BACKGROUND: It is generally accepted that most colorectal cancers develop from adenomas, so the detection and removal of them can reduce the incidence of colorectal cancers. Sigmoidoscopy is the effective tool for detecting and removing adenomatous polyps in the rectosigmoid region, but its major limitation is that sigmoidoscopy alone can not detect considerable portion of colorectal adenomas. METHODS: From October, 1996 to August, 1997, we performed 2017 sigmoidoscopies and 1683 colonoscopies. We analysed the anatomical distribution of adenomas and compared the detection rate of adenomas between two groups. In 32 cases, adenomas detected by sigmoidoscopy were followed by colonoscopy in less than 2 months. RESULTS: We found 125 cases of adenomas in 2017 sigmoidoscopies and 281 cases of adenomas in 1683 colonoscopies. In 281 cases of adenomas found by colonoscopy, 151 cases had rectosigmoid adenomas only and 25 cases had rectosigmoid and proximal adenomas, 105 cases had proximal adenomas only. The detection rate of adenomas by sigmoidoscopy was significantly lower than that by colonoscopy in the rectosigmoid region(6.1% vs. 10.5%, p=0.002). In 32 cases of adenomas found by sigmoidoscopy that were followed by colonoscopy, 7 cases of proximal adenomas and 6 cases of additional rectosigmoid adenomas were detected. CONCLUSION: Sigmoidoscopy cannot detect adenomas in the proximal colon beyond the sigmoid, it also can miss a significant portion of adenomas in the rectosigmoid.
Adenoma* ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Incidence ; Mass Screening* ; Sigmoidoscopy*

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors and known to play a role in regulating the expression of numerous genes involved in lipid metabolism, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. The PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism has recently been shown to be associated with diabetic nephropathy. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism and type 2 diabetic nephropathy whose duration of diabetes was over 10 years. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study, which enrolled 367 patients with type 2 diabetes. Genotyping of PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism was performed using polymerase chain reaction followed by digestion with Hae III restriction enzyme. RESULTS: The genotype or allele frequencies of PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism were not significantly different in diabetic patients with or without diabetic nephropathy. The genotype frequencies in terms of diabetic retinopathy and macrovascular complications such as coronary artery disease or stroke were not different either. Interestingly, nephropathy patients with Ala/Pro genotype showed lower C-peptide levels than those of Pro/Pro genotype. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism is not associated with diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients.
Atherosclerosis ; C-Peptide ; Case-Control Studies ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Digestion ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lipid Metabolism ; Peroxisomes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; PPAR gamma ; Stroke ; Transcription Factors

BACKGROUND: Four platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) family members have been identified; the classical PDGFs, PDGF-A and PDGF-B, and the novel PDGFs, PDGF-C and PDGF-D, which were only recently discovered. METHODS: The present study was designed to determine the changes of the platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) subtypes (C & D) and their receptors (PDGFR)-alpha & beta expression in kidneys during pre- and postnatal development. RESULTS: All the protein levels of PDGFR-alpha and -beta and the mRNA levels of PDGF-C and D were high in kidneys during the prenatal period and decreased differently during the postnatal period. PDGFR-alpha was expressed in the interstitial space at embryo day 18. PDGFR-beta protein were expressed in metanephric blastema at embryo day 18. PDGF-C mRNA was expressed in metanephric blastema, developing glomerulus at embryo 18 day and in collecting duct at postnatal day 7. PDGF-D mRNA was expressed in the parietal and vesceral epithelial cells during pre and postnatal period. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the PDGF subtypes (C & D) and their receptors (PDGFR-alpha & -beta) are differently expressed in the kidney during the prenatal and postnatal period.
Embryonic Structures ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Kidney ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Rabeprazole ; Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor* ; RNA, Messenger

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a rare disorder in children. There are few investigations about the exact incidence and effective treatment of SRUS in children. We describe a 12-year-old male patient who had rectal prolapse for 9 years, hematochezia for 7 months, and was diagnosed with polypoid solitary rectal ulcer syndrome with rectal prolapse by colonoscopy. Anorectal manometry was also performed to evaluate the cause of frequent relapses.
Child ; Colonoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Manometry ; Rectal Prolapse ; Recurrence ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: Febrile convulsions are classified into simple or complex types, the latter being characterized by increased risk of recurrence and progression to epilepsy. This study aimed to delineate the clinical characteristics of complex febrile convulsions. METHODS: Between January 2003 and December 2006, 550 children were diagnosed with febrile convulsions at the Department of Pediatrics, Ilsan Paik Hospital. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed for comparison between simple and complex febrile convulsions, and clinical findings of complex febrile convulsions were clarified. RESULTS: Our subjects comprised a male-to-female ratio of 1.64:1; the age range was from 8 months to 8 years. Simple febrile convulsions comprised 432 cases, i.e., 4 times as many as complex febrile convulsions (118 cases). The causes of febrile illness included acute pharyngotonsillitis (357 cases, 64.9%), pneumonia (55 cases, 10.0%), acute gastroenteritis (37 cases, 6.7%), and otitis media (20 cases, 3.6%). We did not find any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsions, and cause of febrile illness. Regarding subtypes of complex febrile convulsions, repeated convulsions were the most frequent (72.0%), followed by prolonged convulsions (16.9%) and focal convulsions (5.1%). CONCLUSION: We have reported here the clinical features of complex febrile convulsions. Although the results did not show any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsion, and cause of febrile illness, further studies are essential to delineate complex febrile convulsions.
Child ; Epilepsy ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Otitis Media ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile

Hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis is a rare, but serious, complication of pregnancy. We report a case of acute pancreatitis associated with type V hyperlipoproteinemia in pregnancy. A 36-year-old primigravida was admitted at 16 weeks of gestation with severe abdominal pain. Chemical analysis showed high serum pancreatic enzymes and very high serum triglyceride. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed diffuse swelling of the pancreas and a peripancreatic fluid collection. A diagnosis of acute pancreatitis with type V hyperlipoproteinemia was made. She recovered from the acute pancreatitis with conservative management and the serum triglyceride decreased rapidly with dietary restriction of fat, insulin/glucose, fenofibrate, and omega-3. We review the management of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis in pregnancy.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Fenofibrate ; Humans ; Hyperlipoproteinemia Type V ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: Microscopic indocyanine green (ICG) angiography is useful for identifying the completeness of aneurysm clipping and the preservation of parent arteries and small perforators. Neuroendoscopy is helpful for visualizing structures beyond the straight line of the microscopic view. We evaluated our prototype of endoscopic ICG fluorescence angiography in swine, which we developed in order to combine the merits of microscopic ICG angiography and endoscopy. METHODS: Our endoscopic ICG system consists of a camera, a light source, a display and software. This system can simultaneously display real-time visible and near infrared fluorescence imaging on the same monitor. A commercially available endoscope was used, which was 4 mm in diameter and had an angle of 30degrees. A male crossbred swine was used. RESULTS: Under general anesthesia, a small craniotomy was performed and the brain surface of the swine was exposed. ICG was injected via the ear vein with a bolus dose of 0.3 mg/kg. Visible and ICG fluorescence images of cortical vessels were simultaneously observed on the display monitor at high resolution. The real-time merging of the visible and fluorescent images corresponded well. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous visible color and ICG fluorescent imaging of the cortical vessels in the swine brain was satisfactory. Technical improvement and clinical implication are expected.
Anesthesia, General ; Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Brain ; Craniotomy ; Ear ; Endoscopes ; Endoscopy ; Fluorescein Angiography* ; Fluorescence* ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green* ; Male ; Neuroendoscopy ; Optical Imaging ; Parents ; Swine* ; Veins

Data on the frequency of nosocomial infections during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in adult populations remain scarce. We investigated the risk factors for nosocomial infections in adult patients undergoing venoarterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) support. From January 2011 to December 2015, a total of 259 patients underwent ECMO. Of these, patients aged 17 years or less and patients undergoing ECMO for less than 48 hours were excluded. Of these, 61 patients diagnosed with cardiogenic shock were evaluated. Mean patient age was 60.6 ± 14.3 years and 21 (34.4%) patients were female. The mean preoperative Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 8.6 ± 2.2. The mean duration of ECMO support was 6.8 ± 7.4 days. The rates of successful ECMO weaning and survival to discharge were 44.3% and 31.1%, respectively. There were 18 nosocomial infections in 14 (23.0%) patients. These included respiratory tract infections in 9 cases and bloodstream infections in a further 9. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of infection during ECMO were the preoperative creatinine level (hazard ratio [HR], 2.176; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.065–4.447; P = 0.033) and the duration of ECMO support (HR, 1.400; 95% CI, 1.081–1.815; P = 0.011). A higher preoperative creatinine level and an extended duration of ECMO support are risk factors for infection. Therefore, to avoid the development of nosocomial infections, strategies to shorten the length of ECMO support should be applied whenever possible.