PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe Magnetic Resonance(MR) findings of two epidural cavernous malformations of the spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging was performed in 2 patients(29-year-old man and 54-year-old woman). Sagittal T1 -, T2-weighted images and Gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced axial and sagittal images were acquired. Two patients had surgery and MR findings were compared with surgical and histopathological findings. RESULTS: MR imaging showed high- and low-signal intensity components of these lesions that were characteristic of an epidural cavernous malformation in one case. The other case showed a high signal intensity on T2- and strong enhancement on Gd-enhanced T1 -weighted images. We think that the former may be due to mixed subacute and chronic hemorrhage and the latter may be due to blood within the endotheliumlined sinusolds without hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: These findings were well correlated with the surgical and histo-pathological findings of cavernous malformation.
Gadolinium ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Spine*

No abstract available.
Leiomyoma*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver*

PURPOSE: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by intense pruritus and an immunologic profile consistent with allergic disease. It is associated with increased eosinophil and IgE level and decreased INF-gamma production. We describe the result of a treatment with INF-gammaand assess the clinical, immunologic, and laboratory data of 12 patients with atopic dermatitis. METHODS: Twelve patients were treated for 12 weeks with 2x106 units/m2 INF-gamma by subcutaneous injection. General hematologic tests were done, and total eosinophil counts, eosinophil fractions, neutrophil fractions, and IgE levels were measured before the treatment, 2 weeks after the treatment, 12 weeks after the treatment serially. We also followed up the patients for 12 weeks after discontinuing INF-gammatherapy. RESULTS: All patients showed clinically significant improvement after 12 weeks of the systemic INF-gammatherapy. There was no clinical aggravation during the therapy period and the follow-up 4 weeks without the therapy. But the recurrence rate in the 12 weeks after discontinuing the therapy was about 40%. Eosinophil counts and eosinophil fractions were significantly decreased after the therapy. And, eosinophil counts and eosinophil fractions were increased in clinically aggravated patients during the 12 weeks of off-therapy. CONCLUSION: We conclude that INF-gammais an effective therapy in atopic dermatitis without significant side effects. The eosinophil counts and eosinophil fractions were decreased during the INF-gamma therapy, and increased in clinically aggravated patients after the off-therapy. There was no aggravation during the therapy. But 5 patients were clinically aggravated during the 12 weeks of off-therapy. Further studies for a long-term maintenance therapy and its side effect might be needed in chronic atopic dermatitis.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Eosinophils ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Interferon-gamma* ; Neutrophils ; Pruritus ; Recurrence ; Skin Diseases

Focal fatty change of the liver is a nodular lesion which is a rarely described and poorly characterized entity. The hepatic nodule measured 1.4cm at its maximum diameter, was subcapsular in location and occurred adjacent to the falciform ligament. Microscopically it was composed of hepatic tissue with a preserved lobular architecture. The central venous structures and portal tracts with their triads were regularly placed. The cytoplasm of almost all of the hepatocytes within the nodule was replaced by macrovesicular fat vacuoles with the nuclei displaced. Several large abnormal vessels were found at the margin of the nodule. The nodule was discovered incidentally on postmortem examination of a female infant who proved, at autopsy, to have multiple cardiac anomalies and bronchopneumonia. The possible inadequate local tissue perfusion due to abnormal intrahepatic vessels at this particular location could be augmented by multiple cardiac anomalies culminating in focal ischemia and focal fatty change. When encountered in surgery or on gross examination, it could be confused with other space occupying lesions such as liver cell adenoma, abscess and metastatic lesions.
Fatty Liver/complications ; Fatty Liver/pathology* ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital/complications ; Hepatic Artery/abnormalities ; Human ; Infant

PURPOSE: To describe the early experience of analyzing variations and time trends in bladder volume of the rectal cancer patients who received bladder ultrasound scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 20 consecutive rectal cancer patients who received whole pelvic radiotherapy (RT) and bladder ultrasound scan between February and April 2012. Before simulation and during the entire course of treatment, patients were scanned with portable automated ultrasonic bladder scanner, 5 times consecutively, and the median value was reported. Then a radiation oncologist contoured the bladder inner wall shown on simulation computed tomography (CT) and calculated its volume. RESULTS: Before simulation, the median bladder volume measured using simulation CT and bladder ultrasound scan was 427 mL (range, 74 to 1,172 mL) and 417 mL (range, 147 to 1,245 mL), respectively. There was strong linear correlation (R = 0.93, p < 0.001) between the two results. During the course of treatment, there were wide variations in the bladder volume and every time, measurements were below the baseline with statistical significance (12/16). At 6 weeks after RT, the median volume was reduced by 59.3% to 175 mL. Compared to the baseline, bladder volume was reduced by 38% or 161 mL on average every week for 6 weeks. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this study is the first to prove that there are bladder volume variations and a reduction in bladder volume in rectal cancer patients. Moreover, our results will serve as the basis for implementation of bladder training to patients receiving RT with full bladder.
Humans ; Observer Variation ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Ultrasonics ; Urinary Bladder

Induced activation of the gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABA(A)) receptor in the retina of goldfish caused the fish to rotate in the opposite direction to that of the spinning pattern during an optomotor response (OMR) measurement. Muscimol, a GABA(A) receptor agonist, modified OMR in a concentration-dependent manner. The GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen and GABA(C) receptor agonist CACA did not affect OMR. The observed modifications in OMR included decreased anterograde rotation (0.01~0.03 micrometer), coexistence of retrograde rotation and decreased anterograde rotation (0.1~30 micrometer) and only retrograde rotation (100 micrometer~1 mM). In contrast, the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline blocked muscimolinduced retrograde rotation. Based on these results, we inferred that the coding inducing retrograde movement of the goldfish retina is essentially associated with the GABA(A) receptor-related visual pathway. Furthermore, from our novel approach using observations of goldfish behavior the induced discrete snapshot duration was approximately 573 ms when the fish were under the influence of muscimol.
Baclofen ; Bicuculline ; Clinical Coding ; Cytarabine ; Goldfish ; Injections, Intraocular ; Muscimol ; Receptors, GABA ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Retina ; Visual Pathways

PURPOSE: To verify the changes of segmental motion after posterolateral lumbar fusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight cases of lumbar posterolateral fusion with good postoperative results and full range of motion, followed up for at least one year were reviewed. We measured the translation and angulation by the Dupuis method on flexion extension radiographs. RESULTS: 1) The motion at adjacent segments was 0.75 mm translation and 6.5 degree angulation at L1-2, 0.75 mm and 8.62 degree at L2-3, 0.95 mm and 9.67 degree at L3-4, 1.17 mm and 10.67 degree at L4-5 and 0.41 mm and 7.41 degree at L5-S1. The motion at L5-S1 was less than that in the control group, but at other levels it was not different. 2) The total range of motion of lumbar spine in the control group was 47.8 degree. In one-segment fusion the range of motion was 31.1 degree(64.9%), in two-segment fusion was 26.8 degree(56.1%) and in three-segment fusion was 14.3 degree(29.8%). The longer the fusion level was, the smaller the total range of motion of lumbar spine was. 3) The percentage of motion at adjacent mobile segments in the fusion group increased more significantly than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Segmental motion at adjacent segment in the fusion group was similar to the motion in the control group. The compensatory increased motion at adjacent mobile segment was not definite, however, the percentage of motion at adjacent segment increased after spinal fusion.
Range of Motion, Articular ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine

Purpose: To establish age/sex-specific reference intervals for serum uric acid and to examine the associations between serum uric acid level and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Korean children and adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data for 1,349 subjects aged 10 to 19 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2017. Results: The mean uric acid levels were 5.9±1.3 mg/dL (interquartile range, 5.0–6.8 mg/dL) in males and 4.6±0.9 mg/dL (interquartile range, 3.9–5.2 mg/dL) in females. The mean uric acid level increased significantly from 10–13 years of age in males, but not in females. The overall prevalence of MetS was 5.9% (7.3% in males and 4.3% in females; P=0.022). The prevalences of MetS in the lowest, second, third, and highest quartiles of uric acid level were 4.4%, 3.3%, 6.1%, and 15.2%, respectively, in males (P for trend <0.001) and 1.9%, 0.0%, 4.1%, and 10.9%, respectively, in females (P for trend <0.001). Compared with the lowest quartile of uric acid level, the odds ratio (with 95% confidence interval) for MetS in the highest quartile was 2.897 (1.140–7.361) in males and 5.173 (1.459–18.342) in females. Subjects in the highest quartile exhibited increased risk for abdominal obesity and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both sexes. Conclusion Serum uric acid level is positively associated with MetS and its components abdominal obesity and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) of the liver is rare benign tumor. When the diagnosis of IPT is established with biopsy, simple observation or conservative therapy is preferred because of the possibility of regression. But IPT is unresponsive to the conservative treatment, surgical resection should be considered. We experienced a 63-year-old male, who was suspected hepatocellular carcinoma in abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan, presented with 2-month history of intermittent fever and weight loss. Percutaneous ultrasound guided core biopsy confirmed IPT of the liver. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics were administered for 8 and 4 weeks, respectively, but fever continued. So, extended right hepatectomy was performed for IPT of the liver and then fever subsided. The patient remains well during a follow-up period of 12 months.
Middle Aged ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Liver Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology/*surgery ; Liver/pathology/surgery ; Humans ; *Hepatectomy ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell/*diagnosis/pathology/*surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential