PURPOSE:This study was carried out to evaluate the relationship with other clinicopath ologic factors and prognostic significance of tumor microvessel density in colorectal car cinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 71cases of primary colorectal carcinoma (Modified Astler-Coller stage B and C) were analysed retrospectively who underwent curative resection at Wonkwang university hospital from September, 1991 to September, 1993. Male was 39cases. Age under 60 years was 31cases. 5 year survival rates were 80% (50 cases) in stage B and 52.4% (21 cases) in stage C. Tumor microvessels were stained by immuno histochemical method using anti-CD31 on paraffine embedded tissues, and were counted within 10x objective field (about 0.74 mm2) in the area of the most intense neovascu larization. RESULTS: Mean microvessel Density (MVD) was 56.3+/-18.0 (range 19~128). MVD was 55.2 in 11 cases of nonrecurrent group and 73.5 in 10 cases of recurrent group in stage C (p=0.012). There was no significant association between MVD and other parameters such as age, sex, tumor location and size, CEA, lymph node metastasis, and survival. The 5 year survival rates of 33 cases of MVD< or =56 and 38 cases of MVD>56 were 84.9 and 60.5% respectively(p<0.05). 5 year survival rates of MVD< or =56 groups adjusted for age, sex, tumor location, differentiation, and recurrence were higher than those of >56 groups. 5 year survival rates of MVD < or =56 and >56 groups in stage C were 100% (5 cases) and 37.5% (16 cases) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:Tumor microvessl density may have somewhat prognostic significance in colorectal carcinoma.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Microvessels* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraffin ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Lipoma* ; Mesocolon*

Introduction: Several investigators demonstrated that routine nasogastric decompression after abdominal surgery was unnecessary and can be safely eliminated. Some authors suggested that early feeding could be tolerated by the majority of patients after elective colorectal surgery. PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to prospectively assess the safety and tolerability of early oral feeding after colorectal surgery. METHODS: This trial included 69 patients who underwent an colon or rectal operation between April 1997 and August 1998. Patients were randomized after the operative procedure into one of two groups. Group 1: early oral feeding-all patents received a clear liquid diet on the first postoperative day followed by a regular diet as tolerated. Group 2: delayed feeding-all patients were treated in the traditional way with feeding only after the resolution of their postoperative ileus. Both groups had intraoperative nasogastric tubes that were removed at the end of surgery. The patients were monitored for vomiting, nasogastric tube reinsertion, time of regular diet consumption, complication, and length of hospitalization. The nasogastric tube was reinserted if two or more episodes of vomiting of more than 100 ml occurred in the absence of bowel movement. RESULTS: Sixty-nine consecutive patients were studied, 34 patients in group 1 (12 males and 22 females, mean age 58.1+/-12.7), and 35 patients in group 2 (16 males and 19 females, mean age 58.5+/-12.7). Significant differences were not noted in age and type of procedures. No significant differences were seen in rates of vomiting and overall complications. However, early feeding group well tolerated a regular diet (postoperative period to take regular diet of group 1: 5.4+/-4.0 days, group 2 : 8.1+/-4.6 days, p=0.013), and were discharged from hospital significantly earlier than the delayed feeding group(group 1: 14.0+/-5.1 days, group 2: 19.1+/-8.6 days, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Early feeding after colorectal surgery is successfully tolerated by the majority of patients and led to earlier hospital discharge.
Colon ; Colorectal Surgery* ; Decompression ; Diet ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Ileus ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Research Personnel ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Mediastinum*

Left ventricular false tendon, also called moderator bands, anomalous cords, accessory bands or false chordae tendinae, has been known as simple anatomical without clinical importance. But the possible relationship with Still's type murmur and ventricular arrhythmia were reported recently. The incidence of false tendon was known as 0.5-6.1% variably. In Korea, there are no reports about left ventricular false tendon till now. The authors examined 2,052 patients' echocaediograms and clinical manifestations retrospectively to find the incidence and potent clinical significance of false tendons. The incidence in present study was 1.02% and there was no specific relationship between false tendon and cardiovascular diseases. The authors observed Still's type musical murmur in 5 patients out of 21 and ventricular premature beats in 2 patients out of 10 without other cardiovascular diseases. One of them showed nonsustained ventricular tachycaedia during Holter ECG monitoring. The most frequent echocardiographic site of attachment was from basal inter-ventricular septum to lelft ventricular free wall and false tendon attached to papillary muscle was least frequently observed.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Music ; Papillary Muscles ; Retrospective Studies ; Tendons*

PURPOSE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children is the most common disease during the infantile period, therefore early diagnosis and treatment are important. Pyuria is a useful clinical parameter for the initial diagnosis of a UTI. In this study we aimed to compare the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings in relation to the duration of pyuria in infants with UTIs. METHODS: Three hundred seventy-four infants <12 months of age who were admitted between January 1995 and December 2005 for the first episode of a febrile UTI were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of pyuria as follows: group 1, pyuria resolved <3 days after initial treatment; and group 2, pyuria lasted at least 3 days after initial treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in relation to gender, age, total duration of fever, and organisms in the urine. Group 2 had a significantly higher peripheral blood leukocyte count (14,360.86+/-5,526.16 cells/mm3 vs. 11,822.55+/-5,687.26 cells/mm3, P<0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (32.81+/-19.34 mm/hr vs. 23.74+/-20.43 mm/hr, P<0.001), and C-reactive protein (6.84+/-5.68 mg/dL vs. 3.78+/-3.99 mg/dL, P<0.001) than group 1. There was a significantly higher incidence of hydronephrosis and a higher grade of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in group 2 compared to group 1. CONCLUSION: In infants with UTI, pyuria of longer duration is related to severe UTI and higher grade VUR, therefore aggressive radiologic studies may be necessary.
Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Incidence ; Infant ; Leukocyte Count ; Pyuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

In single atrial and ventricular cells isolated from the guinea-pig and the rabbit heart, action potentials and membrane currents were recorded by using the whole cell voltage clamp technique. In rabbit atrial cells the repolarization showed two distinctive phases, referred as the early and late phases(early and late plateau phase), but in guinea-pig atrial cells there was a maintained plateau and less distinctive two phases of repolartization. Increasing intracellular sodium or reducing external sodium by replacement with lithium suppressed the late phase of the action potential in rabbit atrial cells and shortened the plateau of action potential in rabbit ventricle and guinea-pig atrial cells. Reducing external sodium decreased Ca-current and late inward current in voltage clamp. Ouabain in the concentration of 10(-5)M shortened the duration of action potential and shifted the holding current level to outward direction, decreased Ca-current and moved late inward current to outward direction. Ryanodine 10(-6)M which is known to be an inhibitor of Ca-release in the intracellular store, suppressed the late phase of action potential in rabbit atrial cells and shortened the plateau of action potential in rabbit ventricular cells. Ryanodine also decreased Ca-current and shifted late inward current to outward direction. It is concluded that an inward current activated by intracellular calcium contributes to the late Phase of the action potential in rabbit atrial cells and to the late plateau in rabbit ventricular cells and in guinea-pig atrial cells. It may be carried by the Na-Ca exchange precess and/or by calcium-activated non-specific channels but preferably Na-Ca exchange machanism.
Action Potentials* ; Calcium ; Heart* ; Lithium ; Membranes* ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Ouabain ; Ryanodine ; Sodium

BACKGROUND: This is a retrospective, descriptive study, evaluating the observed agreement between 1996 & 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) for medical intensive care unit (MICU) and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients. METHODS: A total of 476 adult patients who were over 15 years of age and had been admitted to the MICU & SICU of a university hospital between August 1, 2005 and August 1, 2007 were enrolled. Data were collected from electronic medical records according to the 1996 & 2002 CDC definitions of NP. RESULTS: According to the 1996 CDC definitions of NP, there were a total of 116 NP cases and incidence rate was 11.6 per 1,000 patient-days; when analyzed with the 2002 CDC definitions of NP, 75 cases met the criteria and the incidence rate was 7.5 per 1,000 patient-days. Kappa value measuring agreement between the two definitions was 0.67 (95% confidence interval 0.601-0.706). When 1996 CDC definitions were compared with 2002 CDC definitions, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 93.3, 88.5, 60.3, and 98.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Even though the aforementioned NP criteria had been applied to the same study population, the number of patients that met the definitions changed depending on which criteria had been used. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the differences when making a comparison.
Adult ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Electronic Health Records ; Humans ; Incidence ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Identification of patients with combined valvular prolapse has important clinical imlications, because such patients appear to be early surgical candidates. Detection of combined valvular prolapse became more feasible with development of 2-dimentional echocardiography and the incidence of combained mitral and valve prolapse is reported to be variable from 3% to 24%. The authors found a case of combined mitral and aortic valve prolapse detected by 2-dimensional echocardiography. This 30-years-old male patient who admitted because of peptic ulcer bleeding revealed a prolapse of anterior mitral leaflet with regurgitation and also a prolapse of the right coronary cusp into the left ventricular outflow tract but without evidence of aortic regurgutation by Doppler echocardiogram. he discharged without surgical intervention and needs further observation.
Aortic Valve Prolapse* ; Aortic Valve* ; Echocardiography ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mitral Valve ; Peptic Ulcer ; Prolapse

No abstract available.
Nephritis, Hereditary*