No abstract available.
Diabetes Insipidus* ; Diagnosis*

Computerized Tomography is now well established and important noninvasive method of diagnosting mediastinal mass lesions because of its superior imaging of their size, location and internal composition. Authors analyzed and present CT findings of 30 surgically proven mediastinal tumors and cysts that were studied and treated at the Yeungnam University Hospital during recent 6 years. The most common tumor was thymoma (9 cases), and teratoma (6 cases), lymphoma (6 cases), bronchogenic cyst (4 cases), neurogenic tumor (4 cases), pericardial cyst (1 case) were next in order of frequency. There were 5 cases of thymoma showing homogenous solid density mass, 2 cases were malignant thymoma and myasthenia gravis was present in 2 cases. A case of thymolipoma and a case of thymic carcinoma were included. All teratomas were cystic masses but pathognomonic fat, and calcified density were seen only in 4 cases. 5 cases were located in anterior mediastinum and 1 case was in posterior mediastinum. Lymphoma (3 Hodgkin's and 3 non-Hodgkin's) appeared as irregular lobulated mass in anterior mediastinum. Neurogenic tumor (2 ganglioneuroma and 2 neurilemmoma) appeared as homogenous density mass located in posterior mediastinum. Among the 4 bronchogenic cysts, 2 were located in retrotracheal area, 1 was located in subcarinal and 1 was in parathoracic area. One case of pericardial cyst was oval shaped cystic mass located in left pericardiac border.
Bronchogenic Cyst ; Ganglioneuroma ; Lymphoma ; Mediastinal Cyst ; Mediastinum ; Methods ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Teratoma ; Thymoma

Malignant histiocytosis is a rare, usually fatal malignant neoplasm. We present a case of a 62 year-old female with malignant histiocytosis involving the skin, lymph nodes and bone marrow. The patient achieved a complete remission for 1 year after the completion of COPP chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisone). We propose that COPP chemotherapy is a valuable therapeutic regimen for malignant histiocytosis.
Bone Marrow ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Female ; Histiocytic Sarcoma* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Procarbazine ; Skin ; Vincristine

A 68-year-old male patient who was diagnosed as cutaneous mycosis fungoides with plaques, nodules and tumor has been treated with photochemotherapy. Oral methoxsalen followed by ultraviolet light(PUVA) resulted in clinical and histopathologic improvement of skin lesions. Photochemotherapy units consists of boxes with 12 UVA lamps. The initial dose was 8. 4 joules/cm2. The maintenance dose was 10. 5 joules/cm2. The total dose at present time is 1203. 82 joules/cm2. We prppose that PUVA therapy may be a valuable therapeutic regimen for mycosis fungoides.
Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Methoxsalen ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; Photochemotherapy* ; PUVA Therapy ; Skin

We report a case of acrodermatitis enteropathica-like syndrome after long-term parenteral nutrition in a 19-year-old female with a choriocarcinoma metastasized to the lung. Skin lesions consisted of vesicopustular periorificial eruptions, psoriasiform plaques on the knees and elbows, eczamatoid patches on the acral regions, paronychia, alopecia, and of poor wound healing, Severe diarrhea was accompanied. Zinc sulphate was administered 200mg three times daily for one week with improvement of the skin eruptions and diarrhea. The patient, however, died on the 7th day of zinc therapy with the poor general condition.
Acrodermatitis* ; Alopecia ; Choriocarcinoma ; Diarrhea ; Elbow ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Lung ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Paronychia ; Pregnancy ; Skin ; Wound Healing ; Young Adult ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Acrodermatitis* ; Humans ; Siblings* ; Zinc Sulfate* ; Zinc*

The antigenic domain of the major surface protein (Nc-p43) of Neospora caninum was examined by polymerase chain reaction of its gene fragments and recombinant expression as GST fusion proteins. The fragments of Nc-p43 were as follow: a total open reading frame (OFR), T; OFR without signal sequence and C-terminal hydrophobic sequence, S; N-terminal 2/3 parts of S, A; C-terminal 2/3 parts, P; N-terminal 1/3 part, X; middle 1/3 part, Y; and C-terminal 1/3 part, Z, respectively. The DNA fragments were cloned into pGEX-4T vector. Recombinant plasmids transformed into Escherichia coli of BL21 pLysS (DE3) strain were induced to express GST or GST fused fragments of Nc-p43 such as 69 kDa protein for T, 66 kDa for S, 52 kDa for A, 53 kDa for P, and 40 kDa proteins for X, Y, and Z, respectively in SDS-PAGE. The Nc-p43 fragments of T, S, and P reacted with a bovine serum of neosporosis while those of A, X, Y, and Z together with GST did not in the western blot. These findings suggest that the antigenic domain of Nc-p43 of N. caninum may be localized in the C-terminal 2/3 parts. Together with A19 clone in SAG1 of Toxoplasma gondii (Nam et al., 1996), the P fragment of Nc-p43 could be used as efficient antigens to diagnose and differentiate those infections with both species.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Biological Markers/analysis ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Coccidiosis/diagnosis ; Neospora/*immunology ; Protozoan Proteins/*analysis/genetics/immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Vero Cells/parasitology

Pseudallescheria (P.) boydii is a true fungus that is ubiquitous in nature, and has a world-wide distribution. It has been isolated from soil, plant debris, polluted water and sewage. Infection may occur via direct inoculation or inhalation, and usually affects the extremities. It is a common cause of mycetoma characterized by tumefaction, draining sinuses and grains. It has polymorphism due to a complicated life cycle which undergoes teleomorph as well as anamorph stages. Cleistothecia, ascocarp and ascospore may be seen during the teleomorph stages, whereas scedosporium and graphium type may be seen during the anamorph stages. We report a case of P. boydii mycetoma occurring in a 69-year old male. He had multiple nodules with a discharging fistula on a dark red plaque at the dorsum of the right forearm. Cultural isolation for definitive diagnosis showed typical P. boydii. The lesion responded well to daily itraconazole.
Aged ; Edible Grain ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Fistula ; Forearm ; Fungi ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Itraconazole ; Life Cycle Stages ; Male ; Mycetoma* ; Plants ; Pseudallescheria* ; Scedosporium ; Sewage ; Soil

The goal of therapy in patients with traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas is to occlude the fistula preferably while maintaining the carotid blood flow. Since the introduction of the concepts of detachable balloon technique to occlude arteriovenous fistulas, the technique has become the treatment of choice in the management of traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas. The major symptoms of traumatic CCFs are (1) pulsating exophthalmos, (2) orbital and cephalic bruit and murmur, (3) headache, (4) chemosis, (5) extraocular palsies, and (6) visual failure. Traumatic CCFs are combined with multiple associated lesion. We tried the occlusion of fistulas using Goldvalve balloons in 8 consecutive cases of traumatic CCF and the result of our experience is reported. Transarterial approach with manually-tied latex balloons is tried in all cases and the fistulas was successfully occluded in all cases. In 5 cases, the internal carotid artery was preserved and the arterial lumen was occluded along with fistula opening in cases. In one case, surgical ligation was done because of symptoms recurred and incomplete occlusion of fistula. We experienced hemiparesis as a major complication in one case during occlusion tolerance test, which was remitted spontaneously. The results of Debrun balloon treatment were relatively excellent. We consider that the first choice of treatment of traumatic CCF is occlusion of the fistula by a detachable balloons.
Arteriovenous Fistula ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Exophthalmos ; Fistula* ; Headache ; Humans ; Latex ; Ligation ; Orbit ; Paralysis ; Paresis

PURPOSE: The Singh index which is based on a plain radiograph has commonly used in assessing the grade of osteoporosis. We studied value of the Singh index in assessing the grade of osteoporosis by obtaining reliability of the Singh index and correlation between the Singh index and bone mineral density. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six observers assessed radiographs of 60 patients suspected osteoporosis. The interobserver and intraobserver agreement of the Singh index were obtained by using kappa statistics. The bone mineral density of proximal femur was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in all patients, and then the results of bone mineral density were compared with those of Singh index by using percentage of variance. RESULTS: The kappa values of interobserver agreement ranged from 0.28 to 0.76 (mean value: 0.45) and the strength of the agreement was moderate. The percentage of variance of BMD which was explained by Singh index was 7.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the Singh index has low clinical value in assessing the grade of osteoporosis
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density ; Femur ; Humans ; Osteoporosis*