The nevus of Ota is a benign dermal melanocytic lesion that most commonly occurs unilaterally in areas innervated by the first and second division of the trigeminal nerve. Acquired bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules(ABNOM) are located bilaterally on the forehead, temples, eyelids, cheeks, and/or nose. They usually occur in the fourth or fifth decade of life in women(rarely in men). In contrast to the nevus of Ota, ABNOM have not been observed in the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nose, or eyes. Traditional treatments were palliative, risky electrocautery, or cryotherapy. These methods resulted in permanent pigmentary changes and/or scarring. Recently utilizing the principle of selective photothermolysis, the Q-switched Alexandrite laser has been reported to be successful in treating benign pigmentary lesions and tattoos. Our study evaluated the treatment of 127 patients with nevus of Ota and ABNOM with the Q-switched Alexandrite laser(755 nm, 100 nsec). Nevi were treated up to 7 times with 7-8 J/cm2 at a minimum of 6 weeks interval. Good therapeutic effects were gained (up to 50% improvement was seen in 89% of patients.) and our patients were very satisfied. No patients had permanent textural change or scarring. Treatment with on Alexandrite laser for nevus of Ota & ABNOM is considered to be a safe and effective method.
Cheek ; Cicatrix ; Cryotherapy ; Electrocoagulation ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Humans ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Mouth ; Mucous Membrane ; Nevus of Ota ; Nevus* ; Nose ; Trigeminal Nerve

A various type of hairline and height of forehead is considered as a result of genetic effect. The conventional corrective surgical operation of low hairline in forehead has been too complicated and painful to apply, and also has many disadvantages such as scar, bleeding, risks of anesthesia. Recently four classes of devices are designed to remove hair with intense light beam : Nd-Yag lasers with carbon cream, the Ruby lasers, the Alexandrite lasers, and the polychromic broad band light source of flashlamp technology. The goal of these therapeutic modality is to destroy the melanin pigment selectively in hair follicle without injuring the skin for permanent epilation. We have been used long pulse infrared Alexandrite laser for treat low hair line in 27 patients from Dec. 1997 to Dec. 1998. We experienced 3 cases of temporary hyperpigmentation and 1 case of bulla, and the most of patients were satisfied in 89%. The average lengthening of forehead was 2.2cm (median line) and 2.3cm (paramedian line). We achieved successful result without permanent hyperpigmentation or scarring
Anesthesia ; Carbon ; Cicatrix ; Forehead ; Hair Follicle ; Hair Removal ; Hair* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Melanins ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: To test if the intake of H2 receptor antagonists (H2-RAs) increases the risk of gastric cancer in the elderly. METHODS: The source population for this study was drawn from the responders to a questionnaire survey administered to the Korea Elderly Pharmacoepidemiological Cohort (KEPEC), who were beneficiaries of the Korean Medical Insurance Corporation, were at least 65 years old, and residing in Busan in 1993. The information on H2-RAs exposure was obtained from a drug prescription database compiled between Jan. 1993 and Dec. 1994. The cases consisted of 76 gastric cancer patients, as confirmed from the KMIC claims data, the National Cancer Registry and the Busan Cancer Registry. The follow-up period was from Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1998. Cancer free controls were randomly selected by 1:4 individual matching, which took in to consideration the year of birth and gender. Information on confounders was collected by a mail questionnaire survey. The odds ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals, were calculated using a conditional logistic regression model. RESULTS: After adjusting for a history of gastric ulcer symptoms, medication history, and body mass index, the adjusted OR (aOR) was 4.6 (95% CI=1.72-12.49). The odds ratio of long term use (more than 7 days) was 2.3 (95% CI=1.07-4.82). The odds ratio of short term use was 4.6 (95% CI=1.26-16.50). The odds ratio of parenteral use was 4.4 (95% CI=1.16-17.05) and combination use between the oral and parenteral routes (aOR, 16.8; 95% CI=1.21-233.24) had the high risk of gastric cancer. The aOR of cimetidine was 1.7 (95% CI=1.04-2.95). The aOR of ranitidine was 2.0 (95% CI=1.21-3.40). The aOR of famotidine was 1.7 (95% CI=0.98-2.80). CONCLUSION: The intake of H2-RAs might increase the risk of gastric cancer through achlorhydria in the elderly.
Achlorhydria ; Aged* ; Body Mass Index ; Busan ; Case-Control Studies* ; Cimetidine ; Cohort Studies ; Drug Prescriptions ; Famotidine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Parturition ; Pharmacoepidemiology ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Ranitidine ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach Ulcer

PURPOSE: In 1970, the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster(BFM) group introduced an intensification therapy after remission induction to reduce relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL) in childhood. Delayed intensification(DI) phase has been included for treatment of ALL in our hospital since the mid-1990s. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcome with vs. without DI phase and the outcome with two vs. one DI phase for intermediate risk patients. METHODS: One hundred and thirty nine children with ALL who were treated at the Department of Pediatrics of Wonju Christian Hospital and Yonsei University Medical Center between March, 1990 and July, 2002 were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients were treated with a DI phase, and 101 patients were treated without a DI phase. Among the DI patients, seven patients were treated with a double DI phase. Five-year overall survival(OS) in the low, intermediate, and high risk groups were 68%, 66% and 58%, respectively. 5-year OS in DDI, DI, and control were 95%, 86% and 40%, espectively. In the low risk group, 5-year event free survival(EFS) in DI, and control were 94% and 58%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed intensification improved EFS on childhood ALL in all risk groups.
Academic Medical Centers ; Child ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Pediatrics ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Recurrence ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: In recent studies, the presence of lymphocytic infiltration in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was reported to be associated with a favorable prognosis. The prognostic significance of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) in patients with PTC remains unclear. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency and prognostic significance of HT in patients with PTC. METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2007, 367 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for PTC were included in this study. They were divided into two groups: Group A (n=71; 19.4%) included the patients diagnosed as having PTC with HT and Group B (n=296; 80.6%) included the patients who had PTC without HT. The clinicopathologic features between Groups A and B were retrospectively reviewed via the medical records. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis was less frequent in Group A than that in Group B (25.5% versus 41.0%, respectively, P=0.033). However, both groups had similar clinicopathologic features in terms of age, gender, the tumor size, multifocality, extrathyroidal invasion, the TNM stage and the AMES and MACIS scores. Also, the operative method did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the presence of HT is not associated with the prognostic factors of PTC.
Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroiditis*

Intracranial ependymal cysts are rare, congenital, benign lesions. These commonly occur in the supratentorial regions and usually generate no symptoms. The cerebellopontine angle (CPA) is an extremely rare site for ependymal cysts. Furthermore, there are no previous reports of CPA ependymal cysts related to syncope. We report a case of ependymal cyst in the left CPA with syncope. The patient underwent a cardiologic evaluation for syncope after admission, but there were no definite cardiologic abnormal findings. He underwent fenestration into the subarachnoid space, and the pathologic diagnosis revealed an ependymal cyst. We analyzed this case with review of other literatures.
Cerebellopontine Angle ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Subarachnoid Space ; Syncope*

Cantrell's pentalogy may be defined as a failure of fusion of the midline from the sternum to the umbilicus. Thus, this malady consists of multiple anomalies of the sternum, heart, pericardium, diaphragm and umbilicus or anterior abdominal wall. According to the degrees of each anomaly, various operations can be planned as a one-stage operation or as a multi-stage operation and then palliative or corrective operations. The authors experienced a case of Cantrell's pentalogy that consisted of a bifid sternum, ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, ventricular diverticulum, dextrocardia, pericardial defect, anterior diaphragmatic defect and diastasis recti; all of these problems were corrected by a one-stage operation.
Abdominal Wall ; Dextrocardia ; Diaphragm ; Diverticulum ; Heart ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Pentalogy of Cantrell ; Pericardium ; Sternum ; Umbilicus

Herein, we report a case of tumorous endobronchial tuberculosis with successful recovery of atelectasis without any significant bronchial stricture, after repeated expectorations of nodular tissues. A 24-year-old male patient was presented with persistent cough. The patient was diagnosed to be suffering from tuberculous lymphadenitis on right axillar and mediastinum of lung, and was subsequently treated with antituberculosis agents. After two months, clinical deteriorations and atelectasis were observed on right upper lobe of lung. Multiple endobronchial tumorous lesions, which obstructed the right main bronchus, were revealed on bronchoscopy, and based on the endobronchial biopsy findings we confirmed that the patient was suffering from endobronchial tuberculosis. We decided to administer antituberculosis agents without any additional procedure. After few weeks, the patient spontaneously expectorated nodular tissues with vigorous coughing. Later on, the symptoms and atelectasis disappeared and the patient was completely recovered. This case shows that in patients suffering from tumorous endobronchial tuberculosis, endobronchial mass can be expectorated spontaneously without sequelae of significant bronchial stenosis.
Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Cough ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node ; Young Adult

Hyperplasia of Brunner's glands is considered an uncommon finding; its wide range of morphological variation has led to confusing identifying terminology which includes: hyperplasia, adenoma, and hamartoma. Some investigators have suggested that hyperplasia of Brunner's glands is hamartomatous in nature, whereas others have favored a causative relationship that results from gastric acid hypersecretion. Although most commonly an incidental finding, that appears as multiple small submucosal sessile nodules, usually located in the duodenal bulb, it can lead to clinically significant symptoms including gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, and intestinal obstruction. Here, we report a case of hyperplasia of multiple cystic Brunner's glands on the duodenal bulb in a patient with acute pancreatitis; they were discovered incidentally on abdominal CT and duodenoscopy. This is the first report of hyperplasia of Brunner's glands with these morphological characteristics.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenoma ; Brunner Glands ; Duodenoscopy ; Gastric Acid ; Hamartoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Incidental Findings ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Pancreatitis ; Research Personnel ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare tumors with aggressive behavior, including local recurrence and distant metastasis. We conducted this retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of grossly total resection and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for these tumors. METHODS: A total of 13 patients treated for intracranial HPC from January 1995 through May 2013 were included in this retrospective study. We analyzed the clinical presentations, radiologic appearances, treatment results, and follow-up outcomes, as well as reviewed other studies. RESULTS: The ages of the patients at the time of diagnosis ranged from 26 to 73 years (mean : 48 years). The majority of the patients were male (92.3%), and the majority of the tumors were located in the parasagittal and falx. The ratio of intracranial HPCs to meningiomas was 13 : 598 in same period, or 2.2%. Seven patients (53.8%) had anaplastic HPCs. Nine patients (69.2%) underwent gross total tumor resection in the first operation without mortality. Eleven patients (84.6%) underwent postoperative adjuvant RT. Follow-up period ranged from 13 to 185 months (mean : 54.3 months). The local recurrence rate was 46.2% (6/13), and there were no distant metastases. The 10-year survival rate after initial surgery was 83.9%. The initial mean Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was 70.8 and the final mean KPS was 64.6. CONCLUSION: Gross total tumor resection upon initial surgery is very important. We believe that adjuvant RT is helpful even with maximal tumor resection. Molecular biologic analyses and chemotherapy studies are required to achieve better outcomes in recurrent intracranial HPCs.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; General Surgery ; Hemangiopericytoma* ; Humans ; Male ; Meningioma ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate