Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is a clinical syndrome of painful ophthalmoplegia associated with an idiopathic inflammation in the superior orbital fissure or cavernous sinus. We report a 61-year-old woman with recurrent THS. She had been treated with steroids for the painful ophthalmoplegia. After a symptom-free period, she developed similar symptoms. The postcontrast brain MRI showed increased signal in the cavernous sinus, which was also seen in the previous MRI.
Brain ; Cavernous Sinus ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Orbit ; Steroids ; Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome*

OBJECTIVE: The importance of surgico-pathologic staging in endometrial cancer to identify risk factors of the therapeutic and prognostic value has been recognized only recently. Recognition of subsets of patients should minimize treatment related morbidity and mortality for those patients with a good prognosis, while identifying patients who are at high risk for recurrence and therefore likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy. METHODS: This rettospective study was based on clinical review of 76 patients with endometrial cancer from 1983 through 1994 who underwent surgical treatment in Department of Obstettics and Gynecology at Seoul National University Hospital. All cases were restaged using the newly adopted FIGO surgical staging. Univariate and multivariate analysis were carried to compare the importance of prognostic variables. RESULTS: Significant prognostic factors in endometrial cancer were histologic subtype, depth of myometrial invasion, cervical invasion, parametrial invasion, adnexa metastasis, lymph node metastasis and peritoneal cytology(p<0.05). Age and histologic grade were not significant prognostic factors(p>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that surgical stage and depth of myometrial invasion were important factors that predict recurrence(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study has yielded important information for therapeutic approach to endometrial cancer.
Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Seoul

From Jan. 1984 to Dec. 1993, 46 patients with malignant germ cell tumor of ovary were identified in tumor registry of Seoul National University Hospital. The clinicopathologic features of these patients were reviewed. The mean age of patient was 21.6 years (range 1-54), and common presenting symptoms were abdominal mass (19/46), abdominal pain (9/46), abdominal distension (7/46), and epigastric discomfort (2/46) in order. Dysgerminoma was the most common histologic type (19/46, 41.3%), followed by endodermal sinus tumor (13/46, 28.2%), mixed germ cell tumor (6/46, 13/0%), embryonal carcinoma(5/46, 10.8%), immature teratoma(2/46, 4.3%), and chorio- carcinoma (1/46, 2.1%). Among 6 mixed germ cell tumors, dysgerminoma mixed with endodermal sinus tumor component was the most frequent combination. Fifty percent of patients were with FIGO stage I, and 26% with stage III. Overall two year disease free survival was 89.1%. Patients with dysgerminoma showed more favorable 2 year disease free survival (100%) than endodermal sinus tumor or mixed germ cell tumor (84.6%, 66.6% respectively). Patients age, disease stage, histologic type and future child-bearings should be considered in the management of malignant ovarian germ cell tumor. Multicenter prospective randomized studies are needed to identify the more rational treatment strateges of these rare malignant tumors.
Abdominal Pain ; Disease-Free Survival ; Dysgerminoma ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Female ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Ovary ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Dysgerminoma*

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Management of ovarian carcinoma presents most commonly by surgery and subsequent platinum-based chemotherapy, but most patients will have either residual or recurrent disease. Taxol, a new antimicrotubule agent, has been indicated as a salvage measure after failure of first-line or subsequent chemotherapy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of Taxol used as a salvage therapy. MATERIALS & METHODS: Between January 1994 and Jun 1996, 19 patients aged 38-64 years(median 52) with ovarian carcinoma were given Taxol-containing regimen. Taxol was administered at a dose of 135mg/m2 intravenously with cisplatin or carboplatin every 3 weeks. The patients who treated with Taxol only were received 175mg/m2 intravenously with same interval. The median treatment cycle was 6.6 cycles(range, 3 to 15 cycles). Patient's response were evaluated with tumor marker(CA-125) and CT or MRI before and after chemotherapy. Responses and toxicities were defined according to the Gynecologic Oncology Group criteria. (continue)
Carboplatin ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Paclitaxel* ; Salvage Therapy*

Air embolism can occur during central venous catheter removal. We encountered a patient diagnosed with cerebral air embolism associated with the removal of an internal jugular venous catheter. The patient was 65 years old and was admitted to the intensive care unit due to pneumonia. He had a catheter placed in the right internal jugular vein. Five days thereafter, the catheter was removed in semi-Fowler's position using the Valsalva maneuver. Immediately after the catheter removal, the patient became pale, felt dyspneic, lost consciousness and exhibited seizure activity. A neurological examination, revealed left upper arm (grade I) and lower leg paralysis (grade II) as well as left facial palsy. A brain computed tomogram showed that, air was trapped in the cavernous sinus. In diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging, signal changes were reported in the right frontal cortex, indicating acute cerebral infarction. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and ventilatory support with synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation mode was applied. Twenty days thereafter, consciousness and motor functions were recovered completely except for mild weakness of the upper arm (grade IV).
Arm ; Brain ; Catheters ; Cavernous Sinus ; Central Venous Catheters ; Cerebral Infarction ; Consciousness ; Diffusion ; Embolism, Air ; Facial Paralysis ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Intensive Care Units ; Intracranial Embolism ; Jugular Veins ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Paralysis ; Pneumonia ; Seizures ; Valsalva Maneuver ; Ventilation

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignancy that develops from the thyroid gland and its prognosis is quite excellent. One of the characteristic behaviors of PTC is that it often occurs at multiple foci. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic features and risk factors of multifocal papillary thyroid cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out on 624 patients with PTC and who underwent surgery from January 2005 to December 2007. Two hundred twenty-nine of them were found to have multiple tumor foci (≥2 foci). The risk factors that included gender, age at diagnosis, tumor size, capsular invasion, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), cervical lymph node (LN) involvement, the TNM classification, local recurrence and distant metastasis were comparatively analyzed between the solitary PTC and multifocal PTC groups. RESULTS: The enrolled patients were 59 male and 565 females. The mean age was 46 years (range: 15~77 years). Age (P=0.025), tumor size (P=0.027), capsular invasion (P<0.001), ETE (P<0.001) and cervical LN metastasis (P=0.002) were the significantly related factors for multifocal papillary thyroid cancer. However, gender was not significantly related with multifocality. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that multifocal tumors were significantly associated with age, tumors size, capsular invasion, ETE and cervical LN metastasis in patients with PTC. LN metastasis was mostly influenced by multifocality in the PTC patients. It seems certain that total thyroidectomy and formal central node dissection with postoperative adjuvant therapy are essential treatment for these patients, and closely surveying the nodal status is needed on the follow up of patients with multifocal PTC.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy

BACKGROUND: Sensitive skin has been described as a skin type showing higher reactivity than normal skin and developing exaggerated reactions when exposed to internal stimulants and external irritants. The lactic acid sting test is widely accepted as a marker of skin sensitivity and employed for the selection of subjects experiencing invisible sensory irritation. OBJECTIVE: To carry out an epidemiological study to assess the prevalence and possible related factors of sensitive skin in a regional population, and to examine the relationship between sensitive skin and subjective irritation using the lactic acid sting test. METHODS: A total of 514 people responded to self-assessment questionnaires composed of questions about the self-perception, related factors, symptoms and signs of sensitive skin. We assessed subjective irritation using the lactic acid sting test in 54 volunteers. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows: 1. The incidences of self-reported sensitive skin were 55.7% for women, 38.9% for men and 51.0% for all responders. 2. The family history and seasonal variation of sensitive skin were significantly more common in sensitive skin group. 3. The face especially the cheek area was the most sensitive portion of body, cosmetics were common irritants. 4. The lactic acid stinging scores were significantly higher in the sensitive skin group. CONCLUSION: Our survey indicated that sensitive skin is a common problem for people and a complex problem with genetic, individual, environmental implications and the lactic acid sting test is a valuable method to define skin sensitivity.
Bites and Stings* ; Cheek ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Irritants ; Lactic Acid* ; Male ; Patient Selection ; Prevalence ; Seasons ; Self Concept ; Self-Assessment ; Skin* ; Volunteers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Seizures constitute one of the most frequent medical complications in alcoholics. The purpose of this study is to elucidate clinical characteristics of seizures in chronic alcoholics. METHODS: Subjects were 50 alcoholics with seizure who were admitted to Kang-Dong Sacred Heart Hospital between Jan. 1999 to May. 2002. We classified them into alcohol withdrawal seizure (AWS) and alcohol related seizure (ARS). AWS was defined as 1) seizures occur within 72 hrs after the last alcohol intake and 2) occurring in the patients without focal abnormalities on brain CT and EEG. ARS was defined as 1) seizures occurring more than 72 hrs after the last alcohol intake, 2) occurring regardless of onset-time in the patients who had concomitant focal brain lesions or focal abnormalities on EEG, and 3) occurr in patients who had experienced seizure unrelated with alcohol. Their clinical, electrophysiologic and neuroradiologic features were analyzed. RESULTS: 45 patients (90%) were male. Mean age was 47 years. 48 patients (96%) were presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizure. 28 patients (56%) were classified into AWS and 22 (44%) into ARS. Mean age was 46 years in patients with AWS and 54.9 in ARS (p=0.04). Mean duration of alcohol intake was 17 years in AWS and 26.2 in ARS (p=0.002). Mean amount of alcohol intake (yrs x bottles/day) were 30.3 in AWS and 42.0 in ARS (p=0.061). EEG showed diffuse slowing in 5 of AWS, sharp waves in 4 of ARS, focal slowing in 3 of ARS and PLEDs in one of ARS. Among 28 patients with AWS, only one patient was treated with long term antiepileptic drugs (AED). Among 22 ARS, 14 (64%) patients were treated with long term AED. One patient of each group experienced recurrent seizure during follow up. Delirium tremens was developed in 17 patients (34%). Among them, 13 (76%) had alcoholic liver disease (p=0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that patients with ARS were older and drunk more for a longer period of time than patients with AWS. Long term AED administration may be required to prevent recurrent seizures in patients with ARS. On the other hand, delirium tremens may be significantly associated with alcoholic liver disease.
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium ; Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures ; Alcoholics* ; Anticonvulsants ; Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Heart ; Humans ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; Male ; Seizures*

BACKGROUND: Cerebral white matter change (WMC) is usually seen in stroke patients. This study was aimed at determining whether there might be a relationship between the extent of WMC and whether to control hypertension or not and the frequency of previous stroke lesion. Stroke subtypes were also analyzed to elucidate WMC distribution. METHODS: We investigated demographic features, vascular risk factors, subtypes, and WMC in 339 ischemic stroke patients over forty years of age who had brain MRI from the Hallym Stroke Registry between January 1998 and December 2001. In hypertension, it was divided into with therapy and with no therapy. In frequency of previous stroke lesion, we subdivided the patients into three groups by number of frequency: 0, 1, and >or=2. Stroke subtypes were classified into large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), small artery occlusion (SAO), cardioembolism (CE), and stroke of undetermined etiology (SUE). WMC was quantitatively estimated by subdividing into 5 grades (0~IV). RESULTS: Age, female, hypertension, previous stroke lesion, and SAO correlated significantly with prevalence of WMC (p<0.001, =0.002, <0.001, <0.001 and <0.001, respectively). In hypertension, there was significant difference between normotensive and hypertensive (p=0.001). But there was no statistical difference between with therapy and with no therapy (p>0.05). In previous stroke lesion, it showed significant difference between 0 and (1 and >or=2) (p<0.001) and between 1 and >or=2 (p<0.001). In subtype, CE also correlated significantly with prevalence of WMC as well as SAO than LAA (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: WMC seen in patients with stroke is related with small-vessel disease and is mainly affected by age, female, hypertension, and previous stroke lesion.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Brain ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors* ; Stroke*