Intracranial aneurysms larger than 25mm in diameter are considered giant aneurysms and these comprise about 5% of all intracranial aneurysms. The authors report a series of 9 cases of giant cerebral aneurysms(>2.5cm in diameter) during a 7-year-period found among 212 cases with saccular cerebral aneurysms. Of the 9 patients, four patients were treated by direct neck clipping, one by trapping, and the other one by sac excision after direct neck clipping. This report presents an analysis of 9 cases of giant cerebral aneurysms. The results are as following : 1) In a review of our cases of giant aneurysms, approximately 4.3% were of all intracranial aneurysms. 2) Male : Female ratio was 4 : 5. 3) The greatest incidence was in the 6th decade of life. 4) The most common site was in the internal carotid artery portion. 5) Our all cases were saccular aneurysms. 6) In our cases, nonthrombosed aneurysms were more common. 7) Presenting symptom of SAH was more common. 8) There was no relationship between blood pressure and aneurysm rupture in our cases. 9) We found our all cases of ICA portion giant aneurysms presented with focal symptoms. 10) The most commonly presented focal neurologic sign was visual failure.
Aneurysm ; Blood Pressure ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Male ; Neck ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Rupture

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by formation of blisters following minor trauma. It has been traditionally categorized by the level of basement membrane zone separation into EB simplex (EBS), junctional EB (JEB), and dystrophic EB (DEB). Recently, hemidesmosomal EB has been proposed as a fourth category, which includes EB with muscular dystrophy and EB with pyloric atresia. We report here on a case of concomitant occurrence of EB and pyloric atresia, a rare form of EB.
Basement Membrane ; Blister ; Ectodermal Dysplasia ; Epidermolysis Bullosa ; Gastric Outlet Obstruction ; Methylmethacrylates ; Muscular Dystrophies ; Polystyrenes ; Pylorus

A case of traumatic carotico-cavernous fistula was managed by intravascular occlusion using detachable balloon catheter. The great advantage of this technique is that the cerebral blood flow can usually be preserved after the occlusion of the fistula. The fistula was obliterated by this procedure. The radiological feature, symptomatology and management were discussed with brief review of the literature.
Catheters* ; Fistula*

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, also known as inflammatory fibrosarcoma, has been frequently diagnosed as inflammatory pseudotumor. Although there are six cases reported as inflammatory pseudotumors or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors in the lung, no cases of pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor with features of inflammatory fibrosarcoma have been reported in Korea. We experienced a case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (inflammatory fibrosarcoma)characterized by high cellularity, severe nuclear pleomorphism, necrosis, or increased mitoticcounts. A 31-year-old male patient with a solitary pulmonary nodule on the routine chest x-rayreceived a right lower lobectomy. The tumor was an ovoid solid mass with multifocal necrosis, showing diffuse irregular proliferation of spindle cells with high cellularity and focal nuclear pleomorphism, admixed with dense lymphoplasmacytic cells. Although spindle cells are focally immunoreactivefor smooth muscle actin, the ultrastructural examination failed to demonstrate smooth muscledifferentiation. In cases of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (inflammatory fibrosarcoma), a completeexcision and close follow-up without radical surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy are needed.
Actins ; Adult ; Drug Therapy ; Fibrosarcoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung* ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myofibroblasts* ; Necrosis ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule ; Thorax

Intermediate pilomyxoid tumors (IPTs) were defined by the presence of some features typical of pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PMA) in combination with features that could be considered more consistent with pilocytic astrocytoma (PA). PMA is rare in the cerebellum. And, IPT in the cerebellum is rarer than PMA. To our knowledge, only 2 reports have described IPT in the cerebellum. A 5-year-old boy had nausea and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed a large, round, low-density tumor in the cerebellar vermis area. On enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the tumor showed inhomogeneous diffuse enhancement; the central portion showed homogenous enhancement, while the peripheral portion showed inhomogeneous enhancement. The patient underwent a midline suboccipital craniotomy, and gross total resection was performed. The tumor was gray-colored, rubbery hard, and severely hemorrhagic with a clear boundary. On pathologic examination, the combined features of both PA and PMA were retrospectively indicative of an IPT. The patient was symptom-free for 18 months, with no evidence of tumor recurrence on MRI. More observation and further studies on PMA and IPT are required to determine the most appropriate treatment for these tumors.
Astrocytoma* ; Cerebellar Vermis ; Cerebellum* ; Child, Preschool* ; Craniotomy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male* ; Nausea ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Slim patients or those with large breasts may be ineligible for breast reconstruction with an abdominal flap, as the volume of the flap may be insufficient. This study aimed to establish that abdominal tissue–based breast reconstruction can be well suited for Korean patients, despite their thin body habitus. METHODS: A total of 252 patients who underwent postmastectomy breast reconstruction with an abdominal flap from October 2006 to May 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' age and body mass index were analyzed, and a correlation analysis was performed between the weight of the mastectomy specimen and that of the initial abdominal flap. RESULTS: The average weights of the mastectomy specimen and initial abdominal flap were 451.03 g and 644.95 g, respectively. The ratio of the weight of the mastectomy specimen to that of the initial flap was 0.71±0.23. There was a strong positive linear relationship between the weight of the mastectomy specimen and that of the initial flap (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.728). Thirty nulliparous patients had a final-to-initial flap weight ratio of 0.66±0.11. The 25 patients who underwent a contralateral procedure had a ratio of 0.96±0.30. The adjusted ratio of the final flap weight to the initial flap weight was 0.66±0.12. CONCLUSIONS: Breast weight had a strong positive relationship with abdominal flap weight in Koreans. Abdominal flaps provided sufficient soft tissue for breast reconstruction in most Korean patients, including nulliparous patients. However, when the mastectomy weight is estimated to be >700 g, a contralateral reduction procedure may be considered.
Body Mass Index ; Breast* ; Female ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Korea ; Mammaplasty* ; Mastectomy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that cardiovascular risk is associated with cognitive impairments in clinically stable late-life depression. METHODS: A total of 59 clinically stable late-life depression patients over age 60 were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Evaluation tools used in this study include Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Geriatric Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Framingham general cardiovascular disease risk profile and the cognitive function battery designed for this study. Correlation analysis, analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were performed. RESULTS: Patients with higher cardiovascular risk performed significantly poorer in the domains of executive function and short-term or long-term memory. In models adjusted for age, sex, education, 10% higher cardiovascular risk was associated with poorer executive function. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that cardiovascular risk could be a significant factor associated with poor executive function in clinically stable late-life depression and the management which is necessary as a component of treatment planning. This pilot study provided good prospects for future studies to document this relationship on larger samples.
Anxiety ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression* ; Education ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Memory, Long-Term ; Pilot Projects*

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare rheumatologic disorder most commonly presenting as recurring episodes of inflammation in cartilaginous tissues. Auricular chondritis with red ears resembling cellulitisis the most common clinical manifestation. Other manifestations include arthritis, nasal chondritis, and ocular, pulmonary, and cardiovascular disease. Here we report the case of a 54-year-old female patient with relapsing polychondritis and associated scleritis. On histologic examination, the auricle, including cartilaginous tissues, showed loss of the normal basophilia of cartilage and perichondrial infiltration of inflammatory cells. The patient was treated with systemic steroids. Symptoms in both auricles were reduced, scleritis developed, and ocular symptoms were waning.
Arthritis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cartilage ; Ear ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Middle Aged ; Polychondritis, Relapsing ; Scleritis ; Steroids

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

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) during pregnancy by comparing the operative and obstetric outcomes of patients who during pregnancy underwent LA performed by an expert gynaecologic laparoscopist (LA group) with those patients who underwent an open appendectomy (OA) by a general surgeon (OA group).

MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this retrospective study, we evaluated all patients consecutively who had undergone appendectomy for acute appendicitis during pregnancy from January 2000 to December 2010. Twenty-eight patients underwent OA and 15 were treated by LA. We reviewed the clinical charts and analysed the data for each patient's age, parity, body mass index, gestational age at appendectomy, type of appendectomy, operating time, haemoglobin change, hospital stay, histopathological results, postoperative analgesics, complications, and obstetric outcomes.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the OA and LA groups in terms of clinical characteristics, hospital stay, haemoglobin change, return of bowel activity, complication rates, gestational age at delivery, and birth weight. However, there were significantly shorter operating time and less usage of postoperative analgesics in LA group.

CONCLUSIONLA performed by an expert gynaecologist can be a safe and effective method for treating acute appendicitis during the first and second trimester of pregnancy.

Adult ; Appendectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; standards ; Appendicitis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult