Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a relatively rare disease, accounting for less than 0.5~5% of all thyroid malignancies. We encountered two cases of a primary thyroid lymphoma with Hashimoto's thyroiditis; one in a 63-year-old man and the other in a 79-year-old woman. The first case was a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and the other was a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Both patients underwent surgery and radiotherapy after being diagnosed using fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Both patients recovered well with no recurrence throughout the study period. The role of the surgeon in the treatment and diagnosis of thyroid lymphoma has been reduced due to the development of FNAC and combination therapy with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. On the other hand, surgery can be an effective treatment option for PTL confined to the thyroid, for achieving a definitive diagnosis, and in the treatment of patients with an airway obstruction.
Aged ; Airway Obstruction ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; Middle Aged ; Radiotherapy ; Rare Diseases ; Recurrence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyroiditis

Pancreatic encephalopathy is a rare complication of acute pancreatitis. We report a 80-year-old woman who, after an acute episode of pancreatitis, developed a fluctuating confusion and clouded consciousness. She experienced two relapses with alternating encephalopathic features. Serum amylase was highly increased and symptoms were relieved in accord with normalized amylase value. We suggest that this encephalopathic features may be related with pancreatitis.
Aged, 80 and over ; Amylases ; Consciousness ; Female ; Humans ; Pancreatitis* ; Recurrence

It is often problematic to diagnose T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders of the skin because of the difficulty in establishing clonality in paraffin-embedded tissue. We used polymerase chain reaction single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis in paraffin embedded tissue to detect clonal rearrangement of T-cell receptor gamma (TCRgamma) gene in 17 T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders and 6 atypical lymphoproliferative diseases. We used polymerase chain reaction to detect TCR beta gene rearrangement in 8 of 17 cases which did not show TCRgamma gene rearrangement. Jurkat cell lines were used as monoclonal controls. DNA was extracted from 5 biopsies of T-cell lymphomas, 10 biopsies of mycosis fungoides, 2 biopsies of lymphomatoid papulosis, and 6 biopsies of atypical lymphoproliferative lesions. We detected monoclonality in 5 of 5 T-cell lymphoma cases, 2 of 2 lymphomatoid papulosis cases, 6 of 10 mycosis fungoides cases, and 2 of 6 atypical lymphoproliferative disease cases. We conclude that nonradioactive PCR-SSCP for TCR gene rearrangement analysis is a useful adjunct to routine histological and immunophenotypic methods in the diagnosis of cutaneous T cell lymphoproliferative disorders in paraffin embedded tissue.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Gene Rearrangement ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta ; Heteroduplex Analysis ; Humans ; Jurkat Cells ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Lymphomatoid Papulosis ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Mycosis Fungoides ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: To compare clinical outcomes when using open or arthroscopic release for recalcitrantlateral epicondylitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 34 cases were followed up for an average of 16 months. Open release was performed in 21, and arthroscopic release in 13. In the open release group, arthroscopic examination was performed first in 7. Intraarticular and extraarticular lesions of the extensor tendon were compared. Pain was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale, and function was evaluated using the assessment of Nirschl and Pettrone. RESULTS: In arthroscopic findings, 6 out of 20 cases were nearly normal, 6 showed fraying, 4 a linear tear, and 4 avulsion. Some (3 of 5) cases with nearly normal arthroscopic findings had mucinoid degeneration detected during the open procedure. Overall, 86% of open release and 85% of arthroscopic release showed satisfactory results. CONCLUSION: The extraarticular and intraarticular surfaces of the extensor origin had diverse appearances, and both procedures showed satisfactory results. Therefore, arthroscopic release is a useful treatment option for recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis.
Elbow ; Tendons

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the results of medial epicondylar osteotomy for the varus knee when performing total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 32 cases of medial epicondylar osteotomy for treating varus deformity, and these cases underwent operation from December 2004 to December 2007. The average age of the patients was 71.0-years-old and the average follow-up period was 23.5 months. The clinical outcomes were measured, including the Knee Society score (KSS), the function score (FS) and the range of the motion (ROM). The radiological outcomes were measured by anteroposterior simple radiographs for assessing the union state of the osteotomy site, and the valgus stress radiographs and the whole extremity radiographs were used for assessing the femorotibial angle, the mechanical axis angle and the alignment. RESULTS: The KSS improved from 46.5+/-7.6 to 89.1+/-5.9 points (p<0.001) and the FS increased from 39.5+/-9.2 to 84.2+/-8.5 points (p<0.001). The range of motion increased from 101.5+/-28.2degrees to 116.0+/-10.8degrees (p=0.006). Bony union occurred in 22 knees and fibrous union occurred in 10 knees. The femorotibial angle was corrected from varus 8.2+/-5.0degrees to valgus 5.6+/-1.5degrees (p<0.001) and the mechanical axis angle was revised from varus 13.9+/-4.5degrees to varus 0.7+/-1.6degrees (p<0.001). There were 27 neutral, 4 varus and 1 valgus alignment. On the valgus stress radiographs, the difference compared with the opposite side was 1.0+/-0.6degrees and there was no significant difference between the bony union group and the fibrous union group (p=0.175). CONCLUSION: Medial epicondylar osteotomy for the varus knee when performing total knee arthroplasty could be a useful ligament balancing technique for achieving medial stability of the knee.
Arthroplasty ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Ligaments ; Osteotomy ; Range of Motion, Articular

Nerve palsy after total knee arthroplasty is a rare complication and this is usually associated with local nerve compression or severe deformity of the knee. In many cases, the cause of nerve palsy was unknown and this is rarely associated with vascular complication. We report here on a case of the patient who had nerve palsy and delayed arterial occlusion after total knee arthroplasty.
Arthroplasty ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Knee ; Paralysis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical relationship between medial collateral ligament(MCL) complete detachment and mechanical alignment in total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2001 to December 2006, we performed 290 TKAs. 9 TKAs(0.03%) happened MCL complete detachment. 1 TKA was excluded for paraplegia. All cases were women. The mean age was 71.1 years old. The mean follow-up period was 41.1 months. There were 7 degenerative osteoarthritis and 1 rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical evaluation included Knee Society Score(KSS), function score and range of motion(ROM) at preoperative, postoperative 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and final follow-up. We measured the femoro-tibial angle and the mecha- nical axis by anterior-posterior and whole lower extremity radiograph. The medial instability obtained serial valgus stress radiograph. RESULTS: There were 4 neutral and 4 varus alignment. KSS, function score, ROM was significantly improved in both group, and there were no significant differences in both group. On serial valgus stress radiograph, the difference compared with normal side decreased from 5.2 degree(postoperative 3 months) to 3.4 degree(final follow-up) in neutral alignment group, from 2.9 degree to 0.9 degree in varus alignment group. In final follow-up, it revealed that the medial instability of varus alignment group was less than that of neutral alignment group. CONCLUSION: In MCL complete detachment, some stability obtained by repair of medial collateral ligament and bracing. Whole instability was not gone. Therefore, we should make the varus alignment of prosthesis in mechanical axis line position of 34 to 67% on the medial tibial plateau.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthroplasty ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Braces ; Collateral Ligaments ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Lower Extremity ; Osteoarthritis ; Paraplegia ; Prostheses and Implants

We report a unique case of synchronous double primary gastric cancer consisting of adenocarcinoma components with micropapillary features and composite glandular-endocrine cell carcinoma components. The patient was a 53-year-old man presenting with a 6-month history of epigastric pain and diarrhea. A subtotal gastrectomy was performed. Histologically, one tumor was composed of micropapillary carcinoma components (50%) with tight clusters of micropapillary aggregates lying in the empty spaces, admixed with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma components. MUC-1 was expressed at the stromal edge of the micropapillary component. The other tumor was composed of atypical carcinoid-like neuroendocrine carcinoma (50%), adenocarcinoid (30%), and adenocarcinoma components (20%). The neuroendocrine components were positive for CD56, synaptophysin, chromogranin, and creatine kinase. The adenocarcinoid components were positive for both carcinoembryonic antigen and neuroendocrine markers (amphicrine differentiation). This case is unique, due to the peculiar histologic micropapillary pattern and the histologic spectrum of adenocarcinoma adenocarcinoid-neuroendocrine carcinoma of the synchronous composite tumor.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Creatine Kinase ; Deception ; Diarrhea ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach* ; Synaptophysin

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is one of the most important factors in the progression and me-tastasis of malignancies. Angiogenesis is a multistep process requiring the interaction of numerous factors able to stimulate the growth and development of new vessels. But, understanding of the mechanism involved in VEGF expression is unclear. METHODS: Expressions of p53 and VEGF, and neovasculiarization were examined in 19 cases of surgically resected non-small cell carcinoma of the lung by the immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, VEGF mRNA expressions were quantified in all cases using the real-time quantitative RT-PCR. These results were compared with clinicopathologic parameters such as histologic grade and stage. RESULTS: Tumors with high aberrant p53 expressions showed significantly higher VEGF mRNA ex-pressions and microvessel counts than those with low p53 expressions. Expressions of p53 as well as VEGF and micovessel counts were closely associated with the tumor stage, but not with the histologic grade and other clinical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that aberrant p53 expression may play a role in the regulation of VEGF expression and may be involved in controlling angiogenesis in non-small cell carcinoma of the lung.
Growth and Development ; Lung* ; Microvessels ; RNA, Messenger* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

Small bowel diverticulosis is a rare finding within all bowel diverticuloses and jejunal diverticulosis is even rarer. Their relative clinical rarity and varied presentation may make diagnosis both delayed and difficult. We experienced a case of jejunal diverticulosis, which was diagnosed intraoperatively. A 55-year-old woman was admitted to Emergency Department with pneumoperitoneum on plain chest and abdominal film from a local clinic. She was hemodynamically stable with minimal tenderness on the left upper quadrant of the abdomen but no rebound tenderness. At surgery, small bowel torsion and jejunal diverticulosis were confirmed. Over 30 variable sized small bowel diverticula were noted on the mesenteric side of the proximal jejunum. The affected segment of the jejunum was about 180 cm. On exploration, we could not find any perforation site. No postoperative complications were observed, and the patient made a full recovery. Jejunal diverticulosis is rare, but it should not be regarded as insignificant.
Abdomen ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulum* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Jejunum ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoperitoneum* ; Postoperative Complications ; Thorax