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

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) in ankle is relatively uncommon. This disorder results in increased proliferation of synovium causing villous or nodular changes containing histiocytes, fibroblasts, multinucleated giant cell, and hemosiderin. PVNS is classified into two different type : localized and diffuse. Diffuse type of PVNS in ankle is more common than localized type. Also, recurrence of diffuse type is more frequent. We report a case of diffuse type of PVNS which was recurred soon after the excision.
Ankle Joint* ; Ankle* ; Fibroblasts ; Giant Cells ; Hemosiderin ; Histiocytes ; Recurrence ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) on changes in airflow in the upper airway (UA) of an adult patient with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) using computational fluid-structure interaction analysis. METHODS: Three-dimensional UA models fabricated from cone beam computed tomography images obtained before (T0) and after (T1) MARPE in an adult patient with OSAS were used for computational fluid dynamics with fluid-structure interaction analysis. Seven and nine cross-sectional planes (interplane distance of 10 mm) in the nasal cavity (NC) and pharynx, respectively, were set along UA. Changes in the cross-sectional area and changes in airflow velocity and pressure, node displacement, and total resistance at maximum inspiration (MI), rest, and maximum expiration (ME) were investigated at each plane after MARPE. RESULTS: The cross-sectional areas at most planes in NC and the upper half of the pharynx were significantly increased at T1. Moreover, airflow velocity decreased in the anterior NC at MI and ME and in the nasopharynx and oropharynx at MI. The decrease in velocity was greater in NC than in the pharynx. The airflow pressure in the anterior NC and entire pharynx exhibited a decrease at T1. The amount of node displacement in NC and the pharynx was insignificant at both T0 and T1. Absolute values for the total resistance at MI, rest, and ME were lower at T1 than at T0. CONCLUSIONS: MARPE improves airflow and decreases resistance in UA; therefore, it may be an effective treatment modality for adult patients with moderate OSAS.
Adult* ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Hydrodynamics ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasopharynx ; Oropharynx ; Pharynx ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*

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