BACKGROUND/AIMS: In patients with occlusive colorectal cancers, a complete preoperative evaluation of the colon proximal to the obstruction is often impossible. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of preoperative colonoscopy after stent placement and to determine whether the success rate of colonoscopy differs between covered and uncovered stents. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with malignant colorectal obstruction were enrolled prospectively. In patients with a resectable cancer, a preoperative colonoscopy was performed after insertion of a self-expandable metal stent (SEMS). The success rate of complete preoperative colonoscopy was compared between covered and uncovered stents. RESULTS: Forty-five of 73 patients who underwent stent placement had a resectable cancer (61.6%). A complete preoperative colonoscopy was possible in 40 of 45 patients (88.9%). The success rate of complete preoperative colonoscopy was significantly lower in the covered-stent group when the obstructing mass lesion was located in the sigmoid colon (p=0.024). Synchronous cancer was detected in one patient (2.2%). Stent migration was observed in four patients with a covered stent. CONCLUSIONS: A preoperative complete colonoscopy after SEMS placement was feasible and safe in most patients with malignant colorectal obstruction. Uncovered stents seem to have more advantages than covered stents in preoperative colonoscopy proximal to the obstruction.
Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Prospective Studies ; Stents

BACKGROUND: Female patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) often experience cutaneous deterioration associated with their pregnancy or menstrual cycle. OBJECTIVE: We wanted to determine the prevalence of symptom aggravation as related to pregnancy and the menstrual cycle in female patients with AD. METHODS: One hundred female patients with AD were included in the study and interviews were performed. The total IgE level and the Eczema Area and Severity Index score of the patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Ninety seven patients replied the questionnaire, and among them, 23 patients had completed at least 1 pregnancy. Among the 23 women who experienced pregnancy, 14 (61%) had noticed deterioration of their clinical symptoms during pregnancy. Of the 97 females, 31 (32%) patients had noticed deterioration of their AD as related to their menstrual cycle. For the patients who were sub-grouped as the intrinsic type of AD, the prevalence of symptom aggravation as related to pregnancy was significantly higher as compared to that of the extrinsic type of AD patients (p=0.048). CONCLUSION: Of the 97 patients, 45 (46%) females answered that they have experienced deterioration of AD during pregnancy or in relation to their menstrual cycle, and this suggests the relation of a hormonal influence on the clinical manifestations of AD.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eczema ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Menstrual Cycle ; Menstruation ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The Alcohol Urge Questionnaire(AUQ) has been used in alcohol dependence treatment and research. The goal of this study is to develop of the Korean Alcohol Urge Questionnaire(AUQ-K). METHODS: To examine the AUQ-K's psychometric properties, responses from 104 patients admitted in alcohol dependence treatment facility were investigated. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the 8-item AUQ-K, measured by coefficient alpha, was high(Cronbach's alpha =0.78). AUQ-K scores showed significant correlation when the retest interval was 1 day(p<0.01). The AUQ-K's validity was investigated using correlational analyses with two other craving scales[the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale(OCDS) and the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)]. The high correlations were obtained between total AUQ-K scores and total OCDS scores, and between total AUQ-K scores and the VAS scores(p<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The AUQ-K is a reliable and valid short scale for measurement of self-reported alcohol craving. This scale may offer significant advantages over existing single-item measures of alcohol craving in the fields of alcohol dependence treatment and research.
Alcoholism ; Drinking ; Humans ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results

An esophageal bezoar, although uncommon, is now recognized as a distinct clinical entity. An esophageal bezoar is rare but can form due to regurgitation of a gastric bezoar, motor disorder or anatomical abnormality, or following a gastrectomy. In general, bezoars are most often found in the stomach, and are formed by the accumulation of foreign ingested materials, including vegetable material and hair. In Korea, no case of a primary esophageal bezoar has been reported after a total gastrectomy. We report a case of an endoscopically treated primary esophageal bezoar that occurred after a total gastrectomy, without complications.
Bezoars ; Gastrectomy ; Hair ; Korea ; Stomach ; Vegetables