Solid Pseudopapillary Tumor of the Pancreas with Hepatic Metastasis: Spontaneous Regression Over 10-Year Follow-Up Period

A solid-pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is known as a low grade malignant tumor with a good prognosis; therefore, surgical intervention is necessary. A 14-year-old boy presented with a large pancreatic SPT and three hepatic metastases. The patient and his family refused surgery. Two serial follow-up CT scans over a period of 13 years demonstrated almost complete disappearance of the pancreatic tumor and three hepatic metastases without relevant treatment. Although there have been a few reports of spontaneous healing of SPT, there has been no report regarding spontaneous disappearance of SPT and distant metastasis. Herein, we report on the spontaneous regression of a large SPT and the disappearance of three hepatic metastases.     

Diffuse Ependymal Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumor Causing Spinal Drop Metastases: A Case Report

Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNETs) arise mostly in the supratentorial cerebral cortex. A very rare case of intraventricular DNET with diffuse ependymal involvement, which causes spinal drop metastasis, is presented.     

Overview of the Burden of Diseases in North Korea

This article evaluates the overall current disease burden of North Korea through the recent databases of international organizations. It is notable that North Korea as a nation is exhibiting a relatively low burden from deaths and that there is greater burden from deaths caused by non-communicable diseases than from those caused by communicable diseases and malnutrition. However, the absolute magnitude of problems from communicable diseases like TB and from child malnutrition, which will increase the disease burden in the future, remains great. North Korea, which needs to handle both communicable and nutritional conditions, and non-communicable diseases, whose burden is ever more increasing in the nation, can now be understood as a country with the ''double-burden'' of disease.