Ectopic thymus results from the aberrant migration of thymic tissue and is mostly present in the mediastinum, the base of the skull, the tracheal bifurcation and the cervical region. We report the first case of intraabdominal heterotopic thymus incidentally detected and attached to the liver without associated anomalies. This fetus was sent to the Department without any clinical information. The fetus was small for gestational age, but had no external abnormalities. Each organ showed normal development except for the liver. The liver weighed 6 gm(normal 17.064+/-4.143 gm). Gray white heterotopic thymus was attached to the superior surface of the liver in the subdiaphragmatic area. It measured 1.1x0.6x0.5 cm. There was no diaphragmatic defect. The cervical thymic tissue near the thyroid was small and measured 0.2 gm(normal 0.927+/-0.485 gm). There was no thymic tissue in the anterior superior mediastinum. The histologic features of the heterotopic thymus were identical to the orthotopic thymus showing features appropriate for the gestational age. The origin of this subdiaphragmatic heterotopic thymus is speculated.

Present study describes two rare spermatic cord sarcomas. The first case is leiomyosarcoma of a 56-year-old man with 3-years' history of slowly growing hard mass in the right inguinal area, measuring 8x6x5 cm. The second case is fibrosarcoma of a 39-year-old man with 3x2 cm painless right inguinal mass. Both cases underwent radical excision of mass and orchiectomy. Clinico-pathologic characteristics of spermatic cord sarcoma are discussed with literature review.
Adult ; Fibrosarcoma ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Middle Aged ; Orchiectomy ; Sarcoma* ; Spermatic Cord*

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by infection with E. multilocularis metacestode, represents one of the most fatal helminthic diseases. AE is principally manifested with infiltrative, proliferating hepatic mass, resembling primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Sometimes metastatic lesions are found in nearby or remote tissue. AE diagnosis largely depends on imaging studies, but atypical findings of imaging features frequently require differential diagnosis from other hepatic lesions. Serological tests may provide further evidence, while obtaining reliable AE materials is not easy. In this study, alternative antigens, specific to AE were identified by analyzing E. granulosus protoscolex proteins. An immunoblot analysis of E. granulosus protoscolex showed that a group of low-molecular-weight proteins in the range from 14 kDa to 16 kDa exhibited a sensitive and specific immune response to AE patient sera. Partial purification and proteomic analysis indicated that this protein group contained myosin, tubulin polymerization promoting protein, fatty-acid binding protein, uncharacterized DM9, heat shock protein 90 cochaperone tebp P-23, and antigen S. When the serological applicability of recombinant forms of these proteins was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DM9 protein (rEgDM9) showed 90.1% sensitivity (73/81 sera tested) and 94.5% specificity (172/181 sera tested), respectively. rEgDM9 showed weak cross-reactions with patient sera from the transitional and chronic stages of cystic echinococcosis (3 to 5 stages). rEgDM9 would serve as a useful alternative antigen for serodiagnosis of both early- and advanced-stage AE cases.

No abstract available.
Neck*

No abstract available.
Myositis Ossificans* ; Myositis*

Neurilemoma is benign never-sheath tumor which has been described as painless mass and is usually discovered incidentally. It is the most common tumor of peripheral nerve origin and may arise in any nerve where Schwann cells occur. There are few domestic reports which were clinically evaluated in tens of cases of neurilemoma so far. We evaluated on the 56 cases of neurilemoma confined to the trunk and extremities, in the aspect of clinical characteristics, radiology, pathology, EMG, surgical treatment and postoperative results, who were surgically treated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Seoul National University from 1984 to 1994. Among 56 patients, male were 29 and female were 27, and there was no sexual difference. The average age at surgical intervention was 46.4 years (16–83yrs) and 46.4% of patients were in the age of fourties and fifties. The anatomical locations of the tumors were as followed: upper extremities in 22(39%) cases, neck and supraclavicular area in 15(27%) cases, sacrum and lower extremities in 14(25%) cases and trunk in 5(9%) cases. Symptoms were palpable mass in 55 cases, local tenderness in 14, radiating pain in 11, pain in 10, paresthesia in 11, motor weakness in 2 cases. The average follow up period was 19.1 months(13–56 month). Median nerve was involved most frequently(14%), then ulnar nerve(11%). There was no cases which occurred in multiplicity or associated with neurofibromatosis. Marginal excision was done in 51 cases(91%), incisional biopsy only in 4 cases(7%), wide excision in 1 case. The size of the tumors in the longest axis was smaller than 2cm in 9 cases, between 2 and 4cm in 31 cases, between 4 and 6cm in 13 cases and more than 6cm in 3 cases. Malignant change or recurrence was not found in all cases.
Biopsy ; Extremities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Median Nerve ; Neck ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibromatoses ; Orthopedics ; Paresthesia ; Pathology ; Peripheral Nerves ; Recurrence ; Sacrum ; Schwann Cells ; Seoul ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Upper Extremity

No abstract available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Moyamoya Disease*

The cause of osteoporosis are multifactorial; these include aging, immobilization, genetic fsctor, initial bone mass, nulliparity, postmenopause, cigarette, etc. Among them the hormonal factors are very important. It is worthwhile to study the effects of various hormones on bne cells. Authors evaluated the effects of TGB-B, 17-B estradiol, insulin, and human growth hormone as a stimulatory factors, and r-interferon as a inhibitory factor on the MC3T3 osteoblast cells with measurement of cell numbers, osteocalcin and 3[H]-thymidine incorporation. 1. TGF-B was a potent stimulator on ostoblast with increased change in cell morphology (number, size, shape), osteoclacin level and 3[H]-thymidine incorporation in dose depen- dant fashion. 2. 17-B estradiol was also a potent stimulator on osteoblast activity as well as TGF-B except osteoclacin level which w#as not shown in dose dependant fashion. 3. There were little changes on osteoblast with insulin, growth hormone, and r-interferon. Through this study it is confirmed that TGF-B and 17-B estradiol showed marked stimulatory effect on osteoblast cell in vitro.
Aging ; Cell Count ; Estradiol ; Female ; Growth Hormone ; Human Growth Hormone ; Immobilization ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insulin ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Parity ; Postmenopause ; Tobacco Products

No Abstract Available.
Chondrocytes* ; Phenotype*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of C-reactive protein and fetal fibronectin for patients with preterm labor and intact mxmbranes. STUDY DESIGN: The study group was comprised of sixty patients who presented to the Taegu Fatima Hospital between 24-36 gestational weeks who had a diagnosis of preterm labor. The study group underwent assay of C-reactive protein in the matemal serum, and fetal fibronectin from the external os and posterior fomix of the vagina by means of polyester fiber swabs. The study group was categorized to four groups according to the results of CRP and fetal fibronectin, that is 28 cases of CRP(-)/fetal fibronectin(-); group I, 12 cases of CRP(+)/fetal fibronectin (-); groupII, 9 cases of CRP(-)/fetal fibronectin(+); groupIII, 11 cases of CRP(+)/fetal fibronectin(+): grouplV, and the controls were 12 women without preterm labor. Outcome measures were occurrence of preterm delivery, the admission-to-delivery interval, matemal age and parity, fetal body weight, 1min/5min Apgar score, perinatal morbidity and mortality etc. Statistical analyses were performed by means of ANOVA test and Dunnett's t-test. RESULTS: The prevalence of study group were group I 46.7%, group II 20%, group III 15% and group IV 18.3%. There were no significant difference of matemal age, parity and gestational weeks at admission between study group and control group, but in all study group the admission to delivery interval was significantly shorter than that of control group. Analysis indicated also no significant difference of maternal hemoglobin between study group and conuol group but white blood cell count of group II and IV were significantly higher than that of control group. In perinatal outcomes, the mean birth weight and 1 minute Apgar score of study group except group I were significantly lower than those of control group but 5minutes Apgar score was lower only in group IV compared with control group. Perinatal morbidity and mortality of study group were higher than those of control group except group I. This study group was designed to compare the diagnostic performance of cervical fibronectin and of the serum CRP levels. The sensitivity and specificity of fetal fibronectin as a test to predict of preterm labor were 80% and 90%, which were slightly higher than those of CRP(70%, 78%). CONCLUSION: Both positive cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin and positive C-reactive protein in women with preterm uterine contraction can help identify the pregnancies at risk and to select proper management protocol.
Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; C-Reactive Protein ; Daegu ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fetal Weight ; Fibronectins ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Membranes* ; Mortality ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Parity ; Polyesters ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Uterine Contraction ; Vagina