STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. PURPOSE: We investigated normative temporal levels of white blood cell (WBC) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in uncomplicated anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using allograft and demineralized bone matrix (DBM). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: No study has investigated the diagnostic usefulness of WBC and ANC for postoperative infection following ACDF using allograft and DBM. METHODS: Blood samples of 85 patients, who underwent one or two-level ACDF, were obtained and evaluated before surgery and on the first, third, fifth, seventh, fourteenth, thirtieth, and ninetieth postoperative days. No infection was found in all patients for at least one year follow-up period. RESULTS: Mean WBC and ANC values increased significantly and reached peak levels on the first postoperative day. The peaked levels rapidly decreased but still remained elevated above the preoperative levels on the third postoperative day. The levels returned close to the preoperative levels on the fifth postoperative day. The mean WBC and ANC values did not get out of their normal reference ranges throughout the follow-up periods. One-level and two-level ACDF exhibited a similar course of postoperative changes in WBC and ANC values and no significant difference in mean levels of WBC and ANC throughout the follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS: Uncomplicated ACDF using allograft and DBM showed normal values of WBC and ANC during the early postoperative period. Therefore, significant abnormal values of WBC and ANC at an early postoperative period suggest the possibility of the development of acute postoperative infection after ACDF using allograft and DBM.
Bone Matrix ; Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Neutrophils ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Transplantation, Homologous

Since laparoscopic liver resection was first introduced in 2001, Korean surgeons have chosen a laparoscopic procedure as one of the treatment options for benign or malignant liver disease. We distributed and analyzed a nationwide questionnaire to members of the Korean Laparoscopic Liver Surgery Study Group (KLLSG) in order to evaluate the current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea. Questionnaires were sent to 24 centers of KLLSG. The questionnaire consisted of operative procedure, histological diagnosis of liver lesions, indications for resection, causes of conversion to open surgery, and postoperative outcomes. A laparoscopic liver resection was performed in 416 patients from 2001 to 2008. Of 416 patients, 59.6% had malignant tumors, and 40.4% had benign diseases. A total laparoscopic approach was performed in 88.7%. Anatomical laparoscopic liver resection was more commonly performed than non-anatomical resection (59.9% vs 40.1%). The anatomical laparoscopic liver resection procedures consisted of a left lateral sectionectomy (29.3%), left hemihepatectomy (19.2%), right hemihepatectomy (6%), right posterior sectionectomy (4.3%), central bisectionectomy (0.5%), and caudate lobectomy (0.5%). Laparoscopy-related serious complications occurred in 12 (2.8%) patients. The present study findings provide data in terms of indication, type and method of liver resection, and current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea.
*Hepatectomy/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; *Laparoscopy/statistics & numerical data ; Liver/*surgery ; Liver Diseases/pathology/surgery ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology/surgery ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate sarcopenia and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in a community-based elderly cohort in Korea. METHODS: We recruited 287 men and 278 women aged 65 years or older and without physical disability. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. We used two definitions for sarcopenia-ASM divided by height2 (kg/m2) or by weight (%) <1 SD below the sex-specific mean for young adults. We compared RBP-4, adiponectin, hsCRP, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance between the sarcopenic and normal groups using ASM/Ht2 and ASM/Wt. RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 35.3% in men and 13.4% in women with sarcopenia defined by ASM/Ht2. However, it was 38.3% in men and 62.6% in women by ASM/Wt. In correlation analysis, body mass index was positively correlated with ASM/Ht2 and negatively correlated with ASM/Wt. The sarcopenic group, when defined as ASM/Ht2, showed lower RBP4, fasting plasma glucose, and HOMA-IR and higher adiponectin than the normal group but not significantly different lipid profiles. The sarcopenic group defined by ASM/Wt had higher RBP4, fasting plasma glucose, and HOMA-IR, and lower adiponectin than the normal group in both sexes. Only in the males did the sarcopenic group defined by ASM/Wt reveal higher total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol, and lower HDL cholesterol than the normal group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the sarcopenic group defined by ASM/Wt was more closely associated with cardiometabolic risk factors than the normal group in a community-based elderly cohort.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adiponectin ; Aged ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Cohort Studies ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sarcopenia ; Triglycerides ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Radiation Oncology*

Using as assay for jejunal crypt stem cell survival, dose-response curves for the reproductive capacity of crypt stem cells mouse jejunum exposed to multifractionated gamma-ray irradiation(single, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10,12, and 16 fractions) were analyzed and single-dose survival curve of these cells was constructed. The following conclusion were drawn: 1) Survival curves for higher numbers of dose fractions were displaced to higher dose, and characterized by increasingly shallower slopes. 2) The single-dose survival curve had broad shoulder, Dq=460 cGy, remaining near-exponential over initial dose range 0 to 300 cGy, with initial slope 1Do=474 cGy 3) At fractionated dose in the range of 180 to 450 cGy, the average recovered dose per fraction interval was approximately 50% of the dose per fraction. 4) The value of a/b ratio by using of linear regression analysis for the reciprocal dose plots was 8.3Gy which lied in the range of 6-14Gy for early-reacting tissues. 5) The linear-quadratic model for dose-response formula offers valid approximations for all doses to be used in radiotherapy, only two parameters to be determined, and considerable convenience in practical applications.
Animals ; Jejunum ; Linear Models ; Mice* ; Radiotherapy ; Shoulder ; Stem Cells

To access the result of radiation therapy for 8 years experiences, 21 patients who were treated with superior vena cava syndrome had been analysed according to dose fractionation and toal dose. The results are as follows; 1. In high fractionate dose group, six of eleven patients (54.5%) exhibited relief of symptoms in 1-2 days, and additional three patients of nine (81.7%) within 3-4 days, while standard fractionated dose treatment is not effective to achieve initial relief of symptoms. 2. Graded response by total dose was correlated with total dose rather than dose fractionation. 3. Overall one year survival rate with superior vana cava syndrome was 9.1% and mean survival was 4.2 months.
Dose Fractionation ; Humans ; Radiotherapy ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome* ; Survival Rate ; Vena Cava, Superior*

In order to clarify the effect of radiation on the mouse jejunal crypt cells by combined administration of adriamycin and radiation and also to evaluate the enhancing effect of adriamycin, the authors performed this study by delivering single irradiation of 1,000 to 1,600 rad to the whole abdomen of mice by cobalt-60 teletherapy unit. In combination with adriyamycin treatment groups, the drug was administered as single dose of 10 mg/kg either 2 hours before or 4 hours after graded single dose, 900 to 1,400 rad, of irradiation. The authors studied the quantitative changes of intestinal crypt cells by microcolony survival assay technique and the morphological changes of small intestinal villi by scanning electron microscope in mice following to combined therapy with adriamycin and irradiation. The average number of jejunal crypts per circumference was 130+/-6 in control group. The mean lethal dose(Do) of each irradiation alone and combined therapy groups 2 hours before and 4 hours after irradiation, were 160, 170, and 170 rad in cell survival curves, respectively. The dose effect factor(DEF) of adriamycin in each groups of pre-irradiation and post-irradiation were 1.19 and 1.26, respectively. The conical shaped villi were noted on 1,200 rad in irradiation alone group and 1,000 rad in combined groups. For the proper clinical application we must be careful of the radiation injury to small bowel when the anticancer chemotherapy and radiation injury to small bowel when the anticancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the abdomen and pelvic area are used as combined therapeutic modality.
Abdomen ; Animals ; Cell Survival ; Doxorubicin* ; Drug Therapy ; Mice* ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Radiation Injuries

Small hepatoma is defined as hepatocellular carcinoma less than 3cm in maximum diameter and fewer than 3 innumber. To assess the ability of ultrasound to detect small hepatomas, a prospectively study was done in a groupof patients with HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Herein, we present 4 hypoechoic smallhepatomas detected on ultrasound and emphasize the role of real-time ultrasonography as a practical test formonitoring hepatoma high-risk, subjects.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mass Screening ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

Syphilitic aneurysm is a rare type aneurysm followed by syphilitic aortitis. Authors present a case ofsyphilitic aneurysm of the ascending aorta and describe radiological findings on chest roentgenogram, aortogramand computed tomogram.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Syphilis, Cardiovascular ; Thorax

Using KAIS 0.15 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging system, ECG gated magnetic resonance image (MRI) of cardiovascular system was obtained in 8 normal volunteers and 10 patients with various cardiovascular diseases diagnosed at Seoul National University Hospital. The findings of cardiovascular MRI were analysed and the results were as follows ; 1) ECG gated MRI revealed datailed normal anatomy of heart including both atrioventricles and great vessels in axial, sagittal and coronary sections with natural contrast of moving blood without contrast media. 2) Dynamic changes of both ventricular walls in systolic and diastolic phase were revealed in sequential axial MRI, and increased signals were detected in left ventricle and descending aorta due to slow flow in end diastole. 3) Left ventricular aneurysm and myocardial thinning were shown in 2 cases of myocardial infarction. Enlarged left atrium was noted in 1 cases of mitral stenosis. Segmental analysis was possible in 3 cases of corrected transposition of great vessels. 4) Enlarged lumen, intimal flap and irregular luminal narrowing were detected in each of ascending aortic aneurysm, dissecting aneurysm and Takayasu's arteritis respectively. Pericardial effusion due to lymphoma revealed low signal encircling heart in contrast with neighboring mediastinal structures and cardiac wall. 5) MRI is a new promising modality in the diagnosis of cardiovascular system, which has potentiality to give a hemodynamic information in addition to the anatomical detalis.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cardiovascular System* ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Diastole ; Electrocardiography ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Myocardial Infarction ; Pericardial Effusion ; Phenobarbital ; Seoul ; Takayasu Arteritis ; Transposition of Great Vessels