No abstract available.
Thoracoscopy*

PURPOSE: Retrospective studies were carried out to evaluate the usufulness of CT in differentiating benign or malignant intrahepatic duct(IHD) dilatation due to extrahepatic duct(EHD) obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 75 cases of IHD dilatation, 35 cases(47%) which did not show causative lesion on CT were classified into central or peripheral type according to the extent of the dilatation and into pruned or beaded form according to its pattern. We considered central type or pruned form as a benign feature while peripheral type or beaded from as a malignant feature. Predictions of benignancy or malignancy were made according to the pattern and the extent of IHD dilatation. In all 75 cases, maximum caliber of IHD at portal vein bifurcation were examined. RESULTS: In regard to the classification of the extent, 80% (28 out of the 35 cases:11 of 15 cases of benignancy and 17 of 20 cases of malignancy) of our prediction was correct. As to the classification of the pattern, similar results(82% correct prediction) were obtained(14 out of 17 cases):ln 15 cases of benignancy, we observed six cases of pruning and 1 case of beading. Among the 20 cases of malignancy, two cases of pruning and eight cases of beading of IHD dilatation were observed. Mean diameters of IHD at portal vein bifurcation were 10.1ram in benignancy and 15.1mm in malignancy.(Diameters less than 11mm was suggestive of benignancy(alpha =0.05). CONCLUSION: Evaluation of the extent, the pattern, and the degree of IHD dilatation is necessary in differential diagnosis of benignancy and malignancy of EHD obstruction. We conclude that CT is a useful tool for this purpose of differential diagnosis of the benignancy and the malignancy of extrahepatic biliary obstruction.
Classification ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dilatation* ; Portal Vein ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

PURPOSE: MR is the most useful imaging method in evaluating the anatomic changes of the optic chiasm (OC). The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the OC displacement and visual manifestations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 44 patients who showed displacement of OC on brain MR. The pattern of OC displacement was classified into 3 groups according to following criteria: group A included the patients with OC displacement only due to empty sella;group B represented the patients with OC displacement by a lesion and the border between the lesion and OC was distinct;and group C was the patients with OC displacement by a lesion and had a indistinct border or thinning of the OC. RESULTS: Visual symptoms and signs were noted in 12 patients and the most common sign was bitemporal hemianopsia. In group A(7 patients), the visual symptoms and signs were seen in only one patient(14%), in whom contracted visual fields persisted since previous pituitary apoplexy had developed. In group B(30 patients), the visual symptoms and signs were seen in 4 patients(13%) who had tumorous conditions except one case of cysticercosis. In group C(7 patients), the visual symptoms and signs were seen in all patients (100%). CONCLUSION: The more OC is compressed, the more the prevalence of visual symptoms and signs increases. However, there was no correlation between the occurrence of visual symptoms and the presence of OC displacement only without compression.
Brain ; Cysticercosis ; Hemianopsia ; Humans ; Optic Chiasm* ; Pituitary Apoplexy ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Fields

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma (PHG) is a rare disease that usually presents with multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules and characteristic histological findings, with hyalinized collagen lamellae. Because of the absence of characteristic radiologic and clinical features, PHG is usually diagnosed after surgical resection or biopsy. We performed thoracoscopic wedge resection for a pulmonary nodule located in the right lower lobe that proved to be PHG histopathologically. We report two cases along with a review of the literature.
Biopsy ; Collagen ; Granuloma ; Hyalin ; Rare Diseases

Coarctation of aorta(CoA) has been recognized to be cured by corrective operation, so many clinicians have discontinued follow-up early. However, high incidences of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, of which causes have been known as persistent resting hypertension and exercise-induced hypertension after corrective operation, have been reported during long-term follow-up. And left ventricular mass increase associated with persistent resting hypertension and exercise-induced hypertension has been known as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. So, even for successfully operated CoA patients, increased left ventricular mass as well as resting hypertension and exercise-induced hypertension must be detected early and normalized through persistent observation to adulthood.
Aortic Coarctation ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Ventricles* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Risk Factors

Traffic accident leaves various traces on vehicle, road or pedestrians and these can be viewed as the failure mechanism of relatively moving obstacles. This paper introduces tribology and fractography, which are the parts of failure mechanics, as a means of theoretical analysis and approaching methods on the traffic accident. Actual specific traces are introduced as illustrations of tribology and fractogrphy. A verified traffic accident is also introduced as a case report.
Accidents, Traffic ; Mechanics

Nevus sebaceus is a congenital cutaneous hamartoma which has a potential to develop both benign and malignant neoplasm in late life. The most common benign tumor developed within the nevus is syringocystadenoma papilliferum and the most common malignant tumor basal cell epithelioma. Although two different tumors often develop simultaneously on the lesion, it is rare to see more than two different tumors developing on the lesion of nevus sebaceus. In Korean literatures only three such cases were reported. We report an additional case of nevus sebaceus developing three different tumors, syringocystadenoma papilliferum, sebaceous epithelioma, and basal cell carcinoma, in a 67-year-old female patient.
Aged ; Carcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Female ; Hamartoma ; Humans ; Nevus*

PURPOSE: The advent of laparoscopic abdominal surgery made it possible to perform a laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). We have successfully performed 10 such operations since November 21, 1995. We retrospectively compared the effectiveness and the safety of a laparoscopic adrenalectomy with the effectiveness and the safety of an open adrenalectomy (OA). METHODS: The 45 patients with adrenal diseases who underwent an adrenalectomy from March 1990 to January 1998 were included in this study. Ten (10) laparoscopic cases comprised the study group, and 17 of the 32 open adrenalectomy cases, performed by anterior approach, comprised the control group. RESULTS: No one died from an adrenalectomy. Nine cases (45%) from the OA group needed transfusions (average: 661 ml), but one patient from the LA group, who had required a conversion to a celiotomy, required a transfusion (400 ml). The operating times were, on average, 191 minutes in the OA group and 230 minutes in the LA group (p=0.0384). The average size of the masses was 6.5 cm. The first days of walking after the operation was 3.4 days for the OA group and 1.3 days for the LA group (p=0.0002). The patients' former regular diets were started on days 6.9 and 3.2 for the OA and LA groups, respectively (p=0.0001). Postoperative in-hospital days were 17.5 for the OA group and 7.9 for the LA group (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: In comparison with an open adrenalectomy, a laparoscopic adrenalectomy showed better convalescent features: that is, less chance of transfusion, earlier recovery, faster resumption of the former diet, shorter postoperative hospital stays, and cosmesis. We think and suggest that a laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe and effective procedure, and hopefully it will become the standard choice of operation for various adrenal diseases.
Adrenalectomy* ; Diet ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies ; Walking

PURPOSE: The advent of laparoscopic abdominal surgery made it possible to perform a laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). We have successfully performed 10 such operations since November 21, 1995. We retrospectively compared the effectiveness and the safety of a laparoscopic adrenalectomy with the effectiveness and the safety of an open adrenalectomy (OA). METHODS: The 45 patients with adrenal diseases who underwent an adrenalectomy from March 1990 to January 1998 were included in this study. Ten (10) laparoscopic cases comprised the study group, and 17 of the 32 open adrenalectomy cases, performed by anterior approach, comprised the control group. RESULTS: No one died from an adrenalectomy. Nine cases (45%) from the OA group needed transfusions (average: 661 ml), but one patient from the LA group, who had required a conversion to a celiotomy, required a transfusion (400 ml). The operating times were, on average, 191 minutes in the OA group and 230 minutes in the LA group (p=0.0384). The average size of the masses was 6.5 cm. The first days of walking after the operation was 3.4 days for the OA group and 1.3 days for the LA group (p=0.0002). The patients' former regular diets were started on days 6.9 and 3.2 for the OA and LA groups, respectively (p=0.0001). Postoperative in-hospital days were 17.5 for the OA group and 7.9 for the LA group (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: In comparison with an open adrenalectomy, a laparoscopic adrenalectomy showed better convalescent features: that is, less chance of transfusion, earlier recovery, faster resumption of the former diet, shorter postoperative hospital stays, and cosmesis. We think and suggest that a laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe and effective procedure, and hopefully it will become the standard choice of operation for various adrenal diseases.
Adrenalectomy* ; Diet ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies ; Walking