No abstract available.
Ultrasonography*

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the only known human pathogen among the Mycoplasma species isolated from the human respiratory tract. This pathogen causes respiratory infections most commonly in school-aged children and young adults. It may causes a variety of pulmonary manifestations and a few complication. empyema(pyothorax) as a complication of mycoplasma infection in children has been rarely reported. We report these two cases of empyema(pyothorax) preceded by Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in 5-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl. They were successfully managed by administration of antibiotics as well as surgical drainage.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Drainage ; Empyema ; Empyema, Pleural ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mycoplasma Infections ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Young Adult

The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer is unclear. Although European and Asian guidelines strongly recommend H. pylori eradication in patients who undergo endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer, these guidelines do not specify the tests useful for diagnosing H. pylori infection, the optimal timing and appropriate eradication regimens, and follow-up strategies in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer. This review aims to update the guidelines for the diagnosis and management of H. pylori infection in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer. We have focused on the following issues: 1) diagnostic tests for H. pylori infection in the remnant stomach, 2) optimal timing and regimen for H. pylori eradication, and 3) role of H. pylori eradication in reducing the risk of metachronous gastric cancer in the remnant stomach.

Stomach cancer has a high annual mortality rate worldwide necessitating early detection and accurate treatment. Even experienced specialists can make erroneous judgments based on several factors. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being developed rapidly to assist in this field. Here, we aimed to determine how AI technology is used in gastric cancer diagnosis and analyze how it helps patients and surgeons. Early detection and correct treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC) can greatly increase survival rates. To determine this, it is important to accurately determine the diagnosis and depth of the lesion and the presence or absence of metastasis to the lymph nodes, and suggest an appropriate treatment method. The deep learning algorithm, which has learned gastric lesion endoscopyimages, morphological characteristics, and patient clinical information, detects gastric lesions with high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, and predicts morphological characteristics. Through this, AI assists the judgment of specialists to help select the correct treatment method among endoscopic procedures and radical resections and helps to predict the resection margins of lesions.Additionally, AI technology has increased the diagnostic rate of both relatively inexperienced and skilled endoscopic diagnosticians. However, there were limitations in the data used for learning, such as the amount of quantitatively insufficient data, retrospective study design, single-center design, and cases of non-various lesions. Nevertheless, this assisted endoscopic diagnosis technology that incorporates deep learning technology is sufficiently practical and future-oriented and can play an important role in suggesting accurate treatment plans to surgeons for resection of lesions in the treatment of EGC.

The authors developed a computerized documentation system to record and store all the data pertaining to an endoscopic examination of the upper digestive tract. The system was programmed using the database management system Clipper Version 5.01. It is easy and convenient to use due to advanced deaign of input screen using menu bars and pull down menu and windows. The system was designed to permit the easy storage and retrieval of data by personnel who lack computer skills and who may only have limited typing ability. Today this system has been in daily use for 1 year at the endoscopic units of 8 different branch hospitals of Catholic university,medical college. Overall the experience in these centers has been positive, with excelient or good participation. Characteristics of this system are a menu-driven system, data input by predefined list, instantaneous report generation, on line access to previous examination, late entry of yathologic regerts. and record retrieval, listing according to different criteria. For the description of endoscopic findings and diagnosis, structured input is maintained. All of the findings are chosen from predefined list using pop-up screen and also free text typing is allowed. Therefore time effort was not increased compared to conventional documentation. Structured input and the resulting categorical data affer several advantages.
Database Management Systems ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hospitals, Satellite ; Information Systems

On ultrasonography, medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) shows hypoechogenicity, an irregular margin, a predominantly solid composition, and microcalcifications, similar to those observed in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). MTC presenting as a cystic lesion is rare, and endoscopic thyroidectomy can be performed for benign thyroid masses and early stage PTC, however it is inappropriate for MTC regardless of cystic change. The authors report a case of cystic MTC found after endoscopic thyroid lobectomy and provide a review of the literature on this topic.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: P53 and cyclin D1 have been evaluated as a prognostic marker in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the relationship between p53/cyclin D1 and PTC prognosis has not yet been confirmed. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between p53/cyclin D1 and PTC prognostic factors. METHODS: 919 patients with PTC were enrolled. Immunohistochemistry slides were reviewed for p53 and cyclin D1 immunoreactivity. Patients were classified into two groups according to the p53 and cyclin D1 grade: negative for < or =5% and positive for >5%. Medical records were reviewed to evaluate the prognostic factors, lymph node metastatic ratio (LNMR), and MACIS score. We analyzed patients based on p53/cyclin D1(-/-), p53/cyclin D1(-/+), p53/cyclin D1(+/-), p53/cyclin D1(+/+) separately for evaluation of independent effect of p53 and cyclin D1. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 49.73 years (range 15~87), and tumor size was 1.19 cm (range 0.1~5.0). P53 was positive in 809 (88.0%) and cyclin D1 was positive in 748 (81.4%). Positivity of p53 and cyclin D1 were correlated (r=0.448). There was no statistical significance in MACIS score. Positivity of p53 and cyclin D1 were related with larger tumor size, older age, early T stage, more tumor capsulation, and female. LNMR was higher in p53/cyclin D1(+/-) than p53/cyclin D1(-/-) (P=0.036), p53/cyclin D1(-/+) than p53/cyclin D1(-/-) (P=0.034), and p53/cyclin D1(+/+) than p53/cyclin D1(-/-) (P=0.007). CONCLUSION: There was no consistent relationship between p53/cyclin D1 and worse prognostic factors of PTC. However, LNMR was higher in p53(+) and cyclin D1(+) cases independently, much more in p53/cyclin D1(+/+) than p53/cyclin D1(-/-).
Cyclin D1* ; Cyclins ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The authors compared laparoscopic changes of the diseased liver surface according to Shimadas classification with laparoscopic needle biopsy in order to clarify whether the two diagnostic criteria have consistency or discrepancy in each other. By serologicai tests the patients with chronic hepatitis B were 179 cases, chronic hepatitis C 22 cases and NBNC hepatitis 54 cases. Histologically the patients with non-specific reactive hepatitis were 35 cases, chronic lobular hepatitis 20 cases, chronic persistent hepatitis 18 cases, chronic active hepatitis 8~5 cases, subacute hepatic necrosis 32 cases, circumscribed hepatic necrosis 9 cases and liver cirrhosis 56 cases. METHODS: We performed laparoscopy on 255 patients with chronic hepatitis and laparoscopic guided liver needle biopsy was done in all cases. RESULTS: 1) Age incidence of chronic viral hepatitis was peak in chronic hepatitis C, and then that in chronic hepatitis B and NBNC heatitis in decreasing order. 2) Code numbers of liver surfaces were mainly numbers between 200 and 300 in chronic hepatitis B and NBNC hepatitis, but those of chronic hepatitis C were numbers between 300 and 400 which meant advanced patterns. 3) Comparing macroscopic fmdings of liver surfaces with histologic diagnosis by guided liver biopsy, the consistency of two criteria was 83.9% in all cases and the discrepancy was 16.1%. 4) Among the cases with diagnostic discrepancy, the patients showing macroscopically chronic hepatitis but histologically liver cirrhosis were predominant in chronic hepatitis B under the age of 40. In contrast to this, the cases showing surface changes of liver cirrhosis but histologically chronic hepatitis was mainly in chronic hepatitis C over the age of 40. CONCLUSIONS: The above results suggest that laparoscopy and guided liver biopsy may be very useful diagnostic tools to determine correct diagnosis, adequate treatment and prognosis.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver* ; Necrosis ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Because the efficacy of standard triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication has declined, new regimens such as sequential therapy (ST) and concomitant therapy (CoCTx) have been introduced. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of 10-day ST and 10-day CoCTx for H. pylori eradication. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 316 patients with proven H. pylori infection. They were assigned to one of 2 regimens; ST (n=191) consisted of, lansoprazole 30 mg and amoxicillin 1 g for 5 days followed by lansoprazole 30 mg, metronidazole 500 mg, and clarithromycin 500 mg for 5 days, and CoCTx (n=125) consisted of lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, metronidazole 500 mg, and clarithromycin 500 mg for 10 days. All drugs were administered twice a day. Bacterial eradication was checked by using a 13C-urea breath test at least 4 weeks after completion of treatment. RESULTS: The mean age and male to female ratio was 51.74 and 1.03, respectively. Baseline characteristics were not different in both groups. Ten day CoCTx group (94.4%, 118/125) showed better eradication rate than ST group (82.2%, 157/191) (p=0.002). Drug compliances were not statistically different between the two groups (p=0.19). Side effects were more frequently reported in the CoCTx group than in the ST group (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Ten-day CoCTx was superior to ST in terms of eradicating H. pylori infection. Although the CoCTx producing more side effects than ST, CoCTx can be thought to be a promising alternative to ST as a treatment regimen for H. pylori eradication.
Adult ; Aged ; Amoxicillin/therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Breath Tests ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lansoprazole/therapeutic use ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) in end stage ischemic heart disease results in variable clinical responses. We investigated the acute effect of early reperfusion and the angiogenesis after formation of the transmyocardial channel in a transplanted rat heart model with acute myocardial infarction. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In the 30 transplanted hearts we induced acute myocardial infarction by ligating the proximal left coronary artery and inserted a porous 22G intravenous cannula into the left ventricle. After ten minutes of reperfusion, we removed the cannula. At every stage, we recorded the heart rate, QRS size, and left coronary arterial blood flow using the electrocardiogram and Doppler. One week later the rats were sacrificed and evaluated for the patency of intramyocardial channels and the angiogenesis. RESULT: The heart rates after ligation and after cannula insertion were 239.1+/-61.7, 235.8+/-58.0 bpm respectively, and they were statistically significantly slower than that of before ligation, 277.6+/-40.3 bpm (p=0.017, p=0.007 respectively). QRS sizes before ligation, after ligation, and after cannula insertion were 3.6+/-3.3 mm, 2.8+/-3.3 mm, and 2.4+/-2.2 mm, respectively, and there was no significant difference in the three groups. Doppler findings after ligation showed that average peak and mean values of coronary perfusion were significantly decreased from 2.11+/-0.17 kHz, 1.25+/-0.22 kHz to 0.83+/-0.15 kHz, 0.38+/-0.11 kHz (p<0.05 respectively). After insertion of the porous cannula, the average peak and mean values of coronary perfusion were 0.61+/-0.05 kHz and 0.33+/-0.05 kHz respectively, but there was no statistically significant change compared to values after ligation. In all cases except one, pathologic findings showed no patent channels in the acute stage, however, one case showed the angiogenesis. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that TMR in a rat heart transplant model did not show blood flow through the channel in the acute stage. However, reperfusion effect in some cases had a potential for angiogenesis.
Animals ; Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart* ; Ligation ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Perfusion* ; Rats* ; Reperfusion