No abstract available.
Arthroplasty* ; Knee*

57 cases of portal vein thrombosis detected by ultrasonography were analized. The results were as follows: 1.Most common cause was hepatocellular carcinoma, showing 49 out of 57 cases(86%). 2. Sonographic findings revealedechogenic thrombus in the dilated portal vein. Echogenecity of thrombus was similar to the surrounding liverparenchyma, Thrombus was mainly located in the intrahepatic branch and main portal vein. 3. The location ofthrombus in hepatocellular carcinoma was related to the location of tumor, and frequently extended to the mainportal vein(68.9%). Incidence of thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma revealed 49 out of 157 cases, butprospective study showed 42 out of 84 cases(50%). Thrombosis was more common in large sized ill-defined diffuseinfiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma. 4. CT(only 15 cases analyzed) findings revealed low density in the portalvein in all the cases and periportal enhancement in 10 cases on post-enhanced scan. 5. Collateral circulationswere largely detected at the porta hepatis and gallblader fossa. The detection rate was lower on theultrasonography than on the CT or angiography.
Angiography ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Incidence ; Portal Vein ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography ; Venous Thrombosis

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Mortality

Malaria can present with various clinical symptoms and complications. While a tertian malaria form that is especially prevalent in Korea is characterized by mild clinical progression, occasional splenic complications are known to occur. A 26-year-old Korean male soldier without prior medical history visited The Armed Forces Capital Hospital with left upper quadrant abdominal pain one day ago. Hemostasis under laparoscopic approach was attempted. The operation was converted into laparotomy due to friable splenic tissue and consequently poor hemostasis. Splenectomy was performed. The patient was discharged at postoperative day 17 without complication. While numerous diseases can result in splenic complications, such as splenic rupture, malarial infection is known as the most common cause. The incidence of malarial infection in Korea is increasing annually, and there are occasional reports of splenic rupture due to the infection, which requires attention.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Arm ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Laparotomy ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax* ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Rupture*

PURPOSE: We performed a retrospective study to compare the accuracy between conventional CT staging and intraoperative staging for advanced gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with advanced gastric cancer were included in this study during the recent 2 year-period. All were pre- and posto- peratively diagnosed as advanced gastric cancer. CTwas performed with G E 9800 and Somatom DR3 under conventional technique in 50 and with others in 10 referred patients. The CT staging for T and N category with emphasis on incurable factor, if not resacted, were performed. And we compared the accuracy between conventional CT and intraoperative staging. The final histo-pathologic staging was used as a gold standard. RESULTS: Accuracy of CT and operation for T4(n=l7) factor is 76.9 % and 86.2 % respectively. Overestimation rate for T4 was 9.3 % by CT and 6.1% by operation, and underestimation rate for was 13.8 % and 7.7 % respectively. Accuracy of CT and operation for N (n=60) factor was 50 % and 60 % respectively. Overestimation rate for N factor was 18.3 % by CT and 18.3 % by operation, and underestimation rate for N factor was 31.7 % and 21.7 % respectively. Correct Tand IM staging was possible only in 33% by CT and 38% by intraoperative assessment. CONCLUSION: Conventional CT and intraoperative staging for incurable T/N factor in advanced gastric cancer have a potential limitations, especially for N factor. Therefore, more reliable modality or technique such as dynamic scanning by spiral CT, transabdominal or endoscopic ultrasonography should be preoperatively performed to complement infrequent errors in intraoperative staging. Furthermore, a histology-oriented surgical approach seems essential in selecting the most appropriate surgical procedure.
Complement System Proteins ; Endosonography ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between alcohol drinking and hip fracture in the elderly people in Korea. BACKGROUND: Hip fracture is known as one of the major health problems because of its high incidence and serious consequences in the elderly people. The association between alcohol consumption and hip fractures has not been directly evaluated yet in Korea. So we conducted a nested case-control study to investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and hip fracture in the Korean elderly people. DESIGN: Nested case-control study from the Korea Elderly Pharmacoepidemiology Cohort (KEPEC), in Pusan, Korea. METHODS: Seventy incident cases have been selected since 1993, and 280 controls have been matched with the cases by age and gender among the KEPEC. Average alcohol intake was calculated by multiplying frequency and amount of drinking and unit capacity of each alcohol type. Odds ratios of alcohol intake on the hip fracture and their confidence intervals were computed by using multiple logistic regression with Windows version SAS 6.12. RESULTS: The elderly people's drinking rate is lower than the young people in Korea. In univariate analysis, crude odds ratio was 0.26 in male and adjusted odds ratio after contolling for age, smoking status, medication history, physical activity and body mass index was 0.36 in male. So current drinking reduces the risk of hip fracture. Adjusted odds ratio after controlling for age, smoking status, medication history, physical activity and body mass index odds ratio was 0.24 in female with moderate drinking. CONCLUSION: We found that alcohol consumption reduces the risk of hip fracture in the elderly Korean. However, we could not explain the plausible mechanism with our data yet. So, we suggest the further study for elucidating the possible mechanism of the finding including the possible association between nutritional status, alcohol drinking and bone marrow density in the elderly.
Aged* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Marrow ; Busan ; Case-Control Studies* ; Cohort Studies ; Drinking ; Female ; Hip Fractures ; Hip* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Nutritional Status ; Odds Ratio ; Pharmacoepidemiology ; Smoke ; Smoking

There have been few cases of Neurofibromatosis associated with Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia in literature and we found only one report in Korea which described the association of Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia with Neurofibromatosis. We report a case of patient whose clinical and hematological findings were compatible with Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia and Neurofibromatosis. Busulfan was used in the treatment of this patient followed by some degree of remission. A brief review of literature supporting our diagnosis was included in this report.
Busulfan ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Neurofibromatoses*

To test the hypothesis that the intake of psychotropics may increase the risk of hip fracture, a cohort study was conducted upon elderly Korean women. The Korean Elderly Pharmacoepidemiology Cohort was constructed from members of the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation over 65 yr of age who were living in Busan Metropolitan City in 1993. Study participants (n=6,043) were female respondents to a self-administered question survey. Information on the intake of psychotropics was obtained from the drug prescription database, which contained all psychotropic prescriptions during any hospital admission over the two-year period between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1994. The cohort follow-up has been conducted with information on hip fracture being collected from the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation medical treatment claims database over the four year period between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1996. Three hundred and three subjects had received 745 psychotropics prescriptions and 56 cases of hip fracture were found. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and drinking history, it was found that the intake of psychotropics significantly increased the risk of hip fracture (adjusted odds ratio, 4.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.89-9.52). This study suggests that the intake of psychotropics might be an important risk factor for hip fracture in elderly Korean women.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hip Fractures/*chemically induced ; Humans ; Korea ; Psychotropic Drugs/*adverse effects ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors

Interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta), which is released into the peritoneal cavity during peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD) patients, stimulates the production of extracellular matrix proteins, including fibronectin and type, I collagen, in the cultured peritoneal mesothelial cells(HPMCs). This may participate in the development of peritoneal fibrosis developing after episodes of peritonitis. Heparin stimulates the fibrinolysis and it is a routine practice to put 0.5-1U/mL of heparin into the dialysis fluid to prevent the formation of fibrin clot. Besides the anticoagulant acivity, heparin has diverse biologic effects on the cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of heparin on the production of fibronectin, one of the extracellular matrix proteins, in the cultured human peritoneal mesothelial cells. Incubation of the cultured HPMCs with IL-1beta(1 ng/mL) caused an increased expression of fibronectin mRNA by the cells. This stimulatory effect of IL-18 on the expression of fibronectin mRNA was inhibited by heparin, dose-dependently as well as time-dependently. The expression of fibronectin mRNA in the unstimulated cells was also inhibited by heparin. The amount of secreted fibronectin in the culture supernatant was decreased by heparin(1U/mL). This inhibitory effect was present regardless of the addition of IL-lbeta. However, IL-lbeta-induced increase in the expression of TGF bata1 mRNA in the cultured HPMCs was not inhibited by heparin. In conclusion, heparin inhibited the production of fibronectin by the cultured HPMCs at the concentration used clinically during peritonitis in CAPD patients. This suggests that heparin may have a preventive effect on the development of peritonitis associated peritoneal fibrosis as well as decrease the formation of fibrin clot.
Collagen ; Dialysis ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibrin ; Fibrinolysis ; Fibronectins ; Heparin* ; Humans* ; Interleukin-18 ; Interleukin-1beta ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Peritoneal Fibrosis ; Peritonitis ; RNA, Messenger