Fetal bilateral renal agenesis is a lethal congenital anomaly. An early and reliable prenatal diagnosis is extremely important as it may offer options for pregnancy termination as early as possible. The criteria for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of bilateral renal agenesis are severe oligohydramnios, nonvisualization of the bladder, and the empty renal fossa. However, severe oligohydramnios makes it difficult to diagnose the disease because of poor sonographic resolution. We present two cases of bilateral renal agenesis, one is diagnosed by ultrasonography after amnioinfusion at 24 weeks gestation, the other is diagnosed postnatally after term delivery.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Oligohydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder

We report a two-generation Korean family in which 2 siblings have congenital cataract and phenotype i. This report is a first case in Korean people and shows the evidence suggesting the linkage of Ii blood group with a recessive form of congenital cataracts.
Cataract* ; Humans ; Phenotype* ; Siblings*

PURPOSE: This study aimed at evaluation of the learning curve for laparoscopic colorectal surgery with varied operative procedures. METHODS: From June 2004 to May 2010, 269 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Patients were divided into four groups according to operative methods: right-side colectomy, left-side colectomy, rectal resection, and total colectomy group. Each group was divided into three-early, middle, and late-groups according to operation numbers. Learning curves were generated for each group using moving average methods. Prospective collection and retrospective review of data on operative outcomes, including open conversion, operation time, intra-operative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complication were performed. RESULTS: Operations included 75 right-side colectomies, 12 left-side colectomies, 178 rectal resections, four total colectomies, and seven open conversions (2.6%). The mean operative time for right-side colectomy and rectal resection showed a significant decline from the early group to the middle and late groups, while the left-side colectomy group showed no significant difference. Operation time was platitude after 50 cases of whole laparoscopic colorectal surgery, 11 cases in the right-side colectomy group, eight cases in the left-side colectomy group, and 34 cases in the recto-sigmoid resection group. CONCLUSION: For the surgeon, laparoscopic colorectal surgery can be performed more independently after 50 cases. The learning curve may be determined according to the general skill of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The question of whether the learning curve is determined by varied operative procedures has not yet been resolved.
Colectomy ; Colorectal Surgery ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Learning ; Learning Curve ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

BACKGROUND: The family medicine residency program consists mainly of clinical rotations in other specialties and the family medicine-specific training. We conducted this study to investigate how family medicine residents evaluated their training program that include family-oriented medicine, clinical preventive medicine, behavioral science and research in primary care. METHODS: In 2009, third-year residents of 129 training hospitals in Korea were surveyed to investigate the current state and their expectation of the residency program. The contents of questionnaires included training periods, conferences, procedures, interview techniques, outpatient and inpatient consultations, and written thesis. RESULTS: Total 133 out of 142 residents (93.7%) responded that 3 years of training is ideal or pertinent. Residents responded that the types of conference that they need most are journal review (81%), staff lecture (73.2%), and clinical topic review (73.2%), in that order. Procedures and interview techniques that the residents want to learn most were gastroscopy (72.5%), abdominal ultrasonography (65.2%), and pain management (46.4%). Hospitals where family medicine residents do not see hospitalized patients or patients in the outpatient clinic were 7.9% and 6.5%, respectively, whereas hospitals that maintain continuous family medicine outpatient clinics were only 40.8%. Education in outpatient clinic and articlewriting seminars was done less frequently in the secondary hospitals than in the tertiary hospitals. CONCLUSION: Evaluation and quality improvement of family medicine training program as well as specialty rotations should be considered in order to foster better family physicians. The efforts have to be made to minimize the difference in quality of each family medicine residency program.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Behavioral Sciences ; Clinical Medicine ; Congresses as Topic ; Family Practice ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Pain Management ; Physicians, Family ; Preventive Medicine ; Quality Improvement ; Referral and Consultation

Benign gastrobronchial fistula (GBF) after Ivor Lewis operation is a very rare and serious complication. We describe a patient with GBF who was successfully managed on the single-stage repair, 15 months after the Ivor Lewis operation. After the division of the GBF, the bronchial and gastric defects were closed directly. The omental flap and the pedicled 5th. intercostal muscle flap were interposed between the closed defects. The literature of this subject is reviewed and discussed.
Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagectomy* ; Fistula* ; Gastric Fistula ; Humans ; Intercostal Muscles

OBJECTIVES: We have investigated the toxic effects of the inhalation of subchronic and acute levels of n-octane. METHODS: The rats were exposed to n-octane of 0, 2.34, 11.68 and 23.36 mg/L (n = 5 rats/group/gender) in an acute inhalation test (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) TG 403), or to 0, 0.93, 2.62 and 7.48 mg/L (n = 10 rats/group/gender) for a subchronic inhalation test (OECE TG 413), to establish a national chemical management system consistent with the Globally Harmonized Classification System (GHS). RESULTS: Acutely-exposed rats became lethargic but recovered following discontinuation of inhalation. Other clinical symptoms such as change of body weight and autopsy finds were absent. The LC50 for the acute inhalation toxicity of n-octane was determined to exceed 23.36 mg/L and the GHS category was 'not grouping'. Subchronically-treated rats displayed no significant clinical and histopathological differences from untreated controls; also, target organs were affected hematologically, biochemically and pathologically. Therefore, the no observable adverse effect level was indicated as exceeding 7.48 mg/L and the GHS category was 'not grouping' for the specific target organ toxicity upon repeated exposure. CONCLUSION: However, n-octane exposure should be controlled to be below the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists recommendation (300 ppm) to prevent inhalation-related adverse health effects of workers.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Body Weight ; Inhalation ; Octanes ; Rats

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic R3 (above the third rib)sympathicotomy has been performed as an effective method in treating palmar hyperhidrosis because it is effective in eliminating the symptoms of hyperhidrosis and has lower degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis than that of sympathectomy. Most of the results published were based on the short-term follow up. So we evaluated the intermediate term follow up results of the R3 sympathicotomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From April 1999 to August 2001, ninety-four patients with palmar hyperhidrosis had been treated by R3 sympathicotomy at the Inha University Hospital. Follow-up study was completed for 76 patients (male 38, female 38) and average follow-up period were 25+/-9.1 (15~50) months. The sympathetic trunk passing above the upper border of third rib was divided by electric cautery. The patient's satisfaction after surgery was estimated using the analogue scale from score 0 to 100 (100 means perfect satisfaction). RESULT: The scale of patient's satisfaction immediately after operation was 92.36+/-9.93. After 15 months, the scale of satisfaction was decreased to average 71.80+/-20.24 and it is statiscally significant. The cause of dissatisfaction were compensatory hyperhidrosis and recurrence of symptom. The degree of sweating immediately after operation was mean 0 and after 15 months it increased to mean 1.5. The degree of the compensatory hyperhidrosis immediately after operation was mean 1 and it increased to mean 5 after 15 months. CONCLUSION: R3 sympathicotomy has excellent therapeutic results immediately after operation but therapeutic effectiveness is becoming to decrease 15 months after operation. The common causes of dissatisfaction are compensatory hyperhidrosis and recurrence of hyperhidrosis.
Cautery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Recurrence ; Ribs ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Sympathectomy

PURPOSE: The thoracic aortic rupture due to a blunt thoracic trauma is a fatal condition and majority of affected patients die before arriving at the hospital. The purpose of this study was to report our experiences of the traumatic thoracic aortic rupture. METHOD: Between January 1998 and September 2002, 6 patients with traumatic aortic rupture were experienced at out institute. All the patients had been involved in a traffic accident. There were 5 males and a female with mean age 29.8+/-7.0 years, ranging from 18 to 36 years. Preoperative chest CT and aortography confirmed the thoracic aortic rupture around the aortic isthmus in all patients. One patient died while waiting for an operation. The records of the remaining 5 patients that undergone an urgent operation were retrospectively reviewed. RESULT: There was no operative mortality. The mean aortic cross clamp time was 67.6+/-14.7 minutes. The injured portion of the thoracic aorta was just below the aortic isthmus in all cases which was resected and replaced with an artificial vascular graft. Various kinds of distal perfusion technique were employed: left atrial to femoral artery bypass in 3, Gott's shunt in 1, and femoro-femoral bypass with hypothermic circulatory arrest also in 1 patient. No signs of spinal cord injury developed postoperatively. All patients are in good clinical condition for 4 to 47 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Favorable outcomes could be anticipated in patients with a descending aortic rupture due to blunt thoracic trauma, if prompt diagnostic work up and surgical treatment are applied. The surgical results are thought to be improved with the employment of the distal perfusion technique, thus avoiding distal ischemia.
Accidents, Traffic ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Rupture* ; Aortography ; Employment ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Male ; Mortality ; Perfusion ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Dilution of blood cardioplegia is not needed in IAWBC as it is in cold blood cardioplegia because it does not aggregate red blood cells on normal body temperature and does not compromise micro coronary circulation. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of undiluted potassium solution in IAWBC. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Thirty patients who underwent CABG with IAWBC were grouped into dilutedplegia (n=14) and microplegia (n=16). Potassium was delivered conventionally with 4:1 delivery kit in the dilutedplegia group. The undiluted potassium was directly connected on the blood of oxygenator in the microplegia group. RESULT: There were no differences in sex, age, left ventricular ejection fraction, number of grafts, aortic cross clamping time, and the value of perioperative myocardial enzyme between the two groups. There were no perioperative myocardial infarction and hospital mortality. The amount of crystalloid cardioplegia was 1346+/-597 mL in dilutedplegia (mean+/-standard deviation, and 28+/-9 mL in microplegia (p<0.0001). The hematocrit during cardiopulmonary bypass was 21+/-4% in dilutedplegia and 24+/-3% in microplegia (p>0.05). 11 patients in dilultedplegia received blood transfusion, but 4 patients in microplegia received blood transfusion (p<0.05). The amount of urine and hemofiltration during the operation were more in dilutedplegia (1250+/-810 mL, 1689+/-548 mL) than in microplegia (959+/-410 mL, 1481+/-784 mL; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The undiluted potassium of IAWBC in CABG operation is a safe, effective technique for myocardial protection to prevent fluid overload, and blood transfusion. There is no need to use the delivery kit.
Blood Transfusion ; Body Temperature ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Constriction ; Coronary Circulation ; Erythrocytes ; Heart Arrest, Induced* ; Hematocrit ; Hemofiltration ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Oxygen ; Oxygenators ; Potassium* ; Stroke Volume ; Transplants

Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare disease characterized by marked peripheral eosinophilia and eosinophilic infiltration of many organs such as heart, lung, central nervous system, liver and spleen. This disease is defined by following criteria. First, sustained blood eosinophilia is greater than 1,500/mm3 longer than 6 months. Second, other apparent etiologies for eosinophilia must be absent, including parasitic infestation and allergic disease. Third, patients must have signs and symptoms of organ involvement. In Korea, some cases that eosinophil infiltrated lung, liver, gastrointestinal tract or skin were reported. In this report, we found a case showing myalgia, fatigue and eosinophilia in periodic health examination, and diagnosed hypereosinophilic syndrome.
Central Nervous System ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Fatigue ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Myalgia ; Preventive Health Services ; Rare Diseases ; Skin ; Spleen