PURPOSE: Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) is gaining wider acceptance as a minimally invasive treatment for early gastric cancer, but the safety, efficacy and clinical benefits of this type of surgery are still unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LADG) and conventional open distal gastrectomy (CODG) for early gastric cancer (EGC) according to the changes of the postoperative nutritional status and acute inflammatory reaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty seven patients with EGC and who underwent a LADG between March 2006 and May 2009 at Daegu Catholic University Hospital, was enrolled. Over the same period, we enrolled 30 patients who underwent CODG and they were confirmed to have EGC from their pathology. The clinico-pathological features and serologic parameters were evaluated from the medical records and then retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: There were no differences in the preoperative white blood cell (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, albumin level, the T4/T8 ratio and the other clinical data between the two groups. The total WBC counts gradually increased and they were significant lower at the 1st and 3rd postoperative days in the LADG group than that in the CODG group (P=0.001 and 0.008, respectively). The postoperative CRP levels were significantly lower at postoperative 5th day in the LADG group (P<0.001). The postoperative albumin and T4/T8 ratio gradually decreased, and the T4/T8 ratio was significantly higher at the 3rd postoperative day in the LADG group compared to that in the CODG group (P=0.003). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the LADG has less of an influence on an acute inflammatory reaction than does CODG. Therefore, it is one of the safe and feasible procedures for the treatment of early gastric cancer.
C-Reactive Protein ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Medical Records ; Nutritional Status ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

Perforation of Meckel's diverticulum by foreign bodies is an extremely rare cause of acute abdomen in adults. We report a case of perforated Meckel's diverticulum by a chicken bone with localized abdominal abscess in a 46-year old man. The patient had been brought to the hospital with fever, abdominal pain and abdominal distention. On computed tomography, the mass-like lesion was considered to be an abdominal abscess caused by perforated bowel due to a suspicious foreign body. Resection of a segment of ileum including the perforated diverticulum was performed; the patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course and was discharged. We report this rare case of perforation of Meckel's diverticulum by a chicken bone with a review of the literature.
Abdomen, Acute ; Abdominal Abscess ; Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Chickens* ; Diverticulum ; Fever ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Ileum ; Meckel Diverticulum*

BACKGROUND: Common and effective treatments for calcific tendinitis involve needling procedures. However, it has been widespread practice to refer patients with calcific tendinitis, which is a predominantly orthopedic condition, to radiology department. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes after ultrasound-guided needling for calcific tendinitis between the orthopedics and radiology department. METHODS: Seventy-seven shoulders (Group 1) and 38 shoulders (Group 2) treated in the radiology and orthopedic department, respectively. A fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon and a musculoskeletal radiologist each performed the procedure of ultrasound-guided needle decompression with subacromial steroid injection. Clinical outcomes was evaluated using the visual analogue scale for pain (pVAS) and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score before treatment and at each follow-up. The pre- and post-needling size and shape of the calcific deposits were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 56 shoulders for Group 1 and 32 shoulders for Group 2. The mean age and sex ratio of the patients no significantly different. We found that the mean decrease in the diameter of calcification between pre- and post-needling was 9.0 mm for Group 1 and 13.1 mm for Group 2; the difference was significantly larger in Group 2 than in Group 1. Both groups showed improved pVAS and ASES scores after needling but the extent of these improvements did not differ with the type of operator. CONCLUSIONS: Needling decompression performed by orthopedic surgeons could a viable option for the treatment of calcific tendinitis.

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Femur Neck* ; Femur* ; Humans

Intrsneural ganglion cysts of the peroneal nerve are rare. The precise etiology and pathological changes remain obscure. We have experienced recently a case of intraneural ganglion cyst developed in the sheath of the peroneal nerve. A 28 year old male had suffered from lump producing pain over the posterolateral aspect of the upper portion of the fibula, weakness of dorsiflexion of the ankle and of extension of the toes and diminution of sensation on the dorsum of the foot. He underwent excision of the ganglion and the prognosis for recovery of function is good.
Ankle ; Fibula ; Foot ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Male ; Peroneal Nerve ; Prognosis ; Recovery of Function ; Sensation ; Toes

OBJECTIVE: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy(ARVC) is a progressive cardiac muscle disease characterized as progressive fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricle, severe ventricular arrhythmia, and sudden death. However, there is no report of ARVC as a cause of sudden death in Korea. METHODS and RESULTS: Postmortem studies were done to 115 cases of sudden unexplained death at department of legal medicine, school of medicine, Kyungpook national university in year 1999. We identified 7 cases(6%) of typical ARVC with no other identifiable cause of sudden death. The subjects included 5 males and 2 females, ranging in age from 19 to 41 years (mean 29.7 years). All were found dead at bed (5 cases) or workshop (2 cases). Five cases were fibrofatty types and two cases were fatty types. Right ventricular aneurysm, inflammatory infiltrates and left ventricular involvement were found in 4, 2 and 1 cases, repectively. Two cases had family history of sudden death before age 40. No one was suspected of having cardiovascular disease or ARVC before death. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that ARVC in Taegu-Kyungpook area may be more frequent than previously thought. ARVC may be a major cause of sudden unexplained death.
Aneurysm ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Death, Sudden ; Education ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Myocardium

Although a popliteal cyst is most commonly identified as an asymptomatic mass occurring just below the popliteal fossa, the fluid may further extravasate into a deep compartment, causing compression with symptoms of local pain and tenderness. When the popliteal vein is compressed by a popliteal cyst, it may develop the symptom simulating the deep vein thrombosis, when the popliteal artery is compressed, it may develop the symptom simulating the ischemic pain and intermittent claudication. It is unusual for popliteal cysts to involve a nerve. When such does occur, it usually involves the tibial nerve, very rarely the peroneal nerve. It is important to diagnose a popliteal cyst early and to differentiate it from a ganglionic cyst, thrombophlebitis or a popliteal aneurysm, to effect optimal therapy and to obviate a potential neuropathy. We are now reporting a case of a thirty four-year-old male who had a popliteal cyst causing tibial nerve compression.
Aneurysm ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Intermittent Claudication ; Male ; Peroneal Nerve ; Popliteal Artery ; Popliteal Cyst* ; Popliteal Vein ; Thrombophlebitis ; Tibial Nerve* ; Venous Thrombosis

OBJECTIVES: Health is closely related to an individual's assessment of their quality of life and their subjective level of happiness. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between happiness index and self-rated health by utilizing a community health survey in Korea. METHODS: The study participants were 17,937 people living in Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, who completed a community health survey in 2014. The non-subjective variables included in the statistical analysis were sex, age, region, education, income, and economic activity. The subjective awareness variables included self-rated health, self-rated oral health, chewing difficulty, pronunciation difficulty, and happiness index. Statistical analysis of the data was done using the SPSS 21.0 program. RESULTS: Evaluation of the subjective awareness levels revealed that the respondents that were better educated, whose income levels were higher, and those who engaged in an economic activity found themselves to be in better physical health and oral health. In contrast, the respondents that were female, older, and with residence in the counties reported a higher incidence of chewing difficulty. There was a positive correlation between happiness index and subjective awareness level, and a negative correlation between chewing difficulty and pronunciation difficulty. Happiness index was influenced the most by subjective health levels, followed by income, age, pronunciation difficulty, subjective oral health, chewing difficulty, academic credential, region, and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, in order to improve the happiness index of community residents, regular health checkups and systematic oral health education should be prepared in order to improve awareness of subjective health and reduce discomfort in the oral cavity, and efforts should be made to reduce the gap between regions.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation* ; Education ; Female ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Happiness* ; Health Surveys* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mastication ; Mouth ; Oral Health ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Most hepatocellular carcinomas arise in orthotopic liver tissue as a result of chronic hepatitis B or C infection or cirrhosis secondary to other chronic liver disease. There have been reports of ectopic liver tissue located in an extrahepatic organ such as the gallbladder, spleen, hepatoduodenal ligament and subdiaphragm. However, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma originating from ectopic liver is very low. There have been 22 cases of ectopic HCCs (hepatocellular carcinoma) reported in the literature, and ruptured HCC has not yet been reported in the literature. As for the pathogenesis, the development of an ectopic HCC may be result of a compromised vascular supply or biliary drainage. We report here on a case of ruptured ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma arising in the left subdiaphragm in a 76-year-old man who was treated with surgical resection. The patient was followed up for 1 year after surgery and he remained free of recurrence. Therefore, the unique localization and growth pattern of ruptured ectopic HCC may give the physician and patient the chance to achieve a curative resection.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Drainage ; Fibrosis ; Gallbladder ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ligaments ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Recurrence ; Spleen

PURPOSE: To report a case of multiple serous chorioretinopathy after facial herpes zoster. CASE SUMMARY: A 48-year-old male visited our clinic due to visual disturbance in the left eye which occurred 3 days after left facial pain and vesicles. Chemosis and multiple serous retinal detachments were found. The patient was diagnosed with multiple serous chorioretinopathy due to herpes zoster virus and was started on intravenous acyclovir at a dose of 10 mg/kg every 8 hours for 9 days and herpes eye ointment 5 times daily. After the initial treatment, oral prednisolone 60 mg was given daily for 6 days. Skin lesions were cleared, and abnormal fundus and visual acuity improved after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmopathy including multiple serous chorioretinopathy should be considered in managing herpes zoster ophthalmicus patients.
Acyclovir ; Facial Pain ; Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Retinal Detachment ; Skin ; Visual Acuity