No abstract available.
Erythroblastosis, Fetal* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mothers*

PURPOSE: The authors evaluated the clinical and radiological short-term results of ceramic on ceramic articulation of cementless total hip arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred fourteen patients, with a total of 130 hips were followed for more than 2 years after cementless total hip arthroplasty using ceramic on ceramic articulation (Lima. SPH-C2). The mean age was 58 years, and the mean follow-up period was 3.0 years. The Harris hip score and postoperative hip pain were analyzed clinically. The radiological results were assessed using various radiological indices such as subsidence, cup inclination angle, radiolucent line, endosteal new bone formation and osteolysis. RESULTS: At last follow-up, the average Harris hip score improved from 57.5 points preoperatively to 93 points postoperatively. There were 4 cases (3.0%) of significant hip pain. Radiologically, all stems demonstrated stable fixation. The inclination of the acetabular cup was significantly changed in 4 cases (3%), and was diagnosed as loosened. A radiolucent line was observed around the stem in 5 cases (3.8%), and around the cup in 7 cases (5.4%). Endosteal new bone formation was observed around the stem in 47 cases (36.2%), and around the cup in 52 cases (40.0%). Osteolysis was not observed around the stem and the cup. CONCLUSION: With a minimum follow-up of 2 years, ceramic on ceramic articulation hip arthroplasty demonstrated excellent results on the stem side. However, 4 cases (3.0%) of cup loosening suggest that there is a fixation problem due to the design of the cup.
Acetabulum ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Ceramics* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Osteolysis

Splenic infarction caused by malaria is a rare complication and this is mostly caused by plasmodium falciparum. We report here on a 38 year-old female patient who developed symptomatic splenic infarction that was caused by vivax malaria. She presented with fever and left upper quadrant pain. Computed tomography showed multiple low density areas in the spleen, and the peripheral blood smear revealed plasmodium vivax infestation. We examined for other causes of splenic infarction, but all were negative. This is just the second report of symptomatic splenic infarction that was caused by vivax malaria only. Unlike the previous case, the levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen degradation factor were elevated. This may be related with the hypercoagulable state caused by malaria. Treatment was conservative and the further course was uneventful.
Female ; Fever ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium vivax ; Spleen ; Splenic Infarction

NK/T-cell lymphoma, which often shows an angiocentric growth pattern, is a distinct clinicopathologic entity highly associated with Epstein-Barr virus. The disease is characterized by a destruction of the upper respiratory tract, particularly the nasal cavity, palate and paranasal sinuses. Interestingly, NK/T-cell lymphoma is closely linked to a variety of complications, such as hemophagocytic syndrome, second primary cancer, sepsis and bleeding. Here we report a case of a 50-year-old man diagnosed initially as NK/T-cell lymphoma of the oropharynx and who developed a second primary carcinoma of the hard palate during combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/*pathology/therapy ; Case Report ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Fatal Outcome ; Human ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Lymphoma, T-Cell/*pathology/therapy ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/*pathology/therapy ; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/*pathology/therapy ; Palatal Neoplasms/*pathology/therapy

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the value of intravenous contrast enhanced abdomen-pelvis computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing acute appendicitis and we wanted to determine which patients groups will benefit from preoperative CT. METHODS: Between January and June 2006, the medical records of 354 patients who had clinically suspected acute appendicitis were retrospectively reviewed. Appendectomy was performed in 260 patients and CT was conducted in 108 patients of the 260 patients. The 5mm slice CT scans were evaluated for the presence of appendicitis. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CT were calculated. The negative appendectomy rate (NAR) was compared between the patients with CT scans and those without CT scans. Furthermore, the patients were classified into the children and adults groups and the male and female groups and the differences of the NARs were analyzed for each group. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 95%, 93% and 94%, respectively. The NAR was lower for the patients with a CT scan (12%) compared to 27% for those patients without CT scans (P=0.002). The difference of the NAR between the preoperative CT group and the without CT group was statistically significant for the female (P=0.004) and adult groups (P=0.012) (14% vs 36%, 11% vs 26%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Preoperative intravenous contrast enhanced abdomen-pelvis CT was effective in reducing the negative appendectomy rate in patients who were suspected of having acute appendicitis. Especially, the adults and women benefit more from CT scanning and they had a significantly lower negative appendectomy rate than the children and men, respectively.
Adult ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: The methylation of tumor suppressor genes has been implicated in the development of breast cancer. However, the role of methylation in the progression of cancer is still unclear. In this study, the methylation stati of nine tumor suppressor genes (p14, p16, DAPK, E-cadherin, RASSF1 alpha, TWIST, RAR beta, HIN-1, cyclin D2) in normal, benign, DCIS and invasive cancer tissues were examined, and the methylation patterns in DCIS and hypermethylated genes investigated to see if a change in the methylation status would lead to the development of cancer and progression to an invasive tumor. METHODS: A total of 96 patients, who underwent surgery between March 2003 and March 2005, were retrospectively studied. DNA was extracted from tumor tissues, and the samples examined for aberrant hypermethylation using methylation-specific PCR (MSP). RESULTS: The total number of methylated genes in each tissue type (normal tissues; 2.97+/-1.74, benign tumors; 4.36+/-1.42, DCIS; 5.73+/-1.35, invasive cancers; 5.42+/-2.05) increased with tumor progression (P<0.001). In benign tumors, HIN-1 (83%) was the most frequently methylated gene, but in DCIS, p14 (100%), RASSF (100%) and TWIST (91%) were frequently methylated. In invasive cancer, RAR beta (60%) and p16 (37%) were frequently methylated compared to the other tissue types. In a multivariate study, TWIST was commonly hypermethylated in DCIS and invasive cancer; whereas, RAR beta and p14 were frequently independently hypermethylated in invasive cancers. CONCLUSION: Methylation induced gene silencing appears to affect multiple genes in breast tissues, which increases with cancer progression. TWIST was hypermethylated in both DCIS and invasive cancers; therefore, it was concluded that methylation of the TWIST promoter may be an early event in the development of breast cancer. The hypermethylations of RAR beta and p16 are useful marker for the progression of a DCIS lesion to invasive cancer. The methylation patterns of tumor suppressor genes in DCIS were similar to those found in invasive cancer, but also showed intermediate levels of methylation between benign tumors and invasive cancers.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Cadherins ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating* ; Cyclins ; DNA ; Gene Silencing ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor* ; Humans ; Methylation* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: A mucocele of the appendix is an uncommon pathology, representing 0.2% to 0.3% of all appendix specimens. It is often diagnosed clinically as a result of its ability to cause signs and symptoms similar to those of acute appendicitis. If it is asymptomatic, it is often detected as an incidental finding during ultrasonography, computed tomography, radiographic examination of the gastrointestinal tract, or laparotomy. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical features of mucocele of the appendix. METHODS: We describe 35 cases of mucocele of the appendix diagnosed at Uijeongbu St. Mary's hospital between January 1993 and December 2006. We analyzed demographic, clinical, and pathologic data of all the cases. RESULTS: A total of 12 males and 13 females with mean age of 54.7+/-14.9 years are described. The peak incidence occurred in the seventh decade (34.3%). Sixteen patients presented with symptoms and signs similar to those found in acute appendicitis. Ten patients complained of a palpable mass, 2 patients complained of non-specific abdominal pain, and 7 patients were asymptomatic. Fourteen cases were diagnosed preoperatively, and 3 cases were discovered incidentally. Pathologic examination revealed mucosal hyperplasia in 20% of the cases, cystadenoma in 71%, and cystadenocarcinoma in 9%. The mean age of cystadenocarcinoma patients was older than the mean age of mucosal hyperplasia patients, and the diameter of the appendix was larger in cystadenoma patients than in mucosal hyperplasia patients. CONCLUSION: The preoperative diagnosis of appendiceal mucocele is very important to make in order to facilitate treatment planning and avoid inadvertent rupture of the mucocele during operation. We recommend more diagnostic studies in cases of suspected mucocele. Mucocele of the appendix must be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with pain in the right iliac fossa, patients older than 40 years of age, patients suffering from long-term symptoms, and patient with a palpable mass in the right iliac fossa.
Abdominal Pain ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Cystadenocarcinoma ; Cystadenoma ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Incidental Findings ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Mucocele ; Rupture ; Stress, Psychological ; Tomography, X-Ray

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenomas are rare tumors that are almost always found in women. They are similar to ovarian originated mucinous cystadenoma, but there is no any other evidence of an ovarian origin for primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenomas. A 33-year-old woman with complaints of RLQ pain was found to have a cystic mass in the right retroperitoneal space on her abdominal CT scan. The histological diagnosis was confirmed as primary mucinous cystadenoma. We report here on a case of retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma, and we also talk about this tumor, including its histogenesis, through a review of the available literature.
Adult ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; Female ; Humans ; Mucins ; Retroperitoneal Space

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many previously published articles have reported poor outcomes for young patients with colorectal cancer as compared to that of older patients with colorectal cancer. However, these studies have tended to be small and have various biases. This study was retrospectively designed to determine the clinical course and survival rate of young patient with colorectal cancer. METHODS: All the patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at Hanyang University Hospital between 1995 and 2001 were identified. These patients were assigned to two age groups: the 45 years old and below 45 years old group (123 patients) and the group over the age of 45 (421 patients). RESULTS: The size of the tumor mass was significantly larger in the young group. There were no significant differences between the two groups for the stage at the time of diagnosis, the differentiation, the degree of lymph node involvement, the cancer location and the gross finding. The median cancer specific survival time was worse for the old group as compared with that of the young group. Age, differentiation, lymph node involvement and the Duke stage were the significant prognostic factors on univariate analysis. Age and the Duke stage were the independent prognostic factors that were significantly correlated with survival on the multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to prior reports, younger patients with colorectal cancer appear to have a better survival rate than that of older patients with colorectal cancer.
Aged ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

In females, a small evagination of parietal peritoneum accompanies the round ligament through the inguinal ring into the inguinal canal and is called the canal of Nuck; it is homologous to the process vaginalis in males. If it fails to undergo complete obliteration, an indirect inguinal hernia or a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck can occur. We report three cases of this rare developmental disorder, discuss the CT findings and its use in the diagnosis of a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.
Female ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Inguinal Canal ; Male ; Peritoneum ; Round Ligament of Uterus ; Round Ligaments