PURPOSE: In the present study, the effectiveness of topical chemotherapy for the primary treatment of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) was evaluated. METHODS: We enrolled 10 patients (10 eyes) diagnosed with OSSN who received both clinical examination and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) imaging. The patients were administered topical 0.02% mitomycin-C (MMC) 4 times/day in the affected eye. The patients with MMC-resistant OSSN received topical 1% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 4 times/day. AS-OCT imaging was performed before and after the treatment. Clinical examination and AS-OCT were used to monitor the efficacy of topical chemotherapy, recurrence and side effects. RESULTS: The mean age of the 10 patients (8 males, 2 females) was 76.7 years. The proportion of complete remission resulting from topical treatment with MMC was 80.0% (8 eyes) and 20.0% (2 eyes) when 5-FU was changed to MMC. The average duration of complete remission was 4.3 weeks and the average duration of no recurrence was 17.5 months. The epithelial thickness of the lesions, measured using AS-OCT, significantly decreased from 315.0 µm (pretreatment) to 105.3 µm (after complete remission). Additionally, the epithelial lesion appeared normal after treatment. The most common side effect was conjunctival hyperemia (60.0%, 6 eyes), followed by ocular allergy (30.0%, 3 eyes), superficial punctate keratitis (30.0%, 3 eyes) and corneal erosion (20%, 2 eyes). No serious complications were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Topical chemotherapy is as effective and well tolerated as a primary treatment for OSSN. Additionally, AS-OCT is a useful noninvasive adjunctive tool in the diagnosis and management of OSSN.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Hypersensitivity ; Keratitis ; Male ; Mitomycin ; Recurrence ; Tomography, Optical Coherence

BACKGROUND: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been useful as a diagnostic tool to define heart failure. Recently, the BNP assay was used on an automated immunochemistry platform. Studies included precision, analytical correlation between the Biosite Triage BNP assay and Bayer ADVIA Centaur BNP assay. METHODS: Between February 22, 2005 and March 4, 2005, 66 cases were anal-yzed. For the BNP measurement, 3 mL blood samples were collected in plastic tubes containing EDTA. Precision was analyzed with 20 repeat tests in 3 different control levels. RESULTS: The ADVIA Centaur assay had between-run precision (CV) of 3.9%, 3.7%, and 3.7% at BNP concentrations of 41.39, 420.08, and 1671.73 ng/L, respectively. The correlation between the ADVIA Centaur and Triage was as follows: ADVIA Centaur=0.753(Triage)-21.888 ng/L (r=0.94). At a cutoff of 100 ng/L, however, the diagnostic agreement was 89.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The ADVIA Centaur BNP assay is the first commercially available BNP assay using an automated immunochemistry platform. This assay has good analytical and clinical performances and agreement with the Biosite Triage BNP Assay.
Edetic Acid ; Heart Failure ; Immunochemistry ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Plastics ; Triage*

Gastrointesinal polyp is a premalignant lesion, it is recommanded to be removed. Endoscopic polypectomy has long been considered as a safe and effective method for removal of polyps. One hundred forty eight endoscopic gastrointestinal polypectomy were done in 111 patients who visited Chungnam National University Hospital from January in l991 to August in l993, and clinical character including histopathology were evaluated. (continue...)
Chungcheongnam-do ; Humans ; Pathology ; Polyps

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an exercise program for postmastectomy patients. METHOD: This study was conducted from October, 2003 to June, 2004. The exercise program was developed based on literature review and needs assessment using focus group interviews. The subjects for the focus group interview consisted of 11 patients, 13 recovering patients, and 20 nurses from 3 hospitals. Development of the program was proceeded with analysusm design and development steps. RESULT: The results of the needs assessment using the focus group interview showed that the exercise program was imperative for postmastectomy patients. Based on the results, a home video tape containing 3 steps, was developed. Each step includes warming-up, stretching, the main exercise, and cool-down. Steps 2 and 3 include exercises with an elastic band, and an elastic ball. The program was modified after conducting a pre-test. A self-checklist including shoulder mobility, hand strength, arm volume and subjective comments on how they feel will be used before and after the exercise program. CONCLUSION: The exercise program will improve breast cancer patients' quality of life and their physical well-being. Further studies are recommended to test the effectiveness of the exercise program.
Arm ; Breast Neoplasms ; Exercise ; Focus Groups ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Needs Assessment ; Quality of Life ; Shoulder

In this study, we evaluated the effects of fentanyl, midazolam, and fentanyl-midazolam on cardiovascular system and blood glucose during endotracheal intubation in forty normotensive patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly classified into four groups; Group I (control) received tracheal intubation with thiopental 5 mg/kg (n=10), group II received tracheal intubation with fentanyl 6 ug/kg followed by thiopental 2 mg/ kg (n=10), group III received tracheal intubation with midazolam 0.3 mg/kg (n=10), group IV received tracheal intubation with fentanyl 4 ug/kg followed by midazolam 1 mg/kg (n=10). The changes of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressurie, heart rate, and blood glucose were compared in each group. The results were as follows; 1) In group I, endotracheal intubation caused a significant rise in SBP, HR and blood glucose. 2) In group II, endotracheal intubation caused little changes in SBP, DBP,MAP and blood glucose but HR was rised. 3) In group III, endotracheal intubation caused little changes in SBP, DBP, MAP, HR and blood glucose. 4) In group IV, endotracheal intubation caused little changes in SBP, DBP, MAP, HR and blood glucose.
Anesthesia, General ; Blood Glucose* ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular System* ; Fentanyl* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Midazolam* ; Thiopental

Esophageal carcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm consisting of about 1.5% of the whole gastrointestinal tract neoplasm and has poor prognosis of which survival rate is below 5%. The squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus could be multicentric in character and may have occured in 9.5-27% of incidence. The most common site is head and neck region. The metastasis of esophageal carcinoma occur through hematogenous, lymphatic spread, direct invasion and rarely intramural metastasis. Of theses, intramural metastasis has been occured in 7-14.3% of incidence and its presence has been regared to poor prognostic factor due to early regional or distant metastasis. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy alone or combination of these has been used as treatment modalities of esophageal cancer, but combination chemoradiotherapy with or without operation is prefered method than other at present. Authors report a case of esophageal carcinoma showing intramural metastasis to the gastric wall, which had the complete remission with preoperative chemoradiotherapy.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Drug Therapy ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagus ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Head ; Incidence ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Stomach* ; Survival Rate

We analyzed the peripheral blood of patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer at different stages to assess the presence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which we used as an indicator for micrometastatic malignant cells. A total of 35 gastric, 24 colorectal, 4 esophageal and 4 biliary tract cancer patients and nine normal healthy subjects were studied. No CEA mRNA was detected in the nine normal healthy volunteers. CEA mRNA was detected in 100% (10/10) of metastatic, 33.3% (3/9) of early gastric cancer (EGC), and 18.8% (3/16) resectable gastric cancer patients, respectively. In colorectal cancer, 55.6% (5/9) of metastatic cancers were positive for CEA mRNA, and 26.7% (4/15) Duke stage B/C showed positive. One patient with stage III gastric cancer who was negative CEA mRNA initially and turned positive during follow-up, developed multiple bone metastasis one month later. Another stage III patient, who was positive for CEA mRNA, preoperatively revealed early relapse in two months. These results suggest that the identification of circulating tumor cells using RT-PCR for the detection of CEA mRNA is feasible and this analysis may be a promising tool for early detection of micrometastatic circulating malignant cells in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen/blood* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology ; Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/blood ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neoplasm Circulating Cells* ; Neoplasm Metastasis/diagnosis ; RNA, Messenger/blood ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology ; Tumor Markers, Biological/blood*

No abstract available.
Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Prevalence* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Arteriovenous malformations occur predominantly in the cecum and ascending colon and is not associated with vascular lesions of the skin, central nerveous system. or lung Arteriovenous malformations involving gastrointastinal tract is often to be found to be cause of the recurrent painless bleeding without specific past history and family history and usually diagnosed by selective mesenteric arteriography or colonoscopy, But because of small size of the lesion and local occurence, diagnosis of the arteriovenous malformation is very difficult. Authors exprienced a case of arteriovenous maltormation in the colon. The patient had a history of repeated gastrointestinal bleeding, and were diagnosed by colonoscopy and were treated with colonoscopic resection.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Cecum ; Colon* ; Colon, Ascending ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Skin

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical results of short-term visual acuity and quality of vision after implantation of a yellow-tinted blue light-filtering intraocular lens (IOL) (Acrysof IQ® SN60WF) and an clear ultraviolet (UV) light filtering IOL (enVista™ MX60) in the same patient. METHODS: 44 patients with bilateral cataract received an SN60WF in one eye and an MX60 in the other eye. All eyes were evaluated for refraction power and uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) at preoperative and 1, 3 months postoperatively. At postoperative 3 months, corrected visual acuity, quality of vision (OQAS II®), contrast sensitivity (CGT 2000®) and visual field (Humphrey Field Analyzer®), and subjective patients' response to the degree of brightness were evaluated. Furthermore, glistening degree, intraocular stability, and posterior capsular opacification were examined. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in average refractive power or UCVA at 1 and 3 months (p > 0.05) between the two groups. At 3 months after cataract surgery, the quality of vision according to OQAS II®, the contrast sensitivity according to CGT 2000® with the glare either on or off, and visual field; showed no difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Both IOLs had no glistening and posterior capsular opacity. The patients' response to the degree of brightness shows that MX60 (48.3%) has a higher degree of satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Yellow-tinted blue light-filtering IOL and clear UV light-filtering IOL had no difference in short-term visual acuity and quality of vision. Subjective brightness perception, however, was better with clear UV light-filtering IOL.
Cataract ; Contrast Sensitivity ; Glare ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields