No abstract available.
Gallbladder ; Gallbladder Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone*

Since its introduction into clinical practice in the 1980s, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been described as a good imaging modality for the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary diseases. However, differential diagnosis of certain lesions based only on B-mode ultrasound images can be challenging. Clinical use of ultrasound contrast agents has expanded the utility of EUS from that of detection to characterization of pancreatobiliary lesions based on the enhancement features of contrast-enhanced EUS (CE-EUS). Current low mechanical index techniques for CE-EUS using second-generation contrast agents have a number of distinct advantages over conventional diagnostic modalities in evaluating pancreatobiliary lesions, including real-time assessment of perfusion pattern, availability, and the absence of exposure to radiation. This article describes the technical aspects of CE-EUS and reviews the expanding indications in pancreatobiliary diseases and further development of this technique.
Biliary Tract Diseases/diagnosis/*ultrasonography ; *Contrast Media ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endosonography/*methods ; Humans ; Medical Illustration ; Pancreatic Diseases/diagnosis/*ultrasonography

Pancreatic cystic lesions are becoming more and more important because of the advancement of various kinds of imaging modalities. Endoscopic ultrasonography is recognized as an indispensible tool for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic tumors. High quality images enable us to identify the presence of septum, mural nodule, wall thickness and other internal details. Fine needle aspiration can give us more information about cystic fluid such as amylase, CEA, and cytology. For the treatment of benign pancreatic cystic tumors, endoscopic ultrasound guided ethanol lavage and/or paclitaxel injections are also tried and shows quite good therapeutic efficacy with minimum complications. The importance of endoscopic ultrasonography for the differential diagnosis and therapeutic decision making can not be overemphasized.
Amylases ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Decision Making ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endosonography ; Ethanol ; Paclitaxel ; Pancreatic Cyst ; Therapeutic Irrigation

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a very useful modality for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic masses. With the advent of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration technology, this modality has made a tremendous leap from imaging modality to histologic diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. EUS offers high-resolution images of and unparalleled access to the pancreas. After locating the tip of the echoendoscope in the duodenum or stomach, several drugs or local treatment modalities can be delivered directly into the pancreas. EUS-guided ethanol lavage with/without paclitaxel injection has been tested for the treatment of cystic tumors of the pancreas, with complete resolution of cystic tumor being observed in up to 70-80% of patients. Ethanol injection is also performed for the management of solid neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas. Various type of EUS-guided injection have also been investigated for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. An activated allogenic mixed lymphocyte culture (Cytoimplant) was injected in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. A replication-deficient adenovirus vector carrying the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene was also delivered intratumorally by EUS. ONYX-015 is an oncolytic attenuated adenovirus that exhibits replication preferentially in malignant cells, causing cell death, and this has also been injected into pancreatic cancers under EUS guidance. EUS-guided local ablation therapies such as radiofrequency ablation, photodynamic therapy, and brachytherapy are also under investigation. EUS-guided fine-needle injection for various solid or cystic lesions is a rapidly expanding field. This article reviews the various applications of EUS for the treatment of pancreatic tumors.
Adenoviridae ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Brachytherapy ; Cell Death ; Duodenum ; Endosonography ; Ethanol ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Lifting ; Lymphocytes ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Paclitaxel ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Photochemotherapy ; Stomach ; Therapeutic Irrigation ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Viral Vaccines

No abstract available.
Stents

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common malignancy occurring in the pancreas. This entity almost always shows fatal outcome and the complete cure is extremely difficult. The fatal outcome seems to be caused by the fact that this entity is usually diagnosed at its' advanced stage and the biological behavior is different from other curable types of malignancy. Endoscopic approach to the diagnosis of pancreas cancer comprises mainly of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Upon ERCP, pancreatic cancer usually shows stricture or complete obstruction of main pancreatic duct and distal bile duct obstruction in case of pancreas head cancer. Endoscopic brush cytology, forcep biopsy or pancreatic juice analysis can offer histologic diagnosis but the sensitivity is very low. Upon EUS, pancreatic cancer is usually observed as a hypoechoic or mixed echogenic mass and outer margin of the mass becomes more indistinct as the size of the mass increases. EUS can offer more accurate local tumor staging than helical computed tomography, in terms of nodal involvement and vascular invasion. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration can give additional histological information of the mass and therapeutic strategy can be modified according to the histology and EUS staging. EUS has limitations in the diagnosis of distant nodal involvement and hepatic metastasis. Endoscopic approach can detect pancreatic mass with high sensitivity and especially EUS can give detailed information about local tumor extent. However, physician should also understand the benefits and limitations of other imaging modalities such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and try to make more accurate diagnosis of the lesion and extent.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Cholestasis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis* ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Fatal Outcome ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatic Juice ; Pancreatic Neoplasms* ; Surgical Instruments ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

A clinical study was done on 42 cases of inpatients, who had been admitted for foreign body aspiration form January 1979 to June 1992. We obtained the following results by analysing the records of their treatment during that time. 1) 31(73.8%) of these cases were below the age of 3 years. 25(59.4%) were below the age of 2. The ratio of male to female was 2:1 2) In 23 cases(54.8%) onset of the symptoms and diagnosis was less than 24 hours after aspiration. 3) Most of the cases(83.3%) had a history of foreign body aspiration; 7 other cases did not. 4) The most common symptoms of bronchial foreign bodies were cough, dyspnea and fever, whereas those of laryngotracheal foreign bodies were dyspnea and cough, in that order. 5) Common complications were obstructive emphysema, pneumonia and atelectasis, in that order. These complications were observed more frequently in the cases of vegetable foreign bodies. 6) Chest X-ray at the time of admission showed obstructive emphysema (42.9%) and pneumonia(40.5%). 11 cases(26.2%) were normal. 7) The most comon site of foreign body enlodgement was the right main bronchus(38.1%), and 4 cases(9.5%) were discovered in other bronchial sites. 8) Vegetable foreign bodies occupied 54.8% of the cases, peanuts being the most common.
Arachis ; Child* ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Emphysema ; Female ; Fever ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Inpatients ; Male ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Thorax ; Vegetables

A oral inotropic agent, denopamine(TA-064, (-)-alpha-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl aminomethyl)-4-hydroxybenzylalcohol), was shown to have strong positive inotropic effect in experimental animals. To determine effects of denopamine on the left ventricular9LV) function and clinical features in patients with severe chronic heart failure who were treated with conventional regimens, denopamine(5mg 3 times per day for 4 weeks) was administered orally to 28 patients with chronic heart failure(22 dilated cariomyopathy, 6 ischemic heart disease) and systolic time interval, 2-D and Doppler echocardiognaphy were performed to evaluate LV function. Denopamine had no effect on LV dimension, volume and fractional shortening, and produced modest increase of ejection fraction and cardiac index, and modest decrease of PEP/LVET and cardiothoracic ratio in the cheat X-ray(PA view). The stroke volume was significantly increased (32.8+/-10.0 to 36.4+/-11.1 ml, p<0.05). Systolic BP was decreased (131.3+/-32.7 to 123.2+/-20.8 mmHg, p<0.05) with little change in diastolic BP and heart rate. Subjective symptoms and NYHA functional class were improved (71.4%, 67.9%, respectively). No adverse effect and ECG abnormality were noted. In conclusion, the addition of denopamine to conventional therapy improved clinical symptoms and caused modest increase of LV contractile function in patients with severe chronic heart failure without significant untoward effects. Therefore, the addinion of denopamine to conventional therapy may be an effective and safe method for the treatment of chronic congestive heart failure.
Animals ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Rate ; Heart* ; Humans ; Stroke Volume ; Systole ; Ventricular Function, Left*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the significance of increased bone density according to whether bone grafts were applied using demographic data with Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and to compare the bone densities between before and after implant prosthesis using the Hounsfield index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six randomly selected computed tomography (CT) scans were used for the analysis. The same sites were evaluated digitally using the Hounsfield scale with V-Implant 2.0(TM), and the results were compared with maxillary posterior bone graft. Statistical data analysis was carried out to determine the correlation between the recorded Hounsfield unit (HU) of the bone graft and implant prosthesis using a Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon Matched-pairs test. RESULTS: The bone grafted maxillary posterior teeth showed an increase in the mean values from-157 HU to 387 HU, whereas non-grafted maxillary posterior teeth showed an increase from 62 HU to 342 HU. After implantation, the grafted and non-grafted groups showed significantly higher bone density than before implantation. However, the grafted group showed significantly more changes than the non-grafted group. CONCLUSION: Bone density measurements using CBCT might provide an objective assessment of the bone quality as well as the correlation between bone density (Hounsfield scale) and bone grafts in the maxillary molar area.
Bone Density ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Dental Implants ; Molar ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tooth ; Transplants