Solitary peripheral nerve tumor is rare and difficult to diagnose correctly. We present an unusual case of sciatic nerve tumor in a patient with leg buttock pain. Initial lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a herniated nucleus pulposus on L5-S1. Physical examination showed a palpable mass on the left buttock and Tinel's sign was elicited with palpation of the left posterior buttock. MRI examination of the hip revealed a tumor of the sciatic nerve adjacent to the left sciatic notch. Excision of the tumor was easily performed with subsequent slight motor weakness on dorsiflexion. Histopathological examination revealed the tumor to be a neurofibroma. Solitary neurofibroma without any evidence of neurofibromatosis is a rare condition. This case emphasizes the importance of physical examination and continued investigations.
Buttocks ; Hip ; Humans ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurofibroma* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Palpation ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms ; Physical Examination ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Sciatica

Background: Propofol is a short-acting intravenous sedative widely used for procedural sedation and general anesthesia. However, pain during propofol injection is a distressing adverse effect. This study was designed to investigate whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) could reduce pain during propofol injection compared to sham TENS. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 80 patients were allocated to two groups: the active TENS group received electrical stimulation via two electrodes on the venous cannulation site, whereas the sham TENS group received no stimulus. After 20 min following TENS, propofol 0.5 mg/kg pain was injected intravenously and pain was evaluated using a four-point score (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). Adverse effects associated with TENS were also recorded. Results: The overall incidence of pain during propofol injection was 47.5% in the TENS group and 87.5% in the sham group (P < 0.001). The incidence of moderate pain was significantly lower in the TENS group (7.5%) than in the sham TENS group (42.5%) (P < 0.001). There were no complications associated with TENS. Conclusion Pre-treatment with TENS significantly reduced the incidence and intensity of pain during propofol injection.

A popular approach for the study of estrogen receptor α inhibition is to investigate the protein-protein interaction between the estrogen receptor (ER) and the coactivator surface. In our study, we investigated phytochemicals from Rubus coreanus that were able to disrupt ERα and coactivator interaction with an ERα antagonist. The E-screen assay and molecular docking analysis were performed to evaluate the effects of the estrogenic activity of R. coreanus extract and its constituents on the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. At 100 µg/mL, R. coreanus extract significantly stimulated cell proliferation (574.57 ± 8.56%). Sanguiin H6, which was isolated from R. coreanus, demonstrated the strongest affinity for the ERα coactivator-binding site in molecular docking analysis, with a binding energy of
Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Phytochemicals ; Rubus

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Oligonol, mainly found in lychee fruit, is an antioxidant polyphenolic compound which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The detailed mechanisms by which oligonol may act as an anti-aging molecule have not been determined. MATERIALS/METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the ability of oligonol to modulate sirtuin (SIRT) expression in human lung epithelial (A549) cells. Oligonol was added to A549 cells and reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial superoxide formation, and p21 protein levels were measured. Signaling pathways activated upon oligonol treatment were also determined by western blotting. Furthermore, the anti-aging effect of oligonol was evaluated ex vivo in mouse splenocytes and in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans. RESULTS: Oligonol specifically induced the expression of SIRT1, whose activity is linked to gene expression, metabolic control, and healthy aging. In response to influenza virus infection of A549 cells, oligonol treatment significantly up-regulated SIRT1 expression and down-regulated viral hemagglutinin expression. Oligonol treatment also resulted in the activation of autophagy pathways and the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, oligonol-treated spleen lymphocytes from old mice showed increased cell proliferation, and mRNA levels of SIRT1 in the lungs of old mice were significantly lower than those in the lungs of young mice. Additionally, in vivo lethality assay revealed that oligonol extended the lifespan of C. elegans infected with lethal Vibrio cholerae. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrated that oligonol may act as an anti-aging molecule by modulating SIRT1/autophagy/AMPK pathways.
Aging ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Animals ; Autophagy ; Blotting, Western ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; Cell Proliferation ; Fruit ; Gene Expression ; Hemagglutinins, Viral ; Humans ; Litchi ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Mice ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Phosphorylation ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Messenger ; Spleen ; Superoxides ; Vibrio cholerae

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical feasibility of a newly developed, portable, gait assistive robot (WA-H, ‘walking assist for hemiplegia’) for improving the balance function of patients with stroke-induced hemiplegia. METHODS: Thirteen patients underwent 12 weeks of gait training on the treadmill while wearing WA-H for 30 minutes per day, 4 days a week. Patients' balance function was evaluated by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMAS), Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) before and after 6 and 12 weeks of training. RESULTS: There were no serious complications or clinical difficulties during gait training with WA-H. In three categories of BBS, TUGT, and the balance scale of SPPB, there was a statistically significant improvement at the 6th week and 12th week of gait training with WA-H. In the subscale of balance function of FMAS, there was statistically significant improvement only at the 12th week. CONCLUSION: Gait training using WA-H demonstrated a beneficial effect on balance function in patients with hemiplegia without a safety issue.
Gait* ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Rehabilitation* ; Robotics ; Stroke

Classical trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by recurrent attacks of lancinating pain in the trigeminal nerve distribution, and no cause of the symptoms can be identified, other than vascular compression. This type of injury may rarely be caused by identifiable conditions, including tumor in the cerebellopontine angle. If the patient is suspected for secondary trigeminal neuralgia, further evaluation is required to diagnose and treat correctly. We report a case of a 49-year-old woman with a 1-month history of facial pain, who was initially misdiagnosed as odontalgia, and even treated with the extraction of her molar teeth. This case with the review of secondary trigeminal neuralgia may highlight the difficulties of diagnosis, and the importance of early diagnostic imaging, when trigeminal neuralgia occurs with a brain tumor.
Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebellopontine Angle ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Facial Pain ; Female ; Humans ; Meningioma ; Molar ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Tooth ; Toothache ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

The authors reviewed their experiences of external beam radiotherapy (EBR) as an initial treatment in retinoblastoma patients to determine its long-term effect on subsequent tumor control and complications. A total of 32 eyes in 25 patients that underwent EBR for retinoblastoma were reviewed retrospectively. The patients consisted of 21 boys and 4 girls of median age at treatment of 7.1 months. Radiation doses ranged from 35 to 59.4 Gy. The 10-yr ocular and patient survivals were 75.4% and 92.3%, respectively. Nine of the 32 eyes progressed; 7 of these were enucleated and 2 were salvaged by focal treatment. According to the Reese-Ellsworth classification, 4 of 5 eyes of Group II, 13 of 16 Group III eyes, 2 of 4 Group IV eyes, and 5 of 7 Group V eyes were retained, and of the 32 eyes, 13 had visual acuity better than 20/200. Eleven patients experienced a radiation-induced complication. No patient developed a second malignancy during follow-up. Despite the limited number of patients enrolled, EBR may provide a mean of preserving eyeball and vision for some advanced lesions.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eye Enucleation ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Male ; Radiotherapy/*methods ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Retinal Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; Retinoblastoma/*radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of unilateral covered stent placement in patients with malignant superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2008 and November 2012, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent placement for malignant SVC syndrome was performed in 40 consecutive patients (35 men and five women; mean age, 61.4 years; range, 35-81 years). All covered stents were unilaterally placed within the SVC or across the venous confluence when needed to relieve venous obstruction and prevent tumor overgrowth, regardless of patency of contralateral brachiocephalic veins. RESULTS: Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. There were no major complications. Of the 37 patients symptomatic prior to stent placement, 34 (92%) experienced complete symptomatic relief 1-8 days after stent placement. Of the 29 patients who underwent covered stent placement across the venous confluence, nine patients had patent contralateral brachiocephalic veins prior to stent placement. However, no sign of SVC obstruction or contralateral upper extremity venous thrombosis was observed during the follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed median patient survival of 163 days. Stent occlusion occurred in four (10%) of 40 patents. Cumulative stent patency rates at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were 95%, 92%, 86%, and 86%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Unilateral covered stent placement appears to be a safe and effective method for treating malignant SVC syndrome, despite the location of SVC occlusion.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Retrospective Studies ; *Stents/adverse effects ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome/etiology/mortality/*therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Background and Objectives: The efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is well established. The standard approach to RFCA in AF is pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). However, a large proportion of patients experiences recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia. The purpose of this study is to find out whether the AI model can assess AF recurrence in patients who underwent PVI. Materials and methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study that enrolled consecutive patients who under‑ went catheter ablation for symptomatic, drug-refractory AF and PVI. We developed an AI algorithm to predict recur‑ rence of AF after PVI using patient demographics and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed left atrium (LA) images. Results: We included 527 consecutive patients in the study. The overall mean LA diameter was 42.0 ± 6.8 mm, and the mean LA volume calculated using 3D reconstructed images was 151.1 ± 46.7 ml. During the follow-up period, atrial tachyarrhythmia recurred in 158 patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of the AI model based on a convolu‑ tional neural network (including 3D reconstruction images) was 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53–0.74) using the test dataset. The total test accuracy was 66.3% (57.0–75.6), and the sensitivity was 53.3% (34.8–71.9). The specificity was 73.2% (51.8–75.0), and the F1 score was 52.5% 34.5–66.7). Conclusion In this study, we developed an AI algorithm to predict recurrence of AF after catheter ablation of PVI using individual reconstructed LA images. This AI model was unable to predict recurrence of AF overwhelmingly;therefore, further large-scale study is needed.