Ultrasonographic Features and the Diagnostic Role of Core Needle Biopsy at Metastatic Breast Cancer in the Thyroid gland: A Case Report

Metastases to the thyroid gland have rarely been reported in clinical settings, and the thyroid gland is an uncommon site for breast carcinoma metastasis. We report a case of a 64-year-old breast cancer patient diagnosed with metastatic breast carcinoma in the thyroid gland after performing ultrasonography (US)-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and subsequent total thyroidectomy. On US, the thyroid lesion appeared to be mildly enlarged with multiple internal hypoechoic lines and a few microcalcifications without mass formation. Under US-guidance, CNB was performed by targeting the area with microcalcifications and subsequently diagnosed as metastatic breast carcinoma. Total thyroidectomy revealed that the patient had metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with lymphatic spread involving both lobes and the isthmus of the thyroid gland. Although the thyroid gland is an uncommon metastatic site, the unusual features of thyroid metastasis can be observed on US; thus, US-guided CNB effectively aids the diagnosis of thyroid metastasis.

Superficially Palpable Masses of the Scalp and Face: A Pictorial Essay

Palpable lesions of the scalp and face are common in clinical practice. They are usually small and benign, and the lesions tend to be treated simply according to the clinical symptoms. However, radiologic evaluation is often performed to determine the exact type and location of a lesion to ensure appropriate management. Ultrasonography is useful as a primary and definitive modality for evaluating small superficial lesions. CT and MRI are better for characterizing soft tissue features and provide superior soft tissue resolution. This article discusses various lesions and their imaging findings of the scalp and face that may present as superficially palpable masses.

Left Upper Lobar Agenesis Associated with Tracheal Trifurcation: A Case Report

Lobar agenesis is a rare congenital anomaly that is characterized by the absence of the lobar pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, bronchi, and parenchyma. We encountered a unique case of a young male patient with agenesis of the left upper lobe with tracheal trifurcation into three bronchi, all arising at the carinal level. Complex tracheobronchial anatomy was explicitly demonstrated by three-dimensional CT reconstruction and virtual bronchoscopy. Left upper lobar agenesis associated with tracheal trifurcation is an extremely rare anomaly that, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously reported.

A Pulmonary Sequestered Segment with an Aberrant Pulmonary Arterial Supply: A Case of Unique Anomaly

We presented a rare case of a 64-year-old man with a combined anomaly of the bronchus and pulmonary artery that was detected incidentally. Computed tomography showed a hyperlucent, aerated sequestered segment of the right lower lung with an independent ectopic bronchus, which had no connection to the other airway. The affected segment was supplied by its own aberrant pulmonary artery branch from the right pulmonary trunk. This anomaly cannot be classified with any of the previously reported anomalies.

Non-puerperal mastitis masking pre-existing breast malignancy: importance of follow-up imaging

Mastitis is an inflammatory condition of the breast with common symptoms of pain, swelling, erythema, warmth, and fever. Diagnosis of mastitis is easily made on the basis of typical symptoms and ultrasonographic findings, such as diffusely increased echogenicity of the parenchyma and subcutaneous fat, or skin thickening. However, when it occurs in women middle-aged or older, associated malignancy should be considered. In our cases, we detected irregular hypoechoic malignant masses after the disappearance of inflammatory changes. Therefore, when non-puerperal women have inflammatory signs on their breast, follow-up imaging should be performed. In particular, in the case of persistent or growing palpability after the recovery of breast inflammation, percutaneous core biopsy and short-term follow-up with ultrasonography should be considered to exclude the associated malignancy.

Ureteral Marginal Zone Lymphoma of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue, Chronic Inflammation, and Renal Artery Atherosclerosis

No abstract available.

Acute lung injury after bee sting acupuncture

Bee stings can cause severe adverse reactions. There have been no cases of acute lung injury induced by bee sting acupuncture. We report a case of a 52-year-old male who required high flow oxygen therapy because of acute lung injury by bee sting acupuncture. The patient had been treated with live bee sting acupuncture by himself for knee pain. After self-injections of live bee sting, he immediately presented with generalized urticaria that remitted within 3 hours after taking an oral antihistamine. Ten days later, he visited our emergency department due to dyspnea and dizziness. He was diagnosed with acute lung injury by bee sting acupuncture based upon a history of symptom onset after exposure to the allergen and clinical test results. This case emphasizes that practitioners should consider potential risks of delayed-onset adverse reactions induced by bee sting acupuncture.

Treatment of an Acute Mycotic Aneurysm of the Common Carotid Artery with a Covered Stent-Graft

We report herein a case successful endovascular treatment with a stent-graft of a rare case of rapidly growing mycotic aneurysm of the left common carotid artery due to acute bacterial endocarditis after eradication of the infection. Infected mycotic aneurysms of the peripheral vasculature have been considered as a contraindication for stent-graft implantation because of the possibility of microorganism spreading to the stent-graft; however, if there is evidence of complete eradication of microorganism and surgery is not an option, stent-graft implantation can be an effective and safe treatment modality for exclusion of the mycotic aneurysm.

Small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast / 대한외과학회지

A small-cell carcinoma is one of the histologic subtypes of primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast. A small-cell carcinoma is a rare entity of the breast and exhibits similar morphologic features as neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and lung. We present the imaging and pathologic findings of a primary small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast. This is the first report of a primary small-cell carcinoma arising from the breast in Korea.

Intravascular Lipoma of the Right Subclavian Vein / 결핵및호흡기질환

Lipomas are common soft tissue tumors that are located in the body tissues containing adipose tissues. However, lipomas arising from the walls of a vein are very rare. Intravascular lipomas have been described most commonly in association with the inferior vena cava. Intravascualar lipomas involving the subclavian vein are rare. We are reporting a case of an asymptomatic lipoma of the right subclavian vein, growing into the right brachiocephalic vein.

A Case of a Korean Adult Affected by Type B Niemann-Pick Disease: Secondary Sea-blue Histiocytosis and Molecular Characterization / 대한진단검사의학회지

Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme acid sphingomyelinase coded by SMPD1 gene. In contrast with type A NPD, a severe neurodegenerative disease of infancy, type B NPD patients have little or no neurodegeneration, and frequently survive into adulthood. Although over 100 mutations have been found within the SMPD1 gene causing NPD, there was only one report about SMPD1 mutation status of a Korean NPD patient. We report a case of a 32-yr-old female, who presented with thrombocytopenia without any neurologic involvement. Hepatosplenomegaly was detected by both physical examination and imaging studies, and a thoracic radiograph examination showed a pattern of interstitial lung disease. Biochemical tests revealed increased liver enzymes, cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol, and decreased HDL-cholesterol. Sea-blue or foamy vacuolated histiocytes occurred in bone marrow and liver. Sequencing analysis of SMPD1 using genomic DNA from peripheral leukocytes identified a compound heterozygote of two mutations at exon 2: p.E246K and p.A357V. The former is a known mutation in an Italian patient, and the latter has not been reported yet. She has received oral rosuvastatin to treat hyperlipidemia at a dose of 10 mg per day for 4 months. This is the second report in which the mutation of SMPD1 gene was detected in a Korean NPD patient. The active genetic analysis of SMPD1 gene in patients with typical findings of type B NPD would enable us to facilitate diagnosis as well as to accumulate data on molecular characteristics of Korean NPD patients.

Acute Obstructive Cholangitis after Transarterial Chemoembolization: the Effect of Percutaneous Transhepatic Removal of Tumor Fragment

Acute obstructive cholangitis due to the migration of necrotized tumor fragment is a rare complication occurring after a transarterial chemoembolization. The percutaneous tumor removal procedure following percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is an appropriate treatment over endoscopic removal for the relief of acute cholangitis in this case. Following this serial management, no invasive hepatocellular carcinoma of the bile duct recurred after two years of follow-up.

N-terminal Pro B-type Natriuretic Peptide and the Evaluation of Cardiac Dysfunction and Severity of Disease in Cirrhotic Patients

PURPOSE: Cardiac dysfunction and hyperdynamic systemic circulation may be present in patients with cirrhosis. The purpose of this study was to identify relations between plasma levels of N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP), reflecting early ventricular dysfunction, and the severity of liver disease and cardiac dysfunction in cirrhotic patients. MATERIALS and METHODS: Sixty-three cirrhotic patients and 15 controls (group 1) were enrolled in this study. Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were determined in echocardiographically examined patients, which were allocated to 1 of 3 groups according to Child-Pugh classification or into 2 groups, i.e., a compensated group without ascites (group 2) and decompensated group with ascites (group 3). RESULTS: Plasma NT-proBNP levels were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients (groups 2 and 3) than in age-matched controls (155.9 and 198.3 vs. 40.3pg/mL, respectively, p < 0.05). NT-proBNP levels were significantly increased in Child class C patients than in classes B and A (250.0 vs. 168.6 and 119.6pg/mL, respectively, p < 0.05). Left atrial dimension, wall thickness of left ventricle, and EF or E/E' were significantly increased, and EDT was prolonged in cirrhotic patients than in controls. Increased LVMI and decreased E/A ratio were noted in the group of patients with ascites as compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION: Plasma NT-proBNP levels were high in cirrhotic patients and are likely to be related to the severity of disease. Advanced cirrhosis is associated with advanced cardiac dysfunction, and NT-proBNP levels has predictive value for concomitant cardiac dysfunction and cirrhosis progression.

A Case of Secondary Organizing Pneumonia Associated with Endobronchial Actinomycosis / 결핵및호흡기질환

Several types of infection can cause organizing pneumonia when the inflammatory process remains active with the further organization of the intra-alveolar fibrinous exudates, despite the control of the infectious organism by antibiotics. We report a case of 37-year-old male with secondary organizing pneumonia associated with an endobronchial actinomycosis. The patient presented with a subacute cough, sputum and fever. Bronchial biopsy revealed sulfur granule to be consistent with the actinomycosis, and percutaneous needle biopsy revealed typical pattern of organizing pneumonia. The patient was treated with the appropriate antibiotics and corticosteroid. There was rapid improvement in the symptoms and radiological findings, and after six months of treatment, the corticosteroid dose was tapered off without a recurrence of the organizing pneumonia.

CT Findings of Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome in Adults: Are There Any Different Findings with Aging?

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate whether there is any different finding on CT with aging for the patients suffering with adult Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome (SJMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 11 patients (7 males and 4 females) who underwent chest CT scan among 18 patients who were suspected of suffering with SJMS on chest radiographs. The range of age was from 28 to 85 years (mean: 58.5). We evaluated the diameter of both the main pulmonary artery (MPA) with its ratio, and the diameter of the pulmonary trunk (PT) to evaluate the possibility of pulmonary arterial hypertension, and the presence or absence of bronchiectasis. We also evaluated the relationships between these findings and aging. RESULTS: SJMS affected the left lung in 10 of 11 patients. The mean diameter of the main pulmonary artery of the normal lung was 2.5 cm and it was 1.6 cm in the involved site. The mean ratio of the normal MPA diameter to the involved one was 1.6 and this did not correlate with age (p>0.1). The mean diameter of the pulmonary trunk was 2.8 cm and this increased with age (p0.5). CONCLUSION: SJMS absolutely affected the left lung much more than the right lung. All the patients demonstrated about 1.6 times the compensatory hypertrophy of MPA of the normal lung compared with that of the affected lung on chest CT, which was irrespective of age. The presence or absence of bronchiectasis has no correlation with age.

Clinical Significance of Neonatal Parafrontal Horn Cysts Detected by Cranial Sonography

PURPOSE: To describe the significance, incidence and characteristics of sonographic findings and long term outcomes of parafrontal horn cysts detected by screening cranial sonography done within the first week following birth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2122 first cranial ultrasound scans performed over a five year period were retrospectively evaluated and 23 neonates with parafrontal horn cysts were found (which are different from secondary cystic lesions). 17 cases had a birth weight of 2400 gm with gestation between 34 and 41 weeks. The size, shape and location of the parafrontal horn cysts and other associated abnormalities shown on the cranial sonogram were evaluated and sequential ultrasound study, maternal records, neonatal events and neurodevelopmental evaluations were retrospectively assessed. RESULTS: Of the 23 subjects, 21 had isolated parafrontal horn cysts and 2 had subependymal hemorrhages. There was no record of any abnormal perinatal history. The cysts were bilateral in 20 neonates and unilateral in the others. The size of the cysts ranged from 3 to 18 mm in diameter (mean 9 mm). Sonographic features of the parafrontal horn cysts were distinctive morphology (elliptical, thin walled) and location (adjacent to the tip of the frontal horn). In 17 of the cases a follow-up cranial sonography was performed, and all parafrontal horn cysts disappeared within 3 to 6 months. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were normal in those 17 cases. CONCLUSION: Screening cranial sonography of neonates discovers isolated parafrontal horn cyst. The incidence of parafrontal horn cysts in neonates in our study was 1.1%. They are present in the first week following birth and resolve themselves without medical treatment within a few months. In addition, they show normal neurodevelopment. The parafrontal cysts are suspected to be a benign variant of normal neurodevelopment.

A Case of Meconium Hydrocele Presenting as Inguinal Mass in a Female Newborn

Meconium peritonitis results from in-utero perforation of gastrointestinal tract, with subsequent leakage of meconium into the peritoneal cavity. Patent processus vaginalis of male or female fetus may lead to migration of meconium into inguinal canal, and these infants may present meconium filled hydroceles at birth. The predominance of meconium hydrocele in the male infant may be due to the obliteration of processus vaginalis occuring later than in the female fetus. We report a rare case of bilateral meconium hydrocele in the female newborn, which mimic clinical symptoms and ultrasonographic findings of incarcerated hernia.

A Case of Endobronchial Tuberculosis with Repeated Expectoration of Nodular Tissues / 결핵및호흡기질환

Herein, we report a case of tumorous endobronchial tuberculosis with successful recovery of atelectasis without any significant bronchial stricture, after repeated expectorations of nodular tissues. A 24-year-old male patient was presented with persistent cough. The patient was diagnosed to be suffering from tuberculous lymphadenitis on right axillar and mediastinum of lung, and was subsequently treated with antituberculosis agents. After two months, clinical deteriorations and atelectasis were observed on right upper lobe of lung. Multiple endobronchial tumorous lesions, which obstructed the right main bronchus, were revealed on bronchoscopy, and based on the endobronchial biopsy findings we confirmed that the patient was suffering from endobronchial tuberculosis. We decided to administer antituberculosis agents without any additional procedure. After few weeks, the patient spontaneously expectorated nodular tissues with vigorous coughing. Later on, the symptoms and atelectasis disappeared and the patient was completely recovered. This case shows that in patients suffering from tumorous endobronchial tuberculosis, endobronchial mass can be expectorated spontaneously without sequelae of significant bronchial stenosis.

Familial Isolated Noncompaction of the Ventricular Myocardium in Asymptomatic Phase

Isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium (INVM) is a rare cardiomyopathy resulting from a failure of normal endomyocardial embryogenesis and it has been categorized as a form of unclassified cardiomyopathy. The disorder is characterized by an excessively prominent trabecular meshwork with deep intertrabecular recesses. Although the disorder is sporadic, familial incidence may occur. Clinical symptoms and prognosis of INVM may differ markedly, and range from an asymptomatic course to a severe cardiac disability. The diagnostic method of choice for IVNM is echocardiography, which reveals multiple prominent trabeculations with deep intertrabecular spaces communicating with the left ventricular cavity in the middle and apical segments of the left ventricle. The authors report a case of INVM in a family in which three adult members (a brother and two sisters) were found to be affected by this disorder. They were all asymptomatic. The diagnosis of the disorder was made first in the 36-year-old brother by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and multidetector CT (MD CT), during the process of preoperative evaluation for surgical treatment of low back intervertebral herniated disc. TTE and MD CT showed similar and peculiar findings of INVM. Echocardiographic screening in all first-degree relatives of this patient, in order to identify asymptomatic patients, demonstrated INVM in two elder sisters.

Diagnostic Value of Immediate CT after Chemoembolization in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Comparison with 2-3 Week Delayed CT

PURPOSE: Lipiodol CT is a important modality for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and compared is usually performed at 2-3 week after Lipiodol injection. Therefore, we assessed and the diagnostic value and merits of immediate CT after chemoembolization from there of 2-3 week delayed Lipiodol CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty three cases of chemoembolization which were performed both immediate CT after chemoembolization and 2-3 week delayed Lipiodol CT were reviewed retrospectively. They were divided into four grades according to pattern of lipiodol uptake by three radiologists. The diagnostic value of immediate Lipiiodol CT was compared to delayed Lipiodol CT. RESULTS: Grade 0 was two cases(3.0%) and Grade 1 was seven cases(21.2%). In the cases of Grade 2(23/33, 69.7%) tumor uptake could be dishng wished from parenchymal uptake of Lipiodol by its density and pattern. Tumor uptake showed dense and homogeneous pattern, but parenchymal uptake revealed less dense and hepatoram-like wedge shaped pattern. Lipiodol uptake of tumor in Grade 3(1/24, 3.0%) was equal to that in delayed Lipiodrl CT. Grade 3 and 2(72.7%) of the immediate Lipiodol CT were not inferior to delayed Lipiodol CT in its diagnostic value. CONCLUSION: The immediate Lipiodol CT could make rapid establishment of treatment plan and are expected to be more convenient than delayed CT for the patients.