The ligamentum nuchae is a midline structure extending from the occiput to the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. Radio-opaque formations in the soft tissues behind the processes of the cervical spine has been known to radiologists since Barsony's description in 1929. It may actually be a normal sesamoid, or it may have developed as a result of previous trauma. But this remains hypothetical in that histological endochondral ossification sequence has not yet been demonstrated. These are generally asymptomatic and of clinical significance only in so far as they may be confused with fracture or tumors. Two patients who had clinical symptoms with or without previous trauma visited and they were relieved of their clinical symptoms by surgical excision. Then, we report on two unusual cases which were symptomatic.
Humans ; Spine

Cortex mori (Morus alba L.: Sangbaikpi), the root bark of mulberry tree, has been used as an antiphlogistic, diuretic, and expectorant in herbal medicine. Previous studies have demonstrated that the phenolic extract of Cortex mori have hypotensive, hypoglycemic, antifungal, antiviral, antiinflammatory, and anticancer effects, and the hot water extract from Cortex mori has inhibitory effects on compound 48/80- induced mast cell degranulation and histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs). This study was perforrned to investigate the effects of polysaccharide fraction from Cortex mori (PFCM) on compound 48/80-induced degranulation, histamine release, calcium influx, changes of intracellular cAMP and cGMP level, and morphological changes of RPMCs. The results were summarized as follows. 1) Compound 48/80-induced cytomorphological changes such as swelling, degranulation, intracellular vacuoles, and interrupted cell boundary were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with either hot water or polysaccaride fractions frorn Cortex mori (PFCM), 2) the compound 48/80-induced histamine release from RPMCs pretreated with PFCM was significantly inhibited, compared to that of control without PFCM pretreatment, 3) the PFCM inhibited remarkably the compound 48/80-induced calcium influx into the RPMCs, 4) the PFCM increased significantly the intracellular cAMP levels and decreased the intracellular cGMP levels of RPMCs, compared to those of normal control, and 5) the compound 48/80-induced cAMP levels of RPMCs pretreated with PFCM were significantly increased, compared to those of positive control without PFCM, and the compound 48/80-induced cGMP levels of RPMCs pretreated with PFCM were remarkably decreased, compared to those of positive control without PFCM. From the above results, it is suggested that PFCM have an activity to inhibit the compound 48/80-induced mast cell activation.
Animals ; Calcium ; Herbal Medicine ; Histamine Release ; Mast Cells* ; Morus ; Phenol ; Rats ; Trees ; Vacuoles ; Water

Lipoma is one of the unusual benign breast neoplasms and usually manifests at fatty breast of women at the age of 40 to 60. We experienced a case of large breast lipoma nearly replacing the whole left breast parenchymal tissue with mammographic finding of well-defined radiolucent mass, sonographic finding of hyperechoic mass with disorganized echopattern and computerized tomographic finding of very low attenuation mass, characteristic to adipose tissue, in a young woman of her dense breast.
Adipose Tissue ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Ultrasonography

The vitreous changes in 183 eyes of 148 patients with vitreous floaters were evaluated biomicroscopically using the Goldmann fundus contact lenses. The cases with retinal detachment were excluded from this study. Vitreous degeneration was responsible in all eyes with vitreous floater, and posterior vitreous detachment(PVD) was found in 87% of the eyes. In those eyes the most common cause of opacity were prepapillary ring(139 eyes). There were no significant difference in prevalence rate between male and female or between right and left eye with PVD. However the incidence was increased at the age of 50 or more. A strong statistical relationship was present between early onset and male or myopic eyes with minus 3 diopters or more. The eyes with sudden onset of floaters were frequently associated with retinal breaks. The study revealed that the complications of PVD may be encountered: retinal breaks, vitreous hemorrhage, photopsia, and cystoid macular edema. The complications were common in male.
Contact Lenses ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Macular Edema ; Male ; Prevalence ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinal Perforations ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Osler-Weber-Rendu disease is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by repeated episodes of bleeding. Multiple telangiectases consisting of thin-walled, dilated vascular channels with arteriovenous communication may involve, for example, mucocutaneous tissue, the gastrointestinal tract, and the liver, lung, and brain. We report the imaging findings of two cases of HHT involving arteriovenous malformation of both the lungs and liver, a rare condition. Chest radiography revealed a round mass, while helical CT showed a feeding artery and draining vein with arteriovenous malformation in the lung. Color Doppler sonography revealed an enlarged and tortuous hepatic artery with high systolic velocity. CT demonstrated an enlarged hepatic artery, arteriovenous shunt, and early draining hepatic vein in the liver. Celiac angiography showed arteriovenous malformation.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Brain ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Artery ; Hepatic Veins ; Liver* ; Lung* ; Radiography ; Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic* ; Telangiectasis ; Thorax ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Veins

We report a case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma of retroperitoneum as a recurrent form in a 41 year old male. The patient received a extirpation for retroperitoneal mass and diagnosed as myxoid liosarcoma 4 years ago. The patient experienced 3 recurrences over a period of 4 years and diagnosed as myxoid liposarcoma in the second, third recurrence also. Histologically, the mass was composed of several clearly distinct elements : well differentiated liposarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma, myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma, poorly differntiated sarcoma, and fibrosarcoma. Immunohistochemically, S-100 protein was expressed in the area of spindle cell sarcoma, well differentiated liposarcoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma but alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was only expressed in the area of myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

To evaluate the clinical and histopathological significance of the proliferative activity in neoplastic and non-neoplastic thyroid lesions, we analyzed the mitotic count and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index (PCNA-LI) by immunohistochemistry as the proliferation- related markers. In this study included were surgically removed normal thyroid tissue (27 cases), adenomatous goiter (15 cases), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (5 cases), follicular adenoma (13 cases), follicular carcinoma (7 cases), papillary carcinoma (44 cases), poorly differentiated carcinoma (2 cases) and undifferentiated carcinoma (3 cases). The median PCNA-LI was 0 in normal thyroid tissue, 0.5 in adenomatous goiter, 6.2 in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 1.2 in follicular adenoma, 4.8 in follicular carcinoma, 8.5 in papillary carcinoma, 60.8 in poorly differentiated carcinoma, and 55.2 in undifferentiated carcinoma (p=0.0001). Although PCNA-LI was exceptionally high in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, it was suggested that PCNA-LI could be used as a marker differentiating benign lesions from malignant neoplasm. Also, it could differentiate follicular adenoma from follicular carcinoma. Except clinical stage (p=0.0397), PCNA-LI was not related with sex, size, histologic subtype, and lymph node metastasis in papillary carcinoma. The presence of mitosis differentiated the neoplastic thyroid lesions from the non-neoplastic lesions (p<0.05), however, it could not divide benign and malignant neoplasm. These results suggest that an evaluation of the proliferative activity can help to differentiate the thyroid lesions. In addition, there was no significant correlation between the value of PCNA-LI and the presence of mitosis. It can be recommended to evaluate both the mitotic count and the PCNA-LI for determining the proliferative activity of the thyroid lesions.
Adenoma ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Goiter ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Mitosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis

No abstract available.
Alexander Disease*

PURPOSE: We analyzed the clinical outcome of osteosarcoma developed in distal radius and the effect of delayed treatment on prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with distal radius osteosarcoma were analysed. We categorized patients into two groups of standard treatment or non-standard treatment. The patients of standard treatment group are all stage IIB and non-standard treatment group includes five stage IIB and one stage III. RESULTS: Five-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates of standard treatment group were 100% and 83%. Five-year overall survival rate of non-standard treatment group was 44%. Between two group, there are differences in age, tumor size, surgery type, symptom duration. CONCLUSION: Distal radius osteosarcoma have good prognosis than other extremity osteosarcoma. Survival rate of non-standard treatment group were lower than standard treatment group. Although the prognosis of non standard treatment group is poorer, the duration till death was longer than that of other sites with similar condition. Further multi-institutional study should be needed.
Disease-Free Survival ; Extremities ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma ; Prognosis ; Radius ; Survival Rate

Male Breast cancer is an uncommon disease with an incidence of I per cent of all breast cancers. Male breast cancer usually appears as a small mass with well-defined contour which is eccentrically located in relation to the nipple on mammogram. We report a case of breast cancer in a 51-year-old man with mammographic appearance of large hyperdense mass with nipple inversion and axillary lymphadenopathy, gray-scale sonographic finding of homogeneous solid mass and mu Itiple tumor vessels with in the mass on color Doppler ultrasound.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms, Male* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Male* ; Middle Aged ; Nipples ; Ultrasonography