PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine and carboplatin (GC) in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 1999 and April 2001, 34 patients were enrolled in this study. The median age was 66 (range: 52-74) years old and all were male. Sixteen patients demonstrated stage IIIB, 15 stage IV, and 3 recurrence of disease after surgery. Twenty-two patients showed a ECOG performance status of 0 or 1 and 12 had 2. Twenty patients presented with squamous cell carcinoma, 11 adenocarcinoma and 3 unclassified NSCLC. The treatment regimen consisted of intravenous carboplatin AUC of 6 on day 1 and gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 on day 1 and 8. The treatment was repeated every 28 days. Toxicities were evaluated according to WHO toxicity criteria. RESULTS: All thirty-four patients were evaluable. Partia responses were observed in 15 patients. The overall response rate was 44% (95% confidence interval: 27-61%) and the median response duration was 26 (range 8-60 ) weeks. The median survival of all patients was 50 (range 8-70 ) weeks. During a total of 144 cycles, granulocytopenia greater than WHO grade 2 occurred in 2%, thrombocytopenia in 2%, and anemia in 3%, respectively. Non- hematologic toxicities were minor and easily controlled. CONCLUSION: A combination chemotherapy of intravenous gemcitabine and carboplatin has a relatively high activity with acceptable toxicities in patients with advanced NSCLC.
Adenocarcinoma ; Agranulocytosis ; Anemia ; Area Under Curve ; Carboplatin* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Recurrence ; Thrombocytopenia

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of three-dimensional spiral CT angiography in the diagnosis and as a guide for the treatment of arteriosclerosis obliterans of the lower extremity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a recent one-year period, CTA and conventional angiography were performed in 12 patients with suspected ASO. From the upper margin of the third lumbar vertebral body to below the knee joint, helical CT scanning was performed 30-45 seconds after the injection of Ultravist 370(150-180ml) by a power injector at the rate of 2.5-3.0ml/sec via the antecubital vein. The resulting data were reformatted by SSD after reconstruction of 5mm intervals, and CTA was compared with CA for site and degree of stenotic or occlusive lesion. RESULTS: On CTA and CA, twenty-three occlusive lesions above the tibioperoneal artery were detected in 12 patients. On CA, three mild seven moderate and eight severe stenoses were seen, as well as five occlusions. There were three cases of overgrading and three of undergrading. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 73.9%(17/23). Calcifications were detected at on axial CT scanning in the two of three underestimated lesions. Migration of the thrombi was noted in one case. CONCLUSION: CTA may be useful in the evaluation of the arteries of the lower extremities, and valuable in the planning and follow-up of treatment.
Angiography* ; Arteries* ; Arteriosclerosis Obliterans ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Lower Extremity* ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Tomography, Spiral Computed* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Veins

PURPOSE: To evaluate characteristic MR findings of craniocerebral anomaly and its relationship with neurologic manifestations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed MR images of 36 patients with craniocerebral anomaly diagnosed by MRI and clinical courses. We correlated the characteristic MR findings in 41 lesions with neurologic manifestastions focusing on seizures and developmental delay. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients with seizures consisted of 14 patients(60%) with neuronal migration disorders and seven(30%) with phakomatosis, among which 18 patients(78%) had generalized type of seizures. Locations of the lesions were the parietal lobes in 11 patients(52%) and the subependymal or periventricular regions in seven(33%). Two patients with tuberous sclerosis had the lesions in both parietal and subependymal areas. Nine patients had the signs of developmental delay that were seen in the four(44%) with schizencephaly, two (22%) with tuberous sclerosis, two(22%) with heterotopia, and one(ll %) with pachygyria. CONCLUSION: Neuronal migration anomaly was relatively common lesion that presented neurologic manifestations such as seizures and developmental delay. Generalized type of seizures was common. We were able to diagnose these anomalies using the MRI that helped establish therapeutic plans.
Humans ; Lissencephaly ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Neuronal Migration Disorders ; Neurons ; Parietal Lobe ; Rabeprazole ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures* ; Tuberous Sclerosis

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the MR spectrum and MR cholangiographic imaging findings of clonorchiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 26 patients with confirmed clonorchiasis by either stool tests (n=24) or surgery (n=2). MR imaging was performed on a 1.5 T system (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI) with a torso coil. Axial T1-and T2-weighted, gadolinium-enhanced dynamic images and MR cholangiography were obtained. Image analyses were used to identify abnormalities of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and the presence of hepatobiliary malignancy. All MR examinations were reviewed by the consensus of two abdominal radiologists. RESULT: Intrahepatic bile duct abnormalities were seen in 23 (89%) of the 26 patients. The most common finding was mild dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct which was found in 21 (81%). "Too many intrahepatic ducts" were found in 16 (62%), wall enhancement and thickening in 21 (81%) and filling defects and ductal stricture in the intrahepatic bile duct in 6 (24%) and 3 (12%) patients, respectively. Extrahepatic ductal dilation was found in 5 (19%) and 9 (35%) revealed hepatobiliary malignancy. CONCLUSION: MR imaging revealed various findings of clonorchiasis, including dilatation, wall enhancement, stricture of the intrahepatic ducts and filling defect within the intrahepatic bile duct.
Adult ; Aged ; Cholangiography/methods ; Clonorchiasis/*diagnosis/radiography ; Female ; Human ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Male ; Middle Aged

Actinomycosis is an uncommon chronic infectious disease caused by Actinomyces. There are three distinct forms of the condition, namely cervicofascial, thoracic, and abdominal; the hepatic variety is an unusual form of abdominal actinomycosis, accounting for about 15% of cases of this type. Many reports of actinomycosis have been published, but few have detailed the MR findings of hepatic actinomycosis. We describe the contrast-enhanced CT and MR findings in one case of hepatic actinomycosis.
Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Communicable Diseases ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease*

PURPOSE: We wanted to assess the cerebral activation of the motor function after deep cortical (lentiform nucleus and thalamus) infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied the motor function of eight right-handed deep cortical infarcted patients (mean age, 61 years; 7 men and 1 woman) who suffered a single unilateral deep cortical (lentiform nucleus or thalamus) infarction. The grade of muscle power by the grading system of the Medical Research Council was II in two patients, III in three patients and IV in three patients. All the MRI experiments were performed with a 1.5T scanner. The fMRI protocol consisted of eight alternating periods of task performance and rest. The activation tasks consisted of finger movements. Data analysis of activated area and calculation of the activated volumes in sensorimotor cortex were done. RESULTS: For the six lentiform nucleus acute infarction patients, one right hemiparetic patient (MRC Grade: II), and only the right sensorimotor cortex (the unilateral non-lesion side) were activated. In five (MRC Grade: III-IV) of the six lentiform nucleus infarcted patients, bilateral activations of the primary sensorimotor cortex were recorded. In four of the five bilaterally activated patients, extended activations in the lesion side sensorimotor cortex were observed. In the two right thalamic infarction patients, bilateral activations of the primary sensorimotor cortex were recorded. One patient (MRC Grade: II) was observed to have an extended activation in the non-lesion side sensorimotor cortex. On the follow up fMRI done on this patient after 40 days (MRC Grade: III at that time), the activated volumes of both sensorimotor cortexes were increased. The activated volume in the lesion side sensorimotor cortex was more than that in the non-lesion side sensorimotor cortex. The other patient (MRC Grade: IV) was observed to have extended activation in the lesion side sensorimotor cortex. CONCLUSION: fMRI allows for the study of the motor function in deep cortical infarction. We were able to investigate the differences in motor activation according to the individual MRC Grades. fMRI may be a useful tool to monitor and study deep cortical infarction, and it may be important to help us understand the function of the deep cortical areas.
Basal Ganglia* ; Brain ; Corpus Striatum ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Statistics as Topic ; Task Performance and Analysis ; Thalamus*

BACKGROUND: The reference values of laboratory should review regularly to maintain good quality of practice. This is the second report of studies on reference values of Korea Association of Health Promotion (KAHP). The first one was reported in 2002 in Journal of Laboratory Medicine and Quality Assurance in Korea. The aim of this study is to know the changes of reference values for the past five years. METHODS: The way to analyze the data this time was essentially the same as the previous one (Indirect Method). The data from January to December, 2007 were collected. They totalled 5,133,327 test results from approximately 140 thousands individuals who visited for health checkup. The data were statistically analyzed with Minitab version 15.1.20.0 for Gaussian distribution using Anderson-Darling test. The trimming process repeated for the outliers, the results lying outside of +/-3SD, and as much as four times in certain test items, though, none of the tests showed Gaussian distribution. Subsequently, the reference values of most tests were defined in the ranges from the point of lowest 2.5% to the point of highest 97.5% and others were those, below 95 percentiles according to CLSI C28-A3 guideline. RESULTS: The reference ranges of 56 test items were either set as before or adjusted with new values, and compared. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing to the previous reference values (2002), the tests for liver function showed the lower upper values and the tests for diabetes and lipids showed higher upper values. Others were changed minimally with no significance.
Deception ; Health Promotion ; Korea ; Liver ; Normal Distribution ; Reference Values

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a herbal formula that mainly consists of Cornus officinalis for treating erectile dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients suffering with erectile dysfunction were enrolled in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. The average duration of erectile dysfunction of the herbal formula group(n=40) vs. the placebo group(n=40) were 19.33+/-18.13 months vs. 19.33+/-25.62 months, respectively. The safety variables we examined were the history, physical examination, vital signs, EKG, clinical laboratory tests and hormonal tests. Efficacy assessments included the International Index of Erectile Function(IIEF), the sexual encounter profile(SEP) diary and Global Assessment Questions(GAQ). RESULTS: No significant changes in the laboratory values, hormone tests and blood pressure were observed in both groups. In comparison with the placebo group(6.57+/-11.72), the herbal formula group experienced a significant improvement of the IIEF(11.13+/-11.83)(p<0.05). When the herbal formula and placebo groups were divided by age and the IIEF score (age: 50 years and IIEF: 42) and then compared, the low IIEF group(IIEFor=50) of the herbal formula group significantly improved their IIEF score(p<0.05). The herbal formula group significantly improved their GAQ score(p<0.05). The herbal formula was well tolerated. The common adverse events were headache(2.5%) and nausea(5%). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the herbal formula that mainly consists Cornus officinalis was not only effective at improving erectile function, but it was also safe for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Blood Pressure ; Cornus* ; Electrocardiography ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Treatment Outcome ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the shape and volume of the radio-frequency induced lesions produced by two commercially available radio-frequency ablation (RFA) systems, the expandable and cooled-tip needles, in clinical patients and an experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A twelve-array anchor expandable needle electrode and a single cooled-tip needle electrode were used to treat hepatic tumors with a single session in 23 patients (20 hepatocellular carcinomas and 3 hepatic metastases) and fourteen patients (10 hepatocellular carcinomas and 4 hepatic metastases), respectively. Twenty RFA induced lesions were created with each system in 10 explanted bovine livers. The shape of the RFA induced lesions were divided into oval lesions along or perpendicular to the axis of the electrode and spherical lesions, and we then calculated the volumes of the RFA induced lesions. RESULTS: Fourteen (61%) lesions of the 23 patients treated with the expandable system were oval perpendicular to the axis of the electrode and nine (39%) of the lesions were spherical. All the lesions (100%) of the 14 patients treated with the cooled-tip needle were oval along the axis of the electrode. In the ex vivo bovine livers, the shape of the all RFA induced lesions was oval perpendicular to the axis of the electrode for the expandable needle, and oval along the axis of the electrode for the cooled-tip needle. The mean diameter and volume of the RFA induced lesions in the patients were 3.35+/-0.56cm and 19.9+/-6.53 cm3, respectively, for the expandable needle and 3.58+/-0.78 cm and 23.19+/-5.27 cm3, respectively, for the cooled-tip needle. In the ex vivo model, the mean diameter and volume of RFA induced lesions were 3.41+/-0.59 cm and 26.59+/-8.02 cm3, respectively, for the expandable needle, and 4.04+/-0.65 cm and 33.82+/-6.16 cm3, respectively, for the cooled-tip needle (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:These results indicate that the shape of RFA induced lesions with the expandable needle were oval perpendicular to the axis of the electrode but those with the cooled-tip needle were oval along the axis of the electrode in both the clinical and experimental models. The cooled-tip needle induced significantly larger lesions than the expandable needle in the clinical patients and the experimental model. We need to consider these characteristic findings for RFA when we are performing such procedures.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Electrodes ; Humans ; Liver ; Models, Theoretical* ; Needles*