Purpose: To analyze the causes and to prevent dislocations of the hip joint that occur in patients who underwent revisions of total hip arthroplasties by changing only the polyethylene liners and femoral heads, subsequent to primary total hip arthroplasties. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 28 patients who underwent acetabular component revisions of total hip arthroplasties subsequent to primary total hip arthroplasties. The average age of the patients was 55 years old and all 28 patients had operations through the posterolateral approach. In 17 of the cases, the acetabular cups, polyethylene liners, and femoral heads were changed; in 10 cases, just the polyethylene liners and femoral heads were changed; and in 1 case, only the polyethylene liner was changed. Results: We observed 7 cases of hip dislocations that occurred among a total of 28 cases after revisions of total hip arthroplasties. In all 7 cases, the polyethylene liners and femoral heads were changed, but not the acetabular cups. In additional, in all 7 cases of dislocation, the patients were non-compliant and started weight-bearing prematurely after revisions of the total hip arthroplasties Conclusion: We observed new dislocations in the 7 cases in which the polyethylene liners and femoral heads were changed. The main reasons were inadequate soft tissue tension and hip joint laxity. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the neck length, use elevated rim polyethylene liners, readjust the acetabular cups to their optimal positions, and apply hip abduction braces to patients early after revision of total hip arthroplasties in order to lessen the danger of dislocations.
Acetabulum* ; Arthroplasty ; Braces ; Dislocations* ; Head ; Hip ; Hip Dislocation ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Neck ; Polyethylene ; Risk Factors* ; Weight-Bearing

Duplicated inferior vena cava (IVC) is a congenital anomaly seen rarely in the general population. Patients with IVC variants usually do not present any symptoms and are found incidentally in many cases. However, physicians are urged to recognize the presence of such anomalies during diagnostic or invasive procedures as these variants of blood vessel systems can impose substantial implications in certain clinical situations. Subsequently, information about IVC variants may become critical if surgical injuries or predisposing conditions act as life-threatening risks to patients during medical procedures. We present a case of duplicated IVC in a 68-year-old female patient with rectal cancer where an IVC anomaly was found during surgical resection of her tumor. From our experience, we emphasize the importance of having the knowledge of IVC variations in patients undergoing invasive surgical procedures which may involve large vessels.
Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Female ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; Laparotomy ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Vena Cava, Inferior

The authors diagnosed a 54-year-old male as central mucoepidermoid carcinoma after undegoing clinical, radiologica l and histopathological examinations. The charateristics were as followed : 1. Clinically, the patient complained of the painless unilateral swelling of the left mandibular molar region and had a pus discharge through the fistula. Painful nodule was palpated on the scalp of the left frontal area and it was regarde d as a metastatic lesion. 2. Plain radiographs showed the ill-defined permeative radiolucent lesion. The osteolytic lesions were also detected in the cranial bone, number 9 and 11 ribs, scapula, and vertebral bodies. 3. The mandibular CT and PNS MRI showed the swelling of the left mandible and the enlargement of the several lymph node s of 1.5 cm in size. 4. Histopathologically, many solid epidermoid type cells were mixed with mucus-secreting cells and they were arranged i n duct-like structure. Most of them were epidermoid type, which indicates a high grade tumor. Mucins could be found in mucicarmine staining.
Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid* ; Fistula ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mandible* ; Middle Aged ; Molar ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Ribs ; Scalp ; Scapula ; Suppuration

The authors diagnosed a 54-year-old male as central mucoepidermoid carcinoma after undegoing clinical, radiologica l and histopathological examinations. The charateristics were as followed : 1. Clinically, the patient complained of the painless unilateral swelling of the left mandibular molar region and had a pus discharge through the fistula. Painful nodule was palpated on the scalp of the left frontal area and it was regarde d as a metastatic lesion. 2. Plain radiographs showed the ill-defined permeative radiolucent lesion. The osteolytic lesions were also detected in the cranial bone, number 9 and 11 ribs, scapula, and vertebral bodies. 3. The mandibular CT and PNS MRI showed the swelling of the left mandible and the enlargement of the several lymph node s of 1.5 cm in size. 4. Histopathologically, many solid epidermoid type cells were mixed with mucus-secreting cells and they were arranged i n duct-like structure. Most of them were epidermoid type, which indicates a high grade tumor. Mucins could be found in mucicarmine staining.
Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid* ; Fistula ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mandible* ; Middle Aged ; Molar ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Ribs ; Scalp ; Scapula ; Suppuration

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic colectomy has clinical benefits such as short hospital stay, less postoperative pain, and early return of bowel function. However, objective evidence of its immunologic and oncologic benefits is scarce. We compared functional recovery after open versus laparoscopic sigmoidectomy and investigated the effect of open versus laparoscopic surgery on acute inflammation as well as tumor stimulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 57 patients who were diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer were randomized for elective conventional or laparoscopically assisted sigmoidectomy. Serum samples were obtained preoperatively and on postoperative day 1. C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured as inflammation markers, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were used as tumor stimulation factors. Clinical parameters and serum markers were compared. RESULTS: Postoperative hospital stay (p=0.031), the first day of gas out (p=0.016), and the first day of soft diet (p<0.001) were significantly shorter for the laparoscopic surgery group than the open surgery group. The levels of CRP, IL-6, and VEGF rose significantly, and the concentration of IGFBP-3 fell significantly after both open and laparoscopic surgery. However, there were no significant differences in the preoperative and postoperative levels of CRP, IL-6, VEGF, and IGFBP-3 between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that both open and laparoscopic surgeries are accompanied by significant changes in IL-6, CRP, IGFBP-3, and VEGF levels. Acute inflammation markers and tumor stimulating factors may not reflect clinical benefits of laparoscopic surgery.
Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism ; Colectomy/*adverse effects/methods ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation/etiology/metabolism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/blood ; Interleukin-6/blood ; Laparoscopy/adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Sigmoid Neoplasms/*surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/blood

Spatio-temporal changes on c-Fos protein expression were investigated in vestibular compensation following unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) induced by injection of arsanilate into the middle ear cavity, chemical labyrinthectomy, or surgical labyrinthectomy in medial vestibular nuclei (MVN), prepositus hypoglossal nuclei (PrH), and inferior olivary nuclei (ION) of Sprague-Dawley rats. Number of spontaneous nystagmus in surgical labyrinthectomy group was 28.2+/-.2 beats/10 sec at post-op 2 hs and the nystagmus disappeared 76 hs after UL. In chemical labyrinthectomy group, spontaneous nystagmus occurred 6 hs after UL and increased up to maximum at 12 hs and disappeared 96 hs. Head deviation in surgical labyrinthectomy group reached a peak at post-op 2 hs and recovered to control level at 144 hs, but chemical labyrinthectomy produced head deviation 24 hs after UL and increased degree of the deviation over time till 144 hs. Expression of c-Fos protein in surgical labyrinthectomy group at post-op 2 hs was 81+/-9.4 cells in ipsilateral MVN to the lesion side and 212+/-0 cells in contralateral MVN, which showed severe asymmetry between bilateral MVN, and decrease of c-Fos protein expression was more in contralateral MVN than in ipsilateral MVN at 6 hs. Chemical labyrinthectomy expressed more c-Fos protein in contralateral MVN 6 hs after UL and in ipsilateral MVN 12 hs after UL, which showed asymmetry of c-Fos protein expression between bilateral MVN. And the expression in ipsilateral MVN of chemical labyrinthectomy group was increased gradually 48 hs after UL and reached a peak at 72 hs. In chemical labyrinthectomy group, expression of c-Fos protein in PrH was increased more in ipsilateral than in contralateral 6 hs after UL and more in contralateral 12 hs after UL, and ION showed more expression of c-Fos protein in contralateral than in ipsilateral 6 hs after UL through 72 hs. These results suggest that the course of vestibular compensation and the temporal expression of c-Fos protein in the brain stem nuclei following UL differed between surgical and chemical labyrinthectomy.
Animals ; Arsanilic Acid ; Brain Stem* ; Brain* ; Compensation and Redress ; Ear, Middle ; Head ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vestibular Nuclei

PURPOSE: An abdominoperineal resection (APR) has a poor prognosis. However, limited studies about the prognostic factors in APR and the role of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) have been performed even though in rectal cancer, the application of preoperative CRT provides better local control compared to postoperative CRT. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic factors and the impact of preoperative CRT in patients who undergo an APR. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted with a total of 133 patients who underwent an APR, cT3, cT4, or cN(+) patients, for rectal cancer between January 1995 and October 2004. Fifty-one patients treated with preoperative CRT (Group 1) were compared with 82 APR patients treated with postoperative CRT (Group 2). Oncologic outcomes were compared between the two groups, and the clinicopathologic factors affecting the treatment outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 61.2 mo (range 6 to 194 mo). Circumferential margin (CRM) involvement was significantly associated with local recurrence (LR) and with disease-free survival in APR patients (P<0.001, P=0.011). The 5-yr LR rate was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 (P=0.013) in the univariate analysis, but no difference was noted in multivariate analysis (P=0.315). In Group 1, CRM involvement, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis were significantly lower than they were in Group 2 (P=0.043, P=0.003, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: For achieving adequate oncologic outcomes in APR patients, an adequate CRM should be acquired with an optimal operation. In addition, preoperative CRT would be helpful for high-risk APR patients with a threatening CRM margin, providing the benefit of tumor downstaging.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to review the oncologic outcomes and the operative safety of a tumor- specific mesorectal excision (TSME) for resectable rectal cancer. The risk factors for recurrence and survival were analyzed, and the changes in the sphincter-preserving rate with time were analyzed. METHODS: A total of 1,276 patients with rectal cancer who underwent curative surgery between 1989 and 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. The enrolled patients were registered in the Colorectal Cancer Database and were followed prospectively. RESULTS: The pathologic stages were stage I in 330 (25.9%), II in 403 (31.6%), and III in 543 (42.6%). Postoperative complications developed in 263 patients (20.6%). The rates of anal sphincter preservation were 32.6% between 1989 and 1993, 56.8% between 1994 and 1998, and 69.4 % between 1999 and 2003. With a mean follow-up of 69.4 months, the overall local recurrence (LR) rate was 5.4%. The 5-year LR rates were 3.8% in stage I, 4.7% in stage II, and 8.4% in stage III (P=0.016). A multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors affecting LR were pN (0.005) and preoperatively increased serum CEA (P=0.008). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 93.8% in stage I, 84.5% in stage II, and 64.5% in stage III (P=0.021). A multivariate analysis revealed that the factors affecting cancer-specific survival were pN (P=0.012) and circumferential resection margin (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TSME for resectable rectal cancer showed acceptable operative morbidity and excellent oncologic outcomes. The trend toward sphincter preservation was obvious, and the shortening of the distal resection margin without deteriorating the oncologic outcomes was one of the major enabling factors.
Anal Canal ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: A colorectal carcinoma is the fourth most common malignancy in the world. Unfortunately, only approximately 20% of the liver metastases are resectable at the initial presentation. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been used for downsizing in unresectable disease. In addition, the use of newer biologic agents, such as cetuximab and bevacizumab, has much improved responses in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases. The aim of this study was to report on patients who had received a curative resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy including a molecularly targeted agent for unresectable colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: Following the neoadjuvant chemotherapy using cetuximab plus FOLFIRI (irinotecan and infused fluorouracil plus leucovorin) or bevacizumab plus FOLFOX (oxaliplatin and infused fluorouracil plus leucovorin), 10 patients with initially unresectable colorectal liver metastases underwent a curative surgical resection between September 2005 and June 2007. RESULTS: One patient underwent a right lobectomy, three patients a segmentectomy and five a wedge resection with or without radiofrequency ablation. With a median postoperative follow-up of 14 months (range, 1 to 22 months), five recurrences (50%) occurred. The common toxic effects were grade 2/3 skin toxicity (60%), grade 4 hematologic toxicity (20%), grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity (10%), and grade 3 neurologic toxicity (10%). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data suggests that neoadjuvant chemotherapy including a molecularly targeted agent may improve resectability in patients with initially unresectable colorectal liver metastases although a high recurrence rate exists. Randomized prospective studies comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy including a targeted agent in cases of unresectable colorectal liver metastases are warranted.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Bevacizumab ; Cetuximab ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Skin

PURPOSE: Expression of adhesion molecules is significantly correlated with the invasion and the metastasis of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study is to identify the importance of the expressions of E-cadherin and beta-catenin as a prognostic factor in T2 colorectal cancer. METHODS: Forty-five cases of primary T2 colorectal cancers were selected between February 1997 and February 2000. We evaluated the membranous expressions of E-cadherin and beta-catenin by using immunohistochemisty and analyzed the relationship with various clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: Loss of membranous E-cadherin was significantly associated with histologic differentiation (P=0.023), vascular invasion (P<0.001), lymphatic invasion (P<0.001), and lymph-node metastases (P=0.001). Similar patterns were observed in the expression of beta-catenin. The correlation between the E-cadherin and the beta-catenin expressions was statistically significant (P<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, neither the loss of expression of E-cadherin nor beta-catenin is a risk factor affecting lymph-node metastasis in T2 colorectal cancers. However, there were significant differences in the 5-year disease-free survival rates between the positive (+/-, +) and the negative (-) expression groups of E-cadherin and beta-catenin (P=0.015, 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that loss of membranous expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin molecules correlates with poor prognostic factors and indicates invasion and metastasis in T2 colorectal cancer, which, therefore, might be predictive of short survival in these patients.
beta Catenin ; Cadherins ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Risk Factors