A case of congenital mutilocular intrapulmonary bronchogenic cyst which was undifferentiated radiographicallyfrom congenital lobar emphysema, large pneumatocele, or tension pneumothoarax is reported. The cyst occupied about4/5 of left lung fields and displaced the mediastinal structures to right moderately and compressed the remainingleft lungs severely.
Bronchogenic Cyst ; Emphysema ; Lung

Rectovagianl fistula(RVF) is a congenital or acquired communication between the two epithelial-lined surface of the rectum and the vagina. We present our experience with 62 patients with RVF. There were various etiologies and repair methods of rectovaginal fistula. The purpose of this study was to retospectively review the clinical course of the patients we treated and to evaluate the efficacy of various treatment options. The mean age was 40.5 yr, The type of RVF was classified to one of two(simple and complex), according to their location, size and etiology. RVF was developed most commonly after radiotherapy due to cervical cancer(n=17), then after pelvic surgery due to malignancy(n=16), obstetric trauma after episiotomy at delivery(n=7), congenital malformation(n=4), inflammatory bowel disease(n=1), Bechet's disease(n=1), infections such as perianal fistula or abscess(n=2), direct invasion of carcinoma(n=3), after chemotherapy(n=1), and idiopathic(n=6). Three cases of them associated with rectovesicovaginal fistula. Surgical therapeutic option was divided to local repair, abdominal approach and tissue transposition by the type of RVF. Most simple RVFs were repaired with local approach through the vagina or rectum. Most complex RVFs were repaired through abdominal approach or tissue transposition. With an average follow up of 20 months, the treatment results were as follows: completely healed(n=36, 58.1%), persistent symptom(n=6, 9.7%), recurrence after repair(n=5, 8.1%), loss of search or death(n=15, 24.1%). Therefore we assist that the management of RVF depends on size, location, and cause. anal sphincter function and overall health status of the patient. Careful preoperative assessment of the fistula, surrounding tissues, and anal sphincter and exclusion of associated disease are essential. With through evaluation, thoughtful consideration of treatment options, and meticulous operative technique, patient can be assured of an optimal outcome.
Anal Canal ; Episiotomy ; Female ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Radiotherapy ; Rectovaginal Fistula* ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Vagina

As is well known, myxoma of the heart is very rare(incidence 0.03%), constituting nearly 50% of all primary cardiac tumors. It is important because it can be abolished by surgical removal but usually fatal if unrecognized or untreated. Recently a wider use of echocardiogram as the screening test of valve lesions can be expected to increase the number of myxomas found preoperatively. We have experienced a case of bilateral atrial myxoma which simulated mitral valvular disease clinically and had typical three cardinal manifestations such as obstructive, embolic and constitutional symptoms. The patients was 39 years old woman. The left atrial myxoma was diagnosed preoperatively by echocardiography and cardiac angiography and the remainder during open heart surgery under the E.C.C. Both of them were removed successfuly and confirmed as typical myxoma microscopically. This is the first case report of bilateral atrial myxoma in Korea to our knowledge.
Adult ; Angiography ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Myxoma* ; Thoracic Surgery

OBJECTIVE: Dorsal root entry zone(DREZ) operation has been the most common surgical treatment for paraplegic pain in the past, but the results differ according to the patients. In this study, we attempt to analyze the results from the patients by the different patterns of the pain before the surgery. METHODS: A total of twelve paraplegic patients have undergone a total of thirteen radiofrequency DREZ coagulation procedures between April 1994, and March 2003. The patients were divided depending on patients' subjective description on the character, frequency, and range of pain. RESULTS: The patients were divided into the two groups, postoperatively: improvement of more than 75% of pain was defined as treatment success, and any level less than 75% of improvement was defined as treatment failure. Eight of the ten mechanical pain group cases were regarded as treatment success, and remaining two cases with thermal type of pain as treatment failure. Also, one case with combined pain failed to obtain any favorable outcome. Intermittent pain group (6 of 7 cases), continuous pain group (2 of 6 cases), and localized pain group (7 of 11 cases) showed treatment success, respectively. However, diffuse pain group (1 of 2 cases) resulted in poor outcome. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency DREZ coagulation is more effective in managing intermittent and/or mechanical pain than continuous and/or thermal pain in the paraplegic patients following spinal cord injury.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: The conventional surgical treatment for patients with potentially curable low rectal cancer is abdominoperineal resection. Recently there has been increasing interest in the use of preoperative radiation therapy and sphincter-saving procedure as primary therapy for selected low rectal cancers. We report our institutional experience with this approach. METHODS: From 1995 to 1997, Twelve patients with resectable distal rectal cancer were offered sphincter-saving procedure, excluding the patients whose pretreatment tumor presentation demonstrated fixation to anal sphincter or puborectalis muscle. The distance from the anal verge to the distal tumor margin at initial diagnosis ranged from 1 to 5 cm. Patients received a median 50.4 Gy and chemotherapy Surgery was carried out 4 to 8 weeks after radiation. RESULTS: No patient had toxic reaction that required interruption of chemoradiation. Four patients (33%) had complete pathologic response, but one patient with complete clinical response had residual cancer. Seven patients underwent hand-sewn coloanal anastomosis and five patients transanal excision en bloc. All patients were able to successfully undergo a sphincter-saving procedure. With a mean follow-up of 23 months (range, 6~32), the authors noted no recurrence or complication. Sphincter function was good in 92%. Daily bowel movements was two (range, 1~10). CONCLUSION: Preoperative chemoradiation appears promising in terms of better patient compliance, lesser toxicity, and downstaging tumor, making the sphincter-saving procedure feasible in carefully selected cases. Surgical resection remains essential to confirm and to achieve complete clinical remission. The results of preoperative chemoradiation and sphinctersaving procedure are encouraging, but more experience is needed to determine whether this approach ultimately has similar local control and survival rate compared to standard surgery.
Anal Canal ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Patient Compliance ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate

Global population aging has significantly increased fall-related incidents among older adults, which is associated with major health risks and challenges for healthcare systems. Falls are a leading cause of injury, disability, and mortality in South Korea, which has shown rapid expansion of the elderly population. Development of effective fall-prevention strategies, including exercise-based interventions is important to address this issue.Current Concepts: Exercise-based fall prevention programs include several key types such as strength and functional movement training and balance exercises. Strength training includes resistance exercises and weightbearing activities to enhance muscle strength, which is essential for stability and fall prevention. Balance exercises improve stability and coordination, including standing on one leg and heel-to-toe walking. Functional movement training includes exercises that simulate daily activities and help individuals to improve their ability to safely perform routine tasks. Programs such as the Otago Exercise Program integrate these elements and offer a comprehensive approach to fall prevention. Such regimens combined with training in safe falling techniques are important to reduce fall risk and improve outcomes. Assessment tools, including the timed up-and-go and senior fitness tests, are useful to identify at-risk individuals and tailor interventions accordingly.Discussion and Conclusion: An effective fall prevention exercise program requires a multifaceted approach that combines various exercise types and focuses on improving muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and functional skills, as well as safe falling and floor recovery techniques. Tailoring these interventions to individual needs and regular risk assessments can enhance their usefulness.

The relationship between infective endocarditis and mycotic aneurysm formation appers clear : In about two to ten percent of patients with infective endocarditis harbor septic intracranial aneurysms. But the pathogenesis, natural course and management of these lesions remains controversial. Aggressive medical treatment of the underlying infected cardiac valve or surgical replacement therapy have significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality rates associated with infective endocarditis. Clinical predictors of mycotic aneurysm, especially neurologic prodromes prior to rupture have been ill-defined since most series contain few patients or include patients with infective aneurysms who have no infective endoarditis. Similarly there has been no consensus regarding the indications and timing of cerebral angiography in patients with infective endocarditis. We have experienced a case of cerebral mycotic aneurysm complicated with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to infective endocarditis in a 29 year-old female patient, who admitted to our hospital because of the pain and paralysis of sudden onset in right forearm, which was diagnosed by echocardiography, brain computed tomography and 4-vessel cerebral angiography. The patient died of sudden rupture of mycotic aneurysm in the 7th hospital day despite intensive medical treatment. We report one case of cerebral mycotic aneurysm with a brief of literature.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Infected* ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Consensus ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Female ; Forearm ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Mortality ; Paralysis ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage*

PURPOSE: Oncostatin M(OSM) is a multifunctional cytokine that belongs to the interleukin(IL)-6 family. Although there have been a number of studies that focused on the role and mechanism of OSM in various organs and tissues, there are few reports on its effect on wound healing. The final purpose of this project is to evaluate the effect of OSM on wound healing. This pilot study was designed to investigate the effect of OSM on proliferation and matrix synthesis of human dermal fibroblasts, which are the major components of the wound healing. METHODS: Excess skin that was obtained from patients who underwent skin grafts, was used for this study. From this material, fibroblasts were isolated and cultured. The cultured fibroblasts were treated with one of four concentrations of OSM. The OSM concentrations used were 0, 50, 100, and 200ng/ml, respectively. After the OSM treatment, cell proliferation was determined by the MTT assay, collagen synthesis by the C1CP method, GAG levels by the Blyscan Dye method. The parameter levels of each group were compared. RESULTS: OSM treatment increased all the components tested in the study. In particular, cell proliferation, GAG synthesis demonstrated statistically significant increases(p<0.05 in the Mann-Whitney U-test). The highest increase in all the components was obtained at a 100ng/ml concentration of OSM. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that OSM stimulates proliferation and matrix synthesis of human dermal fibroblast and the optimal concentration for wound healing is 100ng/mL.
Cell Proliferation ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Oncostatin M ; Pilot Projects ; Skin ; Transplants ; Wound Healing

Schizencephaly, first described by Yakovlev and Wadsworth in 1946, is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by gray matter-lined clefts that extend through the entire cerebral hemisphere, from the ependymal lining of the lateral ventricle to the subarachnoid space. Clinically, patients with schizencephaly present motor dysfunction such as hemiparesis, seizures, and variable developmental delay. Absence of septum pellucidum, gray matter heterotopia, polymicrogyria, and hypoplasia of optic nerves were also frequently found to be associated with schizencephaly. We experienced a case of open-lip schizencephaly in a one-day-old male infant with wide, tense fontanel, which was confirmed by MRI.
Cerebrum ; Humans ; Infant ; Lateral Ventricles ; Lip* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Malformations of Cortical Development* ; Optic Nerve ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Septum Pellucidum ; Subarachnoid Space ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

BACKGROUND: Kurt Semm, a German gynecologist, was first to describe a laparoscopic appendectomy for an incidental appendectomy in gynecologic surgery. At that time, it was limited to an incidental appendectomy performed during gynecologic surgery. The development of laparoscopic instruments and more experience has allowed surgeons to perform laparoscopic surgery easier than before. Nowadays, laparoscopy allows surgeons to perform appendectomies in a safe and effective way, and it reduces the risk of performing unnecessary appendectomies. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 201 patients who had an appendectomy at our hospital from February 1997 to December 1997. A laparoscopic appendectomy was carried out in 51 cases, and an open appendectomy was carried out in the others. RESULTS: 1) There was not a significant difference between the two groups in regard to age and sex. The male-to-female ratios were 1.32:1 in laparoscopic appendectomy group and 1.17:1 in the open appendectomy group. The mean ages were 30.3 years in laparoscopic appendectomy group and 29.7 years in open appendectomy group. 2) There was not a significant difference in pathologic severity between the two groups. The majority had suppurative appendicitis in both groups. Postoperative complications were less frequent in the open appendectomy group. 3) The mean operative times were 55.6 minutes in the laparoscopic appendectomy group and 42 minutes in the open appendectomy group. 4) The mean hospital stays were 4.69 days in the laparoscopic appendectomy group and 6.96 days in the open appendectomy group. 5) The mean postoperative periods until normal activity were 8.79 days in the laparoscopic appendectomy group and 12.85 days in the open appendectomy group. 6) The postoperative use of analgesics was less frequent in the laparoscopic appendectomy group. 7) Conversion to an open laparotomy occurred in 3 cases. CONCLUSIONS: We think that a laparoscopic appendectomy is a safer, more effective, more cosmetic, and less invasive procedure than an open appendectomy.
Analgesics ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period