The increasingly successful results of hair restoration surgery in the last years have developed the interest and the confidence of patients and it is the most frequently performed esthetic surgery among male patients. Currently, various kinds of techniques for hair restoration surgery including hair transplantation, scalp reduction, and scalp flaps are performed in our clinic. Among these, hair transplantation is the basic and the most popular procedure, which can be performed not only by itself but also in conjunction with other procedures. 123 consecutive cases of hair transplantations were peformed from Jan. 1995 to Feb. 1996 for male pattern baldness, traumatic alopecia, and female pattern baldness under out patient base. The authors introduced a new classification for male pattern baldness, which are the type M, O, C, U, M-O, and C-O after alphabet to make simple and easy for clinical application. The ancillary procedures were scalp reduction, preauricular flap, and scalp expansion. An ellipsis of hair bearing scalp taken from the occipital area was sliced into slit-, mega-, mini-, and micro-grafts. The survival rate of the grafts was over 90% with minimal complications. This hair transplantation technique enabled us to achieve a good density and more natural looking hair with avoidance of cobble stoning and apparent scar.
Alopecia* ; Cicatrix ; Classification ; Hair* ; Humans ; Male* ; Scalp ; Surgery, Plastic ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Ingestion of puffer fish can be poisonous due to the presence of potent neurotoxins such as tetrodotoxin (TTX) found in its tissues. There are few clinical reports related to TTX. We performed this study to evaluate the clinical characteristics of TTX poisoning. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of the 41 patients diagnosed with TTX poisoning who visited the Seoul Asan medical center from July 2004 and December 2010. A review of patients'electronic medical records and patient telephone interviews were conducted. Diagnosis of TTX poisoning was confirmed by observing the casual link between puffer fish consumption and the development of typical TTX intoxication symptoms. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 46.6 years. The highest incidence of intoxication was observed in patients in their 50s (10 patients). Seasonal distribution of intoxication events included 10 in spring, 7 in summer, 10 in fall, and 14 in winter. In most cases, symptoms occurred within 1 hour of ingestion. A wide range of symptoms were associated with puffer fish ingestion affecting multiple body systems including neuromuscular (27 patients), gastrointestinal (19 patients), and cardiopulmonary/vascular (19 patients). All patients were treated with symptomatic and supportive therapy and recovered completely, without sequelae, within 48 hours. In three cases, ventilator support was required. CONCLUSION: TTX poisoning is not seasonally related, and patients admitted to the emergency room were observed with a wide range of symptoms. Where TTX poisoning is diagnosed, supportive therapy should be performed. Early intubation and ventilation is important, especially is cases of respiratory failure.
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Carbonates ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Interviews as Topic ; Intubation ; Medical Records ; Neurotoxins ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Tetraodontiformes ; Tetrodotoxin ; Ventilation ; Ventilators, Mechanical

No abstract available.
Humans

PURPOSE: As the oncologic safety of coloanal anastomosis (CAA) has been proven by many other authors, the incidence of CAA following a ultra-low anterior resection has increased. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the functional outcomes and complications for patients who underwent an ultra-low anterior resection and CAA for distal rectal cancer. METHODS: 57 patients underwent CAA following an ultra-low anterior resection between July 1997 and November 2003. 44 patients, who were followed up for more than 6 month after diverting ileostomy repair were evaluated for recurrence pattern, complications, and functional outcomes. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 32.0+/-22.8 (8~83) months. The mean age of the patients was 54.3+/-10.4 (23~74) years. The types of anastomosis were straight CAA (n=20) and J pouch CAA (n=37). The mean tumor size was 4.1+/-1.9 (2~8) cm, the mean distal resection margin was 1.3+/-0.9 (0.2~4) cm. Six months later, the anastomosis distance following diverting ileostomy repair was measured at 3.24+/-0.6 (2~4) cm from the anal verge. The complications were multiple fistulas (n=3), fistula with anal stenosis (n=1), local recurrence with anal stenosis (n=1), anal stenosis (n=7). Anal incontinence (Kirwan grade III) was noted in 14 patients, and bowel movements more than 6 times per day were observed in 16 patients. Overall recurrence occurred in 6 patients (13.6%). The 5-years survival rate was 84.4%, and the 5-year disease-free survival was 68.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Although CAA in patients with rectal cancer provides excellent long-term survival, a low risk of recurrence, in tolerable function, complications, and poor functional outcomes have been observed with CAA; therefore, the choice of this method should be considered carefully.
Colonic Pouches ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Disease-Free Survival ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand* ; Humans ; Ileostomy ; Incidence ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The management of local recurrence after curative surgery of the rectal cancer remains difficult clinical problems to surgeons. This study was performed to analyze the outcomes of patients with local pelvic recurrence according to its recurrence type. METHODS: A total 109 patients with local recurrence were evaluated. Among the 109 patients 62 were local recurrence alone and 47 were both local and systemic recurrence. The recurrence type was classified as Central, Anterior, Posterior, Lateral and Perineal recurrence according to the relation of the tumor location and either intra pelvic organ and/or fixed pelvic structure. RESULTS: Only 26 (23.9%) of the 109 patients had curative resection and the remaining 83 (76.1%) patients had palliative exploration or nonsurgical procedure. The resectability according to the recurrence type showed that the Central and Anterior type was higher than other type of recurrences (P=0.001). When the primary operation was Abdominoperineal Resection (APR) the resectability was poorer than Low Anterior Resection (LAR) (P=0.0001). When comparing the patients with local recurrence alone, the 5 year survival rate was significantly higher patients treated by curative resection than palliative or non-resection group (P=0.002). Mean follow up period was 44.2+/-30.0 months and mean recurrence time between primary operation and recurrence was 26.0+/-22.7 months. CONCLUSIONS: Resection for central type of the recurrent is potentially curative, however treatment failure was common when the recurrence invaded fixed pelvic structure. Our data suggest that local pelvic recurrence should be treated with radical resection as can as possible.
Classification* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prognosis* ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence* ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to estimate the degree of difficulty in total mesorectal excisions (TMEs) for rectal cancer by using statistical methods after analysis of factors affecting the resection time and incomplete resection. METHODS: A total of 63 patients who underwent a total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer were evaluated. MRI pelvimetry data {(transverse diameter (TD), obstetric conjugate (OC), interspinous distance (ID), sacrum length (SL), sacrum depth (SD)}, tumor size (TS), T stage, and body mass index (BMI) were prospectively analyzed. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the operating time prediction equation by using these variables, and the differences in the mean operating time hased on gross evaluations of each specimen were analyzed. RESULTS: A stepwise multiple regression with the operating time as a dependent variable led to the following equation: Operation time (min)=35.726-2.162xTD (cm)-2.324 x OC (cm) + 2.671 x SL (cm) + 1.274 x TS (cm), with r2=0.533 and SEE=5.438. The mean operating time according to a gross evaluation of the TME specimen was 20.0 +/- 7.3 min in complete TME cases (n=42) and 27.9 +/- 7.2 min in incomplete TME cases (n=21) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: MRI pelvimetry data (TD, OC, SL) and tumor size were factors affecting the operation time in TMEs for rectal cancer, and the operating time could be predicted by using the equation of the present study. Also, the mean operating time in incomplete TME cases was longer than that in complete TME cases. Thus, the degree of difficulty of an operation for rectal cancer can be predicted by using these factors.
Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pelvimetry ; Prospective Studies ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Sacrum

Retrorectal cystic harmatoma; Tailgut cyst, is a rare congenital disease typically presented as presacral mass, and malignant change of this disease is extremely rare. Frequently, This disease is misdiagnosed or confused at initial time. So, we have a case of tailgut cyst and report the clinical symptom and the result. A 40-year-old woman has admitted at Severance hospital for the anal pain. About 6cm sized irregular cystic and solid mass in the retrorectal area involving coccygeal bone and right gluteal muscle tendon were detected in magnetic resonance image. Under the impression of malignant tailgut cyst, the patient underwent Hartmann's operation (abdomino-sacral approach) under the sacral resection (S4, 5). The pathology was adenocarcinoma (poorly differentiated) arising from a tailgut cyst involving rectal adventitia, gluteus muscle and sacral bone. For the following 4 months after the operation, The patient is doing well with no evidence of recurrence.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adult ; Adventitia ; Female ; Humans ; Pathology ; Recurrence ; Tendons

Aconitine is an anti-inflammatory agent with therapeutic uses in oriental medicine as an analgesic and for treatment of stroke. Because of its sodium channel effect, aconitine can promote undesirable, wide complex tachyarrhythmia. If tachycardia develops during use of aconitine, class Ia and class III anti arrhythmic drugs can be utilized for treatment. However there are no single anti-arrhythmia agents which are uniformly effective. We report a case, characterized by wide complex tachyarrhythmia and severe hypotension, which was successfully treated by simultaneous injections of amiodarone and lidocaine. A 59-year-old woman exhibiting clinical signs of drowsiness as a result of ingesting 6 g of aconitine, was admitted to the emergency department. Initially, wide complex tachyarrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia and pulse rate of 180 beats/min) and severe hypotension (blood pressure of 53/26 mmHg) was observed. After simultaneous injection of amiodarone and lidocaine, the patient's rhythm pattern changed to an accelerated junctional rhythm with ventricular premature complex. Two hours later, the patient's heart pattern became a sinus rhythm. As demonstrated by this case, simultaneous injections of amiodarone and lidocaine can be useful in treating ventricular arrhythmia induced by aconitine.
Aconitine ; Amiodarone ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Emergencies ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Lidocaine ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Stages ; Sodium Channels ; Stroke ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Therapeutic Uses ; Ventricular Premature Complexes

We report two cases of toxic methemoglobinemia caused by an inert ingredient in pesticide product after intentional ingestion of pesticide. First, 51-year-old male visited to the emergency department (ED) after the ingestion of pesticide in a suicide attempt. Initial methemoglobin (MetHb) level was 25.6%. We did not know the cause of methemoglobinemia at that time. Second, 56-year-old female visited to the ED after the ingestion of the same pesticide in a suicide attempt. MetHb level after 30 minutes was 16.1%. The patients were treated with methylene blue. We contacted to the Korean Rural Development Administration and estimated that magnesium nitrate was more likely to cause methemoglobinemia. This report highlights the importance of considering the possibility of methemoglobinemia caused by inert ingredient in pesticide and early antidotal therapy.
Eating* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Magnesium ; Male ; Methemoglobin ; Methemoglobinemia* ; Methylene Blue ; Middle Aged ; Pesticides ; Social Planning ; Suicide

Retrorectal tumors are particularly rare among the adult population, occurring in 1 of 40,000 hospital admissions. Clinical diagnosis is difficult and is often delayed because of vague symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features of retrorectal tumors. Between January 1999 and March 2005, 10 patients were diagnosed with retrorectal tumors at the Department of Surgery, Yonsei University Medical Center, and their medical records were reviewed. We analyzed chief complaints, imaging studies, surgical approaches and pathologic examinations. Out of 10 patients, 8 were female and 2 were male. The mean age was 42.8 years. Four patients had no symptoms. Perianal and abdominal pain were the most common presentations. CT and MRI were the most frequently performed imaging studies. Surgery was performed in 9 patients. Postoperative pathologic diagnosis was possible in 9 patients. An epidermal cyst was the most common tumor (4 patients); others included a mature teratoma, an adenocarcinoma from a tail gut cyst, a duplication cyst, a neurogenic tumor, and a smooth muscle cell tumor. Imaging techniques like CT scans, MRI and TRUS are helpful to determine the size and the extent of a tumor and its relationship to the surrounding anatomical structures for the operative approach. A surgical resection is the standard of treatment and demonstrates good results and a good prognosis.
Abdominal Pain ; Academic Medical Centers ; Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Epidermal Cyst ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medical Records ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Prognosis ; Teratoma