We evaluated the role of endoseopic balloon dilatation for esophageal strictures caused by postoperative anastomosis in 5 cases, sclerotherapy in 4 cases, caustic injury in 6 cases, and malignancy in 16 cases. The success rate of balloon dilatation was 100% in postoperative anastomotic and post-scle- rotherapy strictures, 16.7% in caustic stricture, and 62.5% in malignant stricture. The addition of bougienage increased the final success rate of dilatation therapy from 16.7 to 66.7% in caustic stricture, and 62.5 to 93.8% in malignant stricture. The overall one-year recurrence rate in benign stricture was 34.5%. All of the recurrent strictures were successfully retreated by balloon dilatation. In conclusion, endoscopic balloon dilatation is a safe, effective, and easy method for the management of benign esophageal strictures except longstanding caustic stricture, and can be used as an auxiliary therapy prior to more definitive treatments such as esophageal intubation in malignant stricture.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation ; Esophagus ; Intubation ; Recurrence ; Sclerotherapy

No abstract available.
Hematocrit* ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis*

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation*

No abstract available.
Anaphylaxis ; Epidemiologic Studies

Deep skin and soft tissue defects with exposed bone and tendon is difficult to treat, because skin graft rarely survives and flap surgery is sacrifice of donor site. Since "Stage I" membrane was developed by Yannas and Bruke in 1980, numerous kinds of artificial skin have been developed. The adaptability of "Terudermis", developed by the Terumo Co., as an artificial skin composed of sponge made of a fibrillar atelocollagen and a heat-denatured atelocollagen, was clinically evaluated on application to 13 cases presenting deep skin and soft tissue defect with exposed bones and tendons from October 1997 to march 1998. Terudermis has the advantage of allowing early incorporation of fibroblasts and capillaries into its collagen sponge due to very weak dehydrothermal cross-linking. Before Terudermis graft, several days of wet dressing and debridement were required to prepare healthy well-vascularized bed because Terudermis was weak on unsanitary wounds. After bed preparation, Terudermis was grafted like usual skin graft. Tie-over bolster dressing or compressive dressing was used case by case. The dressing was opened 2~3 days after Terudermis grafting. Wet dressing was done daily until the skin graft was done. Autologous skin graft was done 2-3 weeks after Terudermis graft. Our clinical results indicated that Terudermis was beneficial in treating 77% of our patients. Through the use of this new method, treatment of severe skin and soft tissue defects that are usually treated by musculocutaneous or other conventional skin flaps can be replaced by Terudermis as an new artificial dermis.
Bandages ; Capillaries ; Collagen ; Debridement ; Dermis ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Membranes ; Porifera ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial ; Tendons ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries*

PURPOSE: The need for continuing Growth Hormone(GH) replacement after adolescence in patients with childhood-onset GH deficiency has been recognized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the abnormalities of lipid profiles in young adults with childhood-onset hypopituitarism who discontinued GH therapy after the completion of height growth. METHODS: Nine male patients(mean age:22.4+/-3.3 years) with childhood-onset hypopituiatarism in whom GH treatment had been discontinued after final height was achieved were included. Their body mass index(BMI) and serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride(TG), high-density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein(LDL) cholesterol were measured. The relationships of duration after GH discontinuation, age, and BMI to lipid profiles were anaylzed. RESULTS: BMI increased significantly from 21.8+/-1.9 kg/m2 before GH discontinuation to 23.0+/-3.0 kg/m2 after GH discontinuation(P<0.05). Serum levels of total cholesterol, TG, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were 217.3+/-33.4, 237.8+/-128.2, 42.1+/-7.1, and 127.4+/-27.2 mg/dL, respectively, 3.1+/-2.0 years after GH discontinuation. Percentage of patients who had total cholesterol > or = 200 mg/dL, TG > or = 150 mg/ dL, LDL cholesterol > or = 140 mg/dL, and HDL cholesterol < or = 40 mg/dL were 77.8%, 88.9%, 44.4%, and 33.3%, respectively. All subjects had some abnormalities of lipid profiles. A significant positive correlation was found between duration after GH discontinuation and serum levels of total cholesterol and TG(r=0.84, P<0.01; r=0.83, P<0.01). A significant positive correlation was also found between age and serum levels of total cholesterol and TG(r=0.86, P<0.01; r=0.81, P<0.01). There were no correlations between BMI and serum lipid levels. CONCLUSION: Most of young adult patients with childhood-onset hypopituitarism had abnormal lipid profiles by 1-5 years after discontinuation of GH treatment. These data suggest that continuous GH treatment after completion of height growth is necessary.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism* ; Male ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Gastroschisis*

No abstract available.
Gastroschisis* ; Hernia, Umbilical*

We report a case of exogastric schwannoma of the stomach in 41-years-old male patient with papable mass in left upper abdomen. Upper GI series revealed extrinsic compression on the greater curvature of the stomach. CT scan showed a low density mass attached to greater curvature of the stomach with inhomogeneous contrast nhancement in the mass lesion. The mass was removed by surgery, and confirmed pathologically as schwannoma arising from the stomach.
Abdomen ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma* ; Stomach* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Cough ; Hypersensitivity