Diabetes insipidus(DI) of central origin is a clinical syndrome resulting from low blood levels of antidiuretic hormone secreted from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, which is usually caused by lesions involving the hypothalamus-neurohypophyseal axis. MR imaging can reveal absence of the posterior pituitary bright signal(PPBS)in DI. The authors reviewed four patients with intracranial germinomas who had DI due to hypothalamus involvement. All patients before radiotherapy revealed absence of PPBS on MRI. Three cases recovered from DI after radiotherapy and showed reappearance of PPBS. Another one patients who continued DI didn't show signal change of the posterior pituitary gland. Ws speculated that the reappearance of PPBS is related to clinical improvement of DI.
Diabetes Insipidus* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Germinoma* ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Radiotherapy*

Angiosarcomas are rare tumors that are derived from vascular endothelial cells. They may occur in various sites, including the skin, breast, visceral organs and deep soft tissues. The pleura usually a metastatic site from angiosarcomas. However, thirty one cases of primary pleural angiosarcomas have been reported worldwide. Here, we report a 61-year-old man with a primary angiosarcoma of the pleura with a brief review of the literature.
Breast ; Endothelial Cells ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pleura* ; Skin

A wide range of denomination has been used for inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT). IMT is not entirely homogeneous, even though it shows some overlapping histologic features such as haphazard proliferation of spindle cell and polymorphic chronic inflammatory cell infiltraion. The spindle cell is considered to be of myofibroblastic origin but follicular dendritic cell origin was reported recently. IMT is known as nonneoplastic, aberrant inflammatory response. However, IMT could show local invasion, recurrence, vascular invasion, and malignant transformation, and clonal characteristics and aneuploidy of IMT support the hypothesis that IMT may be a neoplastic process. In order to define the nature of spindle cell of IMT, immunohistochemical stains for smooth muscle actin (SMA), vimentin (VMT), lysozyme, S-100 protein, cytokeratin, CD21 were done. Additional immunohistochemical stains for MIB-1 for proliferating activity and LMP (latent membrane protein) for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were done. IMTs were composed of each 2 cases from lung, liver and lymph node and one case from common bile duct, maxillary sinus, bladder and thigh, and were histologically subclassified according to Coffin et al. Nine cases (90%) were positive for SMA and VMT, but no correlation between SMA and VMT immunoreactivity and histologic types was identified. Five cases (50%) were positive for lysozyme and S-100 protein, and histologic type III was negative for lysozyme and S-100 protein, and immunoreactivity for S-100 protein was different according to the histologic subtypes. All 11 cases were negative for CD21 and EBV LMP. MIB-1 labelling index was less than 1% in all cases. In summary, the spindle cell is regarded as myofibroblastic origin rather than follicular dendritic cell origin. Relationship with EBV is not clear, and negligible MIB-1 reaction suggests that IMT might have a good prognosis.
Actins ; Aneuploidy ; Coloring Agents ; Common Bile Duct ; Dendritic Cells, Follicular ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Maxillary Sinus ; Membranes ; Muramidase ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myofibroblasts* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; S100 Proteins ; Thigh ; Urinary Bladder ; Vimentin

Three-dimensional CT imaging is efficient in examining specific structures in the craniofacial area by reproducing actual measurements through minimization of errors from patient movement and image magnification. Due to the rapid development of digital image technology and the expansion of treatment range a need for developing three-dimensional analysis has become urgent. Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate the percentage of error and magnification of three-dimensional CT using a dried skull and Vworks programTM (Cybermed Inc., Seoul, Korea) and also to obtain landmarks that are easy to designate and reproduce in three-dimensional images using the Vmorph-proto programTM (Cybermed Inc., Seoul, Korea). The following conclusions were obtained; 1. In the comparison of actual measurements from the dried skull and the three-dimensional image obtained from the Vworks program, the mean error was 0.99mm and the magnification was 1.04%. 2. Clinically useful hard tissue landmarks from three-dimensional images were Supraorbitale, Lateral orbital margin, Infraorbitale, Nasion, ANS, A point, Zygomaticomaxilla, Upper incisor, Lower incisor, B point, pogonion, Menton, PNS, Condylar inner margin, Condylar outer margin, Porion, Condylion, Gonion1, Gonion2, Gonion3, Sigmoid notch and Basion. 3. Clinically useful soft tissue landmarks from three-dimensional images were Endocanthion, Exocanthion, Soft tissue Nasion, Pronasale, Alare lateralis, Upper nostril point, Lower nostril point, Subnasale, Upper lip point, Cheilion, Stomion, Lower lip center, Soft tissue B, Pogonion, Menton and Preaurale. The Vworks program can be considered a clinically efficient tool to produce and measure three-dimensional images. Most of the hard and soft tissue landmarks proposed above are anatomically important points which are also easily reproducible and designated. These landmarks can be beneficial in three-dimensional diagnosis and the prediction of changes before and after surgery.
Colon, Sigmoid ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Incisor ; Lip ; Orbit ; Seoul ; Skull

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is classically defined as a reversible obstruction and hypsrresponsiveness of the airway attributed to an inflammatory process. However, some individuals with asthma show an irreversible component of airflow obstruction. It may be associated with structural changes in the airway resulting from severe or long standing air- way inflammation and remodelling. OBJECTIVE: The study was undertaken to compare the clinical characteristics of patient and airway remodelling as shown in bronchial wall thickness in HRCT according to the duration of asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was done on 119 patients with bronchial asthma, who had been admitted to Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. Patients were divided to three groups according to disease duration and, clinical characteristics, pulmonary function test and HRCT were done. RESULTS: Basal FEV, and FVC was significantly lower in patient with longer duration. (p<0. 05) However pulmonary function was improved regardless of disease duration after 2 weeks steroid and bronchodilator therapy, and there was no significant difference in level changes according to the disease duration. The inner diameter of the bronchi and thickness of the bronchial wall at segmental and subsegmental bronchi increased significantly in patient with longer duration of asthma(p<0.05). Conclusion: These findings showed that airway remodelling was more extensive in patients with longer duration of disease resulting in decreased pulmonary function. These facts suggested that early anti-inflammatory therapy would be helpful for prevention of airway remodelling.
Airway Remodeling* ; Asthma* ; Bronchi ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Retrospective Studies

Endothelial cell have been shown to play an active role in many phases of immunologic process, including binding of T lymphocytes, neutrophils, platelets, and monocytes to the endothelium, as well as phagocytosis. Endothelial cells can also serve as targets that undergo cell injury. The most prominent mediators of endothelial cell activation are IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. VLA-4 was first identified as an endothelial cell surface receptor. We performed the culture of endothelial cells derived from human glomerular capillaries and studied the cytokine-regulated expression of VCAM-1, and the effect of dexamethasone and TGF-beta on the cytokine induced VCAM-1 expression using ELISA method. Expression of VCAM-1 was not detectable above background level in the basal unstimulated state. However, VCAM-1 was rapidly induced after exposure to IL-1beta (5ng/ml) or TNF-alpha (1, 10ng/ml) (O.D.=1.76+/-0.15, 1.95+/-0.35, 1.88+/-0.17, mean+/-S.E., control=0.36+/-0.028, n=8-24, P<0.05). But IFN-gamma did not increase the expression of VCAM-1. Addition of dexamethasone (10 micrometer) and TGF-beta1 (1ng, 10ng/ml) blunted IL-1beta and TNF-alpha induced expression of VCAM-1. Therefore, VCAM-1 could be inducible in human glomerular endothelial cells, and it was regulated by dexamethasone and TGF-beta1. The negative findings in histopathology may reflect the transience of VCAM-1 expression and does not necessarily exclude an important role of this molecule in the early stages of renal disease.
Capillaries ; Dexamethasone* ; Endothelial Cells* ; Endothelium ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Integrin alpha4beta1 ; Monocytes ; Neutrophils ; Phagocytosis ; T-Lymphocytes ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1*

Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the colon and rectum has been reported to have a low incidence and aggressive progression; it is frequently misdiagnosed and its treatment is not well documented. Four NET cases were collected at our hospital during the previous year of a colon cancer survey. Endoscopic mucosal biopsy of the colon was done for each case and all the cases proved to be adenocarcinomas. Curative surgery was conducted after the preoperative diagnostic and staging evaluation was completed. The locations of the primary lesions of the patients were all different; cecum, ascending colon, splenic flexure colon and sigmoid colon. The disease was advanced in all cases and the first postoperative diagnosis was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical tests followed and all the cases were positive for chromogranin A staining. A retrospective study was then conducted.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Cecum ; Chromogranin A ; Colon* ; Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neuroendocrine Tumors* ; Rectum ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was performed to evaluate postoperative mortality within 30 days following surgery. METHODS: The records of 31,806 patients who received operation under general anesthesia were reviewed. RESULTS: 1) Postoperative deaths were 184 cases, the ratio of which was comprising 0.57% of all surgical operative cases. 2) The highest ratio of the mortality in age group was 51~60 years group which was 24.5%, and in physical status it was ASA class III which was 36.4%. The highest ratio to the mortality rate in postoperative days was 8~30 days which was 45.1%. 3) The most common causes of death was low cardiac output due to heart failure on operating theater, and hypovolemic shock within postoperative 2 days, and intracranial problem within postoperative 7 days, and pulmonary complication within postoperative 30 days. CONCLUSION: We conclude that fatality rate could be decreased by intensive and multidisciplinary care for postoperaive complications as respiratory and renal failure.
Anesthesia, General ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Cause of Death ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Mortality ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock

No abstract available.

The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of color Doppler scoring system in characterization of ovarian masses. We performed transabdominal or transvaginal color Doppler sonopaphy on 82 women with ovarian masses and analyzed the sonographic findings. Ovarian lesions were assessed by means of morphological and color Doppler scoring system by Kurjak. Tumors were characterized by ultrasonographic findings as benign or suspected of being malignant. Then the results of each scoring systems were correlated with histopathological findings. The results were as follows; Of 82 ovarian masses, 64 were benign lesions(13 mucinous cystadenomas, 16 endometriomas, 20 teratomas, 8 serous cystadenomas, and 13 other abnormalities), and 18 were malignant(12 cancers and 6 borderline tumors). The color Doppler scoring system was useful in distinguishing malignant from benign masses, with a sensitivity of 88.2%, compared with the morphological scoring system of 86.7%. The specificity of color Doppler and morphological scoring system were 95.4% and 92.5%, respectively. The sensitivity of combination of both scoring systems was 88.9%, with a specificity of 96.9%. In conclusion, color Doppler scoring system is a useful tool in predicting the malignancy of ovarian lesions especially combined with morphological scoring system.
Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; Cystadenoma, Serous ; Diagnosis* ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Teratoma ; Ultrasonography