Synovectomy of the knee in rheumatoid arthritis has been recommended as an effective procedure which improved symptoms such as pain, swelling, and limitation of motion. But some problems, such as limitation of range of motion, infection, long hospital days, occured in open synovectomy. Arthroscopic synovectomy yields reliable result compatible to open synovectomy with less invasiveness and postoperative morbidity. The authors analyzed 20 knees of 14 patients who has done synovectomy of knee in Kyung Hee University Hospital from September 1989 to October 1992. Of the 14 patients, thirteen were females and only one was male, ten knees were affected on the right and ten on the left respectively. Five knees were operated as open synovectomy and fifteen knees as arthroscopic synovectomy. In six patients, both knees were operated either open or arthroscopic synovectomies. The preoperative diagnosis of 20 knees were rheumatoid arthritis as clinically, serologically and radiologically, 13 knees are confirmed as pathologically. Average hospital days after operation were 19 days in open synevectomy and 11 days in arthroscopic synovectomy. Average operation time were 72 minutes in open synovectomy and 84 minutes in arthroscopic synovectomy. No complication occured as a result of these synovectomies. After average follow up of 19 monthes, 1 knee from 5 knees in open synovectomy and 3 knees from 15 knees in arthroscopic synovectomy had pain and intermittent swelling as postoperatively. And only 1 knee in open synovectomy had loss of range of motion. No other patients lost motion in their knees. Preoperatively 17 knees showed radiographic change of rheumatoid arthritis and 16 knees showed no progressive radiographic deterioration at final follow up. And patients overall showed a significiantly increased functional status postoperatively. In conclusion, the result obtained after arthroscopic synovectomy are comparable with those obtained after open synovectomy. In addition arthroscopic procedure had lessened postoperative morbidity as loss of range of motion, postoperative infection, long hospital days and useful as palliative surgery in advanced rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Male ; Palliative Care ; Range of Motion, Articular

PURPOSE: Several guidelines have been proposed for surveillance colonoscopy after polypectomy. However, some discrepancies still exist between the guidelines and clinical practice. This study was conducted to identify Korean doctors' recommendations for the colonoscopic surveillance interval after polypectomy. METHODS: A survey of the attendees at the symposium of the 64th Annual Congress of the Korean Surgical Society was conducted. When the prepared clinical scenarios were given, attendees answered using a wireless radio-frequency audience response system. All responders' results were automatically counted immediately. Frequencies of different answers to each question were calculated, and our results were compared with those of previous surveys performed using the same questionnaire in the United States or Japan. RESULTS: The number of responder varied from 38 to 41. About 50% of valid responders selected 'follow-up in 3 years' for low-risk lesions, such as a 6-mm hyperplastic polyp, a 6-mm tubular adenoma, or two 6-mm tubular adenomas. Responders most-commonly selected 'follow-up in 1 year' for high-risk lesions, such as a 12-mm tubular adenoma with high grade dysplasia or a 12-mm tubulovillous adenoma. The majority of Korean doctors recommend postpolypectomy colonoscopic surveillance more frequently than American physicians did. CONCLUSION: A discrepancy between the guidelines and clinical practice for the surveillance after polypectomy still exists in Korea. A surveillance program that can be easily and widely applied in clinical practice needs to be established.
Adenoma ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Japan ; Korea ; Polyps ; United States ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Carcinoid Tumor

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is the integration of laparoscopic minimally invasive surgical techniques with flexible endoscopy technology. Surgical treatment has been in constant evolution in the search for minimizing incisions, regardless of the complexity of the operation. NOTES represents another step in this ongoing progression toward less invasive procedures. The advantages of such an approach include reduced incisional pain, decreased wound complications, such as infections and hernias, improved cosmetic results, and potentially faster recovery and return to work. Until substantial improvement in NOTES instrumentation are made to optimize this approach, these procedures are likely to require laparoscopic assistance. Critics challenge the safety and advantages of this technique in the face of effective minimally invasive surgical options such as laparoscopic surgery. Here, we discuss the current NOTES status and techniques.
Endoscopy ; Hernia ; Korea* ; Laparoscopy ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery* ; Return to Work ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Lymphomatoid Papulosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Lymphomatoid Papulosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Tuberculosis*

In the article, Methods of Hematoxylin and Erosin Image Information Acquisition and Optimization in Confocal Microscopy, there was a typographical error in the title.

To clarify the exact role of endomyocardial biopsy in the diagnosis and monitoring of adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity and to observe the actual relationship between pathologic changes and cardiac dysfunction, a cross-sectional clinical study was conducted. Echocardiography was used to evaluate cardiac dysfunction in 18 patients who had received chemotherapy including adriamycin(mean dose : 410mg/m2 of B.S.A.) without clinical evidence of congestive heart failure, and in 19 normal controls. Six patients receiving adriamycin underwent 7 transfemoral endomyocardial biopsy procedures, and the specimens were evaluated by light and electron microscopy for evidence of drug-related cardiotoxicity. Indexes of cardiac systolic function obtained by M-mode echocardiography(left ventricular dimension, excursion of interventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall, shortening fraction and ejection fracton) did not show any statistically significant difference between patients who received adriamycin and normal controls. In transmitral flow-velocity curves recorded by Doppler echocardiography with a 2.25MHz probe, the patients showed less E peak velocity and decreased E/A ratio compared with normal controls, which suggests left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the patients who received adriamycin. All the specimens of the endomyocardial biopsy showed significant pathologic changes of adriamycin indnced cardiotoxicity which was characterized by myofibrillar loss and vacuolization of the cytoplasm. In 2 specimens, pathologic grade was II, while 5 specimens showed pathologic changes of grade III and further chemotherapy with adriamycine was not done in thse 5 cases. From these results it is suggested that pathologic changes precede the clinical onset of congestive cardiomyopathy in the patients receiving adriamycin and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction occurrs before ejection fraction falls to subnormal levels. We conclude that sequential endomyocardial biopsy is absolutely indicated for exact diagnosis and monitoring of adrinamycin-induced cardiotoxicity to prevent the development of irreversible and often fatal cardiomyopathy.
Biopsy ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin* ; Drug Therapy ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron

No abstract available.
Peripheral Nerves*

Desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma is a huge cystic tumor, typically occurring in the cerebral hemispheres of infants. The authors report a 4-month-old baby presented with increased head circumference, bulging fontanel, and the setting-sun sign. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a round mass with huge cystic component in the right cerebral hemisphere. Microsurgical gross total resection of the tumor was performed and pathological examination of the specimen showed features of desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma. The postoperative course was complicated by subdural hygroma which was managed by the placement of subduroperitoneal shunt. Although desmoplastic infantile astrocytomas are rare, it must be distinguished from other hemispheric tumors in infancy or childhood because of good prognosis.
Astrocytoma* ; Cerebrum ; Head ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis ; Subdural Effusion