Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is characterized by cerebral white matter lesions associated with chronic alcoholism. Premortem diagnosis of MBD is usually based on history and clinical manifestations. We report a case of acute MBD in which diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) showed high signal intensities along the white matter including the corpus callosum. DWI may be useful in premortem diagnosis of acute MBD.
Alcoholism ; Corpus Callosum ; Diffusion ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Marchiafava-Bignami Disease

Isolation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fully differentiated somatic cells has revolutionized existing concepts of cell differentiation and stem cells. Importantly, iPSCs generated from somatic cells of patients can be used to model different types of human diseases. They may also serve as autologous cell sources that can be used in transplantation therapy. In this study, we investigated the neuronal properties of an iPSC line that is derived from human neonatal foreskin fibroblasts (FS-1). We initially examined the morphology and marker expression of FS-1 cells at undifferentiated stage. We then spontaneously differentiated FS-1 cells in suspension culture and examined the expression of markers representing three germ layers. We finally differentiated FS-1 cells into neuronal lineages by co-culturing them with PA6 stromal cells, and found that, under the conditions we used, they have a tendency to differentiate into more forebrain-type neurons, suggesting that FS-1 iPSC-derived neural cells will be useful to be used in cell therapy of stroke or Huntington's disease, among others. Taken together, FS-1 cells derived from human neonatal fibroblasts exhibit very similar properties with human ES cells, and can provide useful sources for cell therapy and various other applications.
Cell Differentiation ; Fibroblasts ; Foreskin ; Germ Layers ; Humans ; Huntington Disease ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Infant, Newborn ; Neurons ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Stem Cells ; Stroke ; Stromal Cells ; Tissue Therapy ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Venous Thrombosis

PURPOSE: We conducted this research to make an earlier diagnosis and identify better treatment for Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) by comparing clinical findings with nonspecifically enlarged cervical lymph nodes in children. METHODS: Nineteen patients were diagnosed with KFD by tissue pathology from a fine needle aspiration biopsy and/or excisional biopsy and were compared with the clinical, radiological, and pathological findings of reactive hyperplasia. RESULTS: The average onset age of onset for patients with KFD was 11.8+/-3.61 years, and the male to female ratio was 1:1.1, whereas patients with reactive hyperplasia were 11.8+/-5.96 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.7:1. Patients with KFD suffered more from fever than patients with reactive hyperplasia (68% vs. 13%, P=0.002). Patients with KFD showed perinodal infiltration (P=0.001) and necrosis on computed tomography, whereas patients with reactive hyperplasia did not show any of these findings. Ultrasonographic findings were similar between the two study groups. In contrast, the histopathological examinations of biopsied cervical lymph nodes were enormously helpful for distinguishing the findings of KFD from those of patients with reactive hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: We recommend a histopathological examination to distinguish KFD from reactive hyperplasia in children with significantly enlarged cervical lymph nodes.
Age of Onset ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Child ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphadenitis ; Male ; Necrosis

Polymyositis is characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness, nonsuppurative inflammation of striated skeletal muscle, an elevation of muscle enzymes, and abnormality of electromyographical changes, but its pathogenesis is not clear. In recent years, there has been an increased awareness of the association of malignant tumors with this disorder. Still, the relationship between polymyositis and a malignant tumor remain obscure. Some researchers have suggested that the cause of polymyositis may be due to an autoimmune response induced by aviral infection. However, a chronic hepatitis B virus infection associated with polymyositis is very rare. We present in this report a rare case of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma associated with polymyositis and chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
Autoimmunity ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Inflammation ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Polymyositis*

Spontaneous internal biliary fistulas are not an uncommon complication of primary biliary disease. Almost 90% of the abnormal biliary-enteric communications between the gallbladder and the duodenum are caused by perforation via gallstones into an otherwise normal duodenum. However, biliary-enteric communications that are caused by primary duodenal ulcer disease are much less common. We experienced a case of duodenal peptic ulcer disease that perforated into the common bile duct in a 45-year-old woman.
Biliary Fistula ; Common Bile Duct ; Duodenal Ulcer* ; Duodenum ; Female ; Fistula* ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer

BACKGROUND: Steroid injections are commonly used in pain clinics to relieve pain and treat inflammation. In Korea, these steroid injections are well known as ‘ppyeojusa’, which means to inject into the bone in Korean. Some patients often have a negative perception of this treatment method due to inaccurate information about the treatment and side effects of steroids. The purpose of this study is to investigate patients’ perception and knowledge of ppyeojusa. METHODS: A questionnaire about ppyeojusa was completed by patients who visited one of the pain clinics in nine university hospitals, from August 1 to September 10, 2017. RESULTS: Three-hundred seventy-four patients completed the survey. Eighty-five percent of patients had had ppyeojusa, and 74% of the respondents had heard of ppyeojusa from the mass media, friends or relatives. Only 39% of the patients answered that this injection was safe without side effects if properly spaced. Of the patients surveyed, 21% responded that ppyeojusa are “injections into the bone”; while 15% responded that ppyeojusa are “terrible injections that melted ‘the bone if used a lot’”. Half of the patients did not know what the active constituent is in ppyeojusa. If steroid injections are advised by the pain specialists, 89% of the patients would consent. CONCLUSIONS: Most pain clinic patients have heard of ppyeojusa. Most patients obtained information about ppyeojusa from mass media, rather than their physicians. Therefore, it is likely that most patients have inaccurate knowledge.
Friends ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Mass Media ; Methods ; Pain Clinics ; Specialization ; Steroids ; Surveys and Questionnaires

According to the author's request, in this paper, the eighth author's (Bong-Seong Kim) affiliation should be corrected.

PURPOSE: There are a number of reports suggesting that widespread propagation of weeds and high concentration of weed pollen have been contributed to climate change. We investigated the interrelationship between allergenic pollen concentration, allergic symptom and meteorological factor. METHODS: We collected data of pollen concentration and meteorological factors in 7 stations nationwide during between 1998 and 2012. We recruited total 297 allergic patients sensitized to weed pollens from each station, conducted a survey about allergic symptom, and calculated symptom index. We surveyed the vegetation area of ragweed and Japanese hop. Based on these data, we performed the long-term trend analysis (X11-ARIMA, autoregressive integrated moving average) on regional pollen concentration, and correlation analysis to investigate the interrelation between weed pollen concentration, allery symptom index and meteorological factor. We have also done regression analysis on vegetation area and maximal pollen concentration. RESULTS: Long-term trend analysis showed the increasing trend of pllen concentration in Seoul. Weed pollen concentration, allergy symptom index and each meteorological factor were not correlated significantly. Regression analysis revealed that increase of weed vegetation area results in increase of weed pollen concentration. Through this regression equation, we estimated the vegetation area that can product pollen concentration triggering allergenic risk. CONCLUSION: Meteorological factors, pollen concentration and allergic symptoms should be consistently assessed and the relationship between each factor should be analyzed, considering climate change. It is necessary to verify the equation for pollen estimation by vegetation area and set up a policy for vegetation control focused on the reduction of allergenic pollen.
Ambrosia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Climate Change ; Humans ; Humulus ; Hypersensitivity ; Meteorological Concepts ; Plant Weeds ; Pollen ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal* ; Seoul

Although adenocarcinoma is a well known complication of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, primary gastrointestinal lymphoma occurring in Crohn's disease is rare. A 40-year-old man with 10 year-history of Crohn's disease had multiple longitudinal ulcerative lesions on descending colon in follow-up colonoscopic examination. Microscopic examination of proximal descending colon revealed peripheral T cell lymphoma and other site of the descending colon was consistent with Crohn's disease. The patient reached complete remission of malignant lymphoma after three cycles of combined chemotherapy. He has been well for 10 months with sulfasalazine maintenance therapy but was admitted to the hospital due to spontaneous bowel perforation of ascending colon. Right hemicolectomy was done, but the patient died of post-surgical recurrent mesenteric abscess and sepsis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma complicating Crohn's disease in Korea which was confirmed by immunohistochemical studies.
Adult ; Colonic Neoplasms/*complications/pathology ; Crohn Disease/*complications ; Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell/*complications/pathology ; Male