Factors such as location, volume, and the type of neoplasm complicate achieving tumor control. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a supplementary treatment for inoperable neoplasms in veterinary patients. Three dogs were diagnosed with a tumor. Two were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and the other was liposarcoma, each with a single tumor with the size range of 1 to 5 cm. The tumor locations were the cervical, oral, and abdominal cavity. ECT was selected as a treatment. Bleomycin was injected intratumorally at the dose of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/cm3. Five minutes after the injection, electric pulses applied in a sequence of eight pulses lasting 100 µsec each, were delivered in 1,000 V/cm. An evaluation was performed after 1 week, and the next session was administered 2 weeks later. In a patient with oral SCC, the tumor was in partial remission after two sessions of ECT. Another patient with SCC on her neck was showed complete remission after 2 weeks of ECT administration. A third patient showed stable disease for 8 weeks. Complications were mild and transient and included skin necrosis, edema, local pain, and gait disturbance. ECT is a valid adjuvant, especially for inoperable, cutaneous, or accessible intra-abdominal tumors.

Factors such as location, volume, and the type of neoplasm complicate achieving tumor control. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a supplementary treatment for inoperable neoplasms in veterinary patients. Three dogs were diagnosed with a tumor. Two were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and the other was liposarcoma, each with a single tumor with the size range of 1 to 5 cm. The tumor locations were the cervical, oral, and abdominal cavity. ECT was selected as a treatment. Bleomycin was injected intratumorally at the dose of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/cm3. Five minutes after the injection, electric pulses applied in a sequence of eight pulses lasting 100 µsec each, were delivered in 1,000 V/cm. An evaluation was performed after 1 week, and the next session was administered 2 weeks later. In a patient with oral SCC, the tumor was in partial remission after two sessions of ECT. Another patient with SCC on her neck was showed complete remission after 2 weeks of ECT administration. A third patient showed stable disease for 8 weeks. Complications were mild and transient and included skin necrosis, edema, local pain, and gait disturbance. ECT is a valid adjuvant, especially for inoperable, cutaneous, or accessible intra-abdominal tumors.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is poor in patients with secondary iron overload (SIO). We evaluated the relationship between SIO and veno-occlusive disease (VOD) in an animal model with radiation for HSCT. METHODS: We used a 6-week-old female BDF1 (H-2b/d) and a male C57/BL6 (H-2b) as recipient and donor, respectively. Recipient mice were injected intraperitoneally with 10 mg of iron dextran (cumulative doses of 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg). All mice received total body irradiation for HSCT. We obtained peripheral blood for alanine transaminase (ALT) and liver for pathologic findings, lipid hyperoxide (LH) as reactive oxygen species (ROS), and liver iron content (LIC) on post-HSCT day 1 and day 7. The VOD score was assessed by pathologic findings. RESULTS: ALT levels increased depending on cumulative iron dose, with significant differences between days 1 and 7 for mice loaded with 200 mg of iron (P<0.01). LH levels significantly increased in mice loaded with 200 mg of iron compared to those in other groups (P<0.01). For mice loaded with 100 mg of iron, the LH level depended on the radiation dose (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant relationship among ALT, LH, and LIC parameters (P<0.05). Pathologic scores for VOD correlated with LIC (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Livers with SIO showed high ROS levels depending on cumulative iron dose, and correlations with elevated liver enzyme and LIC. The pathologic score for VOD was associated with the LIC. Our results suggest that SIO may induce VOD after HSCT with irradiation.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Dextrans ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease* ; Humans ; Iron Overload* ; Iron* ; Liver ; Male ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Tissue Donors ; Whole-Body Irradiation

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of peripheral eosinophilia as a predictable factor associated with Eosinophilic cholecystitis (EC) compared with other forms of cholecystitis in patients who underwent a cholecystectomy. METHODS: Between January 2001 and May 2011, the histopathologic features of 3,539 cholecystectomy specimens were reviewed retrospectively. EC was diagnosed in 30 specimens (0.84%). Data from 30 consecutive patients with EC (eosinophilic cholecystitis group [E-group]) were compared with a retrospective control group of 60 patients (other cholecystitis group [O-group]) during the same period. The two groups were matched for age, gender, and the presence of cholelithiasis. RESULTS: The median absolute eosinophil count 1 day post-operatively was 144 cells/mm3 (range: 9-801 cells/mm3) in the E-group and 93 cells/mm3 (range: 0-490 cells/mm3) in the O-group (p=0.036). Pre-operative peripheral eosinophilia was more common in the E-group than the O-group (20% vs. 3.3%, p=0.015). Multivariate analysis revealed that pre-operative peripheral eosinophilia was an independent significant predictable factor associated with EC (odds ratio=7.250, 1.365 <95% confidence interval<38.494, p=0.020). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, pre-operative peripheral eosinophilia was shown to be an independent predictable factor associated with EC. Further researches seem to be necessary to confirm this finding.
Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: The effects of the levering laryngoscope (McCoy laryngoscope) on the laryngoscopic view classified by the Cormack and Lehane were investigated in this study. METHODS: The laryngoscopic view with the levering laryngoscope blade in neutral and best position were recorded respectively and analysed statistically. RESULTS: 109 laryngoscopic views were grade 1 or 2 and 12 were grade 3 or 4 in the neutral position with the McCoy blade. Only three patients were grade 3 or 4 in its best position and the others grade 1 or 2. The reduction in the incidence of difficult laryngoscopic view (grade 3 or 4) using the levering laryngoscope in its best position was statistically significant (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Levering laryngoscope improves laryngoscopic view and also reduces the incidence of difficult intubation. So, we suggest that it is an useful instrument for the anesthesiologists in the difficult tracheal intubation.
Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Laryngoscopes*

BACKGROUND: Since 2001, the Korean Red Cross has performed malaria antibody test for blood donors in malaria-risk areas to prevent transfusion-transmitted malaria. However, due to insufficient sensitivity and specificity the malaria antibody assay is not considered an efficient screening method. Therefore, we have considered discontinuing malaria antibody testing for blood donors. METHODS: We analyzed the results of malaria antibody test from 2001 to 2014 utilizing data from the Blood Information Management System of the Korean Red Cross. RESULTS: Among 16,650,812 donations tested from 2001 to 2014, 50,143 donations (0.30%) showed positive results. However, there was no truly infected case at the time of donation. The positive rate among blood donations was between 34 and 39 per 10,000 in 2001, but between 9 and 10 per 10,000 in 2014. There was no interregional disparity in the positive rate of blood donations. CONCLUSION: Korea is in a malaria elimination phase and malaria antibody testing in limited areas is not effective, therefore we propose discontinuing the malaria antibody test.
Blood Donors* ; Humans ; Information Management ; Korea ; Malaria* ; Mass Screening* ; Red Cross ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Purpose: The balloon-stent technique (BST) has certain strengths as an assisted technique for the treatment of complex aneurysms. After Atlas release, the BST can be executed without an exchange maneuver of the balloon to the stent-delivery catheter. The purpose of this article is to share our experience with the BST using the Scepter-Atlas combination. Materials and Methods: Device inspection led us to a simple method to avoid failure in loading Atlas to the Scepter. From March 2018 to December 2019, 57 unruptured distal internal carotid artery (dICA) aneurysms were treated with coil embolization; among which, 25 aneurysms in 23 patients were treated with BST. Clinical and angiographic data were retrospectively collected and reviewed. Results: The technical success rate of the Scepter-Atlas combination increased from 50% to 100% after careful inspection. BST angiographic results were comparable to the stent-assisted coil (SAC) group treated during the immediately post-embolization same period (modified Raymond-Roy classification [MRRC] 1 & 2 84% in BST, 96.3% in SAC) and during short-term follow-up (MRRC 1 & 2 95.8% in BST, 88.4% in SAC). A small number of patients showed periprocedural complications, but none had clinical consequences. Conclusion BST using the Scepter-Atlas combination can provide an effective and safe method for the treatment of dICA aneurysms. Scepters can be used as delivery catheters for Atlas.

Purpose: The balloon-stent technique (BST) has certain strengths as an assisted technique for the treatment of complex aneurysms. After Atlas release, the BST can be executed without an exchange maneuver of the balloon to the stent-delivery catheter. The purpose of this article is to share our experience with the BST using the Scepter-Atlas combination. Materials and Methods: Device inspection led us to a simple method to avoid failure in loading Atlas to the Scepter. From March 2018 to December 2019, 57 unruptured distal internal carotid artery (dICA) aneurysms were treated with coil embolization; among which, 25 aneurysms in 23 patients were treated with BST. Clinical and angiographic data were retrospectively collected and reviewed. Results: The technical success rate of the Scepter-Atlas combination increased from 50% to 100% after careful inspection. BST angiographic results were comparable to the stent-assisted coil (SAC) group treated during the immediately post-embolization same period (modified Raymond-Roy classification [MRRC] 1 & 2 84% in BST, 96.3% in SAC) and during short-term follow-up (MRRC 1 & 2 95.8% in BST, 88.4% in SAC). A small number of patients showed periprocedural complications, but none had clinical consequences. Conclusion BST using the Scepter-Atlas combination can provide an effective and safe method for the treatment of dICA aneurysms. Scepters can be used as delivery catheters for Atlas.

BACKGROUND: The spectrum of clinical presentations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) is so diverse that it may mimic other systemic diseases and often leads physicians to misdiagnosis. Since its diagnosis is largely depended on physician's suspicion of the disease, it would be worthwhile to scrutinize the clinical characteristics of EPT. We retrospectively evaluated clinical manifestations of 312 patients who were diagnosed as EPT in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: The medical records of 312 patients, diagnosed as having EPT at Youngdong Severance hospital from January 1997 to December 1999, were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Total 312 patients, 149 (47.8%) men and 163 (52.2%) women with age ranged from 13 years to 87 years, were included in this study. The most common site of the involvement was pleura (35.6%). Patients complained of localized symptoms (72.4%) more frequently than systemic symptoms (52.2%). The most common symptom was pain on infected site (48.1%). Leukocytosis, anemia, and elevated ESR and CRP were found in 12.8%, 50.3%, 79.3%, and 63.1% of the patients, respectively. Twenty-four percent of patients had underlying medical illnesses such as old age over 60 years, diabetes mellitus or liver cirrhosis. In 67.3% of patients, tuberculosis was suspected at initial visit. However, tuberculosis was microbiologically proven in only 23.7% of patients. Histopathological diagnosis of EPT was made in 48.7% of patients. The time interval from symptom onset to diagnosis varied, and mean duration was 96 days. Pulmonary parenchymal abnormal lesions were found in 133 patients (42.6%) on chest radiographs. CONCLUSION: Although EPT had a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and its diagnostic methods were lack, high index of suspicion could be obtained from chest radiograph, localized or systemic symptoms, and several laboratory parameters reviewed in this descriptive study. In case of doubt, early treatment instead of awaiting microbiological result may be necessary to avoid the devastating complications.
Anemia ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Medical Records ; Pleura ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tuberculosis