PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects and complications of self-expandable metallic stent for the treatment of malignant esophagogastric strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 1991 to March 1995, 110 stents were placed under fluoroscopic guidance in 103 patients. Of the 103 patients, there were 73 patients with esophageal cancer, 14 patients with gastric cancer, 12 patients with recurrence after surgery, three patients with esophageal compression by metastatic mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and one patient with esophageal invasion by lung cancer. Seventeen patients had esophagorespiratory fistulas. Under fluoroscopic guidance, 113 self-expandable metallic stents (99 Song stents, 14 Strecker stents) were placed in 103 patients. RESULTS: After stent placement, 68 (66%) of the patients could ingest solid food, 26 (25.2%) could ingest soft food, whereas three (2.9%) were not able to have food. Esophagorespiratory fistulas were occluded immediately after stent insertion. All stents were placed without any technical failures or procedural morbidity or mortality. Complications included restenosis in 13, gastroesophageal reflux in 11, stent tube migration in eight, massive bleeding in four, delayed esophageal perforation in one, stent obstruction by food impaction in one patient. CONCLUSION: Self-expandable metallic stent seems to be relatively safe and effective procedure in the palliative treatment of malignant esophagogastric stricture.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophageal Perforation ; Fistula ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mortality ; Music ; Palliative Care* ; Recurrence ; Stents* ; Stomach Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Otitis Media* ; Otitis*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate quality of sleep and to assess the factors that influence quality of sleep in surgical ICU. METHODS: The subject of the study were consisted 109 adult patients who admitted to surgical ICU. The data were collected from May 20 to December 10, 2007 by structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed with descriptive analysis, paired t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The score of quality of sleep was 4.57 point. The main sleep disturbance factors related to quality of sleep in surgical ICU inpatient were sleep time, machinery alarm and noise(adjusted R2=33.2). CONCLUSION: Based on the finding of this study, it is needed to develop a nursing intervention program that including to promote quality of sleep and to decrease machinery alarm and noise in surgical ICU.
Adult ; Critical Illness ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Critical Care ; Noise ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Chronic actinic dermatitis was recently proposed as a syndrome including photosensitive eczema, photosensitivity dermatitis, actinic reticuloid, and persistent light reactivity. It is defined on the basis of 3 criteria, including clinically persistent eczematous eruption on sun-exposed skin, histologically consistent with chronic eczema, and photobiologically decreased MED to UVB. We report herein a 61-year-old man presented with 2-year history of erythematous to brownish lichenified papules and plaques on sun-exposed areas and shown decreased minimal erythema doses to both UVB and UVA. Biopsy specimen showed consistent with chronic eczema. He was treated with topical therapies of topical steroids and intralesional injection of triamcinolone, and oral anti-histamine, with avoidance of exposure to sun.
Biopsy ; Eczema ; Erythema ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Middle Aged ; Photosensitivity Disorders* ; Skin ; Solar System ; Steroids ; Triamcinolone

No abstract available.
Blood Cells* ; Radionuclide Imaging*

The most commonly involved sinus of fungal infections is maxillary sinus, followed by sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinus. On the other hand, the frontal sinus is only occasionally affected. Common pathogenic organisms related to fungal sinusitis are species of Aspergillus, dematiaceous fungi or zygomycetes; however, species of candida are rarely reported. In the invasive fungal sinusitis, orbital invasion, invasion and destruction of the skull base with a fungal meningitis, and fungal osteomyelitis with complete destruction of the maxilla have all been reported. Although these occurrences can not be explained, orbital complications have been reported in the noninvasive paranasal sinus mycosis. The treatment of paranasal fungus ball is primarily by surgical removal. In the past, fungus ball of frontal sinus was approached externally; however, this has been largely replaced with the endonasal endoscopic technique. We experienced a case of frontal fungal sinusitis with orbital complication, which was successfully treated by endonasal endoscopic frontal sinusotomy. In this paper, we report this case with a review of literature.
Aspergillus ; Candida ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Frontal Sinus ; Frontal Sinusitis ; Fungi ; Hand ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus ; Meningitis, Fungal ; Orbit* ; Osteomyelitis ; Sinusitis* ; Skull Base ; Sphenoid Sinus

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CRP) was first described as a relatively rare dermatosis. CRP is characterized by slightly hyperkeratotic pigmented papules that are confluent in the center and reticulated at the periphery, located on the neck, abdomen, intermammary, and interscapular regions. Histopathologically, lesions typically reveal orthohyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, and focal acanthosis. A 20-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of slightly pruritic lesions on the chest, abdomen, back, and upper extremities. The lesions were brownish papules and plaques in a reticulated and coalescing pattern. Histologically, a basket-weave pattern of orthohyperkeratosis and mild acanthosis were seen. However, there was no significant papillomatosis, even in multiple sections. Periodic acid Schiff stain was negative for fungi. The patient was treated with doxycycline, 200 mg daily, for 4 weeks. The lesions completely resolved and did not recur during 12 months of follow-up. We report a rare case of CRP without papillomatosis.
Abdomen ; Doxycycline ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fungi ; Humans ; Neck ; Papilloma ; Periodic Acid ; Skin Diseases ; Thorax ; Upper Extremity ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The major limitations of the current therapeutic treatments for onychomycosis are the recurrence of the infection and the duration of the treatment. Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is thought to be a novel alternative method for treatment of onychomycosis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of PDT with methyl 5-aminolevulinic acid (MAL) for the treatment of onychomycosis. METHODS: We performed MAL-PDT in eight patients with distal subungual onychomycosis on at least one great toenail. After the total three treatments, we observed the clinical and mycological courses for twelve months. RESULTS: For the twelve months of follow-up period, three patients (37.5%) showed continuous clinical improvement, two patients (25%) aggravation after transient improvement, and the rest, three patients (37.5%) resistance to treatment. All subjects complained of quite severe burning pain during irradiation of light source. CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed the highly variable clinical and mycological results of PDT in onychomycosis. We concluded that it is too difficult to consistently achieve the best fungicidal effect by PDT without strictly selected conditions.
Burns ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Light ; Nails ; Onychomycosis ; Photochemotherapy ; Recurrence ; Triazenes

PURPOSE: Facial paralysis is an uncommon but significant complication of chronic otitis media (COM). Surgical eradication of the disease is the most viable way to overcome facial paralysis therefrom. In an effort to guide treatment of this rare complication, we analyzed the prognosis of facial function after surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 3435 patients with COM, who underwent various otologic surgeries throughout a period of 20 years, were analyzed retrospectively. Forty six patients (1.33%) had facial nerve paralysis caused by COM. We analyzed prognostic factors including delay of surgery, the extent of disease, presence or absence of cholesteatoma and the type of surgery affecting surgical outcomes. RESULTS: Surgical intervention had a good effect on the restoration of facial function in cases of shorter duration of onset of facial paralysis to surgery and cases of sudden onset, without cholesteatoma. No previous ear surgery and healthy bony labyrinth indicated a good postoperative prognosis. CONCLUSION: COM causing facial paralysis is most frequently due to cholesteatoma and the presence of cholesteatoma decreased the effectiveness of surgical treatment and indicated a poor prognosis after surgery. In our experience, early surgical intervention can be crucial to recovery of facial function. To prevent recurrent cholesteatoma, which leads to local destruction of the facial nerve, complete eradication of the disease in one procedure cannot be overemphasized for the treatment of patients with COM.
Adult ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Facial Nerve/surgery ; Facial Nerve Diseases/*etiology/*surgery ; Facial Paralysis/*etiology/*surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otitis Media/*complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult