BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The prognosis of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis is worse than in those without cirrhosis. In Korea, the hepatitis B virus prevalence rate is higher than in other countries. Therefore, we investigated patients' clinicopathologic and metabolic factors that affect the postoperative outcomes of hepatic resection for HCC in our hospital in Korea. METHODS: From August 2000 to December 2012, 171 HCC patients underwent hepatic resections at our institution. Two operative mortality cases and two short-term follow up cases were excluded. Data was collected from a retrospective chart review. There were 133 males (79.6%) and 34 females (20.3%), with a mean age of 58.2+/-10.2 years (range, 22-81 years), and the relationship between clinicopathologic and metabolic factors and the prognosis of patients with HCC undergoing hepatic resection were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Hypertension, major surgery, perioperative transfusion, resection with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or cryoablation, and resection margin were risk factors for overall survival, and hypertension, albumin, resection with RFA or cryoablation, perioperative transfusion, and tumor size were risk factors for disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: We found that hypertension, perioperative transfusion, and resection with RFA or cryoablation were risk factors for both disease-free and overall survival after hepatic resection in HCC patients. Further study is required to clarify the influence of metabolic and other clinicopathologic factors on the prognosis of HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheter Ablation ; Cryosurgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Toxic effects of Aconiti tuber, an important ingredient of Chinese medicinal preparation, have been encountered clinically. The chief bioactive and toxic constituent is the alkaloid aconitine. In this study histopathologic changes in the fine structures of rabbit eye by intravenously administered aconitine were examined with light and electron microscopes. The initial and most characteristic features observed in the histopathologic study were degenerative changes in the myelinated nerve fiber layer. So the effects of aconitine on the rabbit eye were primarily regarded as toxic neuropathy.
Aconitine* ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated

PURPOSE: To evaluate the differential findings of CT in the differention of pleural exudates and transudates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirteen consecutive patients (113 effusions) underwent enhanced thoracic CT ; the scans were evaluated for the presence or absence and appearance of enhancing parietal pleural thickening and extrapleural fat thickening. Thoracentesis was performed to measure pleural and serum total protein andlactate dehydrogenase(LDH) values. Effusions were classified as exudates by using Light's criteria. RESULTS: Eighty-eight effusions were exudates and 25 were transudates. Eighty-three of the 88 exudates (93%) were associated with enhanced parietal pleural thickening ; seventy of the 88 (80%) were associated with extrapleural fat thickening. Four of the 25 transudates were associated with parietal pleural thickening and extrapleural fat thickening, both of which were the most important factors in differentiating beteen pleural exudates and transudates(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Parietal pleural thickening and extrapleural fat thickening on contrast-enhanced CT almost always in dicate the presence of pleural exudates.
Exudates and Transudates* ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion* ; Rabeprazole