Melanoacanthoma is an extremely rare pigmented benign mixed epithelial tumor of both melanocytes and keratinocytes. A 52-year-old female presented an asymptomatic, slightly elevated, 1. 2 cm x 0. 8 cm, dark black-colored plaque on her right buttock of 2 years' duration. Histopathologic finding of the plaque shows hyperkeratosis, focal parakeratosis, follicular plugging, acanthosih, papillomatosis and pseudo-horn cyst in the epidermis. The tumor is composed of basaloid and squarnous cells with many foci of clusters and whorls of melanin pigment-laden cells. Electron microscopic finding reveals many scattered melanocytes in the entire epidermis. Melanin granules are found mostly in the melanocytes but can also be found in a few keratinocytes.
Buttocks ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Middle Aged ; Papilloma ; Parakeratosis

The authors performed this preliminary study to investigate the effect of softening E.C.T. and propofol was compared to pentothal for induction of anaesthesia for E.C.T on seizure duration. The results were follows ' 1) E.C.T. was performed in 60 psychiatric inpatients who were admitted during the study period. Of them 51.7% were diagnosed as schizophrenia, 21.6% as major depressive disorder, 16.7% as bipolar I disorder, manic and 10% of others. 2) Mean number of E.C.T. was 12.2 times a patient. 3) The most common target symptoms were persecutory delusion in schizophrenia, psychomotor retardation or agitation in major depressive disorder, and violent aggressive behavior in bipolar I disorder, manic. 4) Pre-ECT medication usually used were atropine 0.0093mg kg(-1), pentothal 2.76mg kg(-1) or propofol 1.42mg kg(-1). 5) The duration of seizure, as measured clinically, was reduced with propofol(20.5 sec) in comparison with pentothal(35.7 sec)(p<0.001). This suggest the possibility that additional treatment may be needed for the same clinical effect in psychiatric illness when propofol is used as the induction agent.
Atropine ; Bipolar Disorder ; Delusions ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Dihydroergotamine ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Propofol* ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures* ; Thiopental*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in choroidal thickness and superficial vascular density of the macula and optic disc using optical coherence tomography angiography after laser photocoagulation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 25 eyes of diabetic retinopathy patients who underwent panretinal photocoagulation. The macula and optic disc were divided into nine areas, and the vascular density of each area was quantitatively measured using optical coherence tomography angiography. The changes in vascular density and choroidal thickness were analyzed before laser photocoagulation and at 1 week after, 1 month after, and 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: In the panretinal photocoagulation group, the average vascular densities of the macula were 13.5 ± 3.6 mm⁻¹ before treatment, and 14.7 ± 3.1 mm⁻¹ after 1 week, 13.7 ± 2.6 mm⁻¹ after 1 month, and 12.8 ± 3.8 mm⁻¹ after 3 months of treatment. The average vascular densities of the optic disc were 14.7 ± 5.2 mm⁻¹ before treatment, and 14.1 ± 4.7 mm⁻¹ after 1 week, 14.8 ± 5.3 mm⁻¹ after 1 month, and 15.0 ± 4.7 mm⁻¹ after 3 months of treatment. The average subfoveal choroidal thicknesses were 327.5 ± 57.9 µm before treatment, and 334.4 ± 52.5 µm after 1 week, 291.2 ± 52.9 µm after 1 month, and 286.3 ± 44.4 µm after 3 months of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The vascular density of the macula increased temporarily after 1 week of treatment but decreased afterwards. The vascular density of the optic disc decreased after 1 week of laser treatment but increased over time. The subfoveal choroidal thickness increased after 1 week of laser treatment but decreased afterwards.
Angiography ; Choroid ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Humans ; Light Coagulation ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Kaposi's sarcoma was first descrided by Kaposi in 1872 as an idiopathic multiple hemorrhagic sarcoma. Its clinical features revealed to be erythematous red or purple macule started out, and developing into palpable dome-shaped nodules. Etiology is not defined to detail at present. Kaposi's sarcoma is classified to 4 categories; Classical, African, Epidemic and Transplant type. Epidemic or AIDS categories is found approximately 20 % of all AIDS and has strong predilection for head and neck region. The first case of Kaposi's sarcoma observed in patients with kidney transplants was reported in 1969. Kaposi's sarcoma now accounts for 5% of all tumors associated with transplanted patients and alteration of the immunosuppression may have played a key role in these recipients. The most common site of Kaposi's sarcoma in transplanted patients are extremities but rare in head and neck area. We report a case of Kaposi's sarcoma on the hard palate in the kidney transplantation patient.
Extremities ; Head ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Mouth* ; Neck ; Palate, Hard ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Kaposi*

No abstract available.
Free Tissue Flaps* ; Lower Extremity* ; Soft Tissue Injuries*

A 2-year-old spayed female British Shorthair cat presented with an increased frequency and duration of cough since infant period. Based on radiographic, ultrasonographic, and computed tomography findings, peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia was considered so that repair surgery was planned. During celiotomy, lax diaphragm was identified instead of defect. Transabdominal diaphragmatic plication was performed to resolve lax diaphragm and to prevent recurrence by overlapping relatively normal part of diaphragm. Diagnosed with diaphragmatic eventration postoperatively, the cat showed improvement in clinical signs and imaging results. Transabdominal diaphragmatic plication is a suitable treatment; the patient maintained normally during a 14-month follow-up period.

There have been many trials to decrease the scar formation followed by wound treatment. TGF-beta plays a important role on wound healing in adult. Therefore the repression of TGF-beta expression will be helpful to decrease scar formation. Decorin is known to competitively inhibit TGF-beta expression. Decorin were subcutaneously administered in surgical wounds in rabbits to investgate the preventing effect of scar formation for clinical application. Histologic findings of wound healing progresses is similar with control and experimental group at 2week. 2.5 microgram decorin of administrated group was similar to those of control group at 4 and 8week. In wound healing process 10 microgram decorin of administrated groupsat showed that thickness of immature collagen fibers(scar) was decreased as compared with control group at 4, 8 weeks. 20 microgram decorin of administrated group showed similar histologic features to 10 microgram administrated group. The wounds of 8week experimental group(10, 20 microgram) were completely recovered to the normal surrounding skin tissue including sweat gland and hair follicle. These results suggested that decorin can be of help to the prevention of local scar formation.
Adult ; Cicatrix ; Collagen ; Decorin* ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Rabbits* ; Repression, Psychology ; Skin ; Sweat Glands ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to present our 5-year experience of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) performed by emergency physicians. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 58 patients who underwent ECPR between January 2010 and December 2014. The primary parameter analyzed was survival to hospital discharge. The secondary parameters analyzed were neurologic outcome at hospital discharge, cannulation time, and ECPR-related complications. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (53.4%) were successfully weaned from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and 18 (31.0%) survived to hospital discharge. Twelve patients (20.7%) were discharged with good neurologic outcomes. The median cannulation time was 25.0 min (interquartile range 20.0-31.0 min). Nineteen patients (32.8%) had ECPR-related complications, the most frequent being distal limb ischemia. Regarding the initial presentation, 52 patients (83.9%) collapsed due to a cardiac etiology, and acute myocardial infarction (33/62, 53.2%) was the most common cause of cardiac arrest. CONCLUSIONS: The survival to hospital discharge rate for cardiac arrest patients who underwent ECPR conducted by an emergency physician was within the acceptable limits. The cannulation time and complications following ECPR were comparable to those found in previous studies.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Catheterization ; Emergencies* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Extremities ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Naringenin (NAR) as one of the flavonoids observed in grapefruit has been reported to exhibit an anti-cancer activity. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is associated with apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. This study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which NAR stimulates ATF3 expression and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. NAR reduced the cell viability and induced an apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. ATF3 overexpression increased NAR-mediated cleaved PARP, while ATF3 knockdown attenuated the cleavage of PARP by NAR. NAR increased ATF3 expression in both protein and mRNA level, and increased the luciferase activity of ATF3 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. The responsible region for ATF3 transcriptional activation by NAR is located between -317 and -148 of ATF3 promoter. p38 inhibition blocked NAR-mediated ATF3 expression, its promoter activation and apoptosis. The results suggest that NAR induces apoptosis through p38-dependent ATF3 activation in human colon cancer cells.
Activating Transcription Factor 3 ; Apoptosis* ; Cell Survival ; Citrus paradisi ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Flavonoids ; Humans* ; Luciferases ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptional Activation

Kahweol as a coffee-specific diterpene has been reported to induce apoptosis in human cancer cells. Although some molecular targets for kahweol-mediated apoptosis have been elucidated, the further mechanism for apoptotic effect of kahweol is not known. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) has been reported to be associated with apoptosis in colorectal cancer. The present study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which kahweol stimulates ATF3 expression and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. Kahweol increased apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. It also increased ATF3 expression through the transcriptional activity. The responsible cis-element for ATF3 transcriptional activation by kahweol was CREB located between −147 to −85 of ATF3 promoter. ATF3 overexpression increased kahweol-mediated cleaved PARP, while ATF3 knockdown attenuated the cleavage of PARP by kahweol. Inhibition of ERK1/2 and GSK3β blocked kahweol-mediated ATF3 expression. The results suggest that kahweol induces apoptosis through ATF3-mediated pathway in human colorectal cancer cells.
Activating Transcription Factor 3* ; Apoptosis* ; Coffee* ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans* ; Transcriptional Activation