A Case of Lemierre's Syndrome in Young Patient with Acute Peritonsillar Abscess

Lemierre's syndrome is very rare and is characterized by previous oropharyngeal infections, such as pharyngitis or peritonsillar abscess, leading to high fever, internal jugular venous thrombosis, and metastatic infections to multiple internal organs. Prompt and accurate diagnosis followed by early treatment with antibiotics is very important because its mortality is high if treatment is delayed. We report on the case of a 23-year-old female who was transferred to our hospital with a left peritonsillar abscess combined with left jugular venous thrombosis, complaining of a sore throat and left submandibular swelling, and diagnosed as Lemierre's syndrome. Finally, she was treated successfully without anticoagulants.

Utilization of Three-dimensional Reconstruction Computed Tomography as a Diagnostic Tool for Adult Unilateral Primary Cervical Spondylolysis: Report of Two Cases

Primary spontaneous cervical spondylolysis is a rare anomaly, and is often diagnosed as a traumatic lesion such as a fracture or a locked facet; alternatively, it may be overlooked. A literature review revealed one report that addresses the usefulness of three-dimensional reconstruction computed tomography (CT) imaging in the diagnosis of cervical spondylolysis. We have experienced two cases of subaxial cervical spondylolysis. One patient was transferred to our institute due to trauma, and the other patient was referred from a local hospital without trauma history. In this second patient symptoms occurred spontaneously and showed insidious progression. Both cases typically involved the right side of the C6 vertebra. The author utilized three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction computed tomography (CT) for diagnosis and evaluation. Among those issued in Korea, this is the first report of primary subaxial cervical spondylolysis evaluated using 3-D CT.

A Case of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction and Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia after Mitral Valve Repair

Many cases have been reported hemolytic anemia and left ventricular outflow obstruction with systolic anterior motion developing after bioprosthetic valve replacement. We report a case of hemolytic anemia and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction occured after mitral valve repair using Duran ring and were resolved by preservative therapy.

The Clinical Feature of Regional Wall Motion Abnormality on Apex of the Left Ventricle with Normal Coronary Angiogram

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stress induced cardiomyopathy has been reported as reversible left ventricular dysfunction with electrocardiographic changes. Although the exact mechanism of this dysfunction has not been clarified, catecholamine "surge" is suspected as a potential cause of this disease. It has not been undergone the studies about the effect of chronic or recurrent psychological stress on the myocardium. We suspect that reversible ischemic change of myocardium could be induced by chronic or recurrent emotional stress. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The clinical, echocardiographic and angiographic data of 189 patients (72 women) who presented with ischemic symptoms and eletrocardiographic changes were participated. BAI (Beck anxiety inventory) and BDI (Beck Depression inventory) were obtained and analyzed for evaluation of degree of psychological stress. RESULTS: 54 patients who had left ventricular apical wall motion abnormalities without significant angiographical stenosis in the coronary artery were younger than the others with left ventricular wall motion abnormalities and angiographic stenosis. And they increased the BAI and BDI as tools of evaluation of psychological stress (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Data of this study suggested that psychological stress can be associated with myocardial dysfunction. It can be postulated that psychological stress should be considered as one of the cause of non-coronary myocardial injury.

Giant Benign Schwannoma Involving Sacral Bone

Sacral schwannoma is a rare lesion with a tendency to reach large proportions. The benign schwannoma rarely involves the vertebral bodies extensively. The authors report a case of giant intrasacral schwannoma in 30-year-old woman who had intermittent lower back pain during 3 years period. CT and MRI showed a destructive mass lesion within the upper part of sacrum with a large mass extending into the presacral space. The patient underwent combined surgery consisted of anterior transabdominal approach and posterior sacral laminectomy and total removal of tumor. The characteristics of the lesion were discussed with a review of literatures.