Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the digestive system and radical resection, which is available to very few patients, might be the only possibility for cure. Since therapeutic choices are limited at the advanced stage, prevention is more important for reducing incidence in high-risk individuals with family history of pancreatic cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that a high consumption of fish oil or ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces the risk of pancreatic cancers. Dietary fish oil supplementation has shown to suppress pancreatic cancer development in animal models. Previous experimental studies revealed that several hallmarks of cancer involved in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, such as the resistance to apoptosis, hyper-proliferation with abnormal Wnt/β-catenin signaling, expression of pro-angiogenic growth factors, and invasion. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acid and rich in cold oceanic fish oil. DHA shows anti-cancer activity by inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis, inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and decreasing extracellular matrix degradation and expression of pro-angiogenic factors in pancreatic cancer cells. This review will summarize anti-cancer mechanism of DHA in pancreatic carcinogenesis based on the recent studies.
Apoptosis ; Carcinogenesis* ; Digestive System ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fatty Acids ; Fish Oils ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Models, Animal ; Oxidative Stress ; Pancreatic Neoplasms

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is widely used to treat various neurologic or autoimmune disorders in childhood. Aseptic meningitis has been reported as a rare complication of IVIG therapy. We describe two girls, aged 2 and 8 years, with myasthenia gravis who suffered from aseptic meningitis after an administration of high-dose IVIG. Any other etiologic agent were identified in neither case. Both patients recovered completely within a few days and left no sequelae. To our knowledge, these are the first such reported cases in children with myasthenia gravis.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Myasthenia Gravis*

BACKGROUND: The lateral radiograph-based system described by Tsuyama is used widely to classify ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) of the cervical spine. However, OPLL is a complex 3-dimensional (3-D) lesion, not a simple and uniplanar one, which is often difficult to identify on a lateral radiograph. Furthermore, its reliability among spine surgeons has not been investigated. Given the popularity of a reconstructed computed tomography (CT), this study examined the inter- and intra-observer reliability of lateral radiograph-based OPLL classification using that modality. METHODS: Five spine surgeons independently reviewed the lateral radiograph, axial CT, 2-D (sagittal) and 3-D reconstructed CT images of 108 OPLL patients on 2 separate occasions. Based on these images, the reviewers classified each OPLL case according to the Tsuyama's system. The kappa values were used to assess the statistical reliability. RESULTS: The inter- and intra-observer kappa values were only 0.51 and 0.67 for the lateral radiograph, even in combination with the axial CT images, 0.70 and 0.85 for 2-D CT images, and 0.76 and 0.86 for 3-D CT images, respectively. These kappa values showed a good-to-excellent range for the 2-D and 3-D reconstructed CT images while those of the lateral radiograph indicated a fair range. According to the OPLL types, the inter- and intra-observer reliability was low in the continuous type and high in the circumscribed type on the lateral radiograph. However, the low reliability of the continuous type on lateral radiograph was overcome somewhat using 2-D and 3-D reconstructed CT images. CONCLUSIONS: The inter- and intra-observer kappa values were only 0.51 and 0.67 for the lateral radiograph, even in combination with the axial CT images, 0.70 and 0.85 for 2-D CT images, and 0.76 and 0.86 for 3-D CT images, respectively. These kappa values showed a good-to-excellent range for the 2-D and 3-D reconstructed CT images while those of the lateral radiograph indicated a fair range. According to the OPLL types, the inter- and intra-observer reliability was low in the continuous type and high in the circumscribed type on the lateral radiograph. However, the low reliability of the continuous type on lateral radiograph was overcome somewhat using 2-D and 3-D reconstructed CT images.
Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Observer Variation ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament/*classification/*radiography ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Mollaret's meningitis is a recurrent aseptic meningitis with characteristic clinical features and Mollaret cells in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF). We describe a case of Mollaret's meningitis in a 3-year-old boy who presented with three episodes of aseptic meningitis within a 4-month period. Each episode was characterized by sudden onset of meningeal irritation followed by spontaneous remission in several days. He was free of neurological symptoms between the episodes. In the acute phase of each episode, his CSF showed polymorphonuclear pleocytosis with normal protein and glucose concentrations. In addition, some epithelial cell clusters in the CSF were evident during the third episode. No pathogenic microorganisms were identified in the CSF or the blood cultures. Brain MRI revealed a benign pineal cyst, 0.8 cm in diameter, and epithelial cell clusters were supposed to represent ruptured cystic walls and recurrent episodes of aseptic meningitis were triggered by spontaneous rupture of the cyst. Our case appears to support "spontaneous rupture of epidermoid cysts in the central nervous system" as one of the etiologies of Mollaret's meningitis.
Brain ; Child, Preschool ; Epidermal Cyst ; Epithelial Cells ; Glucose ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the thyroid cancer occurs in every one of 1000 pregnant women, the optimal timing of surgery is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to propose the timing of surgical management of papillary thyroid cancer in pregnant woman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the medical records of papillary thyroid cancer patients diagnosed during pregnancy in our hospital from May 1st, 2013 to April 30th, 2015. We analyzed the changes of radiologic and pathologic findings during prenatal and postpartum period. RESULTS: 17 of 4978 patients were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. 10 of 17 patients enrolled in this study. Each size of thyroid cancer in 1st trimester, in 2nd trimester, in 3rd trimester, and after delivery was 11.30±6.01 mm, 12.74±7.79 mm, 13.82±9.93 mm, and 13.82±8.19 mm, respectively. No patient showed the recurrence or death after surgery. CONCLUSION: There was no statistical significance on the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer during prenatal and postpartum period. The authors propose that the surgical treatment of papillary thyroid cancer diagnosed during pregnancy could be delayed after delivery.
Female ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the thyroid cancer occurs in every one of 1000 pregnant women, the optimal timing of surgery is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to propose the timing of surgical management of papillary thyroid cancer in pregnant woman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the medical records of papillary thyroid cancer patients diagnosed during pregnancy in our hospital from May 1st, 2013 to April 30th, 2015. We analyzed the changes of radiologic and pathologic findings during prenatal and postpartum period. RESULTS: 17 of 4978 patients were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. 10 of 17 patients enrolled in this study. Each size of thyroid cancer in 1st trimester, in 2nd trimester, in 3rd trimester, and after delivery was 11.30±6.01 mm, 12.74±7.79 mm, 13.82±9.93 mm, and 13.82±8.19 mm, respectively. No patient showed the recurrence or death after surgery. CONCLUSION: There was no statistical significance on the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer during prenatal and postpartum period. The authors propose that the surgical treatment of papillary thyroid cancer diagnosed during pregnancy could be delayed after delivery.
Female ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, Dissecting/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use ; Aortic Aneurysm/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/therapy ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Cerebral Infarction/diagnosis/etiology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Electrocardiography ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Sinus of Valsalva/physiopathology/ultrasonography ; Thrombosis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology/physiopathology ; Ventricular Septal Rupture/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/therapy

Presented is a case study of a 39-year-old man with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and an underlying antithrombin III (AT III) deficiency. The subject presented with severe dyspnea (NYHA functional class III). A diagnostic workup led to a diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism and severe pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular failure. Genetic analysis revealed a novel nonsense mutation (c.243G>A) in SERPINC1. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was performed following the insertion of an inferior vena cava filter. After one year, the subject remained in NYHA functional class I and exhibited normal right ventricular function. This is the first report of a genetically confirmed AT III deficiency complicated by CTEPH in Korea.
Adult ; Antithrombin III ; Antithrombin III Deficiency ; Codon, Nonsense ; Dyspnea ; Endarterectomy ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Korea ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Vena Cava Filters ; Ventricular Function, Right

OBJECTIVE: In search of an ideal method of assisted hatching (AH), we compared the effects of conventional micropipette-AH and laser-AH on the blastocyst formation rate (BFR) and blastocyst cell numbers. METHODS: Four- to five-week-old ICR female mice were paired with male mice after superovulation using Pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and hCG. The two-cell embryos were flushed from the oviducts of female mice. The retrieved two-cell embryos underwent one of five AH procedures: single mechanical assisted hatching (sMAH); cross mechanical assisted hatching (cMAH); single laser assisted hatching (sLAH); quarter laser assisted hatching (qLAH); and quarter laser zona thinning assisted hatching (qLZT-AH). After 72 hours incubation, double immunofluorescence staining was performed. RESULTS: Following a 72 hours incubation, a higher hatching BFR was observed in the control, sMAH, cMAH, and sLAH groups, compared to those in the qLAH and qLZT-AH groups (p<0.05). The hatched BFR was significantly higher in the qLAH and qLZT-AH groups than in the others (p<0.05 for each group). The inner cell mass (ICM) was higher in the control and sMAH group (p<0.05). The trophectoderm cell number was higher in the cMAH and qLAH groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the hatched BFR was higher in groups exposed the the qLAH and qLZT-AH methods compared to groups exposed to other AH methods. In the qLAH group, although the total cell number was significantly higher than in controls, the ICM ratio was significantly lower in than controls.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Cell Count ; Embryonic Development* ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Gonadotropins ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Male ; Mice* ; Oviducts ; Pregnancy ; Superovulation