[en] This retrospective study was to evaluate the transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) findings of prostatic abscess. From 1995 to 1999, TRUS had been performed in 18 patients with prostatic abscess, diagnosed by TRUS-guided needle aspiration in 15 patients, and clinical findings associated with follow-up TRUS in three patients. Color and power Doppler ultrasonography were also performed in 12 of 18 patients. In 18 patients, TRUS showed 25 prostatic abscesses: single abscess in 11 patients (61%) and two abscesses in 7 patients (39%). Thirteen abscesses (52%) were located in the peripheral gland, 12 abscesses (48%) between the peripheral and central gland. The prostatic abscess was represented as a hypoechoic area that contained solid portion in 15 (60%), internal debris in 14 (56%), and septa in 9 cases (36%). The hypoechoic area had well-defined border in 20 cases (80%) and ill-defined border in 5 cases (20%); in 10 cases, the lesion showed perilesional hypoechoic halo. The hypoechoic area had perilesional low echoic area suggesting inflammatory changes in 19 cases (76%). Color and power Doppler in 12 patients showed no flow signal within the lesion, but increased perilesional flow signals. The most common TRUS findings of prostatic abscess was a well-defined hypoechic area that had perilesional low echoic area; in color and power Doppler ultrasonography, a high perilesional vascular flow was presented with absent flow in the lesion itself. These TRUS findings could be helpful in the diagnosis of prostatic abscess.

[en] The use of intravacular catherterizastion for both diagnostic and therapeutic purpose increased the incidence of iatrogneic foreign bodies, which might cause many complications such as cardiac arrythmias, perforation of cardiac chamber or blood vessels, sepsis and thromboembolism. The authors experienced 5 cases of successful retrieval of intravascular iratrogenic foreign bodies: three cases of subclavian catheter wire and two cases of subclavian catheter. Subclavian catheter was introduce into right subclavian venous route for hyperalimenation or central venous pressure monitoring. The foreign bodies were located in superior vena cava and inferior vena cava in four cases and in left main pulmonary artery in the other case. We have successfully removed the foreign bodies by interventional procedures. The loop-snare technique is a safe and effective method for retrieval of iatrogenic foreign bodies in great vessels

[en] To correlate the preoperative staging of gastric adenocarcinoma using two-phase spiral CT with pathologic staging. One hundred and eighty patients with gastric cancers confirmed during surgery underwent two-phase spiral CT, and were evaluated retrospectively. CT scans were obtained in the prone position after ingestion of water. Scans were performed 35 and 80 seconds after the start of infusion of 120mL of non-ionic contrast material with the speed of 3mL/sec. Five mm collimation, 7mm/sec table feed and 5mm reconstruction interval were used. T-and N-stage were determined using spiral CT images, without knowledge of the pathologic results. Pathologic staging was later compared with CT staging. Pathologic T-stage was T1 in 70 cases(38.9%), T2 in 33(18.3%), T3 in 73(40.6%), and T4 in 4(2.2%). Type-I or IIa elevated lesions accouted for 10 of 70 T1 cases(14.3%) and flat or depressed lesions(type IIb, IIc, or III) for 60(85.7%). Pathologic N-stage was NO in 85 cases(47.2%), N1 in 42(23.3%), N2 in 31(17.2%), and N3 in 22(12,2%). The detection rate of early gastric cancer using two-phase spiral CT was 100.0%(10 of 10 cases) among elevated lesions and 78.3%(47 of 60 cases) among flat or depressed lesions. With regard to T-stage, there was good correlation between CT image and pathology in 86 of 180 cases(47.8%). Overstaging occurred in 23.3%(42 of 180 cases) and understaging in 28.9%(52 of 180 cases). With regard to N-stage, good correlation between CT image and pathology was noted in 94 of 180 cases(52.2%). The rate of understaging(31.7%, 57 of 180 cases) was higher than that of overstaging(16.1%, 29 of 180 cases)(p<0.001). The detection rate of early gastric cancer using two-phase spiral CT was 81.4%, and there was no significant difference in detectability between elevated and depressed lesions. Two-phase spiral CT for determing the T-and N-stage of gastric cancer was not effective;it was accurate in abont 50% of cases understaging tended to occur.=20

[en] Urethral duplication or accessory urethra is a rare congenital anomaly. Even rarer, is its association with bladder duplication. We report a case of urethral duplication associated with bladder duplication in a seven-year-old boy who underwent retrograde urethrography, sonography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. WhiIe retrograde urethrography can demonstrate the extent of the duplicated urethra, MR imaging and sonography can provide detailed information on the anatomy of the adjacent tissues as well as urethral duplication

[en] To evaluate diagnostic usefulness of ultrasonography(US) in pediatric patient with urinary tract infection. Fifty-five children with urinary tract infection underwent renal ultrasonography and voiding cystourethrography(VCUG). The imaging findings were analyzed retrospectively. Renal sonograms were normal in 34 of 55 children(62%). Five of 34 patients with normal sonogram had vesicoureteral reflux of grade I and III on VCUG. Renal sonograms were abnormal in 21 of 55 children(38%). Sonographic findings included hydronephrosis, hyperechoic kidney, nephromegaly, altrophic kidney, renal abscess, and duplex ureter. Eleven of 21 patient with abnormal sonogram had vesicoureteral reflux of grade I to IV on VCUG. Ultrasonography is an useful and reliable initial screening examination in the investigation of children with UTI. Unfortunately US is neither sufficiently sensitive nor specific for detecting VUR. VCUG provides confirmative and valuable information about vesicoureteral reflux, and VCUG should be considered as a next modality for UTI. The combined use of sonography and VCUG provides more valuable information in urinary tract infection

[en] We report here on three cases of prostatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), two confirmed by transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided core biopsy and one by transurethral resection of the prostate. TCC was found in the right distal ureter in one case, in the urinary bladder in another, and was confined within the prostate in the third. On gray-scale ultrasonography (GSUS), two cases showed focal, low echoic lesions in the outer gland, and differentiation between the inner and outer glands was difficult. The third case showed no definite focal prostatic lesion. On color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS), two cases showed diffusely increased blood flow in the entire prostate, and the third showed focally increased blood flow in the inner gland. The serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels were normal in all three patients. The GSUS and CDUS findings of TCC involving the prostate were similar to those of prostatic cancer. In the case of normal serum PSA levels, the presence of focal, low echoic lesions and increased blood flow of the prostate in those patients with previous or current TCC in the bladder or upper urinary tract may be the distinguishing manifestations of TCC involving the prostate

[en] To evaluate Doppler sonographic findings of acute renal vein thrombosis in rabbit model induced by renal vein ligation, with an emphasis on the changes in resistive index (RI) on serial follow-up. Conventional and Doppler sonographies were performed immediately after ligation and 24, 48, and 72 hours after ligation in 12 rabbits weighing 4.5-5.0 kg. We focused on changes in kidney size and echogenicity with conventional sonography and resistive index by time interval and Doppler waveforms with Doppler sonography. Kidney size increased markedly immediately after ligation, and increased slowly until 48 hours after ligation with no change observed afterwards. Echogenicity increased both in the renal cortex and the medulla. RI increased remarkably to an average of 1.38 immediately after ligation, and increased to a peak average of 1.64 48 hours after ligation. After 72 hours RI decreased slightly to 1.59. Reverse 'plateau-like' diastolic waveform was seen in 27 trials (56%) on follow up Doppler sonograms. The increase in RI was thought to be due to the increase in renal arterial vascular resistance caused by venous outflow obstruction. The decrease in RI with time suggested adaptation or intrarenal circulation to renal vascular change. Also, the reverse 'plateau-like' diastolic waveform was the predominant waveform

[en] Two patients with clinical and biochemical evidences of islet cell hyperfunction underwent percutaneous transhepatic portal and pancreatic vein catheterization and hormone assays. Local step ups of insulin level in the protal venous system, found in two patients with insulinoma, corresponded to tumor sites ar surgery. One patient had single insulinoma and the other had malignant insulinoma and liver metastasis. Percutaneous transhepatic protal and pancreatic vein catheterization with measurement of radioimmunocative insulin concentration is a safe and reliable method, and may play an important role in the localization of adenoma in patients with hyperinsulinism

[en] To evaluate whether the presence of a peripheral echogenic rim surrounding internal low echogenicity is helpful in the diagnosis of atypical hepatic hemangioma. Within a two-year period, a retrospective review of the sonographic appearances of 24 atypical hemangiomas in 21 patients was performed. Diagnosis was made by dynamic and delayed enhanced CT, MR imaging or clinical follow up for one year, including follow-up sonogram. The sonographic appearances of these hemangiomas were analyzed for pattern and thickness of the echogenic rim, internal echo pattern, shape, and size. Additionally, forty six lesions of hepatoma, metastasis, abscess and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma confirmed by pathology within the same period were also evaluated for the presence of echogenic rim. Twenty-three of 24 lesions showed an echogenic rim;these were thick in nine cases, and thin in 14 cases. The thickness of the rim was either uniform(n=10) or eccentric(n=13). The average maximum diameter of atypical hemangioma was 4.4cm(range of diameters, 1.5-12cm). The internal echo pattern was partially or entirely hypoechoic in 15 lesions, homogeneously isoechoic in three, and mixed in six cases. Twenty-one lesions were round, and the shape of three was irregular. The other forty six masses including hepatocellular carcinoma, metastases, cholangiocarcinoma and hepatic abscesses did not show an echogenic rim. The presence of a sonographic echogenic rim in a hepatic mass may help in the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma

[en] To verify the value of CT in the diagnosis of cirrhosis, CRL ratio was measured in 225 Koreans who had and evidence of cirrhosis both clinically and radiologically. The mean value of CRL ratio was 0.68±0.21 which was significant different from the published value of normal person(0.45±0.07). The difference of CRL ratio between men and women and that among different age groups were found to be not statistically significant. CRL ratio of virus-related group(N=149) was 0.64±0.18, whereas that of virus-nonrelated group(N=76) was 0.76±0.23. There was a statistically significant difference of CRL ratio between virus-related group and virus-nonrelated group. CRL ratio of hepatoma-related group(N=113) was 0.71±0.22 whereas that of hepatoma-nonrelated group(N=112) was 0.66±0.19. There was no statistically significant difference of CRL ratio between hepatoma-related group and hepatoma-nonrelated group. Measurement of CRL ratio by CT is a useful method in assessing cirrhosis of the liver