Minimally invasive surgery is now rapidly developing and becoming a standard surgical option in some fields. In the past, many thoracic surgeons were reluctant to adopt minimally invasive techniques in esophageal cancer surgery due to concern over the oncologic perspectives and technical difficulties. However, over the last few years, thoracic surgeons have progressively embraced the technical advancements and now many experienced centers have adopt minimally invasive surgery as a primary option for non-advanced esophageal cancer operations. In esophageal cancer surgery, the volume of operation performed in some hospital is closely related to the outcome of patients, and the experiences of surgical team play an important role in minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive esophageal surgery (MIES) has steep learning curves, also. The merits of MIES are as follows. The conventional esophageal cancer operation has two or triple incisions, resulting in high postoperative morbidity and mortality. However, postoperative complication in MIES became less frequent than conventional surgery. The patient's satisfaction is high. Mid-term outcomes of MIES have been reported that it is safe and feasible in esophageal cancer and survival curves are similar to those of conventional surgery. Therefore, MIES is a valuable therapeutic modality for both esophageal cancer patients and thoracic surgeons.
Esophageal Neoplasms/*surgery ; Humans ; Laparoscopy/methods ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive/methods ; Thoracoscopy/methods

No abstract available.
Echocardiography* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Fragile histidine triad (Fhit) and p53 expression pattern in cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN) and invasive cervical cancer, and to verify the correlation between the loss of Fhit and clinicopathological parameters of invasive cervical carcinoma and the relationship between Fhit and p53 expression. METHODS: 10 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), 16 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), and 21 invasive cervical carcinomas were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for Fhit and p53 primary antibody. Their expression patterns in CIN and invasive cervical cancer were analysed semiquantitatively as positive and negative by the staining area and intensity. Clinicopathological data were obtained by review of patients' hospital records. RESULTS: Compared with CIN (LSIL and HSIL), invasive cervical carcinoma showed significantly loss of Fhit expression (p<0.05). P53 expression did not show the significant difference between CIN and invasive cervical cancer. There was no relationship between loss of Fhit and p53 expression in CIN and invasive cervical cancer. But loss of Fhit expression in invasive cervical cancer was also significantly associated with FIGO stage (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that loss of Fhit expression may play an important role in the malignant transformation of CIN to invasive cancer. However, further molecular studies are needed to elucidate the role of Fhit gene in the carcinogenesis of cervical cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Histidine ; Hospital Records ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

This study represents an attempt to present an analysis of early surgical results in 15 cases of aortic surgery conducted at Chonnam University Hospital between February 1994 to August 1995. The subject, 9 males and 6 females, ranged in age from 32 to 73 years with a mean age of 55.07+/-11.76 years. The patients were treated for dissecting aortic aneurysm in nine, atherosclerotic aneurysm in 4, and traumatic aortic aneurysm in two. There were 9 cases of median sternotomy, 4 cases of posterolateral thoracotomy, and 2 cases of thoracoabdominal incision. Graft replacement of ascending aorta and/or partial or total aortic arch were performed in 9 patients, descending aorta and/or thoracoabdominal aorta in 3 and total aorta in 1. Two traumatic aortic aneurysms were closed directly. Associate procedures were resuspension of aortic valve in three patients and elephant trunk procedure, coronary reimplantation and aortic valve replacement in one patient. Nine patients underwent operation for ascending aorta and/or aortic arch with retrograde cerebral perfusion during deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. Perfusion pressure was maintained below 25 mmHg and the mean duration of circulatory arrest was 56.67+/-29.25 minutes. Three patients underwent graft replacement of desending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta during deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. Three patients died of traumatic bile peritonitis, multioragn failure, and rupture of residual dissecting aortic aneurysm by malignant hypertension. Postoperative complications included reoperation for bleeding in 4 patients, temporary confusion in 3, pulmonary complication in 3, and pericardial effusion in 1.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic* ; Aortic Valve ; Bile ; Elephants ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension, Malignant ; Hypothermia ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Perfusion ; Pericardial Effusion ; Peritonitis ; Postoperative Complications ; Reoperation ; Replantation ; Rupture ; Sternotomy ; Thoracotomy ; Transplants

For the evaluation of exercise induced R wave amplitude changes in lead V5 (big up tri, openR) and multiple leads(summation operatorR), we studied 20 normal subjects and 21 ischemic heart disease patients with positive exercise test. All underwent submaximal, multiple leads multistage treadmill exercise testing. 14 to 20 normal subjects(70%) there were decreased R wave amplitude in multiple leads on treadmill exercise testing. 16 of 21 patients(76%) there were increased R wave amplitude on treadmill exercise testing. In normal group, R wave amplitude between rest and exercise was significantly decreased in lead V5 and multiple leads. In patients grous, R wave amplitude between rest and exercise was significantly increased in lead V5 and multiple leads. It is suggested exercise induced R wave amplitude changes probably enhance the diagnostic reliability by ST segment changes on treadmill exercise testing.
Exercise Test* ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia

Hyperglycemic state frequently presents with neurologic manifestations including choreoathetosis, ballismus, dysphagia, seizures, and coma. Also, hyperglycemic hemianopia has been rarely reported to cause temporary damage to the visual cortex, resulting in homonymous hemianopia. A 65-year-old man was admitted because of right homonymous hemianopia accompanied by hyperglycemia. Brain single-photon emission computed tomography showed focal hyperperfusion in the left occipital lobe. Herein we report a case of reversible homonymous hemianopia with cerebral hyperperfusion associated hyperglycemia without seizure.

We report a case of tension pneumothorax after an endoscopic sphincterotomy. A 78-yr-old woman presented with progressing dyspnea. She had undergone an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram three days before due to acute cholecystitis. She underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy for stone extraction, but the procedure failed. On arrival to our hospital, she complained about severe dyspnea and she had subcutaneous emphysema. A computed tomogram scan revealed severe subcutaneous emphysema, right-side tension pneumothorax, and pneumoretroperitoneum. Contrast media injected through a transnasal biliary drainage catheter spilled from the second portion of the duodenum. A second abdominal computed tomogram showed multiple air densities in the retroperitoneum and peritoneal cavity, which were consistent with panperitonitis. We recommended an emergent laparotomic exploration, but the patient's guardians refused. She died eventually due to septic shock. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram is a popular procedure for biliary and pancreatic diseases, but it can cause severe complications such as intestinal perforation. Besides perforations, air can spread through the abdominal cavity, retroperitoneum, mediastinum, and the neck soft tissue, eventually causing pneumothorax. Early recognition and appropriate management is crucial to an optimal output of gastrointestinal perforation and pneumothorax.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde/*adverse effects ; Cholecystitis/diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation/etiology ; Pneumothorax/*diagnosis/etiology ; Retropneumoperitoneum/*diagnosis/etiology ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Glomus tumors are uncommon lesions of glomus cell origin with structural and immunohistochemical features of smooth muscles. Primary glomus tumors of the lung and bronchus are extremely rare and only several cases have been reported. A 16-year-old woman was admitted for the complaint of productive cough, fever, and dyspnea. Imaging studies revealed a protruding mass in the left main bronchus and the mass was completely resected via a left thoracotomy incision. We report this case with literature review.
Adolescent ; Bronchi* ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Fever ; Glomus Tumor* ; Humans ; Lung ; Muscle, Smooth ; Thoracotomy

Bleeding from anastomotic site in operation for aorta has been troublesome, because it has influence on postoperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, hemostasis is very important. We describe a simple and effective method for achieving hemostasis of the anastomotic site in aortic surgery. By wrapping around anastomotic site with remnant artificial vascular graft, we have acquired good results.
Aorta ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis* ; Mortality ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND: Making the distinction between large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is difficult in some samples of biopsy tissues, but we have to separate LCNEC from SCLC because the two types of cancer may need different therapy and they have different prognostic implications. Thus far, there are no specific immunohistochemical markers that allow distinguishing these two kinds of tumors. METHODS: We performed an immunohistochemical analysis to study the expressions of p63, Bcl-2, and 34betaE12 and to investigate whether these 3 molecules have correlations in LCNEC and SCLC. We also evaluated the expression of the neuroendocrine markers chromogranin, synaptophysin and CD56. RESULTS: A statistical analysis was performed for p63, Bcl-2, and 34betaE12 in separate and combined panels. According to the combinations of p63, Bcl-2, and 34betaE12, there were frequent expressions of p63-/Bcl-2+ or Bcl-2+/34betaE12- in the SCLC, and there was a superior proportion of them in the SCLC rather than that in the LCNEC. The p63-/Bcl-2+ and Bcl-2+/34betaE12- antibody combinations showed higher specificities compared to any single antibody for diagnosing SCLC. CONCLUSIONS: Bcl-2 and selective p63 or 34betaE12 made up a most useful panel of markers for making the differential diagnosis of LCNEC and SCLC.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; Synaptophysin