This study was designed to evaluate the worth of preoperative chemoradiation therapy in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer. Between march 1993 and January 1997, 64 patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum were treated with preoperative irradiation followed by operation by one surgeon at department of surgery, Chungnam national university hospital. Cancers were treated with high-dose radiation (45 to 54 Gy) with (group 2) or without (group 1) chemotherapy Preoperatively 64 Patients were analysed prospectively, of these, 15 cases were preoperative radiotherapy alone arm and 49 cases were preoperative radiotherapy plus chemotherapy arm. The average age of the patients were 56 years (range 38~67) in group 1 and 57 years (range 27~80) in group 2. Male to female ratio was 8 : 7 in group 1 and 30 : 19 in group 2. Most clinical stage of the primary tumor mass were 73 (80% in Group 1,96% in group 2), being palpated slightly fixed (40% in group 1, 43% in group 2) or fixed (13.3% in group 1, 24.5% in group 2). As to distance of tumor from anal verge, most patients ranged from 4 to 8 cm (53% in group 1, 63.3% in Group 2). Chemotherapy consisted of 2 cycles of 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2/day for S days) delivered as a continuous infusion or bolus therapy and low-dose leukovorin (20 mg/m2/day for 5 days). After six weeks resting period of radiation, definitive surgical approach was performed. Overall treatment related toxicity rate was similar in both group except erythema on perineal skin, which was more frequent in group 2 than in group 1. Most frequent postoperative complication was intestinal obstruction (7.8%) followed by wound infection (6.3%), but there was no significant difference between two groups. There was one case of postoperative mortality in group 2 patients at 44 days after operation due to pneumonia and sepsis combined with liver cirrhosis. Tumor depth was downstaged in 38.5% of group 1 and 70% of group 2 patients on preoperative CT staging, and nodal downstaging was more effective on the respect of postoperative pathological report. Overall recurrence rate was 38.5% in group 1 and 20.5% in group 2. Of these, failure occured first as a distant metastasis more frequently than as a local recurrence in both group. These data do suggest that the preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy used are as safe as preoperative radiotherapy alone. Futhermore, tumor and lymph node downstaging are more effective in combined arm. Preoperative chemotherapy will more promising in prevention of distant metastasis when treated in the period of least metastatic tumor burden. Whether combined arm will have greater or lesser survival awaits the completion of this relevant study.
Adenocarcinoma ; Arm ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Drug Therapy ; Erythema ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Leucovorin ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pneumonia ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Radiotherapy ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Tumor Burden ; Wound Infection

There are a number of published reports aimed at clarifying the effect of hormonal contracept -ives upon the quantity and quality of breast milk during postpartum and lactation periods. As to the volume of milk produced by breast feeding mothers, many authors seem to have agreed on a decrease as an established pattern in the periods following regular administration of oral contraceptives containing estrogen in varying dosage. The quality of milk following administration of hormonal contraceptives, however, remsins a controversial issue. Korea's experience in oral contraceptive is rather a brief one, but use of Eugynon has been widespread and frequent since this hormonal contraceptive was introduced into the national program in 1967. The authors have reviewed the potential significance of data concerning regular use of an oral contraceptive as affecting lactation, and have sought to clarify the interrelationship between the administration of Eugynon and quantity and quality of breast milk from mothers contracepting. with Eugynon in different periods following confinement. A total of 85 women, who were at different periods following deliveries, have been divided into, two groups, one comprising 28 women regularly taking oral pills and the other (57 women) not resorting to hormonal contraceptives if they were contracepting at all. 1. Milk Volume. In view of the possible influence of suckling on the amount of milk produced, efforts were made in this study to standardize the technique by extracting breastmilk by applying manual pressures on one side of the maw-nae, While the nipple on the other side was being sucked by the mother's own baby. The effetct of an exogenic ovarian hormone on the quantity as well as quality of breastmilk is generally understood to be inapparent until the drug is administered to women whose milk secreting function has been normalized. ") In the present study, it was observed that the decrease in the ammount of milk obtained from mothers in the periods following the 4th cycle of oral contraceptives or thereafter has turned out to be statistically insignificant. This result conforms i.u the findings by Tubari and others. It is assumed that it takes at lest 2 to 3 cycles of use before mammary glands are functionally adjusted to the use of exogenic hormonal contraceptives. 2. Specific Gravity and Composition of Milk There was no noticeable change in the protein and chloride content following continuous administration of ore.l contraceptives, while meaningful changes were observed in fat (increase) and calcium (decrease up to the 5th cycle use) contents. Also, there was a rather significant decrease in the specific gravity in the period following administration of the first cycle of the oral contraceptive. The findings from the present study partially conforms the results published by Ramadan and others, who reported that little change was noticed in the contents of total solids. ash, chlorides and lactose in the breast milk of women who had taken 4 cycles of ovosiston, although in our study lactose was not measured. Ramaden, however, reported that fat content did increase in the same milk, as in our study. A definitive conclusion, however, could not be made unless measures are taken to rule out the physiological changes of the maternal body affecting the composition of milks.
Breast Feeding ; Calcium ; Chlorides ; Contraceptive Agents ; Contraceptives, Oral ; Estrogens ; Ethinyl Estradiol-Norgestrel Combination ; Female ; Health Resorts ; Humans ; Lactation* ; Lactose ; Mammary Glands, Human ; Milk ; Milk, Human ; Mothers ; Nipples ; Postpartum Period ; Specific Gravity

PURPOSE: We tried to evaluate the reliablility of refractive measurement by hand-held autorefractor (HHAR). METHODS: Ninety patients (180 eyes) with simple refractive error were divided into three groups (30 patients each) according to their ages. Group I is under 6 years old; group II, from 7 to 15 years old; and group 3, over 16 years old. Under cycloplegics, three measuring methods of refraction using table top autorefractor (Model 599, Zeiss Humphrey, USA), hand-held autorefractor (Retinomax K-plus, Nikon, Japan) and skiascope (Heine beta 200, Germany) were performed and we compared each spherical and cylindrical value in 3 groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in both spherical and cylindrical value between HH-AR and skiascope in all groups (PI, sph=0.579, PI, cyl=0.708, PII, sph=0.801, PII , cyl=0.730, PIII , sph=0.816, PIII, cyl=0.754) . But there was significant difference in both spherical and cylindrical value between table top autorefractor and skiascope in group I (PI,sph=0.019, PI,cyl=0.030, PII,sph=0.405, PII,cyl=0.392, PIII,sph=0.876, PIII,cyl=0.747). CONCLUSIONS: We believe that hand-held autorefractor can be a useful instrument to measure refractive power without serious error, especially in patients who have difficulty with table top autorefractor.
Adolescent ; Child ; Humans ; Mydriatics ; Refractive Errors

PURPOSE: Triage in the emergency departmen (ED) is the preliminary clinical sorting process before full disclosure of patients' problems so that patients with the highest acuity are treated first in the setting of resource constraints. To overcome the inter-rater variability of existing triage tools, the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) was developed and was shown to be both valid and reliable in practice. Because of the disparity in practice patterns and some inappropriate criteria in the original ESI, the authors have modified the ESI and determined its inter-rater reliability. METHODS: We applied the modified ESI to a convenient sample of adults who visited an urban academic ED between July 24, 2001, and August 5, 2001. After completion of a short, 4-hour training course on the modified ESI, an intern and emergency medicine resident pair triaged the patients independently. The inter-rater reliability was measured using a weighted kappa analysis and was categorized as excellent (>or=0.8), good (0.60-0.79), or fair ( Adult ; Disclosure ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine ; Humans ; Triage*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of food-specific IgE antibody tests in detecting triggering antigens in food protein-induced proctocolitis (FPIPC). METHODS: Between February 2006 and May 2007, data from 16 consecutive FPIPC patients that underwent MAST and Uni-CAP tests on initial visits, were reviewed. The endoscopic criterion used for establishing a diagnosis of FPIPC was an increase in the number of eosinophils in the lamina propria (> or =60 per 10 high power fields). Offending foods were suspected clinically based on elimination and challenge testing to mother or patient diets with the following five highly allergenic foods: dairy products, eggs, nuts and soybean, fish and shellfish, and wheat and buckwheat. We compared the results of initial MAST or Uni-CAP tests with clinically suspected offending foods. RESULTS: For the 16 FPIPC patients, MAST tests showed positive results in 2 patients (12.5%), and Uni-CAP tests showed positive results in 3 patients (18.8%). Through clinical elimination and challenge, the 33 offending foods were identified: 7 fish and shellfish (21.2%), 6 eggs (18.2%), 6 wheat and buckwheat (18.2%), 4 dairy products (12.1%), 3 soybean (9.1%), 3 pork (9.1%), 2 nuts (6.1%), 1 beef (3.0%), and 1 mushroom (3.0%). Clinically suspected offending foods and MAST and Uni-CAP test results were found to be correlated in 1 patient (6.7%) each. CONCLUSION: Food specific IgE antibody tests are inappropriate for predicting offending foods in FPIPC. Clinical food elimination and challenge testing provide useful means of detecting offending foods.
Agaricales ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Eggs ; Eosinophils ; Fagopyrum ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mothers ; Mucous Membrane ; Nuts ; Ovum ; Proctocolitis ; Shellfish ; Soybeans ; Triticum

The development and differentiation of cells in the spinal ganglion were studied by electron microscopy in human fetuses ranging from 12 mm to 260 mm crown rump length. At 12 mm embryo the primitive neuroblasts which had a single process, contained a large numbers of free ribosome and mitochondria but very little rough endoplasmic reticulum. At 30 mm fetus, the primitive spinal ganglion consisted of bipolar neuroblasts, satellite cells and undifferentiated cells. Spindle-shaped bipolar neuroblasts formed spinal ganglion of loosely grouped cells at 50 mm fetus. Two neuroblast cell types, a small cell contained large clumps of rough endoplasmic reticulum at periphery, could be distinguished. At 80 mm fetus, the spinal ganglion constituted of bipolar neuroblast with apparently random distribution of small and large neurons with processes, together with satellite cells and blood vessels. The presences of a large numbers of neurotubules in the Golgi-central region were one of the first sign of further maturation of the neuroblast. During next prenatal stage from 120 mm on fetus, the ganglion cells were large and contained much rough endoplasmic reticulum, neurotubules and extensive Golgi complex. A large number of neuroblasts became transformed into unipolar cells from 180 mm to 260 mm feuts. Nissl bodies appeared during this stage. The ganglion-satellite cell boundary became complicated with increasing age, then enlarging in parallel with the increase in volume of the nerve cell. During next prenatal stage up to 180 mm fetus, the unipolar ganglion cell increased in number and size, and the cytoplsm contained all intracytoplasmic structures which were also found in mature spinal ganglion except for large pigment granules.
Blood Vessels ; Crown-Rump Length ; Embryonic Structures ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fetus* ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Ganglion Cysts ; Golgi Apparatus ; Humans* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mitochondria ; Neurons ; Nissl Bodies ; Ribosomes

PURPOSE: We introduce our transient vascular occlusion technique that uses a vessel loop and Hem-o-Lok clips in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2009 to March 2011, 15 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. All operations were performed by a single surgeon using the transperitoneal approach. The transient vascular occlusion technique was as follows. After dissection of renal vessels, the vessel loop is winded twice around the vessel. Both distal portions of the vessel loop are clipped with a Hem-o-Lok clip. When vascular occlusion is required, an additional Hem-o-Lok clip is applied to the proximal portion of the vessel loop by pulling the distal portion. When no longer needed, the vessel loop is simply cut. RESULTS: All operations were performed successfully without open conversion. The mean tumor size was 2.5 cm (range, 1.1-3.5 cm). There were 8 cases of renal cell carcinoma and 7 cases of angiomyolipoma. All cases of renal cell carcinoma had a negative surgical margin. The mean operative time and the mean warm ischemic time were 176 minutes (range, 104-283 minutes) and 26.1 minutes (range, 18-34 minutes), respectively. There were no cases of uncontrollable intraoperative bleeding and no postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: The transient vascular occlusion technique with a vessel loop and Hem-o-Lok clips is a feasible technique with simplicity, effectiveness, and safety. It is an acceptable alternative to standard vascular occlusion techniques, such as laparoscopic bulldog or Satinsky clamps.
Angiomyolipoma ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Laparoscopy ; Nephrectomy ; Operative Time ; Warm Ischemia ; Wind

PURPOSE: Several recent studies have reported the benefits of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL). Postoperatively, tubeless PNL patients have an indwelling ureteral stent placed, which is often associated with stent-related morbidity. We have performed totally tubeless (tubeless and stentless) PNL in which no nephrostomy tube or ureteral stent is placed postoperatively. We evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and feasibility of totally tubeless PNL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2008 to February 2012, 57 selected patients underwent standard or totally tubeless PNL. Neither a nephrostomy tube nor a ureteral stent was placed in the totally tubeless PNL group. We compared patient and stone characteristics, operation time, length of hospitalization, analgesia requirements, stone-free rate, blood loss, change in creatinine, and perioperative complications between the standard and totally tubeless PNL groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in preoperative patient characteristics, postoperative complications, or the stone-free rate between the two groups, but the totally tubeless PNL group showed a shorter hospitalization and a lesser analgesic requirement compared with the standard PNL group. Blood loss and change in creatinine were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Totally tubeless PNL appears to be a safe and effective alternative for the management of renal stone patients and is associated with a decrease in length of hospital stay.
Analgesia ; Creatinine ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; Length of Stay ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous ; Postoperative Complications ; Stents ; Ureter

PURPOSE: Several recent studies have reported the benefits of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL). Postoperatively, tubeless PNL patients have an indwelling ureteral stent placed, which is often associated with stent-related morbidity. We have performed totally tubeless (tubeless and stentless) PNL in which no nephrostomy tube or ureteral stent is placed postoperatively. We evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and feasibility of totally tubeless PNL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2008 to February 2012, 57 selected patients underwent standard or totally tubeless PNL. Neither a nephrostomy tube nor a ureteral stent was placed in the totally tubeless PNL group. We compared patient and stone characteristics, operation time, length of hospitalization, analgesia requirements, stone-free rate, blood loss, change in creatinine, and perioperative complications between the standard and totally tubeless PNL groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in preoperative patient characteristics, postoperative complications, or the stone-free rate between the two groups, but the totally tubeless PNL group showed a shorter hospitalization and a lesser analgesic requirement compared with the standard PNL group. Blood loss and change in creatinine were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Totally tubeless PNL appears to be a safe and effective alternative for the management of renal stone patients and is associated with a decrease in length of hospital stay.
Analgesia ; Creatinine ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; Length of Stay ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous ; Postoperative Complications ; Stents ; Ureter

PURPOSE: In recent years, laser surgery has been widely used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A thulium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Tm:YAG) laser was recently introduced for BPH surgery. We compared the effectiveness and safety of Tm:YAG laser vaporesection of the prostate (ThuVaRP) with that of bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2010 to December 2012, 86 patients underwent surgical treatment for symptomatic BPH by a single surgeon. We retrospectively analyzed and compared the medical records of 43 patients who underwent ThuVaRP and 43 patients who underwent bipolar TURP. All patients were assessed by using the International Prostate Symptom Score, transrectal ultrasonography, the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, uroflowmetry, and postvoid residual volume before and 1 month after surgery. All complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: ThuVaRP was superior to TURP in catheterization time (p<0.001) and length of hospital stay (p<0.001). However, operation time was longer with ThuVaRP than with TURP (p<0.001). In patients with a large prostate (>50 g), operation time was much longer with ThuVaRP. One month after surgery, the decrease in PSA was greater (p=0.045) with ThuVaRP than with TURP, and the increase in maximal urine flow rate was greater (p<0.001) with ThuVaRP than with TURP. The postoperative complication transient urinary incontinence was significantly different between the ThuVaRP group (nine cases, 20.9%) and the TURP group (two cases, 4.7%). Other complications were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness and safety of ThuVaRP and TURP were comparable. ThuVaRP is a promising alternative surgical technique to TURP for BPH.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Residual Volume ; Retrospective Studies ; Thulium ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Incontinence