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.

The coronary arteries of young individuals are histologically studied. Fourteen cases in pediatric age group and three adult hearts were used. No case had clinical and pathological evidences of heart disease. Inner circumference, thickness of tunicae intima, media and adventitia were measured at eight different sites of coronary arteries. The thickness of tunica media was used as a standard scale of cardiac growth, and the heart weight, body weight, height and age were compared with the medial thickness. The morphological changes were assessed in five groups by the heart weights. Group I ( less than 10 gm) showed single endothelial lining with cytoplasmic vacuolization or endothelial denudation. Group II (more than 10 but less than 20 gm) consisted of full term babies and showed first stigma of focal intimal thickening and intimal collagen fibers. Diffuse intimal thickening more than 1/1 of medial thickness was first seen in a case with 46 gm of heart weight. Elastic fiber was not seen in internal elastic laminae of groups I and II. Fragmentation of internal elastic lamina and smooth muscle proliferation as a form of musculoelastic layer were the major findings of intimal thickening in childhood and no case showed complicated atherosclerotic lesions.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Abdominal Pain* ; Child* ; Gastritis* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans

The ligamentum nuchae is a midline structure extending from the occiput to the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. Radio-opaque formations in the soft tissues behind the processes of the cervical spine has been known to radiologists since Barsony's description in 1929. It may actually be a normal sesamoid, or it may have developed as a result of previous trauma. But this remains hypothetical in that histological endochondral ossification sequence has not yet been demonstrated. These are generally asymptomatic and of clinical significance only in so far as they may be confused with fracture or tumors. Two patients who had clinical symptoms with or without previous trauma visited and they were relieved of their clinical symptoms by surgical excision. Then, we report on two unusual cases which were symptomatic.
Humans ; Spine

PSTT has been established as a separate entity distinct from choriocarcinoma since 1983, because of its different morphological features, biologic behavior and response to chemotherapy. Most cases of PSTT have indolent clinical courses, but there have been several reports showing malignant behavior resulted in death of the patient. We report a case of PSTT showing vaginal metastatis. In biopsy specimen, it was difficult to make differential diagnosis from squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix due to uniform and mononuclear cytologic characteristics. Immunohistochemical stains for hPL and hCG were not typical for either PSTT or choriocarcinoma. We suggest that poorly differentiated PSTT may synthesize the lesser amount of hPL than typical PSTT and it may behave more aggressively.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Biopsy

No Abstract Available.
Chondrocytes* ; Phenotype*

BACKGROUND: Traction has often been utilized to treat patients with a herniated lumbar disc. Currently, the most advanced type of traction therapy is non-surgical spinal decompression. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of decompression therapy in patients with a herniated lumbar disc based on clinical findings and symptoms. METHODS: Sixty patients with herniated lumbar discs were included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, a decompression group (n = 30) and a traction group (n = 30). To evaluate the impact of decompression and traction therapy on the herniated disc, the clinical symptoms for each group were evaluated prior to and after treatment using the visual analogue scale (VAS), straight leg raising (SLR), the herniation index, and the disc height. RESULTS: The VAS score was significantly lower in the decompression group (2.0 +/- 0.2) than the traction group (3.9 +/- 0.2) following treatment. In addition, the SLR angle was significantly higher in the decompression group (79 +/- 1.5) than the traction group (63.3 +/- 1.9). The herniation index was significantly lower in the decompression group (217.6 +/- 19.1) than the traction group (259.5 +/- 16.4). Finally, the disc height was not significant differences between pre-treatment and follow-up in two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that decompression therapy for the treatment of patients suffering from a herniated lumbar disc has an effect on the pain, SLR, and herniation indices, not disc heights.
Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Leg ; Stress, Psychological ; Traction

Lipoma is one of the unusual benign breast neoplasms and usually manifests at fatty breast of women at the age of 40 to 60. We experienced a case of large breast lipoma nearly replacing the whole left breast parenchymal tissue with mammographic finding of well-defined radiolucent mass, sonographic finding of hyperechoic mass with disorganized echopattern and computerized tomographic finding of very low attenuation mass, characteristic to adipose tissue, in a young woman of her dense breast.
Adipose Tissue ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Ultrasonography

The authors analyzed clinically the complications of the patients who had strabismus surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan National University from January 1984 to June 1987. The results were as follows; 1. The complications were 50 cases(8.3 %) in 599 patients who had strabismus surgery. 2. The complications were as follows; Prolapse of Tenon's capsule(10 cases), chronic suture granuloma(4 cases), dellen(3 cases), conjunctival cyst(2 cases), suture abscess(1 case), lid fissure anomaly(4 cases), ptosis(1 case), overaction(20 cases), diplopia(2 cases), others(3 cases). 3. The incidence of chronic suture granuloma were 0.7% by use of 6-0 vicryl suture. 4. Prolapse of Tenon's capsule and chronic suture granuloma were much debveloped in resection procedure of non limbal conjunctival approach, but dellen in limbal approach. 5. The incidence of overcorrection were 3.3%, and not different between exotropia and esotropia, and increased as much as the increase of the amount of preoperative deviated angle. 6. No anterior segment ischemia occured in 8 cases of Jensen operation in patient with 6th nerve palsy.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Busan ; Esotropia ; Exotropia ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ischemia ; Ophthalmology ; Polyglactin 910 ; Prolapse ; Strabismus ; Sutures ; Tenon Capsule

BACKGROUND: The brow lift plays an essential role in upper face rejuvenation. The authors designed a new brow lift technique, the endoscope-assisted trichophytic anterior hairline brow lift. It combines the advantages of an endoscopic approach and an anterior hairline approach. This technique was applied to 13 patients with aesthetically excellent results. METHODS: A trichophytic incision line was designed within the fine hairs of the entire anterior hairline and the incision was extended to the temporal hair-bearing scalp. After the incision, most of the procedures were conducted in a similar way to the conventional endoscopic brow lift. Without direct visualization, the dissection was extended down onto the root of the nose and the forehead. An endoscope was used from 2 cm above the supraorbital notch to avoid supraorbital nerve injury. Scars were assessed with the Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale (SBSES) at the time the sutures were removed. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score was checked at postoperative 1-year follow-up. The surgical outcomes for brow position and subjective satisfaction were rated with the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) at postoperative 1-month follow-up. The dermatome of the deep branch of the supraorbital nerve, especially around the hairline, was checked with a two-point discrimination test. RESULTS: From October 2012 through August 2015, 13 endoscope-assisted trichophytic anterior hairline brow lifts were performed. The GAIS score was 1.62 on average. The VAS score was 2.09 on average. No permanent nerve damage has been reported except for 2 cases of temporary paresthesia. These fully recovered at 1-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, we think our technique could be a safe and effective treatment option for brow ptosis patients with a high hairline.
Cicatrix ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Endoscopes ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forehead ; Hair ; Humans ; Nose ; Paresthesia ; Rejuvenation ; Rhytidoplasty ; Scalp ; Sutures