OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics and ultrasonographic findings of band-like interposing fat as well as to identify additional approaches for its diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 26 confirmed cases of band-like interposing fat from June 2008 to June 2010. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and ultrasonographic findings in these cases. Five radiologists analyzed the ultrasonographic findings, which correlated with the mammographic and MRI findings when available, according to Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System classification. RESULTS: None of the 26 patients had any symptoms. In 92.3% of the patients, the lesion was located in the upper outer quadrant of the breast. The mean distance of the lesion from the nipple was 2.4 +/- 0.7 cm (1.1-4.5). The mean depth of the lesion from the skin was 1.3 +/- 0.3 cm (0.8-2.1). The mean maximal length of the lesion was 0.8 +/- 0.4 cm (0.3-1.8). The following were the most frequent ultrasonographic findings of lesions: irregular shape, not parallel orientation, indistinct margins, abrupt interface, hypoechogenicity, no posterior feature, no calcification, and presence of vascularity. The most frequent BI-RADS category was 4a. There were no suspicious findings on the mammography or MRI. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonographic findings may lead to misclassification of band-like interposing fat as a malignancy. A better understanding of the clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics of band-like interposing fat would facilitate its differentiation from a true mass.
Adipose Tissue/*ultrasonography ; Adult ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast Diseases/pathology/*ultrasonography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries/*ultrasonography ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Mammary/*methods ; Young Adult

Malignant mixed Mullerian tumors (MMMT) are rare aggressive tumors that typically arise fromthe female genital tract. This malignancy has an extremely poor prognosis due to its rapid growthand the high associated incidence of both local recurrence and distant metastases. Althoughintraperitoneal metastasis from MMMT is relatively common, no reports exist regarding theradiologic findings of intestinal metastasis from MMMT. Here, we report a case of MMMT withsecondary small bowel metastasis and the associated radiologic findings.
Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

The purpose of this paper is to show the clinical and radiologic features of a variety of diffuse, infiltrative breast lesions, as well to review the relevant literature. Radiologists must be familiar with the various conditions that can diffusely involve the breast, including normal physiologic changes, benign disease and malignant neoplasm.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Breast Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology ; Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/secondary ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mammography ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

PURPOSE: Smoking elicits airway inflammation and airflow obstruction in patients with asthma, even after smoking cessation. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of smoking cessation on lung function and quality of life (QOL) in asthmatic patients. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with asthma who were active smokers were recruited. After education on the effects of smoking on asthma, 22 patients continued to smoke, and 10 quit smoking. All patients were treated with inhaled fluticasone propionate (1 mg/day) for 3 months. We compared forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% FVC (FEF(25-75%)), and scores on a QOL questionnaire at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 months. RESULTS: Quitters showed a greater percent change in FEV1 (19.1+/-6.3 vs. 7.9+/-2.4%, P=0.024) and FEV1/FVC (6.5+/-4.14 vs. 3.5+/-1.5%, P=0.05) than smokers. Both quitters and smokers showed improved QOL scores after 1, 2, and 3 months of fluticasone treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with asthma who quit smoking showed less airway obstruction, suggesting that smoking cessation is crucial in the management of asthma.
Airway Obstruction ; Androstadienes ; Asthma ; Diethylpropion ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Quality of Life ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; Vital Capacity ; Fluticasone ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of screening mammography and ultrasonography for breast examinations and we assessed the clinical usefulness of breast ultrasound for cancer screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of all the women who visited the health promotion center of seven medical institutions from Mar 2004 to Feb 2005, we compared the sensitivity and specificity between a single use of mammography and mammography with ultrasonography for the patients who underwent both mammography and ultrasonography. Here, the reference criteria were the follow-up and the histopathology, which were performed after one year. RESULTS: A total of 1123 patients underwent both mammography and ultrasonography and they could be followed up for a year. For the 1123 patients who underwent both mammography and ultrasonography, the sensitivity and specificity of a single use of mammography were 14.3% and 86.9%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of mammography with ultrasonography were 85.7% and 85.9%, respectively. These results showed that the sensitivity was significantly increased when mammography was combined with ultrasonography (< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The sensitivity was improved for the cases that underwent both mammography and ultrasonography.
Breast ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Mammography ; Mass Screening ; Sensitivity and Specificity*

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the ultrasonographic (US) findings of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) as compared to findings for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 21 cases of MTC that were surgically diagnosed between 2002 and 2007 and 114 cases of PTC that were diagnosed in 2007. Two radiologists reached a consensus in the evaluation of the US findings. The US findings were classified as recommended by the Thyroid Study Group of the Korean Society of Neuroradiology and Head and Neck Radiology (KSNHNR) and each nodule was identified as suspicious malignant, indeterminate or probably benign. The findings of medullary and papillary carcinomas were compared with use of the chi-squared test. RESULTS: The common US findings for MTCs were solid internal content (91%), an ovoid to round shape (57%), marked hypoechogenicity (52%) and calcifications (52%). Among the 21 cases of MTC nodules, 17 (81%) were classified as suspicious malignant nodules. The mean size (longest diameter) of MTC nodules was 19 +/- 13.9 mm and the mean size (longest diameter) of PTC nodules was 11 +/- 7.4 mm; this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). An ovoid to round shape was more prevalent for MTC lesions than for PTC lesions (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The US criteria for suspicious malignant nodules as recommended by the Thyroid Study Group of the KSNHNR correspond to most MTC cases. The US findings for MTC are not greatly different from PTC except for the prevalence of an ovoid to round shape.
Adult ; Aged ; Calcitonin/blood ; Carcinoma, Medullary/*ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Papillary/*ultrasonography ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*ultrasonography

Eruptive pseudoandiomatosis (EPA) is a rare, self-limiting exanthem, which is characterized by numerous erythematous angioma-like papules surrounded by a pale halo. We report two cases of EPA, which developed in adulthood. The first patient, a 50-year-old female, had erythematous angioma-like papules surrounded by a pale halo on the face and arms. The second patient, a 34-year-old female, had lesions on the upper and lower extremities. The histological features included dilated blood vessels with plump endothelial cells, but there was no evidence of frank vascular proliferation or vasculitis.
Adult ; Arm ; Blood Vessels ; Endothelial Cells ; Exanthema ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Vasculitis

OBJECTIVE: We report a retrospective investigation of the prognostic value of bcl-2 and bax expression, and Ki-67 proliferative index in 42 astrocytic tumors. METHODS: We classified the astrocytic tumors and reviewed the clinical information and survival time. The sections were taken from surgically resected paraffin-embedded tissue and performed immunohistochemical stains for bcl-2, bax and Ki-67. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical stain for bcl-2 revealed a positivity in only two(4.76%) among forty-two cases. The immunostain for bax was positive in 35 cases(83.3%). However, the correlation between bcl-2 & bax expression and age, sex, tumor location, size, and histologic grade was not found. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, bcl-2 & bax expression and survival time in astrocytic tumors was no significance in log rank test(p>0.05). There were prognostic values between Ki-67 LI and histologic grade and between Ki-67 LI and survival time, respectively(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bcl-2 and bax are not significant, whereas Ki-67 LI is suggested as a significant prognostic factor, associated with histologic grade and survival time of astrocytic tumors.
Coloring Agents ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: TA retrospective study is performed on 28 patients with primary intraventricular hemorrhage(PIVH) to examine the outcome and prognostic factors associated with this disorder. METHODS: Clinical data collected between 1998 and 2002 was used in the present study. The outcomes of these patients were compared by age, etiology, initial Glasgow Coma Score(GCS), Graeb's score, ventriculocranial ratio(VCR), hemorrhagic dilation of the third ventricle, and hemorrhagic dilation of the fourth ventricle. The Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS) at discharge was used for the comparison of outcomes. RESULTS: The mean age of these patients was 48.4+/-17.4 years. The underlying causes of PIVH were hypertension(53.6%), moyamoya disease(17.9%), arteriovenous malformation(10.7%), cerebral aneurysm(7.1%), and unknown(10.7%). The age and etiology were not correlated with outcome. Patients with a GCS of 13-15 showed a good outcome in 90.5%(p<0.05). Those with a higher VCR(> or =0.23) showed a poor outcome in 64.3%(p<0.05). Patients with a Graeb's score of 9-12 showed a poor outcome in 87.5%(p<0.05). Those with hemorrhagic dilatation of the third ventricle showed a poor outcome in 80.0%, and those with hemorrhagic dilatation of the fourth ventricle showed a poor outcome in 85.7%(p<0.05). The overall mortality rate was 17.9%. CONCLUSION: Low initial GCS, high Graeb's score, high VCR, and hemorrhagic dilatation of the third ventricle or the fourth ventricle are correlated with poor outcome in PIVH.
Coma ; Dilatation ; Fourth Ventricle ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Third Ventricle

PURPOSE: Febrile seizures affect 2-5% of all children younger than 6 years old. A small proportion of children with febrile seizures later develop epilepsy. Muations in the voltage-gated sodium channel subunit gene SCN1A have been associated with febrile seizures(FSs) in autosomal dominant generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) families and severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy. The present study assessed the role of SCN1A in familial typical FSs. METHODS: 22 GEFS+ and 62 FSs were selected throughout a collaborative study of Catholic Child Neurology Research Group. The exon 9 region of SCN1A was screened by DHPLC. DNA fragments showing variant chromatograms were subsequently sequenced. RESULTS: A total 84 individuals(22 GEFS+ and 62 FSs) was screened for mutations. Among 22 GEFS+ and 62 FSs patients, five and forty nine showed simple FSs, and seventeen and thirteen had complex FSs. 0% and 8.3% were younger than 12 months old, 22.7% and 46.8% were between 12 and 35 months old, 18.2% and 41.9% were between 36 and 83 months old, and 59.1% and 0% were older than 84 months old. The ratios of male to female were 1.75:1 and 1.82:1. Mutational analysis detected no mutation of SCN1A. Mutational analysis detected eleven silent exonic polymorphisms at G1212A in exon 9 and forty two polymorphisms on intron 9, and 23 intron A/As in 73 homozygote samples. There were no significant differences in allelic frequencies(G/G intron A/A or G/G, G/G intron G/A, G/A intron G/A, reported G/A) of G1212A in SCN1A-exon 9 between the patients with GEFS+ and FSs(31.8% vs. 32.3%, 54.5% vs. 54.8%, 9% vs. 6.5%, 4.5% vs. 6.5%). CONCLUSION: Although our study demonstrated that SCN1A is not frequently involved in GEFS+ and FSs, further systemic research would be necessary.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Generalized ; Exons ; Female ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Infant ; Introns ; Male ; Neurology ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide* ; Seizures, Febrile ; Sodium Channels