No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Expandable stents were inserted for temporary decompression of the colorectum before single-stage surgery or for palliation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a self-expandable nitinol stent, which can be placed through the working channel of an endoscope, for treatment of malignant colorectal obstructions. METHODS: From May 2000 to April 2001, twenty patients (eleven female, nine male, aged 39~81 years) with malignant colorectal obstructions were treated for relief from the obstructions with endoscopically guided intubation of an expandable nitinol stent through the working channel of an endoscope. Of twenty patients, thirteen underwent placement of the stent for presurgical decompression; seven, for palliative decompression. RESULTS: The site of obstructions were on the rectum (n=8), sigmoid colon (n=6), descending colon (n=2), transverse colon (n=3) and ascending colon (n=1). Stent placement was successful in 18 (90%) of the 20 patients. Failure occurred in two patients with long and tortuous lesions involving hepatic flexure or splenic flexure. All patients tolerated placement of the stent well, with no procedure-related complications. In patients with successful placement of the stent, symptoms of obstruction resolved within 72 hours. Twelve patients underwent the formal bowel preparation and elective single-stage surgery without complications 4~7 days after stent placement. In six patients, the stents provided palliative decompression of the colorectum. There was stent migration in two patients during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Placement of a self-expandable nitinol stent through the working channel of an endoscope is technically feasible and safe. Stent placement allowed patients with malignant colorectal obstruction to undergo single-stage surgery in cases of operable disease and to provide palliative decompression in cases of inoperable disease.
Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Decompression ; Endoscopes* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intubation ; Male ; Rectum ; Stents*

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma(MFH) is a deep-seated pleomorphic sarcoma, which occurs principally as a mass of the extremities, abdominal cavity, or retroperitoneum in adults. However, it only rarely occurs in the chest wall. An 85-year-old man had undeergone excision of a small mass on the right posterior chest wall under local anesthesia 14 months age. However, the lesion did not heal and the mass recurred. He was referred to our hospital after the mass had grown to a size of 10.5x8x4cm with a 3x3cm skin defect. Intraoperative frozen biopsy revealed MFH. An en-bloc wide resection and thin-thickness skin graft from his thigh were performed. Although distant metastasis to the lund developed 14 months later and the patient died 2 months later, there was no local recurrence. Thin-thickness skin graft is a simple method for a wide range skin defect, especially in the old age. He recovered in good condition without any physical disabilities.
Abdominal Cavity ; Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anesthesia, Local ; Biopsy ; Extremities ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma ; Skin ; Thigh ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax* ; Transplants

Although chemotherapy remains to be the mainstay of treatment of trophoblastic disease, hysterectomy has been performed as the primary management of nonmetastatic trophoblastic disease who desire sterilization and for uterine disease resistant to chemotherapy. Clinically, the documentation of disease regression is provided by serial quantitative serum beta-hCG assays and the persistent disease may be indicated when the serum beta-hCG values rise for 2 weeks or plateau for 3 weeks or more. Because of similarity in molecular structure, the confounding effect of an elevated LH on beta-hCG assessment in castrated women after treatment for trophoblastic disease has been documented. This LH cross-reactivity may be suspected in women with bilateral oophorectomy demonstrating persistent low levels of beta-hCG. It is particularly true when the assay is perfo-rmed by conventional polyclonal radioimmunoassay. We have experienced two cases of nonmetastatic trophoblastic disease whose serum beta-hCG assay plateaued at a low level after total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and chemotherapy. Clinical and radiologic work-ups were done for metastatic lesion in dose patients, but the results were negative. The quantitative LH assays (Serono LH MAIAclone kit, Roma, Italy) were performed with the sera obtained from the patients; the results were 37 and 31 mIU/ml (1st IRP) with beta-hCG of 14 and 13 mIU/ml (1st IRP), respec-tively. With the initiation of oral estrogen replacement thrapy to those patients, the quantitative beta-hCG values fell below 5 mIU/ml (1st IRP) and they remained in complete chemical remission without any additional chemotherapy for one year. The persistant low titers of beta-hCG in those patients were considered to be result of LH cross-reactivity on beta-hCG assessment. It is concluded that whenever the assay of beta-hCG shows persistent low titers in the oophorectomized patient for treatment of trophoblastic disease, LH cross-reactivity should be suspected.
Drug Therapy ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Female ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Molecular Structure ; Ovariectomy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sterilization ; Trophoblasts ; Uterine Diseases

Although chemotherapy remains to be the mainstay of treatment of trophoblastic disease, hysterectomy has been performed as the primary management of nonmetastatic trophoblastic disease who desire sterilization and for uterine disease resistant to chemotherapy. Clinically, the documentation of disease regression is provided by serial quantitative serum beta-hCG assays and the persistent disease may be indicated when the serum beta-hCG values rise for 2 weeks or plateau for 3 weeks or more. Because of similarity in molecular structure, the confounding effect of an elevated LH on beta-hCG assessment in castrated women after treatment for trophoblastic disease has been documented. This LH cross-reactivity may be suspected in women with bilateral oophorectomy demonstrating persistent low levels of beta-hCG. It is particularly true when the assay is perfo-rmed by conventional polyclonal radioimmunoassay. We have experienced two cases of nonmetastatic trophoblastic disease whose serum beta-hCG assay plateaued at a low level after total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and chemotherapy. Clinical and radiologic work-ups were done for metastatic lesion in dose patients, but the results were negative. The quantitative LH assays (Serono LH MAIAclone kit, Roma, Italy) were performed with the sera obtained from the patients; the results were 37 and 31 mIU/ml (1st IRP) with beta-hCG of 14 and 13 mIU/ml (1st IRP), respec-tively. With the initiation of oral estrogen replacement thrapy to those patients, the quantitative beta-hCG values fell below 5 mIU/ml (1st IRP) and they remained in complete chemical remission without any additional chemotherapy for one year. The persistant low titers of beta-hCG in those patients were considered to be result of LH cross-reactivity on beta-hCG assessment. It is concluded that whenever the assay of beta-hCG shows persistent low titers in the oophorectomized patient for treatment of trophoblastic disease, LH cross-reactivity should be suspected.
Drug Therapy ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Female ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Molecular Structure ; Ovariectomy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sterilization ; Trophoblasts ; Uterine Diseases

BACKGROUND: Understanding the burden of disease is important to establish cost-effective treatment strategies and to allocate healthcare resources appropriately. However, little reliable information is available regarding the overall economic burden imposed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Korea. METHODS: This study is a multicenter observational research on the COPD burden in Korea. Total COPD costs were comprised of three categories: direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs. For direct medical costs, institutional investigation was performed at 13 medical facilities mainly based on the claims data. For direct non-medical and indirect costs, site-based surveys were administered to the COPD patients during routine visits. Total costs were estimated using the COPD population defined in the recent report. RESULTS: The estimated total costs were approximately 1,245 million US dollar (1,408 billion Korean won). Direct medical costs comprised approximately 20% of the total estimated costs. Of these, formal medical costs held more than 80%. As direct non-medical costs, nursing costs made up the largest percentage (39%) of the total estimated costs. Costs for COPD-related loss of productivity formed four fifths of indirect costs, and accounted for up to 33% of the total costs. CONCLUSION: This study shows for the first time the direct and indirect costs of COPD in Korea. The total costs were enormous, and the costs of nursing and lost productivity comprised approximately 70% of total costs. The results provide insight for an effective allocation of healthcare resources and to inform establishment of strategies to reduce national burden of COPD.
Delivery of Health Care ; Efficiency ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Korea* ; Nursing ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive*