Teratoma of the heart is very rare and occurs mainly in children. A 44-year-old male patient was admitted due to foreign body sensation on throat and chest discomfort for a month. Chest CT, MRI and trans- thoracic and transesophageal echocardiographies showed 12x10 cm sized cystic mass with septataion and solid nodules, combined with pericardial and pleural effusion. Excision of the tumor was done and the pathologic diagnosis was mature cystic teratoma arising from pericardium.
Adult ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Heart ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pericardium ; Pharynx ; Pleural Effusion ; Sensation ; Teratoma* ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Succinylcholine (Sch) has long been used to facilitate laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation for general anesthesia, because of a rapid onset of intense but brief paralysis. However, exaggerated potassium (K+) release following Sch, sufficient to cause ventricular dysrhythmias and cardiac arrest, has sporadically been reported in susceptible conditions, including spinal cord injury, severe burn, massive trauma and neuromuscular disorder. And diazepam has been shown to attenuate the increase in serum K+ following Sch administration. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of Sch on serum K+ in patients with spinal cord lesions, and to assess the effect of pretreatment with diazepam (0.05 mg/kg IV) on potassium flux. The results were as follows: 1) Baseline K+ values were not significantly different among the groups. 2) The time to peak increases in K+ was 3 minutes following Sch in all groups. 3) The magnitude of maximum increases in K' following Sch were 0.32 Eq/l, 0.63 mEq/l, 0.06 mEq/I and 1,10 mEq/I in group 1, group 2A, group 2B, and group 3, respectively. 4) Diazepam pretreatment attenuated the increases in K+ following Sch. From the above results, it can be concluded that Sch may safely be used to facilitate intubation in paraplegic patients, provided that they are normokalemic and pretreated with diazepam.
Anesthesia, General ; Burns ; Diazepam ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopy ; Paralysis ; Potassium* ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord* ; Succinylcholine*

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a group of neoplasm affecting the lymphoid system. Follicular lymphoma is typically a slow-growing, indolent form of NHL that accounts for 1/3 of all NHL. It is one of the B-cell lymphomas, generally characterized by multiple relapses after responses to a variety of therapies. When lymphoma relapses, it may occur in the same or a different part of the body from where it occurred originally. Recurrence in the primary site is most common but recurrence in other parts is rarely observed. We experienced a rare case of 70-year-old woman who complained of swelling in the left mouth floor and was diagonosed with a recurrent NHL. It recurred in the sublingual gland after a complete remission of the follicular lymphoma.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Follicular* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Mouth Floor ; Recurrence ; Sublingual Gland*

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease characterized by multiple areas of demyelination, inflammation, and glial scarring in the central nervous system. MS is the most common chronic and usually progressive neurologic disease whose clinical course varies from a benign and symptom-free disease to a rapidly progressive and disabling disorder. MS can be presented with various symptoms, but isolated vertigo, represented in only 5%, is very rare. Nevertheless, in such a case, differential diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disease is very important for neuro-otologist. We recently experienced a 39 year-old female patient of multiple sclerosis with isolated vertigo mimicking vestibular neuritis. We report our case with a review of literature.
Central Nervous System ; Chronic Disease ; Cicatrix ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Multiple Sclerosis* ; Vertigo* ; Vestibular Diseases ; Vestibular Neuronitis

Making impression is the first step of making hearing aid. Because it needs silicon injection on external auditory canal and lateral side of tympanic membrane, careful evaluation is required regarding the presence of any tympanic perforation or problems of external auditory canal prior to making ear impression. Recently, we experienced encountering one case of foreign body in ear while making impression of hearing aid by a local hearing aid seller. Silicone mold material, impacted into the middle ear, had perforated the tympanic membrane; a metallic foreign body was also found in the eustachian tube. Reporting this case, we suggest that special attention be paid to tympanic membrane and external auditory canal conditions when making an ear impression for hearing aids. Therefore, physical examination by otolaryngologist should precede any application of hearing aid.
Ear ; Ear Canal ; Ear, Middle* ; Eustachian Tube* ; Foreign Bodies* ; Fungi ; Hearing Aids* ; Hearing* ; Physical Examination ; Silicon ; Silicones ; Tympanic Membrane

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An anatomic variant of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), termed "dual LAD", consists of early bifurcation of the proximal LAD into one early terminating branch (short LAD) which remains in the anterior interventricular sulcus (AIVS) and doesn't reach the apex, and the second (long LAD), which has a variable course outside the AIVS but returns to the distal sulcus and continues to the apex. Its incidence, angiographic features and clinical significance are investigated. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Consecutive 696 coronary angiograms during October 1997 through August 1998 were analyzed. RESULTS: A dual LAD variant was noted in 45 patients (6%) of the 696 patients. Type I, in which the long LAD descends on the left ventricular side of the AIVS before reentering the AIVS, was noted in 24 patients (53%) and type II, in which the long LAD descends on the right ventricular side of the AIVS before reentering the AIVS, in 21(47%). First septal branch was commonly originated from LAD proper in both type (54% vs 52%), but first diagonal branch from LAD proper (63%) in type I, from short LAD (71%) in type II. Presence of dual LAD was recognized before percutaneous coronary intervention (10) or bypass surgery (2) in 12 (63%) of 19 patients. Regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) were localized in distal septum or anterolateral wall in 2 patients with short or long LAD obstruction, respectively. CONCLUSION: Recognition of dual LAD is essential to prevent errors of interpretation of the coronary angiogram, to plan optimal strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention or bypass surgery, especially in case of total occlusion, and to understand localized septal or anterolateral RWMA.
Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

PURPOSE: Apoptosis is known to be induced either by direct oxidative damage from oxygen free radicals or hydrogen peroxide, or from their generation in cells by injurious agents. Peroxiredoxin plays an important role in eliminating peroxides generated during metabolism. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of Prx (peroxiredoxin) enzymes during the cellular response to oxidative stress. METHODS: The presence of Prx isoforms was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis using Prx isoforms-specific antibodies, and RT-PCR using Prx isozyme coding sequences. Annexin V-FITO apoptosis detection method was used to measure the cell death following exposure to H2O2. RESULTS: Treatment of MCF7 cell lines with H2O2 resulted in the dose-dependent expression of Prx I and II. Observed decreases in the mRNA expressions of Prx I and II, analyzed by RT-PCR, correlated well with the results of immunoblot analysis. The treatment of normal breast cell line, MCF10A, with H2O2 resulted in rapid cell death, while the breast cancer cell line, MCF7, was resistant. In addition, we confirmed that Prx I and II transfected MCF10A cells were more prone to cell death than MCF10A transfected with vector alone, after H2O2 treatment. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that Prx I and II have an important function as inhibitors of cell death during the cellular response to oxidative stress.
Antibodies ; Apoptosis* ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Clinical Coding ; Free Radicals ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; MCF-7 Cells* ; Metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxygen ; Peroxides ; Peroxiredoxins ; Protein Isoforms ; RNA, Messenger

Although central catheter-related complications are frequently reported and are inevitable in the neonatal care unit, the incidence of pericardiac tamponade is low but may be fatal. Index of suspicion, prompt diagnosis, and urgent pericardiocentesis are crucial for lifesaving. We encountered two premature cases of central venous catheter-related pericardial tamponade. The first case was a 4-day-old male premature infant (gestational age [GA], 33(+5) weeks; birth weight [BW], 1,864 g), and the second case was a 4-day-old female premature infant (GA, 28(+6) week; BW, 1,050 g). Each infant had an indwelling central venous catheter since birth and at the third day of hospitalization. The conditions of the babies suddenly deteriorated, but both babies were successfully resuscitated with urgent echocardiography and prompt pericardiocentesis.
Birth Weight ; Cardiac Tamponade* ; Central Venous Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Male ; Parturition ; Pericardiocentesis

PURPOSE: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has recently been clinically applied in the treatment of drug resistant depressed patients. There are mixed findings about the efficacy of rTMS on depression. Furthermore, the influence of rTMS on the physiology of the brain is not clear. We prospectively evaluated changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between pre- and post-rTMS treatment in patients with drug resistant depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with drug-resistant depression (7 male, 5 female; age range: 19~52 years; mean age: 29.3+/-9.3 years) were given rTMS on right prefrontal lobe with low frequency (1 Hz) and on left prefrontal lobe with high frequency (20 Hz), with 20-minute-duration each day for 3 weeks. Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT was obtained before and after rTMS treatment. The changes of cerebral perfusion were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM; t=3.14, uncorrected p<0.01, voxel=100). RESULTS: Following areas showed significant increase in rCBF after 3 weeks rTMS treatment: the cingulate gyrus, fusiform gyrus of right temporal lobe, precuneus, and left lateral globus pallidus. Significant decrement was noted in: the precental and middle frontal gyrus of right frontal lobe, and fusiform gyrus of left occipital lobe. CONCLUSION: Low-frequency rTMS on the right prefrontal cortex and high-frequency rTMS on the left prefrontal cortex for 3 weeks as an add-on regimen have increased and decreased rCBF in the specific brain regions in drug-resistant depressed patients. Further analyses correlating clinical characteristics and treatment paradigm with functional imaging data may be helpful in clarifying the pathophysiology of drug-resistant depressed patients.
Brain ; Depression ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Globus Pallidus ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Male ; Occipital Lobe ; Perfusion ; Physiology ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Prospective Studies ; Temporal Lobe ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*