Agenesis of the right lobe of the liver is a rare anomaly which may be associated with stone diseases, portal hypertension, and other congenital anomalies. The radiological differential diagnosis includes lobar atrophy due to cirrhosis or hilar cholangiocarcinoma. We present a case of agenesis of the right lobe of the liver with characteristic clinical and radiological findings.
Atrophy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibrosis ; Hypertension, Portal ; Klatskin Tumor ; Liver*

Agenesis of the right lobe of the liver is a rare anomaly which may be associated with stone diseases, portal hypertension, and other congenital anomalies. The radiological differential diagnosis includes lobar atrophy due to cirrhosis or hilar cholangiocarcinoma. We present a case of agenesis of the right lobe of the liver with characteristic clinical and radiological findings.
Atrophy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibrosis ; Hypertension, Portal ; Klatskin Tumor ; Liver*

PURPOSE: We investigated whether Tc-99m MIBI imaging is useful to predict the response of drug treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 24 patients (15 women and 9 men, age 49 +/- 12 year) rheumatoid arthritis and treated with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were included in this study. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured, and Tc-99m MIBI scan was obtained before drug treatment. Quantitative analysis of uptake in diseased joints was performed and expressed as joint-to background ratio (J/B) and percent retention (%R) of Tc-99m MIBI. Clinical symptoms were evaluated and graded from 0 (no) to 3 (severe) regarding to presence of tenderness and swelling. RESULTS: J/B of the diseased joints were significantly correlated with ESR and CRP (p< 0.05). A highly significant correlation was found between the improvement of clinical symptoms and %R of Tc-99m MIBI (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that Tc-99m MIBI scan may be used to predict the therapeutic response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Antirheumatic Agents ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Male

Background: A lifelong thyroxine therapy is indicated in all patients who have hypothyroidism as a result of autoimmune thyroiditis. However, it has been reported that some hypothyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis have spontaneous remission with restriction of iodine intake instead of thyroxine therapy. The purpose of study was to investigate how many hypothyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis can recover from hypothyroidism with restriction of iodine intake instead of thyroxine therapy and which factors predict recovery from hypothyroidism. Methods: We studied 64 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis(goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis 56, atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis 8). Thyroxine therapy was discontinued in patients with goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis on the way(group 1, n=32) or from the beginning(group 2, n=24) and atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis on the way(group 3, n-8). All patients were asked to avoid iodine-rich foods and thyroid function was monitored every one to two months for up to 35 months. Serum T3, T4, TSH concentrations, antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies were measured by radioimmunoassay(RIA). TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin(TBII) was measured in serum using radioreceptor assay. Two hundred micrograms of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) were given as intravenous bolus and TSH levels were measured in blood samples taken at 0, 30, and 60 minutes. All values were expressed as mean+-SEM. Statistical analysis was done with paired or non-paired t-test, ANOVA, and the Chi-square test. Statistical significance was defined as p-value below 0.05. Results: Thirteen(40.6%) of 32 patients in group 1 remained euthyroid after 12-35 months of discontinuation of thyroxine therapy. The other 19(59.4%) patients in group 1 had recurrences of hypothyroidism within 3 months after discontinuation of thyroxine therapy. In 11(45.8%) out of 24 patients in group 2, serum TSH concentrations declined below 5 mU/L within 3 months without thyroxine therapy. The other 13(54.2%) patients in group 2 remained hypothyroid till 2-16 months and the thyroxine was given. In contrast, all 8 patients in group 3 had recurrences of hypothy- roidism within 3 months after stopping thyroxine therapy. When we compared the recovered patients of goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis with the non-recovered patients of goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis, regardless of thyroxine therapy from the beginning, age at onset of disease of the 24 recovered patients was significantly younger than the 32 non-recovered patients(30.1+2.0 years vs. 40.2+ 2.4 years; p=0.004). Concl#usion: These findings suggest that 42.9% of hypothyroid patients with goitrous autoim- mune thyroiditis remain or become spontaneously euthyroid with restriction of iodine intake instead of thyroxine therapy. Young age may be a predicting factor of recovery from hypothyroidism in goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis.
Age of Onset ; Antibodies ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Iodine ; Radioligand Assay ; Recurrence ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Thyroxine

OBJECTIVE: Suprasellar meningioma have in general been difficult lesions to treat because of their vicinity to the optic apparatus and major vessels, and high vascularity. This study was performed to analyze clinical outcome of patients with histopathologically identified suprasellar meningioma. METHOD: Between 1989 and 1998, 37 patients(30 women, 7 men: average 47.5years) with histopathologically identified meningiomas originating from the suprasellar region underwent surgical tumor removal in our institution. The medical records and clinical data of these patients are retrospectively analyzed. RESULT: The tumor size ranged from 2.1cm to 6.5cm(average 5.1cm) in diameter. The tumors have been approached basically through the pterional and bifrontal routes. Skull base technique was also applied in large or complicated cases. Total resection rates and overall outcome including visual function was better in patients with tumor of less then 3cm. A considerable increase of mortality, morbidity and failure of visual improvement were seen in case of the tumors size of 3cm or more. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and treatment were important factors in the successful management of these suprasellar meningioma. In large complicated cases encasing major vessels or invading cavernous sinus or anterior skull base, surgeons need to operate with extreme caution and piecemeal removal of the tumor without injuring optic apparatus and major vessels utilizing skull base technique.
Cavernous Sinus ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Meningioma* ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base

No abstract available.
Neurilemmoma*

OBJECTIVE: The rupture of an aneurysm during operation is an event that can be considered grave. The authors present the retrospective analysis of 10 cases of intraoperative rupture in 145 consecutive aneurysm procedure. METHODS: Of 10 cases of intraoperative rupture, two cases were ruptured at predissection period, six cases during dissection and two cases during clip application. RESULTS: The causes of intraoperative aneurysm rupture in our 10 cases were forceful and blunt dissection(4 cases), excessive brain retraction(2 cases), poor exposure of aneurysm neck(1 case), poor clip application(1 case), excessive removal of aneurysmal intracerebral hematoma(1 case), unknown(1 case that was ruptured during anesthesia or craniotomy). Methods of management of nine intraoperative rupture except one of rupture during craniotomy were temporary clipping to the parent artery(3 cases), tentative aneurysm clipping(2 cases), temponade with cottonid and suction(2 cases), and induced hypotension(2 cases). The final outcome of 10 cases of intraoperative aneurysmal rupture was good in 5, fair in 1, poor in 1 and dead in 2 cases. Especially cases that were ruptured during predissection period and case that were managed with induced hypotension were poor result. CONCLUSION: The use of meticulous microsurgical technique with sharp dissection around the aneurysm, a systematic contingency plan for dealing with sudden hemorrhage and the judicious use of temporary clips should serve to minimize the adverse effect of intraoperative rupture on overall management morbidity and mortality.
Anesthesia ; Aneurysm* ; Brain ; Craniotomy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Mortality ; Parents ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture*

Anterior basal meningiomas, which belong the olfactory groove and suprasellar meningioma account for 12 to 22% of all intracranial meningioma. Anterior cranial base meningioma are difficult to operate on because of their proximity to the important neurovascular structure. The authors report 25 cases of large meningiomas of the anterior. cranial base operated on during recent 5-year period. The tumor ranged from 3cm to 6.5cm in diameter. Fifteen tumors were located in the suprasellae(included tuberculum sellae, planum sphenoidale, diaphragma sellae,and anterior clinoid process), ten on olfactory groove. The mean age of 19 female and 6 male patient was 55years. The main clinical symptom were visual disturbance, anosmia, headache, and psychotic syndrome. Tumors were approached in 11 cases by pterional, in 9 cases by bifrontal, in 3 cases by transbasal, in 2 case by orbitozygomatic infratemporal and in 1 case by combined approach with tranabasal and orbitozygomatic infratemporal. Total tumor removal was performed in 80% of cases. Postoperative complication include accentuated psychotic syndrome in two cases, worsening of visual function in two, major vessel injury in one, infection in one, CSF rhinorrhea in one, and oculomotor palse in one. Postoperative death was in four(16%). Results at follow up of the 21 survivours were good in 17(68%), fair in 4(16%). Selection criteria for operative approach is discussed with review of pertinent literature.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Male ; Meningioma* ; Olfaction Disorders ; Patient Selection ; Postoperative Complications ; Skull Base ; Temazepam

OBJECTIVE: We analysed various surgical approaches and surgical results of 28 middle cranial base tumors for the purpose of selecting optimal surgical approach to the middle cranial base tumor. METHODS: In this retrospective review, 28 patients, including 16 meningioma, 6 trigeminal neurinoma, 2 pituitary adenoma, 2 craniopharyngioma, 1 facial neurinoma, and 1 metastatic tumor, underwent surgical treatment using skull base technique. Of theses, 16 tumors were mainly confined to middle cranial fossae, 5 tumors with extension into both anterior and middle fossa, and 7 tumors with extension into both middle and posterior fossa. Tumors that confined to the middle cranial fossa or extended into the anterior cranial fossa were operated with modified pterional, orbitozygomatic or Dolen'c approach, and tumors that extended into the posterior cranial fossa were operated with anterior, posterior or combined transpetrosal approach. Completeness of tumor resection, surgical outcome, postoperative complication, and follow up result were studied. RESULTS: Total tumor removal was achieved in 9 tumors of 10 tumors that did not extended to the cavernous sinus, and was achieved in 7 tumors of 8 tumors that extended to the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus. Of 10 tumors that extended to the venous channel of the cavernous sinus, only 2 were removed totally. Surgical outcome was excellent in 14 patients, good in 10, fair in 2 and poor in 2. There were no death in this series. Dumbell type tumor which extended into both middle and posterior fossae showed tendency of poor prognosis as compared with tumors that confined middle cranial fossa and extended into both anterior and middle cranial fossa. Postoperative dysfunctions were trieminal hypesthesia in 3, oculomotor nerve palsy in 2, abducens nerve palsy in 2, hemiparesis in 2, cerebellar sign in 1, facial palsy in 1 and hearing impairment in 1. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings and a review of the literature, we conclude that, when selecting the surgical approach to the middle cranial fossa tumors, the most important factors to be considered were exact location of the tumor mass and existence of the cavernous sinus invasion by tumor mass. We recommend modified pterional or orbitozygomatic approach in cases with tumors located anterior and middle cranial base, without cavernous sinus invasion. In cases with tumors invading into cavernous sinus, we recommend Dolen'c or orbitozygomatic approach. And in lateral wall mass and the cavernous sinus, it is preferred to approach the tumor extradurally. For the tumor involing with middle fossa and posterior fossa(dumbell type) a combined petrosal approach is necessary. In cases with cavernous sinus invasion and internal carotid artery encasement, we recommend subtotal resection of the tumor and radiation therapy to prevent permanent postoperative sequele.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cavernous Sinus ; Cranial Fossa, Anterior ; Cranial Fossa, Middle ; Cranial Fossa, Posterior ; Craniopharyngioma ; Facial Paralysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Meningioma ; Neurilemmoma ; Oculomotor Nerve Diseases ; Paresis ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base*

We report a case of tick bite caused by Haemaphysalis flava which have never been reported in Korean medical literature. An 31-year-old woman had a asymptomatic erythematous indurated plaque with central crust by tick bite on the left upper back. A excisional biopsy specimen from the skin lesion showed eosinophilic degeneration with thrombosed blood vessels and dense inflammatory cells infiltration mainly composed of eosinophils in the reticular dermis. We could identify this causative tick as Hamaphysalis flava by using the scanning electron microscopic examination.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Blood Vessels ; Dermis ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Skin ; Tick Bites* ; Ticks*