[en] We describe the distinctive brain CT and MRI findings seen in the putamen of three patients with hyperglycemia. The chief complaint of these patients was either chorea (n=3D1) or mental change (n=3D2). They showed hyperglycemia, but physical examination and laboratory data revealed no other abnormalities. In all patients, non-enhanced CT scanning revealed high-attenuated lesions in the unilateral putamen. In two of the three patients, brain MRI performed two days after the onset of symptoms showed an abnormally high signal on T1-weighted images and a low signal on T2-weighted images. One patient had a history of diabetes mellitus, and another had acute myocardiac infarction. The third had no specific history. After the correction of hyperglycemia, the patient's symptoms subsided and diabetes mellitus was diagnosed. (author)

[en] To evaluate the changes in diagnosis of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in the hydrocephalus, we studied the various parameters of cine phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance (MR) CSF flow images in cases of acutely progressive hydrocephalus, comparing them with those in normal CSF circulation. The MR images were obtained with a 1.5T (GE Signa, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, USA) unit using the 2 dimensional cine PC sequence with peripheral gating and gradient recalled echo imaging in ten cases of non-obstructive hydrocephalus(NOH), three of obstructive hydrocephalus(OH), and ten controls. The time-echo time-flip angle employed were 50 to 80 msec-11 to 15 msec-12 to 15 degrees. Temporal velocity information relating to cervical pericord CSF spaces, third and fourth ventricles, and the aqueduct were plotted as wave forms which were then analyzed for configuration, amplitude parameters(Vmax, Vmin, Vdif), and temporal parameters(R-S, R-SMV, R-D, R-DMV). The statistical significance of each parameter was examined using the paired t-test. All patients with OH underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy, whereas all with NOH underwent shunting procedures. In five ROIs, distinct reproducible configuration features were obtained at aqueduct and cervical pericord spaces, but not at ventricular levels. We determined the statistically significant differences between controls and hydrocephalus patients using temporal, rather than amplitude parameters. In NOH, the graph showed R-DMV shortening (p<0.01) at the anterior cervical pericord space. In OH, there were R-DMV shortening (p<0.05) was seen at the anterior cervical pericord space, and R-DMV shortening (p<0.02) at the posterior cervical pericord space. In one case of OH, a typical change of configuration, mirror image, was obtained at aqueduct level, and in all OH cases, the level of obstruction could be determined. The results of cine PC MR CSF flow study may be valuable for points for determining the level of obstruction, explaining the cause of hydrocephalus, diagnosing OH, and deciding the need for shunting procedures; decisions would be based on an analysis of in vivo images, curve configuration, and phase shift of the velocity curve. In the diagnosis of acutely progressive hydrocephalus, termporal parameters are more important than those relating to amplitude. Among the former. R-DMV and/or R-SMV may be the most valuable.=20

[en] Internal hernia is an unusual cause of the intestinal obstruction. Preoperative diagnosis of internal hernia has been very difficult. However, with the recent increasing advances of CT, detection of its presence becomes much easier than in the past. The advances of CT make the diagnosis more easier than in the past. We report one case of internal hernia with herniation of the ileum into the lesser omentum. The diagnosis could be made when abdominal radiographs showed fixed clustering of the small bowel loops in upper abdomen medial to the stomach. CT and ultrasound showed characteristic interposition of the ileum between the left hepatic lobe and the stomach

[en] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of preoperative breast MRI compared with breast US and pathologic finding in breast cancer patients. A total of 50 patients with breast cancer underwent surgery at our institute between October 2004 and August 2005. They were examined preoperatively with MRI and US. The maximum diameter and the number of the lesions on MRI and US were measured. These measurements were subsequently compared with the pathologic results. The results were divided into the equal, overestimated and underestimated groups. Changes of the therapeutic approach, based on MRI, were also evaluated. Breast cancer was correctly evaluated in 38 of 50 (76%) patients with MRI and in 28 of 50 (56%) patients with US; the cancer was overestimated in 7 of 50 (14%) patients with MRI and in 8 of 50 (16%) patients with US; the cancer was underestimated in 5 of 50 (10%) patients with MRI and in 14 of 50 (28%) patients with US. The therapeutic approach was changed in 11 of 50 (22%) patients, and all the cases underwent modified radical mastectomy. The therapeutic approach was correctly changed in 9 (18%) patients. Unnecessary wider excision was performed in 2 (14%) patients. In conclusion, preoperative breast MRI may be a useful modality for preoperative evaluation, especially for the local staging of tumor and the treatment planning of patients with breast cancer

[en] Eccrine spiradenomas are rare, benign, cutaneous tumors that originate in the sweat glands. Eccrine spiradenomas in the breast are very rare and only a few cases have been reported. We report here on the case of a 47-year-old woman with superficial masses in the breast and these masses had gradually increased in size during follow-up. They were confirmed to be an eccrine spiradenoma on pathologic examination. There have been a few reports about the radiologic findings of eccrine spiradenomas of the breast. This is the first case of an eccrine spiradenoma in the breast that was characterized by multiple imaging modalities, including mammography, ultrasonography and MRI. The lesion in our patient was first diagnosed as an epidermal inclusion cyst based on the imaging findings and the mass's superficial location. Although the mammographic and ultrasonographic imaging findings of eccrine spiradenomas and epidermal inclusion cysts are similar, the MRI findings are different between epidermal inclusion cysts and eccrine spiradenomas. Eccrine spiradenomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions of the breast

[en] Linear scleroderma is an uncommon subtype of localized scleroderma, which is characterized by a linear streak that crosses dermatomes and is associated with the tracking of fibrosis from the skin into deeper tissues, including muscle and fascia. A severe form of this condition sometimes causes growth atrophy of bone and supporting tissue in the affected area. Enophthalmos as a manifestation of linear scleroderma is very rare and occurs due to the replacement of orbital fat and muscle with collagen, which finally leads to atrophy of the affected orbit. This report introduces imaging findings of two cases of enophthalmos caused by linear scleroderma

[en] This report describes the first case involving a second reactivation of neurocysticercosis. There was peripheral enhancement and surrounding edema at multiple calcified lesions in both cerebral hemispheres on the brain MRI. One must be aware of the possibility of reactivation of neurocysticercosis to make the correct diagnosis

[en] Leiomyosarcoma of the prostate, malignant muscle tumor, is very rare tumor. Leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is characterized by local aggressiveness and early distant metastases. The prognosis of the leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is usually poor and almost always wide spread at the presentation. We experienced a prostate leiomyosarcoma with extensive pulmonary metastases. We present computed tomographic, ultrasonic, and pathologic findings and discuss this entity with a pertinent review of the literatures

[en] The purpose of this study is to evaluate the signal characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage, as seen on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MR imaging according to various stages, and to compare FLAIR imaging with spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging. We retrospectively evaluated fast FLAIR images along with spin-echo T1- and T2 weighted MR images of 32 lesions in 25 patients (12 males and 14 females, aged 3 - 84 yrs) with intracranial hemorrhagic lesions. For imaging, 1.5 T unit was used, and the nature of the lesions was found to be as follows : intracranial hemorrhage (n=15); tumor (n=9); infarction (n=4); arteriovenous malformation (n=3); and arachnoid cyst with hemorrhage (n=1). On the basis of spin-echo MR imaging, lesions were classified as acute, early subacute, late subacute, early chronic, or late chronic stage. The signal characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage were analysed in accordance with each staging, as seen on MR FLAIR imaging, and compared to the staging seen on spin-echo T1- and T-2 weighted MR imaging. The signal intensity of intracranial hemorrhage, as seen on FLAIR imaging, was not characteristic; it was similar to that of T2WI during the acute and subacute stages, and similiar to that of T1WI during the chronic stage. When used together with spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging, however, FLAIR imaging may be useful for the classification of chronic intracranial hemorrhage as either early or late stage. (author). 20 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs

[en] We evaluated the significance and accuracy of sonographic detection of metastatic axillary lymph nodes (LNs) in breast cancer. We retrospectively reviewed the sonographic findings and postoperative results of axillary LNs in 47 patients with breast cancer. The sonographic criteria for metastatic LNs were defined as the loss of the echogenic hilum and any uneven cortical thickness of over 3 mm. We analyzed the correlation between the preoperative sonographic findings and the postoperative results of the LNs. Out of 47 patients, 22 patients showed 43 sonographic metastatic LNs. Among these 22 patients, 18 patients had 183 histopathologically proven metastatic LNs. The pathological examination of the remaining 25 patients revealed metastatic LNs in 6 patients. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasonography for detecting metastatic axillary LNs in breast cancer were 75%, 82.6% and 78.7%, respectively. As the number of metastatic LNs detected on sonography increased, the number of histologically proven metastatic LNs increased. Ultrasonographic evaluation of axillary LNs in breast cancer can provide relatively accurate information about the presence or absence of metastasis. Therefore, it is useful to decide the initial staging and treatment planning of patients with breast cancer