PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the outcome of local control after the local excision for T1/T2 rectal cancers and, thus, to assess its effectiveness as an alternative to a more radical resection. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 23 patients with T1/T2 rectal cancer treated by local excision (LE), and their results were compared with the results for 22 patients with rectal cancer of the same stage treated by a radical resection (RR). All patients with pT2 lesions in the LE group received postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation. The outcomes were defined as 5-year local-recurrence-free survival (LRFS). The median follow-up was 72 (range, 40~92) months. RESULTS: Recurrence occurred in 4 patients (pT1, 1; pT2, 3) in the LE group and in 3 patients (all pT2) in the the RR group. One patient with vascular invasion (T2N1M0) in the RR group showed multiple liver metastases at 23 months postoperatively. The difference in 5-year LRFS was not statistically significant between the two groups. In the LE group, the 5-year LRFS for pT2 lesions was significantly less favorable than that for pT1 lesions (40% vs. 94%; P= 0.005). The 5-year LRFS for pT2 in the RR group was more favorable than that in the LE group, although the difference was not statistically significant (76.9% vs. 40%, P=0.138). CONSLUSIONS: Local excision provides a favorable local control for pT1 rectal cancers. A more radical resection, however, remains an effective surgical option for pT2 lesions because local excision, even combined with adjuvant chemoradiation, showed substantial local recurrences.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was 1) to determine whether elevated maternal serum alpha- fetoprotein(MSAFP) predict increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery and indicated preterm delivery; 2) to determine whether elevated maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin(MSHCG) predict increased risk of preterm delivery. Methods: Between September 1995 and April 1998, 945 of 2105 pregnant women who received midtrimester MSAFP screening were identified and evaluated. 81 women with MSAFP levels of 2.0 MoM or more were included in the study group while 864 women with levels less than 2.0 MoM served as controls. Pregnancy outcome were obtained from hospital records and statistical analysis were performed. RESULTS: Women with elevated MSAFP levels showed an increased risk for preterm delivery(p<0.05), fetal growth restriction(p<0.05) and hypertensive disorders(p<0.05), but not for preterm premature rupture of membrane, fetal death in utero. There was a strong association between unexplained elevated MSAFP levels and spontaneous preterm delivery(p<0.05) but our study does not support an association between unexplained elevated MSAFP levels and indicated preterm delivery. There was no association between elevated MSHCG levels and preterm delivery regardless of MSAFP levels. CONCLUSION: We concluded that unexplained elevated levels of midtrimester MSAFP were associated with an elevated risk of spontaneous preterm delivery but not with a risk of indicated preterm delivery. Elevated MSHCG levels were not associated with a risk of preterm delivery and spontaneous preterm birth.
alpha-Fetoproteins* ; Chorion ; Extraembryonic Membranes ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth* ; Rupture

OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic and prognostic performance of amniotic fluid white blood cell(AF WBC) count and amniotic fluid culture for the prenatal diagnosis of intrauterine infection and the prediction of neonatal outcomes in patients with preterm labor and intact membranes. Methods: Amniocentesis was performed in 75 patients with preterm labor and intact membranes, who delivered preterm neonates within 72 hours after amniocentesis. AF WBC was determined and amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as mycoplasma. The relations among placental histologic findings, perinatal outcome, AF WBC count, and AF culture were examined. Student t test, Mann Whitney U test, lamda2 test, Fisher's exact test, modified t test, and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Microbial invasion of the amniotic fluid was more frequent in the patients with histologic chorioamnionitis than patients without histologic chorioamnionitis (28.9% vs 5.4%, p<0.05), and patients with histologic chorioamnionitis had significantly higher amniotic fluid white blood cell counts than those patients without such lesion (median 99, range 0-3024 cells/mm3 vs median 1, range 0-180 cells/mm3, p<0.01). Amniotic fluid white blood cell count (> or = 50cell/mm3) had a sensitivity of 55.3%(21/38) and a specificity of 94.6%(35/37) for the diagnosis of histologic chorioamnionitis and a sensitivity of 47.5%(19/40) and specificity of 90.9%(30/33) for the prediction of significant neonatal morbidity (defined as neonatal sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or necrotizing enterocolitis). These sensitivities were significantly higher than those of amniotic fluid culture (for histologic chorioamnionitis, 55.3% vs 28.9% ; for significant neonatal morbidity, 47.5% vs 25.0%, p<0.01 for each). CONCLUSION: Amniotic fluid WBC count is a more sensitive test for the prenatal diagnosis of intrauterine infection and for the prediction of significant neonatal morbidity than amniotic fluid culture in the patients with preterm labor and intact membranes.
Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Chorioamnionitis ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukocyte Count* ; Leukocytes* ; Logistic Models ; Membranes* ; Mycoplasma ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pneumonia ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sepsis

According to the donor shortage, the marginal donor should be concerned as one of the potential kidney sources. The pediatric kidney could be transplanted to adult recipient, but it is well known that small functioning nephron mass could cause the late graft dysfunction according to the hyperfiltration syndrome. Here, we report a case of successful kidney transplantation in adult using en bloc kidneys from a child with good long term graft function.
Adult* ; Cadaver* ; Child ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Kidney* ; Nephrons ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

Bronchogenic cysts are generally found in the mediastinum, particularly posterior to the carina, but they rarely occur in such unusual sites as the skin, subcutaneous tissue, pericardium, and even the retroperitoneum. A 30-year-old Korean man underwent surgery to remove a cystic adrenal mass incidentally discovered during routine physical checkup. At surgery, it proved to be a multilocular cyst located in the retroperitoneum adjacent to the left adrenal gland. Microscopically, the cyst was lined by respiratory epithelium over connective tissue with submucous glands, cartilage and smooth muscle, thereby histologically confirming bronchogenic cyst. This is the first reported case of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst in an adult without other congenital anomalies in Korea.
Adrenal Glands/pathology* ; Adult ; Bronchogenic Cyst/pathology* ; Bronchogenic Cyst/diagnosis ; Case Report ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Human ; Male ; Retroperitoneal Space

Simultaneoulsy carpometacarpal fracture and dislocation is known to be uncommon past days. But Fisher1 reported that it is quite common injury of hand in 1984. Also high energy injury causes carpometacarpal joint fracture and dislocation, the result of treatment has wide spectrum of prognosis, so early diagnosis and treatment is essential. We reported 2 patients who had the fourth and fifth carpometacarpal fracture and dislocation.
Carpometacarpal Joints ; Dislocations ; Early Diagnosis ; Hand ; Humans ; Prognosis

Spinal perineural cyst rarely appears in the upper lumbar spinal region as compared it occurrence at other spinal region. These cysts seldom cause radiating pain and neurologic symptoms because the majority of these cysts involve the sacral portion of the spine. Spinal perineural cyst can be recognized incidentally on magnetic resonance imaging while differentiating other diseases that cause back pain. The differential diagnosis of symptoms is needed to rule out whether or not the intraspinal cystic mass is the actual cause of radiculopathy. We report here on a case of perineural cyst at a left neural foramen of L2-3 and the patient displayed neurologic manifestations. The patient had progressively aggravated low back pain and sciatica of two years duration. MRI well demonstrated neural compression of the left 2nd lumbar neural root. Relief of symptoms were achieved by performing posterior decompression (hemilaminectomy, fascectomy & decompression of the ligamentum flavum), excision of the cyst and posterolateral fusion of L2-3.
Back Pain ; Decompression ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Radiculopathy ; Sciatica ; Spine ; Tarlov Cysts

PURPOSE: The detection of occult micrometastasis in breast cancer patients may allow the establishment of prognosis and development of new therapeutic approaches. This study was performed in order to improve on existing methods of detection by evaluating the potential of specific mRNA markers in reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of peripheral blood and bone marrow taken from patients with breast cancer. METHODS: Peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were obtained from thirty-four breast cancer patients who undergone surgery in the Department of Surgery, Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital between January 2000 and May 2001. In RT-PCR, we tried multiple primers on breast cancer cell lines and patient samples. Using MUC-1 and CK19 mRNA primers, we detected micrometastasis in breast cancer patients. Subsequently, we analysed the correlation with RT- PCR results and other prognostic factors. RESULTS: MUC-1 and CK19 were detected in all breast cancer cell lines. However, CEA was not detected in some cell lines. CK19 showed greater sensitivity than MUC-1 in RT-PCR. Using MUC-1 as primers, the detection rate was 47.1% and 35.3% in bone marrow and peripheral blood, respectively. Seven patients (20.5%) were positive in both sources. In the case of CK19, the detection rate was 50% and 41.2% in bone marrow and peripheral blood, respectively. Twelve patients (35.2%), were noted as being positive for both primers. The concordance rate of both primers mers was 38.2% and 23.5% in bone marrow and peripheral blood, respectively. CK19 positivity in the peripheral blood was correlated with bone marrow positivity and MUC-1 positivity in both sources and inversely correlated with ER. CK19 positivity of bone marrow was correlated with MUC-1 positivity of bone marrow. CONCLUSION: CK19 and MUC-1 may be good candidates for use in RT-PCR for the detection of micrometastasis of breast cancer. CK19 showed greater sensitivity. However, using both primers in RT-PCR, we may detect micrometastasis more sensitively and specifically and more wisely choose a treatment modality.
Bone Marrow* ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cell Line ; Humans ; Keratin-19 ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: Graves' disease is an organ specific autoimmune disease. Three kinds of therapeutic modalities(antithyroid drugs, ablation with radioactive iodine and subtotal thyroidectomy) are frequently performed for the management of this disease. The most popular therapeutic policy for the disease in Korea is antithyroid treatment. We analysed and compared the remission rates of all three modalities for Graves' disease, and evaluated the antithyroid modality to determine the correct duration of treatment. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The medical records of 205 patients with Graves' disease were reviewed. For the evaluation of the antithyroid modality medical treatment, antithyroid drugs were administered for more than 1 year. The prognostic factors associated with remission were analysed by means of an ROC curve. RESULTS: 1) Of the 205 patients, proportions that received medical therapy, subtotal thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy were 83.0, 14.1 and 2.9%, respectively. 2) The remission rates of the medical therapy, surgery and radioiodine therapy were 60.0, 96.5 and 83.0%, respectively. 3) The remission rate of the medical therapy was associated with the duration of medication and TBII activity. The determined proper duration for the antithyroid treatment was 26 months from the ROC curve analysis. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that the proper duration of antithyroid treatment for Graves' disease is 26 months, after which time the subtotal thyroidectomy or radioiodine therapy should be considered if the disease has not remitted.
Antithyroid Agents ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Iodine ; Korea ; Medical Records ; ROC Curve ; Thyroidectomy

Incisional hernias are one of the most common complications after abdominal surgery and are an important cause of postoperative morbidity. Various methods are available for repairing incisional hernias, such as primary suture repair, an open mesh technique, and a laparoscopic mesh technique. The surgical management of a large incisional hernia by using a prosthetic mesh in a contaminated operative field (i.e., opened bowel from previous stoma or bowel resection) remains a difficult challenge because the non-absorbable mesh used is accompanied by a potential risk of infection and its related morbidity. We present a case of a large abdominal-wall defect, which was corrected by utilizing an external oblique myofascial releasing technique without the use of mesh, in a patient with an incisional hernia coexistent with Hartmann's colostomy.
Colostomy ; Hernia ; Humans ; Sutures