No abstract available.
Leriche Syndrome*

Pigmented(melanotic) schwannoma is a very rare variant of schwannoma that characteristically has massive cytoplasmic melanin. Since it was described in 1946 by Bjorneboe, about 44 cases have been reported in the English literature. It has a relatively benign clinical course, but the cases arising in the cranial nerve and sympathetic chain show aggressive behavior with malignant potential. We herein report a typical case of pigmented schwannoma with light microscopic findings. The results of immunohistochemical and electronmicroscopic study are also presented. The patient was a 30 year-old Korean male who had a mass in his posterior neck for 10 years that recently.began to induce neurologic manifestations. The tumor, which was mainly in the extramedullary intradural space of the cervical canal extending to the extradural space and soft tissues of the neck, was relatively well defined and composed of black solid tissue. Microscopic, densely pigmented spindle cells forming fascicles, nuclear palisading, whorling and polygonal cells with vacuolated or clear cytoplasm were characteristic. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, S-100 protein, and HMB-45. Electron microscopic study revealed that the tumor cells have interdigitating cytoplasmic processes containing varying stages of melanosomes with a very focal basal lamina and Luse body like collagen bundles.
Male ; Humans

Since the renal epidermoid cyst is too rare, the mechanisms of squamous morphogenesis have not well characterized. A 73-year-old female was referred with an incidentally detected renal pelvis mass. Abdominopelvic computed tomography scan revealed a noncalcified soft tissue mass in the renal pelvis. Total nephroureterectomy was performed under the impression of a renal pelvis malignancy. The patient was discharged without postoperative complication. The outer surface of mass lesion was lined with urothelia and squamous epithelia, containing keratinous materials. The urothelia were positively stained against uroplakin II and cytokeratin 7, whereas almost of the squamous epithelia were negative with uroplakin II. The two different epithelia were generally sharply demarcated. Interestingly, some part of squamous epithelia contained uroplakin-positive and many more cytokeratin 7-positive cells. The atypical clinical features in our case can reconsider the diagnostic clues of renal epidermoid cysts that have been reported before, and the unique immunohistochemical results may understand the histogenetic implications of the lesion.
Epidermal Cyst ; Female ; Humans ; Keratin-7 ; Keratins ; Kidney ; Kidney Pelvis ; Morphogenesis ; Postoperative Complications ; Uroplakin II ; Uroplakins

No abstract available.
Sympathectomy

BACKGROUND: Stress has been recognized as a risk factor to various disorders including peptic ulcer disease. Life events are universal which everybody experiences. This study was done to find out whether stressful life events have a role in the development and exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and non-ulcer dyspepsia(NUD) comparing Lee's life stress scale between patients with gastroscopically proven PUD and NUD and those of control. METHODS: On hundred twenty two patients with PUD were studied at our institution from February 1, 1997 to June 30, 1997. Patients who experienced abdominal discomfort and found to have normal or chronic superficial gastritis by gastroscopic exam during the same period were selected for NUD group. Controls were selected from asymptomatic individuals who underwent upper gastrointestinal series procedure for a health screening. Stressful life events investigated were total, positive, and negative stresses measured by Lee's life stress scale(98 items), marital status, level of education, income, occupation, religion, history of cigarette smoking, and the amount of alcoholic consumption and were compared between the three groups. The data were analyzed by one way ANOVA and chi-square test. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in total, positive, and negative stress scores between PUD group and NUD group, although they were significantly higher in PUD and NUD groups than those of the control group(p<0.05). Also statistically significant difference in income and occupation, tests and school, problems associated children and familial conflict were found between PUD group and the control group(p<0.05), as well as between NUD group and the control group(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Stressful life events were associated with development of PUD and NUD.
Alcoholics ; Child ; Dyspepsia* ; Education ; Gastritis ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Mass Screening ; Occupations ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Stress, Psychological ; Ulcer*

BACKGROUND: Several investigations have studied hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) during endotoxemia and there is an increase in nitric oxide (NO) in pulmonary vessels. However, these studies yielded conflicting or at times contradictory results, since reference has been made to both enhancement and inhibition of HPV. Our objective was to determine the changes of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction on the isolated blood-perfused lung of endotoxemic rats. METHODS: Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) was measured in a blood-perfused lung preparation from Sprague-Dawley rats in normoxia (21% O2, 5% CO2, balanced N2) and hypoxia (5% O2, 5% CO2, balanced N2). We studied the effect of normoxia and hypoxia in a control group, Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide group (LPS) and LPS with N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester group (L-NAME). RESULTS: The Baseline PAP was higher in LPS (15.0+/-4.0 mmHg) compared with control group (10.9+/-2.9 mmHg) and L-NAME (11.1+/-3.6 mmHg). In hypoxia, HPV was higher in L-NAME (109.6+/-100.2%) compared with control group (59.9+/-31.6%) and LPS (58.8+/-33.8%)(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that NO is an important factor to impair HPV during endotoxemia.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Arterial Pressure ; Endotoxemia ; Escherichia coli ; Lung* ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasoconstriction*

No Abstract Available.
Cadaver* ; Humans* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine*

OBJECTIVE: This is a retrospective review of 22 surgically treated benign and malignant tumors of brachial plexus region to describe clinical presentation, the characteristics of brachial plexus tumor and clinical outcomes with a literature review. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with consecutive 22 surgeries for primary brachial plexus tumors were enrolled between February 2002 and November 2011 were included in this study. The medical records of all patients were reviewed. RESULTS: Eleven male and 10 female patients were enrolled. Mean age was 39 years. Three patients had brachial plexus tumor associated with neurofibromatosis (13.6%). Presenting signs and symptoms included parenthesis and numbness (54.5%), radiating pain (22.7%), direct tenderness and pain (27.2%), palpable mass (77.3%). Twelve patients presented preoperative sensory deficit (54.5%) and 9 patients presented preoperative motor deficit (40.9%). Twenty tumors (90.9%) were benign and 2 tumors (9.1%) were malignant. Benign tumors included 15 schwannomas (68.2%), 4 neurofibromas (18.2%) and 1 granular cell tumor (4.5%). There were 1 malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) and 1 malignant granular cell tumor. Gross total resection was achieved in 16 patients (72.7%), including all schwannomas, 1 neurofibroma. Subtotal resection was performed in 6 tumors (27.3%), including 3 neurofibromatosis associated with brachial plexus neurofibromas, 1 MPNST and 2 granular cell tumor in one patient. CONCLUSION: Resection of tumor is the choice of tumor in the most of benign and malignant brachial plexus tumors. Postoperative outcomes are related to grade of resection at surgery and pathological features of tumor.
Brachial Plexus ; Female ; Granular Cell Tumor ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses ; Peripheral Nerves ; Retrospective Studies

Various immune cells participate in repair and regeneration following tissue injury or damage, orchestrating tissue inflammation and regeneration processes. A deeper understanding of the immune system’s involvement in tissue repair and regeneration is critical for the development of successful reparatory and regenerative strategies. Here we review recent technologies that facilitate cell-based and biomaterial-based modulation of the immune systems for tissue repair and regeneration. First, we summarize the roles of various types of immune cells in tissue repair. Second, we review the principle, examples, and limitations of regulatory T (Treg) cell-based therapy, a representative cell-based immunotherapy.Finally, we discuss biomaterial-based immunotherapy strategies that aim to modulate immune cells using various biomaterials for tissue repair and regeneration.