OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that an increase in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) increases the risk of in-hospital density in patients aged 65 and older, who are hospitalized in intensive care through the emergency rooms. METHODS: A retrospective medical record study was conducted on elderly patients who were admitted to intensive care units via the emergency room. The exclusion criteria were data loss, intensive care unit reentry, cerebrovascular accidents, hematologic disease, and trauma cases. RESULTS: The study included 526 patients; the mean age was 79, and 261 (49.6%) were male. The in-hospital mortality was 18.4% (97 patients). The initial NLR was higher in the non-survivor group than the survivor group, but the difference was not statistically significant (9.82±11.02 vs. 11.48±6.11, P=0.080). In multivariate logistic analysis, the initial NLR had no statistical significance, and the odd ratio was increased from one day later. Comparing the receiver operating characteristic curve of the NLR and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) scores, the NLR showed an increase in the area of under curve (AUC) value over time as well as the highest AUC with the SAPS II scores. CONCLUSION In elderly adults, early NLR was found to have weak power to predict in-hospital mortality. Over time, the NLR values more than two days after intensive care unit admission may be useful in predicting the in-hospital mortality for older patients. This may be due to the delay in the immune response and the complex medical history.

BACKGROUND: Flow cytometric analysis is the standard method for enumerating CD34+ stem cells in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, it has some limitations such as expensive instrumentation, high reagent costs, and discrepancies between technicians and laboratories. We compared counts of total nucleated cells (TNCs) and CD34+ cells counts obtained from a flow cytometer with a newly-developed image-based microscopic cell counter (ADAM II) to evaluate the possibility of clinical application of the ADAM II.METHODS: We used 18 samples of circulating peripheral blood (PB) and waste tube fractions of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) harvested by apheresis after G-CSF mobilization from adult volunteer donors. We assessed the reproducibility and linearity of the new procedure and compared the numbers of TNCs and viable CD34+ cells determined with the ADAM II and two different flow cytometers (FACSCalibur, FACSCanto II).RESULTS: Numbers of viable CD34+ cells determined with the ADAM II were accurate over the expected range; the intra-assay coefficient of variation was ≤19.8%. Linearity was also satisfactory (R²=0.99). TNC counts obtained with the ADAM II were highly correlated with those obtained with the FACSCalibur (R²>0.9841, P<0.0001) and FACSCanto II (R²>0.9620, P<0.0001), as were the numbers of viable CD34+ cells obtained with the ADAM II and the FACSCalibur and FACSCanto II (R²>0.9911, P<0.0001 and R²>0.9791, P<0.0001), respectively.CONCLUSION: The newly developed image-based microscopic cell counter (ADAM II) appears to be suitable for enumerating TNCs and viable CD34+ cells.
Adult ; Blood Component Removal ; Cell Count ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Methods ; Stem Cells ; Tissue Donors ; Volunteers

Clinical observation of skin metastasis in ovarian cancer cases is relatively uncommon. And distant metastatic skin lesions including the extremities are much rarer still as most metastatic skin lesions are located in the skin in the abdominal wall adjacent to where the primary ovarian tumors exist. We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who presented skin lesions on both lower extremities as a consequence of the metastasis of serous papillary adenocarcinoma of the ovary. She presented with erythematous and painful cutaneous nodules on both upper legs and in the inguinal area 42 months after initial diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Skin biopsy revealed metastasis of adenocarcinoma in the dermis. She was treated with surgical excision and systemic chemotherapy. Literature review has suggested that a combined modality approach including surgical excision and chemotherapy may be useful in the management of skin metastases due to ovarian cancer.
Abdominal Wall ; Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Palliative Care ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms

Fibromatosis can occur at various sites, but intracranial fibromatosis is exceptionally rare. Here, we report a case of intracranial fibromatosis arising in the suprasellar area of a 52-year-old woman who had undergone a surgery at that site. A computed tomography scan revealed a heavily calcified, highly enhancing, poorly demarcated mass in the left sellar area that extended into the left suprasellar, parasellar areas, and orbital apex and completely encased the left distal inferior cerebral artery. Histologic and immunohistochemical features were compatible with those of fibromatosis, although the cellularity was focally higher than usual. The etiology of extra-abdominal fibromatosis is unknown, but physical injuries such as trauma and irradiation have been reported to be associated with its occurrence. Although fibromatosis is rare in the intracranial area, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis when an intracranial mass occurs at a previously injured site.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Arteries ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fibroma ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Orbit ; Sella Turcica

Fibromatosis can occur at various sites, but intracranial fibromatosis is exceptionally rare. Here, we report a case of intracranial fibromatosis arising in the suprasellar area of a 52-year-old woman who had undergone a surgery at that site. A computed tomography scan revealed a heavily calcified, highly enhancing, poorly demarcated mass in the left sellar area that extended into the left suprasellar, parasellar areas, and orbital apex and completely encased the left distal inferior cerebral artery. Histologic and immunohistochemical features were compatible with those of fibromatosis, although the cellularity was focally higher than usual. The etiology of extra-abdominal fibromatosis is unknown, but physical injuries such as trauma and irradiation have been reported to be associated with its occurrence. Although fibromatosis is rare in the intracranial area, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis when an intracranial mass occurs at a previously injured site.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Arteries ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fibroma ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Orbit ; Sella Turcica

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive and progressive disease caused by alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-GaL A) deficiency. We sought to assess the prevalence of unrecognized Fabry disease in dialysis-dependent patients and the efficacy of serum globotriaosylceramide (GL3) screening. METHODS: A total of 480 patients of 1,230 patients among 17 clinics were enrolled. Serum GL3 levels were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. Additionally, we studied the association between increased GL3 levels and cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, or left ventricular hypertrophy. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients had elevated serum GL3 levels. The alpha-GaL A activity was determined for the 26 patients with high GL3 levels. The mean alpha-GaL A activity was 64.6 nmol/hr/mg (reference range, 45 to 85), and no patient was identified with decreased alpha-GaL A activity. Among the group with high GL3 levels, 15 women had a alpha-GaL A genetics analysis. No point mutations were discovered among the women with high GL3 levels. No correlation was observed between serum GL3 levels and alpha-GaL A activity; the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.01352 (p = 0.9478). No significant correlation was observed between increased GL3 levels and the frequency of cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: Fabry disease is very rare disease in patients with end-stage renal disease. Serum GL3 measurements as a screening method for Fabry disease showed a high false-positive rate. Thus, serum GL3 levels determined by tandem mass spectrometry may not be useful as a screening method for Fabry disease in patients with end stage renal disease.
Adult ; Aged ; Fabry Disease/blood/*diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Renal Dialysis ; Trihexosylceramides/*blood ; alpha-Galactosidase/genetics/metabolism

BACKGROUND: Ventilation is a major determinant of the alveolar concentration of inhaled anesthetics. Hyperventilation accelerates the equilibration of anesthetic in the lungs, but decelerates it in the brain. We evaluated this phenomenon for desflurane. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled after IRB approval. End-tidal concentrations of desflurane (P.DESF) were recorded during 10 minutes of mask induction with 8% desflurane. P.DESF was modeled with time and end-tidal concentrations of CO2 (P.ETCO2) using a two-exponential pharmacokinetic equation. Bispectral index (BIS) values were also measured to find out the component reflecting the cerebral concentration of desflurane. RESULTS: During induction, the rise of P.DESF could be separated into two components: early and late rises. Individual BIS values showed a higher correlation with the late component of P.DESF (P = 0.000). P.ETCO2 had two different effects on the rise of P.DESF. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperventilation hastened the early rise and delayed the late rise of P.DESF (P = 0.00, P = 0.00). Hyperventilation should be avoided to obtain rapid anesthesia induction with desflurane.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Anesthetics ; Brain ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Hyperventilation ; Isoflurane ; Lung ; Masks ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Ventilation

The aim of this study was to develop a nonlinear mixed-effects model for the increase in cerebral oximetry (rSO2) during the rapid introduction of desflurane, and to determine the effect of hypocapnia and N2O on the model. Twelve American Society of Anesthesiologist physical status class 1 and 2 subjects were allocated randomly into an Air and N2O group. After inducing anesthesia, desflurane was then increased abruptly from 4.0 to 12.0%. The PET(CO2), PET(DESF) and rSO2 were recorded at 12 predetermined periods for the following 10 min. The maximum increase in rSO2 reached +24-25% during normocapnia. The increase in rSO2 could be fitted to a four parameter logistic equation as a function of the logarithm of PET(DESF). Hypocapnia reduced the maximum response of rSO2, shifted the EC50 to the right, and increased the slope in the Air group. N2O shifted the EC50 to the right, and reduced the slope leaving the maximum rSO2 unchanged. The N2O-effects disappeared during hypocapnia. The cerebrovascular reactivity of rSO2 to CO2 is still preserved during the rapid introduction of desflurane. N2O slows the response of rSO2. Hypocapnia overwhelms all the effects of N2O.
Adult ; Anesthetics, Inhalation/*pharmacology ; *Cerebral Cortex/blood supply/drug effects/physiology ; Cerebrovascular Circulation/*drug effects/physiology ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypocapnia/*metabolism ; Isoflurane/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Theoretical ; Nitrous Oxide/*metabolism ; *Oximetry ; Random Allocation ; Regional Blood Flow/drug effects

Gastric adenocarcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide, but there are some geographical differences in its incidence. Gastointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is an uncommon disease with a wide spectrum of aggressive behavior. These two tumors have a distinct pathogenesis. GIST is frequently identified as an incidental lesion found by routine endoscopy or in resection specimens that are removed for other reasons. We report a case of a gastric adenocarcinoma mimicking GIST in a 79-year-old woman. GIST was suggested by endoscopic ultrasonography and computed tomography scanning, but gastric adenocarcinoma was confirmed by gastroduodenoscopic biopsy. We performed a subtotal gastrectomy with Billroth I, lymph node dissection and transverse colon segmentectomy, and a 15.0x7.5x5.5 cm-sized gastric tumor was confirmed pathologically. Immunohistochemistry was positive for carcinoembryonic antigen and focal weakly positive for cytokeratin7 and cytokeratin20.
Adenocarcinoma ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colon, Transverse ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastroenterostomy ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mastectomy, Segmental

BACKGROUND: It is known that sympathetic stimulation and increase in cerebral blood flow velocity can be induced by desflurane. Cerebral oxygen balance could be disturbed during desflurane induction. Aim of this study was to elucidate that cerebral oxygen imbalance induced by desflurane mask induction can be reduced by combination of remifentanil and hypocapnia. METHODS: Twenty ASA 1-2 subjects were allocated randomly into 5 groups divided by concentration of remifentanil (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 ng/ml). After confirmation of attaining proposed concentration of remifentanil, propofol and vecuronium were administered and mechanical ventilation was done with 8% desflurane with facial mask. Subsequently, changes in regional cerebral oxygen saturation (DeltarSO2), arterial blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac index, estimated alveolar concentration of desflurane (PDESF), and end-tidal concentration of carbon dioxide (PETCO2) were recorded for the following 10 minutes. According to concentration of desflurane and remifentanil, DeltarSO2 and hemodynamic factors were checked. RESULTS: During desflurane induction, changes in cerebral oximetry reached up to +10% (6 [first quartile], 13 [third quartile]). Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac index were changed within clinical ranges. The DeltarSO2 showed S-shaped increasing pattern according to increasing PDESF. Hypocapnia and concentration of remifentanil reduced the maximum DeltarSO2 (P = 0.0046, P = 0.0060). Hypocapnia also shifted the curve to left (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: During 8% desflurane induction, regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) increases maximum +25%. Hypocapnia and use of remifentanil can reduce the increase in regional cerebral oxygen saturation.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Carbon Dioxide ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Hypocapnia ; Isoflurane ; Masks ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Piperidines ; Propofol ; Respiration, Artificial ; Vecuronium Bromide