Authors evaluated the accuracy of preoperative pelvic CT scan staging and its effects on management in 12 biopsy proved rectal cancer patients. Authors also studied postoperative CT in 5 patients to detect disease recurrence and metastasis. Preoperative CT staging was identical to surgical and/or pathological staging in 9 patients (75%), but it was underestimated in two cases and overestimated in one instance than in surgical stagings. In 7 cases, CT scan did not alter original choice of procedures. However, preoperative CT staging gave definitive informations to change management plans in 5 cases otherwise the treatment would be difficult and inadequate. Postoperative CT showed local recurrence in one and liver metastases in 2 cases. One of them was not detected at exploratory laparotomy.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

No abstract available.
Mucocele*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of triple marker screening test in midtrimester pregnancy for fetal Down syndrome. METHODS: From October 1, 1996 to May 31, 1998 at Nowon Eulji Hospital, 3700 Pregnant women underwent serum tiple marker screening for Down syndrome during 15-20weeks of gestational age. The results of serum triple marker screenig tests for Down syndrome and the outcomes of pregnancies were retrospectively assesed. RESULTS: Sixty seven of 3700 cases(1.81%) were positive in screening test, and 3633(98.18%) cases were negative. Among 67 cases of positive screening test, 1 case(1.49%) was diagnosed as Down syndrome. Among 3633 cases of negative screening test, 4 cases(0.1%) were diagnosed as chromosomal abnormalies postnatally. Two of these 4 cases of chromosomal abnormalies were Down syndrome. CONCLUSION: With this results, sensitivity of triple marker screeing test for Down syndrome is very low as 33.3%. In order to increase the sensitivity, some compensatory adjustment is required in triple marker screening test.
Down Syndrome* ; Equidae ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies

Adequate dialysis is essential for improving dialysis therapies and reducing all-cause mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Efficient removal of the uremic toxins in the blood remains the fundamental role of dialysis therapies. Therefore, urea clearance as assessed by urea kinetic modeling (Kt/Vurea) is a surrogate marker for dialysis adequacy in ESRD patients undergoing dialysis, and the NKF-DOQI recommends a Kt/Vurea of no less than 1.2. The current status of dialysis adequacy in Korea has not been fully investigated. Our Clinical Research Center for End Stage Renal Disease revealed that the mean Kt/Vurea in maintenance hemodialysis patients was 1.49+/-0.28, and 91.5% of patients satisfied the target level of Kt/Vurea. In addition to Kt/Vurea, clinical parameters such as the volume status, residual renal function, blood pressure, acid-base disorders, anemia, nutrition, inflammation, mineral metabolism, and middle molecule clearance are important for determining adequate dialysis treatment. Further evaluation of clinical parameters is needed to improve dialysis adequacy.
Anemia ; Biomarkers ; Blood Pressure ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Urea ; Uremia

In order to evaluate the accuracy of endoscopic findings in the diagnosis of gastric can the endoscopic findings of gastric lesion were compared with the macroscopic and pathologic findings of excised identical lesion. 105 operated gastric cancer paitients (advanced cancer 95 cases, early cancer 10 cases) who were diagnosed endoscopically at Pusan National University Hospital from January 1983 to August 1987 were studied. The results were as follows; 1) The accuracy of endoscopic findings were 94.7% in the advanced gastric cancer, and 45.5% in the early gastric cancer. 2) The accuracy of gross findings endoscopic and pathologic in advanced gastric cancer were 50.0% in Borrmann type I, 45.0% in Borrmann type II, 73.2% in Borrmann type III, and 66.7% in Borrmann tyye IV. 3) The accuracy of the endoscopy ia morphologic classification of advanced gastric cancer according to pathologic tumor location were 60.0% in C (upper 1/3), 43.9% in M(middle 1/3),76.3% in A (lower 1/3), 55.6% in the anterior wall, 50.0% in the posterior wall, 66.7% in the greater curavature, and 67.2% in the lesser curvature. 4) The accuracy of endoacopy in morphologic classification of gastric cancer to tumor size ware 54.5% in below 2 cm, 54.5% in from 2.1 cm to 4 cm, 65.4% in from 4.1 cm to 6.0 cm, 80% in from 6.1 cm to 8 cm, 75.0% in above 8.1 cm. 5) The accuracy of endoscopy in the morphologic classification according to the pathologic tumor stage in advanced gastric cancer were 55.6% in TNM stage I, 52.0% in TNM stage II, 65.4% in TNM stage III, and 73,7% in TNM stage IV.
Busan ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Stomach Neoplasms*

9p Tetrasomy is rare chromosomal aberration that was described in approximately 30 previous patients in the world and this is the first described in Korea. Here we report a 3 month-old boy who was referred for genetic evaluation because of facial dysmorphism, such as wide fontanells, hypertelorism, bulbous nose, low set ears, cleft lip and palate. He had also psychomotor retardation and hypotonia. He was diagnosed as tetrasomy 9p syndrome by clinical feature and chromosomal study. Thereafter, increased growing of head size compared with body weight and height was observed and brain MRI shows hydrocephaly associated with remarkable hypertrophy of choroid plexus and mild Dandy Walker syndrome.
Body Weight ; Brain ; Choroid Plexus* ; Choroid* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cleft Lip ; Dandy-Walker Syndrome ; Ear ; Head ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Hypertelorism ; Hypertrophy* ; Infant ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Nose ; Palate ; Tetrasomy*

Mauriac syndrome consists of a triad of poorly controlled diabetes, profound growth retardation and hepatomegaly. We experienced a case of Mauriac syndrome in an 18-year-old girl who had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, short stature, hepatomegaly and central obesity. Also at the time of examination, she had complications of diabetic cataract and nephropathy. Fourteen years prior to admission, she was diagnosed as diabetes mellitus at a hospital. Thereafter, she had been managed with irregular insulin injection. On physical examination at admission, her height was 135cm(<3 percentile) and her weight was 39kg(<3 percetile). She was short and obese. The liver was 5 cm palpable below the right subcostal margin. Her sexual maturation was Tanner stage I. On ophthalmologic examination, the cataracts were observed on both eyes and diabetic retinopathy was absent. Diabetic nephropathy could not be confirrned by kidney biopsy due to her mother's refusal. We studied the hormonal, radiographic and histological abnormalities. The hormonal study was normal and the bone age was by delayed as much as 10 years. The liver biopsy revealed glycogen accumulation in hepatocyte. She was consistent with Mauriac syndrome. She was managed by strict diabetic control with insulin therapy, diabetic diet and intensive education. She was discharged with well controlled blood glucose. Five months later, growth acceleration and sexual maturation have not been observed, but hepatomegaly subsided. (J Korean Pediatr Soc 2000;43-837-841)
Acceleration ; Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Blood Glucose ; Cataract ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diet, Diabetic ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Disulfiram ; Education ; Female ; Glycogen ; Hepatocytes ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Insulin ; Kidney ; Liver ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Physical Examination ; Sexual Maturation

Among a number of innate receptors, the nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR) nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor families are involved in the recognition of cytosolic pathogen- or danger-associated molecules. Activation of these specific sets of receptors leads to the assembly of a multiprotein complex, the inflammasome, leading to the activation of caspase-1 and maturation of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-18, and IL-33. Among NLRs, NLR-related protein 3 (NLRP3) is one of the best-characterized receptors that activates the inflammasome. There is no doubt that NLRP3 inflammasome activation is important for host defense and effective pathogen clearance against fungal, bacterial, and viral infection. In addition, mounting evidence indicates that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a role in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including gout, atherosclerosis, and type II diabetes, as well as under conditions of cellular stress or injury. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in host defense and various inflammatory diseases.
Atherosclerosis ; Cytokines ; Cytosol ; Defense Mechanisms ; Gout ; Humans ; Inflammasomes ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-18 ; Interleukins

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, causing recurrent inflammatory and degenerative reactions involving the cartilaginous structures throughout the body. Generally, RP is known as multiorgan disease presented as auricular chondritis, arthritis, nasal chondritis, ocular inflammation, audiovestibular damage and respiratory tract inflammation. Major airway involvement occurs in more than 50% of the patient and has been reported to be the primary cause of death. Rarely, it may be presented with only respiratory symptoms without typical clinical manifestation of RP. We experienced a 64-year-old male patient with RP involving diffuse airway tract without other characteristic clinical manifestation and present here with a review of literatures.
Arthritis ; Cause of Death ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polychondritis, Relapsing* ; Respiratory System

BACKGROUND: The estimation of ADA activity in pleural fluid has been proved useful tool in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusions. However, there is controversy about its usefulness when estimated in bronchial washing fluid in the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. This study aims at evaluating the usefulness of measuring ADA activity in bronchial washing fluid of tuberculous patients as biochemical marker in the early diagnosis of the disease. METHODS: We examined the difference of ADA activity in bronchial washing fluid among the group I (tuberculosis group), group II (lung cancer group) and group III (control group). RESULTS: There was significantly higher bronchial washing fluid ADA level in tuberculosis group compared to the lung cancer and control groups(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that bronchial washing fluid ADA activities seem to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Adenosine Deaminase ; Biomarkers ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pleural Effusion ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*