No abstract available.
Appendicitis* ; Barium* ; Enema*

No abstract available.
Physiology* ; Prognosis* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiratory Insufficiency*

Nonspecific immune parameters such as natural killer(NK) activity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity(ADCC), production of leukocyte migration inhibitory factor(LlF) and levels of immune complex(IC) were assessed in 47 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 20 with degenerative arthritis (DA) and 40 healthy controls. Peripheral blood (PB) as well as synovial fluid (SF) were collected from both RA and DA patients before treatment. Mononuclear cell suspensions and sera were prepared and submitted for the in vitro tests; 4-hr chromium-release assays using human K562 and mouse L1210 cells as targets for NK and ADCC assays respectively, 2-step agarose assay for LIF and platelet aggregation test for IC. Results revealed that 1) LIF activity of PB lymphocytes (PBL) from both RA and DA patients showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease as compared with that from healthy controls. 2) PB-NK activity from RA patients showed an insignificant decrease as compared with that from DA or healthy controls. However, mononuclear cells isolated from SF (SFL) of RA patients exhibited significantly(P < 0.02) lower NK activity than PBL from the same patients. 3) In ADCC assays with PBL no significant differencies were observed among the 3 groups. 4) Higher titers of IC were detected in both PB and SF from RA patients than DA, and a negative correlation was found between serum IC levels and PB-NK activity. These data are discussed in light of previous reports, and a hypothesis regarding a decreased nonspecific cell-mediated immunity in conjunction with an increased humoral immune response, particularly in local sites, is proposed as one of the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of RA.
Adult ; Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity ; Antigen-Antibody Complex/immunology ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology* ; Female ; Human ; Killer Cells, Natural/immunology ; Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors/biosynthesis ; Male ; Middle Age ; Synovial Fluid/immunology

We have experienced a case of aortic dissecting aneurysm in pregnant woman. She felt initially severe chest pain which was radiated to the neck on the 3days before delivery. Thereafter dyspnea and generalized edema were developed for 1 month after delivery. She was diagnosed as aortic dissectLn, Debakey type-II. During cardiopulmonary bypass, the selective cerebral perfusion was done through the right and left commom carotid arteries. Aortic replacement with Hemashield vascular graft and reimplantation of innominate artery, resuspension of aortic valve, repair of intimal tear were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful.
Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Aortic Valve ; Brachiocephalic Trunk ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Carotid Arteries ; Chest Pain ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Perfusion ; Pregnant Women* ; Replantation ; Tears ; Transplants

We report a case of mature cystic teratoma of the anterior mediastinum that ruptured into the pulmonary artery requiring an emergent surgical treatment. A 39-year-old woman presented an episode of massive hemoptysis and treated with bronchial artery embolization (BAE). On the 10th day after BAE, however, she developed sudden massive hemoptysis and had a deteriorated mental status. For a definitive treatment, she underwent the left pneumonectomy and the tumor resection in the anterior mediastinum. On histologic examination, the tumor disclosed cystic structures composed of mature squamous epithelium, pilosebaceous glands, mature fat tissue, cartilage and bone tissue. Also, there was intrapulmonary hemorrhage due to left pulmonary artery invasion of the tumor.
Adult ; Bone and Bones ; Bronchial Arteries ; Cartilage ; Epithelium ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Pneumonectomy ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Teratoma*

Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma is extremely invasive malignant tumor that has a histological characteristic of having both more than one epithelial and mesothelial tissue components. It is a rare cancer of having less than 50 cases reported until now and domestically. This case presents a 51 year-old male who had nasal stuffiness for 2 months. A mass was noticed in his right nasal cavity, and histopathologic findings revealed the mass as a teratocarcinosarcoma. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed that the mass originated from right nasal septum and did not invade the sinuses and that it was touching the inferior turbinate. No cervical lymph node metastasis was observed (T2N0M0, Stage II). Wide excision of the mass was performed, and no invasion in the resection margin was confirmed. Radiotherapy was performed postoperatively. Currently, the patient has been followed up on a regular basis for 28 months. Thus, the authors present a report of very rare sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma.
Carcinosarcoma ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Septum ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nose Neoplasms ; Teratoma ; Turbinates

Deep neck space infections usually arise from infectious conditions of the upper aerodigestive tract. Candida albicans is a normal commensal of humans but usually causes invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. We report an immunocompetent 70-year-old woman with a Candida abscess in the deep neck space. She did not have dental or oropharyngeal disease, medication use, or medical illnesses that could cause an immunocompromised condition, except stable chronic hepatitis C. She was admitted to the hospital with fever, shortness of breath, a drowsy consciousness, and swallowing difficulty. Despite empirical antibiotic therapy, her signs and symptoms did not improve. A deep neck space abscess in the retropharyngeal space was revealed by computed tomography (CT). An abscess culture yielded C. albicans. She was treated with an antifungal agent rather then antibiotics. After 5 weeks of antifungal agent treatment and external drainage, follow-up CT scans showed substantial improvement in the abscess.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Consciousness ; Deglutition ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Humans ; Immunocompetence ; Immunocompromised Host ; Neck ; Retropharyngeal Abscess

Pulmonary endometriosis is a rare disorder. We report a case of a 38-year-old woman with a 10-year history of catamenial hemoptysis due to pulmonary endometriosis which was diagnosed by CT during menstruation and treated successfully by wedge-resection of the right middle lobe. Medical therapy with hormones was not performed. There is no evidence of recurrence 5 months after the operation.
Adult ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Hemoptysis* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Menstruation ; Recurrence

Nasal bone fracture is the most common fracture among facial fractures. The nasal bone fracture has a very complex and infinitive variety but often is undermanaged only by closed reduction. The prognosis and outcome after operation had been reported by many surgeons and it's result is dependant upon many factors such as etiology, experience of surgeons, type of anesthesia and maintenance of fixation after surgery. In our study, we have grouped our fractures as favorable and unfavorable fractures. Favorable fractures are simple fractures that are easily reduced by closed reduction, whereas unfavorable fractures were fractures that remain unstable after reduction. In our opinion, the method of reduction and fixation after reduction plays an important role in unfavdrable fracture. We applied a new method of external fixation for unfavorable fractures After closed reduction to gain optimal reduction and maintenance.
Anesthesia ; Nasal Bone* ; Prognosis

Myxolipomas, or myxoid lipomas, are unusual histologic types of lipoma in which components of the tumor are replaced by mucoid substances. Lipomas of the parapharyngeal space are extremely rare with only a few cases having been reported. The presence of myxolipoma in the parapharyngeal space has not yet been reported in the literature. We present the first report of a 14-year-old female with myxolipoma in the left parapharyngeal space which was excised via a transcervical approach.
Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma ; Myxoma ; Pharyngeal Neoplasms