showed an irregular trabecular and alveolar arrangement and densely infiltrated lymphoid cells with lymph follicles. The tumor cell nests were widely separated by non-desmoplastic lymphoid stroma. On immunohistochemical study, T cells were evenly distributed throughout the tumor lesion with intimate contact with individual carcinoma cells, but B cells were mainly present within the germinal centers of lymph follicles. Thus, the organized immune response combined with cell mediated and humoral immunities against the carcinoma cells may be a defense mechanism of the host in this type of gastric carcinoma.

No abstract available.
Thanatophoric Dysplasia*

PURPOSE: Alternative medicine(AM) is defined as the approaches and techniques that are not included in the curricula of medical schools or residency training at present. This study aimed to evaluate the present status of the use of AM in allergic diseases and to propose an appropriate guide. METHODS: Mailed questionnaires on the patterns of the use of AM were collected during the month of May in 2001. The data was analyzed using SPSS WINDOW 8.0. RESULTS: 1) One hundred and five patients responded. Their mean age was 46.5 years old and the mean duration of the diseases was 67 months. 2) Ninety six(91.4%) out of 105 responders who have allergic diseases experienced AM. Herb medicine(57.3%) was most popular and hot spring(22.9%), immune stimulants(22.9%), nutritional supplements(13.5%), acupuncture(12.5%), breathing exercise, aroma-therapy and foods such as aloe, honey and ginkgo nuts were also tried. 3) The annual mean expenditure for the AM was about 690,000 Won. Severely diseased patients spent more money out of their pocket for AM. 4) Doctors(43.5%), oriental doctors(19.8%), neighbours(27.1%) and mass media played some roles for the distribution of the information about AM. 5) The patients purchased the products for AM from drug store, hospital, market, health care shop and by mail or internet orders. 6) Thirty two patients(33.3%) were satisfied with the AM and 35(36.5%) patients answered that they would recommend the AM to the others. CONCLUSION: Many allergy patients used various kinds of AM without any guidelines. Therefore, doctors' active participation in AM is necessary to confirm the scientific basis, to strengthen patient's education and to filter the informations about AM spreaded by the mass media.
Aloe ; Complementary Therapies* ; Curriculum ; Education ; Ginkgo biloba ; Health Care Sector ; Health Expenditures ; Honey ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Internet ; Internship and Residency ; Mass Media ; Nuts ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiration ; Schools, Medical

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Female ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pregnancy

Progressive transformation of germinal centers (PTGC) is a rarely diagnosed, benign disease of the lymph nodes that commonly manifests as chronic lymphadenopathy. PTGC may be characterized by single or multiple non-tender lymph nodes, and it commonly involves the cervical, axillary, and inguinal areas. Although PTGC is identified with concurrent lymphoma in some patients, it is not considered as a premalignant entity. Histopathologic diagnosis of PTGC is rarely made, and imaging findings have been reported in very few studies. We present a case of PTGC that occurred at the contralateral axillary lymph nodes and mimicked metastatic lymphadenopathy after breast cancer surgery. We also discuss its imaging findings.

Primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast are a rare, distinct category of breast carcinomas that require immunohistochemical staining for diagnosis. Currently, there is not enough evidence on the clinical pattern, prognosis, and proper management of the disease. Only few case series have described the imaging findings of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast. We herein present a case of a primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (small cell) presenting as a locally aggressive tumor with metastatic disease, and describe the radiologic findings.

Progressive transformation of germinal centers (PTGC) is a rarely diagnosed, benign disease of the lymph nodes that commonly manifests as chronic lymphadenopathy. PTGC may be characterized by single or multiple non-tender lymph nodes, and it commonly involves the cervical, axillary, and inguinal areas. Although PTGC is identified with concurrent lymphoma in some patients, it is not considered as a premalignant entity. Histopathologic diagnosis of PTGC is rarely made, and imaging findings have been reported in very few studies. We present a case of PTGC that occurred at the contralateral axillary lymph nodes and mimicked metastatic lymphadenopathy after breast cancer surgery. We also discuss its imaging findings.

Primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast are a rare, distinct category of breast carcinomas that require immunohistochemical staining for diagnosis. Currently, there is not enough evidence on the clinical pattern, prognosis, and proper management of the disease. Only few case series have described the imaging findings of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast. We herein present a case of a primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (small cell) presenting as a locally aggressive tumor with metastatic disease, and describe the radiologic findings.

The antigen location of Cryptosporidium parvum, which stimulates antibody formation in humans and animals, was investigated using infected human sera. Immuno-electron microscopy revealed that antigenicity-inducing humoral immunity was located at various developmental stages of parasites, including asexual, sexual stages, and oocysts. The amount of antigen-stimulating IgG antibodies was particularly high on the oocyst wall. The sporozoite surface was shown to give stimulation on IgG and IgM antibody formation. Trophozoites implicated the lowest antigenicity to humoral immunity, both IgG and IgM, by showing the least amount of gold labeling. Immunogold labeling also provided clues that antigens were presented to the host-cell cytoplasm via feeder organelles and host-parasite junctions.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*immunology ; Antigens, Protozoan/*analysis ; Cryptosporidium parvum/*chemistry/*immunology/ultrastructure ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/immunology ; Immunoglobulin M/immunology ; Mice ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Sporozoites/chemistry/immunology/ultrastructure ; Staining and Labeling/methods ; Trophozoites/chemistry/immunology/ultrastructure