PURPOSE : This study was undertaken to investigate clinical aspects of nutcracker syndrome in children including sexual distribution, age of onset, the ratio of peak flow velocity between the narrowed and dilated portions in the left renal vein and prevalence of hematuria or proteinuria. MATERIALS AND METHOD : The subjects included 30 patients diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome using Doppler sonography from September 1999 to January 2001 in Severance Hospital, Department of Pediatric Nephrology. The diagnostic criteria for nutcracker syndrome was a peak flow velocity of ratio is more than 5.0. RESULTS : Patients consisted of 14 males and 16 females. The mean age was 9.19+/-2.31 years old and the ratio of peak flow velocity was 8.52+/-2.24. Age of onset was higher in males 9.68+/-2.82 year old than in females, 8.76+/-1.72 year old respectively(P<0.05). But there was no difference in the ratio of peak flow velocities ; 8.45+/-2.31 in the male group , 8.58+/-2.25 in the female group(P>0.05). There was no difference in the age of onset and the ratio of peak flow velocity between patients with hematuria and without hematuria. Among patients with nutcracker syndrome, 24 cases of hematuria, 3 cases of proteinuria only, and 3 cases of hematuria with proteinuria. CONCLUSION : In children of school age, early diagnosis of nutcracker syndrome and consistent follow up is worthy of consideration, especially in the prevention of sequelae.
Age Distribution ; Age of Onset ; Child* ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Male ; Nephrology ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Renal Veins

The nutcracker syndrome is the congestion of left renal vein due to the compression of left renal vein by the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery and has been known as the cause of hematuria with or without left renal flank pain, mild to moderate proteinuria and orthostatic proteinuria. We present here one case of 13.5 year of girl has severe typical nutcracker syndrome with orthostatic protinuria and idiopathic chronic fatigue.
Aorta ; Child* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Proteinuria* ; Renal Veins

Between January 1980 and September 1988, 68 patients with advanced T3 & T4 glottic carcinoma were treated with RT and surgery/RT in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center and ENT, Yonsei University College of Medicine. The mean age was 60 years old (range 33 to 79 year old). The 34 patients were treated with irradiation alone, and the remaining 34 patients with surgery and irradiation. Initial nodal presentation was 37% (25/68); 31% (11/34) in RT alone group and 41% (14/34) in combined treatment group. The minimum follow-up was 2 years. The local control rate after treatment was 47% in RT alone group and 65% in combined treatment group; 57% for node negative and 27% for node positive patients treated with RT alone; 65% for node negative and 64% for node positive patients treated with combined treatment. The treatment failure was observed in 30 patients; 14 patients for primary local failure, 6 patients for regional nodal failure, 6 patients for local and regional failure, 26 patients for primary failure and/or distant metastasis, and 2 patient for regional failure and/or distant metasasis. The overall 5-year survival rate was 57%; 37% in RT alone group and 76% in combined treatment group; 55% for node negative and 20% for node positive patients treated with RT alone; 73% for node negative and 77% for node positive patients treated with combined treatment. In conclusion, the combined treatment groups in the treatment of advanced T3 and T4 glottic cancer showed the better results in local control rates and 5-year actuarial survival rates than RT alone group. We suggest that total laryngectomy and postoperative RT in the most patients of advanced glottic cancer were performed. However, in cases of node negative patients, RT alone is prefer as a treatment modality over combined surgery and RT since the treatment results were comparable and furthermore functional preservation could be achieved.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laryngectomy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Oncology ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: To determine the patterns of evaluation and treatment in patients with breast cancer after mastectomy and treated with radiotherapy. A nationwide study was performed with the goal of improving radiotherapy treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based database system for the Korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Randomly selected records of 286 eligible patients treated between 1998 and 1999 from 17 hospitals were reviewed. RESULTS: The ages of the study patients ranged from 20 to 80 years (median age 44 years). The pathologic T stage by the AJCC was T1 in 9.7% of the cases, T2 in 59.2% of the cases, T3 in 25.6% of the cases, and T4 in 5.3% of the cases. For analysis of nodal involvement, N0 was 7.3%, N1 was 14%, N2 was 38.8%, and N3 was 38.5% of the cases. The AJCC stage was stage I in 0.7% of the cases, stage IIa in 3.8% of the cases, stage IIb in 9.8% of the cases, stage IIIa in 43% of the cases, stage IIIb in 2.8% of the cases, and IIIc in 38.5% of the cases. There were various sequences of chemotherapy and radiotherapy after mastectomy. Mastectomy and chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was the most commonly performed sequence in 47% of the cases. Mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy followed by additional chemotherapy was performed in 35% of the cases, and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed in 12.5% of the cases. The radiotherapy volume was chest wall only in 5.6% of the cases. The volume was chest wall and supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 20.3% of the cases; chest wall, SCL and internal mammary lymph node (IMN) in 27.6% of the cases; chest wall, SCL and posterior axillary lymph node in 25.9% of the cases; chest wall, SCL, IMN, and posterior axillary lymph node in 19.9% of the cases. Two patients received IMN only. The method of chest wall irradiation was tangential field in 57.3% of the cases and electron beam in 42% of the cases. A bolus for the chest wall was used in 54.8% of the tangential field cases and 52.5% of the electron beam cases. The radiation dose to the chest wall was 45~59.4 Gy (median 50.4 Gy), to the SCL was 45~59.4 Gy (median 50.4 Gy), and to the PAB was 4.8~38.8 Gy, (median 9 Gy) CONCLUSION: Different and various treatment methods were used for radiotherapy of the breast cancer patients after mastectomy in each hospital. Most of treatment methods varied in the irradiation of the chest wall. A separate analysis for the details of radiotherapy planning also needs to be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed in order to evaluate the different processes.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy* ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Radiotherapy ; Thoracic Wall

In this article, on page 230, Fig. 2A needs to be corrected.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We compared the efficacy and safety of valsartan and rosuvastatin combination therapy with each treatment alone in hypercholesterolemic hypertensive patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients who met inclusion criteria were randomized to receive 1 of the following 2-month drug regimens: valsartan 160 mg plus rosuvastatin 20 mg, valsartan 160 mg plus placebo, or rosuvastatin 20 mg plus placebo. The primary efficacy variables were change in sitting diastolic blood pressure (sitDBP) and sitting systolic blood pressure (sitSBP), and percentage change in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) in the combination, valsartan, and rosuvastatin groups. Adverse events (AEs) during the study were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 354 patients were screened and 123 of them were finally randomized. Changes of sitDBP by least squares mean (LSM) were -11.1, -7.2, and -3.6 mm Hg, respectively, and was greater in the combination, as compared to both valsartan (p=0.02) and rosuvastatin (p<0.001). Changes of sitSBP by LSM were -13.2, -10.8, and -4.9 mm Hg, and was greater in the combination, as compared to rosuvastatin (p=0.006) and not valsartan (p=0.42). Percentage changes of LDL-C by LSM were -52, -4, and -47% in each group, and was greater in the combination, as compared to valsartan (p<0.001), similar to rosuvastatin (p=0.16). Most AEs were mild and resolved by the end of the study. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with valsartan and rosuvastatin exhibited an additive blood pressure-lowering effect with acceptable tolerability, as compared to valsartan monotherapy. Its lipid lowering effect was similar to rosuvatatin monotherapy.
Blood Pressure ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Rosuvastatin Calcium ; Valsartan