No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Pulmonary Artery*

We present a case of a primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma, which is a relatively rare tumor found exclusively in women. This tumor is difficult to correctly diagnose preoperatively. Although there is little published information regarding the CEA levels in the cystic fluid of cystic tumors arising in the retroperitoneum, a high CEA level in the cystic fluid is a useful diagnostic marker for a primary retroperitoneal mucinous tumor. The appropriate management of retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenomas is the total removal of the cyst. The retroperitoneal approach for retroperitoneal cystic tumors is useful, has a lower risk of traumatizing the bowel than the intra-abdominal approach, and does not require compression of the other organs. We report the successful resection of a retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma through the retroperitoneal approach.
Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; Female ; Humans ; Mucins

PURPOSE: An appendiceal mucocele refers to an abnormal dilatation of the appendiceal lumen by mucus. It is a rare clinical entity with a reported prevalence rate of 0.2~0.3% of all appendectomies. The purpose of our study was to identify the clinical characteristics of and the proper surgical management for appendiceal mucoceles. METHODS: The hospital records of 24 eligible patients were reviewed. We analyzed demographic data, and pathological and clinical data. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in size (P<0.009) between simple mucoceles (mean, 1.95 cm) and cystadenomas (mean, 3.6 cm). While ultrasonography was the most commonly used test to establish the diagnosis (14 patients), computed tomography and colonoscopy also provided fundamental information in 5 and 2 patients, respectively. An appendectomy was performed in most cases (20 cases, 83%). A cecectomy was performed in 3 cases, and an ileocecal resection was performed in only one case. Among the cases requiring a cecectomy, a laparoscopic cecectomy was performed in one case. A synchronous tumor was present in 5 cases. Three patients had gastric cancer, 1 patient had gallbladder cancer, the other one had endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that appendiceal mucoceles most frequently present as acute appendicitis and that preoperative diagnosis is difficult to make. All mucoceles should probably be removed to eliminate the chance of progression to malignancy. Also of note was the elevated incidence of associated neoplasms, especially gastrointestinal carcinomas. Some recommend surveillance colonoscopy in patients with a diagnosis of an appendiceal mucocele. We had three cases accompanied by gastric malignancy. Therefore, we suggest that surveillance gastrofiberscopy may be indicated.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Colonoscopy ; Cystadenoma ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucocele* ; Mucus ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Prevalence ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography

Hepatocyte transplantation is a potential treatment modality for liver diseased patients. Purified hepatocytes stimulates allospecific cytotoxicity by expressing the MHC class I antigen. Also, during cold preservation, hepatocytes are damaged by lipid peroxidation with oxygen free radicals, which may induce apoptosis on cold preserved hepatocyte. For measuring the degree of antigenicity on cold- preserved mice hepatocytes with UW solution, we studied the expression of MHC class I antigen in various time period by FACS and RT-PCR. For analysis of apoptotic hepatocyte death, we studied morphological changes and DNA fragmentation. We used flow cytometry techniques with rhodamine 123,3,3'-dihexiloxadicarbocyanine (DiOC6 (3)) and propidium iodide (PI). DiOC6 (3) is mitochondrial probe to measure the mitochondrial transmembrane potential that drops early in apoptosis. The percentage of cells undergoing chromatinolysis (subdiploid cells) was determined by ethanol fixation followed by RNA digestion and PI staining. The cold preserved hepatocytes expressed MHC class I constitutively, but revealed no significant differences among various preservation period. However, apoptosis of hepatocytes occured progressively during cold preservation. These results provides that the cold preservation of mice hepatocyte induces apoptosis with involvement of an oxidative process, but does not stimulate over expression of MHC class I antigen.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Digestion ; DNA Fragmentation ; Ethanol ; Flow Cytometry ; Free Radicals ; Hepatocytes* ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Membrane Potentials ; Mice* ; Oxygen ; Propidium ; Rhodamines ; RNA

PURPOSE: Numerous investigations have been conducted in order to determine the potential carcinogenic or chemopreventive activity of capsaicin. The aim of this study is to characterize the effects of capsaicin on colon cancer cells, and provide valuable information concerning the application of capsaicin in chemoprevention as well as for therapeutic purposes. METHODS: CoLo320DM and LoVo cells (human colon cancer cell line) were treated with capsaicin. In order to access cell viability and altered morphology, an MTT assay was performed and the cells were microscopically examined. Decreasing DNA staining was accessed by FACS. The cells were stained with FITC labeled annexin V and analyzed by FACS to detect cellular membrane alteration during apoptosis. The cells were stained with DiOC6(3) and Hydroethidine and analyzed by FACS in order to access ROS and dleta psi m. RESULTS: Capsaicin decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Capsaicin produced a cell morphology corresponding to the apoptotic features including cell shrinkage and chromatic condensation. Capsaicin treated cells induced a loss of nuclear DNA leading to hypoploidy in a dose-dependent manner. Cells were excluded by double staining with PI and FITC labeled annexin v and detected by FACS. We show that treatment of CoLo320DM, L0Vo cells with increasing concentrations of capsaicin parallel an increase in the percentage of red fluorescent cells (HE-->Eth) that reflect ROS hypergeneration and a decrease in the percentage of green fluorescent cells that reflect delta psi m disruption. CONCLUSION: These results clearly demonstrate that capsaicin-induced colon cancer cell death is apoptotic.
Annexin A5 ; Apoptosis* ; Capsaicin ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cell Survival ; Chemoprevention ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; DNA ; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate ; Humans* ; Membranes

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome has been defined as perihepatitis accompanying pelvic inflammatory disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. In the acute phase, patients usually complain of severe right upper quadrant pain of sudden onset. The pain is sharp, pleuritic and most intense at the level of the right lower rib margin and thus it is frequently confused with acute cholecystitis or pleurisy. Definitive diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome needs invasive procedures such as laparoscopy or laparotomy, but considering that Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome is a benign condition that can be cured by oral administration of appropriate antibiotics, noninvasive diagnosis is desirable. Recently, we have experienced two cases of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in acute phase accompanied with sharp and pleuritic right upper quadrant pain. In one case, pelvic inflammatory disease was not definite, so at first we mistook it for acute cholecystitis and reactivation of chronic hepatitis B. In the other case, Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome followed the preceding, typical pelvic inflammatory disease. Both cases were diagnosed noninvasively and treated successfully by oral administration of antibiotics.
Adult ; Chlamydia Infections/*diagnosis ; *Chlamydia trachomatis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gonorrhea/*diagnosis ; Hepatitis/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease/*diagnosis ; Syndrome

The human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the herpes virus family, can cause a lifelong infection with episodes of endogenous reactivation. Almost the entire adult Korean population has been infected with CMV; they have serum CMV antibodies of IgG class. Reactivation is clinically silent in immunocompetent individuals. Symptomatic illness, such as pneumonitis, retinitis, hepatitis or gastroenteritis, is usually confined to immunocompromized patients. The colon, stomach and esophagus are the organs frequently infected with CMV in these patients. A CMV infection may also complicate an inflammatory bowel disease. CMV enteritis involving the small bowel, which makes up less than 10% of the CMV gastroenteritis cases, usually presents with diarrhea, bleeding and perforation, but rarely evokes obstruction. The authors experienced a case of CMV enteritis of the terminal ileum, presenting as an intestinal obstruction, which developed in an immunocompetent individual with no underlying disease. This appears to be a world first.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Colon ; Cytomegalovirus Infections* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Diarrhea ; Enteritis ; Esophagus ; Gastroenteritis ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Ileum ; Immunoglobulin G ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Pneumonia ; Retinitis ; Stomach

PURPOSE: When cells are subjected to a wide variety of stressful stimuli, they respond by increasing the synthesis of specific stress proteins. Stresses include heat shock, nutrient deprivation, oxygen radicals, toxic metal and viral infection. Major stress proteins are Hsp 27, Hsp 60, Hsp 70 (9), Hsp 90 (3) and Hsp 100 (1). Previously a novel 90 kDa stress protein has been reported to be induced in fish cells by virus infection. The novel 90 kDa stress protein is different from well-known major stress protein in size, antigenicity, cellular localization. The novel 90 kDa stress protein was found to be present in various kinds of cells including human cells and its expression was increased in human carcinomas. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the expression of the novel 90 kDa stress protein in human colonic mucosa of normal tissue, adenoma and adenocarcinoma using immunohistochemical method. METHODS: 85 colon tissues were screened for the expression of the novel 90 kDa stress protein; 85 normal colonic mucosa, 20 colonic adenoma and 65 colonic adenocarcinoma. The tissues were stained with monoclonal antibody against the novel 90 kDa stress protein. In scoring system, tissue sections with immunostained area above 10 % were decided to be positive and, among the positive, the tissue sections were divided into three score, 1, 2, and 3, based on the staining intensity and positive area proportion. The tissue sections with immunostained area below 10% were decided to be negative and grouped into 0 score. Correlation of immunohistochemical expression was analysed by using SPSS version 10.0 statistically. RESULTS: The expression of the 90 kDa stress protein was significantly different among normal colonic mucosa, colonic adenoma, and colonic adenocarcinoma and the percentage of positive samples were 14.1%, 80.5%, and 95.4% respectively. This result suggests that the expression level of the novel 90 kDa stress protein was extremely low in normal tissue but increased significantly in adenocarcinomatous tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of the novel 90 kDa stress protein was increased significantly with transformation of the normal colon tissue to malignancy. This suggests the possibility that this novel 90 kDa stress protein play some role in cancerous transformation of colon tissue.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Shock

PURPOSE: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has several difficulties in biliary reconstruction of the small and thin bile duct, the short stump, and multiple openings. METHODS: 76 cases of LDLT performed in Asan Medical Center from Jan. 1999 to Feb. 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The causative diseases in this group were hepatitis B associated cirrhosis 47, hepatoma 16, fulminent hepatic failure 6, secondary biliary cirrhosis 3, alcoholic cirrhosis 2, hepatitis C associated cirrhosis 1, and Wilson's disease 1cases. Right lobe graft was done in 54 cases, and a left lobe graft was done in 22. All bile duct reconstructions were done as Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, single anastomosis in 59, a double anastomosis in 15, and a triple anastomosis in 2cases. Biliary leakage occurred in 7 cases (10.4%), and percutaneous drainage subsequently being done. Post leakage bile duct stricture occurred in 2 cases (2.6%). Delayed bile duct stricture occurred in 3 cases. All stricture cases were treated with PTBD and repeated balloon dilatation. There was no difference between the right and left lobe graft in terms of bile leakage. However, stricture, occurred only in the right lobe graft. Bile duct stricture occurred more frequently in the multiple bile ducts (5% in single duct, 13.3% in double ducts, but there's no significance). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of biliary complication of LDLT was about 10%. In addition, there were more complicationsin the right lobe and multiple bile duct openings. Therefore, careful design and delicate hepatic parenchymal dissection is important to obtain a single duct and safe cut surface of the graft. To avoid severe complications such as an intrahepatic abscess or stone, early diagnosis and treatment of biliary complications is essential.
Abscess ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dilatation ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; Liver Failure ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Living Donors* ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of this study were to determine subgoups of functional dyspesia and to evaluate the short-term effect of cisapride in patients with functional dyspepsia in Korea. METHODS: 1025 patients, with a mean age of 42.6 years, with symptoms of functional dyspepsia, were recruited consecutively and upper gastrointestinal symptoms were investigated by interview in 41 hospitals in Korea. In an open, multicenter trial, 1025 patients received Smg of cisapride three times a day (TID) for at least .2 weeks for the treatment of symptoms of functional dyspepsia. When necessary, the dose of cisapride was increased to 10mg TID and the duration of therapy was extended to 4 weeks. RESULTS: The most frequently reported symptoms of functional dyspepsia were epigastric discomfort or fullness (85%), bloating (70%), belching (53%), early satiety (52%) and epigastric pain (46%) retrospectively. Subgroups of functional dyspepsia were as follows; dysmotility-like 73.5%, ulcer-like 39.7%, reflux-like 13.0%, and unspecified dyspepsia 14.0%. However, 33.2% of subjects with functional dyspepsia could be classified into more than one subgroup. Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were decreased to average 50.3% (range; 42.2 to 59.2%) after 2 weeks of cisapride treatment and to 25% (19.2 to 29.9%) after 4 weeks. cisapride therapy resulted in good or excellent improvement in 59.0% of the patients after two weeks, in 75% of patients after 4 weeks. Adverse events were occurred in 52 patients (5.8% of all patients), most commonly, loose stools or diarrhea (3.5%), abdominal pain (1.1%), and dizziness (0.3%). The majority of adverse events was mild and transient in nature and led to premature discontinuation of treatment in 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majorities of patients with functional dyspepsia have dysmotility like symptoms in Korea, there is such overlap among the dyspepsia subgroups. Most patients responded well to a short therapeutic trial with cisapride without significant side effects.
Abdominal Pain ; Cisapride* ; Diarrhea ; Dizziness ; Dyspepsia* ; Eructation ; Humans ; Korea* ; Retrospective Studies