BACKGROUND: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common etiologic factor of cervical cancer. It was reported that the incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical carcinoma was increased when normal women was infected with HPV. To date, for detection and classification of HPV, it were used by hybridization method using the DNA probe specific for HPV and in situ hybridization method for fixed paraffinized tissue, but reported that these methods were inadequate for detection of HPV DNA because of low sensitivity and complex procedure. Compared with these methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was reported as a highly sensitive molecular biologic technique which could detect the HPV DNA in the cervical epithelial cell of women. Thus we used PCR for the investigation of detection rate of HPV 16 and 18, and its relationship with Pap smear class in normal women. METHODS: In 86 normal women, we had extracted the HPV DNA from cervical swab samples and then detected the presence of HPV DNA by nested PCR. RESULTS: In the cases of 86 normal women, the detection rate for HPV DNA was about 7.0%. In the cases of 26 women with Pap smear class I, the HPV DNA was not detected. And in the cases of 60 women with Pap smear class II, the detection rate for HPV DNA was about 10.0%; HPV subtype 16 about 6.7%; HPV subtype 18 about 1.7%; and the coinfection rate of HPV subtype 16 and 18 about 1.7%. CONCLUSIONS: We think that women who was previously infected with high-risk HPV should be examined for Pap smear test in regular time interval, and if the result of Pap smear was abnormal, then should be examined for the presence of the HPV DNA.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Classification ; Coinfection ; DNA ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Incidence ; Papillomavirus Infections* ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treatment of patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer which is notorious for its poor prognosis and severe surgical morbidity with functional deficits. Medical records of 62 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx, Stage III or IV(AJCC, 1992), were retrospectively reviewed. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed an overall response rate of 87% and a complete remission(CR) rate was 67% following chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The patients who did not show CR after chemotherapy had a high likelihood of treatment failure, even though they achieved CR following subsequent radiotherapy. Thirteen of 30 patients were able to preserve their larynges for more than three years by chemotherapy and radiation. This regimen appeared to be as effective as radical surgery with postoperative radiation therapy without comprise of survival. To improve the cure rates, we need to develop better strategies to increase CR rates with chemotherapy and figure out the best treatment option for patients who are partially or non-responsive to chemotherapy.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Hypopharynx ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: The actual clinical examples of co-appliance of catheter intervention with surgical procedures in the treatment of pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum(PA/IVS) which we have experienced in our institution are here shown, and the anatomical and hemodynamical profiles between each method is compared. METHODS: Medical records of 33 patients with PA/IVS who underwent various treatment from January, 1995 to December, 2000 were reviewed for a retrograde study. RESULTS: In three out of 10 patients who underwent percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvotomy (PPV), residual pulmonary stenosis were observed in their out patient department(OPD) follow-ups, eventually necessitatig balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty(BPV). One out of three patients exhibited deterioration of tricuspid regurgitation after BPV, requiring surgical tricuspid annuloplasty(TAP). Two out of the seven patients who received primarily surgical right ventricle outlet tract(RVOT) repair without any systemic-pulmonary shunt or intervention needed additional intervention employing cardiac catheterization after operation. Two patients received interventional catheterization before surgical RVOT repair. In five out of 11 cases of Fontan type operation, coil embolization of collateral circulation was done before total cavo-pulmonary connection(TCPC), and in three cases, interventional catheterization was needed after TCPC. CONCLUSION: Both medical and surgical treatment modalities are widely used in management of PA/IVS patients, and recent results prove that medico-surgical cooperative treatment is essential.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Collateral Circulation ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Pulmonary Atresia* ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; Ventricular Septum*