Supratentorial extraventricular anaplastic ependymoma (SEAE) in adults is a relatively rare intracranial tumor. Because of the very low prevalence, only a few cases have been reported. According to a recent study, SEAE is associated with a poor prognosis and there is no definite consensus on optimal treatment. We report a case of an adult SEAE patient who had no recurrence until seven years after a gross total resection (GTR) followed by conventional radiotherapy. A 42-year-old male had a persistent mild headache, left facial palsy, dysarthria, and left hemiparesis. Preoperative neuroimaging revealed an anaplastic astrocytoma or supratentorial ependymoma in the right frontal lobe. A GTR was performed, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Histologic and immunohistochemical results revealed anaplastic ependymoma. After seven years of initial therapy, a regular follow-up MRI showed a 3-cm-sized partially cystic mass in the same area as the initial tumor. The patient underwent a craniotomy, and a GTR was performed. Histopathologic examination revealed recurrence of the SEAE. External radiotherapy was performed. The patient has been stable without any disease progression or complications for 12 months since the surgery for recurrent SEAE.
Adult ; Astrocytoma ; Consensus ; Craniotomy ; Disease Progression ; Dysarthria ; Ependymoma ; Facial Paralysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Lobe ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neuroimaging ; Paresis ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Recurrence ; Supratentorial Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Recent evidences have revealed metabolic functions of p53 in cancer cells; adaptation or survival to metabolic stress and metabolic shift toward oxidative phosphorylation. However, further studies in clinical setting are needed. We investigated whether p53 protein expression, as a surrogate marker for loss of p53 function, is associated with metabolic features of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), focusing on tumor necrosis and maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. METHODS: Clinical information was obtained from retrospective review of medical records. p53 expression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: p53 protein expression was detected in 112 (46%) of 241 NSCLC cases included in this study. p53 expression was independently associated with the presence of necrosis (odds ratio [OR], 2.316; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.215~4.416; p=0.011). Non-adenocarcinoma histology (OR, 8.049; 95% CI, 4.072~15.911; p<0.001) and poorly differentiation (OR, 6.474; 95% CI, 2.998~13.979; p<0.001) were also independently associated with the presence of necrosis. However, p53 expression was not a significant factor for SUVmax. CONCLUSION: p53 protein expression is independently associated with the presence of necrosis, but not SUVmax.
Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Electrons ; Medical Records ; Necrosis ; Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; Stress, Physiological ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of time-resolved contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (4D MRA) after stent-assisted coil embolization by comparing it with time of flight (TOF)-MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TOF-MRA and 4D MRA were obtained by 3T MRI in 26 patients treated with stent-assisted coil embolization (Enterprise:Neuroform = 7:19). The qualities of the MRA were rated on a graded scale of 0 to 4. We classified completeness of endovascular treatment into three categories. The degree of quality of visualization of the stented artery was compared between TOF and 4D MRA by the Wilcoxon signed rank test. We used the Mann-Whitney U test for comparing the quality of the visualization of the stented artery according to the stent type in each MRA method. RESULTS: The quality in terms of the visualization of the stented arteries in 4D MRA was significantly superior to that in 3D TOF-MRA, regardless of type of the stent (p < 0.001). The quality of the arteries which were stented with Neuroform was superior to that of the arteries stented with Enterprise in 3D TOF (p < 0.001) and 4D MRA (p = 0.008), respectively. CONCLUSION: 4D MRA provides a higher quality view of the stented parent arteries when compared with TOF.
Adult ; Aged ; Cerebral Arteries/pathology ; *Contrast Media ; *Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Humans ; *Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Intracranial Aneurysm/*diagnosis/therapy ; *Magnetic Resonance Angiography/methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; *Stents ; Young Adult

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a useful, safe diagnostic modality for evaluating mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. We report a 51-year-old male who presented with a left renal mass and multiple pleural masses without lung parenchymal lesions. The pleural masses were thought to be metastatic tumors or malignant mesothelioma. The patient underwent two percutaneous needle biopsies of the pleural mass, but the specimens were insufficient for a histopathological diagnosis. Because one pleural mass was adjacent to the right main bronchus, we decided to perform EBUS-TBNA for the pleural mass. As a result, sufficient core tissue was obtained with no complications, and the histopathological findings were consistent with metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case of using EBUS-TBNA for a pleural mass.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Biopsy, Needle ; Bronchi ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Mesothelioma ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pleura

PURPOSE: The in-stent signal reduction of the stented artery caused by susceptibility artifact or radiofrequency shielding artifact limited the use of time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) as a follow-up tool after intracranial stenting. We showed the degree of an artifact according to different stent types, and optimized MR parameters for TOF-MRA in patients with intracranial stent on 3.0 T MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four stents (Neuroform, Wingspan, Solitaire, and Enterprise) were placed in a vascular flow phantom and imaged by changing flip angle (FA; 20degrees,30degrees,40degrees,50degrees and 60degrees) and bandwidth (BW; 31, 42 and 62.5 KHz) using TOF-MRA. Source data of each image set with different FA and BW were reconstructed with the maximal intensity projection (MIP) technique, and MIP images were used to evaluate the in-stent signal reduction of each stent according to the change of MR parameters. The in-stent signal reduction was assessed by calculating the relative in-stent signal (RIS) inside the stent as compared with background and signal intensity of the tube outside the stent. The optimal FA and BW of each stent were determined by comparing the RIS in each stent by one-sample t test. Finally, one neuroradiologist chose one image set with the best image quality. RESULTS: The mean RIS for Neuroform, Wingspan, Solitaire and Enterprise stent was 66.3 +/- 6.0, 44.2 +/- 5.8, 22.8 +/- 3.3 and 8.2 +/- 2.9, respectively. The significantly high RIS of each stent was obtained with FA/BW value of 20degrees/31 KHz (Neuroform), 20degrees/31 KHz and 30degrees/42 KHz (Wingspan), 40degrees/42 KHz and 50degrees/31 KHz (Solitaire) and 40degrees/31 KHz and 50degrees/31 KHz (Enterprise). Among these MIP images with significantly high RIS, images with FA/BW value of 20degrees/31 KHz (Neuroform and Wingspan) and 50degrees/31 KHz (Solitaire and Enterprise) had the best image quality. CONCLUSION: The degree of artifact was variable according to the design of each intracranial stent. The luminal visualization of closed-cell design stents such as Solitaire and Enterprise can be improved by higher FA. Thus, MR parameter should be adjusted according to the type of intracranial stents.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Artifacts ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Phenobarbital ; Stents

BACKGROUND: Up to 90% of neonates with congenital or perinatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection are asymptomatic, and little is known about CMV-associated thrombocytopenia after the neonatal period. We investigated the clinical findings of a series of infants diagnosed with CMV infection and thrombocytopenia. METHODS: From July 2005 to July 2008, infants aged younger than 6 months with thrombocytopenia were screened for CMV infection, using CMV IgM. Those who were positive for CMV IgM were then tested for CMV IgG via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for CMV and CMV pp65 Ag and urine culture. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and otologic and ophthalmologic evaluations were also performed. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients aged between 1 and 6 months (11 boys and 10 girls) were admitted and tested for CMV infection. Six patients (28.6%) were positive for CMV IgM; these were also positive for CMV IgG, CMV PCR, and urine culture, and 4 were also positive for CMV pp65 Ag. The median platelet count at admission was 6,500/microliter (range, 2,000-105,000/microliter). One patient (16.7%) was diagnosed with Evans syndrome and had calcifications on brain MRI. One patient had unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Thrombocytopenia can be the main clinical manifestation of otherwise asymptomatic CMV infection after the neonatal period, and close follow-up of neurodevelopmental sequelae is needed.
Aged ; Brain ; Cytomegalovirus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Platelet Count ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thrombocytopenia

This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and risk factors associated with relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) in Korean critically-ill patients. All patients who were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Samsung Medical Center between January 1, 2006 and April 30, 2007 were prospectively evaluated using a short corticotropin stimulation test on the day of admission. RAI was defined as an increase in the serum cortisol level of <9 microgram/dL from the baseline after administration of 250 microg of corticotropin. In all, 123 patients were recruited and overall the incidence of RAI was 44% (54/123). The presence of septic shock (P=0.001), the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II (P=0.003), the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (P=0.001), the mean heart rate (P=0.040), lactate levels (P=0.001), arterial pH (P=0.047), treatment with vasopressors at ICU admission (P=0.004), and the 28-day mortality (P=0.041) were significantly different between patients with and without RAI. The multivariate analysis showed that the SOFA score was an independent predictor of RAI in critically-ill patients (odd ratio=1.235, P=0.032). Our data suggest that RAI is frequently found in Korean critically-ill patients and that a high SOFA score is an independent predictor of RAI in these patients.
Adrenal Insufficiency/diagnosis/*epidemiology/mortality ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/diagnostic use ; Adult ; Aged ; *Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/blood ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: In order to access the role of ballooning in patients with post-tuberculosis bronchial stenosis (PTBS), medical records of patients who underwent the procedure were reviewed. METHODS: Twenty-nine PTBS patients underwent balloon dilatation between May 1999 and November 2000 at Samsung Medical Center. The median age was 28 (range 16~62 year) and most patients were female (n=27, 93%). The mean number of ballooning procedures was 2.4 (range 1~8) and the interval between ballooning procedures was 76.2+/-69.7 days. RESULTS: In general, the FEV1 was improved after ballooning (from 66.2.+/-11.9% predicted to 73.5+/-13.0% predicted, p=0.0004). Among 29 patients who underwent ballooning, a clinically successful outcome was observed in 16 patients (55%). Comparison between the successful and unsuccessful groups showed that favorable factors for a successful outcome were a higher pre-ballooning FEV1 (71.1+/-8.1 vs. 60.2+/-13.3% predicted), higher post-ballooning FEV1 (89.2+/-7.8 vs. 63.4+/-9.2% predicted) and absence of left upper lobe collapse. The clinical outcome was unsuccessful in all eight patients with a pre-ballooning FEV1 < or =57% of predicted or with complete left upper lobe collapse. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ballooning appears to be helpful in patients with PTBS, especially when the pre-ballooning FEV1 >57% of predicted and there is no complete left upper lobe lung collapse.
Airway Obstruction ; Bronchoscopy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dilatation ; Female ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Pulmonary Atelectasis

The successful treatment of community-acquired pneumonia requires appropriate, empirical antimicrobial therapy. The etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of major pneumonia pathogens can differ by country. Therefore, the ideal treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia should be based on the studies performed in each country. We developed a treatment guideline for community-acquired pneumonia for immunocompetent adults in Korea. This guideline was developed by the joint committee of the Korean Society for Chemotherapy, the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, and the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory diseases.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Pneumonia ; Tuberculosis

A successful therapy of community-acquired pneumonia requires appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy. Etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of major pathogens of pneumonia can differ by country. Therefore, an ideal treatment guideline of community-acquired pneumonia should be based on the studies performed in each country. We developed a treatment guideline for community-acquired pneumonia in immunocompetent adults in Korea. This guideline was developed by the joint committee of the Korean Society for Chemotherapy, the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, and the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory diseases.
Adult ; Communicable Diseases ; Community-Acquired Infections ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Pneumonia ; Tuberculosis