Purpose: Outcome analysis of urachal cancer (UraC) is limited due to the scarcity of cases and different staging methods compared to urothelial bladder cancer (UroBC). We attempted to assess survival outcomes of UraC and compare to UroBC after stage-matched analyses. Materials and Methods: Total 203 UraC patients from a multicenter database and 373 UroBC patients in single institution from 2000 to 2018 were enrolled (median follow-up, 32 months). Sheldon stage conversion to corresponding TNM staging for UraC was conducted for head-to-head comparison to UroBC. Perioperative clinical variables and pathological results were recorded. Stage-matched analyses for survival by stage were conducted. Results: UraC patients were younger (mean age, 54 vs. 67 years; p < 0.001), with 163 patients (80.3%) receiving partial cystectomy and 23 patients (11.3%) radical cystectomy. UraC was more likely to harbor ≥ pT3a tumors (78.8% vs. 41.8%). While 5-year recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival were comparable between two groups (63.4%, 67%, and 62.1% in UraC and 61.5%, 75.9%, and 67.8% in UroBC, respectively), generally favorable prognosis for UraC in lower stages (pT1-2) but unfavorable outcomes in higher stages (pT4) compared to UroBC was observed, although only 5-year CSS in ≥ pT4 showed statistical significance (p=0.028). Body mass index (hazard ratio [HR], 0.929), diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.921), pathologic T category (HR, 3.846), and lymphovascular invasion (HR, 1.993) were predictors of CSS for all patients. Conclusion Despite differing histology, UraC has comparable prognosis to UroBC with relatively favorable outcome in low stages but worse prognosis in higher stages. The presented system may be useful for future grading and risk stratification of UraC.

Gradual mortality of look down fish (Selene vomer) was observed in a private aquarium in Seoul, showing abnormal swimming behavior and lethargy. A bacterial pathogen from kidney was cultured, identified, and confirmed as Vibrio harveyi using Vitek System 2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A predominant bacterial strain, SNUVh-LW2 was proved to be most closely related to isolates from China by phylogenetic analysis with minimum evolution method. Also, tetracycline was considered as the most sensitive antibiotic agent via antibiotic usceptibility test. The group of fish was treated according to the diagnostic result and no more mortality was observed.
China ; Genes, rRNA ; Kidney ; Lethargy ; Methods ; Mortality ; Seoul ; Swimming ; Tetracycline ; Vibrio*

For several days, there was a series of mortalities of chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) that were reared for public exhibition in a private aquarium in Seoul, Korea. As part of the diagnosis of the dead fish, a bacterial isolate from the kidney was cultured, identified, and confirmed to be Vibrio (V.) harveyi using Vitek System 2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed by the neighbor-joining method. As a result, the V. harveyi isolated from chub mackerels of a private aquarium in Korea, called as SNUVh-LW1, was clustered in the same group with V. harveyi ATCC33843.
Cyprinidae* ; Diagnosis ; Genes, rRNA ; Kidney ; Korea ; Mortality ; Perciformes* ; Seoul ; Vibrio*

Intrapelvic pin migration of the Kirschner wires or the Steinman pins that are used for the treatment of hip fracture is rare, but it can be serious when it occurs. We experienced a delayed intestinal injury that was caused by the migration of an intrapelvic pin, and this happened 10 years after performing fixation for an acetabular fracture. For preventing this potential complication, the pins have to be used only as a temporary fixation and the end of the pins should be bent. Further, the patients should be followed up clinically and radiographically for a long time. If pin migration does occur, the pin should be removed.
Bone Wires ; Hip ; Humans

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to mediastinal tumors and cysts have changed over the past three decades. This report summarizes our forty-two years of experience with these tumors. METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 479 patients with primary mediastinal tumors and cysts that were diagnosed and managed over the past 17-year period (1985~2002) and compared them to the report of the previous 25-year result (1960~1985) in Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea. RESULTS: During the 17 years, there were 479 cases of pathologically proven mediastinal tumors and cysts. Thymoma (38.2%) was the most common mediastinal tumor and has increased noticeably during recent years. The gender ratio showed a male predominance (1.3:1) and the age distributions were even over all the age groups. The most common sites of the tumor and the proportion(28.6%) of malignant tumors were the same as that previously reported. A diagnosis of a tumor in asymptomatic patients was possible in 174 cases (36.3%), which was higher that reported previously. The diagnostic yield of a fine needle aspiration biopsy was 68.6% in the total tumors and 80.9% in the malignant tumors. A surgical resection was the most frequently chosen treatment modality and was performed in 405 cases (84.6%). The complete resection rate was 91.1%, which is higher than the previous result of 78.8%. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the prevalence of mediastinal tumors and cysts, particularly thymoma, increased. A fine needle aspiration biopsy was a valuable preoperative differential diagnostic method for malignant tumors. The surgical and complete resection rate increased remarkably possibly due to the better applicable chest CT scans, the more frequent health check-up provided by the regular health promotion program for all people as a health insurance policy, and the improved diagnostic techniques in the pathologic, radiological, and clinical fields.
Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Thymoma ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy (EST) has a very important role in the treatment of pancreatico-biliary diseases, but it has complications. We retrospectively investigated whether the types of electrosurgical currents affect occurence of complications. MEHTODS: In pancreatico-biliary diseases, consecutive 150 patients undergoing EST with pure cutting current (cutting group) and then consecutive 150 patient with blend current (blended group) were studied in respect to post-EST complications and the presence of periampullary diverticulum and papillitis in major papilla. Major bleeding was defined as a decrease in hemoglobin of at least 2 g/dL. Clinical pancreatitis was defined as abdominal pain with elevated serum amylase above three times about the upper normal limit after 48 hour. RESULTS: Major bleeding has not occurred. Minor bleeding occurred in 25/300 patients (8.3%), but was not different in cutting group (n=150) and blended group (n=150). Except 54 patients with elevated amylase before procedure, pancreatitis occurred in 13/246 patients (5.3%), but was not different in cutting group (n=122) and blended group (n=124). Two cases in blended group had moderate pancreatitis. There was no differences of bleeding, pancreatitis, in patients with diverticulum (n=112) and without diverticulum (n=188). Minor bleeding was more common in patients with papillitis (n=24) than without papillitis (n=276) (p=0.000), but the incidence of post EST pancreatitis was similar. In 235 patients with choledocholithiasis, there was no difference in terms of bleeding, pancreatitis in cutting group (n=120) and blended group (n=115). CONCLUSIONS: Post- EST bleeding and pancreatitis were not affected by the types of electrosurgical current used. When EST was performed in patient with papillitis, minor bleeding was observed commonly.
Abdominal Pain ; Amylases ; Choledocholithiasis ; Diverticulum ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pancreatitis ; Papilledema ; Retrospective Studies ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic*

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the clinical features of large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the histopathology and clinical information of 37 patients with LCNEC, diagnosed between June 1992 and May 2002 at the Severance Hospital, and performed immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. RESULTS: The prevalence of LCNEC among primary lung cancers was 0.3%, 37 out of 13, 012 cases over a 10 year period. The mean age was 61+/-12 years old, with 34 (92%) males and 3 (8%) females. 30 patients smoked, with an average of 42 packs per year. A cough was the most frequent symptom. The tumor was located at the periphery of the lung in 24 cases (65%). Among the 30 cases that underwent surgery, 4 were diagnosed pathological stage IA, 11 IB, 1 IIB, 13 IIIA and 1 IIIB. The 7 clinically non-operable cases were IIIB in 3, and IV in 4. The positive rates of CD56, thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1), chromogranin A, synaptophysin and 34betaE12 for tumor cells were 88.9, 55.6, 42.1, 31.6 and 21.1%, respectively, from the IHC staining. The median survival time and 5 year-survival rate were 24 months and 27%, respectively. The group that underwent surgery had a better prognosis than those that did not. CONCLUSION: The positive rates for the tumor markers varied, but those of the CD56 and TFT-1 were the highest. The possibility of LCNEC needs to be evaluated for the following situations: small cell carcinomas located at the periphery and not responding chemotherapy, small cell carcinomas diagnosed by percutaneous needle aspiration, poorly differentiated non-mall cell carcinomas, with uncertain histologic type, and unclassified neuroendocrine tumor, etc.
Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine* ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Chromogranin A ; Cough ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Needles ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Synaptophysin ; Thyroid Gland ; Biomarkers, Tumor

Porcine proliferative enteropathy(PPE) is an enteric disease been caused by Lawsonia intracellularis. It has become one of the critical problems in the pig industry. To investigate the prevalence of PPE in Korea, serum samples of 828 pigs from 65 herds were tested using indirect immunofluorescence antibody technique(IFA). The infection rate in individual pigs varied from 44 to 69%, whereas 100% in pig farms. The infection frequency was 57, 44.9, and 59.4% according to age respectively. Administration of tylosin in feed at a concentration of 110 ppm for 14 days reduced the infection rate of the farms. These data indicated that the high prevalence of PPE may be controlled by tylosin.
Administration, Oral ; Animal Feed ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Bacterial/blood ; Enteritis/epidemiology/prevention&control/*veterinary ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect/veterinary ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/prevention&control/*veterinary ; Korea/epidemiology ; *Lawsonia Bacteria/drug effects/growth&development/immunology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/microbiology/prevention&control ; Tylosin/*therapeutic use

No abstract available.
Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the findings of ultrasonography (US) in patients withis-chial bursitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 27 patients (mean age 62 years) who underwent US fora painful mass or tenderness in the buttock area. In six of these 27, serous fluid was obtained by needleaspiration, and in five cases, bursal excision permitted histologic confirmation. The other sixteen patients werefollowed up for one or two months with only NSAID medication; all showed some improvement or remission of symptoms. Using a 5-10 MHz linear array probe, US examination was performed while the patient was lying facedown. US images were analyzed with regard to location and size of the lesions, thickness of cyst wall, thepres-ence of internal septa or mural nodules, echogenicity of the cyst wall, fluid content, internal septa,compressibility by a probe, and Doppler signals within the cyst wall. RESULTS: In all 27 patients, ischialbursitis was located superficially to ischial tuberosity. Lesion size(maximum diameter) was 1.5-7(mean 3.8)cm, andthe cyst wall was 0.2-0.8cm thick. Internal septa and mural nodules were seen in 12 cases (44%) and 13 cases(48%), respectively. The cyst wall was identifiable in 21 cases (78%), appearing as a single layer with lowechogenicity (n=10) or with high echogenicity (n=1); it also appeared as two (n=6) or three (n=4) layers ofdifferent echogenicities. When internal septa were present, fluid within the cyst was low echoic in 59% of cases,high echoic in 30%, and of mixed echogenicity (so-called compartmentalization) in 15%. In all cases, the cystbecame deformed, when compressed by a probe. In all patients who underwent doppler examination, some vascularitywas found within the cyst wall. CONCLUSION: US helped to detect ischial bursitis; US findings were thin-walled cystic lesion located superficially to ischial tuberosity, with or without internal septa and mural nodules, andeasy compressibility.
Bursitis* ; Buttocks ; Deception ; Humans ; Ultrasonography