Successful Endovascular Stent-Graft Repair for Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection Developed in a Patient with Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PCKD) is rarely associated with aortic dissection (AD), which is a life-threatening disease. Although endovascular stent-graft repair tends to show better outcomes than conventional therapies in complicated type B AD (TBAD), successful endovascular intervention of TBAD with malperfusion in a patient with PCKD has not been reported. This case shows a 37-year-old male who had sudden onset of sharply stabbing epigastric pain with severe hypertension, who was diagnosed with TBAD and PCKD by a computed tomography and initially underwent medical treatment. Four days after discharge, he was rehospitalized with left leg pain and paresthesia due to left lower leg malperfusion. Thoracic endovascular stent-graft repair covering the primary tear site of dissection was performed successfully, leading to a decrease in false lumen and improvement of symptoms. We report the case of complicated TBAD in a patient with PCKD treated with endovascular stent-graft repair.

A Case of Focal Reexpansion Pulmonary Edema after Chest Tube Insertion / 결핵및호흡기질환

Reexpansion pulmonary edema is not a common phenomenon after chest tube insertion but some reports from 0% to 14%. There are various resulting complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome. We report a case of focal reexpansion pulmonary edema after chest tube insertion. A 49-year-old male came to the hospital due to ongoing dyspnea and left chest pain for 3 days. On chest X-ray, the patient had a left pneumothrax. We planned to insert a chest tube for symptom relief. To determine whether or not the chest had expanded as a result of the chest tube insertion, the patient underwent repeated chest X-rays the following day. The patient experienced brief respiratory symptoms upon initial suction; a chest PA showed patchy consolidated infiltration at the inserted site. After 5 days of conservative management, the recovered completely.

A Case of Double Primary Neurilemmoma on Both Chest Wall, One of Them is Bulging to Skin from Intercostal Nerve / 결핵및호흡기질환

Neurilemmomas are benign nerve sheath tumors derived from Schwann cells that rarely occur in the chest wall. Neurilemmomas of the chest wall are usually solitary lesions that bulge toward the pleural cavity. Neurilemmomas are confirmed histologically based on the presence of Verocay bodies, Antoni A and Antoni B tissue patterns and S-100 protein. Bilateral neurilemmomas in the chest wall are extremely rare, as are those that grow in the subcutaneous tissue but not the pleural area. We report here a case of bilateral chest wall neurilemmomas in which the tumors bulged out to the skin and were palpable.

A Case of 'True' Fungus-Infected Aneurysm of Abdominal Aorta in an Immunocompetent Patient / 감염과화학요법

Infected aneurysms are uncommon, frequently fatal lesions. "True" fungus-infected aneurysms are even rarer. Fungal infections have high morbidity and mortality. However, diagnosis is frequently difficult, since the symptoms are non-specific and standard diagnostic procedures are often insensitive. We experienced a patient with persistent fever and negative blood cultures. The patient was immunocompetent and had no risk factors, and was diagnosed with a fungus-infected aneurysm based on computed tomography and vascular surgery. The vascular tissue revealed some narrow-based budding yeast within the thrombus, suggesting Candida infection. Seventeen cases of infected aneurysm of the abdomen were reported in Korea from 1988 to 2007, although none were "true" fungus-infected aneurysms, making this the first fungus-infected aneurysm of the abdomen in Korea. Prompt diagnostic procedures and aggressive treatment modalities are necessary for patients with occult infection and negative blood cultures, regardless of their immunocompetence, because of the high morbidity and mortality of this condition.

A Case of 'True' Fungus-Infected Aneurysm of Abdominal Aorta in an Immunocompetent Patient / 감염과화학요법

Infected aneurysms are uncommon, frequently fatal lesions. "True" fungus-infected aneurysms are even rarer. Fungal infections have high morbidity and mortality. However, diagnosis is frequently difficult, since the symptoms are non-specific and standard diagnostic procedures are often insensitive. We experienced a patient with persistent fever and negative blood cultures. The patient was immunocompetent and had no risk factors, and was diagnosed with a fungus-infected aneurysm based on computed tomography and vascular surgery. The vascular tissue revealed some narrow-based budding yeast within the thrombus, suggesting Candida infection. Seventeen cases of infected aneurysm of the abdomen were reported in Korea from 1988 to 2007, although none were "true" fungus-infected aneurysms, making this the first fungus-infected aneurysm of the abdomen in Korea. Prompt diagnostic procedures and aggressive treatment modalities are necessary for patients with occult infection and negative blood cultures, regardless of their immunocompetence, because of the high morbidity and mortality of this condition.

A Case of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Combined with Chylothorax and Bilateral Pneumothoraces / 결핵및호흡기질환

A 29-year-old female patient presented with exertional dyspnea that she had suffered with for 2 months. The chest X-ray displayed right pleural effusion that was diagnosed as chyle, according to the level of cholesterol and triglyceride in the pleural fluid. VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) of the right lung was performed on the 7th day of hospitalization for obtaining a lung biopsy and to control the of pneumochylothorax. On the 11th hospitalization day, VATS of left lung was also performed to control the recurrent pneumothorax via pleurodesis. The lung biopsy showed moderate amounts of spindle-shaped and rounded cells (so-called LAM cells), which were reactive to actin and HMB45 (on immunohistochemical stains). We report here on a rare case of lymphangioleiomyomatosis combined with chylothorax and bilateral pneumothroraces.

Clinecal Investigation and Acute Complications of Remodelling Plasty of Costochondral Rib Cage For Pectus Excavatum / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Acute Complications of Remodelling Plasty of Costochondral Rib Cage For Pectus Excavatum Recently, Remodelling Plasty of Costochondral Rib Cage has been introduced as an minimally invasive procedure and expanded its application for pectus excavatum. Outcomes and acute complications were reviewed MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective survey of 55 patients who underwent Remodelling Plasty of Costochondral Rib Cage from September, 1999 to February, 2002 was conducted to review complications, postoperative treatments, and outcomes. RESULT: Age ranged from 1 to 27 years(mean 11.4+/-7.1). 35(64%) were less than 15-year old and 20(36%) were more than 15-year old. There were 44(80%) Male patients and 11(20%) female patients. Length of hospital stay was 7.8+/-2.1 days for less than 15-Y-old group, 10.6+/-6.2 days for more than 15-Y-old group(p = 0.042) One substernal bar was inserted in 52 patients and two substernal bars were inserted in 3 patients. As for stabilizer, one lateral side was fastened in 15 patients and both lateral sides were fastened in 6 patients. In the less than 15-Y-old group, 4 patients needed stabilizer, whereas in the more than 15-Y-old group, 18 patients needed stebilizer(s)(p = 0.000).Including all kinds of complications, 28(51%)patients had postoperative complications. Of them, only 7 patients were treated for complications(C-tube insertion was done in 7 patients and reoperation for bar refixation or removal was done in 3 patients of them). CONCLUSION: Most complications after Remodelling Plasty of Costochondral Rib Cage For Pectus Excavatum were trivial without treatment although C-tube drainage was needed in some patients. However bar displacement such as rotation and lateral sliding should be corrected as soon as detected in order not to remove the bar(the worst situation).

HRCT Findings of Bleomycin-Related Lung Toxicity: A Report of 2 Case

Many drugs can result in a variety of pathologic reactions in the lung, especially the cytotoxic drugs. Amongcytotoxic drugs bleomycin is a prototype. Bleomycin-related pulmonary toxicity is usually known as dose-dependent and can be enhanced with concurrent oxygen therapy, irradiation, or other chemotherapeutic agents. The incidence of bleomycin-induced pulmonary toxicity has been reported as varying from 2 to 46%, and 1% of fatal lung disease. We describe the radiographic and HRCT findings of bleomycin-related pulmonary toxicity developed in two patients: one in ovarian teratocarcinoma, the other malignant lymphoma patient. Chest radiographs and HRCT of these patients showed ground-glass opacities, consolidation, linear and reticular opacities, and interlobular septal thickening. These abnormalities were bilateral, and symmetrical and were found predominantly in the area of mid-and lower-lung zone.

Aberrant Internal Carotid Artery in the Middle Ear: A Case Report

Aberrant internal carotid artery in the middle ear is a rare disease which, if unrecognized on radiological studies, can lead to serious complications during tissue biopsy. We report the imaging features of a case with aberrant internal carotid artery in the middle ear. A 60-year-old woman visited our hospital because of hearing difficulty on the right side. Temporal bone CT showed a well-defined mass of the right middle ear and lateral bony defect in the carotid canal adjacent to the mass. After arterial phase temporal bone CT with spiral CT andangiography, the mass could be diagnosed as aberrant internal carotid artery in the middle ear.

Comparison of Magnetic Resonance Angiography and CT Angiography in the Evaluation of Intracranial Aneurysm

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relative diagnostic capability of magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) and CT angiography(CTA) in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRA and CTA were performed in 14 intracranial aneurysms (Including four which were ruptured) confirmed in the II patients involved by conventional angiography(CA). The size(in largest dimension) of the aneurysms ranged between 3 mm and 20 mm and the mean was 10.5 mm. For MRA, the 3D TOF method, with magnetization transfer suppression, wasused at 1.5T. For CTA, twenty seconds after beginning the injection of contrast media(100mL with use of a power injector at the rate of 3 mL/sec), CT scanning(30-second exposure and 60-mm length) was performed with a table speed of 2 mm/sec and a section thickness of 2mm. The resulting data were reformatted by MIP. MRA and CTA were compared with regard to the detection of aneurysms and their neck, size, shape, direction, intensity and relationship to adjacent bony structures or vessels. RESULTS: All aneurysms were clearly visualized with CTA. Inone case with a 3-mm aneurysm, however, this was not defined on MRA. Of the 13 aneurysms demonstrated by both MRA and CTA, eight were seen equally well with both modalities. CTA was considered to be superior to MRA in fivecases, either because calcification in the aneurysm wall was seen only on CTA(n = 3) or because the relationship with adjacent bony structures were seen better with CTA(n = 2). With CTA, the intensities of the aneurysm were homogeneous in all cases ; with MRA, however, the intensities of three large aneurysms were different. CONCLUSION: MRA and CTA may be useful in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysm, CTA has specific advantages over MRA inthe evaluation of large aneurysms, calcification of aneurysm wall and relationship with adjacent bony structure.

The Usefulness of Three-Dimensional Imaging with Spiral CT in the Evaluation of Upper Airway Stenosis

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) spiral CT imaging in patients with upper airway stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed 3D spiral CT imagings in ten patients in whom upper airway stenosis was clinically suspected. Eight of these patients had upper airway stenosis caused by intubation or tracheostomy(n=6), tuberculosis (n=1), or extrinsic compression by a thyroid mass (n=1). Spiral CT scanning(30-second continuous exposure and 90-mm length) was performed with a table speed of 3mm/sec and a section thickness of 3mm.The selected starting point was the epiglottis. The resulting data were reformatted by multiplanar reformation(MPR) and shaded surface display (SSD) with peeling after reconstruction of 2mm interval. In the evaluation oflocation and extent of stenosis, we compared fidings of 3D imaging with those of baseline axial images (n=10), endoscopy (n=9) and operation (n=4). RESULTS: The locations of stenosis in eight patients were as follows: tracheostoma (n=4), subglottic region (n=3), and larynx (n=1). In all eight patients, 3D imaging demonstrated the location and extent of stenosis, which exactly correlated with endoscopic and operative findings. In one patient, however, another stenotic area in the tracheal bifurcation was not discovered because this lesion was not includedin the field of CT scan. In two patients, the diagnosis on 3D images of 'no stenosis' was comfirmed by clinical findings or operation. No differences in diagnostic accuracy were noted between axial images, MPR, and SSD when evalvating the location and extent of stenosis ; vertical extent was shown more easily by 3D imaging than by axialimages, however. CONCLUSION: 3D imaging with spiral CT may be an useful adjunctive method in the evaluation of upper airway stenosis with variable causes.

Chest Radiographic Findings of Tsutsugamushi Disease and Murine Typhus in Chunchon

PURPOSE: To evaluate the chest radiographic findings of rickettsial disease including murine typhus and tsutsugamushi disease in Chunchon. MATERIALS & METHODS: Chest radiographic films of 81 cases diagnosed as rickettsial disease(55 cases of tsutsugamushi disease, 26 cases of murine typhus) by immunofluorescence test were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Main serotypes of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi were Gilllain and Karp. Incidence rate of tsutsugamushi disease was 2.1 times greater than that of murine typhus. Chest radiographs were abnormal in 63.6% of tsutsugamushi disease, and in 30.8% of murine typhus. Radiographic findings were Kerly's B line, reticu-Ionodular densities, hilar enlargement, pleural effusion, and splenomegaly in both entities, but pulmonary consolidation was only found in tsutsugamushi disease. The patients with the abnormal radiographic findings were statistically well correlated with cardiomegaly(p<0.01) and azygos engorgement(p<0.05), as compared to the patients with normal radiographic findings. CONCLUSION: Radiographic findings of both murine typhus and tsutsugamushi disease were interstitial pattern. But the chest radiographs in patients with tsutsugamushi disease showed more severe pattern with higher rate of abnormality.