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: 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

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: 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: Juvenile xanthogranuloma usually affects the anterior uvea before the age of 1 year, and it may less frequently involve the corneoscleral limbus. We report a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma of the corneoscleral limbus in a 7-year-old boy. METHODS: A 7-year-old boy was referred for the evaluation of a painless limbal mass in the left eye, noticed 1 month previously. On examination, the visual acuity was 16/20 (OD) and 10/20 (OS) without correction, and the corrected visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes. The other ocular findings were normal, except for an elevated, well circumscribed, smooth surfaced mass measured 9x6 mm at the upper temporal corneoscleral limbus of the left eye. After the excision of the mass, the frozen biopsy and the immunohistochemical staining for CD68 and S100 protein were performed. RESULTS: The lesion consisted of a red-brown, vascular, and raised mass. Histopathologically, there was a chronic granulomatous inflammation with stromal fibrosis, which included many giant cells immunoreactive for CD68 and S100 protein. There was no evidence of recurrence during follow-up period of 5 months and 20 months. CONCLUSIONS: The case was diagnosed as juvenile xanthogranuloma by the clinical and histopathologic findings. The juvenile xanthogranuloma of the corneoscleral limbal involvement is very rare and it can be treated with the surgical excision for the purpose of improvement of cosmetic problems without any recurrence. It seems to have very good prognosis when completely excised.
Biopsy ; Child ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Uvea ; Visual Acuity ; Xanthogranuloma, Juvenile*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of soft shell technique (SST) to reduce corneal endothelial damage during cataract surgery. METHODS: Cataract surgery was performed in thirty five eyes using SST with Healon and Viscoat , and in thirty five eyes with Healon alone as a control group. The corneal parameters such as corneal thickness, cell density, hexagonality, and the coefficient of variance were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean central corneal thickness in the control group was 533.1 +/- 34.9micrometer before surgery and 549.1 +/- 34.3micrometer at one week after surgery. The difference in corneal thickness was statistically significant (p<0.01). However, in the SST group, the change in corneal thickness before and after surgery was not statistically significant (529.5 +/- 36.3micrometer, 536.0 +/- 36.9micrometer, respectively). There were statistically significant changes in cell density after surgery in both groups. The results for the control group were 2478.5 +/- 319.7/mm2 before surgery and 1861.9 +/- 109.1/mm2 at 3 months after surgery. The result for the SST group were 2571.2 +/- 256.5/mm2 before surgery and 2107.2 +/- 374.1/mm2 at 3 months after surgery. The rate of endothelial cell loss at 3 months after surgery was smaller in the SST group (19%) than in the control group (25%). The coefficient of variance and hexagonality were normalized at one week after surgery in SST group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that SST is effective in protecting corneal endothelial cells during cataract surgery, providing better results in the early postoperative period.
Cataract* ; Cell Count ; Endothelial Cells ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Postoperative Period