One of the complications of permanent pacemaker implantation is unintended phrenic nerve stimulation. A 15-year-old boy with a permanent pacemaker presented with chest discomfort due to synchronous chest wall contraction with pacing beats. Even after reprogramming of the pacemaker, diaphragmatic stimulation persisted. Therefore, we performed thoracoscopic phrenic nerve insulation using a Gore-Tex patch to insulate the phrenic nerve from the wire. A minimally invasive approach using a thoracoscope is a feasible option for retractable phrenic nerve stimulation after pacemaker implantation.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Male ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Phrenic Nerve* ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Thoracic Wall ; Thoracoscopes ; Thoracoscopy ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: The clinical value of 3-field lymph node dissection (3FLND) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. This study aimed to identify the patterns and prognostic significance of cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in ESCC. METHODS: A retrospective review of 77 patients with ESCC who underwent esophagectomy and 3FLND between 2002 and 2016 was conducted. For each cervical node level, the efficacy index (EI), overall survival, recurrence rate, and complication rate were compared. RESULTS: CLNM was identified in 34 patients (44.2%) who underwent 3FLND. Patients with CLNM had a significantly lower overall survival rate (22.7% vs. 58.2%) and a higher recurrence rate (45.9% vs. 16.3%) than patients without CLNM. CLNM was an independent predictor of recurrence in ESCC patients. Moreover, in patients with pathologic N3 tumors, the odds ratio of CLNM was 10.8 (95% confidence interval, 2.0 to 57.5; p= 0.005). Level IV dissection had the highest EI, and level IV metastasis was significantly correlated with overall survival (p=0.012) and recurrence (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: CLNM was a significant prognostic factor for ESCC patients and was more common among patients with advanced nodal stages. Level IV exhibited the highest risk of metastasis, and dissection at level IV may be crucial when performing 3FLND, especially in advanced nodal stage disease.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Odds Ratio ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Enteral feeding remains controversial in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), particularly in those treated with a high-dose vasopressor. This study examined the safety and feasibility of enteral nutritional support for patients undergoing ECMO in a cardiac care unit (CCU). METHODS: Adult patients admitted to the CCU undergoing ECMO from January 2014 to May 2015 were included. Patients with <48 hours of support, undergoing ECMO at another hospital, and inaccurate medical records were excluded. RESULTS: Among the 14 patients undergoing ECMO in the CCU, 2 patients were diagnosed with malnutrition and the others were in the normal state in the initial assessment. On the other hand, they had the malnutrition risk factors (anorexia, weight loss, fluid retention, and hypermetabolic state). Thirteen patients received enteral nutrition and 1 patient had possible oral intake. The average initiation day of enteral nutrition was 2.0±1.6 days on ECMO. The mean duration of enteral nutrition was 5.2±4.9 days and the target goal was achieved within 3 days. There were no serious adverse effects for enteral nutrition but 3 patients had gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea and anorexia), and gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 1 patient. In 1 case, enteral nutrition had to be stopped due to the prone position. Overall, 5 patients were cured, 3 patients recovered through heart transplantation, and 6 patients died. CONCLUSION: Most CCU patients receiving ECMO were well nourished but had the malnutrition risk factors in progress. These results suggest that enteral feeding might be safe and feasible in patients treated with ECMO but there were minor side effects.
Adult ; Coronary Care Units* ; Enteral Nutrition* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Hand ; Heart Transplantation ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Medical Records ; Membranes* ; Nutritional Support ; Oxygen* ; Prone Position ; Risk Factors ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: Molecular treatments targeting epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) are important strategies for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, clinicopathologic implications of EGFRs and EGFR ligand signaling have not been fully evaluated. We evaluated the expression of EGFR ligands and correlation with their receptors, clinicopathologic factors, and patients’ survival with CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of EGFR ligands, including heparin binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HBEGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), betacellulin, and epidermal growth factor (EGF), were evaluated in 331 consecutive CRC samples using mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH). We also evaluated the expression status of EGFR, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), HER3, and HER4 using immunohistochemistry and/or silver ISH. RESULTS: Unlike low incidences of TGF (38.1%), betacellulin (7.9%), and EGF (2.1%), HBEGF expression was noted in 62.2% of CRC samples. However, the expression of each EGFR ligand did not reveal significant correlations with survival. The combined analyses of EGFR ligands and EGFR expression indicated that the ligands–/EGFR+ group showed a significant association with the worst disease-free survival (DFS; p=0.018) and overall survival (OS; p=0.005). It was also an independent, unfavorable prognostic factor for DFS (p=0.026) and OS (p=0.007). Additionally, HER4 nuclear expression, regardless of ligand expression, was an independent, favorable prognostic factor for DFS (p=0.034) and OS (p=0.049), by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Ligand-independent EGFR overexpression was suggested to have a significant prognostic impact; thus, the expression status of EGFR ligands, in addition to EGFR, might be necessary for predicting patients' outcome in CRC.
Betacellulin ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Heparin ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Incidence ; Ligands ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; RNA, Messenger ; Silver ; Transforming Growth Factors

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) coagulometers are increasingly used for monitoring warfarin therapy. However, in high international normalized ratio (INR) ranges, significant discrepancy in the INR between POCT and conventional laboratory tests occurs. We compared the INR of POCT (CoaguChek XS Plus; Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) with that of a conventional laboratory test (ACL TOP 750; Instrumentation Laboratory SpA, Milan, Italy) and explored possible reasons for discrepancy. Methods: Paired POCT and conventional laboratory test INRs were analyzed in 400 samples from 126 patients undergoing warfarin therapy after cardiac surgery. Coagulation factor and thrombin generation tests were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. Correlations between coagulation factors and INRs were determined using Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The mean difference in the INR between the tests increased at high INR ranges. Endogenous thrombin potential levels were decreased at INR <2.0 for CoaguChek XS Plus and 2.0< INR <3.0 for ACL TOP 750 compared with those at INR <2.0 for both tests, indicating a better performance of ACL TOP 750 in assessing thrombin changes. The correlation coefficients of coagulation factors were stronger for ACL TOP 750 INR than for CoaguChek XS Plus INR. Vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors were found to contribute to the INR discrepancy. Conclusions Decreases in vitamin K-dependent coagulation and anticoagulation factors can explain the significant discrepancy between the two tests in high INR ranges. Since conventional laboratory test INR values are more reliable than POCT INR values, a confirmatory conventional laboratory test is required for high INR ranges.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to reveal the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic implications associated with fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) amplification in colorectal cancers (CRCs). Materials and Methods: We measured the copy number of FGFR1 by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), and analyzed the FGFR1 expression by immunohistochemistry, in 764 surgically resected CRCs (SNUH2007 dataset, 384 CRCs; SNUH Folfox dataset, 380 CRCs). Results: CRCs with ≥ 3.3 copies of the FGFR1 gene were classified as FGFR1 amplified. FGFR1 amplification was found in 10 of the 384 CRCs (2.6%) in the SNUH2007 dataset, and in 28 of the 380 CRCs (7.4%) in the SNUH Folfox dataset. In the SNUH2007 dataset, there was no association between the FGFR1 copy number status and sex, gross appearance, stage, or differentiation. High FGFR1 expression was associated with female sex and KRAS mutation. At the molecular level, FGFR1 amplification was mutually exclusive with BRAF mutation, microsatellite instability, and MLH1 methylation, in both SNUH2007 and SNUH Folfox datasets. Survival analysis revealed that FGFR1 amplification was associated with significantly worse clinical outcome compared with no FGFR1 amplification, in both SNUH2007 and SNUH Folfox datasets. Within the SNUH2007 dataset, CRC patients with high FGFR1 expression had an inferior progression-free survival compared with those with low FGFR1 expression. The FGFR inhibitor, PD173074, repressed the proliferation of a CRC cell line overexpressing FGFR1, but not of cells with FGFR1 amplification. Conclusion FGFR1 amplification measured by ddPCR can be a prognostic indicator of poor clinical outcome in patients with CRCs.

An aggressive subtype of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma occurs primarily inside the abdominal cavity, followed by a pulmonary localization. Most harbor anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements, with RANBP2 and RRBP1 among the well-documented fusion partners. We report the second case of primary epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma of the brain, with a well-known EML4::ALK fusion. The case is notable for its intra-axial presentation that clinico-radiologically mimicked glioma.

Background: In the era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation, this study was conducted to investigate the current trend of aortic valve procedures in Korea and to evaluate the early and mid-term outcomes of isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) using bioprosthetic valves in contemporary Korea. Methods: Contemporary outcomes of isolated bioprosthetic SAVR in Korea were analyzed using the datasets on a multicenter basis. Patients who underwent isolated SAVR using bioprostheses from June 2015 to May 2019 were included, and those with concomitant cardiac procedures, SAVR with mechanical valve, or SAVR for infective endocarditis were excluded. A total of 456 patients from 4 large-volume centers were enrolled in this study.Median follow-up duration was 43.4 months. Early postoperative outcomes, mid-term clinical outcomes, and echocardiographic outcomes were evaluated. Results: Mean age of the patients was 73.1 ± 7.3 years, and EuroSCORE II was 2.23 ± 2.09. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp times were median 106 and 76 minutes, respectively. SAVR was performed with full median sternotomy (81.8%), right thoracotomy (14.7%), or partial sternotomy (3.5%). Operative mortality was 1.8%. The incidences of stroke and permanent pacemaker implantation were 1.1% and 1.1%, respectively. Paravalvular regurgitation ≥ mild was detected in 2.6% of the patients. Cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality at 5 years was 13.0%. Cumulative incidences of cardiovascular mortality and bioprosthetic valve dysfunction at 5 years were 7.6% and 6.8%, respectively. Conclusion The most recent data for isolated SAVR using bioprostheses in Korea resulted in excellent early and mid-term outcomes in a multicenter study.

Purpose: Bone metastasis (BM) adversely affects the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). We investigated molecular features and immune microenvironment that characterize GC with BM compared to GC without BM. Materials and Methods: Targeted DNA and whole transcriptome sequencing were performed using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary tumor tissues (gastrectomy specimens) of 50 GC cases with distant metastases (14 with BM and 36 without BM). In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) for mucin-12 and multiplex IHC for immune cell markers were performed. Results: Most GC cases with BM had a histologic type of poorly cohesive carcinoma and showed worse overall survival (OS) than GC without BM (p < 0.05). GC with BM tended to have higher mutation rates in TP53, KDR, APC, KDM5A, and RHOA than GC without BM. Chief cell-enriched genes (PGA3, PGC, and LIPF), MUC12, MFSD4A, TSPAN7, and TRIM50 were upregulated in GC with BM compared to GC without BM, which was correlated with poor OS (p < 0.05). However, the expression of SERPINA6, SLC30A2, PMAIP1, and ITIH2 were downregulated in GC with BM. GC with BM was associated with PIK3/AKT/mTOR pathway activation, whereas GC without BM showed the opposite effect. The densities of helper, cytotoxic, and regulatory T cells did not differ between the two groups, whereas the densities of macrophages were lower in GC with BM (p < 0.05). Conclusion GC with BM had different gene mutation and expression profiles than GC without BM, and had more genetic alterations associated with a poor prognosis.

The first edition of ‘A Standardized Pathology Report for Gastric Cancer’ was initiated by the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists and published 17 years ago. Since then, significant advances have been made in the pathologic diagnosis, molecular genetics, and management of gastric cancer (GC). To reflect those changes, a committee for publishing a second edition of the report was formed within the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists. This second edition consists of two parts: standard data elements and conditional data elements. The standard data elements contain the basic pathologic findings and items necessary to predict the prognosis of GC patients, and they are adequate for routine surgical pathology service. Other diagnostic and prognostic factors relevant to adjuvant therapy, including molecular biomarkers, are classified as conditional data elements to allow each pathologist to selectively choose items appropriate to the environment in their institution. We trust that the standardized pathology report will be helpful for GC diagnosis and facilitate large-scale multidisciplinary collaborative studies.