PURPOSE: Postoperative serial serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements on levothyroxine (L-T4) therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is known to be useful in monitoring tumor progression or regression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of serum Tg levels on L-T4 therapy after surgery. METHODS: To determine the basal serum Tg levels on L-T4 therapy after surgery in patients with DTC, Tg levels during the initial 2 year-period after surgery were analyzed retrospectively in 37 patients who had undergone a total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma with (Group 2) or without (Group 1) palpable cervical lymph node metastasis. The Tg levels had been measured 1 to 4 times for each patient with total of 53 and 35 times in Group 1 and Group 2 respectively. RESULTS: The basal Tg levels in Group 1 were all less than 4 ng/mL with 79.3% less than 2 ng/mL, and those in Group 2 were all less than 9 ng/mL with 71.4% less than 2 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: The data suggests that the postoperative serum Tg level of 10 ng/mL can be a useful reference value in long-term follow-up after total thyroidectomy for patients with DTC.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Reference Values ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroglobulin* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyroxine

PURPOSE: Appendicitis represents one of the most common surgical disorders. Typically, the diagnosis can be made from well established clinical criteria, with an acceptable negative appendectomy rate from 7~25%. However, when surgical intervention is performed in the patients suspected of having appendicitis but with equivocal clinical findings, the negative appendectomy rate approaches 50%. Routine contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) has described as an accurate diagnostic imaging modality in patients with suspected appendicitis. We evaluated the role of intravenous CECT (iCECT) in patients suspected of having appendicitis but with equivocal clinical exams. METHODS: Eighty seven consecutive patients who were thought to have appendicitis but with equivocal clinical findings and/or physical exams were imaged by iCECT over 18 months period. Intravenous contrast-enhanced, spiral abdominal and pelvic images were obtained using 7.5 mm cuts. iCECT images were interpreted by a board-certified radiologist. Main outcome measures included iCECT sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accurary and negative appendectomy rate in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, and determining the impact iCECT on the clinical management of the patient population. RESULTS: A group of 87 patients consisting of 36 males (41.4 %) and 51 females (58.6%) with median age of 32 years (range 12 to 75 years) were imaged with iCECT to evaluate suspected appendicitis. Of the 87 iCECTs performed, 8 false-positive and 2 false-negative readings were identified, resulting in a sensitivity of 93.5%, specificity of 85.7%, PPV of 78.4%, NPV of 96%, and an overall accuracy of 88.5%. With regard to clinical management, 100% (31/31) of patients with appendicitis, and 4% (2/50) of patients without appendicitis underwent appendectomy. Therefore, the overall negative appendectomy rate was 6.1% (2/33). CONCLUSION: iCECT is a useful diagnostic imaging modality for patients suspected of having acute appendicitis but with equivocal clinical findings and/or physical exams. iCECT is particularly useful in excluding the diagnosis of appendicitis in those without disease.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Reading ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Recently, a combination of a partial mastectomy, axillary dissection, and radiation has been accepted as therapy for early-stage breast cancer because various significant trials have demonstrated that the combination therapy and the radical mastectomy produce comparable actuarial survival rates. The authors reviewed the cases of 62 patients who were treated for stage I and II breast cancer, 22 with breast-preserving surgery (quadrantectomy, axillary dissection and latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap) and 40 with a modified radical mastectomy at Pusan National University Hospital during the period of 2.5 years from January 1994 to June 1996. The results are as follows: 1) The mean age of the breast-preserving group was 44.8 years, and that of the modified radical mastectmy group was 51.2 years. 2) The mean size of tumor mass was 2.1 cm and 2.5 cm, respectively. The most frequent site was the upper outer quadrant in both groups. 3) According to TNM classification, 8 patients (36.4%) had stage I tumors and 12 patients (54.5%) had stage II tumors in the breast-preserving group. The respective numbers of patients were 8 (20.0%) and 31 (77.5%) in the modified radical mastectomy group. 4) In the breast-preserving group, the number of axillary lymph-node metastasis was 0 in 16 cases (72.7%), 1~3 in 5 cases (22.7%), and 4 in 1 case (4.6%). In the modified radical mastectomy group, the number was 0 in 23 cases (57.5%), 1~3 in 13 cases (32.5%), and 4 in 4 cases (10.0%). 5) In the breast-preserving group, a local recurrence developed in one case at 12 months after the operation, and a salvage mastectomy was done. In the modified radical mastectomy group, a local recurrence developed in two cases, one at 14 months and the other at 16 months after the operation, and a wide excision was done. 6) Complications associated with axillary dissection were impaired arm mobility, arm edema, seroma, and skin necrosis. However, complications were well treated with no difficulty. 7) The overall subjective cosmetic results in the breast-preserving group were excellent in 7 cases (31.8%), good in 12 cases (54.1%), fair in 3 cases (13.7%), and poor in 0 cases. Postoperative asymmetry of the nipple is a problem to be solved. 8) The fear of recurrence was observed in 10 cases (45.5%) in the breast-preserving group and in 18 cases (45.0%) in the modified radical mastectomy group. 9) The complications associated with radiotherapy in the breast-preserving group were transient radiation dermatitis, breast fibrosis, radiation pneumonitis, and limited motion of shoulder. Our review shows a high loco-regional control rate (95.5%) and a satisfactory cosmetic result (86.3%) in the breast-preserving group for early-stage breast cancer. Thus breast-preserving procedures seem to be acceptable alternatives to a modified radical mastectomy in highly selective group of patients with early-stage breast cancer.
Arm ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Busan ; Classification ; Dermatitis ; Edema ; Humans ; Mastectomy ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical* ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nipples ; Pneumonia ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Seroma ; Shoulder ; Skin ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: A pancreaticoduodenectomy is the procedure of choice for managing a periampullary malignancy. This is a complex procedure accompanied with some morbidity. In order to improve postoperative clinical results, we tried to apply a binding pancreaticojejunostomy and Endo GIA stapler during pancreaticoduodenectomy. According to the clinical outcomes, compare this trial with a conventional procedure. METHODS: We evaluated retrospectively clinical results of 30 patients who had received pancreaticoduodenectomy from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2004 in the Pusan National University Hospital. These cases were divided into two groups; Group I comprised of 16 patients receiving this procedure and Group II comprised of 14 patients receiving conventional procedure. RESULTS: There were some differences in the mean operation time and the amount of blood loss between two groups, but significant difference only in an aspect of blood loss (P=0.042). Postoperative complications were as these: Group I, pancreatic fistula was in 12.5%, intraabdominal bleeding in 6.2%, wound infection in 12.5%; Group II, pancreatic fistula was in 35.7%, intraabdominal bleeding in 21.4%, wound infection & intraabdominal abscess in 7.1%. In Group I, there was a lower morbidity rate than in Group II, but there was a significant difference in the development of a pancrea-tic fistula as a pancreatic parenchymal texture (P=0.021). CONCLUSION: Although there was a small number of cases, it appears that a pancreaticoduodenectomy with the application of a binding pancreaticojejunostomy and Endo GIA stapler can produce good results, also need to get more clinical results.
Abscess ; Busan ; Fistula ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pancreatic Fistula ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy* ; Pancreaticojejunostomy* ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The size and number of gallbladder polyps are used to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions before surgery. The objective of this study was to determine which polyps of the gallbladder should be operated upon and whether laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible method for gallbladder polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. METHODS: Data from 68 patients with polypoid lesions of the gallbladder treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the Department of surgery, Pusan National University Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. the gallbladders were classified into four histologic groups. Clinical features, maximal diameter, and the number of lesions were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The mean maximal diameter of neoplasms was significantly larger than that of lesions in the nonneoplasm group. All four malignant lesions that were detected measured at least 1.5 cm. Univariate analysis showed that polypoid lesions of the gallbladder with neoplastic lesion correlated significantly with age, sex, and number of the lesions. Univariate analysis also showed that malignancy in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder correlated significantly with age, size, and number of the lesions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the age of the patient and the size of the lesion (> or =1.0 cm) are two independent factors in predicting neoplastic lesions in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. The size of the lesion (> or =1.5 cm) is the only independent factor in predicting malignancy in the polypoid lesions of the gallbladder as shown by multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible method for gallbladder polypoid lesions. Neoplastic change in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder should be considered when a patient older than 50 years of age has a polypoid lesion larger than 1.0 cm. Cancer should be suspected when a polypoid lesion of the gallbladder is larger than 1.5 cm.
Busan ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Polyps ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Experimental studies using porcine non- heart beating donors to ameliorate graft injuries in liver transplantation has been conducted. Recently, it has been reported that cellular calcium may have an important role in ischemic injury, which consists of damage during ischemia and impairment at the time of reperfusion. therefore, it is possible that calcium channel blocker might prevent warm ischemic injury of the graft in liver transplantation when administered to the donor before harvesting and to the recipient at reperfusion. the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of a calcium channel blocker diltiazem (DTZ) on hepatic ischemic injury using a porcine model. METHODS: Twenty pigs weighing 20 to 30 kg were enrolled in this study. Cardiac death was induced by direct cardiac injection of potassium chloride. The perfusion of UW (University of Wisconsin) solution started after 30 min of cardiac arrest. Orthotopic liver transplantation was perforated. Group A (experimental group) was administrated of DTZ at a dose of 70microgram/kg bolus iv injection before hepatic ischemia, perfused of 70microgram/L in UW solution and thereafter infused continuously 70microgram/L in 5% dextrose solution. RESULTS: Two ones death occurred among the ten transplant pigs. 24 hour survival rates were 80%. DTZ administrated group showed the hepatic blood flow and arterial ketone body ratio better compared with untreated controls (p<0.05). In addition, the increase of plasma lactate level was suppressed after ischemia (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that DTZ has a protective effect on ischemic induced hepatic damage and might be useful in the prevention of primary graft failure caused by warm ischemia in liver transplantation.
Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Death ; Diltiazem ; Glucose ; Heart ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Lactic Acid ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Perfusion ; Plasma ; Potassium Chloride ; Reperfusion ; Survival Rate ; Swine ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants ; Warm Ischemia

PURPOSE: There are some methods for preventing massive intraoperative blood loss during major hepatic resection such as temporary vascular occlusion, but this can consequently lead to ischemia and reperfusion injury in the remnant liver. The purpose of this study is to assess ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a porcine hepatectomy model with continuous or intermittent inflow occlusion of a prolonged duration. METHODS: We performed right hepatic lobectomy in a porcine model with a liver ischemia lasting 120 mins; there was continuous (n=4) or intermittent (8 subsequent periods of 12 min ischemia and 3 min recirculation; n=4) inflow occlusion, and this was followed by 6 hours of reperfusion. We assessed hepatocytic injury by the serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT, LDH), and we assessed the hepatocellular functions by the indocyanine green clearance test, inflammatory reactions by the serum levels of IL-6, and injury to the SECs (sinusoidal endothelial cell) by hyaluronic acid uptake. We compared these parameters during a preischemic period, a ischemic period and reperfusion period between the two groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the serum AST levels, IL-6 levels and HA uptake between the continuous and intermittent occlusion groups. In the intermittent occlusion group, we observed 1) less severe hepatocytic injury (p= 0.041) ; 2) more preserved HA uptake meaning less I/R injury (p=0.031) ; and 3) less inflammatory responses in the reperfusion period (p=0.045). CONCLUSION: During prolonged hepatic ischemia in a porcine model, the intermittent inflow occlusion method seemed to cause less hepatocellular injury and less SEC injury when compared to the continuous occlusion method. This means that we can expect less reperfusion injury in the intermittent inflow occlusion during a major hepatic resection with a prolonged ischemia.
Hepatectomy ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Indocyanine Green ; Interleukin-6 ; Ischemia ; Liver* ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury*