Objectives: Endoscopic variceal ligation is well established metbod of treatment for esophageal varices whereas for gastric varices there has not been any systematic report of its use as a method of treatment. To evaluated its possible clinical application, the band ligation(banding) and the method of band ligation in conjuction with submucosal ethanolamine injection(banding with sclero) were tested on canine stomach, and results were assessed.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Ethanolamine ; Ligation* ; Rubber* ; Stomach

This report describes clinical cases of a palato-gingival groove on a maxillary lateral incisor with associated localized periodontal disease and pulp necrosis. The tooth of the first case was extracted because of severe bone destruction. The palato-gingival groove of the second case was eliminated using a round bur, and the resulting defect was filled with synthetic graft and covered by an absorbable membrane. Both diagnosis and treatment of palato-gingival groove were very difficult and usually extraction of the involved tooth is the treatment of choice, but combined endodontic-periodontic treatment allowed the tooth to be saved.
Dental Pulp Necrosis ; Diagnosis ; Incisor* ; Membranes ; Periodontal Diseases ; Tooth ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To evaluate the fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) features of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) in patients with pneumoconiosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FDG-PET and chest CT scans were performed in 11 patients with pneumoconiosis and PMF on chest radiographs. We evaluated the size, location, maximum, and mean of the standardized uptake value (SUV) for the PMF. A fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed in patients with a mean SUV of > 2.5 to exclude lung malignancies or pulmonary tuberculosis. A Pearson's correlation was performed to determine if a correlation exists if between the sizes and the mean SUV of the PMF. RESULTS: A total of 19 masses from 11 patients were located in the upper lobes (bilateral in eight and right in three). The sizes of the lesions ranged from 1.3 to 6.4 cm (mean = 3.6 cm). The maximum SUV was 0.5 to 8.1 (mean = 3.8) and the mean SUV was 0.4 to 5.9 cm (mean = 2.9 cm). Lung malignancies or tuberculosis were not identified in the 12 lesions (63%) with a mean SUV of >2.5. The sizes of the PMF did not correlate well with the mean SUV (r = 0.225). CONCLUSION: FDG-PET scans can show PMFs as regions of increased metabolic activity (mean SUV, 2.9) without evidence of lung cancer or pulmonary tuberculosis. No correlation between the sizes of PMF and the mean SUV was found.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Fibrosis ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pneumoconiosis ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm consisting of both epithelial and nonepithelial components, that is, carcinoma and sarcoma in the same tumor. Since Queckenstedt reported the case of carcinosarcoma of the stomach in 1904, only 30 cases have been reported. We present a case of carcinosarcoma and adenocarcinoma of the stomach in 63-year-old man with the review of the literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinosarcoma* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Sarcoma ; Stomach*

Streptococcus constellatus (S. constellatus) is a commensal microorganism belonging to the "Streptococcus milleri" group, but may cause infections in different locations in immunocompromised patients. The infection of S. constellatus has high mortality and morbidity due to its tendency to cause abscesses in infected patients, which require immediate surgical drainage for effective treatment. We report on a 72-year-old woman with end stage renal disease, who suffered from dyspnea and general weakness that had developed over 7 days. Chest CT showed loculated pleural effusion. S. constellatus was cultured from exudative pleural effusions and confirmed by an analysis of 16S rRNA sequence. The patient was treated with drainage of pleural effusion and piperacillin/tazobactam for 5 weeks.
Abscess ; Aged ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Empyema ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pleural Effusion ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus constellatus ; Streptococcus milleri Group ; Thorax

Kissing aneurysms are the rare type of multiple aneurysms. They are adjacent aneurysms of different origin arteries in the same region, which require great care in diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of kissing aneurysms at the anterior communicating artery (AcomA) which were treated by endovascular coil embolization.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: To evaluate the CT findings of pleural dissemination in primary lung cancer and the limitations of CT scanning in detecting pleural dissemination in primary lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary lung cancer with pleural dissemination was diagnosed in 68 patients and confirmed by pleural biopsy, cytology and surgery, and these cases were the subject of this study. Adenocarcinoma accounted for 49, squamous cell carcinoma for 13 and small cell carcinoma for six. Eight CT features, namely the amount of pleural effusion, the contour, extent andlocation of pleural thickening, the shortest distance between pleura and mass, pleural calcification, pleural tailsign and the extent of extrapleural fat proliferation, were evaluated. RESULTS: Pleural effusion was noted in 51 of 68 patients(75%), though in most cases(70%), the amount of this was small. Among 42 patients(62%) in whom thickened pleura, were noted, pleural thickening was thin and irregular in 22(52%), thick and irregular in 16(38%), and thin and regular in 4(10%). The extent of pleural thickening was multifocal in 22 patients(52%),diffuse in 16(38%), and circumferential and single in two(5%). Pleural thickening was more frequently noted at theposterior than the anterior pleura. Pleural abutting was seen in 53 patients(78%). In ten patients(15%), chest CTscans revealed no perceptible pleural abnormalities. CONCLUSION: If in primary lung cancer, the primary lung masscontacts the pleura, and if pleural thickening, even when slight, shows marginal irregularity, pleuraldissemination should be considered. Although CT scanning is very useful for the detection of pleural disseminationin primary lung cancer, about 15% of patients showed no perceptible pleural abnormalities. Other diagnosticmodalities such as thoracoscopy are mandatory for the correct diagnosis of pleural dissemination in primary lung cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Pleura ; Pleural Effusion ; Thoracoscopy ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To determine the presence of cruciate ligament tears following avulsion injuries involving the ACL and PCL, and to correlate the findings with those of surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1997 and May 2002, avulsion injury involving the ACL or PCL was diagnosed in 19 patients. Ten of these [8 males and 2 females aged 10-51 (avergae, 27.7) years] were included in this study. We assessed the presence of cruciate ligament tears at MR imaging, correlating the findings with those of surgery. Associated intra-articular injuries, treatment methods and follow-up results were also evaluated. RESULTS: Among Seven patients with ACL avulsion injury, this was assessed at MR imaging as complete tear (n=1), partial tear (n=5), or intact (n=1), while all MR images of PCL avulsion injury (n=3) showed that this was partial tear. All imaging findings corresponded with the surgical findings. In four patients there was associated knee injury involving, respectively, tears of the medial meniscus, lateral meniscus, PCL and MCL, and popliteal ligament. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that with one exception, patients with avulsion injury of the ACL or PCL had suffered either a partial or complete tear. MR imaging may be useful in the diagnosis of tears of the cruciate ligament which have not been noticed at surgery or arthroscopy in avulsion injuries involving the ACL and PCL.
Arthroscopy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; Knee* ; Ligaments* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Menisci, Tibial ; Spine*

Esophageal perforation is a rare disease, which require emergent diagnosis and therapeutic procedure. In this paper, we present one case of esophageal perforation by traction of toothbrush which was swallowed during pharyngeal irritation. After the toothbrush was inserted to stomach by gastroscope, gastrostomy was performed for removal of toothbrush and the esophageal perforation was repaired by operation.
Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation* ; Gastroscopes ; Gastrostomy ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach ; Traction

Intracavitary metastasis is an uncommon secondary cardiac malignancy and metastasis to the right atrium and ventricle is even less common. Prior reports have demonstrated an association of this disease entity with sudden death. We report a recent experience of intracavitary cardiac metastasis of a primary hepatoma in a 24-year-old woman who presented with a exertional dyspnea and a syncopal episode.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Death, Sudden ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Syncope ; Young Adult