Background: Fine needle aspiration and biopsy(FNAB) has known the most accurate test(about 90%) in the preoperative evaluation of patients with a thyroid nodule. The false negative findings of thyroid cancer by FNAB are mainly due to the aspiration of cystic fluid in cystic degeneration of thyroid cancer and the ipossibility of differentiation between follicular adenoma and carcinoma by aspiration or FNAB because of the failure to evaluate the capsule invasion or angioinvasion of the tumor. Actually more than 80% of the nodules are found as benign nodules in aspiration or FNAB and the findings of follieular lesions are found about half of the samples tested, so limiting the cancer incidence in surgically resected samples up to 50% of the surgical resection. Sa reasonable guidelines to manage the benign nodules on aspiration or FNAB are needed which can select the maligna~nt nodules with false negative findings on aspiration or FNAB. We tried to evaluate whether the thyroxine suppression therapy can increase the malignancy rates on thyroidectomy, Methods: We treated the benign thyroid nodules in FNAB with thyroxine for 1 year and cornpared the nodule volume change before and after treatment (every 6 month) with ultrasonogram. We performed thyroidectomy on 1~7 thyroid nodules wbich showed less than 50% decrease of nodule volume after 1 year of thyroxine suppression therapy. Results: The results were as follows. 1) Of all 17 patients, surgical resection revealed malignant thyroid nodule(Group I) in 10 cases (58.82%, papillary cancer. 6 cases, follicular cancer: 4 cases) and benign thyroid nodule(Group II) in 7 cases(41.18%, follicular adenoma: 4 cases, adenomatous goiter: 3 cases). 2) Between group I and II, there was no significant differences in serum T, T and TSH levels before and after thyroxine suppression therapy. Also, there were no significant difference in TSH suppression % between group I and group II(5.60+5.39%, 14.64+11.48%, respectively). 3) Thyroid nodule volume decrease percent before and after thyroxi~ne therapy showed no significant difference between group I and group II (124.80+54.18% vs 159.42+79.82%, p>0.05). Conclusion: Our data suggested that the benign thyroid nodules on aspiration or FNAB which were not suppressed in volume after thyroixine therapy revealed more than 50% incidence of malignancy on surgical resection, so these nodules were highly reeommended to surgical exploration.
Adenoma ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Goiter ; Humans ; Incidence ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyroxine ; Ultrasonography

The degenerative spondylolisthesis is one of the most common causes of the prominent central and recess stenosis which are produced by the hypertrophy of the facet joints and anterior slipping of the posterior arch. The resulting neurogenic symptoms in the legs are the major causes of the surgical treatment in the degenerative spondylolisthesis and the complete decompression is indicated for these types of spinal stenosis. The decompression procedures performed in the degenerative spondylolisthesis makes more unstable and induce the late instability and the post
Clinical Study ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Daegu ; Decompression ; Decompression, Surgical ; Hypertrophy ; Korea ; Leg ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Clinical trials were done to obtain ifnormation on the clinical efficacy, tolerance and side effects of a new antihistarnine, Mecloprodine(Tavegyl), in various skin disordetrs. A total of 48 patients suffered from various skin disorders as urticaria, eczema etc. v ere treated with 2mg. daily for 3 days to 15 days according to state of disorders. The results are as follows. 1. Improvement was noticed in 79.2% of total patients(38/48). 2. Tavegyl was efiective in all 8 cases of acute urticaria and most cases(7/8) of urticaria factitia. 3. Among 19 cases of chronic urticaria, improvement was noticed in 13 cases(68. 49). Improvement was alsa noticed in all 6 cases of eczema. 5. Drowsiness and weakness cccurred in 6.2% of cases(3/48).
Clemastine* ; Eczema ; Humans ; Skin ; Sleep Stages ; Urticaria

Foreign body ingestion in children is commonly encountered and this usually resolves spontaneously. Single magnet ingestion usually does not need additional medical treatment. However, multiple magnets can attract each other in intestinal loops and several complications can develop such as bowel obstruction and fistula formation. In this situation, endoscopic and/or surgical intervention is inevitably required. Therefore, making the correct diagnosis is needed for cases of magnets ingestion, and this should be done as soon as possible for children. We report here on a case of gastroduodenal fistula and duodenal obstruction caused by the interaction of four magnets.
Child ; Duodenal Obstruction ; Eating ; Fistula ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Intestinal Fistula ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Magnets

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There have been some reports suggesting that the malignant and benign clinical courses are separable on the basis of HPV subtypes in the sinonasal inverted papilloma. The E6 protein of high risk HPV subtype including types 16 and 18 is known to be associated with p53. The viral E6 protein-p53 complex is responsible for the functional loss of p53 which then becomes immunohistochemically negative. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of HPV in this neoplasm and evaluate the relationship between expressions of the oncogenes and HPV. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The material was composed of 11 cases of inverted papilloma and 7 cases which were associated with carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for p53 was performed. A molecular study of the E6 gene of HPV DNA types 6, 11, 16 and 18 was also performed with separate nest-PCR on squamous cell lesions stainned p53 and papillomatous lesions by use of microdissection technique with paraffin embedded materials. RESULTS: The carcinomatous and dysplastic areas were diffusely positive for p53 in all cases associated with carcinoma, whereas the control group was negative for p53. HPV types 6 and 11, generally known as the lower risk types were presented in the 80% of all cancers and papilloma lesions. A HPV DNA type 18 was solely positive in 2 cases on the p53 overexpressed lesion, associated with carcinoma. CONCLUSION: p53 and HPV may be involved in the pathogenesis of malignant transformation in the inverted papilloma. Therefore, it can be disproved that the HPV subtypes are directly related to either benign or malignant clinical course. However, functional loss of the wild type p53 gene is deeply associated with malignant transformation. In addition to the classical E6 of HPV 16,18-p53, another mechanism could be involved in the functional inactivation of p53.
DNA ; Genes, p53 ; Humans* ; Microdissection ; Oncogenes ; Papilloma* ; Papilloma, Inverted* ; Paraffin ; Prevalence

The authors present two cases of ruptured intercraial aneurysm s associated with nearly total destruction of kidney function due to polycystic kindney in one aged 35 years and the other aged 53 years. One patient had a aneurysm on anterior communicating artery and the other had three aneurysms located in cavenous and bifurcated portions of internal carotid artery, and anterior communicating artery. They were successfully treated by a direct surgical approach. We stress surgical management in a state of good consciousness regardless of poor kidney function, because the risk of early death by rebleeding is seemed to be higher than that by renal failure or others.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Consciousness ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Kidney ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases* ; Renal Insufficiency

BACKGROUND: Benign pathologic findings are shown in 800% of thyroid nodules by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or needle biopsy. About half of these benign nodules are follicular lesions which are presented only as thyroid follicles or thyroid cell clumps. Differential diagnosis of follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma and adenomatous goiter is impossible by FNAC or needle biopsy. Thyroxine suppression therapy has been performed traditionally in order to discriminate malignant nodules, but few studies are available which confirmed the efficacy of thyroxine suppression therapy in thyroid nodules of those the initial pathologic findings were follicular lesions. So we tried to evaluate the efficacy of thyroxine suppression therapy in benign thyroid nodules and also the incidence of thyroid cancer of the thyroid nosules which were not decreased on thyroxine suppression therapy after surgical resection. METHODS: Total 1027 patients with thyroid nodules were evaluated by FNAC or needle biopsy at Soonchunhyang university hospital from 1990 to 1996. Among 1027 patients, 507 patients showed follicular lesions in FNAC or needle biopsy and they received thyroxine suppression therapy. Thyroid nodule volume was measured before and after thyroxine suppression therapy using ultrasonography. We studied 184 patients who were followed up for more than 1 year. Serial changes of thyroid function tests, thyroid nodule volume, serum thyroglubulin (Tg) level before and after therapy were analyzed. RESULTS: l. In 80 (43.5%) of the 184 patients, nodule volumes decreased more than 50 percent after thyroxine suppression therapy. 2. There was no significant difference in serum T3, T4, TSH levels before and after thyroxine suppression therapy between group I (nodule volume decreased less than 50%) and group II (nodule volume decreased more than 50%). 3. In group II patients, thyroid nodule volumes were decreased continuously at 12 month, 18 month and 30 month after thyroxine suppression (p<0.05). 4. There was no significant difference between the group I and group II in the frequency of multiple thyroid nodules on ultrasonography. 5. Among 37 patients who underwent thyroidectomy, 19 cases (51.4%) were revealed as malignant thyroid nodules (papillary cancer 4 cases, follicular cancer 15 cases). Eighteen cases (48.6%) were revealed as benign thyroid nodules (follicular adenoma 10 cases, adenomatous goiter 8 cases). 6. There was no significant difference in the frequency of multiple nodules on ultrasonography between benign and malignant nodules. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested thyroxine suppression therapy was effective in discriminating malignant thyroid nodules from benign nodules, especially in selecting follicular carcinoma from follicular lesion by FNAC or biopsy.
Adenoma ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Biopsy, Needle ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Goiter ; Humans ; Incidence ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyroxine* ; Ultrasonography

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare and challenging malignancy. In patients with residual MTC, the tumor detection rate is generally low for most of the currently available imaging techniques. Various imaging methods have already been used for the detection of residual tumor, but no modality has been shown to be superior to others. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) has recently been proposed to identify residual MTC, but this procedure also has limitations as small masses are rarely detected. So, a multimodality imaging approach is recommended for detecting residual MTC. We report here on a case of residual MTC that was detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT in a patient with persistent hypercalcitoninemia after total thyroidectomy and bilateral lymph node dissection.
Calcitonin ; Electrons ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of cardiac MDCT for the evaluation of cardiac function and morphology of mitral valve replacement (MVR) with or without subvalvular preservation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with (n = 10) or without (n = 6) subvalvular sparing and control subjects (n = 6) were evaluated using 16-slice MDCT (Sensation 16, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Images of MDCT were reconstructed for the evaluation of cardiac morphology and ventricular function. Patients were compared with respect to variables such as ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and the diastolic-systolic left ventricular area ratio on a short-axis view at apical, mid-ventricular, and basal levels. RESULTS: The average values for cardiac function variables for control subjects and after MVR (with subvalvular preservation versus without subvalvular preservation) were, respectively, 54 +/- 8%, 54 +/- 7% and 44 +/- 6 %, for EF; 91 +/- 28 ml, 108 +/- 35 ml and 99 +/- 33 ml for EDV; 43 +/- 19 ml, 52 +/- 24 ml and, 56 +/- 21 ml for ESV. The area ratio was 2.56, 2.75, 2.09 at the apex; 2.20, 2.17, 1.56 at the mid-ventricular level; 1.90, 1.87, 1.76 at the basal level, respectively. Mid ventricular contraction for patients following subvalvular resection was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MDCT is a useful diagnostic modality for functional and morphologic evaluation of MVR.
Contracts ; Heart ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Ventricular Function ; Ventricular Function, Left

Delayed or enlarged lesions in head injury are potentially preventable events which worsen overall prognosis. We investigated the incidence and risk factors of these lesions in 240 head injured patients examined by repeated computerized tomographic(CT) scans from January 1989 to December 1990. Overall, delayed or enlarged lesions were found in 95 patients(39.6%) Intracerebral hemorrhage was the most common lesion(37 cases):Subdural(17 cases), epildural hematoma(16 cases), subdural hygroma(15 cases), cerebral swelling(6 cases), hydrocephalus(4 cases), and infarction(2 cases) followed in that order. These lesions occurred 3 days of initial scan in 64 patients(67.4%). Predictors were a low Glasgow Coma Scale score, abnormal papillary response, low or high blood pressure, hypoxia and previous infusion of large amounts of mannitol. Acute subdural hematoma was the most common initial lesion, heralding delayed or enlarged lesions in 50% of cases. Intracerebral hemtomas or contusion followed by next most common lesions. Incidence of delayed or enlarged lesions also differed according to therapy:decompressive craniectomy with these lesions in 82.8%. Mortality rate in patient who had delayed or enlarged lesions(35.5%) was 5.6 times higher than patient who did not have such lesions(6.3%). Delayed or enlarged lesions are relatively common. Patients with risk factors for delayed or enlarged lesions should be adequately monitored before overt clinical deterioration.
Anoxia ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Contusions ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Head* ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Mannitol ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors*