No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by a high serum concentration of antithyroid antibodies without evidence of cerebral disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in HE patients are nonspecific, although diffuse or focal white matter changes have been reported in several cases. We present a rare case involving a 79-year-old woman with elevated antithyroid antibody levels and abnormal imaging findings similar to meningoencephalitis. Serial MRI initially showed multiple T2 hyperintense lesions with diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement that disappeared after steroid therapy.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by a high serum concentration of antithyroid antibodies without evidence of cerebral disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in HE patients are nonspecific, although diffuse or focal white matter changes have been reported in several cases. We present a rare case involving a 79-year-old woman with elevated antithyroid antibody levels and abnormal imaging findings similar to meningoencephalitis. Serial MRI initially showed multiple T2 hyperintense lesions with diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement that disappeared after steroid therapy.

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to investigate the correlation among tumor angiogenetic activity, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) reactivity and various clinicopathologic parameters. We also evaluated the validity of both as an independent prognostic factor in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. MATERIALS & METHODS: We studied 120 patients out of 727 patients with papillary thyroid casrcinoma who underwent thyroidectomy at our institute from January 1986 to December 1994. The age of the patients ranged from 14 to 80 years with a mean of 48.2 years. There were 24 males and 96 females (M:F=1:4). The paraffin embedded tissues of these patients were stained with the monoclonal antibodies against factor VIII related antigen, antigen CD34 to highlight microvessels and against EMA to show immunoreactivity. We measured microvessel density (MVD) in the area of highest vascular density at 200 times of magnification (0.785 mm2 per field). The positive cells for EMA were counted as percentages of the whole cell population and the degree of reaction was rated on a five-point scale. RESULTS: Mean MVDs and EMA reactivities by location of tissue per field were 64.8+/-18.9, 1.97+/-0.74, in the center of the tumor; 41.3+/-15.3, 1.55+/-0.68 in the periphery of tumor; and 22.1+/-14.4, 1.09+/-0.75 in normal thyroid tissue, respectively. In relation to TNM stage, only the MVDs of patients with stage IV disease were higher than those of other disease stages with statistical significance (p<.05). In relation to DeGroot stage, the MVDs of patients with stage IV disease was also higher than others with statistical significance (p<.005). There were no significant differences in MVD and EMA reactivity between the two groups of low risk (n=77) and high risk (n=43) by AMES scale. The MVDs and EMA reactivities of patients with local recurrence (n=23) and death (n=7) during the follow-up period had no statistical significance against those patients without recurrence and living patients. CONCLUSION: Tumor angiogenic activity and EMA reactivity in papillary thyroid carcinoma did not correlate with TNM stage, DeGroot stage, AMES score, local recurrence, and patient death. However, MVD was significantly higher in patients with distant metastasis and may be useful in predicting the distant metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels ; Mucin-1 ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraffin ; Recurrence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy ; von Willebrand Factor

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and condition of platysma infiltration in benign tumors, malignant tumors, and inflammatory disease in the parotid gland using CT or MRI. Materials and Methods: Patients with benign tumors (n = 314), malignant tumors (n = 52), and inflammatory disease (n = 22) in the parotid gland were included. The incidence of platysma infiltration and the relationship between platysma infiltration and the location, capsular involvement, and focality of the mass were retrospectively evaluated using CT or MRI. Results: The incidence of platysma infiltration was 0% in benign tumors,19.2% in malignant tumors (10/52), and 50.0% in inflammation (11/22). Platysma infiltration was positive in 10 of 13 patients with inflammatory lesion with capsular involvement. Platysmal infiltrations in inflammatory lesion showed diffuse lesion in 10 patients and focal lesion in one patient. Malignant tumor with platysmal infiltration showed all capsular involvement, and diffuse lesion in seven and focal lesion in three. Conclusion Platysma infiltration was more common in patients with inflammatory disease than those with malignant tumors or benign tumors. In inflammatory disease, platysma infiltration was more common in patients with capsular involvement or diffuse lesion.

BACKGROUND: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to be related to cardiovascular diseases. Many studies have demonstrated that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have beneficial effects against ROS. We investigated the antioxidant effect of captopril and enalapril in nitric oxide mediated vascular endothelium-dependent relaxations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolated rabbit abdominal aorta ring segments were exposed to ROS by electrolysis of the organ bath medium (Krebs-Henseleit solution) after pretreatment with various concentrations (range, 10-5 to 3x10-4 M) of captopril and enalapril. Before and after electrolysis, the endothelial function was measured by preconstricting the vessels with norepinephrine (10-6 M) followed by the cumulative addition of acetylcholine (range, 3x10-8 to 10-6 M). The relevance of the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide scavenging effect of captopril and enalapril was investigated using additional pretreatments of diethyldithiocarbamate (DETCA, 0.5 mM), an inhibitor of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3AT, 50 mM), an inhibitor of catalase. RESULTS: Both captopril and enalapril preserved vascular endothelium-dependent relaxation after exposure to ROS in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.0001). Pretreatment with DETCA attenuated the antioxidant effect of captopril and enalapril (p<0.0001), but pretreatment with 3AT did not have an effect. CONCLUSION: Both captopril and enalapril protect endothelium against ROS in a dose-dependent fashion in isolated rabbit abdominal aortas. This protective effect is related to superoxide anion scavenging.
Acetylcholine ; Amitrole ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Antioxidants ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Baths ; Captopril ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Ditiocarb ; Electrolysis ; Enalapril ; Endothelium ; Estradiol ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Nitric Oxide ; Norepinephrine ; Oxygen ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Superoxides ; Vasodilation

PURPOSE: The anastomosis of hepatic artery to recipient vessel has a major role in a liver transplantation, so its occlusion is the most important cause of failure of liver transplantations. We made the study to reveal the peculiarities in pediatric liver transplantations compared with adult cases. METHODS: From January 1999 to September 2005, we performed 99 cases of pediatric liver transplantation. The mean age at operation was 4.17 years of age. The hepatic vein and portal vein are anastomosed by the general surgeons and then the hepatic artery is anastomosed by the plastic surgeons. The Doppler ultrasonography and computed tomography were used for postoperative checkup for hepatic artery patency. RESULTS: There were no immediate complications, but hepatic arterial occlusion was developed in 3 cases (2.8%). In pediatric patients, the anastomosis of hepatic artery is more difficult than adults because of the rapid respiratory and pulse rate, the small vascular diameter, and the large gap of diameter difference between the recipient and the donor vessels. CONCLUSION: We could confirm that pediatric liver transplantations are relatively safe but long learning curve was needed.
Adult ; Child* ; Heart Rate ; Hepatic Artery* ; Hepatic Veins ; Humans ; Learning Curve ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Portal Vein ; Tissue Donors ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

No abstract available in English.
Estrogens ; Humans* ; Steroids* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

Cysticercosis infestation is a cosmopolitan disease. Recently we experienced six cases of intracranial cysticercosis in childhood, three of them were male and their age distributed from 2 to 15 years. Their main clinical manifestations were symptoms of increased intracranial pressure signs and other neurological sings as well, In diagnostic procedures, brain C-T scan was performed in all cases and Conray ventriculography was very helpful in cases of intra-ventricular location of cysticerci. By surgical exploration, single cysticerci were removed from 4 th ventricle in five cases, and cysticercus racemosus was found in subdural space in one cases. Five cases were successfully cured and one case was died of persistent brain swelling after surgical manipulation.
Brain ; Brain Edema ; Cysticercosis* ; Cysticercus ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Male ; Subdural Space