BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with anxiety and depression in Korean patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: One hundred and twenty consecutive patients with newly diagnosed, advanced gastrointestinal cancer who were scheduled to receive palliative chemotherapy between July 2012 and June 2014 were enrolled in this observational prospective study. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients (30.8%) had anxiety or depression with clinical significance according to HADS or PHQ-9. Multivariate analysis identified lower performance status (odds ratio [OR], 4.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22 to 14.35; p = 0.023), gastric cancer (OR, 5.39; 95% CI, 0.37 to 78.23; p = 0.018), and knowledge of advanced cancer (OR, 15.07; 95% CI, 1.80 to 125.90; p = 0.012) as significantly associated with anxiety or depression. Twenty-one patients with anxiety or depression visited the psycho-oncologic clinic. In these patients, PHQ-9 score (p = 0.008), global health status (p = 0.023), fatigue (p = 0.047), and appetite loss (p = 0.006) improved from baseline to 3 months after study enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 30% of Korean patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer had anxiety or depression. The prevalence of anxiety or depression was higher in patients with poor performance status, gastric cancer, or knowledge of advanced cancer. Psychiatric interventions may be effective in reducing depression and improving quality of life in cancer patients with anxiety or depression.
Anxiety* ; Appetite ; Depression* ; Drug Therapy ; Fatigue ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms* ; Global Health ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence* ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Stomach Neoplasms

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common type of salivary gland tumor and the most common tumor of the parotid gland. Because of its propensity for invasion, pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid requires superficial parotidectomy or total parotidectomy to minimize the risk of tumor recurrence. We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland with repeated recurrences. A 23-year-old male patient presented with a protruding neck mass. Six years prior to this presentation, the patient had undergone superficial parotidectomy for the removal of pleomorphic adenoma of the right parotid gland at our institution. The patient experienced recurrence at 17 months after the initial resection, which required a total parotidectomy with partial resection of the facial nerve. Pathologic examination revealed histologic findings consistent with pleomorphic adenoma across the surgical specimen from all three of the operations. The patient suffered from facial nerve paralysis, with facial expressions partially recovered over a year.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic* ; Facial Expression ; Facial Nerve ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Paralysis ; Parotid Gland* ; Recurrence ; Salivary Glands ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Patients with deviated nose frequently present concomitant nasal bone as well as septal deviation. Many surgical methods have been developed to address such septal deviation, along with various osteotomy techniques to correct bone deviation. The authors performed medial and paramedian osteotomies to treat deviated nose with mild hump, and utilized the acquired wedge shaped bone graft to achieve septal reposition and bony vault correction. METHODS: From October 2014 through June 2015, 10 patients with nasal bone deviation that showed sufficient lateral nasal wall angle but deviated dorsum and septum on their preoperative facial computed tomography were included in this study. The authors performed open rhinoplasty to expose the planned osteotomy site, and conducted medial and paramedian osteotomy that resulted in the separation of a wedge-shaped bone fragment. Bony septum deviation was then treated with the swing door maneuver, and the resected 2 to 3 mm portion of the nasal bone was stabilized by inserting the wedge-shaped bone graft acquired from the previous osteotomy procedures. Consecutive clinical examinations were followed on postoperative 1, 3, and 6 months to observe any recurrences. RESULTS: All patients were satisfied with their surgical results, and no recurrent deviations were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Precise bone resection and transposition is essential for a successful corrective rhinoplasty. However, medial and lateral osteotomy are not mandatory procedures in all cases, and the nasal wedge bone graft that was utilized to support the treated septal bone may have aided in sustaining the surgical correction.
Bone Transplantation ; Humans ; Nasal Bone ; Nose* ; Osteotomy* ; Recurrence ; Rhinoplasty* ; Transplants*

Scalp defect management is complicated secondary to reduced laxity in the scalp and forehead area. For reconstruction of larger defects with exposed bone and loss of the periosteal layer, free flap reconstruction is one option for single-stage surgery, although the procedure is lengthy and includes the possibility of flap loss. We successfully performed a single-stage reconstruction of a large scalp defect using a combination of artificial dermis, split-thickness skin graft, and full-thickness skin graft following wide excision of a cutaneous angiosarcoma, and present our method as one option for the treatment of large oncologic surgical defects in patients who are poor candidates for free flap surgery.
Dermis* ; Forehead ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Humans ; Methods ; Scalp* ; Skin ; Skull* ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Dexamethasone is a mainstay antiemetic regimen for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the incidence of and factors associated with steroid-induced diabetes in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy with dexamethasone as an antiemetic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Non-diabetic patients with newly diagnosed gastrointestinal cancer who received at least three cycles of highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy with dexamethasone as an antiemetic were enrolled. Fasting plasma glucose levels, 2-hour postprandial glucose levels, and hemoglobin A1C tests for the diagnosis of diabetes were performed before chemotherapy and at 3 and 6 months after the start of chemotherapy. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used as an index for measurement of insulin resistance, defined as a HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5. RESULTS: Between January 2012 and November 2013, 101 patients with no history of diabetes underwent laboratory tests for assessment of eligibility; 77 of these patients were included in the analysis. Forty-five patients (58.4%) were insulin resistant and 17 (22.1%) developed steroid-induced diabetes at 3 or 6 months after the first chemotherapy, which included dexamethasone as an antiemetic. Multivariate analysis showed significant association of the incidence of steroid-induced diabetes with the cumulative dose of dexamethasone (p=0.049). CONCLUSION: We suggest that development of steroid-induced diabetes after antiemetic dexamethasone therapy occurs in approximately 20% of non-diabetic cancer patients; this is particularly significant for patients receiving high doses of dexamethasone.
Antiemetics ; Blood Glucose ; Dexamethasone* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Fasting ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Glucose ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nausea ; Pilot Projects* ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Solitary Fibrous Tumors* ; Thigh*

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare form of soft tissue neoplasm, with only 1% to 5% occurring in the head and neck region. Current recommended treatment suggests surgical excision with a wide lateral margin, but no definite guidelines regarding excisional margin have been established yet. Recently, complete excision with a narrow surgical margin has been recommended, and the authors present a case of cutaneous leiomyosarcoma on the face that was successfully managed by complete removal with a narrow excisional margin. A 74-year-old woman presented with a 3 cm sized, rapidly growing cutaneous mass on her right preauricular area. Preoperative biopsy of the skin lesion suggested a cutaneous leiomyosarcoma. The authors performed complete surgical excision with a 1 cm lateral margin, and the resulting skin defect was repaired with bilateral V-Y advancement local flaps. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry evaluation confirmed a moderately differentiated cutaneous leiomyosarcoma, with negative margin involvement. The patient refused of any additional treatment, but showed no locoregional recurrence during the 1.5 years of postoperative follow-up period. With a regular postoperative follow-up, cutaneous leiomyosarcomas may be successfully treated with a narrow surgical margin.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Neck ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare neoplasms, which most commonly metastasize to the liver. However, intrathoracic metastases from pNETs are encountered infrequently. This report describes a case of nonfunctioning pNET with multiple cardiac metastases. A 56-year-old male presented with a palpable abdominal mass that showed progressive enlargement. Findings on computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed two relatively well-marginated inhomogeneous low-attenuation masses, one in the head of the pancreas and the other in the tail. Multiple enhancing masses in the left pericardium with myocardial involvement were observed on chest CT and transthoracic echocardiography. Needle biopsies were performed on the mass in the tail of the pancreas and the left ventricular apical pericardium; histologic examination by hematoxylin and eosin morphology and immunohistochemical staining showed pNET in both. This is the first report of pNET with multiple cardiac metastases to previously undescribed metastatic sites.
Abdomen ; Biopsy, Needle ; Echocardiography ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Head ; Heart Neoplasms ; Hematoxylin ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Pancreas ; Pericardium ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Axillary osmidrosis is characterized by unpleasant odors originating from the axillary apocrine glands, resulting in psychosocial stress. The main treatment modality is apocrine gland removal. Until now, of the various surgical techniques have sometimes caused serious complications. We describe herein the favorable outcomes of a new method for ablating apocrine glands by minimal subdermal shaving using sclerotherapy with absolute ethanol. METHODS: A total of 12 patients underwent the procedure. The severity of osmidrosis was evaluated before surgery. Conventional subdermal shaving was performed on one side (control group) and ablation by means of minimal subdermal shaving and absolute ethanol on the other side (study group). Postoperative outcomes were compared between the study and control groups. RESULTS: The length of time to removal of the drain was 1 day shorter in the study group than in the control group. There were no serious complications, such as hematoma or seroma, in either group, but flap margin necrosis and flap desquamation occurred in the control group, and were successfully managed with conservative treatment. Six months after surgery, we and our patients were satisfied with the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Sclerotherapy using absolute ethanol combined with minimal subdermal shaving may be useful for the treatment of axillary osmidrosis. It can reduce the incidence of seroma and hematoma and allow the skin flap to adhere to its recipient site. It can degrade and ablate the remaining apocrine glands and eliminate causative organisms. Furthermore, since this technique is relatively simple, it takes less time than the conventional method.
Apocrine Glands ; Axilla ; Ethanol ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Necrosis ; Odors ; Sclerotherapy ; Seroma ; Skin

Neuroendocrine carcinomas from an unknown primary site are uncommon. The authors report on a case of neuroendocrine carcinoma in a perigastric lymph node (LN) with no primary site. A 52-year-old male patient with early gastric adenocarcinoma underwent treatment by endoscopic submucosal dissection, and, six months later, findings on a computed tomographic scan of the abdomen revealed a LN enlargement measuring 2.0 cm in the perigastric region. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy and regional LN dissection under a suggestive preoperative diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma with LN metastasis. However, microscopically, no residual tumor was found in the stomach, and the perigastric LN showed poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (PDNEC). After an extensive workup, no primary site was identified. The patient also received four cycles of etoposide and cisplatin. Despite its extremely rare incidence, this case suggests that PDNEC of an unknown primary site is limited to a single site, and that resection should be considered in combination with chemotherapy.
Abdomen ; Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Cisplatin ; Etoposide ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neoplasms, Unknown Primary ; Stomach