PURPOSE: To clarify the chracteristic sonographic features of benign soft tissue tumors and to evaluate the usefulness of sonographic imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed ultrasonographic images of 70 cases in 68 patients with histologically proved benign soft tissue tumors. RESULTS: The tumors included 33 lipomas, 11 hemangiomas. 11 lymphangiomas, 7 neurilemmomas, 4 epidermold cysts, 2 fibromas, 1 mesenchymoma, and 1 myxoma. The SOhographic appearances of the lesions were mainly solid in 53 cases(33 lipomas, 8 hemangiomas, 2 lymphangiomas, 7 neurilemmomas, 2 fibromas and 1 mesenchymoma), mainly cystic in 14 cases(1 hemangioma, 8 lymphangiomas, 4 epidermoid cysts, and 1 myxoma), and mixed in 3 cases(2 hemangiomas and 1 lymphangioma). Although an accurate histologic prediction could not be made in most cases, certain patterns appeared to be characteristic of specific tumor types. 26 cases(78%) of lipoma were seen as lentiform, iso- or hyperechoic, solid mass. Hemangioma had variable appearance and chacteristic calcifications were seen in 3 cases. Unicameral or multiseptated cystic mass with variable thickness of echogenic septa and solid portion was the characteristic finding of lymphangioma. Neurilemmoma showed Iobulated, oval to round, relatively hypoechoic mass with or without internal cystic portion. CONCLUSION: Sonographic evaluation of benign soft tissue tumros is useful in demonstrating the location, size, extent, and internal characteristics of the mass. A relatively confident diagnosis can be made when the characteristic features of the benign soft tissue tumor are present on sonographic imaging.
Diagnosis ; Epidermal Cyst ; Fibroma ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Lipoma ; Lymphangioma ; Mesenchymoma ; Myxoma ; Neurilemmoma ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Barium* ; Intussusception*

Biliary ascariasis is a rare complication of intestinal ascaris infestation. Retrograde migration of the adult worm through the papilla of Vater causes biliary colic, and may give rise to pancreatic and biliary obstruction, choledocholithiasis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, hemobilia, and if the worm lodges in intrahepatic bile ducts, to liver absceases. In the past, treatment of biliary ascariasis has usually involved the direct removal of ascaris throagh a surgical choledochatomy and subsequent saline lavage of the common duct through an indwelling T tube. Recently, the worm in the bile duct can be seen by ERCP and it can be removed during the endoscopic procedure. A 55-year-old woman with intermittent colicky right upper quadrant abdominal pain was admitted to out hospital. Abdominai sonogram disclosed an echogenic structure within a mildly dilated common bile duct and a high ehogenic structure with acoustic shadowing in the distal common bile duct(CBD), which suggests a CBD stone. ERCP after obtaining the sonogram revealed a thick, long, linear, smooth filling defect in the CBD with a distal CBD stone. A distal CBD stone was removed by sphinctetotomy and lithotripsy, then we directly extracted ascaris with a tripod forcep without any complication.
Abdominal Pain ; Acoustics ; Adult ; Ascariasis* ; Ascaris ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholangitis ; Cholecystitis ; Choledocholithiasis ; Colic ; Common Bile Duct* ; Female ; Hemobilia ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Surgical Instruments ; Therapeutic Irrigation

We report a case of non-secretory plasma cell leukemia with complex chromosomal abnormalities including t (11;14)(q13;q32). A 57-year-old man was admitted to hospital due to anemia, thrombocytopenia and renal insufficiency. Bone marrow examination and peripheral blood smear revealed a large number of immature plasma cells with positivity for CD38. Monoclonal gammopathy or abnormal paraproteins were not observed in serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation. The cytogenetic analysis showed complex chromosomal abnormalities [45, XY, -1, t (11;14)(q13;q32), t (12;17)(p13;q21)]. He was died of adult respiratory distress syndrome on the 6th hospital day.
Anemia ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Leukemia, Plasma Cell* ; Middle Aged ; Paraproteinemias ; Paraproteins ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Thrombocytopenia

No abstract available.
Addison Disease*

A 59-year-old man was admitted because of progressive proximal muscle weakness over 4 months. Serum creatine kinase was markedly increased and electromyography revealed myopathic pattern. Muscle biopsy showed nonspecific myopathic changes. No inflammatory change was shown. Thyroid function tests revealed very low thyroxine and low triiodo-L-thyronine, whereas thyroid-stimulating hormone was greatly increased as well as serum anti-thyroglobulin and microsome antibodies. The patient had hypothyroid myopathy due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which improved with L-thyroxine replacement.
Antibodies ; Biopsy ; Creatine Kinase ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Microsomes ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Diseases* ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis* ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine

BACKGROUND: Intracranial complications of paranasal sinus infection are rare and may be misdiagnosed during an initial evaluation because they often show subtle symptoms, which include elusive physical and neurological findings and imaging. The late recognition of these conditions and the delayed treatment can increase morbidity and mortality rates. We aimed to characterize the typical clinical features of intracranial complications associated with sinusitis. METHODS: Twelve patients who visited the Eulji Medical Center from 1994 to 2000, with sinogenic suppurative intracranial lesions were reviewed. Medical records and radiological studies were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 12 cases with 15 sinogenic intracranial complications. The ratio of males to female was 2 : 1. The ages of patients ranged from 16 to 81 (average: 46.7). Four cases had meningitis, four had focal cerebritis, three had cavernous sinus throm-bophlebitis, two had subdural empyema, and two had epidural abscess or empyema. The primary lesions of paranasal sinusitis were located at the sphenoid in three, ethmoid sinus in two, frontal sinus in one and the multiple sinus in six. The outcome revealed complete recovery in six cases, mild neurologic sequelae in three cases, death in two cases and recurrence in one case. CONCLUSIONS: The type of intracranial complication and origin of paranasal sinusitis may be changing. Cases in which such complications are suspected, in order for an early diagnosis, a MRI should be considered. The successful management of intracranial complications consists of timely antibiotics therapy combined with surgical drainage of the loculated infection. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(5):457~463, 2001)
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cavernous Sinus ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Empyema ; Empyema, Subdural ; Epidural Abscess ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Female ; Frontal Sinus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medical Records ; Meningitis ; Mortality ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sinusitis

Plasma cell Granuloma (PCG) is a form of idiopathic inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT). It is a rare entity character-ized by a nonneoplastic proliferation of inflammatory cells dominated by a polyclonal expansion of the plasma cells. This lesion has been discovered in many parts of the body including the central nervous system. We now report two cases of plasma cell granuloma involving the brain. The first case was a 42-year-old man who presented a right hemi-paresis. He had a lesion in the convexity of the left parietal region. The second case was a 58-year-old woman who was expressed confusion and a frontal-temporal headache. She had a lesion in the convexity of the left temporal region and mastoid bone. The diagnosis of PCG was confirmed by pathological and immunohistochemical studies revealing pre-dominant plasma cells in the affected tissues.
Adult ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Headache ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Middle Aged ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma* ; Rabeprazole

No abstract available.
Female ; Ovarian Cysts* ; Ultrasonography*

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of ankle bracing (Aircast) on postural sway and limb load asymmetry (LLA) in normal adults. METHOD: 263 healthy subjects volunteered. These subjects were performed the balance test on three different conditions, 1st test fulfilled without ankle brace, 2nd test with aircast on one ankle and 3rd test with aircast on the other ankle. All subjects were divided into two groups; younger(<65 years) and older (> or = 65 years) group. Postural sway and body weight distribution were recorded while the subjects were standing on two adjacent force platforms during 30 seconds trial. All subjects chose a comfortable stance with feet apart and asked to look straight ahead at a fixed point in a quiet room. RESULTS: There were significant differences not only in LLA but also in postural sway between younger and older group. The difference of postural sway and LLA in older group was more prominent that in younger group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that ankle bracing improved postural sway irrespective of age. Moreover in older group, ankle bracing on one ankle that was in the absence of LLA improved postural sway by far.
Adult ; Ankle* ; Body Weight ; Braces* ; Extremities* ; Foot ; Humans