Intracranial squamous cell carcinoma arising in a cerebellopontine angle epidermoid cyst: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Most of the intracranial epidermoid cysts are benign, but malignant lesions are occasionally reported. These lesions appear as squamous cell carcinoma and carry a dismal prognosis. Here, we report a case of a primary intracranial squamous cell carcinoma arising in a cerebellopontine epidermoid cyst.

Development of a genetic marker set to diagnose aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease in a genome-wide association study.

We developed a genetic marker set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by summing risk scores of 14 SNPs showing a significant association with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) from our previous 660 W genome-wide association data. The summed scores were higher in the AERD than in the aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA) group (P=8.58 × 10(-37)), and were correlated with the percent decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s after aspirin challenge (r(2)=0.

Enhancement of tumor-specific T cell-mediated immunity in dendritic cell-based vaccines by Mycobacterium tuberculosis heat shock protein X.

Despite the potential for stimulation of robust antitumor immunity by dendritic cells (DCs), clinical applications of DC-based immunotherapy are limited by the low potency in generating tumor Ag-specific T cell responses. Therefore, optimal conditions for generating potent immunostimulatory DCs that overcome tolerance and suppression are key factors in DC-based tumor immunotherapy. In this study, we demonstrate that use of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis heat shock protein X (HspX) as an immunoadjuvant in DC-based tumor immunotherapy has significant potential in therapeutics.

Polymorphisms of ATF6B Are Potentially Associated With FEV1 Decline by Aspirin Provocation in Asthmatics.

Purpose: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has recently been observed to activate NF-kappaB and induce inflammatory responses such as asthma. Activating transcription factor 6β (ATF6B) is known to regulate ATFα-mediated ER stress response. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations of ATF6B genetic variants with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) and its major phenotype, % decline of FEV1 by aspirin provocation.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia caused by arachnoid cyst in the cerebellopontine angle.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a relatively rare condition characterized by severe, paroxysmal episodes of lancinating pain in the tongue, throat, ear, and tonsil. This disorder is assumed to be due to compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve by vascular structures. A 47-year-old woman complaining of sharp and lancinating pain in the right periauricular and submandibular areas visited our hospital.

Risk factors for pandemic H1N1 2009 infection in healthcare personnel of four general hospitals.

To characterize an outbreak of pandemic H1N1 2009 among healthcare personnel (HCP), we conducted a cross-sectional survey of HCP who had worked in four general hospitals during the outbreak. More than one-quarter of responding HCP (27.6%) had influenza-like illness (ILI) during the outbreak.

Toothache induced by an angioleiomyoma of the nasolabial groove: a case report.

Angioleiomyoma, a benign soft tissue tumor composed of smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelium, occurs most commonly in the extremities, the lower leg being a common site of occurrence. It rarely is found in the head and neck area, especially in the nasolabial groove. Surgical excision is the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment of angioleiomyoma; a preoperative diagnosis may be difficult.

Technique for autologous nasal mucosa transplantation in severe ocular surface disease.

Purpose: To describe the detailed surgical technique used for harvesting and transplantation of autologous nasal mucosa grafts for ocular surface reconstruction, to evaluate the clinical results and utility of autologous nasal mucosa grafts in ocular surface diseases.

Methods: Autologous nasal mucosa was harvested from either the middle or inferior turbinate. It was transplanted on 11 eyes with severe ocular surface diseases including 4 eyes with chemical burns, 2 eyes with thermal burns, 1 eye with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, 1 eye with erythema multiforme major, and 3 eyes with extensively recurred pterygiums.

A case of temporal intracerebral hemorrhage that presented with sudden bilateral hearing loss as the initial symptom.

A 57-year-old man presented to the outpatient department with sudden bilateral hearing loss. The otological examination suggested bilateral severe sensorineural hearing loss. After several hours, the patient complained of a headache and became drowsy.

Risk factors for laboratory-confirmed household transmission of pandemic H1N1 2009 infection.

Household transmission of the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus infection (pH1N1) frequently occurred in children and adolescents within several days after development of index cases. However, antiviral therapy for index cases did not seem to prevent household transmission of pH1N1.

Capillary hemangioma of the thoracic spinal cord.

Capillary hemangiomas are common soft tissue tumors on the skin or mucosa of the head and neck in the early childhood, but very rare in the neuraxis. A 47-year-old man presented with one month history of back pain on the lower thoracic area, radiating pain to both legs, and hypesthesia below T7 dermatome. Thoracic spine MRI showed 1×1.

Objective measurements using the skin prick test in allergic rhinitis.

Objective: To objectively measure the change in size of the wheal or erythema resulting from the skin prick test.

Design: Prospective randomized trial involving patients with allergic rhinitis recruited from March 8, 2009, through August 21, 2009, in Seoul, South Korea.

Setting: Otorhinolaryngology clinic of a university hospital.

Tear cytokines and chemokines in patients with Demodex blepharitis.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the causes of inflammation in Demodex-induced blepharitis by analyzing cytokine levels in lacrimal fluid.

Methods: Fifteen Demodex blepharitis patients were selected for assessment of tear cytokine concentrations. Fifteen Demodex-free blepharitis patients and 15 subjects with no ocular symptoms were selected as control groups.

A solitary skull lesion of syphilitic osteomyelitis.

We experienced a rare case of solitary syphilitic osteomyelitis of the skull without any other clinical signs or symptoms of syphilis. A 20-year-old man was referred due to intermittent headache and mild tenderness at the right parietal area of the skull with a palpable coin-sized lesion of softened cortical bone. On radiological studies, the lesion was a radiolucent well enhanced mass (17 mm in diameter).

The relationship between demodex and ocular discomfort.

Purpose: To determine the correlative relationship between the prevalence of Demodex in eyelashes and the severity of ocular discomfort, by investigating the demographic epidemiology associated with Demodex.

Methods: One hundred seventy patients underwent epilation of four eyelashes of each eye, and the number of Demodex was counted. The patients answered questionnaires about ocular surface discomfort and underwent ophthalmic examinations, including slit lamp, tear film breakup time (BUT), Schirmer test, and microbial culturing.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage after lumbar spinal surgery.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage (RCH) is rare but potentially lethal as a complication of spinal surgery. We recently experienced a case of RCH in a 61-year-old man who showed mental deterioration after lumbar spinal surgery. There was dural tearing with subsequent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loss during the surgery.

Detection of traumatic cerebral microbleeds by susceptibility-weighted image of MRI.

Objective: Susceptibility-weighted image (SWI) is a sensitive magnetic resonance image (MRI) technique to detect cerebral microbleeds (MBLs), which would not be detected by conventional MRI. We performed SWI to detect MBLs and investigated its usefulness in the evaluation of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) patients.

Methods: From December 2006 to June 2007, twenty-one MTBI patients without any parenchymal hemorrhage on conventional MRI were selected.

Ocular surface reconstruction with autologous nasal mucosa in cicatricial ocular surface disease.

Purpose: To investigate the possibility of replacing the metaplastic ocular surface with nasal mucosa, and to evaluate the results of autologous nasal and oral mucosal transplantation in cicatricial ocular surface diseases.

Design: Retrospective interventional case series.

Methods: We studied 6 eyes in 6 patients with chemical burns, which were characterized by a cicatricial ocular surface.

Endovascular treatment for common iliac artery injury complicating lumbar disc surgery : limited usefulness of temporary balloon occlusion.

Vascular injury during lumbar disc surgery is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. It has been managed by open vascular surgical repair. With recent technologic advance, endovascular treatment became one of effective treatment modalities.

Treatment of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis with a large-diameter contact lens and Botulium Toxin A.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a large-diameter (16-20 mm) hydrogel contact lens (CL) or an injection of Botulinum Toxin A to Riolan muscle for the treatment of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK).

Methods: Eight eyes from 8 patients were fitted with large-diameter CL for 7 days. The clinical improvement and changes of fluorescein and rose bengal staining were examined on the day of diagnosis and 3, 7, 14, and 30 days after the CL was fitted.

Dural arteriovenous fistula of jugular foramen with subarachnoid hemorrhage : selective transarterial embolization.

We report the case of a 64-year-old man with dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) at right jugular foramen, presented as subarachnoid and intraventricular hemorrhage. The malformation was fed by only the neuromeningeal trunk of the right ascending pharyngeal artery and drained into the right lateral medullary veins craniopetally. Complete embolization was attained by selective transarterial glue injection, but patient showed lower cranial neuropathies.

The effect of barbiturate coma therapy for the patients with severe intracranial hypertension: a 10-year experience.

Objective: Barbiturate coma therapy (BCT) has been known to be an useful method to control increased intracranial pressure (IICP) refractory to medical and surgical treatments. We have used BCT for patients with severe IICP during the past 10 years, and analyzed our results with review of literatures.

Methods: We analyzed 92 semicomatose or comatose patients with Glasgow coma scale (GCS) of 7 or less with severe IICP due to cerebral edema secondary to parenchymal damages irrespective of their causes.

The effect of in vivo grown corneal epithelium transplantation on persistent epithelial defects with limbal stem cell deficiency.

We report our experience with corneal epithelium, grown in vivo, transplantation in three patients with persistent epithelial defect (PED). The three patients had ocular surface disease unresponsive to standard treatments and were therefore chosen for transplantation. They underwent transplantation of epithelial sheets, grown in vivo, to the most affected eye.

Proteinuria in a boy with infectious mononucleosis, C1q nephropathy, and Dent's disease.

C1q nephropathy is a proliferative glomerulopathy with extensive mesangial deposition of C1q. A three-year old boy presented with a nephrotic-range proteinuria during an acute phase of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and he had a family history of Dent's disease. The renal biopsy findings were compatible with C1q nephropathy.