Nine species of genus Ganoderma different in cultural characteristics each other were separated by histo-anatomical differences. Differences among the species and geographic distribution of G. lucidum were also analyzed to provide the criteria for the classification of Korean cultivation or wild type strains. Korean cultivation and wild type strains were quiet different from other species as well as Taiwan and North American G. lucidum strains in histo-anatomical traits of Ganoderma. Pore color of Korean G. lucidum strains was less brown than those of Taiwan and North American strains. Shapes of pores were round or circular in Korean strains but ellipsoidal or angular in Taiwan or North American strains. Pore numbers of Korean strains were more than those(4~6/mm) of Taiwan or North American strains. Hardness of the pileus of Korean strains was much more than that of Taiwan or North American strains. Such characteristics of Korean strains were different from those of other species of Ganoderma. Korean G. lucidum strains could be classified into the other group because they had many different traits in growth characteristics of fruiting bodies and histo-anatomical characteristics from those of Taiwan or North American G. lucidum and other species of G. lucidum complex.
Classification ; Cultural Characteristics ; Fruit ; Ganoderma* ; Hardness ; Reishi* ; Taiwan

Computed tomographic findings in fifteen cases of anterior mediastinal teratoma are presented and comparedwith radiographic , pathologic findings. Specific CT characteristics of anterior mediastinal teratoma arepredominantly fatty mass with a denser dependent element and globular calcification in a solid protuberance intothe cystic cavity. Six cases presented above described characteristic CT findings. Four cases presented waterdensity mass with surrounding thick wall. Fat and calcific densities were present in nine and seven respectively,so these findings are frequently absent. Thick wall was present in all cases. So thick walled cyst even in theabsence of fatty or calcific densities is highly suggestive of anterior mediastinal teratoma.
Teratoma

No abstract available.
Aorta, Thoracic* ; Blood Flow Velocity* ; Female ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Pregnancy ; Umbilical Arteries*

No abstract available.
Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Turner Syndrome

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Surveillance programs and imaging modality developments have increased the detection rate of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In particular, liver transplantation produces good results and is now regarded an alternative to liver resection. However, optimal treatment for small HCC is still debated, and thus, the authors designed this study to document clinicopathological characteristics, to identify the prognostic factors of small HCC, and to determine the effectiveness of surgery. METHODS: A total of 507 patients underwent curative liver resection for HCC between January 1996 and August 2006 in our institution. One hundred and thirty four of these patients with a single HCC of less than 3 cm and no gross vascular invasion were enrolled. RESULTS: Major resection was performed in 32 (23.9%) patients; there was no postoperative mortality. Fifty-eight (43.3%) patients experienced recurrence, 53 developed intrahepatic recurrence alone, and 50 (94.3%) of 53 had tumors within the Milan criteria. Five-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 51.0% and 77.3%, respectively. Microscopic vascular invasion, positivity for hepatitis B surface antigen or antibody to hepatitis C, and an indocyanine green retention test at 15 minutes of more than 10% were found to be significantly correlated with disease-free overall survival. A platelet count of less than 100,000/mm3 was the only independent prognostic factors of overall survival identified. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed favorable outcome comparable to the survival after liver transplantation, thus that liver resection appears to be the primary treatment option for small HCC, even in cases with poor prognostic factors.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis C ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Platelet Count ; Recurrence ; Retention (Psychology) ; Survival Rate

A Monokaryotic strain G8M without clamp connections was isolated from germinated basidiospore that was obtained from cultivated fruit body. Strain G8M was used as a tester isolate for 'dikaryon-monokaryon mating' (di-mon mating) with the strains of Ganoderma lucidum, G6 and G35 (Korean wild strains), G3 (Taiwan), G4 (Canada), G15 (America), G. oregonense G24, G. resinaceum G28, G. oerstedii G23, and G. subamboinense G29. Isolate G8M was compatible to Korean strains G6 and G35, but was incompatible to foreign strains G3, G4, or G15. Compatible reactions between strains were readily observed macroscopically. Clear barrage lines formed between incompatible strains. These clear lines were not apparent in compatible di-mon matings. The Korean strains were morphologically distinct; they did not form any chlamydospores, and stopped growth at 35degrees C. The strains of G. lucidum from Korea may be considered as different species from Taiwan, Canadian and American cultures.
Classification* ; Fruit ; Ganoderma* ; Korea ; Reishi* ; Taiwan

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the laparoscopic incidental appendectomy during gynecologic laparoscopic operation. Methods: This study was evaluated for the clinical analysis of 118 patients who underwent laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy(LAVH group, 65 cases) and LAVH with laparoscopic incidental appendectomy(LAVH + IA group, 53 cases) at the Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital from Oct. 1996 to Nov. 1998. RESULTS: The following results were obtained: 1) There was no significant difference between two groups in regard to age. The mean age was 45.7 years in LAVH group and 43.8 years in LAVH + IA group. 2) There was no significant difference between two groups in mean operative time. The mean operative time was 90.4 minutes in LAVH group and 97.5 minutes in LAVH + IA group. 3) The mean appendectomy time was 7.1 minutes. 4) The mean time recovering normal bowel activity was 46.2 hours in LAVH group and 45.8 hours in LAVH + IA group. There was no significant difference between two groups. 5) The mean hospital stay was 6.4 days in LAVH group and 5.7 days in LAVH + IA group. There was no significant difference between two groups. 6) The postoperative complications occurred in 11 cases(9.3 %). The serious complications of appendectomy was not found. 7) Of the 53 appendices removed, 5(9.4 %) were abnormal pathologic findings. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic incidental appendectomy during laparoscopic operation was not found to influence the operation time, hospital stay, gas passing time, but there is one case of wound infection due to incidental appendectomy. Therefore, a large number of study should be performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic incidental appendectomy during laparoscopic operation.
Appendectomy* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Protestantism ; Wound Infection

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pediatric patients has gained popularity due to better outcomes than open surgery. For this procedure, one-lung ventilation may be necessary to provide an adequate surgical field. Confirming lung isolation is crucial when one-lung ventilation is required. Recently, we experienced a case in which one-lung ventilation was confirmed by ultrasonography using the lung sliding sign and the lung pulse in an infant. Since lung ultrasonography can be performed easily and quickly, it may be a useful method to confirm lung isolation, particularly in emergency surgeries with limited time, devices, and experienced anesthesiologists.
Emergencies ; Humans ; Infant* ; Lung* ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted* ; Thoracoscopy ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: The use of mammographic screening has led to the early detection of breast cancers as well as the increasing incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and DCIS with microinvasion (MI). The biologic behaviors and management of DCIS and DCIS with MI remain uncertain and controversial. We designed this study to investigate the differences in clinical behavior and association with pathological parameter of both DCIS and DCIS with MI. METHODS: DCIS with MI was defined as DCIS with and invasive area of 1 mm or less in greatest dimension. We analyzed and compared the clinico-pathological features and treatment outcomes of 155 DCIS patients and 73 DCIS with MI patients. Chi-square test, student t-test and Kaplan-Meier method using SPSS 9.0 for MS-windows were used to verify the statistical significance. RESULTS: Both DCIS with MI and DCIS were most prevalent in women in the fifth decade, and the mean ages of the two groups were 45.0 and 46.8 years old, respectively. The primary tumors of DCIS with MI were more palpable (72.6% vs. 56.8%, P=0.032) upon physical examination and larger (3.1+/-0.21 cm vs. 2.6+/-0.12 cm, P=0.037) than those of the DCIS group. The rate of axillary lymph node metastasis was higher in the DCIS with MI group (8.3% vs. 0.7%, P=0.003). The DCIS with MI group was more commonly associated with high nuclear grade (50% vs. 28%, P=0.028). The DCIS with MI group was also linked with comedo type, although not to a statistically significant degree (67.6% vs. 52.6%, P=0.095). In terms of hormone receptor, there was no significant difference between the groups. There were three systemic metastases in DCIS patients and two DCIS with MI patients (P>0.05). There were no local-regional recurrences in either groups. The 8-year disease-free survival rates of the DCIS and DCIS with MI groups were 98.1% and 95.8% respectively (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: DCIS with MI has several clinical-pathological characterisitcs: more palpable on physical examination, larger in size, higher incidence of lesions with comedo necrosis and high nuclear grade. Examination of the axillary lymph node with less invasive techniques may be necessary in cases with suspicious invasion. Since DCIS with MI is thought to be a transitional disease entity between DCIS and invasive ductal carcinoma and has a metastatic potential, a careful histologic evaluation is necessary for the diagnosis of DCIS.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating* ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Mass Screening ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Physical Examination ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: We analysed CT findings of thyroid mass to determine the difference between a benign and a malignant mass and to evaluate the differential findings, if any. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 87 cases with apathologically proven thyroid mass (malignancy in 66 cases, benign mass in 21 cases). CT findings were retrospectively analysed. For the primary masses, bilaterality, size, margin, attenuation of the mass, spotty portion with distinct high attenuation(which may suggest calcification), necrosis, cystic change, solid portion within the cyst, and invasion of adjacent structures were evaluated. For the lymph nodes, size, high attenuated spotty portion, necrosis, cystic change, and solid portion within the cyst were evaluated. CT findings of thyroid masses and lymph nodes were evaluated in order to determine whether these were benign or malignant. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS: In malignant masses, compared with benign, an indistinct margin of the mass(48% vs 19%), invasion of adjacent structures(53% vs 0%), and associated lymph node enlargement(50% vs 0%) were more frequent. With regard to bilaterality, size, attenuation, high-attenuated spotty portion(which may suggest calcification), necrosis, cystic change, and solid portion within the cyst, there was no significant difference between benign andmalignant masses. In masses of the former type, enlarged lymph node or invasion of adjacent structure were not seen at all. When the papillary solid portionwithin the cystic mass was additionally evaluated, papillany carcinoma was the most common finding(77% 14\18). CONCLUSION: General findings of malignancy such as margin, invasion of the mass, and lymph node enlargement are of help in the differential diagnosis of a malignant mass. High attenuated spotty portion, which may suggest calcification within the mass, or size of the mass are non-specific findings, and are not helpful in differential diagnosis. The papillary solid portion within the cyst of the mass could suggest papillary carcinoma as a first possibility and could be helpful in differential diagnosis.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Lymph Nodes ; Necrosis ; Thyroid Gland*