Angiolipomas are usually found in the soft tissues of the extremity, trunk, or neck. Spinal angiolipomas are rare, accounting for between 0.14% and 1.2% of spinal axis tumors, and the majority are extradural. We report a case of surgically proven extradural spinal angiolipoma with a high vascular content and involving the thoracic level.
Angiolipoma* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Extremities ; Neck

Myoepithelioma is a rare tumor composed of cells that are morphologically similar to myoepithelial cells. Myoepithelial tumors usually occur in major and minor salivary glands, though have also been found in sweat and mammary glands. Myoepithelioma very rarely originates in lung parenchyma, though can arise from tracheobronchial submucosal glands. We encountered a case of myoepithelioma originating in lung parenchyma, and report the CT findings, including the pathologic characteristics of the disease.
Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Mammary Glands, Human ; Myoepithelioma* ; Salivary Glands, Minor ; Sweat

No abstract available.
Angiotensins* ; Cough* ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A* ; Reflex*

Mycotic aneurysms most commonly occur in femoral arteries or the abdominal aorta. Mycotic aneurysm arising from the left subclavian artery is very rare. The morbidity and mortality of ruptured mycotic aneurysms, regardless of their location, remain high despite the current practice of administering an intensive antibiotic regimen. We encountered a case of mycotic aneurysm presenting as mediastinal abscess and arising from in the left subclavian artery. Therefore, we report this case with radiologic findings to remind readers of the possibility of this unusual location of mycotic aneurysm.
Abscess* ; Aneurysm, Infected* ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Femoral Artery ; Mortality ; Subclavian Artery*

No abstract available.
Angina Pectoris* ; Electrocardiography* ; Pheochromocytoma*

A dissecting aneurysm of the vertebral artery may be treated conservatively, surgically, or using an endovascular approach. Proximal clipping, wrapping or trapping are surgical treatment methods, and endovascular treatment with coils and balloons is performed where a dissecting aneurysm is located near the midline or the appropriate surgical manipulation is difficult. As the contralateral vertebral artery of this patient was hypoplastic, the stent-assisted coil embolization technique was employed to preserve the ipsilateral vertebral artery. We describe a clinical case of dissecting aneurysm of the vertebral artery occurring in a patient in whom a hypoplastic contralateral vertebral artery was successfully treated.
Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Stents* ; Vertebral Artery*

PURPOSE: To compare the various imaging techniques including application of magnetization transfer(MT), administration of IV contrast materials, and imaging time after injection of contrast materials in 3D time-of-flight(TOF) cerebral magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) in normal volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each of 11 healthy volunteers was prospectively studied with 3D TOF cerebral MRA using various imaging parameters. Various parameters of 3D TOF MRA were 1) pre-enhanced magnetization transfer(MT), 2) postenhanced MT, immediate phase, 3) postenhanced MT, 10-minutes delayed phase, 4) postenhanced MT, 20-minutes delayed phase, 5) pre-enhanced non-MT, 6) postenhanced non-MT, immediate phase, 7) postenhanced non-MT, 10-minutes delayed phase, 8) postenhanced non-MT, 20-minutes delayed phase. Image qualities of various parameters were compared with regard to depiction of cerebral arteries and veins by visual assessment For statistical analysis paired t-test was used. RESULTS: In pre-enhanced MRA, images with MT mode were better in arterial visualization than those with :n0n-MT mode(p<0.01). Postenhanced MT and non-MT images were better in arterial and venous visualization !than pre-enhanced MT and non-MT images(p<0.01), respectively. Images obtained immediately after injection of contrast material were better in both arterial and venous visualization than delayed images(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Postenhanced cerebral 3D TOF MRA with MT obtained immediately after injection of contrast materal is the best to increase visualization of both cerebral arteries and veins, and may be indicated in some cranial vascular diseases.
Angiography* ; Brain* ; Cerebral Arteries ; Contrast Media ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Prospective Studies ; Vascular Diseases ; Veins

A case of Carney complex in a Korean patient is presented. The patient had the characteristics of Carney complex including skin lesions, positive family history, and multiple myxomas including a superficial angiomyxoma in the perianal area. An extensive genetic analysis revealed a novel mutation in the protein kinase A type I-a regulatory subunit (PRKAR1A) gene, but not in the phosphodiesterase type 11A (PDE11A) gene. This is the first case wherein extensive genetic studies were performed in a patient with Carney complex in Korea.
Carney Complex ; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases ; Humans ; Korea ; Myxoma ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Metformin, an oral biguanide insulin-sensitizing agent, is well known to decrease appetite. Although there is evidence that metformin could affect the brain directly, the exact mechanism is not yet known. METHODS: To evaluate whether metformin induces anorexia via the hypothalamus, various concentrations of metformin were injected into the lateral ventricle of rats through a chronically implanted catheter and food intake was measured for 24 hours. The hypothalamic neuropeptides associated with regulation of food intake were also analyzed following 1 hour of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of metformin. RESULTS: An ICV injection of metformin decreased food intake in a dose-dependent manner in unrestrained conscious rats. Hypothalamic phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK) increased by 3 microg with metformin treatment, but there was no further increase in pAMPK with increases in metformin dosage. The hypothalamic phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) increased by 3 microg with metformin treatment, but, there was no further increase in pSTAT3 level following increases of metformin dosage. Hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin was elevated with metformin treatment, while neuropeptide Y was not significantly changed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that metformin induces anorexia via direct action in the hypothalamus and the increase in pSTAT3, at least in part, is involved in the process. However, hypothalamic pAMPK appears not to contribute to metformin-induced appetite reduction in normal rats. Further studies exploring new pathways connecting metformin and feeding regulation are needed.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Animals ; Anorexia ; Appetite ; Brain ; Catheters ; Eating ; Hypothalamus ; Lateral Ventricles ; Metformin ; Neuropeptide Y ; Neuropeptides ; Pro-Opiomelanocortin ; Rats ; STAT3 Transcription Factor

PURPOSE: The metastatic tumor antigen (MTA) gene is a recently identified metastasis-associated gene which has implications in the signal transduction or regulation of gene expression. However, the expression of MTA in osteosarcoma and its potential relationship with metastasis have not been examined, forming the basis of this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the expression levels of the MTA1 protein between 32 cases of high- grade osteosarcomas and 21 cases of low-grade osteosarcomas by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the mRNA expression levels of MTA1, 2, 3 in these osteosarcoma cell lines and control fibroblasts were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: MTA1 immunoreactivity was present in 81.25% of high-grade osteosarcoma specimens. Its expression was predominantly localized to the nucleus or cytoplasm of osteosarcoma cells. Thirteen (86.6%) of 15 patients who died of osteosarcomas displayed strong MTA1 expression. Both primary bone and pulmonary metastatic lesions exhibited MTA1 expression. All low- grade osteosarcomas were negative for MTA1 except for focal weak reactivity in two cases. The tested high-grade osteosarcoma cell lines showed marked amplification of MTA1 and MTA2 mRNA compared to control cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MTA might be involved in the progression of high-grade osteosarcoma, particularly in hematogenous metastasis of osteosarcoma.
Cell Line ; Cytoplasm ; Fibroblasts ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteosarcoma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Signal Transduction ; Pemetrexed