PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical features and therapeutic modality of conjunctival nevi in Korean patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 197 patients (75 males and 122 females) with nevi who were diagnosed by slit lamp examination from 1997 to 2008. RESULTS: Nevi occurred most commonly on bulbar conjunctiva (88%), followed by caruncle and plica semilunaris (7%). The nevi involved temporal (71%), nasal (21%), inferior (2.8%) and superior (0.7%) quadrants of the conjunctiva. The mean horizontal length was 4.3+/-2.0 mm and the mean vertical 4.45+/-2.2 mm. Thirty-five patients (7.8%) received no treatment. Excisional biopsy was performed in 38 patients (19.3%). Argon laser photoablation of conjunctiva nevi was performed in 124 patients (62.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of conjunctival nevi in Korean patients was similar to Caucasian patients. The biopsy was performed according to appropriate guidelines however, nevus which does not require a biopsy, could be treated by argon laser photoablation.
Argon ; Biopsy ; Conjunctiva ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus ; Retrospective Studies

No Abstract Available.
Mass Screening*

No abstract available.
Lipoma* ; Neck*

PURPOSE: We report early experiences on endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). METHOD: We reviewed the results of 15 patients underwent EVAR between 2003 and 2007 in the Kyung Hee University Medical Center, retrospectively. RESULT: Mean age of patients was 71.2 years (range, 51~85 years). 14 patients (93.3%) had comorbidities. All of AAAs were infrarenal types. The mean size of AAA was 58.5 mm (38~91 mm), and the mean length, diameter, and angle of neck was 26.4 mm, 19.9 mm, and 37.7degrees, respectively. Ten patients were accompanied with iliac aneurysm. 14 were bifurcated grafts and 1 was straight tubular graft. Mean procedure time was 100.6 minutes. Mean length of hospitalization was 6.5 days (2~10 days). There was no need of transfusion or use of an intensive care unit. Fever of unknown origin occurred in 7 cases but resolved spontaneously. Device deployment was successful in 100% (primary 9 cases, assisted-primary 6 cases). There were seven endoleaks during interventions. One patient with secondary type II endoleak and suprarenal enlargement of AAA sac died from aortoenteric fistula. In one patient with perigraft abscess after EVAR, surgical drainage was performed. Decrease of AAA diameter > or =5 mm in two patients, newly developed suprarenal aortic aneurysm in one patient were detected on CT scan during mean follow-up of 11.4 months (2-29 months) and remained unchanged in other twelve cases. CONCLUSION: These early results suggest that EVAR offers considerable benefits for appropriate patients, but is thought to need more experiences and long-term outcomes.
Abscess ; Academic Medical Centers ; Aneurysm* ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* ; Comorbidity ; Drainage ; Endoleak ; Fever of Unknown Origin ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Iliac Aneurysm ; Intensive Care Units ; Neck ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplants

The DNA flow cytometric analysis in colorectal cancer has been studied for more than 10 years as an independent prognostic factor or a factor correlated with other preexistent prognostic factors, such as the depth of invasion, lymph node status, histologic differentiation, etc. To clarify the influence of DNA contents (DNA ploidy, DNA index) and lymph node status on disease free survival in colorectal cancer, we investigated the relationship between them, retrospectively. METHODS: This study included 198 patients with curatively resected Dukes' stage A, B, and C colorectal cancer who had taken DNA flow cytometric analysis from June of 1996 to March of 1999 at Department of Surgery, Inha University Hospital. RESULTS: In over all twelve-month disease free survival, there were 92.5% in DNA diploid and 74.3% in DNA aneuploid tumors. And so forth, there were 78.0% in positive and 91.9% in negative lymph node tumors. In the event of a DNA index greater and lesser than 1.15, the twelve-month disease free survival was 72.9% and 92.7%, respectively. These results were statistically significant (p<0.05). Therefore, patients with a negative lymph node, diploid colorectal cancer or DNA index lesser than 1.15 had a longer disease free survival than those with a positive lymph node, aneuploid one or DNA index greater than 1.15. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, there seems to be a significant relationship between DNA contents and lymph node status on disease free survival. Thus, these factors are considered to be valuable in predicting the recurrence of colorectal cancer.
Aneuploidy ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Diploidy ; Disease-Free Survival* ; DNA* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Ploidies* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: The brain is a common site of a metastasis in lung cancer patients. If left untreated, the patients succumb to progressive neurological deterioration with a lower survival rate than with other metastases sites. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging in the absence of symptoms or clinical signs is not recommended for identifying a cerebral metastasis in lung cancer patients because of management effectiveness. This pilot study was performed to estimate whether or not limited brain MR imaging, which has a lower cost, could be used to replace conventional brain MR imaging. METHOD: Between April 1999 and March 2001, 43 patients with a primary lung cancer and the others (breast cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, malignant melanoma etc), who had neurological symptoms and signs, were examined using conventional brain MR imaging to examine brain metastases. The control group involved four patients who had no evidence of brain metastases the sensitivity, specificity and correlation of limited brain MR imaging were compared with conventional brain MR imaging. RESULTS: All the 43 patients who were examined with conventional brain MR imaging showed evidence of brain metastases, whereas limited brain MR imaging indicated that 42 patients had brain metastases(sensitivity=97.67%). One patient in whom limited brain MR imaging showed no brain metastasis had a metastasis in the cerebellum, as shown by the contrast-enhanced T1 weighted axial view using conventional brain MR imaging. The conventional brain MR imaging and the limited brain MI imaging of the 4 control patients both indicated no brain metastases (specificity=100 %). The Pearson Correlation of the two groups was 0.884(Confidence Interval : 99%) observed. CONCLUSION: Limited brain MR imaging can detect a brain metastasis with the same accuracy. In addition, it is cost-effective (229,000 won, 180$) compared to conventional brain MR imaging(529,000 won, 480$) when patients had neurological symptoms and signs or staging.
Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Melanoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pilot Projects ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is being increasingly used as a primary treatment for critical limb ischemia (CLI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of performing PTA for the superficial femoral arteries (SFA) for treating CLI or claudication. METHOD: From April 2003 to February 2007, PTA of the SFA was performed on 44 limbs in 39 patients. The mean follow-up was 10.1 months. RESULT: The demographic features included a mean age of 67.6 years; the patients were 89.7% males, and CLI was present in 56.8% of the subjects. The lesions were classified according to the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) as A (6.8%), B (40.9%), C (31.8%) and D (20.5%). PTA was confined to the SFA in 29 limbs (65.9%), and 15 patients (34.1%) underwent concurrent interventions in other anatomic locations. The SFA interventions included angioplasty only in 9 limbs (20.5%) and at least one stent in 35 limbs (79.5%). Clinical success was obtained in 33 limbs (75.0%) and limb salvage for CLI was achieved in 80% limbs (20/25 limbs). The complications included two access site hematomas and six intimal dissections. Interval conversion to bypass surgery was done in 5 limbs and major amputation was performed in 4 limbs. One patient died perioperatively after bypass surgery. The primary patency rates were 83.0% at 3 months, 78.9% at 6months and 72.3% at 12 months. The variables associated with the inferior primary patency rate by univariate analysis included CLI, the type of lesions (TASC A/B vs C/D), and the length of the treated lesions (P=0.01, P=0.008 and P=0.007, respectively). The modified runoff scoring system was predictive of PTA failure (P=0.003). CONCLUSION: PTA of the SFA for treating CLI or claudication is feasible and safe, and it provides acceptable clinical results. It would be appropriate to use PTA as the initial treatment option for chronic superficial femoral occlusive disease.
Amputation ; Angioplasty* ; Consensus ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Limb Salvage ; Male ; Stents

PURPOSE: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is being increasingly used as a primary treatment for critical limb ischemia (CLI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of performing PTA for the superficial femoral arteries (SFA) for treating CLI or claudication. METHOD: From April 2003 to February 2007, PTA of the SFA was performed on 44 limbs in 39 patients. The mean follow-up was 10.1 months. RESULT: The demographic features included a mean age of 67.6 years; the patients were 89.7% males, and CLI was present in 56.8% of the subjects. The lesions were classified according to the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) as A (6.8%), B (40.9%), C (31.8%) and D (20.5%). PTA was confined to the SFA in 29 limbs (65.9%), and 15 patients (34.1%) underwent concurrent interventions in other anatomic locations. The SFA interventions included angioplasty only in 9 limbs (20.5%) and at least one stent in 35 limbs (79.5%). Clinical success was obtained in 33 limbs (75.0%) and limb salvage for CLI was achieved in 80% limbs (20/25 limbs). The complications included two access site hematomas and six intimal dissections. Interval conversion to bypass surgery was done in 5 limbs and major amputation was performed in 4 limbs. One patient died perioperatively after bypass surgery. The primary patency rates were 83.0% at 3 months, 78.9% at 6months and 72.3% at 12 months. The variables associated with the inferior primary patency rate by univariate analysis included CLI, the type of lesions (TASC A/B vs C/D), and the length of the treated lesions (P=0.01, P=0.008 and P=0.007, respectively). The modified runoff scoring system was predictive of PTA failure (P=0.003). CONCLUSION: PTA of the SFA for treating CLI or claudication is feasible and safe, and it provides acceptable clinical results. It would be appropriate to use PTA as the initial treatment option for chronic superficial femoral occlusive disease.
Amputation ; Angioplasty* ; Consensus ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Limb Salvage ; Male ; Stents

OBJECTIVE: The identifying schizotypal trait in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients is important to predict clinical course, since those patients are hardly overcome through conventional intervention methods. This paper presents the trial of classification method of obsessive-compulsive disorder with schizotypal trait using Frontal Lobe Function Test (FLFT). METHODS: 110 OCD patients are divided into two groups:27 pure OCD patients, and 83 non-pure OCD patients. After training artificial neural network (ANN) using frontal-lobe function test data of train data (schizophrenia, pure OCD, and normal group), we classify test data (non-pure OCD patients) into one of the three groups. RESULTS: Among the total 83 test data (non-pure OCD patients), 44 patients were classified as schizophrenia, 32 patients as normal, and 7 patients as pure OCD. With respect to the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) data of those classified patients, ordering score in compulsion was significantly different between three groups. Moreover, cluster A socre (Schizoid, Schizotypal) of Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ) data showed significant difference between them. CONCLUSION: The results presented that those OCD patients who are classified as schizophrenia using generated model with machine learning technique is tend to have compulsive symptom of arrangement and schizotypal personality disorder.
Machine Learning ; Classification* ; Frontal Lobe* ; Humans ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia ; Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Urinary hippuric acid was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method. A simple and economical derivatization procedure using excessive methanol in acidic condition was adopted to esterify hippuric acid. Quantitative analysis was performed with two internal standards, heptadecanoic acid and hydrocinnamic acid, to evaluate the derivatization procedure as an analytical method. Using the standard addition method, linear and reproducible calibration curves were obtained for both internal standards. Calibration experiment showed that good quantitative result could also be obtained with the calibration curve obtained without urine matrix. Recovery rates for the urine samples were in the range of 95.6~111.4%. Using hydrocinnamic acid as internal standard, analysis time could be reduced.
Calibration ; Chromatography, Gas* ; Methanol ; Spectrum Analysis