No abstract available.
Mass Screening* ; Rural Health*

No abstract available.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament*

No abstract available.
Humans

Until now, surgical treatment of bile duct carcinoma has been unsatisfactory. There have been few reports dealing with the clinical significance of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) and c-erbB-2 in bile duct cancer. To evaluate epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) and c-erbB-2 protein as a marker for prognosis, we analyzed the data and outcome of 32 cases of extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma immunohistologically, as well as clinicopathologically. The expressions of EGFR and c-erbB-2 showed in 71.9%(23/32) and 34.4%(11/32), respectively. The expression of EGFR was closely associated with the expression of c-erbB-2 (p<0.05). The expression rate of EGFR was significantly higher in well-differentiated cancer than in poorly-differentiated cancer (p<0.05), but was not related to stage, or lymph node metastasis. The expression of c-erbB-2 was not related to stage, lymph node metastasis, and differentiation. The expressions of EGFR and c-erbB-2 did not correlate with survival. In conclusion, the expression of EGFR or c-erbB-2 may be used as a tumor marker, but not as a prognostic factor in extrahepatic bile duct cancer.
Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic* ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Receptor, erbB-2

PURPOSE: Thallim-201 (201Tl) brain SPECT, which can represent cellular activity of brain lesions, may provide more useful information in differentiating between benign and malignant brain lesions more so than CT or MRI, that merely represents anatomic changes or breakdown of blood brain barrier. We used 201Tl brain SPECT prospectively to evaluate the utility of 201Tl-indices as an indicator of benign or malignant lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 28 patients. There were 13 cases of benign lesions (3: nonspecific benign lesion, 3: meningioma, 2: low grade glioma, 1: tuberculoma, central neurocytoma, hemangioblastoma, radiation necrosis, and choroid plexus papilloma) and 15 cases of malignant lesions (6: glioblastoma multiforme, 5: anaplastic glioma, 2: medulloblastoma, 1: metastasis and lymphoma). In all patients, CT and/or MRI were obtained and then 201Tl brain SPECT was obtained with measuring mean 201Tl index and peak 201Tl index. An unpaired t-test was performed to compare the 201Tl-indices and pathologic diagnoses to evaluate the utility of 201Tl-indices as an indicator of benign or malignant lesions. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant difference in 201Tl-indices between benign and malignant brain lesions (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that we could not use 201Tl indices on brain SPECT alone as an indicator of benign or malignant brain lesions.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain* ; Choroid Plexus ; Diagnosis ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma ; Hemangioblastoma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medulloblastoma ; Meningioma ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurocytoma ; Prospective Studies ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Tuberculoma

PURPOSE: Thallim-201 (201Tl) brain SPECT and proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have been used to evaluate tumor grade and viability of glioma. We assessed the correlations between 201Tl brain index or spectrum of metabolites of 1H MRS and grade of glioma or histopathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 17 patients (4 astrocytoma, 7 anaplastic astrocytoma and 6 glioblastoma). On 201Tl Brain SPECT, 201Tl index was measured as the ratio of average counts for region of interest to those for the contralateral normal brain. On 1H MRS, we calculated choline (Cho) /creatine (Cr) ratio and N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/Cr ratio in ROI defined as tumor center. Histopathologic findings were graded by Ki-67 index, cellularity, mitosis, pleomorphism, necrosis and endothelial proliferation. An unpaired t test and statistical correlations were performed to evaluate these data. RESULTS: Tl-index showed the best correlation with Ki-67 index (p<0.01), less correlations with cellularity, mitosis, and endothelial proliferation, but no correlation with results of MRS, pleomorphism, or necrosis. The findings of MRS did not correlate with all of the above. The cases of glioblastoma demonstrated a higher Tl-index, Cho/Cr ratio, Ki-67 index and lower NAA/Cr ratio, albeit without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Even though 201Tl brain SPECT did not correlate directly with grade of malignancy, it may still be useful in determining biological aggressiveness of tumor and prognosis of patients because it correlated well with Ki-67 index, a growth fraction of glioma, cellularity, mitosis and endothelial proliferation.
Astrocytoma ; Brain* ; Choline ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Mitosis ; Necrosis ; Pathology* ; Prognosis ; Protons ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to predict the relationship between the symptomatic disc herniation level and the osteophyte level or decreased disc height in patients with cervical disc herniation. METHODS: Between January 2011 and December 2012, 69 patients with an osteophyte of the cervical spine underwent surgery at a single center due to soft cervical disc herniation. Data including soft disc herniation level, osteophyte level in the posterior vertebral margin, Cobb's angle, and symptom duration were retrospectively assessed. The patients were divided into three groups according to the relationship between the degenerative change level and the level of reported symptoms. RESULTS: Among the 69 patients, 48 (69.6%) showed a match between osteophyte level and soft disc herniation level. Disc herniation occurred at the adjacent segment to degenerative osteophyte level in 12 patients (17.4%) and at both the adjacent and the osteophyte level in nine (13.0%). There was no significant difference in Cobb's angle or duration among the three groups. Osteophyte type was not significant. The mean disc height of the prominent degenerative change level group was lower than the adjacent segment level, but this was not significant. CONCLUSION: Soft cervical disc herniation usually occurs at the level an osteophyte forms. However, it may also occur at segments adjacent to that of the osteophyte level. Therefore, in patients with cervical disc herniation, although a prominent osteophyte alone may appear on plain radiography, we must suspect the presence of soft disc herniation at other levels.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Osteophyte ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine

PURPOSE: Children with esophagitis express a variety of nonspecific symptoms and signs depending on their age, and diagnosis is limited because gastrointestinal endoscopy (GFS) and biopsy are difficult to perform. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of esophagitis in children with upper abdominal pain, to determine the necessity of esophageal biopsy, and to evaluate the associated risk factors. METHODS: We reviewed 266 pediatric patients with upper abdominal pain who underwent history-taking, physical examination, and GFS with esophageal and gastric biopsies between January 2006 and December 2007. Esophagitis was confirmed on biopsy. We analyzed the risk factors for histologic esophagitis and the necessity of esophageal biopsy. RESULTS: The prevalence of esophagitis was 19.9% (53/266 patients). The sensitivity and specificity of endoscopic diagnosis were 41.5% and 77%. Of 53 patients with histologic esophagitis, reflux esophagitis was seen in 50 patients, eosinophilic esophagitis was seen in 2 patients, and esophageal candidiasis was seen in 1 patient. Vomiting was a significant factor in patients under 8 yr of age (p<0.05). H. pylori infection was documented in 41.5% of patients with histologic esophagitis, compared with 58.5% of patients not infected with H. pylori (p<0.05). The possibility of histologic esophagitis was higher in patients with H. pylori infection (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2544 to 4.8286) and in those who visited in the spring (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2544 to 4.8286). CONCLUSION: We believe esophageal tissue biopsy should be performed in pediatric patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms who are undergoing GFS and stomach tissue biopsy, especially preschoolers and H. pylori-infected children in the spring.
Abdominal Pain ; Biopsy ; Candidiasis ; Child ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Eosinophilic Esophagitis ; Esophagitis ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach ; Vomiting

Visceral heterotaxy syndrome causes abnormal arrangement of thoracoabdominal organs and severe complex cardiac anomalies by abnormal laterality. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the incidence and pattern of heterotaxy syndrome in etretinate and all-tran retinoic acid treated pregnant DDY mice. Pregnant DDY mice were intragastrically given a single dose of 15 mg/kg of etretinate at day 6, 7 of gestation, 30 mg/kg of etretinate at day 7 of gestation and 20 mg/kg of all-trans retinoic acid at day 7 of gestation. The incidence of visceral heterotaxy was highest in the etretinate 15 mg/kg treated group on day 7 of gestation (38.5%). The major cardiovascular anomalies in heterotaxy syndrome were common atrium, common atrioventricular valve, atrioventricular septal defect, transposition of great arteries, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary artery hypoplasia and aortic arch anomalies. Atrial situs of heterotaxy syndrome were right isomerism, solitus-like, inversus-like and left atrial aplasia, but right isomerism was observed most frequently. The results suggest that retinoic acid exerts a significant effect on the determination of atrial situs during the development of mouse embryo.
*Abnormalities, Drug-Induced ; Animal ; Blood Vessels/abnormalities ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital/chemically induced ; Mice ; Pregnancy ; Syndrome ; Tretinoin/*toxicity

Recent reports have shown that the mortality is high in cirrhotic patients undergoing major abdominal operations. However, little information is available on the mechanism of the these high operative risks. The aims of this study were to determine the factors that may influence the mortality following major abdominal operations. We reviewed sixty-two patients with cirrhosis who had undergone major abdominal operations at Korea Veterans Hospital during the period from January 1984 to June 1995. There were 49 men and 13 women, with a mean age of 58.0 years (range=37 to 77 years). The postoperative mortality rate was 19.4%. Various clinical and laboratory factors were examined to find their relationships to the postoperative outcome. By univariate analysis, significant prognostic factors affecting the mortality rate were as follows: a serum albumin level less than 3 g/dl, a prothrombin time (PT) and a partial thromboplastin time (PTT) prolongation of more than 2 second over that of the controls, a platelet count of less than 80,000/mm3, an emergency operation, Hb at arrival of less than 10 g/dl, ascites, an intraoperative blood loss greater than 1000 ml, and an operative time longer than 2 hours(P<0.05). However, only two factors, a serum albumin level less than 3 g/dl and a platelet count less than 80,000/mm3 were significant by dpmultivariate analysis. In conclusion, when operative treatment is undertaken in patients with cirrhosis, preoperative correction of coagulopathy and ascites, the simplest and most expeditious operative procedure, and meticulous hemostasis and perioperative hemodynamic monitoring are essential to reduce the postoperative mortality.
Ascites ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics ; Hemostasis ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Male ; Mortality* ; Operative Time ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Platelet Count ; Prothrombin Time ; Serum Albumin ; Surgical Procedures, Operative