No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy in patients with secondary lacrimal drainage obstruction associated with systemic chemotherapy or radioactive iodine therapy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients diagnosed with secondary lacrimal drainage obstruction after systemic chemotherapy or radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid disease and surgical treatment by endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy between January 2009 and January 2015. The control group included randomly selected patients who underwent endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy after diagnosis of primary lacrimal drainage obstruction. RESULTS: Patients were separated into a chemotherapy group (13 eyes of 9 patients), a radioactive iodine therapy group (44 eyes of 32 patients), and a control group (50 eyes of 40 patients). Duration from the onset of systemic chemotherapy or radioactive iodine to the first epiphora symptom was shorter in the chemotherapy group than the radioactive iodine therapy group (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the three groups in success rate of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with secondary lacrimal drainage obstruction associated with systemic chemotherapy or radioactive iodine therapy had successful outcome of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. The success rate of dacryocystorhinostomy was comparable to that in patients with primary lacrimal drainage obstruction.
Dacryocystorhinostomy* ; Diagnosis ; Drainage* ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Iodine* ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Diseases

PURPOSE: Angiogeneisis is essential process for tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is major regulator of angiogenesis. Recently, the incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) increased because of development in diagnostic modality. Several recent reports have documented relationship of VEGF and papillary thyroid cancer. The aims of this study were to determine whether angiogenetic phenotype was changed or not changed and to evaluate the relationship between clinicopathologic features and VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1), hypoxic induced factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) mRNA expression in PTMC. METHODS: VEGF, VEGFR-1, HIF-1α mRNA expression was examined by RT-PCR in 14 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy due to PTMC. The thyroid tumor tissue and adjacent normal thyroid tissue were collected in operation and preserved at -70℃ in RNA later solution. We evaluate the expression of VEGF, VEGFR-1, HIF-1α mRNA by RTPCR. The expression of mRNA was quantititated by densitometer and analyzed the relationship between clinicopathologic features and mRNA expression. RESULTS: Compared to normal tissues, in PTMC we observed higher expression of HIF-1α mRNA (P=0.024) and lower expression of VEGF mRNA (P=0.002). There was no difference in expression of VEGFR-1.The patients with nodal metastasis had higher expression of the VEGF mRNA in tumor tissues than those without nodal metastasis but not significantly. The VEGF mRNA of tumor tissues in patients with thyroid capsule invasion or not were expressed similarly. The lower expression of VEGF mRNA were observed more frequently in younger patients (<40). CONCLUSION: The expression of VEGF mRNA was lower in tumor tissue in spite of higher expression of HIF-1α mRNA. These results suggest that the reason for good prognosis and no progression to clinical cancer in PTMC was related to the unchanged angiogenic phenotype.
Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phenotype ; Prognosis ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1*

A case of 39-year-old diabetic patient with a calcitonin and somatostatin secreting pancreatic islet tumor is presented. He had suffered from chronic diarrhea and dyspepsia for 10 years and was diagnosed with diabetes 2 years ago. Abdominal CT revealed a huge abdominal mass which was considered as a neuroendocrine tumor after US-guided needle biopsy. A distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were performed. Histologically, tumor cells, amanged in solid sheets, showed small nuclei without significant atypia and granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. Tumor cells showed strong immunoreacitivity for calcitonin and somatostatin. The serum clacitonin was markedly elevated (268.7 pmol/L, normal range; 0.9-7.6 pmol/L). After resection of the tumor, diarrhea and dyspepsia diappeared, and oral glucose tolerance test showed normal glucose tolerance with normalization of calcitonin.
Adult ; Biopsy, Needle ; Calcitonin* ; Cytoplasm ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diarrhea ; Dyspepsia ; Eosinophils ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Islets of Langerhans* ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Pancreatectomy ; Reference Values ; Somatostatin* ; Splenectomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to identify the level of psychosocial stress of residents near asbestos mines, and to investigate the relationship between psychosocial stress and asbestos exposure history as well as, asbestos exposure awareness. METHODS: The survey was conducted in 297 individuals, by one-on-one interviews with a standard questionnaire including demographic characteristics, health status, asbestos exposure history, and awareness of asbestos exposure. The levels of psychosocial stress were measured through the Psychosocial Wellbeing Index-Short Form(PWI-SF). Multivariate logistic regression was conducted using psychosocial stress as a dependent variable. Demographic characteristics, health status, asbestos exposure history, and asbestos exposure awareness were examined as independent variable. RESULTS: The average PWI-SF score was 17.5 +/- 8.0, with 40 people (13.5%) in the high-risk stress group (PWI-SF 27 points or more). The group having an asbestos-related occupational history had a 2.53 times higher proportion of psychosocial stress (95% CI: 1.03~6.21). The group recognizing asbestos exposure had an even higher proportion of high psychosocial stress group (4.84 times, 95% CI: 1.41~16.55). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of psychosocial stress is significantly higher in residents near asbestos mines having an asbestos-related occupational history who recognize their frequent asbestos exposure. Therefore, mental health is affected by the awareness of environmental asbestos exposure as well as an occupational exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Occupational Exposure ; Questionnaires

Double-pigtail ureteral stent has been used to prevent the ureteral obstruction from calculi and to pass the urine easily after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). One of the complications in stent indwelling is the migration of the stent. Especially the proximal migration of double-pigtail ureteral stents is rare. One of the several theories that have been proposed to account for cephalad migration is a stent movement in conjunction with kidney movement during respiration. The reason is that the respiration makes the kidney move in both upward and downward directions while the stent, held by fragemented ureteral stone, moves only in upward direction. We call this cause of the proximal migration of the stent, 'Jack' phenomenon. Therefore, if the residual calculi remain after ESWL with ureteral stent, we need close observation.
Calculi ; Kidney ; Lithotripsy* ; Respiration ; Shock* ; Stents* ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction

The purpose of this study was to determine whether contemporary active surveillance (AS) protocols could sufficiently discriminate significant from indolent tumors in men with low-risk prostate cancer. We retrospectively analyzed 312 patients with low-risk prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy. After exclusion of patients with fewer than 10 cores taken at biopsy and those who received neo-adjuvant treatment, 205 subjects satisfied the final inclusion criteria. Five widely accepted AS protocols were employed in this study. A total of 82.0% of the patients met the inclusion criteria of at least one protocol, and 18% did not meet any criteria of published AS protocols. A significant proportion of patients had non-organ-confined disease (8.6% to 10.6%) or a Gleason score of 7 or greater (18.6% to 23.9%) between the different AS criteria. Among patients who did not meet any AS criteria, 32.4% of patients had a pathologically insignificant cancer. Our results indicated a significant adverse pathology in patients who met the contemporary AS protocols. On the other hand, some patients in whom expectant management would be appropriate did not meet any criteria of published AS protocols. None of the clinical or histological criteria reported to date is able to sufficiently discriminate aggressive tumors from indolent ones.
Aged ; Humans ; Kallikreins/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prostate/*pathology ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Treatment Outcome ; *Watchful Waiting

BACKGROUND: Serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphism region(5-HTTLPR) and catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT) genes are thought to be important factors in some personality traits and the etiology of anxiety disorder. The goal of this study was to determine the role of these genes in personality traits. METHOD: The participants included 116 healthy adults with no history of psychiatric disorders and other physical illness for the last 6 months. All participants were tested by Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI). The 5-HTTLPR, COMT val158met gene polymorphisms were analyzed with PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction). Differences on TCI dimensions and sub-scales among groups were examined with t-test and ANOVA. RESULT: There were possible relationships of the 5-HTTLPR with self-transcendence(P=0.050) and COMT val158met polymorphism with cooperativeness(P=0.053). CONCLUSION: We found associations between 5-HTTLPR, COMT polymorphisms and the some TCI character dimensions. Further studies of polymorphisms of other genes and their interactions may clarify the complex relationship between personality and genes.
Adult ; Anxiety Disorders ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Temperament

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of the extraperitoneal robotic radical prostatectomy (ERP), we compared the results of transperitoneal robotic radical prostatectomy (TRP) with those of ERP performed by a single surgeon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All operation was performed by a single surgeon, who had the experience of more than 150 transperitoneal cases. Recently, 30 cases were performed through transperitoneal approach, and then extraperitoneal approach was applied to next 30 cases. We compared the clinicopathologic parameters and perioperative outcomes between two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean age, body mass index (BMI), preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, prostatectomy Gleason scores and pathologic T stage between two groups, whereas positive surgical margin rate was significantly lower in ERP. There was no significant difference in total operation time, whereas console time, and vesicourethral anastomosis time significantly decreased in ERP. There were no significant differences in postoperative normal diet start day, the duration of hospital stay and bladder catheterization. There were no significant differences in the amount of estimated blood loss and the number of resected lymph nodes. In both groups, there were no inadvertent organ injury during trocar placement and conversion to open surgery, whereas 1 case of lymphocele in ERP was recovered with conservative care. CONCLUSIONS: ERP showed similar perioperative outcomes compared to TRP. Considering the potential risk of bowel injury in TRP and reduced peritoneal irritation in ERP, ERP may be alternative in robotic radical prostatectomy.
Body Mass Index ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Diet ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocele ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Robotics ; Surgical Instruments ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: Significant clinical heterogeneity within contemporary risk group is well known, particularly for those with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (IRPCa). Our study aimed to analyze the ability of the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score to discern between favorable and non-favorable risk in patients with IRPCa. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 203 IRPCa patients who underwent extraperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) performed by a single surgeon. Pathologic favorable IRPCa was defined as a Gleason score ≤ 6 and organ-confined stage at surgical pathology. The CAPRA score was compared with two established criteria for the within-group discrimination ability. RESULTS: Overall, 38 patients (18.7% of the IRPCa cohort) had favorable pathologic features after RARP. The CAPRA score significantly correlated with established criteria I and II and was inversely associated with favorable pathology (all P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the discriminative ability between favorable and non-favorable pathology was 0.679 for the CAPRA score and 0.610 and 0.661 for established criteria I and II, respectively. During a median 37.8 (interquartile range, 24.6–60.2) months of follow-up, 66 patients (32.5%) experienced biochemical recurrence (BCR). Cox regression analysis revealed that the CAPRA score, as a continuous sum score model or 3-group risk model, was an independent predictor of BCR after RARP. CONCLUSION: The within-group discrimination ability of preoperative CAPRA score might help in patient counseling and selecting optimal treatments for those with IRPCa.
Counseling ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Goats ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Grading ; Pathology ; Pathology, Surgical ; Population Characteristics ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; ROC Curve