Extraadrenal pheochromocytomas developed from the paraganglia other than adrenal medulla are uncommon tumors. Such lesions have been reported that as much as 10% of retroperitoneal paragliomas arise outside the adrenal gland. But their incidence and prognosis are changing partly as a result of progression in developmental mechanism, diagnostic tools and concepts including ultrastructure, immunohistochemistry. The ultrastructure of chromaffine neoplasm from adrenal and extraadrenal tissues has been studied with chrarnaffine granule specificity and type of catecholamine content. With rare exceptions, extraadrenal chrornaffine tumor mainly has high concentration of norepinephrine which is suggested as dict relationship to numoruos electrone dense granular bodies in the cell cytoplasrn. High or intermediate level of epinephrine in tissue is associated with cytoplasmic granular bodies of much less density, Recently we experienced the exception, a case of norepinephrine secreting pheochrom-ocytoma in the organ of Zuckerkandl with epinephrine granules in cytoplasm and this discrepancy probably due to the plasticity
Adrenal Glands ; Adrenal Medulla ; Cytoplasm ; Epinephrine ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Norepinephrine ; Para-Aortic Bodies ; Pheochromocytoma ; Plastics ; Prognosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Primary mixed germ cell tumor is a very rare tumor in the cranial cavity. It is composed of varying combination of germ cell neoplasms, such as germinoma, embryonal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma and teratoma. The authors experienced a case of mixed germ cell tumor developing in the floor of the third ventricle, in a twelve years old boy. He was admitted to the hospital, because of headache, eyeball pain, diplopia and vomiting. Brain CAT scan revealed a round tumor density in the floor of the third ventricle. Tumor marker study, preoperatively checked, revealed beta-HCG, 439.8 mIU/ml and alpha-fetoprotein, under 20 ng/ml. On operation, there was a dark brown firm mass up to 3.0 cm in the third ventricle, that invaded into the foramen Monro. With microscopic examination, this tumor is composed chiefly of germinoma, with embryonal carcinomatous region, choriocarcinomatous region and focal mature teratomatous region. The authors diagnosed this case as mixed germ cell tumor.
Tumor Markers, Biological

BACKGROUND: Aminophylline is an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase; it increase the cAMP and, in turn, the level of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. In doing so, it has an antifatigue action. It antagonizes nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade in animals, and has been anecdotally noted to do so in humans, as well. We investigated the interaction of aminophylline and vecuronium on the dose response curve in vitro. METHODS: Institutional approval was obtained. Thirty seven male Spague Dawley rats (150~200 g) were divided into four groups (control, aminophylline 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 microgram/ml). The animal were anesthetized with 40 mg/kg phentobarbital. The left hemidiaphragm with phrenic nerve was dissected and mounted within 5 minutes in bath containing 100 ml Krebs solution at 32oC. The phrenic nerve was stimulated at supramaximal intensity by a Grass S88 stimulator through an SIU5 isolation unit. The twitch height was measured by precalibrated Grass FT03 force displacement transducer and recorded. After stabilization of twitch response, vecuronium was added to the solution to obtained an initial concentration 1.0 microgram/ml with aminophylline 0, 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 microgram/ml. When a stable 3~5 twitch was obtained after first dose, additional vecuronium was added to the Krebs solution in increments of 0.5 microgram/ml to achieve a more than 90% neuromuscular block. The data were analyzed by repeated measures of ANOVA and kappa2 test. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the effective dose of vecuronium needed to depress the twitch response in aminophylline 5.0 and 7.5 microgram/ml added groups compared with control group and aminophylline 2.5 microgram/ml group. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that aminophylline shows decreased sensitivity to vecuronium in the phrenic nerve diaphragm preparation of rats.
Acetylcholine ; Aminophylline* ; Animals ; Baths ; Diaphragm ; Humans ; Male ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Neuromuscular Junction ; Phrenic Nerve ; Poaceae ; Rats* ; Transducers ; Vecuronium Bromide*

BACKGROUND: A correct estimation of volume status and dry weight in dialysis patients remains a difficult clinical problem. Clinical status and chest X-ray are not sensitive enough, while invasively measured central venous pressures are not routinely available. Recently, the ultrasonographic determination of the diameter and collapse index of the inferior vena cava has been proposed as a noninvasive method for estimating intravascular volume. We tried to evaluate the clinical relevance of this method in dialysis patients by comparing it with alphahuman-atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-h-ANP) and cyclic guanosine 3:5-monophosphate (cGMP) levels. METHODS: Using echocardiography, the diameter of the inferior vena cava (VCD) and its decrease on deep inspiration (collapse index : CI) were evaluated in 27 hemodialysis patients. Echocardiography of the inferior vena cava (IVC) was performed in the supine position after 10 minutes rest. The transducer was placed in the subxiphoid region and long and short axis views of the IVC were obtained just below the diaphragm in the hepatic segment. VCD was measured before the P-wave on the electrocardiogram to avoid interference with A-wave and V-wave on the venous pressure curve, and corrected for body surface area. Preand post-hemodialysis levels of the plasma alpha-h-ANP and cGMP were measured by radioimmunoassay. The relationship between VCD, CI determined by echocardiography, and alpha-h-ANP and cGMP concentrations were studied. RESULTS: The levels of alpha-h-ANP and cGMP were markedly elevated before hemodialysis and significantly lower values were found after hemodialysis (alpha-hANP : 162.7 102.6 pg/ml vs 90.6 61.0 pg/ml , cGMP : 35.3 8.8 pmol/ml vs 21.3 6.2 pmol/ml). A significant correlation was found between VCD and alpha-h-ANP before (r=0.81, p < 0.05) and after hemodialysis (r=0.65, p < 0.05). No such significant correlation was observed bet ween CI and alpha-h-ANP levels. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between VCD before hemodialysis and the change in alpha-h-ANP during hemodialysis (r=0.64, p < 0.05). The relationship between VCD and cGMP before hemodialysis was not significant (r=0.26, p> 0.05) and also no relation was observed between the decrease of cGMP during hemodialysis and VCD before hemodialysis (r=0.12, p > 0.05). A significant correlation between the percent change in body weight and the percent change in VCD during hemodialysis (r=0.91, p<0.05) and also significant relation was observed between the pecent change in body weight and the percent change in alpha-h-ANP levels (r=0.40, p , 0.05). CONCLUSION: Echocardiography of the inferior vena cava allow an estimation of changes of intravascular volume in ESRDpatients without cardiac filling impairment as shown by the correlation to other indices of intravascular volume, such as alpha-h-ANP. In this study, CI and cGMP levels were less informative. Inferior vena cava echocardiography is noninvasive and easily available and serial measurements of VCD and alphah-ANP levels allow an estimation of chages of intravascular volume in ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Body Surface Area ; Body Weight ; Central Venous Pressure ; Dialysis ; Diaphragm ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Guanosine* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Renal Dialysis* ; Supine Position ; Thorax ; Transducers ; Vena Cava, Inferior* ; Venous Pressure

The transpetrosal approach to the anterior portion of a brain stem lesion with intact hearing is often limited by portions of the labyrinth. The technique of partial labyrinthectomy, by which the posterior and superior semicircular canals, maximizes surgical exposure while preserving hearing. We report the case of a patient who underwent a modified partial labyrinthectomy involving resection of the posterior semicircular canal only in the area of the labyrinth. Technical modification of the partial labyrinthectomy approach simplifies tumor removal while preserving hearing.
Brain Stem ; Ear, Inner ; Hearing ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Semicircular Canals

Tick bites are dermatoses not commonly encountered in Korea. Identification of causative ticks as well as recognition of clinical signs and histopathologic findings are important in making a diagnosis in tick-related dermatoses. Hard ticks which belong to the Family Ixodidae are responsible for most tick-related diseases. Since the first human case of tick bite in Korea was reported in 1982, seventeen cases have been reported up to the present. All the inflicted ticks belonged to the genus Ixodes except a case by Haemaphysalis flava. Among 16 ticks, collected from 16 cases of tick bites caused by the genus Ixodes, nine I. nipponenses, an I. ovatus and I. persulcatus were identified. Recently we experienced 8 cases of tick bites, 6 of them were caused by the genus Ixodes including 4 I. nipponenses. One of them, whose essential complaint was fever and chills, showed the clinical course of tick bite pyrexia which had not been reported in Korea. The clinical and epidemiological findings of tick bites reported in Korea were reviewed, including these 8 cases.
Chills ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Ixodes ; Ixodidae ; Korea ; Skin Diseases ; Tick Bites* ; Ticks*

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of ileum is a rare tumor of gastrointestial tract that arise from primitive mesenchymal cells. GIST occur predominantly in persons over 40 years of age with an equal sex incidence. GIST expresses a heterogenous clinical course and the most important prognostic factors are tumor size, site, degree of mitotic activity, tumor necrosis. We report a case of GIST of ileum, which was misdiagnosed as extrauterine leiomyoma preoperatively.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors* ; Humans ; Ileum* ; Incidence ; Leiomyoma ; Myoma* ; Necrosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An anatomic variant of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), termed "dual LAD", consists of early bifurcation of the proximal LAD into one early terminating branch (short LAD) which remains in the anterior interventricular sulcus (AIVS) and doesn't reach the apex, and the second (long LAD), which has a variable course outside the AIVS but returns to the distal sulcus and continues to the apex. Its incidence, angiographic features and clinical significance are investigated. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Consecutive 696 coronary angiograms during October 1997 through August 1998 were analyzed. RESULTS: A dual LAD variant was noted in 45 patients (6%) of the 696 patients. Type I, in which the long LAD descends on the left ventricular side of the AIVS before reentering the AIVS, was noted in 24 patients (53%) and type II, in which the long LAD descends on the right ventricular side of the AIVS before reentering the AIVS, in 21(47%). First septal branch was commonly originated from LAD proper in both type (54% vs 52%), but first diagonal branch from LAD proper (63%) in type I, from short LAD (71%) in type II. Presence of dual LAD was recognized before percutaneous coronary intervention (10) or bypass surgery (2) in 12 (63%) of 19 patients. Regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) were localized in distal septum or anterolateral wall in 2 patients with short or long LAD obstruction, respectively. CONCLUSION: Recognition of dual LAD is essential to prevent errors of interpretation of the coronary angiogram, to plan optimal strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention or bypass surgery, especially in case of total occlusion, and to understand localized septal or anterolateral RWMA.
Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Previously, we reported that high glucose enhanced cytokine-induced nitric oxide (NO) production by rat mesangial cells (MCs), and that the enhanced expression of the iNOS pathway may promote extracellular matrix accumulation by MCs. The present study was designed to examine whether the iNOS pathway is pathologically altered in experimental diabetic nephropathy, and whether therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (imidapril: I) or angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1) blocker (L-158,809: L), ameliorates these changes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with diluent (control: C) or streptozotocin. At sacrifice after 4, 8 and 12 weeks, rats underwent either a 4 hour placebo or an intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 mg/kg) challenge. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and urinary protein excretion (UPE) increased significantly in diabetic (D) rats compared with C. The basal expression of glomerular iNOS mRNA was increased in D rats compared with that of C rats, by reverse- transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), whereas there was no significant difference in the level of protein by Western blot analysis. Upon LPS stimulation, the iNOS mRNA and protein expression was significantly elevated in D rats. In D rats, this up-regulation, of LPS-stimulated iNOS expression, was equally ameliorated both by I and L in mRNA and protein levels. From immunohistochemistry (IHC), there was a negative staining for the iNOS within the glomeruli of five C rats without LPS treatment, but one of four rats, with LPS treatment, showed minimal iNOS staining in the glomeruli. In D rats, the glomerular mesangium and podocytes were positive for iNOS in each of three out of five rats with, and without, LPS treatment. In conclusion, LPS-stimulated glomerular iNOS expression was enhanced in diabetic pnephropathy, and the activation of angiotensin II may play a role in this enhancement.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Animal ; Kidney Glomerulus/*drug effects/*enzymology ; Lipopolysaccharides/*pharmacology ; Male ; Nitric-Oxide Synthase/*metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Angiotensin/antagonists & inhibitors

We present cases of post traumatic infarction after head injury. Two patients were admitted to our emergency room after traffic accidents. They developed neurological deficiency after a few hours to days after the accidents. In both cases, an initial computed tomography scan of the head was normal. A follow-up computed tomography obtained later revealed a hypodense lesion at cerebral hemisphere and a diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging disclosed an area of infarction. The patients were conservatively medicated. One patient died due to a medical complication and the other patient fully recovered in several weeks. Hospital admission, careful observation and early diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance examination should be considered for patients with persistent neurological deficits.
Accidents, Traffic ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cerebrum ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy