The proposed factors that affect the prognosis of osteosarcoma are the patient's age, site and size of the primary lesion, pathologic features(type and grade), duration of symptoms, spread of disease (local or regional extension, distant metastasis) at diagnosis, the patient's sex, serum alkaline phos- phatase(ALP) and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) levels, chromosomal number or DNA index, response to initial chemotherapy, location of the lesion on the bone, presence or absence of pathologic fracture, and mode of therapy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that affect the 5-year survival rates of osteosarcoma. Total 25 patients were included in this study who had treated form Jan. 1988 to Apr. 1994. The overall 5-year survival rate of 25 patients was 65.43%, and the 5-year survival rates were sig- nificantly higher(P < 0.1) in the groups in which limb salvage operation with neoadjuvant chemothera- py were performed(66.67%), with longer duration of symptoms(>2 months; 83.33%), with lower serum level of LDH( < 300 U/L; 100%), and with smaller mass size( < 10cm; 72.92%). However there were no significant differences in the 5-year survival rates according to age and sex of the patients. We also suggest that the better prognosis will be observed in the patients with the favorable radiologic response to the preoperative chemotherapy.
Diagnosis ; DNA ; Drug Therapy ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Humans ; Limb Salvage ; Osteosarcoma ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: We created an 'AAPM TG18 Evaluation Tool' and we determined its usefulness for the quality control of a diagnostic monitor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We created an evaluation tool (the AAPM TG18) for conducting quality control of a diagnostic monitor, and we evaluated the measurement items of the AAPM TG18 evaluation tool. The measurement items were geometric distortion, fixed quantity assessment and visual assessment of the veiling glare, and we carried out adjustment for the luminance meter 0% calibration, which was used to revise the diagnostic monitor DICOM LUT. RESULTS: With the AAPM TG18 Evaluation Tool, we measured the 2-dimensional length when evaluating the quantitative geometric distortions in the TG18-QC test pattern, and we measured the veiling-glare ring response function, which provided information regarding the spatial extent of the luminance spread, and this measurement of the can be performed using the TG18-GV pattern. Additionally, the AAPM TG18 Evaluation Tool can be used for sensor calibration to standardize the basic rate of 0% luminance when performing periodic calibration. CONCLUSION: The evaluation tool is a very useful for easily evaluating many of the examination items of the AAPM TG18 for performing quality control of a diagnostic monitor.
Calibration ; Computer Terminals ; Glare ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Quality Control ; Radiology Information Systems ; Total Quality Management

Skip lesion is not uncommon feature in osteosarcoma and considered to be importantly associated with poor prognosis factor, and thus, should be excised with the main mass. The accurate pre-operative evaluation of the intramedullary extent of osteosarcoma is essential, because it determines the level of bone resection. Among the reliable detection methods, bone scan has a drawback of high rate of false negative results and regional MRI has a difficulty to cover the whole involved lesions without clinical suspicion. The authors report a case of osteosarcoma of the distal femur with a proximal skip lesion that was not detected by either regional MR imaging or by bone scan, but which was visualized by FDG-PET/CT.
Complement System Proteins ; Femur ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteosarcoma ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: To develop a novel, simplified method for correcting the ischemic index of nonperfused areas in diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 103 eyes with naive DR that underwent ultra-widefield angiography (UWFA) over a year. UWFAs were graded according to the quantity of retinal non-perfusion, and uncorrected ischemic index (UII) and corrected ischemic index (CII) were calculated using a simplified, novel method. RESULTS: The average differences between UII and CII in the non-proliferative DR group and the proliferative DR group were 0.7 +/- 0.9% in the <25% CII group, 3.0 +/- 0.9% in the 25% to 49.9% CII group, and 3.6 +/- 0.6% in the >50% CII group, respectively. A CII >25% was critical for determining DR progression (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Distortion created by UWFA needs to be corrected because the difference between UII and CII in DR increases with the ischemic index.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Diabetic Retinopathy/*diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography/*methods ; Humans ; Ischemia/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retinal Vein/pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: To develop a novel, simplified method for correcting the ischemic index of nonperfused areas in diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 103 eyes with naive DR that underwent ultra-widefield angiography (UWFA) over a year. UWFAs were graded according to the quantity of retinal non-perfusion, and uncorrected ischemic index (UII) and corrected ischemic index (CII) were calculated using a simplified, novel method. RESULTS: The average differences between UII and CII in the non-proliferative DR group and the proliferative DR group were 0.7 +/- 0.9% in the <25% CII group, 3.0 +/- 0.9% in the 25% to 49.9% CII group, and 3.6 +/- 0.6% in the >50% CII group, respectively. A CII >25% was critical for determining DR progression (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Distortion created by UWFA needs to be corrected because the difference between UII and CII in DR increases with the ischemic index.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Diabetic Retinopathy/*diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography/*methods ; Humans ; Ischemia/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retinal Vein/pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Blood Banks*

Distortion of vowels in dysarthria associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can be detected at the perceptual, physiological, and acoustical levels of analysis. Sound spectrography was used to analyse the formants of vowels which reflect position and space of articulatory organs. We analyse status and progression of dysarthria in 54 year old women with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using sound spectrography. Target formant frequencies were measured from select words containing the vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. Results revealed that dysarthric patient exhibited smaller vowel space areas and less systematic changes in vowel spaces for pronouncing different vowels in comparison with normal control. Changes of vowel formants in sound spectrographic analysis reflected progression of dysarthric symptom in this patient. We conclude that acoustic analysis of vowels using sound spectrography is a useful tool to visualize and quantitatively analyse the severity and progression of dysarthria due to paralytic articulatory organ.
Acoustics ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; Bulbar Palsy, Progressive* ; Dysarthria ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Sound Spectrography*

Hemangiomas are rare, benign vascular neoplasms that are more common in patients with end-stage renal disease. Here, we describe 2 cases of hemangioma misdiagnosed as renal cell carcinoma before renal transplantation. The key finding in our case was the misdiagnosis of hemangiomas as renal cell carcinoma based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with end-stage renal disease. Because living transplantation was planned for our patients, we performed rapid surgical resection of the heterogeneously enhancing renal masses to avoid delays in transplantation. Our case highlights the importance of rapid surgical resection of enhanced renal masses to confirm diagnosis, thereby avoiding delays in patients scheduled for renal transplantation.

Hemangiomas are rare, benign vascular neoplasms that are more common in patients with end-stage renal disease. Here, we describe 2 cases of hemangioma misdiagnosed as renal cell carcinoma before renal transplantation. The key finding in our case was the misdiagnosis of hemangiomas as renal cell carcinoma based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with end-stage renal disease. Because living transplantation was planned for our patients, we performed rapid surgical resection of the heterogeneously enhancing renal masses to avoid delays in transplantation. Our case highlights the importance of rapid surgical resection of enhanced renal masses to confirm diagnosis, thereby avoiding delays in patients scheduled for renal transplantation.

Hemangiomas are rare, benign vascular neoplasms that are more common in patients with end-stage renal disease. Here, we describe 2 cases of hemangioma misdiagnosed as renal cell carcinoma before renal transplantation. The key finding in our case was the misdiagnosis of hemangiomas as renal cell carcinoma based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with end-stage renal disease. Because living transplantation was planned for our patients, we performed rapid surgical resection of the heterogeneously enhancing renal masses to avoid delays in transplantation. Our case highlights the importance of rapid surgical resection of enhanced renal masses to confirm diagnosis, thereby avoiding delays in patients scheduled for renal transplantation.