Dukes' stage of colorectal carcinoma has proven to be the most reliable and conventional prognostic indicator, followed by histological grade, lymph node metastases, tumor size, vascular and neural invasion. Flow cytometric analysis of DNA ploidy and S-phase fraciion (SPF) was examined to elucidate the correlations between sex, age, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) value, Dukes' stage, tumor site, size, gross features, histologic grade, and survival rate in 117 paraffin-embedded tissues of 68 cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma in Dukes' stage and 39 cases of colorectal adenoma and 10 cases of normal colonic mucosa. DNA aneuploidy was detected in 30 cases(44%) in adenocarcinomas and 6 cases (15%) in adenomas. Although the DNA ploidy and SPF did not show any correlation with sex, age, preoperative serum CEA level, Dukes' stage, tumor size, site and gross features, the incidence of DNA aneuploidy in the moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas was significantly higher than that of the well differentiated adenocarcinomas (p=0.0127) An apparent correlation was found between survival rate and DNA ploidy, Dukes' stage, histologic grade and preoperative serum CEA value. Dukes' stage was the most reliable prognostic indicator (p=0.0106), followed by histologic grade (p=0.0230), DNA aneuploidy (p=0.0251) and preoperative serum CEA level. (p=0.0369) In the patients with Dukes' stage C, DNA aneuploidy was more important than histologic grade as a prognostic indicator (p=0.0202). Although high SPF, greater than 21% in adenocarcinoma, was associated with the lower 5-year survival rate (12.0%), it was not statistically significant. These results suggest that DNA aneuploidy is regarded as biologic aggressiveness and considered as independent and/or dependent prognostic indicator along with Dukes' stage. However, prognostic utility of the SPF was not significant.
Incidence ; Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma

CT has facilitated early recognition and treatment of focal brain injuries in patients with head trauma. However. CT shows relatively low sensitivity in identifying nonhemorrhagic contusion and injuries of white matter. MR is known to be superior to CT in detection of which matter injuries, such as diffuse axonal injury. MR imaging in 14 cases of diffuse axonal injury on 2.0T was studied. The corpus callosum, especially the body portion, was the most commonly involved site. The lesions ranged from 5 to 20 mm in size with ovoid to elliptical shape. T2WI was the most sensitive pulse sequence in detecting lesions such as white matter degeneration, hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic contusion. The lesions were nonspecific as high and low signal intensities on T2WI and T1WI respectively. CT showed white matter abnormality in only 1 case of 14 cases. We propose MR imaging as the primary imaging procedure for the detection of diffuse axonal injury because of its multiplanar capabilities and higher sensitivity.
Brain Injuries ; Contusions ; Corpus Callosum ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diffuse Axonal Injury* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; White Matter

Adenocarcinoma in adenomyosis is unusual and it is mostly associated with adenocarcinoma in the endometrial mucosa. In contrast, adenocarcinoma arising in adenomyosis without endometrial adenocarcinoma is extremely rare and it suggests that it arises de novo from adenomyosis. We report a case of adenocarcinoma arising in adenomyosis in 44-year-old woman. The endometrial cavity contained a polypoid lesion with atypical hyperplasia, but no evidence of adenocarcinoma in the endometrial mucosa. Simple, complex and atypical hyperplasia associated with well differentiated adenocarcinoma was also noted in the areas of adenomyosis.
Female ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma

Ki-1 lymphoma is a rare, large cell anaplastic non Hodgkin's lymphoma. It expresses the CD30 antigen and is recognized by the antibodies Ki-1. This Ki-1 positive anaplastic lymphoma was first described in 1985 as a new histological subtype and was added to the updated Kiel classification in 1988. Morphological and immunological features of this lymphoma have been well described, but clinical studies have been limited and follow up has been short. The authors report a case of Ki-1 lymphoma of the skin without systemic involvement in a young adult based on clinical, pathological and immunological features.
Antibodies ; Antigens, CD30 ; Classification ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Skin ; Young Adult*

No accepted standard currently exists to classify asphyxia and define its subtypes. Sauvageau and Boghossian proposed an asphyxia classification system in 2010 that divided asphyxia into suffocation, strangulation, mechanical asphyxia, and drowning. Here, we present a modification of this classification system. We propose to classify asphyxia into four main categories: suffocation, strangulation, mechanical asphyxia, and complicated asphyxia. Suffocation includes smothering and choking as well as confined spaces, entrapment, and vitiated atmosphere. Strangulation is subdivided into hanging, ligature strangulation, manual strangulation, and other unspecified strangulation. Mechanical asphyxia includes positional and traumatic asphyxia. Finally, complicated asphyxia is defined as cases with two or more identifiable mechanisms of asphyxia. In this study, we review autopsy cases from 2012 diagnosed as asphyxia and classify them according to our proposed asphyxia classification system. In 24.7% of cases, the age range was 40-49 years, and 51.9% were men. The most common method of asphyxia was hanging (245 cases, 55.1%), followed by ligature or manual strangulation (53 cases, 11.9%). Most hangings were suicides; smothering, ligature, and manual strangulation were usually homicides. Eighteen cases were complicated asphyxia. This classification provides a simplified, unified, and useful tool to classify and understand deaths due to asphyxia.
Airway Obstruction ; Asphyxia* ; Atmosphere ; Autopsy* ; Classification* ; Confined Spaces ; Drowning ; Homicide ; Humans ; Korea* ; Ligation ; Male ; Suicide

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Current status of external quality assessment (EQA) of laboratory tests for syphilis in Korea was analyzed to find out the problems that should be improved in the future. METHODS: Based on the data from the external quality assessment program performed twice a year by the Immunoserology Subcommittee of the Korean Association of Quality Assurance for Clinical Laboratory from the year 2004 to 2006, discordance rates were analyzed according to the test method and commercial kit used. RESULTS: Among the laboratories participating in the EQA program for syphilis test, about 90% of them used non-treponemal tests and about 55% treponemal tests. The non-treponemal tests included RPR (rapid plasma reagin) and VDRL tests used in 88% (363/412) and 11% (45/412), respectively, of the laboratories. The discordance rates were 2.2% for RPR test and 3.6% for VDRL. For the treponemal tests, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) was used in 60-76% and Immunochromatography assay (ICA) in about 30% of the laboratories in 2006. A high discordance rate of over 10% was reported in both TPHA and in ICA methods, possibly due to a low titer (1:1 in VDRL) of EQA samples in 2005. Analysis of the accumulated data from year 2004 to 2006 showed that the discordance rates of TPHA, ICA, and FTA-ABS were 4.6%, 3.7%, and 2.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For syphilis tests, RPR test, TPHA, and ICA are mainly used in Korea. A high discordance rate is still reported in TPHA and ICA, especially when testing samples with a low titer. Further analysis of data and education of laboratory personnel are needed for the improvement of the EQA program.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; False Positive Reactions ; Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption Test ; Humans ; Korea ; Quality Control ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Syphilis/*diagnosis ; Syphilis Serodiagnosis/methods/*standards ; Treponema Immobilization Test

No abstract available.
Humans ; Twins*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Humans ; Leprosy*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate breastfeeding effectiveness scale to measure effectiveness of breastfeeding for mothers in the early postpartum period. METHODS: A conceptual framework was constructed from properties of effective breastfeeding (Yang and Seo, 2011), and item construction was derived from literature review and analysis of the data along with interviews with breastfeeding mothers. Content validity was tested by experts. Each item was scored on a five-point Likert scale. The preliminary questionnaire was administered to 248 breastfeeding mothers. Data were analyzed using item analysis, factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's α. RESULTS: From the factor analysis, 20 items in seven factors were derived. The factors were identified as mother's satisfaction, suckling, assurance of milk quantity, infant's satisfaction, latching on, infant's feeding desire, and breastfeeding positioning. The seven factors explained 65.1% of total variance, Cronbach's α of the total items was .83 and the factors ranged from .44 to .75. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that breastfeeding effectiveness scale is a reliable and valid instrument to measure breastfeeding effectiveness of mothers in the early postpartum period.
Breast Feeding* ; Humans ; Milk ; Mothers ; Postpartum Period ; Weights and Measures