No abstract available.
Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Ventilators, Mechanical* ; Weaning*

PURPOSE: To compare the usefulness of double-dose contrast-enhanced CT (DDCE-CT) and conventional contrast-enhanced CT (CCE-CT) in the detection of metastatic brain lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with brain metastases were evaluated with both CCE-CT and thinslice DDCE-CT. For CCE-CT, an initial injection of 100 ml contrast medium was given, and DDCE-CT with both 10-mm and 5-mm thickness was performed after the addition of an extra 100 ml of contrast medium. The numbers of metastatic lesions detected by CCE-CT and by DDCE-CT were compared, as were the findings of contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) and thin-slice DDCE-CT in seven patients who underwent both these procedures. RESULTS: Fourteen metastatic brain lesions were detected by CCE-CT, 22 by 10-mm-thickness DDCE-CT, and 36 by 5-mm thickness DDCE-CT. Thus, almost 2.6 times more lesions were detected by thin-slice DDCE-CT than by CCE-CT. Metastatic lesions were detected by 10-mm-thickness DDCE-CT in 16 patients and by CCECT in seven; in five, edema only was detected, while in four there were no detectable metastases. CCE-CT detected four lesions of less than 5 mm in diameter, while 10-mm-thickness DDCE-CT and 5-mm-thickness DDCE-CT detected seven and 18 lesions, respectively. Eleven lesions were detected by thin-slice DDCE-CT and 17 by CE-MRI in the seven patients who underwent both CE-MRI and DDCE-CT. The lesions detected only by CE-MRI were less than 5 mm in diameter and were discovered in the cerebellum or inferior temporal lobe. CONCLUSION: Thin-slice DDCE-CT was superior to CCE-CT in detecting metastatic brain lesions.
Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Edema ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Temporal Lobe ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Sacrococcygeal teratoma is the most common solid tumor to occur in neonates, in whom it mostly takes the form of an obvious exophytic mass. They are, however, rarely found in adults. We report the CT and histopathologic findings of an adult cystic teratoma arising from the lower sacrococcygeal region that was discovered incidentally. Unenhanced CT scans showed an oval-shaped, cystic lesion with hyperattenuating content and no contrast enhancement. After surgery, the gross specimen was seen to be a cystic lesion filled with mucin. Microscopy revealed three germ cell layers in the cystic wall and the lesion was confirmed as cystic teratoma.
Adult* ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Microscopy ; Mucins ; Sacrococcygeal Region* ; Teratoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: A delta-shaped anastomosis (DA) is a widely accepted technique used for a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG). Several studies have suggested various modifications to overcome the drawbacks of an original DA. We present our novel technique―a T-shaped modified delta anastomosis (TDA), and we report the early outcomes with its use in a case series. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 40 patients who underwent a TLDG with TDA for early gastric cancer at OOO between February 2016 and May 2017. Perioperative outcomes, postoperative complications, and operating time were analyzed, and all data were expressed as means±standard deviation. RESULTS: We observed no major complications that required immediate postoperative intervention. Other minor and non-surgical complications were delayed gastric emptying (n=1), pneumonia (n=2), atelectasis (n=3), dumping symptom (n=1), and symptomatic bile reflux (n=1). No wound infection was reported in any patient. The total operative time was 206.5±25.4 min and the estimated blood loss was 27.8±33.5 ml. The mean time required to perform the anastomosis was 20.9±6.7 min, and the mean number of cartridges used during the operation was 4.78±0.66. CONCLUSION: We conclude that a TDA following a laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was successfully developed and showed acceptable clinical outcome.
Bile Reflux ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Emptying ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Medical Records ; Operative Time ; Pneumonia ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Wound Infection

It has been reported that cavernous hemangiomas in the spine are generally located in vertebral bodies. Wereport a case of epidural cavernous hemangioma, a very rare condition, at the C7-T2 level. MR images showed adumbbell-shaped mass, with iso and high signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images, respectively. The mass wasintensely enhanced following Gd-DTPA injection.
Gadolinium DTPA ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Spine

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is a rare benign condition of unknown etiology, and it may simulate malignancy. It is composed of myofibroblast, plasma cells and histiocytes and is found in lung, the liver, orbit, skin, mesentery, retroperitoneum and maxillary sinus. We report a case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of perineal subcutaneous fat in a 35-year-old woman who complained of a palpable mass. Ultrasonography revealed a well-marginated lobulated hypoechoic lesion with peripheral poorly-defined hyperechoic strands in the subcutaneous fat of the right perineum. The lesion demonstrated low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and of heterogenous high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, compared with surrounding muscle. After intravenous injection of gadolinium, it showed clear homogeneous enhancement but poorlydefined adjacent strands. The final histologic diagnosis was inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gadolinium ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Liver ; Lung ; Maxillary Sinus ; Mesentery ; Myofibroblasts* ; Orbit ; Perineum ; Plasma Cells ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography

Inflammatory pseudotumors are tumor-like benign lesions of uncertain pathogenesis and have most commonly been reported in the lungs. In the pancreas they are rare. We describe a case of inflammatory pseudotumor of the pancreas which was seen to be isoattenuating at non-contrast CT, and as a well-defined nodule with homogeneous enhancement in the pancreatic tail at contrast-enhanced CT. After a preoperative diagnosis of islet cell tumor, partial pancreatectomy of the pancreatic tail, with splenectomy, was performed. The gross specimen was a yellowish-white, solid mass and the lesion was histopathologically confirmed as inflammatory pseudotumor with an extensive area of sparse cellular fibrosis and collagen deposition.
Adenoma, Islet Cell ; Collagen ; Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Lung ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatectomy ; Splenectomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To determine relative image qualities and to evaluate their ability to visualize biliary trees and pancreatic ducts, we compared the breath-hold fast spin echo (FSE) and respiratory triggered FSE technique in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients with suspected of hepatic disease but no pancreatic or biliary ductal dilatation, as determined by other imaging techniques('group of pathologic pancreatobiliary tree') underwent MRCP. Heavily T2-weighted FSE coronal images were obtained by both breath-hold and respiratory triggered techniques. These two images were 3D-reconstructed using a maximal intensity projection algorithm. Three radiologists scored the image qualities of anatomic structures in each set of image, then directly compared the image quality of the images obtained by the two techniques. RESULTS: For the visualization of common hepatic ducts and common bile dvcts, FSE MRCP images obtained using the respiratory-triggered technique were triggered technique were significantly better than those obtained using the breath-hold technique (P<0.05). Fifty-nine to 88% of breath-hold images of the biliary tree and 63-95% of respiratory triggered images were optimal. For the pancreatic duct, however, 24% of breath-hold images and 15% of respiratory-triggered images provided optimal image quality. In direct comparison, respiratory triggered images were better in 25 cases (52.1%), both images were comparable in 12 cases (25.0%), and in 11 cases (22.9%), breath-hold images were better. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: For the vizualization of extrahepatic bile ducts, the respiratory triggered FSE sequence was better than the breath-hold sequence; for the evaluation of both a non-dilated and dilated pancreatobiliary system, however, both techniques need further development.
Bile ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Dilatation ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Pancreatic Ducts

It has been known that the usual findings of SPECT in patients with Todd's paralysis is the hypoperfusion of the corresponding hemisphere. We experienced a patient who developed transient hemiparesis after a seizure attack with hyperperfusion rather than hypoperfusion over the corresponding hemisphere on brain SPECT. A 36-year-old female presented with left hemiparesis after a secondarily generalized tonic seizure. No additional seizure-like attack was noted during admission. EEG showed intermittent focal slow waves over the right frontotemporal area on admission and returned to a normal pattern 72 hours after admission. Tc-99m ECD SPECT showed hyperperfusion on the right frontoparietal area in spite of the normalization of EEG. The degree of hyperperfusion was diminished as time passed for at least 72 hours. We report a patient who had Todd's paralysis associated with contralateral frontoparietal hyperperfusion. Todd's paralysis may be explained as the result of focal discharges that lead to local vasomotor changes.
Adult ; Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Paralysis* ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

PURPOSE: To assess the utility of multiphasic spiral CT for characterizing renal masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 36 patients (53 lesions) referred for the evaluation of renal masses suspected on the basis of the results of sonography or radiography. Spiral CT of the kidneys was performed prior to and following power injection of intravenous contrast material (Optiray-320). Postcontrast imaging data were obtained and analyzed during early and late corticomedullary (20-30-second delay), nephrographic (60-70-second delay), and excretory (5-minute delay) phases. During each phase, the ability to detect renal masses was evaluated, and the ability to diagnose these masses on routine and multiphasic CT was assessed. Routine precontrast and excretory phase CT studies were performed and the usefulness of each phase for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) was evaluated. RESULTS: The rates for the detection of renal masses were as follows: 94.3% on precontrast scan, 93.8% during the early corticomedulolary phase (ECMP), 98.1% during the late corticomedullary phase (LCMP), 100% during the nephrographic phase (NP), and 98.1% during the excretory phase (EP). During both routine and multiphasic CT, diagnostic accuracy was 96.2%, though for differential diagnosis, multiphasic CT was more helpful than routine CT in 4/16 cases of RCC and 2/8 cases of TCC. The highest for lesion characterization, during the LCMP in RCC, and the LCMP and NP in TCC ; for evaluation of tumor margin during the EP in both RCC and TCC ; for delineation of the renal artery, during the LCMP in both RCC and TCC ; for delineating the renal vein, during the NP in RCC, and the LCMP in TCC. CONCLUSION: For the detection and correct diagnosis oflesions, multiphasic CT was not superior to routine CT, but for the characterization of RCC and TCC, the former was helpful. The most useful phase can differ according to the kind of renal mass, and so for characterization of the mass, the most appropriate phase must be selected.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Kidney ; Radiography ; Renal Artery ; Renal Veins ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*