We report a case of linear scleroderrna associated with severe musculoskeletal atrophy of Ieft arm or disabling pansclerotic morphea of children. The patient was 11 year-old girl who has 8 years history of linear violaceoushued atrophic plaques on left arm and anterior chest, left sboulder region in a circumscribed sclerotic lesion. She had a history of injury on left forearrn at 3 years of age. One, month later, erythematous swelling and hardening of skin on left hand were developed and then progressed rapidlyfto other area for one year. However there was no signs of dyspnea, dysphagia, Raynauds phenomenon, myalgia, weakness and photcsensitivity. Diagnosis was confirmed by the characteristics of clinical features and histologic findings of skin and muscle and laboratory findings. As a therapeutic trial, low dose D-penicillamine was attempted.
Arm ; Atrophy* ; Child ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Myalgia ; Penicillamine ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; Skin ; Thorax ; Upper Extremity*

We present a case of meningeal and brain metastasis of multiple myeloma. A 60-year-old woman who had been diagnosed as multiple myeloma two years ago, was referred to neurosurgery department because of headache and nausea. The magnetic resonance image of the brain showed a large epidural mass and the parenchymal enhancement. The patient received an operation of tumor removal and cranioplasty. A histological diagnosis of metastatic multiple myeloma was made.
Brain ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Nausea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurosurgery ; Plasmacytoma*

In order to measure the ocular dimensions with aging, the anterior chamber depth and the lens thickness were measured using contact ultrasonography and anterior chamber photography in normal human eyes. There were 141 women (241 eyes) and 76 men (130 eyes) between the ages of 10 and 70 years. The lens thickness was increased and the anterior chamber depth was decreased with aging in both sexes. The anterior chamber depth showed an accelerated decrease between the 4th and 5th decades in females and the ratio of anterior chamber depth to axial length was smaller in females than in males after the 5th decade. The results suggest that the prevalence of angle closure glaucoma increased in female after middle age.
Aging* ; Anterior Chamber ; Female ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Photography ; Prevalence ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: For the treatment of the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, stereotactic catheter drainage of hematoma has been widely used as a less invasive and effective therapeutic modality. However stereotactic catheter drainage method occasionally can not be available. Here, we introduce C-arm fluoroscopic guided catheter drainage of hematoma as an alternative method. The authors compared the two methods and report the result with review of the literatures. METHODS: A total of 62 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent catheter drainage between February 1996 and December 1999 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the method of catheter insertion. The two groups were compared with respect to pre- and post-operative changes of hematoma volume and neurological deficit, hematoma drainage rate, duration of catheter placement, complication, and short term prognosis. RESULTS: The pre-operative hematoma volume was slightly large in the C-arm fluoroscopic guided method group. But post-operative hematoma volume, pre- and post-operative neurological deficit, hematoma drainage rate, duration of catheter placement, post-operative complication and short term prognosis were not different statistically between the two groups. The preparation time for operation was short in C-arm fluoroscopic guided group. CONCLUSION: C-arm fluoroscopic guided catheter drainage of intracerebral hematoma can be an alternative to the stereotactic guided method in the urgent situation or when the stereotactic system is not available
Catheters* ; Drainage* ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Plate fixation is the most commonly used technique for the treatment of shaft fractures of both forearm bones (SFBFBs). However, all fractures are difficult to treat with plate fixation because of soft tissue injuries, fracture patterns, or the patient's condition. The purpose of this study is to compare the functional results of plate fixation only and combined plate and intramedullary (IM) nail fixation in SFBFBs. METHODS: Fifty-nine cases of SFBFBs that were surgically treated from June 2007 to July 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. In this study, 47 cases that were followed up for more than 12 months were included. All SFBFBs were divided into two groups according to the methods used for internal fixation: plate fixation only (group A) and combined plate and IM nail fixation (group B). The fixation methods were determined intraoperatively. Plate fixation was considered as the first option in all cases, but combined plate and IM nail fixation was selected as the second option if it was difficult to be fixed with plate only. Groups A and B comprised of 31 and 16 cases, respectively. The functional results were evaluated by the Grace and Eversmann rating system and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. RESULTS: In groups A and B, a radiologic union was achieved in 30/31 and 14/16 cases and average union time was 11.1 and 17.8 weeks, respectively. According to the Grace and Eversmann rating system, group A had excellent results in 15 cases, good in 14, acceptable in one, and unacceptable in one. Group B had excellent results in three cases, good in nine, acceptable in two, and unacceptable in two. The average DASH score was 7.1 points (range, 0 to 19.2 points) in group A and 15.1 points (range, 0 to 29.6 points) in group B. Three cases of nonunion with unacceptable results achieved a bony union by additional procedures and the functional results of these cases improved to good or excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The functional results and the average union time were superior in group A than in group B. However, we think that combined fixation is a useful method for SFBFBs that cannot be treated with plate fixation only.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Nails/*statistics & numerical data ; Bone Plates/*statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Forearm/surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/adverse effects/*methods/*statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radius Fractures/epidemiology/*surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular/*physiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ulna Fractures/epidemiology/*surgery ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Distant metastases, as the initial sign of a differentiated thyroid carcinoma, are extremely rare. The clinical characteristics for such cases remain to be established. This study was performed to characterize the clinical presentation, treatments, and outcome in such patients. METHODS: Between January 1986 and February 2005, of 4,525 differentiated thyroid cancer patients, 18 presented with distant metastases as the initial sign (0.4%). These comprised of 6 men and 12 women, with a median age of 49 years (range 9~66). Of the 18 patients, 8 (44.4%), 7 (38.9%), and 3 (16.7%) disclosed symptoms from lung, bone, and brain (16.7%) metastases, respectively. The median follow-up was 92 months, ranging from 18 to 198. RESULTS: The symptoms included cough and sputum (n=5), hemoptysis (n=2) and a lung mass (n=1) from lung metastases, back pain (n=3), a palpable mass (n=2) and a pathologic fracture (n=2) from bone metastases, as well as a headache with nausea (n=3) in all cases with brain metastases. The sites of metastases were the lung only in 7 (38.9%), bone only in 7 (38.9%) and multi-organ in 4 (22.2%). The histological diagnoses were a papillary carcinoma in 10 and a follicular carcinoma in 8. All patients underwent a total thyroidectomy followed by therapeutic radio-iodine therapy (RAI) and TSH suppressive treatment. For the metastatic lesions, aggressive treatment modalities, including surgical resection (n=9), external beam radiation (n=11), gamma-knife surgery (n=1) and a combination of these, were performed. The 10 year overall and disease-free survivals were 91.7 and 51.4%, respectively. There was only one disease-related death (1.6%). Tumor multiplicity (p=0.023) and multi-organ metastasis (p=0.009) were significant predictors of a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Clinical symptoms, history, physical examination, imaging studies and histological confirmation of distant metastatic lesions are important in the initial diagnostic approach. Even though distant metastasis presented as the initial sign, a 10-year disease-free survival rate of 50% was obtained. Radical resection of primary and metastatic lesions combined with high dose RAI treatment and/or external irradiation lead to long-term survival.
Back Pain ; Brain ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Headache ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Nausea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Physical Examination ; Prognosis ; Sputum ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy

PURPOSE: In case of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma, a mediastinal lymph node metastasis is extremely rare, but can be life threatening due to its proximity to the vital organs. The consequence of radical extirpation must be balanced against the issues of tumor control, survival outcomes, functional morbidity, and the sequelae of an excessive surgical resection. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment and outcomes of patients with mediastinal lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: Nineteen consecutive differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients with a mediastinal lymph node metastasis between June 1998 and Feb. 2004 were included in this study. All the patients underwent a trans-sternal mediastinal lymph node dissection in addition to thyroid cancer surgery. The median follow-up was 40.7 months (range, 18~97). RESULTS: The mean age was 49 years (range 31~72 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 8: 11. The surgical treatment included 11 cases of an upper mediastinal lymph nodes dissection via a partial sternotomy and 7 cases of a whole mediastinal lymph nodes dissection via a total longitudinal sternotomy. In 6 cases, the combined resection of the involved organ was added. Major postoperative complications occurred in two patients, one with leakage from a tracheoesophageal fistula and the other with a pulmonary embolism. During the follow-up period, local recurrences in the lateral cervical nodes were observed in 5 cases. The 5 year overall survival and 5 year disease-free survival were 90.5% and 63.6%, respectively. There was only one surgical mortality. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the prognosis for mediastinal lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma can be improved by an aggressive mediastinal node dissection and the appropriate thyroid cancer surgery.
Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Recurrence ; Sternotomy ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula

PURPOSE: Only limited information exists on the clinicopathological profiles and the treatment outcomes of bone metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinomas. Therefore the impact of treatment strategies has been inadequately investigated. The aims of this study were to evaluate the proper management and the prognostic factors that influence the long-term outcomes of patients treated for bone metastasis from differentiated thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: Twenty-two cases of bone metastases out of 3, 775 differentiated thyroid carcinomas treated at Yonsei University Medical Center between Jan. 1986 and Dec. 2004 were analyzed. The overall incidence of bone metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinomas in our series was 0.6%. There were 11 women and 11 men, with a mean age at the time of primary diagnosis of 51 years (25~71 years). The mean follow-up after diagnosis of bone metastases was 83 months (1~358 months). RESULTS: The histological diagnoses of primary tumor were 21 and 1 papillary and follicular cancers, respectively. Metastases restricted to the skeleton alone were found in 13 patients, whereas 9 patients showed associated extraskeletal distant metastases. Seventeen patients had multiple bone metastases. In 6 patients, the bone metastases were surgically removed with intention of cure. The overall survival rates at 10 years was 44.4%. From univariate log-rank survival rates analyses, capsular invasion (P=0.0014), preoperative vocal cord palsy (P=0.0097), multiple organ involvement (P=0.024) and the impossibility of surgical treatment for skeletal metastaisis (P=0.0471) were related with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: From the results, the survival rate was shown no significantly decline in the patients with poor prognostic factors. Therefore the therapeutic options should be individualized according to the initial clinical state and the prognostic factors. Our data also suggest that surgical resection for metastatic bone lesions and postoperative adjuvant therapy should be performed to obtain better survival rates.
Academic Medical Centers ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intention ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Skeleton ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Vocal Cord Paralysis

PURPOSE: The radioiodine ablation therapy is required for patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy. Through a comparative review of a low iodine diet (LID) and a restricted iodine diet (RID), the study aims to suggest guidelines that are suitable for the conditions of Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted with 101 patients. With 24-hour urine samples from the patients after a 2-week restricted diet and after a 4-week restricted diet, the amount of iodine in the urine was estimated. The consumed radioiodine amounts for 2 hours and 24 hours were calculated. RESULTS: This study was conducted with 47 LID patients and 54 RID patients. The amounts of iodine in urine, the 2-week case and 4-week case for each group showed no significant differences. The amounts of iodine in urine between the two groups were both included in the range of the criteria for radioiodine ablation therapy. Also, 2 hours and 24 hours radioiodine consumption measured after 4-week restrictive diet did not show statistical differences between two groups. CONCLUSION: A 2-week RID can be considered as a type of radioiodine ablation therapy after patients undergo a total thyroidectomy.
Ablation Techniques ; Adult ; Carcinoma/metabolism/*radiotherapy/surgery ; *Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Iodides/urine ; Iodine/administration & dosage/urine ; Iodine Radioisotopes/metabolism/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Thyroid Neoplasms/metabolism/*radiotherapy/surgery ; Thyroidectomy ; Treatment Outcome

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder, commonly characterized by inflammation of axial skeleton and development of enthesopathies. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) shows good therapeutic responses in AS patients without good response to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Although TNFi are relatively safe for AS patients, serious opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis and fungal infection, could develop. Here, according to our knowledge, we report a first Korean case of pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient with AS treated with etanercept. A 64 year-old man with AS visited due to a newly appeared pulmonary nodule on a routine chest radiography. He had been administered etanercept for 5 months. Histologic findings of the lung nodule showed characteristic features of cryptococcosis. Etanercept was discontinued and oral fluconazole was administrated, as there was no evidence of central nervous system involvement. After 7 months of treatment, chest CT showed an improvement of the pulmonary lesion.
Central Nervous System ; Cryptococcosis* ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Opportunistic Infections ; Radiography ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Skeleton ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing* ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Etanercept