No abstract available.
Coronary Aneurysm* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Granulocytes* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We compared the accuracy in the diagnosis of hepatic masses such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), metastasis and hemangioma using enhancing pattern alone with using additional findings, and determined whether the additional findings could improve the diagnostic accuracy. METHODS/MATERIALS: Triphasic spiral CT images were retrospectively analyzed in 83 cases of hepatic lesions,' 40 HCC, 21 metastases, and 22 hemangiomas. Three observers made the diagnosis first by the enhancement pattern of the mass alone, and then, by the whole information. The diagnosis of a lesion was considered correct if the lesion was correctly categorized by at least two observers. Diagnostic accuracies of two sessions were compared with McNemar test. RESULTS: Using enhancing patterns alone, 31/40 HCC (78%), 8/21 metastases (38%), 21/22 hemangiomas (95%) were correctly diagnosed. The frequency of correct diagnosis was significantly improved when all images with additional findings were used: 36/40 (90%) HCC, 20/21 (95%) metastases, 22/22 (100%) hemangiomas (P=0.00006). Metastasis showed most prominent and statistically significant improvement in the diagnostic accuracy (P=0.0004). The number of correct diagnoses for HCC increased without statistical significance (P=0.17). However, the images with additional findings did not significantly contribute to the diagnosis of hemangiomas. The additional finidngs those led to correct diagnosis of metastases were multiple mass (7 cases), coexistence of primary malignancy (6 cases), and metastasis to other organ (1 case). The findings of liver cirrhosis were helpful to diagnose HCC correctly in 5 cases. CONCLUSION: The enhancing pattems of tumors were important in the diagnosis of hepatic masses in spiral CT. However, the additional finidngs were also helpful for the diagnosis of hepatic masses especially for the masses with atypical enhancement pattern. In metastases, the additional findings such as multiple masses or detection of primary malignant focus were useful to diagnose correctly.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Diagnosis ; Hemangioma ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

No abstract available.
Blood Glucose* ; Calcium* ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Hypoglycemia* ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn*

Clinical application of positron emission tomography (PET) is rapidly increasing for the detection and staging of cancer at whole-body studies performed with the glucose analogue tracer 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). Although FDG PET cannot match the anatomic resolution of conventional imaging techniques in gastrointestinal and abdominal organs, it is particularly useful for identification and characterization of whole body at the same time. FDG PET can show foci of metastatic disease that may not be apparent at conventional anatomic imaging and can aid in the characterization of indeterminate soft-tissue masses. Most gastrointestinal cancer need to surgical management. FDG PET can improve the selection of patients for surgical treatment and thereby reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with inappropriate surgery. FDG PET is also useful for the early detection of recurrence and the monitoring of therapeutic effect. The gastrointestinal cancers, such as gastroesophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, are common malignancies in Korea. PET is one of the most promising and useful methodology for the management of gastric cancer as well as other gastrointestinal cancers.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Glucose ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mortality ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Positron-Emission Tomography* ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects and usefulness of fiuroscopy guided celiac ganglion block after marking of needle path with CT scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Celiac ganglion block with 100% ethyl alcohol was performed in 50 cancer patients who were inoperable and had intractable abdominal pain. Duration and degree of pain relief after the procedure and its complication were analyzed. RESULTS: Early pain relief was observed in 98% and long term relief in 68% without serious complication. CONCLUSION: Fluoroscopy guided celiac ganglion block after marking of needle path with CT scan was a safe and valuable procedure in relieving intractable pain in terminal cancer patients and reduced the time in the CT room.
Abdominal Pain ; Ethanol ; Fluoroscopy* ; Ganglia, Sympathetic* ; Humans ; Needles ; Pain, Intractable ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The number of elderly patients who frequently access health care services is increasing worldwide. While anesthesiologists are developing the expertise to care for these elderly patients, areas of concern remain. We conducted a comprehensive search of major international databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane) and a Korean database (KoreaMed) to review preoperative considerations, intraoperative management, and postoperative problems when anesthetizing elderly patients. Preoperative preparation of elderly patients included functional assessment to identify preexisting cognitive impairment or cardiopulmonary reserve, depression, frailty, nutrition, polypharmacy, and anticoagulation issues. Intraoperative management included anesthetic mode and pharmacology, monitoring, intravenous fluid or transfusion management, lung-protective ventilation, and prevention of hypothermia. Postoperative checklists included perioperative analgesia, postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction, and other complications. A higher level of perioperative care was required for older surgical patients, as multiple chronic diseases often makes them prone to developing postoperative complications, including functional decline and loss of independence. Although the guiding evidence remains poor so far, elderly patients have to be provided optimal perioperative care through close interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and cross-sectional collaboration to minimize unwanted postoperative outcomes. Furthermore, along with adequate anesthetic care, well-planned postoperative care should begin immediately after surgery and extend until discharge.

BP201, porcine lung tissue-derived phospholipids, consists of phosphatidylcholine as a major phospholipid species. BP201 promoted hair growth after application onto the shaved backs of BALB/c and C3H mice. Its effect was enhanced when applied together with minoxidil (MNX) in C3H mice. When the tissue specimens prepared from the shaved skins of BP201-treated and control mice were microscopically examined, the total numbers of hair follicles in both anagen and telogen phases of BP201-treated mice were significantly higher than those of control mice. The numbers of hair follicles in the anagen phase of BP201-treated mice were also higher than those of control mice. In combination with MNX, BP201 further increased the total number of hair follicles, but did not alter the percentage of hair follicles in the anagenic phase. BP201 also increased the proliferation of human hair follicle dermal papilla cells. Collectively, BP201 possesses hair growth promoting potential, which would suggest its use singly or in combination for hair growth products.
Animals ; Hair Follicle ; Hair* ; Humans ; Lung* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C3H ; Minoxidil ; Phosphatidylcholines ; Phospholipids* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

PURPOSE: Authors studied the injection method of contrast medium in routine chest spiral CT scan to obtain the best image in the mediastinum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dynamic static scan had been performed in 5 normal volunteers as a pilot study. In consideration of the result of pilot study, Chest spiral CT was performed in 217 patients by three different methods. We used 100cc nonionic contrast medium. Average attenuation of great vessels in the mediastinum were assessed in various injection methods. Image quality was graded with three levels of score by two radiologists. RESULTS: Peak enhancement time of the great vessels on pilot at dynamic static scan were as follows :52 sec at ascending aorta, 45 sec at pulmonary artery, and 40 sec at SVC. In the study of spiral CT, the highest attenMarion in the great vessels was obtained after injection of 100cc of contrast medium(2cc/sec, with 35-40 second scan delay), althrough artifact from highly enhancing SVC was most common in this method. Image quality were highest in the scans obtained with other methods(3-2-1cc/sec for 10-15-40 seconds, with 40 second scan delay). CONCLUSION: For chest spiral CT, authors recommend that scans should be obtained after infusion of 70--80cc of contrast medium during 35--40sec to obtain maximal vascular enhacement of mediastinum.
Aorta ; Artifacts ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Mediastinum ; Pilot Projects ; Pulmonary Artery ; Thorax* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*