PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare conventional scissors and Harmonic Scalpel(R) hemorrhoidectomy. METHODS: Two hundred and five patients were prospectively assigned to two groups in the consecutive order. The group was divided into Group A (Harmonic Scalpel(R) excision; n=101) and Group B (conventional scissor excision; n=104). All other aspects of surgery and anesthesia were standardized. Intramuscular opiate was available on demand during the postoperative period, and analgesic requirements were also recorded. All patients noted their pain on a daily basis using a visual analogue scale (0=no pain; 10=worst pain). The length of hospitalization, operative time and postoperative complications were also analyzed. RESULTS: The operative time was 16.6 +/- 0.9 minutes 25.3 +/- 0.8 minutes in Group A and B, respectively (p<0.01). Length of hospital stay was 4.1 +/- 0.1 and 4.5 +/- 0.1 days (p<0.05). Pain scores in the group A were significantly lower than in the group B (p<0.01). Analgesic requirements were also significantly less in group A (p<0.05). Postoperative complications, such as urinary retention, fecal impaction and skin tags were rarer in group A. One patient in group A and two patients in group B developed secondary hemorrhage, but no patient had anal stricture. CONCLUSIONS: The Harmonic Scalpel(R) excision significantly shortens the operative time for hemorrhoidectomy with less blood loss and postoperative pain without remarkable early or late postoperative complications.
Anesthesia ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Fecal Impaction ; Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhoidectomy* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Pain, Postoperative ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Skin ; Urinary Retention

No abstract available.
Fertilization in Vitro* ; Superovulation*

No abstract available.
Esophageal Atresia* ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula*

No abstract available.
Prescriptions*

BACKGROUND: To analyze the morphologic characteristics of low density lymph node in etiologic differentiation of lymphadenopathy, emphasizing the different features between tuberculosis and lung cancer, on contrast enhanced CT scan,. METHOD: A total of 64 patients who showed low density lymph nodes on chest CT scan were analyzed. Primary causes were tuberculosis (n=28), lung cancer (n=27), malignant lymphoma (n=5) and metastasis from extrathoracic malignancies (n = 4). CT scan was performed with 10mm slice thickness and 7 characteristic features were evaluated: location,size, presence or absence of the nonnecrotic lymph node, calcification, perinodal fat obliteration, thickness and evenness of the enhancing rim. RESULTS: In patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy, lymph nodes with uneven (68.0%) and thick (62.1%) enhancing rim were more common than lung cancer (p<0.05). Low density lymph nodes with less than 1cm in size were found only in tuberculous lymphadenopathy(n=10). In 48.2% of patients with lung cancer, more than 1 nonnecrotic enlarged lymph node were coexisted, whereas 21.4% in patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy(p=0.06). However, the size, location and calcification were not statistically significant between tuberculous lymphadenopathy and lung cancer. CONCLUSION: Tuberculous lymphadenopathy is strongly suggested when enhancing rim of enlarged lymph nodes is uneven and thick, when the coexisting nonnecrotic lymph nodes are few in number and when central low density is encountered in normal sized lymph nodes.
Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed* ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Malformations*

This paper describes a case of intrapericardial teratoma in a 20-day-old female meonate, who suffered from cyanosis and respiratory difficulty. She was evaluated by echocardiography, chest CT and MRI, the suspected cyanosis and respiratory difficulty. She was evaluated by echocardiography, chest CT and MRI, the suspected intrapericardial mass was identified and surgically removed. The postopervative diagnosis was intrapericardial teratoma, grade II. This case is reported with brief review of some related literature.
Cyanosis ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Teratoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

This study focuses on the comparative and quantitative analysis of the epidemiologic trends and aspects of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) outbreaks between Korea and Japan from 2013 to 2017. The following factors were analyzed; cumulative incidence rate (CIR), cases-fatality rate (CFR), and the epidemic aspects, including cases related to gender, male-to-female morbidity ratio (MFMR), age, seasonal,and geographical distributions. We observed 607 SFTS cases with CIR in Korea during the period 2013 to 2017 were as 0.24 per 100,000 populations and with a 127 fatal-cases (F.C.s), corresponding to a CFR of 20.9%, respectively. During the same period in Japan, 319 SFTS cases with a CIR of 0.05 and with 60 F.C.s to a CFR of 18.8% observed. When compared, the CIR of SFTS in Korea was significantly higher than in Japan (P<0.01), but there were no significant differences levels of the CFR and MFMR between Korea and Japan. Also, a higher incidence of SFTS was observed in people aged over 50-years or elders in Korea and those of 60-years or elders in Japan (P<0.01). The seasonal distribution of SFTS outbreak cases showed that the incidence in summer through autumn in Korea (92.4% of total cases) was higher than in Japan (65.2%), while the outbreaks of SFTS in spring was much higher in Japan (31.0%) than in Korea (7.4%), (P<0.01). The regional distribution revealed no significant difference between the eastern area (44.8%) and the western area (46.8%) of the Korean peninsula except Jeju-island (8.4%). However,in Japan, the incidence only occurred in Chubu-Kinki-Chugoku (30.3%), Shikoku (25.7%),Kyushu (42.6%) and Okinawa (0.3%), which are the western and southern areas of Japan.These differences in SFTS occurrence may reflect the influences of vector/hosts, climate, and geographical and cultural characteristics between the two countries.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous chest wall abscess is a rare complication of tuberculosis. However, there have been few reports about the variable extents and shapes of tuberculous chest wall abscesses. We analyzed the extent and shape of tuberculous chest wall abscesses and grouped them according to combined pleuroparenchymal lesions by CT scans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT fadings were evaluated in 20 patients of tuberculous chest wall abscesses. We classified 29 abscesses in 20 patients into three types according to pleuroparnechymal lesions. Type 1 was defined when there was no active pleuroparenchymal lesion, Type 2, when intrathoracic tuberculosis was contacted with chest wall abscess, Type 3, when ipsilateral subpleural nodules were not contacted with chest wall abscess. RESULTS: The type 1 included 6 abscesses in 6 patients. They showed rib and/or postal cartilage destruction in their center. They were relatively large and round. The type 2 included 13 abscesses in 10 patients. The abscesses in contact with pleural lesion or mediastinal lesion were mainly located in the outer muscle layer, and they were relatively large in size, However, the abscesses in contact with parenchymal lesion were mainly located in extrapleural space. They were relatively small and they were longest along the long axis of ribs. The type 3 included 10 abscesses in 6 patients. They were located mainly in the extrapleural space. CONCLUSION: Tuberculous chest wall abscesses showed variable extents and shapes according to pleuroparenchymal lesions. CT is a good diagnostic modality to visualize the extent of tuberculous chest wall abscess and combined pleuroparenchymal lesion.
Abscess* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cartilage ; Humans ; Ribs ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a generalized connective tissue disorder of unknown etiology. Clinically, there is a broad spectrum of disease ranging from widespread severe skin thickening to skin thickening limited to the distal extremities. In rare cases of systemic sclerosis, no cutaneous change only with internal organ involvement has been reported, which is called ?ystemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc)?. We describe a patient with Raynaud? phenomenon, who showed intestinal pseudoobstruction as a presenting symptom but did not show any skin change. She had also an esophageal motility disorder, but other organ involvement was not evident. Antinuclear antibody was positive. Her obstruction symptoms were improved by decompression by nasogastric tube and pharmaceutical treatment with erythromycin and octreotide.
Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Connective Tissue ; Decompression ; Erythromycin ; Esophageal Motility Disorders ; Extremities ; Humans ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; Octreotide ; Scleroderma, Systemic* ; Sclerosis ; Skin