Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA) were performed in three patients with atherosclerotic stenosis of subclavian arteries. The arteries were successfully dilated without complications during the procedure. All patients were asymptomatic during follow-up periods ranging from eight months to fifteen months after PTA.
Angioplasty* ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Subclavian Artery*

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this clinical study were 1) to assess 5-year survival rates in 195 patients with locally invasive cervical cancer(stage Ia-IIb) treated by surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy+surgery and postoperative radiation in selected cases, 2) to evaluate the prognostic factors affecting the survival rate, and 3) to get helpful information for the better treatment. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 195 patients. They were diagnosed and operated on during the period of Jan. 1988 - Dec. 1993 in Dept. of OB/Gyn, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje Medical School. The 5-year survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were assessed using Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates for FIGO stages Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb were 100, 86.1, 76.9, and 81.1%, respectively. Factors that affect the 5-year survival rates were clinical stage(P=0.0001), cell type(small cell vs other, P=0.0001), depth of invasion(< or = 5 mm vs >5 mm, P=0.0013), tumor size(< or = 3 cm vs >3cm, P=0.0035), and lymph node metastasis(0 vs 1 vs more than 2, P=0.0001). There was no difference in 5-year survival rates between without neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and with neoadjuvant chemotherapy group which had poor prognostic factors. The predicted recurrence rate of the postoperative radiation group showed a lower 5-year survival rate than the no postoperative radiation group(P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the factors affecting the prognosis were FIGO stage, cell type, depth of invasion, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis, and speculated that the survival rates could be improved by using neoadjuvant chemotherapy for more advanced locally invasive cases properly.
Busan ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Schools, Medical ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Inonotus obliquus is a fungus that causes white heart rot on several broad-leaved species. This fungus forms typical charcoal-black, sterile conks (chaga) or cinder conks on infected stems of the birche (Betula spp). The dark brown pulp of the sterile conk is formed by a pure mycelial mass of fungus. Chaga are a folk remedy in Russia, reflecting the circumboreal distribution of I. obliquus in boreal forest ecosystems on Betula spp. and in meridional mountain forests on beech (Fagus spp.) in Russia, Scandinavia, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe. Distribution at lower latitudes in Western and Southern Europe, Northern America, Asia, Japan, and Korea is rare. Infected trees grow for many years without several symptoms of decline. The infection can penetrate through stem injuries with exterior sterile conks developing later. In the Czech Republic, cinder conk is found on birches inhabiting peat bogs and in mountain areas with a colder and more humid climate, although it is widespread in other broad leaved species over the Czech Republic. The most common hosts are B. pendula, B. pubescens, B. carpatica, and F. sylvatica. Less frequent hosts include Acer campestre, Acer pseudoplatanus, Alnus glutinosa, Alnus incana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus cerris, Q. petraea, Q. robur, Q. delachampii, and Ulmus sp.
Acer ; Alnus ; Asia ; Betula ; Climate ; Czech Republic ; Ecology ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; Europe, Eastern ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; Fagus ; Fraxinus ; Fungi ; Heart ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Medicine, Traditional ; North America ; Quercus ; Russia ; Scandinavia ; Soil ; Trees ; Ulmus ; Wetlands

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gabexate, a protease inhibitor, has been known to prevent pancreatic damage following ERCP. We conducted a prospective and randomized study to assess the preventive effect of gabexate. Methods: Of the 96 patients enrolled, 46 were treated with gabexate and 50 with placebo. The groups were similar with regard to sex, age, body-mass index, and the final diagnosis of ERCP. RESULTS: 24 patients (25.0%) had elevated pancreatic-enzyme levels; the frequency was similar in the two groups (P=0.48). Mean serum amylase value at 4 hours after ERCP was similar in patients with elevated basal level (220.5+/-43.2 U/L) and those with normal basal level (170.4+/-31.2 U/L). After the procedures, serum amylase values were lower in the gabexate group (137.1+/-19.8 U/L) than in the placebo group (212.0+/-50.4 U/L). The differences were not significant in the mean levels of amylase between the groups for any of imaging of the pancreatic ducts (pancreatic-duct imaging, 201.5+/-49.4 U/L, bile-duct imaging, 153.7+/-30.0 U/L). But in the patients with pancreatic duct imaging, serum amylase values were significantly higher in the placebo group (295.0+/-97.6 U/L) than in the gabexate group (112.0+/-10.6 U/L)(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic treatment with gabexate does not reduce pancreatic damage related to ERCP, but only in the patients with pancreatic duct imaging there were the significant differences between in the gabexate group and in the placebo group.
Amylases ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Diagnosis ; Gabexate* ; Humans ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatitis ; Prospective Studies ; Protease Inhibitors

Schwannomas are benign nerve sheath tumors that can originate at any anatomic sites. These tumors are usually soitary, benign, and slow-growing masses attached to large nerve trunks. These tumors have been described as arising in the pelvic retroperitoneum. We present two cases of pelvic retroperitoneal Schwannomas with a brief review of literatures.
Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma*

No abstract available.
Smoking* ; Tobacco Products*

OBJECTIVES: There is limited data regarding the toxicity of methylcyclohexane, despite its wide use in rubber adhesives, paint diluents, and cleansing agents. This study aimed to verify the toxicity and influence on the reproductive system of methylcyclohexane after its repeated injection in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. METHODS: Methylcyclohexane was injected subcutaneously into male and female SD rats once a day, five times a week, for 13 weeks at different doses (0, 10, 100, and 1,000 mg/kg/day) for each group. The toxicity of testing material was verified by observing the change in body and organ weight, hematological change, pathological findings, and effect on the reproductive system at each different concentration. RESULTS: In the 1,000 mg/kg/day group, there were cases of animal deaths. In animals that survived, hematological changes, including a decrease in the red blood cell count, were observed. A considerable weight gain or loss and pathological abnormalities in the liver, kidney, and other organs were found. However, the 10 and 100 mg/kg/day groups did not cause deaths or other specific abnormalities. In terms of reproductive toxicity, there were changes in hormone levels, including a significant decrease in hormones such as estradiol and progesterone (p < 0.001) in male animals. Menstrual cycle change for female animals did not show concentration dependency. CONCLUSION: When injected repeatedly for 13 weeks, methylcyclohexane proved to be toxic for the liver, heart, and kidney at a high dose. The absolute toxic dose was 1,000 mg/kg/day, while the no observed adverse effect level was less than 100 mg/kg/day. The substance exerted little influence on the reproductive system.
Adhesives ; Animals ; Cyclohexanes ; Detergents ; Erythrocyte Count ; Estradiol ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Liver ; Male ; Menstrual Cycle ; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level ; Organ Size ; Paint ; Progesterone ; Rats ; Rubber ; Weight Gain

Coronary artery fistula to pulmonary artery is common. However, to the best of our knowledge, a case of coronary artery fistula to pulmonary artery associated with aortopulmonary fistula remains unreported. We herein report a 64-year-old female with a left anterior descending coronary artery and ascending aorta to pulmonary artery fistulas, and conduct a brief review of the literature.
Aorta ; Arterio-Arterial Fistula ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Fistula ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Artery

Primary myelofibrosis is characterized by replacement of bone marrow with fibrotic tissue and the development of extramedullary hematopoiesis. Extramedullary hematopoiesis primarily involves the spleen and liver, but can also occur in the lungs. We report the case of an 80-year-old male who was admitted for evaluation of a lung mass and persistent thrombocytopenia. A percutaneous needle aspiration from the mass in the right lower lung showed myelopoietic cells with fatty tissue. A bone marrow biopsy revealed a hypercellular marrow with an increased number of atypical megakaryocytes. The final diagnosis was a prefibrotic stage of primary myelofibrosis leading to extramedullary hematopoiesis in the lung.
Adipose Tissue ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Megakaryocytes ; Needles ; Primary Myelofibrosis ; Spleen ; Thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most troublesome problems caused by malignancy. We evaluated the change in pain status according to observance of NCCN guidelines in lung cancer patients. METHODS: Lung cancer patients complaining of pain at admission were examined. The pain was assessed with visual analogue scale (VAS) for 20 days and moderate-to-severe pain was defined as more than VAS level 3. The guideline observance was classified as high (more than 80%), medium (50~79%) and low (less than 50%). RESULTS: Among the total 91 lung cancer patients with pain, 34 patients (37%) had moderate-to-severe pain. Their average VAS score at admission was 5.6. It decreased to 2.9 after a 20-day period of pain management. The time to reach a VAS less than 3 was 3 days in a high guideline observance group, while it took 6 days in a low observance group. In addition, the pain in the high observance group was controlled to less than 3 VAS level in 86% of patients, whereas only 25% of patients in the low observance group succeeded. CONCLUSION: Pain was more effectively controlled when the dose of drugs was modified according to NCCN guidelines in lung cancer patients indicating the importance of guideline observance in pain management.
Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pain Management