BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinomal(HCC) has been considered to be relatively radioresistant. The role of radiotherapy(RT) in the treatment of HCC is controversial. But RT has a role in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma as a single or combination modalities. The effect of radiotherapy on HCC was evaluated. Patients and METHODS: From January 1984 through January 2000, a total of 18 patients with unresectable HCC underwent radiotherapy alone or in conjunction with transarterial embolization(TAE). We reviewed the medical ecords of patients treated with RT and measured the tumor size using measured the tumor size using planimetry method. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate. RESULTS: The RT patients were 15 men and 3 women. The mean age was 51 years. four(22.2%) of them were accompanied with ascites. Eleven(61.1%) of them were accompanied with liver cirrhosis and their functions were 6, 3, 2 in each Child-Pugh A, B, C, respectively. A partial response(PR) was observed in 2 patients(11.1%), minimal response(MR) in 4 patients (22.2%) and no change(NC), in 11 patients(61.1%), whereas progressive disease(PD) was seen in 1 patients(6%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although the radiotherapy in HCC did not improve the survival rate. it decreased the tmor size. Radiotherapy strengthens the therapeutic efficacy when combined with TAE, but more studies are needed.
Ascites ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Radiotherapy* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Sono-guided FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology) is a safe and accurate diagnostic procedure for thyroid nodules. We examined the use of an extension tube in FNAC as useful. METHODS: We reviewed 175 cases of patients with thyroid nodules where an extension tube was used in sono-guide FNAC and 153 cases where a syringe holder was used in Jeonju Jesus hospital, from July 2005 to September 2006. RESULTS: For cases with an extension tube, tumor size was smaller than 1 cm (38%), from 1 cm to 2 cm (27%), or larger than 2 cm (35%), with cytology results of benign (73%), intermediate (8%), malignant (7%), or nondiagnostic (12%). In cases with a syringe holder, tumor size was smaller than 1 cm (40%), from 1 cm to 2 cm (40%), or larger than 2 cm (20%), with cytology results of benign (51%), intermediate (4%), malignant (3%), or nondiagnostic (42%). The nondiagnostic percentage in cases where an extension tube was used was lower than in cases using a syringe holder. However, the number of tumors larger than 2 cm was significantly larger in the syringe group than the extension tube group. CONCLUSION: The use of an extension tube or a syringe holder in FNAC produce similar results.
Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Needles ; Syringes ; Thyroid Nodule

BACKGROUND: Intensive care units(ICUs) probably represent the single largest identifiable source of infection within the hospital. Although there are several studies on ICU infections in respect to their bacteriology or mortality rate for individual types of ICU, few studies have compared ICU infections between different types of ICU. The aim of this study was to identify clinical differences in bacteremia between medical ICU(MICU) and surgical ICU(SICU) patients. METHODS: 256 patients with bacteremia were retrospectively evaluated. Medical records were reviewed to obtain the clinical and bacteriologic informations. RESULTS: 1) The mean age of the patients with bacteremia of MICU(58.6+/-17.2 yr) was greater than that of all MICU patients(54.3+/-17.1 yr)(p<0.01), but there was no significant difference in SICU patients(patients with bacteremia of SICU: 56.3 +/-18.6 yr, all SICU patients: 62.0+/-16.8)(p>0.05). ICU stay was longer(MICU patients: 23.4 +/-40.8 day, SICU patients: 30.3 +/-26.8 day) than the mean stay of all patients(6.8+/-15.5 day)(p<0.05, respectively). Bacteremia of both ICU patients developed past the average day of ICU stay(all MICU patients: 7.9 day, all SICU patients: 6.0 day, MICU bacteremia: 19th day, SICU bacteremia: 17th day of ICU stay)(p<0.05, respectively). 2) There were no significant differences in mean age, sex, and length of stay of both ICU patients with bacteremia. 3) Use of antibiotics or steroid, use of percutaneous devices and invasive procedures before development of bacteremia were more frequent in SICU patients than in MICU patients(prior antibiotics use: MICU 45%, SICU 63%, p<0.05; steroid use: MICU 14%, SICU 36%, p<0.01; use of percutaneous devices: MICU 19%, SICU 39%, p<0.01; invasive procedures: MICU 19%, SICU 61%, p<0.01). 4) The prevalence of community acquired infections was significantly higher in MICU patients than in SICU patients(MICU 42%, SICU 9%)(p<0.01), whereas SICU patients showed higher prevalence of ICU-acquired infection than MICU patients(MICU 48%, SICU 78%)(p<0.01). 5) There were no differences in causative organisms, primary sites of infection and time interval to bacteremia between both ICUs. 6) There were no significant differences in outcome according to pathogenic organisms or primary sites of infection. 7) The mortality rate was higher in patients with bacteremia than without bacteremia(MICU mortality rate: patients with bacteremia 72.5%, patients without bacteremia 36.0%, p<0.01; SICU mortality rate: patients with bacteremia 40.3%, patients without bacteremia 8.5%, p<0.05), and the mortality rate of MICU bacteremia was significantly higher compared with that of SICU bacteremia(MICU 72.5%, SICU 40.3%)(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: ICU patients with bacteremia stayed longer before the development of bacteremia, and showed higher mortality than the overall ICU population. The incidence of bacteremia was higher in MICU patients than SICU patients. MICU patients with bacteremia showed higher prevalence of liver diseases and acute respiratory failure, community-acquired bacteremia and greater mortality rate than SICU patients with bacteremia. SICU patients with bacteremia, on the other hand, showed higher prevalence of trauma, prior use of immunosuppressive agents, invasive procedures, and ICU-acquired bacteremia, and lower mortality rate than MICU patients with bacteremia.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteremia* ; Bacteriology ; Community-Acquired Infections ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Critical Care* ; Length of Stay ; Liver Diseases ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies

Primary tumors of the mesentery are uncommon, and primary leiomyosarcoma of the mesentery is especially rare, and thus an accurate preoperative diagnosis is difficult. We experienced a case of 32-year female with primary leiomyosarcoma of the mesentery. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Mesentery* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*