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

No abstract available.
Thanatophoric Dysplasia*

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.
Brain* ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Female ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pregnancy

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

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.

Transforming growth factor-beta1(TGF-beta1) is known to be a potent growth inhibitor for many cell types, including most epithelial cells. In skin keratinocytes, TGF-beta1 has been shown to inhibit growth and to rapidly reduce c-myc expression. However, the molecular mechanism of TGF-beta1 action on cell growth of cervical carcinoma has not yet been elucidated. We thus assessed the effect of TGF-beta1 on the growth of cervical carcinoma cell lines. Two cervical squamous carcinoma cell lines were incubated with varying concentration of TGF-beta 1, and growth inhibition was evaluated with tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay. After culturing in concentrations of 0.1~10 ng/ml in both cell lines. Northern blot analysis revealed c-myc mRNA expression was suppressed by 10 ng/ml of TGF-beta 1 following 6-hour of treatment in both cell lines. These results suggest that TGF-beta1 inhibits the growth of cervical carcinoma cells by suppressing c-myc oncogene expression.
Blotting, Northern ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Line* ; Epithelial Cells ; Genes, myc* ; Keratinocytes ; Oncogenes ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms