Solitary thyroid metastasis from colorectal cancer: Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Thyroid metastasis of colorectal cancer is rare and the patient with thyroid metastasis has no symptoms early in the disease course. On the other hand, evaluation of thyroid is not generally included in the routine follow-up of colorectal cancer. Therefore, the diagnosis of thyroid metastasis of colorectal cancer may be delayed. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Chest computed tomography revealed a nodule on the right lobe of the thyroid in 53-year-old woman diagnosed with sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma. This nodule was identified having as increased metabolic activity by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography and confirmed to be consisted of cystic and solid portions by ultrasonography. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the nodule revealed metastasis of colon cancer. The patient underwent laparoscopic anterior resection and a total thyroidectomy. The size of the thyroid tumor was 1.2 cm with free resection margin. DISCUSSION: The clinical features of thyroid metastasis from colorectal cancer are not typical. In addition, follow-up examinations of patients with colorectal cancer do not include imaging studies of the neck, so the diagnosis of thyroid metastases is delayed. The management strategies for thyroid metastasis from colorectal cancer include a total thyroidectomy without prophylactic neck lymph node dissection and chemotherapy. However, as the penetration of chemotherapeutic drugs into the thyroid is difficult, the effect on the thyroid is considered insignificant. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment should be considered for treatment of thyroid metastasis.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in the breast: Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) represents about 1% of soft tissue sarcomas with an estimated incidence of 0.8-5.0 cases per million per year. The involvement of DFSP in breast is very rare and very few cases have been reported in the literature. DFSP was recurred in situ, not spread to distant site. The complete surgical excision with wide, pathologically negative margins of 3 cms is the optimal treatment for primary or recurrent tumor. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 46-year-old woman presented with palpable lump in the in the right breast. On ultrasonography, a lesion appeared as hypoechoic, circumscribed mass of approximately 37 mm × 30 mm in diameter in the upper central part of the right breast. The mass of right breast was demonstrated DFPS by pathologic examination. Chest computerized tomography (CT) scan and 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET) showed only primary lesion in subcutaneous layer and no enlarged lymph node. The patient underwent excision of the tumor widely. There was no evidence of DFSP local recurrence after five years of follow-up of the patient. DISCUSSION: DFSP is a rare tumor arising from dermis and subcutaneous mesenchymal tissue. Whereas, characteristic imaging feature of DFSP in the breast are not well-defined. The primary treatment for DFSP is considered to be surgical excision. CONCLUSION: DFSP in breast is extremely uncommon and can mimic a primary breast tumor. Surgical excision with adequate resection margins is recommended to ensure local control of the disease.

Horseshoe appendix identified during laparoscopic appendectomy: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: The horseshoe anomaly of the vermiform appendix is extremely rare. Preoperative confirmation of this anomaly is difficult; therefore, routine procedures, such as appendectomy, may become unexpectedly challenging when such anomalies are encountered during the surgical process. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 33-year-old man presented with abdominal pain in the right lower abdomen owing to acute appendicitis confirmed via computed tomography. Immediate laparoscopic appendectomy was decided as the method for treatment. DIAGNOSIS: Horseshoe anomaly was diagnosed as a gross finding during surgery. INTERVENTION: First, the appendiceal base was resected and appendectomy was performed via the retrograde method because the appendiceal tip was curled behind the cecum. However, it was discovered that the appendiceal tip was connected to the lateral part of the ascending colon and showed a horseshoe-shaped anomaly. The second appendiceal base arising from the ascending colon was also ligated, and the appendectomy was completed without any further complications. OUTCOMES: After successful completion of appendectomy, the patient was discharged without any complications 2 days later. LESSONS: An appendiceal anomaly is rarely seen during appendectomy or other forms of abdominal surgery; however, the ability of surgeons to both recognize and categorize an appendiceal anomaly is crucial if detected during surgery. After successfully recognizing the horseshoe anomaly of the appendix, it is important to know that 2 appendiceal base ligations will be required to complete the surgery successfully.

Solitary colonic metastasis from primary lung adenocarcinoma first presenting as intestinal obstruction: A case report.

RATIONALE: The brain, liver, adrenal glands, and bone are the most common sites of metastatic disease in patients with lung cancer. Symptomatic gastrointestinal metastases are rare. In the present report, we describe a rare case of a patient with intestinal obstruction due to solitary colonic metastasis from primary lung adenocarcinoma, wherein the intestinal obstruction was the first symptom of lung cancer. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 74-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room with abdominal pain and vomiting, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) indicated obstruction of the ascending colon due to a huge mass. DIAGNOSIS: The ascending colon cancer was found to be a metastatic adenocarcinoma based on the results of the pathology report. Chest CT and positron emission tomography-CT were performed to identify the cancer origin site. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining of the tissue specimen for thyroid transcription factor 1, cytokeratin 7 (CK7), and CK20 and CT-guided gun biopsy of the lung mass confirmed the presence of an adenocarcinoma that originated from the lung. INTERVENTION: Right hemicolectomy was performed as the primary treatment. OUTCOMES: The patient recovered without any problems due to the surgery itself. However, malignant pleural effusion deteriorated, and no additional palliative chemotherapy was performed. LESSONS: Patients with malignant bowel obstruction along with lung infiltration should be suspected of not only colon cancer with lung metastasis, but also lung cancer with colon metastasis.

Interface studies of N2 plasma-treated ZnSnO nanowire transistors using low-frequency noise measurements.

Due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanowires, the quality of nanowire-insulator interfaces as well as the nanowire surface characteristics significantly influence the electrical characteristics of nanowire transistors (NWTs). To improve the electrical characteristics by doping or post-processing, it is important to evaluate the interface characteristics and stability of NWTs. In this study, we have synthesized ZnSnO (ZTO) nanowires using the chemical vapor deposition method, characterized the composition of ZTO nanowires using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and fabricated ZTO NWTs. We have characterized the current-voltage characteristics and low-frequency noise of ZTO NWTs in order to investigate the effects of interface states on subthreshold slope (SS) and the noise before and after N2 plasma treatments. The as-fabricated device exhibited a SS of 0.29 V/dec and Hooge parameter of ~1.20 × 10(-2). Upon N2 plasma treatment with N2 gas flow rate of 40 sccm (20 sccm), the SS improved to 0.12 V/dec (0.21 V/dec) and the Hooge parameter decreased to ~4.99 × 10(-3) (8.14 × 10(-3)). The interface trap densities inferred from both SS and low-frequency noise decrease upon plasma treatment, with the highest flow rate yielding the smallest trap density. These results demonstrate that the N2 plasma treatment decreases the interface trap states and defects on ZTO nanowires, thereby enabling the fabrication of high-quality nanowire interfaces.

Photostable Zn2SnO4 nanowire transistors for transparent displays.

Although oxide nanowires offer advantages for next-generation transparent display applications, they are also one of the most challenging materials for this purpose. Exposure of semiconducting channel areas of oxide nanowire transistors produces an undesirable increase in the photocurrent, which may result in unstable device operation. In this study, we have developed a Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowire transistor that operates stably regardless of changes in the external illumination. In particular, after exposure to a light source of 2100 lx, the threshold voltage (V(th)) showed a negative shift of less than 0.4 V, and the subthreshold slope (SS) changed by ∼0.1 V/dec. ZnO or SnO(2) nanowire transistors, in contrast, showed 1.5-2.0 V negative shift in V(th) and an SS change of ∼0.3 V/dec under the same conditions. Furthermore, the Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowire transistors returned to their initial state immediately after the light source was turned off, unlike those using the other two nanowires. Thus, Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowires achieve photostability without the application of a black material or additional processing, minimizing the photocurrent effect for display devices.

Direct growth of oxide nanowires on CuOx thin film.

Oxide nanowires were directly grown on a CuO(x) thin film deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition without additional metal catalysts. Oxide nanowires would exhibit metal-catalyst-free growth on the CuO(x) thin film with oxide materials diffused on the top. Through a focused ion beam and transmission electron microscopy, we could verify that SnO(2) and ZnO nanowires were grown as single-crystalline structures just above the CuO(x) thin film. Bottom-gate structural SnO(2) and ZnO nanowire transistors exhibited mobilities of 135.2 and 237.6 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively. We anticipate that a variety of large-area and high-density oxide nanowires can be grown at low cost by using the CuO(x) thin film.