The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early-stage cervical cancer: A systematic review.

Pelvic lymphadenectomy procedure is included as part of the standard protocol of radical hysterectomy for women with early-stage cervical cancer (Stage IA to IB1). However, an important sequel to lymphadenectomy procedure is the possible occurrence of lymphedema in the lower abdomen and lower extremities. Previous researches also find that women with lymphedema experience many emotional impacts, including depression, anxiety, and adjustment problems.

Gender Gap and Risk Factors for Poor Stroke Outcomes: A Single Hospital-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: This study intended to investigate whether etiological stroke subtypes and their corresponding major risk factors have differential effects on outcomes between genders.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 403 consecutive patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke (170 women, 233 men), from a referral hospital in Taiwan over a 2-year period. Gender differences in demographics, vascular risk factors, access to health care, etiological stroke subtypes, stroke severity, and outcomes were examined.

Complex coil assisted single coil embolization for small intracranial aneurysm.

The purpose of the technical note is to introduce the complex coil assisted coil embolization method in the treatment of intracranial small aneurysm, in order to enhance the safety of the procedure. The first microcatheter was navigated into the aneurysm sac and the ultrasoft coil was used as the embolization coil. If the embolizations coil could not stay within the aneurysm sac smoothly, such as coil herniation into parent artery during the delivery process.

Iatrogenic and fatal arterial air embolism during the CT scan.

Systemic and fatal arterial air embolism during the computed tomography (CT) scan is rarely reported in English-based literature. Iatrogenic air embolism happening during the CT scan is often related to the injector, usually venous air embolism and asymptomatic. We report one fatal and extensive systemic arterial air embolism because of one error that happened during a brain CT scan.

Preoperative embolization of carotid body tumor by direct percutaneous intratumoral injection of N-butyl cyanoacrylate glue assisted with balloon protection technique.

Substantial intraoperative bleeding during surgical removal of carotid body tumor may be a major problem in the management of these highly vascularized tumors. Traditional preoperative embolization via a transarterial access has proved effective but is often limited by complex vascular anatomy and small feeding vessels that is difficult to catheterize. We report two cases of carotid body tumor treated with direct puncture and intratumoral injection of N-butyl cyanoacrylate glue (NBCA) assisted with balloon protection technique for preoperative devascularization.

Neonatal intracranial aneurysm rupture treated by endovascular management: a case report.

Pediatric intracranial aneurysm rupture is rare, and is traditionally managed by surgical clipping. To the best of our knowledge, endovascular embolization of aneurysms in neonates has not previously been reported in Taiwan. We report a 9-day-old boy with intracranial aneurysms who underwent endovascular embolization, representing the youngest reported case in Taiwan.

Bilateral developing reexpansion pulmonary edema treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

A right-side spontaneous pneumohemothorax developed in a 16-year-old boy who was transferred from a local medical department to our emergency department 12 hours later. After an emergency operation to remove the blood clot, right-side reexpansion pulmonary edema developed, with about 3100 mL of foamy and bloody fluid drainage from the right-side endotracheal tube. The patient was sent to the intensive care unit with differential lung ventilation, but developed left-side pulmonary edema resulting in worsening oxygen saturation.

Alternative option in the treatment of very small ruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Background: To evaluate the safety and protective effect of relative undersized coil with loose coil core in the clinical dilemma condition--very small (43.0 mm) ruptured intracranial aneurysm.

Methods: We studied 12 patients (4 men, 8 women) who had suffered from acute ruptured small intracranial aneurysms (2-3 mm in size, with SAH presentation).

Spontaneous spinal and intracranial subdural hematoma.

Subdural hematoma (SDH) of the spine following intracranial hemorrhage is extremely rare. We present a 35-year-old woman who suffered from headache and dizziness initially, and then lower back pain, lower limb weakness and paraparesis gradually developed within 1-2 weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed intracranial and spinal SDH.

"Waffle cone"technique for intra/extra-aneurysmal stent placement for the treatment of complex and wide-necked bifurcation aneurysm.

Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms by coiling has become an accepted alternative to surgical clipping (1). In cases of wide-necked and sidewall aneurysms, selective embolization is difficult because of the risk of coil protrusion into the parent vessel. The use of three-dimensional coils, stents (2), and balloon remodeling have all aided the attempt to adequately manage such lesions.

Percutaneous direct puncture embolization for superficial craniofacial arteriovenous malformation.

Endovascular embolization for craniofacial arteriovenous malformation has been used as preoperative adjuvant devascularization or as definitive therapy. However, because the vascular network is complex, embolization via arterial access may be ineffective, risky, incomplete or technically difficult. The purpose of this report is to describe our experience of percutaneous direct venous pouch puncture embolization.

Angioplasty as the first-line therapeutic option for venous hypertension with outlet obstruction of dural sinus.

We describe a nonconventional endovascular approach to the treatment of pseudotumor cerebri with venous outlet stricture or obstruction. In three patients presenting with acute visual loss, angiograms showed sinus occlusion and stasis of contrast material, with an increased pressure gradient in the venous system. We used venous sinus angioplasty as the first therapeutic option.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging as an evaluation of the response of brain metastases treated by stereotactic radiosurgery.

Background: Loss of tumor cell results in a relative increase in extracellular space that may lead to alteration of ADC. Our purpose was to see if the ADC could be used, rather than methods depending on changes in tumor size, to predict treatment success after treatment of brain metastases with SRS.

Methods: In a prospective study, the ADCs of 21 patients with 32 solid or solid-dominated brain metastases were taken before and 1 week, 1 month, and at 3-month intervals after SRS.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: computed tomographic features and prediction of malignant risk from computed tomographic imaging.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are specific, generally Kit (CD117)-positive, mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract encompassing a majority of tumors previously considered gastrointestinal smooth muscle tumors. Our aim was to characterize the computed tomographic findings and predict malignant risk from computed tomography for the evaluation of GISTs.

Methods: The computed tomographic images of 39 patients with pathologically and immunohistochemically proven GISTs were reviewed by 2 radiologists, and the final interpretations were reached by consensus.

Characterization of focal brain lesions by gradient-echo arterial spin-tagging perfusion imaging.

A simple gradient-echo arterial spin tagging (GREAST) technique allows for quick assessment of regional tissue perfusion without the need for exogenous contrast agent. The purpose of this prospective study was to validate GREAST imaging in characterizing the regional perfusion status of focal brain lesions by comparing with relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps obtained by using echo-planar imaging (EPI)-based dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging. Thirty-two patients whose nonenhanced brain MR images showed 34 focal brain lesions during routine examination were selected to immediately undergo GREAST and dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging to evaluate regional perfusion of the lesions.

Deletion of chromosome region 18q21.3-->qter in a patient: clinical, endocrine and imaging abnormalities.

Deletion of chromosome 18q (18q-) is a survivable autosomal abnormality, having an estimated incidence of one in 40,000 live births. Common features of affected individuals include developmental delay, growth retardation, hearing impairment, delayed myelination of the brain, and craniofacial dysmorphism. We describe herein a girl with psychomotor retardation and characteristic midface hypoplasia.

Goldenhar syndrome (oculoauriculovertebral dysplasia): report of one case.

Goldenhar syndrome, also known as oculoauriculovertebral dysplasia, is an uncommon condition, characterized by a combination of anomalies: epibulbar dermoids or lipodermoids, preauricular appendices, malformation of the ears, hemifacial microsomia, vertebral anomalies, and others. The etiology of this disease has remained unclear; factors including chromosomal abnormalities, maternal diabetes mellitus or drug use, and influence of environment during pregnancy have been proposed. Here, we describe a case of Goldenhar syndrome in a 1-day-old female newborn, who presented with right external ear atresia, left preauricular appendices, cleft-like extension of the right oral angle, mandibular hypoplasia and relatively small hands.

Basilar artery dolichoectasia in a boy with a combination of partial monosomy 18p and partial trisomy 20q.

We describe an 11-year-old boy with facial dysmorphism consisting of a round and flat face, hypertelorism, short nose, and down turned corners of the mouth. In addition, he had severe mental retardation, short stature, imperforate anus, and basilar artery dolichoectasia. Cytogenetic evaluation revealed an unbalanced paternally inherited translocation t(18;20)(p11.

Unilateral subcortical calcification: a manifestation of dural arteriovenous fistula.

We describe the imaging findings in a dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) with unilateral subcortical calcification. A 50-year-old woman patient suffered from hypertension and chronic headache. Recently, marked headache and a changed consciousness level were noted.

Computed tomographic appearance of internal herniation through the sigmoid mesocolon.

The case of a patient with surgically proven internal herniation of a loop of ileum through the sigmoid mesocolon is described. This 66-year-old man presented clinically with acute lower abdominal pain and an elevated white blood cell count. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a thickened bowel loop with "bird-beak" appearance in the pelvis, centered towards the medial side and lying aside the effaced sigmoid colon.

Imaging characteristics of familial Wolfram syndrome.

Wolfram syndrome is a rare diffuse neurodegenerative disorder also known as DIDMOAD due to its characteristics of diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic nerve atrophy and deafness. It is also associated with a wide variety of abnormalities of the central nervous system, urinary tract and endocrine glands. It may be familial or sporadic.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma spreading along the eustachian tube: the imaging appearance.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is one of the most common cancers in Taiwan. It can spread anteriorly, laterally, posteriorly, superiorly and inferiorly. Skull base invasion is the common presentation, in up to one-third of cases.

Intraspinal extradural ganglion cyst of the cervical spine.

Intraspinal ganglion cyst is an uncommon lesion, which occurs most frequently in the lower lumbar region; occurrence in the cervical region is extremely rare. We report a case of ganglion cyst in the cervical region and describe its clinical pathological and radiological findings. A 59-year-old man presented with sudden lower limbs weakness and numbness below the nipple level.

Angiographic embolization for emergent and prophylactic management of obstetric hemorrhage: a four-year experience.

Background: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of emergent and prophylactic arterial embolization for obstetric hemorrhage within the past 4 years.

Methods: We retrospectively collected 21 obstetric patients with treatment of selective arterial embolization between 1999 and 2002. Two groups of patients were identified.