No abstract available.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors*

A multitude of methods for correction of the residual cleft lip nose deformity have been developed. Inspite of the development it appears that no one procedure has achieved satisfactory results. In addition, the appropriate timing for surgical correction still remains unsettled. The philtrum plays a keyhole in the appearance of the upper lip and nostril sill. But the formation of philtrum with muscle flap or conchal cartilage have been resulted in a unsatisfactory aesthetic outcome. We performed 26 cases of the correction of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity between May 1993 and September 1996, and we always used autogenous palmaris longus tendon for reconstruction of philtral column and nostril sill augmentation. Palmaris longus tendon creates a more definite philtral unit comparing to other materials which have been used and it is easy to harvest and transfer and it does not affect normal function of the hand. And we followed up all patients and confirmed that disappearance of newly formed philtrum is rare. In conclusion, this study shows that autogenous palmaris longus tendon is a useful material for reconstruction of philtral column.
Cartilage ; Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Hand ; Humans ; Lip ; Nose* ; Tendons*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Life Style*

BACKGROUND: Aging is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and firmly established as a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. However the exact mechanism of age-related damage to the arterial wall and its relation to the atherosclerotic process are not well known.The endothelium plays an important role for the regulation of vascular tone and the endothelial function is impaired in the presence of risk factors early in the process of atherosclerosis. Assessment of endothelial function appears to be a valuable tool for the diagnosing and therapeutic monitoring of coronary artery disease. Anti-oxidants are known to improve endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis patients. The aim of this study was, (1) to evaluate the endothelial function in elderly, (2) to investigate whether vitamin C administration has benefit on the endothelial function in elderly. METHODS: The endothelial function was estimated using venous occlusion plethysmography(VOP) in 7 elderly and 7 young healthy volunteers. The strain guage was connected to plethysmograph to record the forearm volume change. A rapid cuff inflator was used to inflate the arm cuff to 40 mmHg instantaneuosly thus occluding venous return from the forearm. The measurement of forearm volume change was repeated for 7 times each stage. The change of the forearm blood flow(FBF) was measured with the acetylcholine infusion through brachial artery and also with intra-arterial vitamin C. RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation was significantly impaired in the elderly group compared to the young group(321 +/-17% in elderly group vs 509 +/-81%, mean+/-SEM) Forearm blood flow response to acetylcholine was significantly enhanced with inraarterial infusion of vitamin C in elderly group(321+/-17% in elderly group vs 78% in vitamin C) Coinfusion of L-NMMA, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, blunted forearm blood flow response to acetylcholine. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the mechanisms leading to drpressed endothelial function in elderly remains to be elucidated, our study shows that vitamin C result in demonstrable improvement by a mechanism that is probably related to antioxidant activity.
Acetylcholine ; Aged* ; Aging ; Arm ; Ascorbic Acid* ; Atherosclerosis ; Brachial Artery ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Endothelium ; Forearm ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; omega-N-Methylarginine ; Risk Factors ; Vasodilation* ; Vitamins*

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that thyroid stimulation blocking antibody (TSBAb) is involved in the development of early hypothyroidism after radioiodine treatment in patient with Graves disease. However, previous studies have reported the effect of radioiodine treatment on overall changes of TSH receptor antibodies without detailed observation of changes in properties of TSH receptor antibodies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of radioiodine treatment on thyroid stimulation antibody (TSAb) or on thyroid stimulation blocking antibody (TSBAb) activities and to see whether the appearance of TSBAb after radioiodine treatment is involved in the development of early hypothyroidism in patients with Graves disease. METHODS: The activities of TSAb, TSBAb were measured serially with human TSH receptor transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in 36 patients with Graves disease who received 131I treatment. In addition to the wild type TSH receptor-expressing cells, we used a chimeric receptor that 90-165 amino acid residues were substituted by those of rat LH/CG receptor (Mc2) for measurement of TSBAb without interference by the presence of TSAb and for evaluation of TSAb epitope spreading. We evaluated the association of early hypothyroidism after 131I treatment with changes of various immunologic parameters. RESULTS: In 14 (39%) of 36 patients, TSBAb activities were present in their sera before or after 131I treatment. Four of them had TSBAb activities before 131 treatment, and 12 newly acquired TSBAb activities after 131I treatment. The existence of TSBAb was not associated with the development of early hypothyroidism after 131I treatment but with low TSAb activities before 131 treatment, high thyroidal uptake of 131I given and with old age. The phenomena of epitope spreading measured by TSAb with Mc2 mutant clone before and after 131I treatment was not infrequent, but it had no clinical relevance. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the existence of TSBAb may be not a major factor in the development of early hypothyroidism after radioiodine treatment in Graves disease. Other factors such as TSAb activities before radioiodine treatment, the efficiency of thyroidal uptake of 131I or old age are associated with the development of early hypothyroidism.
Animals ; Antibodies* ; Clone Cells ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Female ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Ovary ; Rats ; Receptors, Thyrotropin* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin*

PURPOSE: The incidence of secondary malignancies in hematologic patients is known to be higher than it is in other patients. However, the characteristics of secondary malignancy and surveillance have not yet been established for colorectal cancer in leukemic patients. METHODS: From 1995 to 2007, 6,030 patients who were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM) were enrolled in this study. Among them, 9 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer at St. Mary's Hospital and were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Three of the 2,570 patients with AML, 1 of the 1,158 patients with CML, 2 of the 83 patients with CLL, 2 of the 422 patients with MM, and none of the 1,797 patients with ALL were found to have colorectal cancer. There were no operative mortalities, but 2 patients refused to have surgery. The ratio of observed to expected subsequent colorectal cancer in CLL was higher than it was in the other groups, indicating that the relative risk of colorectal cancer is higher in patients with CLL. CONCLUSION: Compared to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Result (SEER) program at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United State, we have the same high relatively risk in CLL patients. Careful attention should be paid to the possibility of colorectal cancer in CLL patients.
Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Hematologic Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Lymphoid ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Multiple Myeloma ; National Cancer Institute (U.S.) ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study involved a population-based survey to provide evidence of public awareness of risk factors of gastric cancer and to investigate attitudes for the screening of gastric cancer in the South Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a nationwide random selection method, 2014 subjects were enrolled in the study between 5 September 2006 and 25 September 2006. RESULTS: In terms of the awareness of risk factors, awareness was scored as the percentage of the probability of developing gastric cancer when a subject had a particular risk factor. For the risk factors, stress ranked highest with a score of 73.5%, followed by chronic gastritis (score of 72.1%), gastric ulcer (score of 71.2%) and a previous gastrectomy history (score of 68.7%). Other factors included a diet of charred foods (score of 67.3%), alcohol use (score of 65.3%), salty diet (score of 65.1%), history of smoking (score of 64.3%) and Helicobacter pylori infection (score of 57.5%). Subjects believed that 60.4% of all gastric cancers were preventable by lifestyle modification and the subjects believed that regular screening could prevent 72.1% of all gastric cancers. However, 54% of subjects did not receive regular screening and the most common reason for not undergoing screening was a lack of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Public education about the risk factors of gastric cancer and of lifestyle modifications and the importance of regular screening regardless of the presence of symptoms should be emphasized to reduce gastric cancer mortality in South Korea.
Diet ; Gastrectomy ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori ; Life Style ; Mass Screening ; Public Health ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach Ulcer ; Trout

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare fibrosing reactive process, which is characterized by diffuse or localized fibroblastic proliferation and chronic lymphoplasmacytic infiltration in the retroperitoneum causing compression or obstruction of the ureters, aorta, or other vascular structures. The majority of cases are idiopathic. A 35-year old woman was transferred for further evaluation and the management of a mass in the left adrenal area. She suffered from vague abdominal pain, which was dull, non-colicky and poorly localized. She had no obstruction of the ureters or vascular structures. The preoperative diagnosis was a tumor of the left adrenal gland. A solitary retroperitoneal mass was excised, which was proven to be localized idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. She was discharged on the 9th post operative day without any complications.
Abdominal Pain ; Adrenal Glands ; Aorta ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Retroperitoneal Fibrosis* ; Ureter

BACKGROUND: Myocardial contrast two-dimensional echocardiography(MC-2DE) has been known to have the real time capabilities for repeat in vivo assessment of ischemic risk areas and for evaluation of the myocardial perfusion. The aims of this investigation are (1) to evaluate the feasibility of MC-2DE for the delineation and quantitation of the area at risk. (2) to determine the relationship between the extent of the echocontrast defect area(EDA) during reperfusion and the size of myocardial infarction as determined by post-mortem tissue examination, and (3) to observe serial changes in the time echo-intensity characteristics of MC-2DE during coronary occlusion and reperfusion. METHODS: Myocardial contrast echocardiographic images were made by injecting bolus 5mL of two-syringe-agitated mixture of sodium meglumine ioxaglate(Hexabrix(R)) and normal saline(2 : 3 by volume) into the aortic root before and during coronary occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, distal to the first diagonal branch and during reperfusion on eight open-chest dogs. Two-dimensional echocardiographic short axis views were obtained at four anatomic levels : the apex, the low papillary muscle, the high papillary muscle and the mitral valve. The changes in EDA and echo-intensity with its wash-out half time(WHT) at the high papillary muscle level during coronary occlusion and reperfusion were measured every 15 minutes. The total EDA was measured by planimetry at 3 minutes after coronary occlusion and at 60 minutes after reperfusion. Evans blue or methylene blue were used for the measurement of the anatomic area at risk and triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride(TTC) for the measurement of the infarct area. RESULTS: The EDA measured 30 minutes after coronary occlusion(19.6%) was smaller than that at 3 minutes after coronary occlusion(24.0%, p<0.01). Then EDA at 3 minutes occlusion was strongly predictive of the anatomic extent of area at risk(EDA=0.48 Area at risk+16.95, r=0.84, p<0.05). The EDA at 60 minutes after reperfusion, which showed an irregular margin and was located within the subendocardium of the area at risk, also correlated well with the infarct area(IA)(EDA=0.78 IA+3.32, r=0.82, p=0.09). The peak echo-intensity in the ischemic area during coronary occlusion was significantly low(14.2+/-6.5 vs 73.8+/-31.7 in the non-ischemic area, p<0.01) and the WHT was delayed more in the ischemic area than in the non-ischemic area(23.2+/-2.8 sec vs 8.1+/-3.3sec, p<0.01). During the period of reperfusion, WHT in the previously ischemic area was markedly delayed compared to that in the non-ischemic area (p<0.01), although the peak echo-intensity in the ischemic area at 3 minutes after reperfusion increased modestly compared to that in the non-ischemic area(80.9+/-22.8 vs 72.7+/-8.4), suggesting the impairment in the transit of microbubbles is probably due to microvascular damage after reperfusion. There were no adverse hemodynamic or electrocardiographic effects after injection of the contrast agent. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that myocardial contrast echocardiography was useful as a non-invasive technique, first, to delineate the area at risk in vivo during coronary occlusion and, after reperfusion, the infarct area, and secondly, to evaluate indirectly the state of myocardial perfusion during coronary occlusion and reperfusion.
Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Coronary Occlusion* ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Evans Blue ; Hemodynamics ; Meglumine ; Methylene Blue ; Microbubbles ; Mitral Valve ; Myocardial Infarction ; Papillary Muscles ; Perfusion* ; Reperfusion* ; Sodium

Supernumerary derivative (22) syndrome is a rare genomic syndrome. It is characterized by severe mental retardation, microcephaly, failure to thrive, preauricular tag or sinus, ear abnormalities, cleft and/or high-arched palate, micrognathia, kidney abnormalities, congenital heart defects, and genital abnormalities in males. In 99% of the cases, one of the parents is a balanced carrier of a translocation between chromosome 11 and chromosome 22. To date, there have been about 100 case reports of supernumerary derivative (22) syndrome. In most of the cases, supernumerary derivative (22) syndrome was the result of 3:1 meiotic segregation in the maternal 11;22 translocation carrier. We now report a case of 47,XX, + der(22)t(11;22)(q23;q11.2) resulting from 3:1 meiotic segregation of the paternal translocation carrier.
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Ear ; Failure to Thrive ; Heart ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Kidney ; Male ; Microcephaly ; Palate ; Parents ; Trisomy