Thyroid tuberculosis with papillary thyroid carcinoma is very rare. The current study shows the case of a 67-year-old female who was admitted to Ansan Hospital of Korea University, with her thyroid nodules showing signs of malignancy under ultrasonography. A histopathological examination proved the coexistence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and thyroid tuberculosis (TB). A total thyroidectomy and excision of the enlarged left neck level II lymph node were performed. This report presents a rare case of coexistence of PTC and thyroid TB. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the possible role of PTC in thyroid mycobacterial infection.

Thyroid tuberculosis with papillary thyroid carcinoma is very rare. The current study shows the case of a 67-year-old female who was admitted to Ansan Hospital of Korea University, with her thyroid nodules showing signs of malignancy under ultrasonography. A histopathological examination proved the coexistence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and thyroid tuberculosis (TB). A total thyroidectomy and excision of the enlarged left neck level II lymph node were performed. This report presents a rare case of coexistence of PTC and thyroid TB. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the possible role of PTC in thyroid mycobacterial infection.

Glutathione (GSH) is a major antioxidant in cells, and plays vital roles in the cellular defense against oxidants and in the regulation of redox signals. In a previous report, we demonstrated that stem cell function is critically affected by heterogeneity and dynamic changes in cellular GSH concentration. Here, we present a detailed protocol for the monitoring of GSH concentration in living stem cells using FreSHtracer, a real-time GSH probe. We describe the steps involved in monitoring GSH concentration in single living stem cells using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. These methods are simple, rapid, and quantitative, and able to demonstrate intracellular GSH concentration changes in real time. We also describe the application of FreSHtracer to the sorting of stem cells according to their GSH content using flow cytometry. Typically, microscopic or flow cytometric analyses of FreSHtracer and MitoFreSHtracer signals in living stem cells take ~2~3 h, and the fractionation of stem cells into subpopulations on the basis of cellular GSH levels takes 3~4.5 h. This method could be applied to almost every kind of mammalian cell with minor modifications to the protocol described here.
Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Dyes ; Glutathione ; Methods ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Oxidants ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Population Characteristics ; Stem Cells

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pronator quadrates muscle in patients who underwent internal fixation with a volar locking plate for unstable distal radius fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients who underwent internal fixation with a volar locking plate for unstable distal radius fracture were enrolled. We evaluated the clinical results according to the Mayo wrist score, the wrist range of motion, and the grip strength at the last follow-up. Using ultrasonography, muscle thickness of the pronator quadrates was compared between injured and uninjured arm. RESULTS: Bone union was achieved in all cases. The mean Mayo wrist score was 82.79 points. The grip strength of the injured arm was decreased to 89.1% of the uninjured side. The decrease of pronation range of the injured wrist motions was significant (82.3degrees, p=0.004). There was significant atrophy of the pronator quadrates muscle on the injured side (injured side: 3.19 mm, uninjured side: 4.72 mm, p=0.001); and the decrement of muscle thickness in pronator quadrates showed an association with the Mayo wrist score (r=-0.35, p=0.042). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that continuity of the muscle is maintained after use of the volar locking plating for unstable distal radius fractures with repair of pronator quadrates; however, there is atrophy of pronator quadrates muscle and limitation of pronation in the injured wrist.
Arm ; Atrophy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Pronation ; Radius Fractures* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Ultrasonography ; Wrist

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the clinical outcomes of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) for the treatment of hemorrhage from gastric varices (GV) in Korean patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 183 LC patients who underwent BRTO for GV bleeding in 6 university-based hospitals between January 2001 and December 2010. RESULTS: Of the 183 enrolled patients, 49 patients had Child-Pugh (CP) class A LC, 105 had CP class B, and 30 had CP class C at the time of BRTO. BRTO was successfully performed in 177 patients (96.7%). Procedure-related complications (e.g., pulmonary thromboembolism and renal infarction) occurred in eight patients (4.4%). Among 151 patients who underwent follow-up examinations of GV, 79 patients (52.3%) achieved eradication of GV, and 110 patients (72.8%) exhibited marked shrinkage of the treated GV to grade 0 or I. Meanwhile, new-appearance or aggravation of esophageal varices (EV) occurred in 54 out of 136 patients who underwent follow-up endoscopy (41.2%). During the 36.0+/-29.2 months (mean+/-SD) of follow-up, 39 patients rebled (hemorrhage from GV in 7, EV in 18, nonvariceal origin in 4, and unknown in 10 patients). The estimated 3-year rebleeding-free rate was 74.8%, and multivariate analysis showed that CP class C was associated with rebleeding (odds ratio, 2.404; 95% confidence-interval, 1.013-5.704; P=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: BRTO can be performed safely and effectively for the treatment of GV bleeding. However, aggravation of EV or bleeding from EV is not uncommon after BRTO; thus, periodic endoscopy to follow-up of EV with or without prophylactic treatment might be necessary in LC patients undergoing BRTO.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; *Balloon Occlusion/adverse effects ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*complications ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology/prevention & control/*therapy ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Pulmonary Embolism/etiology ; Recurrence ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

We have isolated 6 vancomycin resistant (VR) Enterococcus faecium and 5 VR-E. gallinarum. Vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) isolates were resistant to multi-drugs, but susceptible to linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin. VRE isolates showed 10 VanA phenotypes and 1 VanB phenotype (E. gallinarum). However, all of them showed vanA genotype. vanA gene was detected on both genomic and plasmid DNA from all VRE isolates. Almost of VR-E. faecium had IS1216V which is worldwide type and almost of VR-E. gallinarum had IS1542 which is European type. IS1216V and IS1542 genes were not related with antibiotic types of VRE. Copy numbers of vanA were decreased in VRE with IS1216V or IS1542 but not in VRE with both ISs in broth without vancomycin. The copy numbers of vanA were significantly decreased in VanB phenotype of VRE with IS1542 in broth without vancomycin. Copy numbers of vanA were recovered in the presence of vancomycin. Growth time of reference E. faecium is faster than that of reference E. faecalis when cultured in the broth containing vancomycin. Reference strains cultured in the broth containing vancomycin showed intermediate resistance or resistance to antibiotics without acquisition of van genes. Naturally, multidrug-resistant E. faecium might be fast adapted in the presence of vancomycin compared to E. faecalis. Taken together, VanA phenotype E. gallinarum as well as E. feacium have been increasing in nosocomial infection and showed acquired inducible resistance. E. faecium and E. faecalis showed intermediate resistance in long exposure of vancomycin without acquisition of vanA.
Acetamides ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Cross Infection ; DNA ; Enterococcus ; Enterococcus faecium ; Genotype ; Oxazolidinones ; Phenotype ; Plasmids ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance ; Linezolid

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to obtain sex- and age-specific reference level for hearing threshold of normal aging in Korean and to determine if the rate of change in pure-tone hearing thresholds differed by sex. METHODS: Subjects were clients who visited the Health Promotion Center, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Daegu, Korea, from January 2004 to September 2005. Pure-tone audiometric measures were obtained from 3,470 subjects who also completed a hearing questionnaire. The slope of a linear regression was used to estimate the rate of change in pure-tone thresholds at 0.25 to 8 kHz for each ear in 214 men and 902 women without past history of otorrhea, usage of ototoxic drugs, head injury, job in noisy environment, and military service. RESULTS: Hearing thresholds were elevated with age in all test frequencies. Significant sex differences were found in pure-tone thresholds at 4 and 8 kHz after adjusting for age using analysis of covariance. In those high frequencies, hearing was worse in men than in women. The average rate of change in threshold was 0.28 and 0.24 dB per year at 0.25 kHz, increasing gradually to 1.27 and 1.05 dB per year at 8 kHz for men and women, respectively. Men had significantly faster rates of threshold increase at 4 and 8 kHz than women. CONCLUSION: These cross-sectional measures of hearing levels and rate of threshold increases at 4 and 8 kHz showed significant sex differences in Korean men and women with little evidence of noise-induced hearing loss.
Aging ; Auditory Threshold ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Ear ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Sex Characteristics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A cleft in the anterior mitral valve leaflet is commonly associated with an atrioventricular septal defect, but an isolated cleft mitral valve is a rare condition. We report a case of a 27-year-old woman with severe mitral regurgitation due to an isolated cleft mitral valve. The echocardiography showed an anterior cleft on the mitral valve, but a normal sized and positioned left ventricular papillary muscle without septal defect. Under the diagnosis of mitral regurgitation due to the isolated cleft mitral valve the patient underwent mitral cleft repair. After surgery, the further echocardiography showed no mitral regurgitation.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Mitral Valve* ; Papillary Muscles

A case of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma arising from a mature cystic teratoma in the right ovary of a 37-year-old woman is reported. Malignant transformation of a mature teratoma is a rare event and the commonest malignant neoplasm to develop is squamous cell carcinoma.(83%) Adenocarcinoma occurs with less frequency.(6.8%) The patient was treated by staging operation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. After six courses of combination chemotherapy, oncological investigations, including chest X-ray, abdominopelvic CT scan and tumor markers, all revealed no evidence of recurrence.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Mucins* ; Ovary* ; Recurrence ; Teratoma* ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Biomarkers, Tumor

PURPOSE: To determine the extent to which magnetic resonance(MR) imaging findings can help differentiate between tuberculous arthritis (TA) and rheumatoid arthritis(RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved sixteen patients with pathologically proven arthritis of the knee. In eight patients(mean age, 29.6 years; M:F=4:4) this was of the tuberculous variety, while eight (mean age, 47.5 years; M:F=2:6) suffered from the rheumatoid variety, which was monoarticular. For 14 patients, contrast enhancement studies were available. We retrospectively analyzed MR findings according to the demonstrated pattern of synovial thickening (regular and even, or irregular and nodular), bone erosion or abscess,bone marrow(BM) edema, the sites at which bursae were present, para-articular mass formation, and lymphadenopathy. RESULTS: In five of eight TA cases (62.5 %), irregular and nodular enhanced synovial thickening was present, while in six of eight RA cases (75%), thickening was regular and even. Bone erosions or subarticular abscesses were found in six TA cases (75%) and small erosions in three cases (37.5%) of RA. BM edema surrounding the erosion was found in four cases of TA (50%) and two of RA (25 %). In TA, edema was more extensive. In both TA and RA, all suprapatella bursae were distended while popliteal bursae were present in two cases of TA(25 %) and four of RA (50%). Para-articular masses with rim like enhancement were found in six cases of TA (75%) and in one case of RA (12.5 %). In particular, para-articular lymphadenopathy was seen in six cases of TA(75%), but not in RA. CONCLUSION: MR findings of irregular and nodular synovial thickening, extensive bone erosion, extensive BM edema, particular, para-articular abscess formation and ymphadenopathy, may help differentiate tuberculous arthritis of the knee from the rhumatoid variety.
Abscess ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Edema ; Humans ; Knee* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Retrospective Studies