Long-Term Survival after T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Treated with One Cycle of Hyper-CVAD Regimen.

T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a rare form of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The standard approach for management of T-LBL involves intensive multiagent chemotherapy regimens for induction and consolidation phases with central nervous system prophylaxis and a maintenance phase lasting 12-18 months. We report on a case of long-term survival after one cycle of hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (hyper-CVAD) and high-dose methotrexate. A 30-year-old woman diagnosed with T-LBL with a large mediastinal mass underwent one cycle of hyper-CVAD. Four days after the start of treatment, the mediastinal mass was markedly reduced. Treatment continued with one cycle of consolidation chemotherapy, comprising high-dose methotrexate and high-dose cytarabine. The patient then refused all further chemotherapeutic treatment. Seven years have passed without relapse.

Mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm caused by bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and acinetobacter lwoffii: the first case in Korea.

Mycotic aneurysms are uncommon, but are fatal without appropriate management. Previous reports have shown that anaerobes and gram-negative organisms are less common but more dangerous than other causative agents of mycotic aneurysm. We report the case of a 60-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis in the aorta, and a 10-day of history of lower abdominal pain and fever. This man was diagnosed with an uncommon abdominal aorta mycotic aneurysm caused by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Acinetobacter lwoffii. The aneurysm was successfully treated with antibiotics therapy and aorto-bi-external iliac artery bypass with debridement of the infected aortic wall. We present this case together with a review of the relevant literature.

A case on streptococcal pneumonia associated with leptomeningitis, osteomyelitis and epidural abscess in a patient with AIDS.

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are at higher risks of bacterial pneumonia than the general population, and the pathogen is the most commonly involved Streptococcus pneumoniae. We hereby report a case of pneumococcal pneumonia associated with leptomeningitis, osteomyelitis and epidural abscess in a patient with AIDS. He is being successfully treated with ampicillin/sulbactam and clindamycin. And because the pneumococcal infection is usually associated with morbidity and mortality rates in the setting of AIDS, we should consider for pneumococcal vaccinations among the AIDS populations.

Percutaneous closure of an iatrogenic ventricular septal defect following concomitant septal myectomy at the time of aortic valve replacement.

A 77-year-old female patient underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with concomitant septal myectomy and tricuspid annuloplasty. Her symptoms did not improve after a successful operation. Echocardiogram demonstrated the presence of an iatrogenic ventricular septal defect (VSD). It was muscular in location and not the usual AVR with membraneous type of VSD, suggesting a complication from the myectomy. Percutaneous closure of the VSD remained the only feasible option due to her poor overall medical status. A 14-mm Amplazter VSD occluder was deployed successfully, by means of the trans-septal technique. She has improved very well postoperatively.

Purification, structural characterization, and antioxidant activity of antioxidant substance from the red seaweed Gloiopeltis tenax.

An antioxidant substance (AOS) obtained from an enzymatic extract of the red seaweed Gloiopeltis tenax was purified by DEAE-Sephadex CL-6B and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The purification yield of AOS was 14.3%. The AOS predominantly contained fucose, mannose, and galactose but also contained a sulfate group. The structure of AOS was investigated by periodate oxidation, desulfation, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. AOS was mainly composed of alternating units of beta-D-Glc(1 --> 2)alpha-D-Man(1 --> 4)beta-D-Gal(1 --> 4)alpha-D-Man(1 --> 4)beta-D-Gal alpha-D-Man (1 --> 4) beta-D-Glc (or Xyl)- and branched linkage of alpha-D-Man(1 --> 3) alpha-D-Fuc. In addition, the fucose residues were shown to be 2-O- and 4-O-sulfated and, therefore, were either terminal or 3-linked. The antioxidative activity of AOS was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the beta-carotene-linoleate assay systems and was compared with those of butylated hydroxytoluene and ascorbic acid (AscA). The results showed that AOS exhibited higher antioxidative activity than AscA in the DPPH assay model and in the beta-carotene-linoleate assay system at all of the four concentration levels tested (from 50 to 200 microg/mL). These results suggested that AOS from the red seaweed G. tenax is an efficient novel antioxidant.