This study was carried out in order to clarify the selection criteria of the surgical approaches and validate their efficacy in patients with vestibular schwannoma. The evolution and modification of the transpetrosal approach was evolved into combined approaches to vestibular schwannomas. These approaches have been advocated to reduce the mortality and morbidity as well as to improve the surgical results especially in large acoustic neurinoma. Having been stimulated with the fascinating preliminary surgical results of the suboccipital and combined transpetrosal approaches, we have builded up a decision making policy based on the tumor size and the preoperative hearing status for the surgical approaches to vestibular schwannomas. Between May 1996 and September 1997, 21 patients with vestibular schwannoma including one case of NF II underwent either suboccipital or various transpetrosal approaches. There was no surgical mortality. Gross total removal was achieved in 20 patients(95%). Facial nerve function was preserved in 19(90%) and hearing function in 6(46%) among the 13 patients who underwent hearing preservation surgery. The authors confirmed the validity of various transpetrosal approaches in this study and conclude that our policy on the surgical approaches to vestibular schwannomas is quite reasonable.
Decision Making ; Facial Nerve ; Hearing ; Humans ; Mortality ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Patient Selection*

The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of digital infrared thermographic image(DITI) in patients with surgically treated lumbar disc disease. A series of 480 patients with lumbar herniated disc was studied. The mean age of the patients was 37 years, with a range of 18 to 64 years. Of which 126 cases of chemonucleolysis. 18 cases of percutaneous endoscopic laser discectomy, and 336 cases of laminectomy with discectomy were performed. Among these patients, 336 cases of laminectomy were assessed by DITI preoperatively. The thermal differences(delta T) between the symptomatic and asymptomatic limbs were evaluated. We have categorized the types of herniations into 3 classes: 200 protruded, 99 extruded, and 37 sequestered. The thermal differences were classified into 3 groups: 177 patients had delta T < 0.5 degrees C, 74 patients had 0.5 degrees C < or = delta T < 0.8 degrees C and 85 patients had delta T > or = 0.8 degrees C. Among the group of patients with the sequestered disc, 30(i.e. 80%) had delta T > or = 0.8 degrees C. Among the surgically treated 336 patients, non-visualization of a part of the sciatic limb on preoperative DITI was the condition used to coin the term amputation sign by the authors. In the sequestered group, the "amputation sign" was observed in 28 cases(75%). We conclude that DITI can predict a sequestered disc disease, and it allows more precise indication regarding open surgery.
Amputation ; Diskectomy ; Extremities ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Laminectomy ; Numismatics

We conducted this study, to obtain basic data of lead concentrations in children of Ulsan industrial area and to evaluate the difference in blood lead levels between industrial area and suburban area. The study subjects were composed of 348 school children residing in industrial area and 100 school children of suburban area. There is no difference in age and sex distribution of study participants between industrial and suburban area. The obtained results were as follows: l. The geometric means of blood lead levels of study participants were 4.90 ng/dl, which is lower than current acceptable value 10 ng/dl. 2. The children residing in industrial area had the higher blood lead levels(5.26 ng/dl) than suburban children(3.81 ng/dl) with statistical significance(P<0.001).
Child* ; Humans ; Sex Distribution ; Ulsan*

A case of rare symptomatic cerebellopontine angle lipoma treated by surgical decompression is described. In this 28-year-old male with intermittent facial pain 17 years, a mass was noted in the right cerebellopontine angle on C-T and MRI. Partial removal of the mass was made for decompression of the lesion from the trigeminal nerve root entry zone. The surgical biopsy results was lipoma. This represents, to our knowledge, the first lipoma in the cerebellopontine angle reportes in the Korean literature.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Cerebellopontine Angle* ; Decompression ; Decompression, Surgical ; Facial Pain ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

Intracranial metastasis from primary extracranial neuroblastoma is rare and parenchymal involvement is even rarer. Its pathogenesis is uncertain and the outcomes from the previous reports during the past several decades indicate a uniformly poor. The operative findings of this case suggest that the neural crest derived tissues providing the appropriate "soil" to support CNS-metastasizing neuroblastoma. We report a case of cerebral metastatic neuroblastoma which has relapsed in adrenal gland and discuss its pathogenesis with review of the literature.
Adrenal Glands ; Brain* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neural Crest ; Neuroblastoma*

We report here on a case of a spinal extradural leiomyoma in a 67-year-old woman, and this tumor was in a very unusual location for a leiomyoma. Because the patient underwent hysterectomy for a uterine leiomyoma 20 years ago, we can speculate that the spinal lesion was a metastatic leiomyoma.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma* ; Spinal Cord

PURPOSE: Since the revised Cancer Act of October 2006, cancer registration was reactivated, based on the Statistics Law. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incidence of cancer during 2002 was calculated on the basis of the information available from the National Cancer Incidence Database. Crude and age-standardized rates were calculated by gender for 18 age groups (0~4, 5~9, 10~14, every five years, 85 years and over). RESULTS: The overall crude incidence rates (CRs) were 269.2 and 212.8 per 100,000 for males and females, and the overall age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) were 287.8 and 172.9 per 100,000, respectively. Among males, the five leading primary cancer sites were stomach (CR 62.4, ASR 65.7), lung (CR 45.4, ASR 51.0), liver (CR 43.2, ASR 43.7), colon and rectum (CR 30.7, ASR 32.7), and prostate (CR 8.0, ASR 9.6). Among females, the most common cancer sites were breast (CR 33.1, ASR 26.9), followed by stomach (CR 32.8, ASR 26.0), colon and rectum (CR 23.1, ASR 18.5), thyroid (CR 19.1, ASR 15.7), and uterine cervix (CR 18.2, ASR 14.7). In the 0~14 age group, leukemia was the most common cancer for both genders. For males, stomach cancer was the most common cancer in the 15~64 age-group, but lung cancer was more frequent in men 65 or older. For females, thyroid cancer among the 15~34 age-group, breast cancer among 35~64 age-group and stomach cancer in women 65 years or older were the most common forms of cancer for each age group. The quality indices for the percentage of deaths, by death certificate only, were 4.7% for males and 4.5% for females. CONCLUSIONS: Since the National Cancer Incidence Database was started, the annual percent change of cancer cases increased by 4.8% (4.1% for males, 5.7% for females) during 1999~2002. This value reflects the increase in prostate cancer for males and breast and thyroid cancer in females during 2002. The timely reporting of improved quality of cancer registration is needed for evidence-based decisions regarding cancer control in Korea.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cervix Uteri ; Colon ; Death Certificates ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Leukemia ; Liver ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Rectum ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor is extremely rare. Apart from rarity and large size, mediastinal germ cell tumors show striking similarity to testicular tumors in age, incidence, and tumor type. The symptoms associated with these tumors are related mainly to size, invasion of neighboring structures, and distant metastases. Tissue diagnosis is obtained by biopsy of the primary lesion or by biopsy of metastatic sites. Tumors often present with advanced bulky disease, which are unresectable. So these tumors require an aggressive multidisciplinary approach to management. Optimal management includes aggressive surgical debulking and early use of cisplatin-bleomycin-based combination chemotherapy. Serial biomarker measurements permit early recognition of recurrence and improved timing of surgical intervention. The prognosis for mediastinal germ cell tumors is poor, not only because they are far advanced at the time of diagnosis but also because some of the tumors-such as embryonal carcinomas, choriocarcinomas, and endodermal sinus tumors-are very aggressive. In these cases, we present three young male patients with large mass on anterior mediastinum. Tissue diagnosis was obtained by primary lesion biopsy. All patients received surgical debulking and combination chemotherapy and experienced a brief response and eventually had relapses. We report these cases with a review of literatures.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Embryonal ; Choriocarcinoma ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Endoderm ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Female ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Strikes, Employee ; Testicular Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The first Korean national population- based cancer registry using nationwide hospital-based recording system and the regional cancer registries provided the source to obtain national cancer incidences for the period 1999~2001. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incidence of cancer in Korea was calculated based on the Korea Central Cancer Registry database, data from additional medical record review survey, the Regional Cancer Registry databases, site-specific cancer registry databases, and cancer mortality data from the Korea National Statistical Office. Crude and age-standardized rates were calculated by sex for 18 age groups. RESULTS: The overall crude incidence rates (CR) were 247.3 and 188.3 per 100, 000 for men and women and the overall age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were 281.2 and 160.3 per 100, 000, respectively. Among men, five leading primary cancer sites were stomach (CR 58.6, ASR 65.6), lung (CR 42.1, ASR 50.9), liver (CR 41.9, ASR 44.9), colon and rectum (CR 24.2, ASR 27.3) and bladder (CR 7.7, ASR 9.2). Among women, the most common cancers were stomach (CR 30.8, ASR 25.8), breast (CR 25.7, ASR 21.7), colon and rectum (CR 19.6, ASR 16.7), uterine cervix (CR 18.4, ASR 15.5), and lung cancer (CR 15.1, ASR 12.4). In 0~14 age group, leukemia was most common for both sexes. For men, stomach cancer was most common in 15~64 age group, but lung cancer was more frequent for over 65 age group. For women, thyroid cancer in 15~34 age group, breast cancer in 35~64 age group, and stomach cancer in over 65 age group were most common for each age group. The proportions of death certificate only were 7.5% for men and 7.4% for women. CONCLUSION: This is the first attempt to determine the national cancer incidence and this data will be useful to plan for research and national cancer control in Korea.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cervix Uteri ; Colon ; Death Certificates ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea* ; Leukemia ; Liver ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Rectum ; Registries ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is commonly diagnosed using the semi-quantitative grading and staging system proposed by Brunt et al. in 1999. The Pathology Committee of the NASH established the nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) activity score (NAS) in 2005. The aim of this study was to elucidate the validity and reliability of the NAS in Korean NAFLD patients. METHODS: Fifty-six patients on whom sonography-guided liver biopsy for well-defined NAFLD was performed between 1999 and 2007 were identified retrospectively. Two pathologists evaluated each biopsy sample. NAFLD was evaluated using both the grading system developed by Brunt et al. and the NAS. Each pathologist was blinded to the patients' clinical data and scored independently. We evaluated the body mass index (BMI), liver enzymes, lipid profile, peripheral insulin resistance, leptin, insulin/c-peptide ratio, ferritin, and fasting blood glucose. RESULTS: The patients were aged 32.1+/-12.5 years (mean+/-SD) and comprised 44 males (78.6%). Patients with different grades at the two grading systems had mild steatosis or ballooning changes with fibrosis, and 36.6% of them were borderline cases (NAS of 3 or 4). The interobserver agreement on diagnostic category was 0.748 (P<0.001) for the NAS (using weighted kappa statistics). Elevated fasting glucose, ALT, and triglyceride were associated with the NAS. CONCLUSIONS: The simple and reproducible NAS was found to be a useful pathologic grading system in Korean NAFLD patients. However, the proportion of borderline cases based on the NAS was high. The "wait and see" strategy is necessary for evaluating the long-term prognosis.
Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Fatty Liver/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Female ; Ferritins/blood ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; *Severity of Illness Index ; Triglycerides/blood ; Validation Studies as Topic