A Case of Tuberculosis of Thyroid Gland / 대한이비인후과학회지

Tuberculosis of the thyroid gland is extremely rare, with only a few reported cases in the recent literature. The diagnosis is based entirely upon the histological picture of the tubercle, which consists of aggregates of mononuclear epithelial cells, giants cells, and a border of lymphocytes. Tuberculosis may involve the thyroid gland in two main forms. One common form spreads to the thyroid as part of generalized dissemination, and the other one is focal or caseous tuberculosis of the thyroid, presenting as a nodule, thyroiditis, an abscess, or a carcinoma-like mass. The differential diagnosis from malignancy and other non tuberculous granulomatous lesion is impossible upon the clinical ground. Surgical intervention is essential in order to establish the definitive diagnosis and to exclude the possibility of tumors. We experienced a case of the tuberculosis of the thyroid gland presenting with palpable thyroid nodule in a 44 year-old female patient. She was clinically and biochemically euthyroid and her CT scans demonstrated multiple low density in both thyroid gland with strands in the subcutaneous fat layer. The mass was removed surgically and confirmed to be tuberculosis.

The Generation of Superoxide Radicals and Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes in Influenza A Virus-Induced Maxiliary Sinusitis of Rabbits / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Oxygen free radicals are generated markedly in various infected condition, and these molecular species were identified as potent pathologic agents. The activities of various antioxidant enzymes have close relationships to genereration and metabolism of oxygen free radicals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the generation of superoxide radicals and activities of antioxidant enzymes and to compare histopathological changes in influenza A virus-induced maxillary sinusitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experimental viral infection was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by inoculating 0.3 ml of influenza A virus. Maxillary sinus mucosa were examined with a light microscope and the generation of superoxide radicals and activity of antioxidant enzymes were measured at the intervals up to 28 days after inoculation. RESULTS: The mucosal changes deteriorated and reached maximum at seven days after inoculation. The first day of inoculation, mononuclear phagocytes and neutrophils began to be found in subepithelial layer. We also found that capacity of oxygen generation increased about one and a half fold compared with the non-infected control group. The activity of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT, which are specific scavengers of oxygen radicals, peaked at three, five, and seven days after viral inoculation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that oxygen free radicals play an improtant role in the histopathologic damage in the early stage of influenza A viral infection, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes are enhanced by the generation of superoxide radicals. It is also indicated that antioxidant enzymes may have a therapeutic potential for this viral infection and other conditions associated with free radicals.