Angiodysplasia of small bowel is uncommon and frequently undiagnosed and presents a taxing surgical problem. It is usually diagnosed for unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding. For the surgeon, the main technical problem is that the lesion is impalpable, and invisible to the naked eye, so it usually cannot be identified unless bleeds actively at the time of surgery. Arteriography gives a little information about wax and wane pattern of bleeding in the lesion. Endoscopy is often unfruitful because the majority of lesions are submucosal and rarely exceed a few millimeters in diameter. Transillumination of the intestinal wall from inside of the lumen to the outside in a dark room can define the precise vascular anatomy of the wall. The delicate lesion of the angiodysplasia can be identified by this transillumination method. We described a simple intraoperstive endoscopic translllumination technique used successfully to identify an angiodysplasia in the small bovwel prior to the bowel resecion. This report summarized our experience and review of literature.
Angiodysplasia* ; Angiography ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage ; Taxes ; Transillumination*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Hepatocytes* ; Macrophages* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Rhodiola*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the survival differences between curative stage IV and non-curative stage IV gastric cancers after gastrectomy. METHODS: Stage IV gastric cancer patients who received gastrectomy were selected from our surgical data-base from 1995 to 2004. These patients were separated into two groups according to the curability by surgery. We analyzed the survival differences between curative stage IV patients and non-curative stage IV patients. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: During a 10-year period, gastrectomy was performed in 2,214 patients. 224 patients were diagnosed as stage IV. 144 patients were male and 80 patients were female. 97 patients received total gastrectomy. 127 patients received subtotal gastrectomy. 173 patients were diagnosed with curative stage IV and 51 patients were non-curative stage IV. Overall 3-year and 5-year survival rates of stage IV gastric cancer patients in this study were 31.5% and 18.4%. 3-YSR of curative and non-curative stage IV were 36.0% and 16.7% respectively (P-value=0.0204). 5-YSR of curative and non-curative stage IV was 21.9% and 4.2% (P-value=0.0169). CONCLUSION: Significant survival differences were found between curative and non-curative stage IV. Although direct tumor extension or distant metastasis exists, gastrectomy with combined resection was important to improve prognosis if it is possible to resect. When it comes to the matter of survival rate, the subclassification of stage IV gastric cancer should be considered for further management.
Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare and challenging malignancy. In patients with residual MTC, the tumor detection rate is generally low for most of the currently available imaging techniques. Various imaging methods have already been used for the detection of residual tumor, but no modality has been shown to be superior to others. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) has recently been proposed to identify residual MTC, but this procedure also has limitations as small masses are rarely detected. So, a multimodality imaging approach is recommended for detecting residual MTC. We report here on a case of residual MTC that was detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT in a patient with persistent hypercalcitoninemia after total thyroidectomy and bilateral lymph node dissection.
Calcitonin ; Electrons ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Ploidies* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

We report a rare case of lumbar intradural dermoid cysts. A 19 year-old male presented with low back pain for 3years. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities including skin lesions. On the magnetic resonance images, multiple intradural extramedullary cystic lesions were found in the lumbar region. These lesions were removed surgically. Histologically, the mass turned out to be a dermoid cyst. We think those were unusual intraspinal dermoid cysts because they were not associated with other congenital spinal malformation, and located in the intradural extramedullary region. We report this case of lumbar dermoid cysts with a review of literatures.
Dermoid Cyst* ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbosacral Region ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Skin ; Spinal Dysraphism* ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Eye Movements* ; Sensitivity and Specificity*

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) plays a pivotal role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore, this study investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in 5-LO expression on monocytes induced by LPS. Stimulation of THP-1 monocytes with LPS (0~3 microg/ml) increased 5-LO promoter activity and 5-LO protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner. LPS-induced 5-LO expression was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of the Akt pathway, but not by inhibitors of MAPK pathways including the ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK pathways. In line with these results, LPS increased the phosphorylation of Akt, suggesting a role for the Akt pathway in LPS-induced 5-LO expression. In a promoter activity assay conducted to identify transcription factors, both Sp1 and NF-kappaB were found to play central roles in 5-LO expression in LPS-treated monocytes. The LPS-enhanced activities of Sp1 and NF-kappaB were attenuated by an Akt inhibitor. Moreover, the LPS-enhanced phosphorylation of Akt was significantly attenuated in cells pretreated with an anti-TLR4 antibody. Taken together, 5-LO expression in LPS-stimulated monocytes is regulated at the transcriptional level via TLR4/Akt-mediated activations of Sp1 and NF-kappaB pathways in monocytes.
Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase ; Atherosclerosis ; Monocytes* ; NF-kappa B ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Phosphorylation ; Transcription Factors

Heterotopic pregnancy, simultaneous intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy, classically was considered a exceedingly rare obstetrical phenomenon. But nowadays the natural incidence is increasing and especially in association with assisted reproductive technologies, such as use of variable methods for ovulation inductions, in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, and gamate intrafallopian transfer. In spite of the difficult early diagnosis, which is potentially dangerous to the mother and fetus, the maternal mortality, morbidity and fetal loss is low when the diagnosis is made in timely fashion and proper management is achieved. The presence of a intrauterine pregnancy dose not exclude the possibility of a extrauterine pregnancy, and in women associated with assisted reproductive technologies, the possibility of a heterotopic pregnancy should be considered. We report a case of a heterotopic pregnancy following ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination with brief review of literature.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fetus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insemination ; Maternal Mortality ; Mothers ; Ovulation Induction* ; Ovulation* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted