PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the CT features of thymoma and to determine the most helpful findings in differentiating invasive from noninvasive thymoma. METHOD: The CT scans from 27 patients with invasive thymoma and 23 with noninvasive thymoma were independently assessed by two observers without knowledge of their invasiveness. The presence and distribution of various CT findings were independently analyzed. RESULTS: Invasive thymomas were more likely to have lobulated (16/27, 59%) or irregular (6/27, 22%) contours than noninvasive thymomas (8/23, 35% and 1.5/23, 6%, respectively) (p < 0.05). Invasive thymomas had a higher prevalence of low attenuation areas within the tumor (16/27, 60%) than noninvasive thymomas (5/23, 22%) (p < 0.001) as well as foci of calcification (14.5/27, 54% vs. 6/23, 26%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The presence of lobulated or irregular contour, areas of low attenuation, and multifocal calcification is suggestive of invasive thymoma.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Enhancement of drug-induced apoptosis by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeted against Mdm2 and p21WAF1/CIP1.

The p53 tumor suppressor gene plays an important role in DNA damage-induced apoptosis and, in general, inactivation of p53 contributes to poor response to chemotherapy. Apoptotic activity of p53 may be negatively modulated by expression of its downstream mediators, including Mdm2 and p21WAF1/CIP1. Consequently, these cellular pathways also represent potential targets for cancer therapy. This study investigated the effect of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), targeted against Mdm2 and p21WAF1/CIP1 on drug-mediated cell killing. Exposure of U2-OS osteosarcoma cells to DNA damaging agents, cisplatin or mitomycin C, caused upregulated expression of Mdm2 and p21WAF1/CIP1. Transient transfection of cells with antisense ODNs to Mdm2 mRNA inhibited Mdm2 protein expression and markedly enhanced apoptotic cell death induced by these drugs. Moreover, when p21WAF1/CIP1 expression was blocked by antisense transfection, drug-mediated cell killing was further accelerated. These results suggest that the enhanced expression of Mdm2 and p21WAF1/CIP1 may inhibit p53-mediated apoptosis and render cells resistant to the effects of DNA damaging agents. Consequently, antisense ODNs targeted against Mdm2 and p21WAF1/CIP1 could be employed in a potential therapeutic strategy sensitizing tumor cells to certain antineoplastic agents.

Apoptosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reduction in pulmonary varix size after mitral valve replacement.

A 48-year-old female was admitted to our hospital for examination of an abnormal shadow in the right lung field. She had a systolic murmur (4/6) over the apex and the chest radiograph revealed cardiac enlargement with three round opacities in the right lung field. Cardiac catheterization showed marked mitral regurgitation and large pulmonary varices. Pulmonary varix caused by mitral regurgitation was diagnosed. The size of the pulmonary varix was reduced with improvement of pulmonary artery wedge pressure one month after mitral valve replacement. We conclude that pulmonary varices can decrease in size secondary to lowering of left atrial pressure within one month after operation.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Radiology of lung cancer.

It is of vital importance not only to prevent lung cancer but also to detect and treat it as early as possible. Plain chest X-ray examination often provides preliminary data useful for the early detection of lung cancer, and multiple diagnostic modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to obtain more accurate information. The authors describe the clinical utility of imaging diagnosis by computed radiography (CR), advanced multiple beam equalization radiography (AMBER), CT, and MRI in term of the imaging-pathologic correlation. We would like to emphasize that these modalities are not competitive but supplementary. It should be anticipated that, as technological improvements continue to be made, each modality will assume an increasingly important role in the imaging of lung cancer.

Diagnostic Imaging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Preservation of permanent teeth in a patient with Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome by professional tooth-cleaning.

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Adult↗