PURPOSE: In contrast to childhood intussusception, adult intussusception is a rare disease and usually has a specific etiology. Malignancy is the leading cause, and gastrointestinal lipoma has been infrequently reported as a cause of adult intussusception. However, GI lipoma can be easily diagnosed by current radiologic studies and can be managed less aggressively than intussusception with a malignant etiology. METHODS: 5 adult (above 16 years old) patients have been identified to be operated on from January 1990 to June 1999 in Korea University Hospital due to intussusception caused by gastrointestinal lipoma. Their preoperative radiologic findings, operative methods and clinical results were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 3 male and 2 female patients, and the mean age was 49. Simple abdominal X-rays were taken in all 5 patients, and mechanical obstructive patterns were present in 4 cases. Abdominal CT or ultrasonography was performed in 4 patients preoperatively and demonstrated a lipoma in 3 cases (75%). In one patient, who showed toxic signs caused by mechanical intestinal obstruction, emergency exploration was undertaken without further preoperative radiologic study. The lipoma was located at the jejunum in 1 case, at the ileum in 2 cases and at the cecum in 2 cases. Resection of the involved segment of the bowel after reduction of intussusception was done in 3 cases and resection of involved bowel without reduction was done in the remaining 2 cases. Consequently, segmental resection of the small bowel was performed in 2 cases and a right colectomy in 3 cases. There was no postoperative morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSION: Adult intussusception caused by a gastrointestinal lipoma can be easily diagnosed by using CT or ultrasonography. It can be safely managed through reduction and resection of the lesion unless there is strangulation.
Adult* ; Cecum ; Colectomy ; Diagnosis* ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intussusception* ; Jejunum ; Korea ; Lipoma* ; Male ; Mortality ; Rare Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

Surgeons are often faced with the problem of bowel obstruction in a patient who has previously undergone operation for malignant disease. Mechanical obstruction secondary to recurrent carcinoma is associated with poor survival. Surgical attempts to relieve malignant obstruction have significant morbidity and mortality rates and limited success in resolving symptoms. Then there is a temptation to assume that the obstruction is due to advanced malignancy and that death is inevitable. But a benign, correctable cause of obstruction will be found in about 25% of these patients. For this study, we had selected 63 cases of small bowel obstruction in patients with a previous operation for cancer which were admitted at Korea University Hospital between 1990 to 1995. The 43 men and 20 women had a mean age of 55.5 years. Forty one cases(65%) had obstruction due to recurrent carcinoma. The location of primary malignancies were as follows: 47 of the patients(74.6%) had adenocarcinoma of the stomach, 16 patients(25.4%) had adenocarcinoma of the colorectum. The median interval from the original operation for the malignancies until the development of bowel obstruction was 17.5 months. In our study, the small bowel obstruction due to recurrent carcinoma was frequently predicted when ascites and pleural effusion were present. We concluded that patients with no known recurrence or a short interval to the development of mechanical obstruction should be aggressively treated with surgery and for patients with known abdominal recurrence in whom nonoperative therapy fail, the surgical palliation are inevitable.
Adenocarcinoma ; Ascites ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Pleural Effusion ; Recurrence ; Stomach

INTRODUCTION: Ulna is nearly equal to radius in function and bony architecture and strength in forearm. But in lower extremity, fibula is 1/5 of tibia in anatomic and functional point so we can find fibula transposition is commonly used in defect of tibia. We cannot find other article about segmental forearm bone transposition in man. The purpose of this study was to report our clinical and functional result of undergoing segmented transposition of ipsilateral ulna with its own vascular supply in defect of radius in 6 cases. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From June 1994 to October 2007, 7 segmented bone transpositional grafts in forearm were performed in Kyung Hee Medical Center. The distribution of age was from 20 years old to 73 years old. There was male in 6 cases and female in 1 case. The causes of operation were giant cell tumor in 1 case and traumatic origin in 6 cases; it was nonunion in 2 cases and fracture with severe comminution in 4 cases. Ipsilaterally segmented ulna keeping its own vascular supply was transported to defect of radius in severe traumatic patients and one patient whose tumor in radius had been excised. Transported ulna was fixed to proximal and distal radius remnants by plate and screw. In one case with giant cell tumor, transported ulna was connected to radius across wrist joint as wrist joint fusion. Joint preserving procedures were performed in 6 cases with crushing injury of radius. RESULTS: We could obtain solid bony union in all cases and good functional results. The disadvantage was relative shortening of forearm, but we could overcome this problem. CONCLUSION: We think that ipsilateral segmented ulna transposition keeping its own vascular supply to radius can be perfomed with one of procedures in cases with wide defect in radius.
Aged ; Female ; Fibula ; Forearm* ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Humans ; Joints ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Radius* ; Tibia ; Transplants ; Ulna ; Wrist Joint ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of CT in patients with vocal cord paralysis due to extralaryngeal cause s ,andto use CT for the assessment of extralaryngeal diseases causing vocal cord paralysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weprospectively studied the results of CT in 41 patients with vocal cord paralysis in whom laryngoscopy revealed nolaryngeal cause and physical examination demonstrated no definite extralaryngeal cause. The extralaryngeal causeof vocal cord palsy was determined after comprehensive clinical diagnosis. Enhanced CT scans were acquired fromthe skull base and continued to the level of the aorticopulmonary window. We used CT to assess the detection ratefor extralaryngeal causes and to extimate the extent of extralaryngeal disease and the distribution of lesions. RESULTS: CT revealed that in 20 of 41 patients(49%) the extralarygeal causes of vocal paralysis were as follows :thyroid cancer(n=10), nodal disease(n=6), esophageal cancer(n=2), neurogenic tumor(n=1), aortic aneurysm(n=1).Lesions were located on the left side in 13 patients(65%), and in the tracheoesophageal groove in 15(75%). CONCLUSION: In patients with vocal cord paralysis in whom no definite lesion is seen on physical examination, CT could be a useful primary imaging method for the assessment of extralaryngeal causes.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy ; Paralysis ; Physical Examination ; Skull Base ; Thyroid Gland ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords*

Desmoid tumor is a rare benign tumor derived from fibrous sheath or musculoaponeurotic structure. The tumor is benign histologically but considered as malignant clinically because it has high propensity on infiltrative growth with local invasion and tendency to recurrence after local excision. Especially, when this tumor happens to be in the intra-abdomen, the prognosis is worse because it can cause intestinal obstruction, ureter obstruction and, fistula formation. It also can invade major vessels in abdomen. This tumor occurs more frequently in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), in post-partume women, and at old surgical incision site. However, in this case, the patient had neither previous surgery nor a FAP history. We report a rare case of the young male patient who presented with an acute abdomen and underwent laparotomy and was found to have an intra-abdominal desmoid tumor with abscess formation.
Abdominal Abscess/diagnosis ; Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibromatosis, Abdominal/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Peritoneal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), is the dominant human liver hemoprotein enzyme localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and is responsible for the metabolism of more than 50% of clinically relevant drugs. While we were studying CYP3A4 expression and activity in human liver, we found that anti-CYP3A4 antibody cross-reacted with a lower band in liver cytoplasmic fraction. We assessed the activities of CYP3A4 and its truncated form in the microsomal and cytoplasmic fraction, respectively. In the cytoplasmic fraction, truncated CYP3A4 showed catalytic activity when reconstituted with NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and cytochrome b5. In order to determine which site was deleted in the truncated form in vitro, we transfected cells with N-terminal tagged or C-terminal tagged human CYP3A4 cDNA. The truncated CYP3A4 is the N-terminal deleted form and was present in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. Our result shows, for the first time, that N-terminal truncated, catalytically active CYP3A4 is present principally in the cytoplasm of human liver cells.
Blotting, Western ; Catalysis ; Cell Line ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A/chemistry/*metabolism ; Cytoplasm/*enzymology ; Humans ; Microsomes, Liver/*enzymology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: When combined with pegylated interferon alpha-2b (Peg-IFN alpha-2b) for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Korea, the current guideline for the initial ribavirin (RBV) dose is based on body weight. However, since the mean body weight is lower for Korean patients than for patients in Western countries, current guidelines might result in Korean patients being overdosed with RBV. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with genotype 1 CHC who were treated with Peg-IFN alpha-2b and RBV combination therapy. We divided the patients into groups A (> or =15 mg/kg/day, n=23) and B (<15 mg/kg/day, n=26), given that the standard dose is 15 mg/kg/day. The clinical course in terms of the virologic response, adverse events, and dose modification rate was compared between the two groups after therapy completion. RESULTS: The early response rates (92.0% vs. 83.3%, P=0.634) and sustained virologic response rates (82.6% vs. 73.1%, P=0.506) did not differ significantly between the two groups. During the treatment period, the RBV dose reduction rate was significantly higher in group A than in group B (60.9% vs. 23.1%, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: RBV dose reduction is performed frequently when patients are treated according to the current Korean guidelines. Given that lowering the RBV dose did not appear to decrease the virologic response during therapy, reducing RBV doses below the current Korean guideline may be effective for treatment, especially in low-weight patients.
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus/drug effects ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/*drug therapy/virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Polyethylene Glycols/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; RNA, Viral/analysis ; Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Sex Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Esophageal leiomyoma is relatively rare disease, but can appears with a high uptake of fluorodeoxuglucose (FDG), a false-positive finding on a FDG PET/CT scan. A 64- year-old woman after a total thyroidectomy due to papillary and follicular carcinoma showed a high uptake of FDG in the distal esophagus on a subsequent FDG PET/ CT scan. The presence of an esophageal leiomyoma was suspicious from preoperative findings of endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography, and an esophagectomy and proximal gastrectomy were performed, as the presence of a malignant lesion could not be excluded. As high uptake of FDG in the lesion on an FDG PET/CT scan corresponds to an esophageal cancer, an esophagectomy and proximal gastrectomy were performed and the lesion was confirmed as an esophageal leiomyoma after surgical biopsies. We report this case with a review of the relevant literature.
Biopsy ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagectomy ; Esophagus ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Rare Diseases ; Thyroidectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: p53 is known to play a central role in sensing and signaling for the growth arrest and apoptosis in cells with DNA damage. Mutation of p53 is a frequent event in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). p16 protein binds to cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibiting the ability of CDK4 to interact with cyclin D1, and stimulates the passage through the G1 phase of cell cycle. We observed the expression patterns and frequencies of p53, p16, and cyclin D1 in esophageal dysplasia and in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. METHODS: In 15 patients of ESCC, 5 patients of esophageal dysplasia and 5 volunteers with normal esophagus, tissue specimens were taken from esophageal lesions during the operation or endoscopic examination. We used specific monoclonal antibodies for p53 protein, p16INK4 protein and cyclin D1. Immunoreactivity was scored. RESULTS: Mean age of all groups was 66 years old (range 47-93) and men to women ratio was 19:1. p53 mutation was observed in 87% (13/15) of ESCC, in 80% (4/5) of esophageal dysplasia, in 0% (0/5) of normal mucosa (p=0.001). p16 expression was seen in 40% (2/5) of esophageal dysplasia, 27% (4/15) of ESCC and 100% (5/5) of normal mucosa (p=0.016). Cyclin D1 expression was not significantly different among 20% (1/5) of esophageal dysplasia, 53% (8/15) of ESCC and 20% (1/5) of normal mucosa. Either the expression of p53 mutation or the loss of p16 occurred in 80% (4/5) of esophageal dysplasia and in 93% (14/15) of ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of p53 mutation and the loss of p16 might play a central role in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and contribute to the development of precancerous lesion such as dysplasia. In addition, there is a possibility that the mutations of p53 and p16 silencing would be the early events in ESCC development.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/*diagnosis/pathology ; Chromogranin A/analysis/immunology ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Abscess/*radiography/surgery ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Synaptophysin/analysis/immunology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The role of P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in gastric cancer invasion has not yet been determined. In this study, we examined the effects of SB203580, a specific P38 MAPK inhibitor, on the in vitro invasion of gastric cancer and upon the molecules involved in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human gastric cancer SNU-638 cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% FBS. BIOCOAT matrigel invasion chambers were used to examine in vitro invasiveness, zymography for gelatinase activity, CAT assay for uPA promoter activity and Western and Northern blotting to determine protein and mRNA levels, respectively. RESULTS: Treatment of SNU-638 cells with SB203580, a specific P38 MAPK inhibitor, reduced in vitro invasiveness, dose-dependently. SB203580 treatment was found to decrease both mRNA expression and uPA promoter activity in gastric SNU-638 cells. In vitro invasion of SNU-638 cells was partially abrogated by uPA-neutralizing antibodies. The activities of MMPs were not significantly altered by SB203580. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that P38 MAPK is a potential therapeutic target for inhibiting uPA-dependent gastric tumor invasiveness and metastasis.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Gelatinases ; Humans* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases* ; Protein Kinases ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Neoplasms