Background/Aims: Advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) is associated with poor survival. A recent phase II study of triplet combination chemotherapy, including gemcitabine, cisplatin, and nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel, has shown promising results. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of triplet and standard doublet chemotherapy in a real-world setting. Methods: Patients with advanced BTC treated with triplet and doublet chemotherapy regimens were recruited. The propensity-score nearest neighbor matching method with a ratio of oneto-one was used to create a matched cohort for comparison. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety profiles were examined in both groups. Results: A total of 68 patients (n=34 per group) were included in the matched cohort, and their baseline characteristics were well balanced. Survival outcomes in the triplet chemotherapy group were not better than those in the doublet chemotherapy group, with a median PFS of 7.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1 to 10.9) versus 7.2 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 8.9) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; 95% CI, 0.53 to 1.62; p=0.793) and a median OS of 13.7 months (95% CI, 8.8 to 18.7) versus 12.2 months (95% CI, 8.4 to 16.0) (HR 0.73; 95% CI, 0.38 to 1.41; p=0.354), respectively. In addition, the treatment-related severe adverse events, such as neutropenia, were more common in the triplet chemotherapy group. Conclusions Gemcitabine, cisplatin, and nab-paclitaxel did not improve the PFS or OS compared to that achieved by standard chemotherapy in patients with advanced BTC. The benefits of triplet chemotherapy in advanced BTC require examination in large randomized controlled trials.

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a worldwide pandemic. Less than 6 weeks after the first confirmed cases in Korea, the patient number exceeded 5,000, which overcrowded limited hospital resources and forced confirmed patients to stay at home. To allocate medical resources efficiently, Korea implemented a novel institution for the purpose of treating patients with cohort isolation out of hospital, namely the Community Treatment Center (CTC). Herein, we report results of the initial management of patients at one of the largest CTC in Korea. A total of 309 patients were admitted to our CTC. During the first two weeks, 7 patients were transferred to the hospital because of symptom aggravation and 107 patients were discharged without any complication. Although it is a novel concept and may have some limitations, CTC may be a very cost-effective and resource-saving strategy in managing massive cases of COVID-19 or other emerging infectious diseases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of colon cancers detected at the SOK Sokpeynhan Internal Medical Network, a nationwide system of primary health care institutions. METHODS: We analyzed 579 colon cancer patients diagnosed using colonoscopy at the SOK network from January 2011 through December 2012. Cancers from the rectum to the splenic flexure were classified as left colon cancer. Patients over 65 were classified as senior. RESULTS: The mean age (+/-SD) of subjects was 60.9+/-10.5 years and 61.1% were men. More than one quarter (28.2%) of patients were asymptomatic. The prevalence of left colon cancer was higher (77.9%) than that for right colon cancer. The most frequent macroscopic and histologic types were depressed (58.9%) and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (52.2%), respectively. Asymptomatic subjects displayed protruding or well differentiated adenocarcinoma, while symptomatic patients were more likely to display depressed or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (P<0.05). The mean age of the right colon cancer group was higher than that for the left colon cancer group (P<0.05). Among symptomatic patients, the most frequent symptoms were bloody stool for patients with left colon cancer and abdominal discomfort for patients with right colon cancer (P<0.05). The prevalence of depressed cancer was higher in older subjects as compared to younger subjects (P<0.05). The prevalence of right colon cancer tended to increase with age, although this difference did not achieve statistical significance (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Study results indicated an increase of colon cancer amongst younger demographics in recent years. The effectiveness of colonoscopy screening was also evident, as asymptomatic patients demonstrated frequent findings of well differentiated adenocarcinomas. Study results also suggested a need for closer examination of older patients, as right colon cancer tended to increase with age.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colonoscopy ; Demography ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Population Characteristics ; Prevalence ; Primary Health Care* ; Rectum

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of known risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and their association with the actual occurrence of CIN in patients undergoing intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent CECT in 2008 were identified in the electronic medical records of 16 tertiary hospitals of Korea. Data on demographics, comorbidities, prescriptions and laboratory test results of patients were collected following a standard data extraction protocol. The baseline renal function was assessed using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We identified the prevalence of risk factors along the eGFR strata and evaluated their influence on the incidence of CIN, defined as a 0.5 mg/dL or 25% increase in serum creatinine after CECT. RESULTS: Of 432425 CECT examinations in 272136 patients, 140838 examinations in 101487 patients met the eligibility criteria for analysis. The mean age of the participants was 57.9 +/- 15.5 years; 25.1% of the patients were older than 70 years. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 11.9%, of hypertension 13.7%, of gout 0.55% and of heart failure was 1.7%. Preventive measures were used in 40238 CECT examinations (28.6%). The prevalence of risk factors and use of preventive measures increased as the renal function became worse. A CIN was occurred after 3103 (2.2%) CECT examinations, revealing a significant association with decreased eGFR, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure after adjustment. CONCLUSION: Risk factors for CIN are prevalent among the patients undergoing CECT. Preventive measures were seemingly underutilized and a system is needed to improve preventive care.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Comorbidity ; Contrast Media/*adverse effects ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Diseases/*chemically induced/epidemiology/*radiography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Stomach cancer is prevalent in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of superficial gastric cancers detected at SOK Sokpeynhan Internal Medical Network, the nationwide primary health care institutions. METHODS: We prospectively analysed the clinicopathologic and endoscopic characteristics of 218 superficial gastric cancer patients diagnosed using gastric endoscopy at SOK network from January 2011 through December 2011. RESULTS: The mean age was 58.5 years old and male to female ratio was 1.7 : 1. Asymptomatic patients were most common (45.0%). The macroscopic classification revealed that simple types (63.8%) were more common than complex types (36.2%). The most common type was IIc (28.4%) and other types were as follows; IIb (16.1%), IIb+IIc (13.3%), IIa (10.6%), III (9.2%), IIa+IIc (7.3%), IIc+IIa (6.0%), IIc+IIb (5.0%). The most commonly involved sites were the body (53.1%) and greater curvature (32.6%) of the stomach. The size of lesion was less than 1 cm (69.3%) and less than 5 mm (33.5%) in diameter. The most common pathologic type was tubular adenocarcinoma (75.7%). Helicobacter pylori infection rate was 50.2%. Fifty five percent of the cases were diagnosed via endoscopy of National Health Insurance Corporation screenings. CONCLUSIONS: Superficial gastric cancers in 2011 at primary health care SOK network were different from those of previous reports. Type IIc was most common but type IIb was more prevalent and the body and greater curvature of the stomach were the most commonly involved sites. Therefore, careful observation of the proximal gastric mucosa and mucosal color change is needed.
Adenocarcinoma/pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections/diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; National Health Programs ; Primary Health Care ; Prospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/*pathology

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between the retinal thickness analyzer (RTA) parameters, and those of the GDx VCC scanning laser polarimeter (GDx VCC), Stratus OCT optical coherence tomography (Stratus OCT), and Heidelberg retinal tomograph II confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (HRT II). METHODS: Twenty-nine primary open-angle glaucoma patients were retrospectively included in this study. Measurements were obtained using the RTA, GDx VCC, Stratus OCT, and HRT II. We calculated the correlation coefficients between the parameters of RTA and those of the other studies. RESULTS: Among the optic disc parameters of RTA, the cup volume was best correlated with Stratus OCT (R=0.780, p<0.001) and HRT II (R=0.896, p<0.001). Among the posterior pole retinal thickness parameters, the posterior pole abnormally thin area (PPAT) of the RTA and the inferior average of the GDx VCC were best correlated (R=-0.596, p=0.001). The PPAT of the RTA and the inferior maximum of the Stratus OCT were best correlated (R=-0.489, p=0.006). The perifoveal minimum thickness (PFMT) of the RTA and the cup shape measurement of the HRT II were best correlated (R=-0.565, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Many RTA optic disc parameters were significantly correlated with those of the Stratus OCT and HRT II. The RTA posterior pole retinal thickness parameters were significantly correlated with those of the GDx VCC, Stratus OCT and HRT II. The RTA optic disc and posterior pole retinal thickness parameters may be valuable in the diagnosis of glaucoma.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; *Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Lasers/diagnostic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmoscopy ; Optic Disk/*pathology ; Optic Nerve Diseases/*diagnosis ; Retina/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Primary cutaneous CD30(Ki-1) positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma(ALCL) is a rare subset of cutaneous lymphoma, with a much better prognosis. ALCL is a heterogeneous process that may have a T-cell, B-cell, or indeterminant(null) phenotype and which may or may not express the anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK) oncoprotein. We report a case of ALCL in a 72 year old man. About 4 months ago, multiple erythematous firm ulcerative mass and satellite nodules developed on the right lower leg. The skin lesions rapidly increased in number and size. Some lesions became painful and centrally ulcered. The histologic findings showed a diffuse infiltrate of large lymphocytes with large nuclei, prominent and multiple nucleoli, and ample cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical stainings for CD30, CD5 were positive but stainings for LCA, CD3, CD45RO, CD20, cytokeratin, EMA, and ALK were negative. Therefore, we diagnosed our case as CD 30+/ALK- ALCL.
Aged ; B-Lymphocytes ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Keratins ; Leg ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic* ; Phenotype ; Prognosis ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes ; Ulcer

Ulcerative colitis is a diffuse inflammatory disease which is characterized by the vascular congestion and superficial ulcerations in the mucosal and the submucosal layers of the rectum and colon. Extraintestinal manifestations such as arthritis, skin lesion, hepatobiliary and ocular diseases occur in a large number of patients with ulcerative colitis, though gastrointestinal symptoms of mucous and bloody stool, diarrhea and abdominal pain are frequently presented. The association of ulcerative colitis and hepatobiliary disease has been frequently reported in the western countries since the first description by Thomas C.H. in 1874. Fatty degeneration, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and hepatobiliary carcinoma are included in this list of complications. In the case of hepatobiliary carcinoma, however, the histological diagnosis has almost invariably been cholangiocarcinoma. We report a case of clinical ulcerative colitis with coneurrent hepatocellular carcinoma confirmed by the histologic examination of biopsy specimen in a 49 year old man with the relevant literatures.
Abdominal Pain ; Arthritis ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Rectum ; Skin ; Ulcer*

Gottron's acrogeria syndrome is a rare genetic disease of unknown etiology with some features suggestive of accelerated aging. The typical clinical presentation consists of premature aging of the skin with atrophy of the cutis and the subcutis. After a brief review of the literature available on this syndrome, we report a case of Gottron s acrogeria syndrome in a 19 year-old man whose right rectus femoris muscle had a fibrotic contracture.
Aging ; Aging, Premature ; Atrophy ; Contracture ; Humans ; Quadriceps Muscle ; Skin ; Young Adult

A case of micronodular cirrhosis of the alcoholic type developed following an intestianl bypass surgery in a 47 year-old nonalcoholic male patient is presented. The patient denied any drug use of a long duration and had no diabetes mellitus. Five years before, a side to side ileo-transverse colon anastomosis had been performed for perforated intestinal tuberculosis at 1 m proximal to the ileocecal valve, bypassing a short segment of ileum (about 1.5 m) and transverse colon. The ileum distal to the perforated site had been found completely stenosed. He was severely lean with evidences of nutritional deficiency such as low serum levels of the albumin and vitamin B12. The liver biopsy showed a fatty change, Mallory bodies and perihepatocellular collagenosis within the cirrhotic nodules. The present case suggests that, when there are blind loop formation and nutritional deficiency, hepatic changes identical to those following jejunoileal bypass could develop even by reduction of a shore segment of the small intestine.
Male ; Humans ; Biopsy