No abstract available.
Sarcoma 180* ; Sarcoma*

A 70-year-old female who was diagnosed as myxoid chondrosarcoma by fine needle aspiration of a pleural mass is described. She presented with left chest discomfort of 4 months' duration and aggravating dyspnea and chest pain for 2 months. Chest X-ray and CT scan revealed a large lobulated low density mass invading chest wall at the left pleural cavity and massive pleural fluid. Fine needle aspiration was done under the impression of mesothelioma or metastatic cancer. The aspirates from the mass were very cellular and composed of isolated or clustered forms of large plump cells. Abundant cytoplasm was bluish opaque and the margin was rounded in the isolated cells, whereas clustered cells show ill-defined cell borders and aggregating tendency. The nuclei were eccentric, round to ovoid, and had fine chromatin pattern and multiple small nucleoli. Cellular pleomorphism or mitotic figure was not definite. These findings were consistent with cytologic features of chondrosarcoma. Final diagnosis was confirmed as myxoid chondrosarcoma by mediastinoscopic biopsy and the tumor showed strong positivity for S-100 protein.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Chest Pain ; Chondrosarcoma ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Humans ; Mesothelioma ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Pleural Cavity ; S100 Proteins ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Minimal cleft lip has been defined as a cleft which does not extend over the vermilion. Minimal cleft lip has no specific classification and few methods for its correction. Based on our operative experience with secondary cleft lipnose deformities, we have developed principles of operation for minimal cleft lip: minimal incision, nostril and alar reconstruction, philtrum reconstruction. alignment of cupid's bow, and vermilial notching correction. Nine patients of minimal cleft lip were operated on from March 1992 to June 1998 in our department. Each partients was evaluated for lip and nose deformities presurgically: the nasal tip, columella, ala, scar, cupid's bow, lip pout and lip length. Every patients required a different technique for repair. Satisfactory results were obtained by treating the cleft following the principles.
Cicatrix ; Classification ; Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Lip ; Nose

A 52-year-old woman presented with erythematous nodules and swelling on both upper eyelids. She had a surgical history of blepharoplasty about 10 years previously. Skin biopsy revealed non-caseating granulomas in the dermis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of the tissue sample was positive. In addition, the serum interferon gamma release assay (IGRAs) result was positive. Based on the positive result of MTB PCR and IGRAs, a diagnosis of tuberculosis was made. Despite a 2-month treatment with anti-tuberculosis medication, the skin lesions worsened. An additional skin biopsy was taken and AFB stain, AFB culture, and MTB PCR of the tissue were all negative. Four months after systemic corticosteroid treatment, the skin lesion had almost cleared. Considering that there have been many reports of positive results of MTB PCR in sarcoidosis tissue and IGRAs, a diagnosis of tuberculosis based on the results of PCR and IGRAs needs to be interpreted with caution. Also, evaluation of other organ involvement including the lungs can be helpful in making a correct diagnosis.
Biopsy ; Blepharoplasty ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Eyelids* ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Interferons ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoidosis* ; Skin ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Cutaneous*

This study was performed to determine the effects of nitric oxide on human sperm cell function. Semen samples were obtained from normal healthy volunteers. Motile spermatozoas collected by swim-up method were incubated up to 24 hours in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with a various concentration of sodium nitroprusside (nitric oxide releasing agent). Sperm motility, hyperactivation, acrosome reaction rate, and acrosin activity were determined. The results are as follows; 1. 1mM of SNP resulted in a significant decrease in sperm motility (44.8%+/- 8.9%:78.1%+/-6.3%, and hyperactivation (10.4%+/-6.4%:477%+/-9.5%) after incubation for 3 hours compared with the control group (Ham's F-10 alone), but had no effect on acrosome reaction. 2. At 100muM SNP, sperm motility was reduced after incubation for 6 hours (54.8%+/- 3.2%) compared with that of the control group (82.7% +/- 8.9%), but hyperactivation and acrosome reaction were not affected. 3. However, a lower concentration (less than 101M) of SNP had no effect on sperm motility and hyperactivation for 8 hours of incubation but significantly decreased them when incubation periods were increased up to 24 hours compared with the control group. On the other hand, 1muM and l0muM SNP significantly increased the acrosome reaction rate in both acrosomal status (17.3%+/-5.2%,23.5%+/-4.7%, respectively) and acrosin activity (34.3muIU+/- 10.5muIU, 45.6muIU+/-5.6muIU, respectively) as compared with the control group (7.0%+/-4.0%, 9.5muIU+/-3.4muIU). These results indicate that SNP, NO releasing agent, has a dose-dependent effects on the sperm cell function. Therefore it may positively affect the fertilization by promoting acrosomal reaction at a lower concentration (less than 101M).
Acrosin ; Acrosome Reaction ; Fertilization ; Hand ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia suggest that negative syndrome can be characterized by specific impairments in visual information-processing. We examined the possibility of such cognitive impairments as a a trait marker of 'deficit' syndrome group characterized by persistent primary negative symptoms or schizophrenic patients as a whole. METHODS: The subjects were 35 schizophrenic patients in partial or full remission state and the controls were 25 volunteers screened for major mental illnesses in their 2nd degree relatives. The patients were divided into deficit & nondeficit groups based on Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome and they showed positive, depressive or extrapyramidal symptoms of minimal to mild degree. Performance on various cognitive tasks associated with visual information-processing was examined. RESULTS: Deficit and nondeficit groups showed no significant difference in age of onset, duration of illness, the severity of positive and depressive symptoms and dose of antipsychotics. Deficit group performed significantly less well than normal control group on Continuous Attention Test. Significant difference was found between the patients groups and normal control group on Vigilance Test, Signal-Detection Test, and in decision time of Reaction Unit Tests. There were no significant differences among three groups on the tasks of visual immediate memory, visual analysis, motor reaction, and fine motor control. No cognitive variable was correlated to duration of illness, the severity of positive and depressive symptoms, general psychopathology, and dose of antipsychotics. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that deficit syndrome might be characterized by the impairment of continuous attention to simple visual stimuli. Impaired vigilance to infrequent visual stimuli, selective auention to visual stimuli and delayed decision time in simple information-processing tasks which were not related to various clinical variables were suggested to be cognitive markers of schizophrenia.
Age of Onset ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Appointments and Schedules ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory, Short-Term ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Pregnancy*

Primary or metastatic malignant melanoma can mimic benign blue nevus in rare cases, making the diagnosis challenging. Herein, we report an exceptionally rare case of blue nevus-like melanoma and its blue nevus-like metastasis which was detected by catheterized urine cytology. The patient presented with blue-colored papuloplaques on his temple which were diagnosed as blue nevus-like melanoma on punch biopsies. While he was admitted for administration of chemotherapy, hematuria was detected. Catheterized urine cytology revealed singly scattered oval to spindle-shaped pigmented cells with a moderate degree of variation in shape and size. Many of them had small nuclei with indiscernible to inconspicuous nucleoli while only a few cells showed nuclear enlargement and nuclear hyperchromasia, which could be diagnostic pitfalls. Most of the cells on the smear were positive for HMB45 immunostaining, which confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic blue nevus-like melanoma. To the best of our knowledge, the present case is the first report describing cytomorphologic findings of blue nevus-like metastasis of melanoma in the urine specimen.
Biopsy ; Catheters* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Melanoma* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nevus, Blue

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Hizikia fusiformis (HF) is a class of brown seaweeds whose active ingredients exert central nervous system protective effects, such as neuroprotection;however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Given that dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5HT) are two major neurotransmitters involved in various psychiatric disorders and neuronal growth in early neurodevelopmental processes, we investigated whether HF extract could modulate the molecular expression associated with DA and 5HT transmission as well as the structural formation of neurons.MATERIALS/METHODS: in vitro cell cultures were prepared from cerebral cortical neurons obtained from CD-1 mice on embryonic day 14. Cultured cells were treated with 0.1, 1.0, or 10.0 μg/mL of HT extract for 24 h, followed by fluorescence immunostaining for DA and 5HT-related receptors and transporters and some neuronal structural formation-associated molecules. RESULTS: HF extract dose-dependently upregulated the expression levels of selective DA and 5HT receptors, and downregulated the levels of DA and 5HT transporters. Moreover, HF extract increased the neurofilament light chain expression. CONCLUSION These results suggest that HF may modulate DA and 5HT transmission, thereby affecting neurodevelopment.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to aid the diagnosis and to predict the outcorne by understanding the clinical course of nutcracker syndrome in childhood. METHODS: The clinical, laboratory, radiological and cystoscopic data from the medical records of eleven children who were diagnosed as nutcracker syndrome by gross hematuria and pressure gradient criteria (>3mrnHg) were studied retrospectively and analyzed. RESULTS: Sex ratio of the cases was 7:4, and the median age of onset was 12.8 (3-14.3) years. Six cases showed persistent and 5 cases manifested interrnittent, exercise induced hematuria. Left flank pain (64%), abdominal pain (18%), left varicocele (9%) were associated in some of the children, but hematuria was the only symptom in 36Yo. Left renal vein entrapment was documented in 10 cases by ultrasonography. Out of the 5 cases studied by renal Doppler ultrasonography, 4 and 5 cases showed higher (>5) mean left renal vein diameter ratio (Distal/ Aortomesenteric portion) and mean peak velocity ratio respectively. Unilateral bleeding from left ureteral orifice was documented in 7 of the 9 cases at cystoscopy. The mean pressure gradient between proximal left renal vein and inferior vena cava was 4.4+/-1.6 (3-7) mmHg. Hematuria of 25% and 57% of the cases disappeared spontaneously in 3 and 5 years after onset respectively. Proteinuria disappear- ed in 3 of the 5 initial proteinuric cases. CONCLUSION: Nutcracker syndrome must be considered in the differential diagnosis of non-glomerular, especially gross hematuria in childhood, and Doppler ultrasonography can aid diagnosis non-invasively. The renal function remained stable, but 4396 of the cases continued to show hematuria still 5 years after onset.
Abdominal Pain ; Age of Onset ; Child ; Cystoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Flank Pain ; Hematuria* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Proteinuria ; Renal Veins ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Ureter ; Varicocele ; Vena Cava, Inferior