The authors report an unusual case of a primary chondroid chordoma arising from the base of the petrous temporal bone. A 43-year-old female presented with left sided facial weakness and left sided jugular foramen syndrome. The CT findings of a tumor arising from the base of left petrous temporal bone and it involved left cerebello-pontine angle, and extended through left jugular foramen to parapharyngeal space. The clinical and histopathologic differences between classical(typical) chordoma and its variant are highlighted. The rarity of primary chordomas at this site is stressed.
Adult ; Chordoma* ; Female ; Humans ; Temporal Bone*

No abstract available.
Brain Stem* ; Classification* ; Hemorrhage*

Cruciate paralysis, an unusual clinical entity, is "frequently undiagnosed or misunderstood", and can simulate the acute cervical central-cord injury syndrome. This rare injury pattern is characterized by weakness of upper extremities with little or no compromise of lower limb function following trauma to the superior cervical cord. The pattern of injury and clinical findings support selective damage to the corticospinal tract or upper motor neurons subserving upper limb function with the pyramidal decussation. Authors experience a case of curciate paralysis due to type 2 odontoid fracture and atlas dislocation.
Central Cord Syndrome ; Dislocations* ; Lower Extremity ; Motor Neurons ; Odontoid Process* ; Paralysis ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Upper Extremity

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) is gaining wider acceptance for the treatment of early gastric cancer. However, firm evidence supporting the long-term outcome after LADG for gastric cancer is unknown. This study compared long-term quality of life after LADG versus an open distal gastrectomy (ODG) for early gastric cancer. METHODS: This study included 29 patients who underwent LADG and 57 patients who underwent ODG for the treatment of stage I gastric cancer. Quality of life was evaluated based on the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ-STO22 one year after surgery. All patients underwent a Billroth II gastrectomy for stage I gastric cancer between January 2003 and December 2004. RESULTS: A total of 86 (58%) out of 154 patients responded to the questionnaire. Demographic features showed no difference between the two groups of patients for age, sex, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis except for tumor size and the number of retrieved lymph nodes. The mean score for global health status was not statistically different (LADG, 60.3+/-20.4 vs ODG, 57+/-20.6; P=0.413). The total score of 21 items related to stomach cancer (EORTC QLQ-STO22) also was not statistically different (LADG, 68.9+/-64.9 vs ODG, 94.5+/-97.3; P=0.340). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-C 30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ-STO22, LADG does not seem to have any long-term benefit over ODG on 'quality of life'.
Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stomach Neoplasms

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Although zirconium oxide ceramics are more and more commonly used in restorative dentistry, for many clinical applications only limited data can be found in the literature. However, it is quite clear that hydrofluoric acid etching is impossible with zirconia ceramics. Therefore, other bonding techniques are required in order to lute these materials adhesively. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of surface treatments on shear bond strengths between two resin cements and a zirconia ceramic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experimental industrially manufactured yttrium-oxide-partially-stabilized zirconia ceramic discs (Adens, Korea) were used for this study. The ceramic specimens divided into five experimental groups and a control group (as received). Five surface treatments were studied. 1) sandblasting with 110 micrometer Al2O3 at 3 bars pressure 13 seconds at a distance of 10mm, 2) flame-treated with the Silano-Pen for 5 s/cm2, 3) grinding with a diamond bur, 4) sandblasting + Silano-Pen treatment, 5) diamond bur preparation+ Silano-Pen treatment. Acrylic plastic tube (5 mm in height and 3 mm in diameter) were filled with composite to fabricate composite cylinders. The composite cylinders were bonded to the ceramic specimens with either Superbond C & B or Panavia F resin luting agents. All cemented specimens were tested under shear loading until fracture on universal testing machine at a crosshead speed 1mm/min, the maximum load at fracture was recorded. Shear bond strength data were analyzed with oneway analysis of variance and Tukey HSD tests (p<.05). Treated ceramic surfaces and fracture surfaces after shear testing were examined morphologically using scanning electron microscope. Results: Ceramic surface treatment with Silano-Pen after sandblasting improved the bond strength of Superbond C & B resin cement. Superbond CandB resin cement at Silano-Pen after sandblasting(27.4 +/- 3.8 MPa) showed statistically higher shear bond strength than the others. CONCLUSION: Within the limitation of this study, Superbond C & B resin cement are suitable for cementation of zirconia ceramics and flame-treated with the Silano-Pen after sandblasting is required to enhance the bond strength.
Cementation ; Ceramics* ; Dental Cements ; Dental Instruments ; Dentistry ; Hydrofluoric Acid ; Plastics ; Resin Cements* ; Zirconium

The authors report two cases of high cervical spinal chordomas that were removed via the median labiomandibular glossotomy(MLG) approach. One patient was a 62-year-old female in whom an extradural chordoma was found at the level of C3 vertebra with huge prevertebral extension, and causing dyspnea and dysphagia; the other was a 47-year-old female, found to be suffering from a chordoma of C2 vertebral body, which was found incidentally. After removal of the tumors, ventral instrumented fusions were performed in both patients, who showed good recoveries with only minor complications. The MLG approach is radical, and rarely performed by neurosurgeons, but for treatment of an expanded high cervical lesion that needs ventral surgery and seems to be inaccessible via the conventional transoropharyngeal or anterolateral retropharyngeal route, it should be considered. The authors discuss the clinicopathological characteristics of spinal chordomas and general considerations of the MLG approach to high cervical lesions, and briefly describe the surgical techniques involved in this approach.
Chordoma* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Spine

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe cases of feline intermediate- to high-grade alimentary lymphoma regarding signalment, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, response to therapy (modified 25-week University of Wisconsin–Madison [UW-25] vs. COP [cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone]), toxicosis, and outcomes and to identify prognostic factors. Sixteen cats were treated with chemotherapy protocols. Response rates and survival did not differ statistically between the two protocols. The progression-free interval (PFI) and median survival time (MST) in cats achieving a response to therapy were longer than in those with no response [NR] (complete remission [CR] vs. partial remission [PR] vs. NR; PFI, 124 vs. 49 vs. 12 days, p < 0.001; MST, 361 vs. 118 vs. 16 days, p < 0.001). Clinical stage was another prognostic factor for PFI and MST. The PFI and MST in cats in stage I were longer than in those in other stages (PFI, 107 days vs. 30 days; MST, 193 days vs. 54 days). Hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicosis was mostly low grade. In comparing the modified UW-25 protocol with the COP protocol, there was not much difference in the number of neutropenic episodes and grade levels.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe cases of feline intermediate- to high-grade alimentary lymphoma regarding signalment, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, response to therapy (modified 25-week University of Wisconsin–Madison [UW-25] vs. COP [cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone]), toxicosis, and outcomes and to identify prognostic factors. Sixteen cats were treated with chemotherapy protocols. Response rates and survival did not differ statistically between the two protocols. The progression-free interval (PFI) and median survival time (MST) in cats achieving a response to therapy were longer than in those with no response [NR] (complete remission [CR] vs. partial remission [PR] vs. NR; PFI, 124 vs. 49 vs. 12 days, p < 0.001; MST, 361 vs. 118 vs. 16 days, p < 0.001). Clinical stage was another prognostic factor for PFI and MST. The PFI and MST in cats in stage I were longer than in those in other stages (PFI, 107 days vs. 30 days; MST, 193 days vs. 54 days). Hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicosis was mostly low grade. In comparing the modified UW-25 protocol with the COP protocol, there was not much difference in the number of neutropenic episodes and grade levels.

Emerging evidence has emphasized the importance of cancer therapies targeting an abnormal metabolic state of tumor-initiating cells (TICs) in which they retain stem cell-like phenotypes and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) metabolism. However, the functional role of NAD⁺ metabolism in regulating the characteristics of TICs is not known. In this study, we provide evidence that the mitochondrial NAD⁺ levels affect the characteristics of glioma-driven SSEA1⁺ TICs, including clonogenic growth potential. An increase in the mitochondrial NAD⁺ levels by the overexpression of the mitochondrial enzyme nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) significantly suppressed the sphere-forming ability and induced differentiation of TICs, suggesting a loss of the characteristics of TICs. In addition, increased SIRT3 activity and reduced lactate production, which are mainly observed in healthy and young cells, appeared following NNT-overexpressed TICs. Moreover, in vivo tumorigenic potential was substantially abolished by NNT overexpression. Conversely, the short interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of NNT facilitated the maintenance of TIC characteristics, as evidenced by the increased numbers of large tumor spheres and in vivo tumorigenic potential. Our results demonstrated that targeting the maintenance of healthy mitochondria with increased mitochondrial NAD⁺ levels and SIRT3 activity could be a promising strategy for abolishing the development of TICs as a new therapeutic approach to treating aging-associated tumors.
Glioblastoma* ; Lactic Acid ; Metabolism ; Mitochondria ; NAD ; NADP Transhydrogenases ; Phenotype ; Tics ; Up-Regulation*