High Shear Stress at the Surface of Enhancing Plaque in the Systolic Phase is Related to the Symptom Presentation of Severe M1 Stenosis

The computational fluid dynamics methods for the limited flow rate and the small dimensions of an intracranial artery stenosis may help demonstrate the stroke mechanism in intracranial atherosclerosis. We have modeled the high wall shear stress (WSS) in a severe M1 stenosis. The high WSS in the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle was well-correlated with a thick fibrous cap atheroma with enhancement, as was determined using high-resolution plaque imaging techniques in a severe stenosis of the middle cerebral artery

MR Imaging of Central Diabetes Insipidus: A Pictorial Essay

Central diabetes insipidus (DI) can be the outcome of a number of diseases that affect the hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal axis. The causes of the condition can be classified as traumatic, inflammatory, or neoplastic. Traumatic causes include postoperative sella or transection of the pituitary stalk, while infectious or inflammatory causes include meningitis, lymphocytic hypophysitis, and granulomatous inflammations such as sarcoidosis and Wegener's granulomatosis. Various neoplastic conditions such as germinoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, metastasis, leukemic infiltration, lymphoma, teratoma, pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, Rathke cleft cyst, hypothalamic glioma, and meningioma are also causes of central DI. In affected patients, careful analysis of these MR imaging features and correlation with the clinical manifestations can allow a more specific diagnosis, which is essential for treatment

MR Imaging and Histopathologic Findings of A Case of Cerebral Ganglioneurocytoma

We report a case of ganglioneurocytoma manifesting as a complex partial seizure in a young adult male. MR images depicted a well-marginated cystic mass with a heterogeneous solid portion abutting the dura in the parietal lobe. The solid portion showed minimal heterogeneous enhancement, and pressure erosion of the overlying calvarium had occurred. Following gross total resection, the clinical outcome was satisfactory, with no further seizures, and during the five-year follow-up period, the tumor did not recur

Evaluation of changes in random blood glucose and body mass index during and after completion of chemotherapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

PurposeImproved survival of patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has drawn attention to the potential for late consequences of previous treatments among survivors, including metabolic syndrome. In this study, we evaluated changes in 3 parameters, namely, random blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), and Z score for BMI (Z-BMI), in children with ALL during chemotherapy and after completion of treatment.MethodsPatients newly diagnosed with ALL from January, 2005 to December, 2008 at Saint Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, who completed treatment with chemotherapy only were included (n=107). Random glucose, BMI, and Z-BMI were recorded at 5 intervals: at diagnosis, before maintenance treatment, at completion of maintenance treatment, and 6 and 12 months after completion of maintenance treatment. Similar analyses were conducted on 2 subcohorts based on ALL risk groups.ResultsFor random glucose, a paired comparison showed significantly lower levels at 12 months post-treatment compared to those at initial diagnosis (P<0.001) and before maintenance (P<0.001). The Z-BMI score was significantly higher before maintenance than at diagnosis (P<0.001), but decreased significantly at the end of treatment (P<0.001) and remained low at 6 months (P<0.001) and 12 months (P<0.001) post-treatment. Similar results were obtained upon analysis of risk group-based subcohorts.ConclusionFor a cohort of ALL patients treated without allogeneic transplantation or cranial irradiation, decrease in random glucose and Z-BMI after completion of chemotherapy does not indicate future glucose intolerance or obesity

Treatment-Seeking Behaviors and Related Epidemiological Features in Korean Acne Patients

Little is known about the treatment-seeking behaviors of acne patients, especially Asian acne patients. This study was performed to obtain detailed information about the treatment-seeking behaviors in Korean acne patients. Patients who visited the dermatology departments at 17 university hospitals completed a self-administered questionnaire. Most patients obtained information about acne from doctors or the Internet. The most important criteria for selecting a treatment method or choosing a particular clinic were effectiveness and accessibility. Patients used traditional medicine, visited beauty clinics, drank more water, and used over-the-counter topical agents more frequently than they sought doctors during the worsening period. The degree of satisfaction in treatment was found to depend on the total cost of treatment, number of places visited, site affected by acne, and emotional stress. Those who had experienced a side effect tended to have been treated for longer, to have paid more for treatment, and to have an associated skin disease. Treatments prescribed by dermatology clinics had the lowest aggravating rate, although improvement rates for family medicine clinics were also fairly high. This is the first study to investigate in detail the demographic features and characteristics of the treatment-seeking behaviors of acne patients in Asia