PURPOSE: The pvrpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of radioactivity quantitation in Tc-99m SPECT by using combined scatter and attenuation correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cylindrical phantom which simulates tumors (T) and normal tissue (B) was filled with varying activity ratios of Tc-99m. We acquired emission scans of the phantom using a three-headed SPECT system (Trionix, Inc.) witb two energy windows (photopeak window: 126 154 keV and scatter window: 101 123 keV). We performed the scatter correction with dual-energy window subtraction method (k=0.4) and Chang attenuation correction. Three sets of SPECT images were reconstructed using combined scatter and attenuation correction (SC+AC', attenuation correction (AC) and without any correction (NONE). We compared T/B ratio, irnage contrast [(T-B)/(T+B)) and absolute radioactivity with true values. RESULTS: SC+AC images had the highest mean values of T/B ratios. Image contrast was 0.92 in SC+AC, which was close to the true value of 1, and higher than AC (0.77) or NONE (0.80). Errors of true activity by SPECT images ranged from 1 to 11% for SC+AC, 22-47% for AC, and 2 16% for NONE in a phantom which was located 2.4cm from the phantom surface. In a phantom located 10,0cm from the surface, SC+AC underestimated by ?4%, NON.E 40%. However, AC overestimated by 10%. CONCLUSION: We conclude that accurate SPECT activity quantitation of Tc-99m distribution can be achieved by dual window scatter correc.tion combined with attenuation correction.
Radioactivity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of fast walking training on a treadmill on the spinal alignment and muscle thickness of normal adults. METHODS: A total of 36 college students in their twenties participated in the study for eight weeks, and they were divided into the normal walking, fast walking, and speed change groups. All the groups were measured in a pre-test before training. The subjects performed exercise three times per week for six weeks. A post-test was conducted six weeks after training began, and a follow-up test was done two weeks after the training ended.Trunk and pelvic tilts were measured in Formetric 4D for the spinal alignment of the subjects. The muscle thickness was examined in the trunk with an ultrasound test. Repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to test the main effects and interactions among the measurement variables according to time and group. RESULTS: ignificant differences were observed in the pelvic tilt according to time. There were significant differences in the external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominal muscle according to time. The post-test results showed significant differences in the left external oblique, internal oblique muscles between before training, six weeks into training, and two weeks after the completion of training. There were significant interactions in the left oblique muscles according to the time and group. CONCLUSION: These findings have some value for patient rehabilitation and clinical applications and interventions through walking training.
Abdominal Muscles ; Adult ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Muscles* ; Rehabilitation ; Ultrasonography ; Walking

PURPOSE: Although adjuvant chemotherapy reduces the risk of disease recurrence in stage III colon cancer patients, published guidelines do not specify when it should be initiated. This study aimed to assess the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy initiation time on disease recurrence and survival in stage III colon cancer patients undergoing curative surgical resection. METHODS: The medical records of stage III colon cancer patients undergoing curative resection between February 2004 and December 2009 were reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 133 enrolled patients, 27 (20.3%) began adjuvant chemotherapy within 3 weeks of surgery, whereas 106 (79.7%) did after 3 weeks following surgery. Patients receiving chemotherapy within 3 weeks of surgery were less likely to experience recurrences than those beginning treatment later (11.1% vs. 33%, P = 0.018). The mean disease-free survival of patients receiving adjuvant therapy earlier was 54.6 months, whereas that of patients with later treatment was 43.5 months (P = 0.014). However, no significant differences in overall survival were observed between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant chemotherapy should be initiated as soon as a patient's clinical condition allows. Patients with stage III colon cancer may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy initiated within 3 weeks of surgery.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been reported to participate in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer, but changes in microbiota due to radiotherapy have not been studied. In this study, we tried to elucidate the changes in the microbiome in rectal cancer after chemoradiotherapy using RNA sequencing analysis.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 11 pairs of human rectal cancer tissues before and after irradiation between August 2016 and December 2017 and performed RNA sequencing analysis. Mapped reads to human reference genomes were used for pair-wise transcriptome comparisons, and unmapped (non-human) reads were then mapped to bacterial marker genes using PathSeq.RESULTS: At microbiome level, interindividual variability of mucosal microbiota was greater than the change in microbial composition during radiotherapy. This indicates that rapid homeostatic recovery of the mucosal microbial composition takes place short after radiotherapy. At single microbe level, Prevotella and Fusobacterium, which were identified as important causative microbes of the initiation and progression of rectal cancer were decreased by radiotherapy. Moreover, changes in Prevotella were associated with changes in the human transcriptome of rectal cancer. We also found that there was a gene cluster that increased and decreased in association with changes in microbial composition by chemoradiation.CONCLUSION: This study revealed changes in tumor-associated microbial community by irradiation in rectal cancer. These findings can be used to develop a new treatment strategy of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer by overcoming radio-resistance or facilitating radio-sensitivity.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Dysbiosis ; Fusobacterium ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Genes, vif ; Genome ; Humans ; Microbiota ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Prevotella ; Radiotherapy ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Transcriptome

Primary coronary stenting is one of the established therapeutic options for acute myocardial infarction. The risk of balloon rupture during stenting may be increased after high pressure inflation technique was introduced. Balloon rupture during stenting may cause catastrophic complications such as extensive dissection, acute closure, coronary perforation. We report a case of balloon rupture during primary stenting in acute myocardial infarction, which caused acute thrombotic closure of target and remote coronary arteries simultaneously.
Coronary Vessels* ; Inflation, Economic ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Rupture* ; Stents*

This study examined infectious outcomes in elective colorectal cancer surgery between cefotetan alone or conventional triple antibiotics. From January to December 2007, 461 consecutive primary colorectal cancer patients underwent elective surgery. Group A contained 225 patients who received conventional triple antibiotics (cephalosporin, aminoglycoside and metronidazole) for prophylaxis, and group B contained 236 patients who received cefotetan alone for prophylaxis. Treatment failure was defined as the presence of postoperative infection including surgical-site infection (SSI), anastomotic leakage, and pneumonia or urinary tract infection. The two groups were similar in terms of demographics, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, tumour location, stage, surgical approach (conventional open vs. laparoscopy-assisted), and type of operation. The treatment failure rates were 3.1% in Group A and 3.4% in Group B (absolute difference, -0.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 3.07, P=0.866), with SSI being the most common reason for failure in both groups (2.7% in Group A and 3.0% in Group B [absolute difference, -0.3%; 95% CI, 0.37 to 3.37, P=0.846]). Cefotetan alone is as effective as triple antibiotics for prophylaxis in primary colorectal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; *Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Cefotetan/*therapeutic use ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*surgery ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/*prevention & control ; Surgical Wound Infection/*prevention & control ; Treatment Failure ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND:Rotational atherectomy has been developed for several years. It is a useful tool in complex coronary lesion morphologies such as diffuse, calcific, ostial and angulated lesion. We report initial experience of the rotational atherectomy in complex coronary artery morphology. METHODS: We included 64 patients who was treated with rotational atherectomy since July 1997 to February 1999. Mean age was 56+/-9 years with 47 male patients. Clinical diagnosis was 12 acute myocardial infarction, 49 unstable angina, and 3 stable angina. Rotational atherectomy was done by transfemoral or transradial approach with adjunctive ballooning and/or stenting in all patients. RESULTS: Ninty-one percent of the treated lesions showed complex lesion morphologies (B2/C lesion) with 43 left anterior descending artery and 19 right coronary artery. Rotational atherectomy was done in 37 de novo lesion (58%) and 27 (42%) restenosis patients. Transradial approach was done in 33 patients (52%). Mean maximal burr size was 1.68 mm and mean burr to reference artery ratio was 0.63. Rotastenting were done in 58% of the patients with higher post-procedure minimal lumen diameter, % diameter stenosis and net gain than rotablator with adjunctive balloon angioplasty. Overall procedural success was 94% (62/64). Complications were one non-Q infarction, one coronary artery perforation, two slow flow, and one guidewire fracture. None of the patients showed inhospital mortality or 30 day cardiac event (death, emergency CABG, Q-infarction, or re-intervention). CONCLUSION: Rotational atherectomy is a useful technique with high success rate without showing major cardiac events during inhospital period and within 30 days.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Arteries ; Atherectomy ; Atherectomy, Coronary* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stents

Adenosine is a short-acting coronary vasodilator, and it is widely used during pharmacological stress myocardial perfusion imaging. It has a well-established safety profile, and most of its side effects are known to be mild and transient. Until now, coronary vasospasm has been rarely reported as a side effect of adenosine during or after adenosine stress test. This study reports a case of coronary vasospasm which was documented on stress myocardial perfusion CT imaging during adenosine stress test.
Adenosine/*adverse effects/metabolism ; Aged ; Coronary Vasospasm/*chemically induced/pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging/*methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods ; Vasodilator Agents/*adverse effects/metabolism

as useful as the conventional suction technique for the cytopathological evaluation of thyroid nodules.
Suction ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a local ablative modality, is gaining acceptance for the treatment of liver malignancies. Despite a relatively low complication rate, tumor seeding resulting from RFA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment can occur. A 44-year-old woman was diagnosed with HCC. Spiral computed tomography (CT) revealed a 2.3 × 2.0-cm mass in the S5 segment, which was treated with RFA on May, 2005. Follow-up imaging, performed at 6-month intervals after RFA, showed complete tumor necrosis. In October 2009, CT revealed a heterogeneous mass, 5.7 cm in diameter, in the right ovary. Since the lesion was limited to the right ovary without evidence of spread, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Histopathology indicated that the metastatic spread from the HCC to the ovary was positive for hepatocyte-specific antigen on immunohistochemistry. The ovary is a rare site for HCC metastasis. Moreover, needle tract implantation of HCC in the ovary is very rare.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheter Ablation* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; Necrosis ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Seeding ; Ovary* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed