• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2022

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is often life-threatening in an immunocompromised patient due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Several differential diagnoses could be possible only with preoperative brain images of cerebral toxoplasmosis which show multiple rim-enhancing lesions. Due to the rarity of cerebral toxoplasmosis cases in Korea, the diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. This paper concerns a male patient whose cerebral toxoplasmosis was activated 21 years post kidney transplantation. Brain open biopsy was decided to make an exact diagnosis. Cerebral toxoplasmosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and PCR analyses of the tissue samples. Although cerebral toxoplasmosis was under control with medication, the patient did not recover clinically and died due to sepsis and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.195-198
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• 2017

Idiopathic brain herniation is a rare condition. We believe that this is the first reported case of idiopathic herniation of the lingual gyrus. The case involves a 57-year-old woman presenting with frontal headache without overt visual symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an idiopathic herniation of the lingual gyrus of the occipital lobe extending into the quadrigeminal cistern. No other adjacent intracranial abnormalities were observed. Although some conditions may be considered in the differential diagnosis, accurate diagnosis of idiopathic brain herniation in medical practice can prevent unnecessary additional imaging procedures and invasive open biopsy in patients with typical imaging findings.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1013-1024
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• 1989

One hundred and seventy two patients of primary lung cancer, confirmed by tissue diagnosis at the Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Korea University Hospital between June 1973 and August 1988, were evaluated and restaged with New International TNM classification, and the actuarial survival rate was obtained using Kaplan-Meier equation. The results of analysis were as follows. 1. Male to female ratio was 3.8:1, and prevalent age groups were sixth and seventh decades [76.4 %]. 2. The most common subjective symptom was cough [55.2 %], and 67.4 % of all patients were visited to hospital less than 6 months of symptoms. 3. Positive rates for tissue diagnosis were 100% in open chest or metastatic lymph node biopsy, 80 % in mediastinoscopic biopsy, 60 % in pleural biopsy, 59 % in pleural fluid cytology, 36% in bronchoscopic biopsy, and 22 % in sputum cytology. 4. The order of frequency of cell type was squamous cell carcinoma [53.0%], adenocarcinoma [22.0 %], small cell carcinoma [14.5 %], and so on. 5. Operability and resectability were 44% and 62% respectively, but they were improved recently. 6. Open and closure was done in 44 % of operated patients, uni or bilobectomy in 38 % and pneumonectomy in 24 %. 7. Overall operative mortality rate was 2.6 %. 8. The order of frequency of stage level was S3b [42.0 %], S3a [25.1 %], S1 [15.6%], and so on. 9. Distant metastasis, i.e. stage 4, was noted in 9.5 % of cases, and the sites of frequency were bone, brain, skin, and so on. 10. Actuarial survival rate was 1 year 48.2%, 2 year 36.9%, 3 year 31.2%, and 5 year 20.8%. According to above listed factors, 5 year survival rate was highest in squamous cell carcinoma, lobectomized cases, stage 1, NO in TNM system, and resectable cases. But T factor in TNM system and radiation therapy in nonresectable cases did not show statistical significance in life expectancy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.181-184
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• 2010

A case of idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis (IHCP) misdiagnosed as an acute subdural hematoma is reported. A 37-year-old male patient presented with headache following head trauma 2 weeks earlier. Computerized tomography showed a diffuse high-density lesion along the left tentorium and falx cerebri. Initial chest X-rays revealed a small mass in the right upper lobe with right lower pleural thickening, which suggested lung cancer, such as an adenoma or mediastinal metastasis. During conservative treatment under the diagnosis of a subdural hematoma, left cranial nerve palsies were developed (3rd and 6th), followed by scleritis and uveitis involving both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an unusual tentorium-falx enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Non-specific chronic inflammation of the pachymeninges was noticed on histopathologic examination following an open biopsy. Systemic steroid treatment was initiated, resulting in dramatic improvement of symptoms. A follow-up brain MRI showed total resolution of the lesion 2 months after steroid treatment. IHCP should be included in the differential diagnosis of subtentorial-enhancing lesions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.312-315
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• 2013

Aspergillosis in the central nervous system (CNS) is a very rare disease in immune-competent patients. There was a case of a healthy man without a history of immune-compromised disease who had invasive aspergillosis with unusual radiologic findings. A 48-year-old healthy man with diabetes mellitus, presented with complaints of blurred vision that persisted for one month. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple nodular enhancing lesions on the right cerebral hemisphere. The diffusion image appeared in a high-signal intensity in these areas. Cerebrospinal fluid examination did not show any infection signs. An open biopsy was done and intraoperative findings showed grayish inflammatory and necrotic tissue without a definitive mass lesion. The pathologic result was a brain abscess caused by fungal infection, morphologically aspergillus. Antifungal agents (Amphotericin B, Ambisome and Voriconazole) were used for treatment for 3 months. The visual symptoms improved. There was no recurrence or abscess pocket, but the remaining focal enhanced lesions were visible in the right temporal and occipital area at a one year follow-up MRI. This immune-competent patient showed multiple enhancing CNS aspergillosis in the cerebral hemisphere, which had a good outcome with antifungal agents.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.334-341
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• 2001

Objective : We have currently changed treatment strategies to methotrexate(MTX)-based preirradiation chemotherapy with subsequent planned radiation for the initial therapy of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of treating PCNSL with chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (CRT) or radiotherapy(RT) alone. Method and Material : This study involved 10 females and 3 males patients with a mean age of 54.2 years. All patients underwent surgery, open(8 cases) or stereotactic biopsy(5 cases) for histological diagnosis. Eleven tumors were diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Tumor volume change in the follow-up images and survival time were evaluated in patients treated with CRT and RT alone. In the beginning, two patients received ProMACE-Cytabom chemotherapeutic regimen, but did not complete the course and died of progressive tumor 8 and 9 months after diagnosis, respectively. One patient died at 6 months before chemotherapy. These three were excluded from the survival analysis. Five patients(RT group) completed full courses of cranial irradiation with or without boost. For the current combined modality treatment, high-dose MTXbased chemotherapy(systemic and intrathecal MTX, IV vincristine, and oral procarbazine) followed by whole brain irrdiation to 45Gy to tumor was introduced in 5 patients of CRT group. Result : A complete response was achieved in three of five who received RT only and in all of five who received CRT. All patients in CRT groups are in disease free status at a mean 23 months following therapy. The RT group patients refused any additional salvage therapy at tumor relapse and survived at mean 20 months from diagnosis. The Karnofsky performance status improved in eight of ten patients with treatment. The treatment toxicity included leukoencephalopathy in RT group and severe leukopenia, transient hepatitis, avascular necrosis of femoral head, hearing loss, and amenorrhea in CRT group, respectively. Conclusion : The combined modality therapy of MTX-based chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for PCNSL may enhance tumor response and improve patient survival. The patients who received CRT should be carefully followed up because of the higher risk of treatment-induced late neurotoxicity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.97-103
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• 2005

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is characterized by a sustained eosinophilia of $1,500/mm^3$ or more in the absence of any known causes or the signs and symptoms of organ involvement. We report a 64-year-old man with HES initially presenting with involvement of the liver and bone marrow. Despite controlling the eosinophilia by corticosteroid, he developed a cerebral infarction and later progressive interstitial pneumonia. Brain angiography revealed a severe stenosis of the proximal right internal carotid artery (ICA) and a complete obstruction of the intracranial ICA. An open lung biopsy revealed fibrosis and lymphoplasma cell infiltration without eosinophils, which were consistent with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.110-115
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• 1999

Pulmonary histiocytosis X is a granulomatous disorder of the lung of unknown cause. Patients with this disease often complain of cough, dyspnea on exertion and, occasionally, chest pain from pneumothorax or bone involvement. However, DI is uncommon in these patients. We report a case of primary pulmonary histiocytosis X with central diabetes insipidus. A 23-year-old man presented with dyspnea suffered from dry cough, exertional dyspnea, polydipsia and polyuria for 4 months. He was a heavy smoker. He was found to have reticulonodular interstitial opacities on chest X-ray film. High-resolution computed tomography revealed thin-walled cysts of various sizes in both lungs. Open lung biopsy was done. On light microscopic examination revealed proliferation and infiltration of Langerhans cells. Immunohistochemically, Langerhans cells showed strong cytoplasmic staining with S-100 protein and electronmicroscopic examination showed Birbeck granules in Langerhans cells. Water deprivation test showed central-type diabetes insipidus and brain MRI showed no abnormal lesion on suprasellar region. Smoking cessation was recommended. He was treated with oral desmopressin.