Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a brain tumor notorious for its malignancy. The key reason for the limited efficacy of standard treatment is the high recurrence rate of GBM, even after surgical resection. Hence, intensive postsurgical chemical therapies, such as the systemic delivery of various drugs and/ or drug combinations, are typically followed after surgery. However, overcoming the blood-brain barrier by systemic administration to efficiently deliver drugs to the brain tumor remains a daunting goal. Therefore, various local drug delivery methods showing potential for improved therapeutic efficacy have been proposed. In particular, the recent application of electronic devices for the controlled delivery of chemotherapy drugs to GBM tissue has attracted attention. We herein review the recent progress of local drug delivery strategies, including electronics-assisted strategies, at the research and commercial level. We also present a brief discussion of the unsolved challenges and future research direction of localized chemotherapy methods for GBM.

Genetic changes between codons 2209 and 2248 of NS5A of genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV-1b) have been reported to be associated with the sensitivity to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). The present study was performed to analyze such relationship in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis C and HCV-1b (n=19), including 12 chronic hepatitis C patients treated with IFN-alpha, 3 chronic hepatitis C patients without treatment as controls, and 4 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Two serum samples, before and after the treatment, were analyzed for the mutations by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, cloning and sequencing. The mutations were identified in 32% (6/19), including five intermediate type (1-3 mutations) and one mutant type (4 or more). In 12 patients treated with IFN-alpha, the number of amino acid substitutions in NS5A2209-2248 was not associated with outcome of the treatment.
Adult ; Aged ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Base Sequence ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/blood ; Codon ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/blood ; Hepatitis C-Like Viruses/isolation & purification ; Hepatitis C-Like Viruses/genetics* ; Hepatitis C-Like Viruses/classification ; Human ; Interferon-alpha/therapeutic use* ; Liver Neoplasms/virology* ; Liver Neoplasms/blood ; Male ; Middle Age ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation* ; Prognosis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Aggressive antithrombotic therapy and transfemoral primary intervention during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) restricts the patient's movement and may increase the risk of access site bleeding complications, and lengthen the duration of movement restriction and hospital stay. Transradial approach provides less bleeding complications and early ambulation. The purpose of this study is to know whether transradial primary intervention is safe and feasible in the patients with AMI. MATERIALS AND METHOD: From April 1998 to December 1998, transradial primary interventions were performed in the consecutive 28 patients (24 male, 57+/-7 years) by two experienced operators. The results were compared to the results of 44 (15 patients during same period, 29 during previous year) transfemoral primary interventions. RESULTS: 1)The success rates of transradial primary interventions was 93% (26/28) and comparable to 95% (42/44) of transfemoral primary interventions. 2)In transradial group, the time from the arrival of catheterization laboratory to arterial access and to reperfusion, the time from the arrival of emergency room to reperfusion were 8.1+/-3.4 minutes, 22.0+/-5.3 minutes, and 71.7+/-9.2 minutes, respectively and comparable to 9.0+/-3.1 minutes, 21.7+/-5.3 minutes, and 68.9+/-8.1 minutes of transfemoral group, respectively. 3)The complications of the procedure were treated successfully during transradial interventions. 4)In transradial group, puncture site bleeding complications were absent though heparin was continued and mild ambulation was possible early after the procedure. The hospital stay of transradial group was 5.3+/-1.3 days and shorter than 7.7+/-4.2 days of transfemoral group. CONCLUSION: In the low risk patients with AMI, transradial primary intervention might be safe and feasible with acceptable time delay by the experienced operators. It might be effective to reduce access site bleeding complications and to initiate early ambulation, resulting in the shortened hospital stay.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Early Ambulation ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hemorrhage ; Heparin ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Punctures ; Reperfusion ; Walking

A 74-year old male was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital due to symptoms of diarrhea and fever. He was diagnosed with MALToma in the jejunum 6 months previously, but had refused any treatment. This time, an endoscopy revealed multiple erosions and nodular mucosa in the body, fundus of the stomach and 3rd portion of duodenum. Abdominal computed tomography showed wall thickening in 3rd portion of the duodenum and upper jejunum with multiple lymph nodes enlargement. Additionally, an endoscopic biopsy revealed MALToma in the stomach and duodenum. Salmonella group B grew in a blood culture and a chest PA determined pneumonic infiltration in the left lower lobe. He received sulperazone for 7 days, but again refused any further treatment and was thereby discharged after had improved condition.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Diarrhea ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Fever ; Humans ; Intestine, Small* ; Jejunum ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Salmonella ; Stomach* ; Thorax

In the evaluation of the source of occult bleeding, it is mandatory that the small bowel be investigated. But, the small bowel is the area where endoscopic approach is most difficult. The endoscopic evaluation of the small intestine has rapidly evolved over the last 10 years and now includes many of the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of standard endoscopic procedures. Various techniques have been developed, including fiberoptic sonde enteroscopy, retrograde ileoscopy, intraoperative enteroscopy, "push" enteroscopy using a pediatric colonoscope, and video enterocopy. Therefore, the small bowel enteroscope has shown great promise in the evaluation of obscure or persistent gastrointestinal bleeding. We have experienced a case of bleeding from jejunal leiomyosarcoma, which diagnosed with small bowel enteroscopy. So we report the case with a brief review of literature.
Colonoscopes ; Hemorrhage* ; Intestine, Small ; Leiomyosarcoma*

Duodenal tumor is relatively rare disease, accounting for about 0.3% of all carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract. Although radiological and endoscopic examinations have become popular, we are not so familiar with the duodenal tumors as those of the other gastrointestinal tumors. The absence of precise symptoms and the rarity of primary malignant neoplasms in this localization are frequently the reason for the late diagnosis. And so, often the true nature and localization of the tumor are only determined during surgery or autopsy. But, recently, duodenal bulb is examined with ease and pathologic diagnosis is possible following the diffusion of panendoscopy. We have experienced three cases of primary duodenal bulb carcinoma, which diagnosed by biopsies with gastrofibroscopic endoscopy. So we report the cases with a brief review of literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Autopsy ; Biopsy ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Diffusion ; Endoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Rare Diseases

Letterer-Siwe disease is one of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, with Hand-Schuller-Christian disease and eosinophilic granuloma, characterized by proliferation of Langevha is cell. The clinical course of Letterer-Siwe disease is acute fulmunant of casionally fatal, involving skin and many other internal organs, such as the lymph node, liver, spleen, ung and bone. We present 3 cases of Letterer-Siwe disease with characteristic cutaneous findings and revealed Langerhans granules by imrriunohistochemical stain and electronmicrc scopic examination. All patients died in spite of combined chernotherapy.
Eosinophilic Granuloma ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Skin ; Spleen

We report a case of Mycobacterium(M.) fortuitum infection in a 65-year-old female who presented with erythematous to purplish colored tender nodules and plaques with curst and purulent discharge on both upper and lower extremities along the sites of acupuncture. The culture of surgically excised specimen in 3% Ogawa media yielded slightly yellowish colored colonies within 2 days. Several tests for identification of the species were performed and growth on 5% NaCl, negative niacin test, positive results in nitrate reduction, catalase, urease and iron uptake tests were noted. Excision of the lesions followed by administration of minocycline and ciprofloxacin showed no sign of relapse to data a year after treatment.
Acupuncture* ; Aged ; Catalase ; Ciprofloxacin ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Lower Extremity ; Minocycline ; Mycobacterium fortuitum* ; Mycobacterium* ; Niacin ; Recurrence ; Urease

Acrodermatitis continua (AC) of Hallopeau is one of the chronic relapsing pustular eruptions of the extremities. Generalization of AC sometimes occurred spontaneously, or induced by withdrawl of drugs such as corticosteroid, or pregnancy. We report a case of generalized AC in a 50-year-old woman who has been treated intermittently with various medications other than systemic retinoids. The histopathologic findings of the pustules on the fingertips and trunk revealed subcomeal abscesses and/or spongiform pustules. The patient was treated with etretinate in the dose of 50mg/day, and UVB exposure. Two months after treatment, skin lesions were markedly improved.
Abscess ; Acitretin ; Acrodermatitis* ; Etretinate ; Extremities ; Female ; Generalization (Psychology) ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Retinoids ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that pityrosporurr yeasts, normal resident flora of skin, may be important in the pathogenesis of dandruff seborrheic dermatitis and confluent and reticulated papillomatosis. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the incidence and distribution of pityiosorum yeasts on clinically normal skin as a more reasonable method for providing the basic data or proving the relationship of pityrosporum and pathogenesi, of the diseases. MEHTODS: A total of 350 subjects were studied. Skin scrapings were stained with 20% Parker ink-KOH(P-KOH) solution. The numbers of pityrosporum spores and hyphe per high power field( x 400) were counted and designated according to a new grading method using bacterial index(BI) of lepra bacilli. RESULTS: The incidence rates of pityrosporum orbiculare(p. orbiculare) and pityrosporum ovale(p. ovale) were 60-70% and 20-50% of subjects respectively on seborrheic area., The incidence of p. orbicilare was highter than that of p. ovale on all examined sites except for the iterior scalp. And pityrosporal hyphae was present on anteriand posterior scalp and earwax in 24-25% of subjects respectively. The incidence of pityrosporum was higher in summer than other seasons The incidence rate of p. orbiculare and hyphae in the group aged below 9 (except neonates) and above 60, were lower than that of other age groups. The inciderice rates and distribution of grades of pityrosporum of neonates were lower than those of older subjects. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the incidence and distribution of pityrosporum spores were similar to previoureports and hyphal forms were found 25% approximately on clinically normal skin of the scalp and carwax. The significance of the presenet of pityosporal hyphae and the relationship between normal skin and pityrosporal hyphae are to be firther elucidated.
Dandruff ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Malassezia ; Papilloma ; Scalp ; Seasons ; Skin* ; Spores ; Yeasts