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Biomedical subjects

Pan-Chyr Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Pan-Chyr Yang.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Tumor-associated antigen L6 and the invasion of human lung cancer cells.

Metastasis is a coordinated process that depends on the interaction of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment. Members of the transmembrane-4 superfamily (TM4SF) of surface proteins have been implicated in the regulation of cancer cell metastasis, and the expression of several TM4SF members on tumor cells is inversely correlated with patient prognosis. The tumor-associated antigen L6 (TAL6), a distant member of the TM4SF, is expressed on most epithelial cell carcinomas and is a target for antibody-mediated therapy. We examined whether TAL6 may play a role in cancer metastasis by using an established series of human lung carcinoma cell lines (CL1-0 to CL1-5) that exhibit increasing invasiveness in vitro and in vivo. We found that TAL6 expression correlated with the in vitro invasiveness of CL lung carcinoma cells (r(2) = 0.98) and human carcinoma cells (r(2) = 0.69). Forced expression of TAL6 on CL1-0 lung carcinoma cells significantly increased their in vitro invasiveness and decreased the survival of SCID mice in an experimental metastasis model. Specific antibody against TAL6 (monoclonal antibody L6) significantly reduced the migration and invasiveness of CL1-5 lung carcinoma cells. The effects of monoclonal antibody L6 on CL1-5 invasion required clustering of TAL6 on the cell surface. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR of lung cancer specimens showed that increased expression of TAL6 was significantly associated with early postoperative relapse (P = 0.034) and shorter survival (P = 0.025) in squamous cell lung cancer patients. Thus, TAL6 appears to be involved in cancer invasion and metastasis.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Trends in asthma mortality in Taiwan, 1981-2000.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The prevalence and mortality rates of asthma in many countries have increased in the past 2 decades. The purpose of this study was to determine the trends of asthma mortality in Taiwan from 1981 through 2000. METHODS: Data from the National Health Statistics for Taiwan identifying asthma [International Classification of Disease (ICD)-9 code 493] as the underlying cause of death were collected. Age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates of asthma were calculated and the 20-year trends were analyzed. RESULTS: The crude mortality rate of asthma decreased from 8.17 to 4.53 per 100,000 general population, and the age-adjusted mortality rate decreased from 8.17 to 2.37 per 100,000 during the 20-year period. This trend of decreasing mortality was most obvious for age groups older than 35 years, i.e., from 4.05 to 1.20 per 100,000 in those aged 35 to 54 years and from 47.43 to 13.44 per 100,000 in those aged 55 to 74 years. The mortality rate for asthma in those aged 15 to 34 years remained the same, around 0.40 to 0.35 per 100,000 population. For those below 15 years of age, the mortality rates for asthma fluctuated between 0.30 and 0.10 per 100,000 population. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of asthma has steadily decreased in Taiwan in the past 20 years, especially in the age groups above 35 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Clinical features of pandrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bacteremia at a university hospital in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The number of infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii has increased in recent years and the emergence of pandrug-resistant A. baumannii (PDRAB) has been observed in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of patients with bacteremia due to PDRAB. METHODS: From January 1999 to April 2002, 30 patients with PDRAB bacteremia were treated. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of these patients, including gender, underlying diseases, clinical manifestations, antibiotic treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: Bacteremia developed an average of 33 days after hospitalization and was hospital acquired in all cases. The source of bacteremia was identified in 19 patients (63.3%) and was most commonly from the respiratory tract. The overall mortality was 60% (18 patients). Among these, the cause of death was directly related to PDRAB bacteremia in 12. Underlying heart disease, shock, resuscitation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation, and multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS) were significant predictors of mortality after the development of PDRAB bacteremia. No specific antimicrobial therapy appeared to be effective. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes of patients with PDRAB bacteremia were related to the medical conditions of the patients at the time of development of bacteremia and could be predicted by the MODS. The only way to limit the spread is through strict preventive measures for nosocomial infection and antibiotic control.

Acinetobacter Infections↗
PubMed2003

Continuous lateral rotational therapy in the medical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The efficacy of continuous lateral rotational therapy (CLRT) for mechanically ventilated patients is not well established. This study investigated the effect of CLRT on gas exchange and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients in a medical intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Thirty five mechanically ventilated patients in a medical ICU received CLRT for 5 days, while 35 control patients matched for age, gender, cause of respiratory failure, and admission Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) score, received routine positional change. The results of blood gas analysis, incidence of VAP, findings on chest radiograph, length of ICU stay, and sputum characteristics were recorded. RESULTS: Greater improvement in oxygenation index (the ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen) was noted in the patients who received CLRT (31 +/- 42 vs 6 +/- 76, p = 0.03). Patients who received CLRT also had lower VAP incidence (0 vs 5, p < 0.001), were more likely to have improvement in pulmonary infiltrates (17 vs 12, p = 0.04) and had shorter ICU stay (22 +/- 8 days vs 27 +/- 12 days, p = 0.09). The ICU discharge status (dead, ventilator dependent, alive) was not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Mechanically ventilated patients in the medical ICU who received CLRT had improved oxygenation and reduced incidence of VAP compared to controls.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) - an emerging infection of the 21st century.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infection caused by a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV. The disease has a high propensity to spread to household members and healthcare workers and may be associated with transmission and outbreaks in the community. Severe illness in immunocompromised patients, sophisticated hospital facilities and treatment procedures, particularly those that generate aerosols, and lack of adequate isolation and control measures, can amplify transmission and contribute to so-called "super-spreading" events. The presence of non-specific clinical manifestations at presentation and a lack of validated early diagnostic methods and effective management pose great difficulty for frontline physicians in the containment of this disease. The mortality of SARS is in the region of 10 to 15%; the presence of underlying disease, high initial C-reactive protein levels, and positive SARS-CoV in nasopharyngeal aspirate samples are associated with a higher risk of respiratory failure and mortality. Despite the disappearance of SARS cases worldwide, the potential evolution of SARS-CoV in animals suggests the disease may re-emerge in the future. Heightened levels of clinical suspicion, rapid case detection and isolation, and contact tracing are essential to effective management of future outbreaks. Further ongoing requirements for successful management include research on the immunopathogenesis of SARS and the development of timely and reliable diagnostic tests, effective antiviral and immunomodulatory agents, and vaccines for the disease.

Communicable Diseases, Emerging↗
PubMed2002

Outcome and prognostic factors for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and severe radiation pneumonitis.

PURPOSE: Radiation pneumonitis is a serious complication that develops after thoracic irradiation. The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors for severe radiation pneumonitis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The medical records of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and severe radiation pneumonitis were reviewed. Variables were analyzed by univariate and stepwise multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model. RESULTS: Among the 31 patients, the mortality rate approached 50% in the first 2 months after the onset of radiation pneumonitis. The variables significantly associated with survival in the univariate analysis were tumor histologic feature, grade and extent (out-of-field or in-field) of radiation pneumonitis, oxygenation index, and serum albumin (<35 g/L or >or=35 g/L), and uric acid levels at the onset of radiation pneumonitis. Only the extent of radiation pneumonitis and serum albumin level were independently associated with survival in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate of non-small-cell lung cancer patients with severe radiation pneumonitis is extremely high, and survival is much shorter in patients with out-of-field radiation pneumonitis or a low serum albumin level at the onset. Additional studies to investigate the factors precipitating out-of-field radiation pneumonitis should improve the management of irradiation complications.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Aberrant p53 expression correlates with expression of vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA and interleukin-8 mRNA and neoangiogenesis in non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate interactions between expressions of tumor suppressor gene p53 and angiogenic factors vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) and their effect on tumor angiogenesis and patient prognosis in non--small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: p53, VEGF, IL-8, and the microvessel endothelium were immunostained, and VEGF and IL-8 mRNA expression were quantified using the real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in 65 NSCLC surgical specimens. Aberrant p53 expression was correlated with VEGF and IL-8 mRNA expression, microvessel count (MVC), other clinical-pathologic variables, and patients' survival. RESULTS: Tumors with high aberrant p53 expression showed significantly higher VEGF and IL-8 mRNA expression and MVC than those with low aberrant p53 expression (P <.001). When tested as a continuous variable, aberrant p53 expression correlated strongly and positively with VEGF and IL-8 mRNA expression and MVC (P <.0001). Tumors with high aberrant p53 expression were associated with mediastinal or distant lymph node metastasis (P =.006). Survival and postoperative relapse time were significantly shorter in patients with high aberrant p53 expression tumors than in those with low aberrant expression tumors (P <.0001). A significant difference in survival was also seen between patients with high and low tumoral VEGF mRNA expression and between those with high and low tumoral IL-8 mRNA expression (P <.0001). CONCLUSION: We report here for the first time that aberrant p53 expression is strongly positively correlated with VEGF mRNA and IL-8 mRNA expression in NSCLC. This result indicates that aberrant p53 expression may play a significant role in regulation of VEGF and IL-8 expression and be involved in controlling angiogenesis and explains the adverse prognosis of cancers with high aberrant p53 expression.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Up-regulated caveolin-1 accentuates the metastasis capability of lung adenocarcinoma by inducing filopodia formation.

Caveolin-1, a 21- to 24-kd integral membrane protein, is primarily implicated as a tumor suppressor gene. Transformed cells normally contain reduced or no caveolin-1. Re-expression of caveolin-1 is found in advanced human and mouse prostate adenocarcinomas. To explore its potential role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression of human lung cancers, we used the well-characterized cell line (CL) series of lung adenocarcinoma cells with increasing cellular invasiveness to show that expression of caveolin-1 mRNA and protein was up-regulated with enhanced invasion/metastatic capability of CL cells. Reintroducing the caveolin-1 gene into the less invasive, caveolin-1-negative CL cells enhanced their invasive capability at least by twofold, as revealed by an in vitro chamber invasion assay. Thus, a correlation exists for both constitutive and induced expression of caveolin-1 in CL cells. Immunohistochemical examination of caveolin-1 was performed in 95 specimens obtained retrospectively from patients who had lung adenocarcinoma either with (35 patients) or without (60 patients) ipsilateral hilar/peribronchial tumor-metastasized lymph nodes. Caveolin-1 immunoreactivity was either totally absent or just barely detectable in a few lung adenocarcinoma cells from cases diagnosed as lung adenocarcinoma without regional lymph node metastasis. In contrast, increased caveolin-1 immunoreactivity both in number and intensity was detected in primary lung adenocarcinoma cells as well as in cancer cells that metastasized to regional lymph nodes from the cases diagnosed as advanced lung adenocarcinoma with nodal metastases. Multivariate analysis considering caveolin-1 immunoreactivity in addition to the established prognostic parameters such as pT stage, pN in these patients confirmed that caveolin-1 is an independent functional predictor of poor survival. We further revealed that up-regulated caveolin-1 in CL cells is necessary for mediating filopodia formation, which may enhance the invasive ability of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2002

Increased prevalence of erythromycin resistance in streptococci: substantial upsurge in erythromycin-resistant M phenotype in Streptococcus pyogenes (1979-1998) but not in Streptococcus pneumoniae (1985-1999) in Taiwan.

A total of 394 nonduplicate isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes collected from 1979 to 1998 and 267 nonduplicate isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae collected from October, 1998, to May, 1999, in Taiwan were evaluated. Among the 220 erythromycin-resistant (MIC, > or =1 microg/ml) S. pyogenes isolates, 35% had an M phenotype and 65% had an ML phenotype (inducible resistance [iML], 0.5%, and constitutive resistance [cML], 64.5%). Among the 243 erythromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae isolates, the majority (65.4%) had an ML phenotype (iML, 0.4%, and cML, 65%) and 34.6% had an M phenotype. A substantial upsurge in the incidence of M-phenotype erythromycin-resistant isolates was found with time for S. pyogenes (0% in 1979-1984 and 100% in 1997-1998), and an increasing incidence of M-phenotype among erythromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae was also noted (<20% before 1994 and 45.4% in 1999). All S. pyogenes and all but four S. pneumoniae isolates exhibiting a cML or iML phenotype had harbored the ermAM gene. The presence of the mefA gene was demonstrated in all isolates of S. pyogenes and the mefE gene in all but four S. pneumoniae isolates exhibiting the M phenotype. Due to the increasing susceptibility of S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae isolates to clindamycin, susceptibility tests of these two organisms to macrolides and clindamycin should be performed simultaneously in the clinical microbiology laboratory, particularly in areas with high rates of macrolide resistance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Emergence of nosocomial candidemia at a teaching hospital in Taiwan from 1981 to 2000: increased susceptibility of Candida species to fluconazole.

The incidence of nosocomial Candida fungemia increased 36-fold from 1981 (0.8/10,000 discharges) to 2000 (28.8/10,000 discharges) at the National Taiwan University Hospital, a 2000-bed teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. To understand the current status of resistance to available antifungal agents among Candida species causing invasive infections, the in vitro susceptibilities of 222 isolates (collected from July, 1999-June, 2001) were determined. Among all of the Candida species tested, 6% and 7% were resistant to fluconazole and itraconazole, respectively. The MIC90 values of voriconazole and amphotericin B were 0.5 and 1 microg/ml, respectively, although some isolates of C. krusei (amphotericin B and voriconazole MIC, >64 microg/ml) and C. tropicalis and C. glabrata (voriconazole MICs, >64 microg/ml) were less susceptible to voriconazole or amphotericin B. About one-half of the C. glabrata isolates belonged to susceptible dose-dependent (SDD, 36%) or resistant (12%) categories for fluconazole and 96% belonged to SDD (56%) or resistant (40%) category for itraconazole. When compared with fluconazole susceptibility data of blood Candida isolates recovered from patients treated at the same hospital (NTUH) from two different time periods (January, 1994, to June, 1995, and January, 1997, to June, 1999 described in previous reports), the incidence of increased susceptibility of non-krusei Candida isolates to fluconazole was evident. This trend of increasing susceptibility for fluconazole did not correlate to the increasing use of this agent in the hospital. None of the random amplified polymorphic DNA patterns generated by arbitrarily primed PCR using four random oligonucleotide primers for 14 isolates, which exhibited fluconazole MICs of > or = 16 microg/ml, were identical, indicating an absence of clonal dissemination among these isolates in the hospital.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed2002

Global analysis of differentially expressed genes in early gestational decidua and chorionic villi using a 9600 human cDNA microarray.

The global gene expression profiles of the decidua and chorionic villi of early human pregnancies were analysed by using cDNA microarray technology. Decidual and villous placental tissues were obtained from first trimester abortus and mRNA was extracted for cDNA microarray analysis. The human cDNA microarray [9600 clones, including known regulatory genes and expressed sequence tags (EST)] with colorimetric detection was used to identify differentially expressed genes between early gestational decidua and villi. According to cDNA microarray analysis, we have identified 641 genes with highly expressed mRNA in both decidua and villi, 49 genes with higher expressions in decidua, and 75 genes with higher expression in chorionic villi. These differentially expressed genes were further grouped into categories by their putative functions, including: cell growth-related factors, hormones/cytokines, cell adhesion molecules, signal transduction molecules, apoptosis-related factors, cytoskeleton/extracellular matrix proteins, and EST. Immunohistochemical stainings of cathepsin L, leukaemia inhibitory factor-receptor, and proliferative cell nuclear antigen showed results consistent with the microarray data. Identification of the differentially expressed genes between decidua and villi by microarray provide a global profiling of the gene expression pattern. This work adds to our understanding of placentation by reporting the gene expression profiles during first trimester human pregnancies using cDNA microarray.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Fas/Fas ligand pathway is involved in the resolution of type II pneumocyte hyperplasia after acute lung injury: evidence from a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: We used a rat model of acute lung injury to evaluate the role of apoptosis of type II pneumocytes in alveolar remodeling during the resolution phase. DESIGN: Controlled animal study. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Sprague-Dawley rats. INTERVENTIONS: Sprague-Dawley rats had Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide instilled transtracheally to induce acute lung injury. Animals were killed on various days after lipopolysaccharide instillation. Lung specimens from all animals were examined for the presence of apoptosis in type II pneumocytes by an in situ apoptosis assay and for proliferative nuclear antigen, cytokeratin-18, Fas, and Fas ligand with an immunohistochemical stain. Fas and Fas ligand expression in both lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was examined by Western blot analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Histologic examination revealed that the lungs of rats with acute lung injury showed infiltration of numerous inflammatory cells in the intra-alveolar and/or interstitial space and hyperplasia of type II pneumocytes. Type II pneumocyte proliferation, detected by proliferative nuclear antigen staining, developed maximally around day 3 after acute lung injury. In the in situ apoptosis assay, positive signals in type II pneumocytes were obvious and were distributed diffusely in the lung parenchyma from day 1 after acute lung injury, became maximal around day 7, then declined until day 21. DNA fragmentation analysis revealed that a DNA ladder pattern was detectable from day 3, persisted until day 10, and disappeared after day 14. The major cell types expressing Fas ligand are macrophages and neutrophils. Western blot analysis showed that Fas ligand, both membrane-bound form and soluble form, was present from day 1 to day 21 after acute lung injury, with highest level occurring during the first week of acute lung injury. Fas expression in type II pneumocytes reached its maximum on days 3-5 and then gradually declined until day 21. Fas and Fas ligand expression appeared to proceed type II pneumocyte apoptosis. After the acute stage, Fas and Fas ligand expression declined, and type II pneumocyte apoptosis also decreased. These findings correlate with histologic resolution of type II pneumocyte hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that type II pneumocyte proliferation in response to acute lung injury is mainly a reparative phenomenon. During the resolution phase of acute lung injury, extensive apoptosis of type II pneumocytes is the main cellular mechanism that accounts for the disappearance of these cells, and Fas/Fas ligand is involved in the resolution of type II pneumocytes. Our model may provide a useful tool to assess the mechanisms of tissue remodeling after acute lung injury.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Management of tension pneumatocele with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.

We report the successful application of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in a patient with tension pneumatocele (TP). The proposed check-valve mechanism for the development of pneumatoceles predicts that positive-pressure ventilation could lead to distension of these airspaces and formation of TPs. Therefore, high-frequency ventilation could be more applicable in conditions, such as massive air leak due to bronchopleural fistula, that are difficult to manage by conventional ventilator modes.

Bronchial Fistula↗
PubMed2002

Pneumothorax in the ICU: patient outcomes and prognostic factors.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify the prognostic factors for pneumothorax in patients in the ICU. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: ICU at a university-based teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients developed pneumothoraces in the ICU during a period of 36 months. Medical records relating to patients' age, sex, underlying diseases, associated medical conditions, reasons for admission, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores, procedures performed before the development of pneumothorax, occurrences of tension pneumothorax, duration of chest tube placement, chest tube removal, duration of ICU stay, and patient outcomes all were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied with variables that were significantly associated with survival in the univariate analysis. The probabilities of chest tube removal were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (58%) had procedure-related pneumothoraces. The procedure that most commonly caused pneumothoraces was thoracentesis (n = 19; 54%), followed by central vein/pulmonary artery catheterization (n = 14; 40%) and bronchoscopy/transbronchial lung biopsy (n = 8; 23%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that pneumothorax due to barotrauma (p = 0.001), tension pneumothorax (p = 0.0023), and concurrent septic shock (p = 0.0476) were significantly and independently associated with death. The log-rank test revealed that the success rate of chest tube removal was higher in patients with procedure-related pneumothoraces (p = 0.0055). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with procedure-related pneumothoraces had better outcomes. Patients with pneumothoraces occurring in the ICU due to barotrauma, or a complicating tension pneumothoraces, carry a higher risk of mortality.

APACHE↗
PubMed2002

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: treatment by bronchofiberscopic lobar lavage.

The current mainstay of treatment for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is whole-lung lavage. Therapy with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is a possibility, although its long-term safety has not been determined. An alternative procedure is selected lobar lavage by fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB). We report here our experiences with lobar lavage by FOB in treating three patients with PAP. PAP was diagnosed in three patients (two men, one woman) who had dyspnea and hypoxemia after undergoing open-lung biopsy. The patients underwent lobar lavage by FOB under local anesthesia. The bronchoscope was wedged into a lobar bronchus. Approximately 2,000 mL warm normal saline solution was instilled via syringe in 50-mL aliquots through a fiberoptic bronchoscope. After undergoing multiple lobar lavages, two patients showed clinical, physiologic, and radiologic improvement. The third patient, who had more advanced disease, showed improvement only in oxygenation. The major complications were severe cough and hypoxemia during lavage. Our experience suggests that bronchoscopic lobar lavage is simple and safe, and may find application in patients in whom a whole-lung lavage with generalized anesthesia may be hazardous, and in patients with less advanced disease whose proteinaceous substances can be removed with a small volume of lavage fluid.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Mature mediastinal teratoma: sonographic imaging patterns and pathologic correlation.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the sonographic patterns of teratomas located within the mediastinum and to correlate them with pathologic findings, because there have been few reports concerning the application of sonography in the diagnosis of mediastinal teratoma. METHODS: Over a 9-year period, we carried out an image analysis of the sonographic findings of 28 mediastinal teratomas whose diagnoses were proved surgically. RESULTS: Sonography showed that 18 patients had a complex mass of heterogeneous echogenicity, including regional bright echoes (n = 12), acoustic shadows (n = 8), hyperechoic lines and dots (n = 7), soft tissue septa (n = 9), dermoid plugs (n = 6), and hypoechoic areas (n = 11). This type of mediastinal teratoma revealed, in pathologic findings, varying combinations of fat, sebaceous and mucinous materials, hair, mineralized elements, and multiple compartments. Eight patients had a homogeneous hyperechoic mass, and the 2 remaining patients had floating spherules within a cystic mass. Pathologically, the homogeneous mass mainly contained hair and sebaceous material. The floating spherules were also composed of sebaceous tissue and were above the fluid of the cyst. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the evaluation of the sonographic and pathologic findings, we described 3 major patterns of mediastinal teratoma: a complex mass of heterogeneous echogenicity, homogeneous high echogenicity within a solid mass, and floating spherules within a cystic mass. Thus, sonography can improve the diagnosis of mediastinal teratoma. However, additional prospective studies are needed to test the sensitivity and specificity of these sonographic patterns in the diagnosis of mediastinal teratoma.

Adult↗