Today, percutaneous nephrostomy and other related renal procedures are routine in most hospitals. This technique provides safe, rapid and direct access to the upper urinary tract for various diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers. It has become a vital tool for the urologists who have been able to diagnose and treat ever more diverse pathologies of the urinary tract without open operation. Percutaneous nephrostomy was done on 276 cases with advanced malignancy and benign conditions during the period of March, 1985 to December, 1993. We were successful in using percutaneous nephrostomy as urinary diversion to ureteral obstruction or urinary leakage in 27l cases( 98% ). In four fifths of patients, obstruction was due to neoplasm, with the cervical cancer the leading cause. The post-nephrostomy complications were bleeding in 10 cases, enterocutaneous fistula in 4, perinephric abscess in 3 and sepsis in 1. Percutaneous nephrostomy proved to be ideally suited in condition of obstructive uropathy and urine leakage.
Abscess ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Fistula ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous* ; Pathology ; Pregnenolone Carbonitrile ; Sepsis ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Urinary Diversion ; Urinary Tract ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Ganglioneuromas have their origin in neural crest and are found along the path of the sympathetic chain from the base of the skull to the pelvis, including the adrenal medulla. Clinically, ganglioneuromas may be incidentally found or detected secondarily by pressure effects on adjacent structures. Endocrine activity is rare among ganglioneuromas. Symptoms and signs such as hypertension, profuse perspiration, cutaneous flushing, rash, pallor, polyuria, and diarrhea are well documented. Recently we experienced a case of ganglioneuroma arising from the retroperitoneal sympathetic chains in a 46 year-old-female and, herein, report with review of the literatures.
Adrenal Medulla ; Diarrhea ; Exanthema ; Flushing ; Ganglioneuroma* ; Hypertension ; Neural Crest ; Pallor ; Pelvis ; Polyuria ; Skull

PURPOSE: Free radicals are defined as any species capable of independent existence that contains one or more unpaired electrons and they have the effects on carcinogenesis and tumor progression by causing mutations on genetic structure or suppressing repair of mutated DNA. This study was aimed to identify changes of antioxidant capacity in carcinogenesis and tumor progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: We studied the level of serum antioxidant capacity using ABTS technique for 34 CRC patients who were operated between July 1997 and January 1998 at department of surgery, Taegu Catholic Medical Center and compared with 38 persons who had normal value of liver function during the same period. RESULTS: CRC patients showed decreased serum antioxidant capacity level compared to that of control group (CRC male 1.23 0.15 mmol/L, CRC female 1.11 0.13 mmol/L, control male 1.40 0.15, control female 1.35 0.11 mmol/L). Changes of antioxidant capacity levels were not correlated with stages, even though the marginal difference between T-stages (T1/2 1.23 0.10 mmol/L, T3/4 1.16 0.15 mmol/L). CONCLUSIONS: Free radicals may be the causative agent of colorectal carcinogenesis and can be associated with early phase of carcinogenesis rather than tumor progression.
Carcinogenesis ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Daegu ; DNA ; Female ; Free Radicals ; Genetic Structures ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Reference Values

Focal myositis is an uncommon benign inflammatory myopathy of unknown cause affecting skeletal muscle, and presenting as a localized painful swelling within the soft tissue of an extremity. According to some reports, focal myositis may occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, and other connective tissue diseases. To our knowledge, there has been no case report of focal myositis associated with rheumatoid arthritis. We report first case of focal myositis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Extremities ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myositis* ; Sarcoidosis

Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine caused leg pain with associated calf weakness and atrophy. However, an unusual case of leg pain and calf atrophy due to neural compression is reported. We reported a rare case of a Baker's cyst causing common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve entrapment neuropathy. Initially, after arthroscopic menisectomy and cyst decompression, Baker's cyst was recurred and then open excision was done. Until 1 year after surgery, the cyst was not recurred, increased muscle bulk was noted and EMG showed improved findings. But she continued to complain of lower leg weakness and sole paresthesia owing to delayed diagnosis and cyst decompression.
Atrophy ; Decompression ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Leg ; Paresthesia ; Peroneal Nerve* ; Popliteal Cyst* ; Spine ; Tibial Nerve*

BACKGROUND: Secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common congenital heart defect in adults. Patients with ASDs at high risk of cardiovascular complications undergo either surgical repair or percutaneous device closure. CASE REPORT: We report the case of an 85-year-old male with unusual recurrent cerebral infarctions. The patient has undergone repair of secundum ASD 12 years ago. Evaluation by transesophageal echocardiography revealed a mobile mass at the patch repair site in the left atrium. The mass was surgically removed due to recurrent stroke during the anticoagulation. CONCLUSION: This case emphasizes the importance of regular cardiac checkup and the need to consider cardioembolic source as being part of the etiology of stroke recurrence, even if the event occurs many years after intracardiac shunt closures.
Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cerebral Infarction ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Heart Atria ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Stroke

Surgical resection of colorectal cancer metastasis to the liver results in a 5-year survival rate of around 40%. Liver metastasis from other cancers such as neuroendocrine carcinoma and genitourinary tumors are also treated effectively with combined liver resection. However, hepatic metastasectomy for liver tumor from gastric cancer hasn't been considered as a standard treatment, and the benefit for this treatment has not been established. We report here on two cases of gastrectomy and combined liver resection for synchronous liver metastasis without any evidence of other metastatic lesions, and these two patients have survived for more than 7 years without evidence of disease recurrence. In conclusion, for patients with hepatic metastasis from gastric cancer, combined surgical resection of the liver metastasis should be considered as a treatment option when metastasis to other sites can be excluded.
Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Liver* ; Metastasectomy ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Tourette's disorder (TD), which is characterized by multiple waxing and waning motor tics and one or more vocal tics, is known to be associated with abnormalities in the dopaminergic system. To testify our hypothesis that risperidone would improve tic symptoms of TD patients through the change of the dopaminergic system, we measured the dopamine transporter (DAT) densities between drug-naive children with TD and normal children, and investigated the DAT density before and after treatment with risperidone in drug-naive children with TD, using iodine-123 labelled N- (3-iodopropen-2-yl) -2beta-carbomethoxy -3beta- (4-chlorophenyl) tropane ([123I]IPT) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: [123I]IPT SPECT imaging and Yale Global Tic Severity Scale-Korean version (YGTSS-K) for assessing the tic symptom severity were carried out before and after treatment with risperidone for 8 weeks in nine drug-naive children with TD. Eleven normal children also underwent SPECT imaging 2 hours after an intravenous administration of [123I]IPT. RESULTS: Drug-naive children with TD had a significantly greater increase in the specific/nonspecific DAT binding ratio of both basal ganglia compared with the normal children. However, no significant difference in the specific/nonspecific DAT binding ratio of the basal ganglia before and after treatment with risperidone in children with TD was found, although tic symptoms were significantly improved with risperidone. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that DAT densities are directly associated with the pathophysiology of TD, however, that the effect of risperidone on tic symptoms in children with TD is not attributed to the change of dopaminergic system.
Administration, Intravenous ; Basal Ganglia ; Child* ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Dopamine* ; Humans ; Risperidone* ; Tics ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Tourette Syndrome*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The treatment of choice of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is partial pancreatic resection with complete excision of this potentially malignant lesion, thus preserving sufficient pancreatic tissue to ensure endocrine and exocrine functions. This strategy, however, requires a reliable preoperative assessment of the highly variable extension of IPMN. We performed this study to determine the role of intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) in predicting the extension of IPMN and selecting the resection methods of pancreas. METHODS: A preoperative assessment of IPMN by IDUS was performed in 12 patients who underwent a surgical resection of IPMN. According to the preoperative localization of IPMN by IDUS, various types of limited pancreatic resections were planned. The histologic examination of the frozen section of the pancreatic cut surface was performed in all patient. In the cases of tumor involvement as cut surface margin, a modification of the planned pancreatic resection was done. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all 12 cases (100%). There were positive tumor margin of cut surfaces in 2 patients. Of 10 cases whose frozen tissue evaluation of the pancreatic cut surface had been negative at first, one patieat has turned out to be margin positive in permanent section examination, finally. Overall accuracy of IDUS in predicting the continuous extension of IPMN was 75%. CONCLUSIONS: IDUS is a reliable diagnostic modality to guide the resection extent of the pancreas in patients with IPMN.
Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Mucins* ; Pancreas* ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: Superficial dermatomycoses are fungal infections of the skin, hair, or nails and are most commonly caused by dermatophytes. Superficial dermatomycoses are very common diseases in the field of dermatology; however, their prevalence and clinical characteristics vary with geographical areas and populations. Moreover, pathogenic species change constantly over time. OBJECTIVE: This multicenter study aimed to investigate the epidemiologic and clinical findings of tinea corporis, tinea faciale, and tinea capitis in Korea during 2016-2017. In addition, we sought to identify the pathogenic organism causing these three different types of fungal infections. METHODS: Total 453 patients from the dermatology clinics of 13 tertiary hospitals in Korea were enrolled in this study. Information regarding demographic characteristics, comorbidities, occupation, family history of superficial dermatomycoses, suspected routes of infection, and treatment was collected. Fungal cultures and molecular analyses were performed for patients with tinea corporis, tinea faciale, and tinea capitis. RESULTS: Of the 453 patients, 275 were men and 178 were women. With respect to past history, 214 patients (53.4%) had at least one comorbidity. Tinea corporis (27.3%) was the most common form of superficial dermatomycosis, followed by tinea pedis (23.2%) and tinea unguium (16.6%). Overall, the fungal culture positivity was 77.8% (126/162). Trichophyton rubrum was the most common causative organism for tinea corporis (66.7%, 68/80) and tinea faciale (43.8%, 14/23), while Microsporum canis was the most common causative organism for tinea capitis (36.7%, 11/23). CONCLUSION Trichophyton rubrum was consistently the most common causative organism of superficial dermatomycoses, except for tinea capitis in Korea.