Chemotherapy Response Assay Test and Prognosis for Breast Cancer Patients Who Have Undergone Anthracycline- and Taxane-Based Chemotherapy / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: A chemotherapy response assay test is performed to evaluate the degree of tumor growth inhibition by a chemotherapeutic agent. Several studies have been done on its usefulness; however, to the best of our knowledge, only a few studies concerning the relationship between chemotherapy response assay test results and breast cancer patients' prognoses have been conducted. Thus, we performed this study to analyze this relationship. METHODS: Among breast cancer patients who underwent curative surgery and neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy between August 2004 and December 2009, 102 were enrolled in this study. Chemotherapeutic regimens for patients were doxorubicin plus taxane or doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by taxane. We divided these patients into two groups (sensitive group [n=19] and resistant group [n=83]) and analyzed the relationship between chemosensitivity results and patient prognosis. RESULTS: The sensitive group was associated with poor disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.003) and overall survival (OS) (p<0.001). No significant differences were observed in tumor histology (p=0.548), tumor size (p=0.479), number of metastatic lymph nodes (p=0.326), histologic grade (p=0.077), or nuclear grade (p=0.216) between the two groups. However, in respect to molecular subtype, the HER2-positive type and triple negative breast cancer were more frequently observed in the sensitive group (p=0.001). In a univariate and multivariate analysis for DFS, doxorubicin sensitivity was significantly associated with a poor prognosis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Better chemosensitivity results are associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients who have undergone anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy, however, examination of additional cases and the use of a longer study period are needed.

Diagnosis of Papillary Thyroid Cancer via Detection of BRAF Mutation on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology Slides / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: The prevalence rate of the BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is as high as about 52 to 83% in Korea. Preoperative detection of BRAF mutation on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) slides may help the surgeon make better therapeutic decisions. The present study aims to assess the feasibility of the mutant allele specific amplification (MASA) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method with using conventional FNAC slides and we also wanted to evaluate the clinical role of preoperatively detecting BRAF mutation. METHODS: We extracted the genomic DNA from 59 FNAC slides and performed direct sequencing (DS) for detecting BRAF mutation. We could use only 17 slides for the MASA method and 6 slides for the RFLP method due to the shortage of extracted DNA. Additionally, we retrospectively analyzed the cases for which a histological diagnosis could be made. RESULTS: Genomic DNA was extracted from 23 out of the 59 FNAC slides. The BRAF mutation status could be assessed via DS in 33 out of the 59 FNAC slides. The concordance between the MASA method and DS and the RFLP method and DS was 36.3% and 66.7% respectively. The positive and negative predictive value of the 13 indeterminate nodules was 87.5% and 20%, respectively. We could not find any association between the BRAF mutations and the alleged risk factors of PTC. CONCLUSION: We believe that the purity and the amount of the DNA template must be increased to detect BRAF mutation with using a FNAC slide. Preoperative detection of the BRAF mutation on a FNAC slide may refine the cytological diagnosis, but the application of assessing BRAF mutation as a prognostic marker is debatable.

Clinical Characteristics of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (PTMC) / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: PTMC is defined as a papillary thyroid cancer smaller than 10 mm in its greatest diameter. It is the most common form of differentiated thyroid cancer and its prognosis is known to be very favorable. The aim of this study is to identify its biologic behavior and to formulate a reasonable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PTMC. METHODS: 379 patients with papillary thyroid cancer were analyzed. Each patient was diagnosed preoperatively or postoperatively and treated between Jan. 2000 and Dec. 2007. Among these patients, 143 had been identified as having PTMC (37.7%) with a mean tumor size of 0.72 cm in diameter. RESULTS: There were no significant differences of the clinical characteristics such as gender, age, the operative methods, or multicentricity between the PTMC group and the non-PTMC group, except for LN metastases. Also, there were fewer symptoms of palpable neck mass and preoperative findings such as capsular invasion and microcalcification in the PTMC group. We performed unilateral lobectomy with or without central compartment neck node dissection for the early stage diseases, but for the later stages of disease we performed near-total or total thyroidectomy with routine central compartment neck node dissection. And for the patients with lateral node enlargement, we performed ipsilateral modified radical neck dissection (MRND). CONCLUSION: This study shows that PTMC is quite similar to conventional papillary thyroid cancer in its biological behavior, and we conclude that total thyroidectomy with central compartment neck node dissection is the proper therapeutic strategy to treat PTMC. However, further study is necessary for identifying the low-risk and high-risk patients with PTMC.

The Usefulness of Preoperative Thyroid Ultrasonography Performed by Surgeons / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Although the diagnostic accuracy of thyroid cancer by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is increasing, there are some nodules for which ultrasonography and FNAC show indeterminant. The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of thyroid ultrasonography by the surgeon prior to operation METHODS: Forty-nine patients who underwent thyroid operations between June 2006 and January 2007 were selected for this study. Thyroid ultrasonography was performed on each patient.And we recorded and analyzed the shape and the margin of the nodule, internal echogeneiety, heterogeneiety, the presence of microcalcification, height versus width, and the presence of level VI lymph node larger than 3 mm, assigning each a score of 1, 2 or 3. RESULTS: The average score was 17.1. Assuming an average score over 14 is considered to be malignant, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 95.6%, 88.9%, 91.7%, 94.1% respectively. Statistically significant characteristics of malignancy were the shape and the margin of the nodule, internal echogeneiety, microcalcification, taller than wide shape and the presence of enlarged VI lymph nodes. The heterogeneiety had no significant P value. CONCLUSION: When malignancy cannot be confirmed even after repeated FNAC, preoperative ultrasonograpy performed by surgeons can be a reliable test and helpful for operations.

Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Associated with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD): A Case Report / 대한내분비외과학회지

In contrast to the intrinsic feedback inhibition defect of primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT), secondary HPT is caused by chronic extrinsic overstimulation of otherwise normal parathyroid glands. This condition is very common in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), and secondary HPT develops as a complex sequence of interactions. As the glomerular filtration rate falls, the renal production of 1,23- dihydroxy-vitamin D3 decreases. Moreover, this causes a reduction in intestinal calcium absorption, which creates the parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. This secretion increases serum calcium levels by mobilizing calcium from bones. Lastly, the PTH secretion is further stimulated by hyperphosphatemia (via a phosphorous-specific receptor) and a decrease in ionized calcium (from reduced solubility caused by hyperphosphatemia). Intact PTH levels of 500 to 1,500 pg/ml are common (normal: 10~65 pg/ml) in ESRD patients. Long-standing hyperphosphatemia contributes to the alteration of the parathyroid cells, which affect feedback inhibition, due to an increase in ionized calcium. Secondary HPT is mainly controlled by the restriction of phosphate, the inhibition of phosphorous absorption and the supplementation of calcitriol. Secondary HPT, which is unresponsive to medical treatment, it is well known that a total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation has good results. This report documents our experience with secondary HPT, treated with a total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation.

Expression and Mutation Analysis of RKIP (Raf-1 Kinase Inhibitor Protein) in Human Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: RKIP (Raf kinase inhibitor protein) is a novel candidate tumor suppressor, known to inhibit the MAPK signaling by interfering with the MEK phosphorylation by Raf-1. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of RKIP and analyze the pattern of inactivation and mutation of the RKIP gene in human gastric cancer. METHODS: To explore if RKIP inactivation is implicated in gastric tumorigenesis, an expression analysis on the transcription and protein expression levels and a mutational analysis of RKIP were performed in 15 human gastric cancer cell lines and 92 primary carcinoma tissues. RESULTS: Abnormal reduction of the level of RKIP expression was frequently detected in the cancer cell lines and primary tumor tissues, at both the transcript and protein levels. Moreover, the expression level of RKIP in the tumor cells was inversely correlated with the level of Erk phosphorylation, indicating that RKIP plays a key role in the regulation of the Raf-MEK-Erk signaling pathway in human gastric cells. While the expression of the RKIP transcript was not re-activated in low expressor cells by treatment with the demethylating agent 5'Aza-dC, the genomic RKIP was detected at low levels in many cancer cell lines, suggesting that an abnormal reduction of level of RKIP expression in tumors might be caused by allelic deletion of the gene rather than transcriptional silencing due to aberrant DNA hypermethylation. A loss of heterozygosity study, using an intragenic polymorphic marker, revealed that approximately 21% of the gastric cancers harbored allelic loss of the RKIP gene. CONCLUSION: Collectively, this study has demonstrated that RKIP is a tumor suppressor, whose expression is frequently downregulated by allelic deletion in human gastric cancers. This study also suggests that an altered expression of RKIP might contribute to the development of gastric cancer via abnormal elevation of the Raf-Erk signaling pathway.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment of Atherosclerotic Arterial Occlusive Diseases

PURPOSE: Cardiovascular risk assessment of atherosclerotic arterial occlusive diseases is a critical component of preoperative care. Many indexes have been developed to help identify patients at high risk for perioperative cardiac events. We sought to study guideline implementation and clinical outcomes in cardiovascular risk assessment. METHOD: We studied 75 patients who underwent preoperative cardiac risk assessment between 2003 and 2006 at the Kyung Hee University Medical Center. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines were used to stratify the patients. RESULT: The mean age of patients was 67.9 years. When stratified into risk categories according to the ACC/AHA guidelines, 2 patients was high risk group, 51 intermediate risk group, and 22 low risk group. There were 3 perioperative cardiac complications (4.0%) including 2 mortalities (2.7%). There was a trend toward a higher frequency of cardiac complications when there was discordance with the ACC/AHA guidelines, but there was no significant difference (discordance 7.1%, concordance 0%, P=0.251). The guidelines recommended cardiac testing for 44 patients, but 12 patients (27.3%) were tested. The guidelines did not recommend for 31 patients, but additional cardiac tests were done for 10 patients (32.3%) and mainly associated with low risk group. CONCLUSION: Differences between clinician practice and guideline recommendations existed and did not result in a higher frequency of cardiac complications.

Comparison of Laparoscopic and Conventional Open Resection of Pheochromocytoma

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has become the standard treatment for benign adrenal neoplasm because of the procedure's minimal invasiveness and the patients' earlier recovery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic adrenalectomy for treating pheochromocytoma. METHODS: 19 Operations were performed between March 1993 and July 2004 at Kyung-Hee medical center for treating pheochromocytoma, and the diagnosis was confirmed by the postoperative pathology. There were 5 cases treated with LA and 14 cases treated with open adrenalectomy (OA). The various clinical parameters (tumor location, tumor size, first oral feeding, hospital stay, hemodynamic change and operation time) were compared between the LA and OA procedures, retrospectively. RESULTS: The location of the tumor was 2 : 2 : 1 (left : right : extra-adrenal) in the LA group and 9 : 3 : 2 (left : right : both) in the OA group. The mean tumor size (cm) was 5.4 in the LA group and 6.3 in the OA group. The mean operation time (minutes) was 219 in the LA group and 202 in the OA group. The resumption of liquid diet (days) was 2.2 in the LA group and 3.0 in the OA group (P=0.037). The postoperative hospital stay (days) was 6.3 in the LA group and 8.5 in the OA group. The mean number of intraoperative hypertensive crisis was 1.42 in the LA group and 1.40 in the OA group. The number of cases requiring intraoperative transfusion was 2 of 5 in the LA group and 2 of 15 in the OA group. The use of antihypertensives (number of times) was 1.42 in the LA group and 1.40 in the OA group. The mean highest BP (mmHg) was 162 in the LA group and 165 in the OA group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for treating pheochromocytoma is a safe and effective procedure that provides the benefits of a minimally invasive approach.

Bilateral Chylothorax after Modified Radical Neck Lymph Node Dissection / 대한내분비외과학회지

Bilateral chylothorax as a complication of modified radical neck dissection is extremely rare, but it is potentially serious and sometimes fatal. Early diagnosis and proper management is very important. We report here on a case of bilateral chylothorax following left modified radical neck dissection that was successfully treated with conservative management.

Effects of the Expression of Leptin and Leptin Receptor (OBR) on the Prognosis of Early-stage Breast Cancers / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Obesity-related leptin and leptin receptor (OBR) have a relation to the development of cancer and metastasis and also the low survival rate for breast cancer patients. Leptin has been associated with increased aromatase activity and it displays functional cross-talk with estrogen. This study was designed to determine the relationship between the expression of leptin and OBR in breast cancer tissue and the prognosis of early-stage breast cancer patients, and especially for the tamoxifen-treated patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-five patients with early-stage breast cancer and who had undergone surgical treatment at Kyung Hee University Hospital between January 1994 and June 2004 were analyzed. The surgical specimens underwent immunohistochemical analysis for leptin and OBR. The patients' survival and clinical characteristics were obtained from the medical records. RESULTS: Of the 95 patients, 79 (83%) and 32 (33.7%) showed the expression of leptin and OBR in breast cancer tissue, respectively. The expression of leptin and OBR in breast cancer tissue was not significantly related to the clinicopathological characteristics, including obesity, the expression of hormonal receptor, the HER-2/neu expression, menopause, stage and the nuclear grade. The expression of leptin and OBR was not significantly related to the overall disease-free survival (DFS). For the tamoxifen-treated postmenopausal obese patients, the DFS of the leptin-positive group was higher than that of the leptin-negative group (p=0.017). CONCLUSION: The expression of leptin and OBR in breast cancer tissue may be not a prognostic factor for disease-free survival of breast cancer patients. In the future, further studies are needed to determine whether leptin expression could be a predictive factor for tamoxifen therapy in the postmenopausal obese subgroup among the early breast cancer patients.

Effect of Estradiol-induced E2IG5 on Breast Cancer Cell Line

PURPOSE: Estrogens control the development and cell proliferation of various tissues including the normal mammary epithelial cells, where they induce the expression of the immediate and delayed hormone-responsive genes. The proliferative effects of estrogen have been attributed to its ability to increase the expression of the key cell cycle regulatory genes responsible for cell cycle progression. However, the regulation of cell proliferation is only one aspect of estrogen function. It has also been well documented that estrogen plays a critical role in the etiology and progression of human breast and gynecological cancers. This tumorigenic effect of estrogen might be associated with its anti- apoptotic activities such as of Bcl-2 induction. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of E2IG5, which is an estrogen-induced downstream effector molecule, in breast cancer cell lines. RESULTS: This study shows that E2IG5 is a pro-apoptotic protein that is localized to the mitochondrial membrane via two distinct transmembrane domains. When over-expressed, it induces a mitochondrial permeability transition with the resultant of release cytochrome c and caspase activation. However, three out of four breast cancer cell lines lost their estrogen dependence of E2IG5 expression, which suggests the possible involvement of E2IG5 in the development of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that breast cancer cells may loose their pro-apoptotic signals and selectively use the proliferative mechanism of estrogen, which drives the normal mammary epithelial cells to transform into cancer cells. Further studies using breast cancer tissues will be needed.

Diagnosis and Prognosis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors in the Stomach

PURPOSE: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common form of mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, tyrosine kinase inhibitors have improved the treatment of GISTs, and their diagnosis facilitated by immunohistochemical markers. The aim of this paper was to study the clinicopathological features of GISTs of the stomach and determine the accuracy of a new grading system and the prognostic factors. METHODS: Patients with mesenchymal tumors of the stomach, operated on between 1982 and 2004, were identified using medical and pathological files. Immunohistochemical staining for KIT (CD117), CD34, smooth muscle actin (SMA), desmin and s-100 protein were performed, and the diagnoses reviewed. Cases were classified into either the very low, low, intermediate or high risk groups according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus symposium. RESULTS: 78 mesenchymal tumors were reanalyzed, and with the supportive use of immunohistochemical markers, 71 (91%) of the gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors were shown to be GISTs. The tumors often coexpressed KIT and CD34 (90%) and were variably positive for SMA (18%), s-100 protein (11%) and desmin (23%). With a median follow-up of 73.9 months (range 1~228 months), a recurrence occurred in 10 (14%) patients. Analyses demonstrated that the mitotic index (P<0.001) and tumor size (P<0.001) were significant prognostic factors for survival. The new grading system showed a significant difference between the risk groups and the survival rates (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical staining is needed to distinguish GISTs from other mesenchymal tumors. The tumor size and mitotic count are significant prognostic factors for GISTs. The new grading system (2001 NIH) for classifying the 4 risk groups of GISTs, according to the tumor size and the mitotic count, is useful in the evaluation of the tumor behavior.

Cumulative Patency Rate of Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty and Stent Placement for Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of iliac artery angioplasty and stent placement as an option for the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. METHOD: The records of 30 patients (mean age, 65.5 years) who underwent iliac artery angioplasty and/or stent placement were reviewed retrospectively. Presenting symptoms included asymptomatic (6.7%), claudication (73.3%), rest pain (10%), ulceration/tissue loss (3.3%), and blue toe syndrome (6.7%). Follow-up included angioplasty, Doppler ultrasound, and clinical examination. Mean follow-up time was 32 months. RESULT: Forty iliac lesions were treated. Thirty-seven percent of patients had hypertension, 33% had diabetes mellitus, 23% had coronary arterial disease, 6.6% had cerebrovascular disease, 3.3% had hyperlipidemia and 3.3% had renal insufficiency. TASC (Trans Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus) A, B, C and D disease types were 11 (36.7%) patients, 5 (16.7%), 10 (33.3%) and 4 (13.3%). Ipsilateral superficial femoral artery occlusion was present in 6 (20%) patients. Concomitant femoral artery bypass surgery was performed in 10 (33.3%) patients. The cumulative primary patency rates were 83.4%, 71.9% and 64.7% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Iliac artery angioplasty and stent placement is a technically safe and effective treatment modality in patients without ipsilateral superficial femoral artery occlusion.

Significance of Plasma Homocysteine Concentration in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

PURPOSE: Hyperhomocysteinemia has been identified as an important risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Previous reports have identified that elevated total homocysteine levels are associated with the development and progression of PAD, though little is known about its mechanism. Especially hyperhomocysteinemia is known to an independent risk factor for PAD. In this study, we examined the relationship between plasma homocysteine concentration and disease progression and disease severity in a patient with PAD. METHOD: We retrospectively analysed the clinical records of 65 patients, who were diagnosed with arteriosclerosis obliterans, for sex, mean homocysteine concentration, relationship between plasma homocysteine concentration and disease severity and disease progression at Kyung-Hee University Hospital from January 2002 to December 2003. Homocysteine level of 28 healthy adults was measured to identify normal value. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as a plasma homocysteine concentration exceeding the 95th percentile of the control group (> or =13.8mumol/L). RESULT: The study group comprised 56 men (86.29%) and 9 (13.8%) women. The mean plasma homocysteine concentration was higher in study group than in controls (11.4mumol/L vs. 10.03.mumol/L, P=0.06). Hyperhomocysteinemia was significantly more common in the disease progression groups (P=0.028). Mean plasma homocysteine concentrations associated with disease severity, according to the Rutherford classification, were 8.33mumol/L, 9.59mumol/L, 12.64 mumol/L and 14.17mumol/L at Grades 0, I, II and III, respectively. The high grade patients were significantly more likely to have high plasma homocysteine concentration (P=0.04). Plasma homocysteine concentration according to associated disease was 10.79mumol/L in patients with PAD alone, 10.88 mumol/L in patients with CVD, 15.02mumol/L in patients with CHD, and 14.99mumol/L in patients with both CVD and CHD. In patients associated with CHD, plasma homocysteine concentration was significantly higher (P=0.035). CONCLUSION: In this study, plasma homocysteine concentration was higher in patients with PAD than in controls. Especially, there was a high rate of hyperhomocysteinemia in patients associated with CHD. Progression of PAD was more likely in patients with elevated plasma homocysteine. The high-grade patients were more likely to have high plasma homocysteine concentration. Therefore, the measurement of plasma homocysteine concentration in patients with PAD is expected to be useful in making prognosis. However, a prospective, randomized study is necessary to prove the effect of homocysteine-lowering therapy in delaying disease progression.

Results of Femoro-Below Knee PTFE Bypass Graft

PURPOSE: Saphenous vein allografts are used for femoral-below knee bypass graft purposes in chronic lower limb ischemia. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is an acceptable material for bypass graft, when it is difficult to gain a suitable vein for the graft material, such as the great saphenous, small saphenous, or arm vein. However, some controversy exists as to whether PTFE is equivalent to the saphenous vein as bypass graft material for femoral below knee revascularization. A retrospective analysis was performed to obtain results about femoral-below knee bypass graft using PTFE in chronic lower ischemia patients. METHOD: Between July 1992 and June 2002, 56 patients with chronic lower limb ischemia underwent femoral-below knee bypass graft. The results of treatment were analyzed retrospectively by the patients's clinical records. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate patency rate. RESULT: There were 52 men and 2 women, of mean age 66.6 years. The primary patency rate was 65.6%, 44.9%, 38.0%, and 34.0%, and the secondary patency rate was 85.7%, 72.0%, 72.0%, and 56.1%, after 1, 2, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The limb salvage rate was 78.8% in severe lower limb disease, such as disabling claudication, non-healing ulcer, and gangrene. The major amputation rate was 14.3%. There was no mortality within one month after bypass operation. The primary and secondary rates were not correlated with diabetes, inflow procedure, or severity of lower limb ischemia. CONCLUSION: The overall results of this study show that PTFE grafts have an acceptable patency rate when used for femoral-below knee bypass surgery in patients with chronic lower limb ischemia. This study suggests that early diagnosis of occlusion in graft and adjuvant procedures offers improved patency and limb salvage rate.

A Clinical Review of 11 Cases of a Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy: Comparison with an Open Adrenalectomy / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: The laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the golden standard procedure for adrenal tumors because of its many advantages. The purpose of our study was to compare the outcomes for patients who underwent a transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy with those of patients who had a conventional open adrenalectomy. Similar to the open adrenalectomy, the laparoscopic adrenalectomy was divided into anterior (LA: Laparoscopic anterior) and posterior (LP: Laparoscopic posterior) approaches. METHODS: Between January 1991 and September 1998, a retrospective review of consecutive adrenalectomies performed at Kyung Hee University Hospital was done. Outcome measurements of operative indications, tumor size, operation time, first oral intake, postoperative stay, and postoperative complications were reviewed. RESULTS: Eleven(11) laparoscopic adrenalectomies (4 LAs and 7 LPs) were performed in 11 patients and 47 open adrenalectomies [24 with an anterior, OA (Open anterior), approach and 23 with a posterior, OP (Open posterior), approach] in 43 patients. The LA approach showed a significantly shorter time to first oral intake (1.8 vs 3.4 days p=0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (5.5 vs 12.8 days p=0.001) compared to the OA approach. The LP approach also showed a significantly shorter time to first oral intake (0.9 vs 1.6 days p=0.046) and postoperative hospital stay (5.9 vs 9.9 days p=0.004) compared to the OP approach. There were no differences in tumor size, operation time, and postoperative complications between laparoscopic adrenalectomies and open adrenalectomies. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic adrenalectomy is superior to the open adrenalectomy when performed by appropriately trained and skilled surgeons.

A Clinical Review of 11 Cases of a Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy: Comparison with an Open Adrenalectomy / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: The laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the golden standard procedure for adrenal tumors because of its many advantages. The purpose of our study was to compare the outcomes for patients who underwent a transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy with those of patients who had a conventional open adrenalectomy. Similar to the open adrenalectomy, the laparoscopic adrenalectomy was divided into anterior (LA: Laparoscopic anterior) and posterior (LP: Laparoscopic posterior) approaches. METHODS: Between January 1991 and September 1998, a retrospective review of consecutive adrenalectomies performed at Kyung Hee University Hospital was done. Outcome measurements of operative indications, tumor size, operation time, first oral intake, postoperative stay, and postoperative complications were reviewed. RESULTS: Eleven(11) laparoscopic adrenalectomies (4 LAs and 7 LPs) were performed in 11 patients and 47 open adrenalectomies [24 with an anterior, OA (Open anterior), approach and 23 with a posterior, OP (Open posterior), approach] in 43 patients. The LA approach showed a significantly shorter time to first oral intake (1.8 vs 3.4 days p=0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (5.5 vs 12.8 days p=0.001) compared to the OA approach. The LP approach also showed a significantly shorter time to first oral intake (0.9 vs 1.6 days p=0.046) and postoperative hospital stay (5.9 vs 9.9 days p=0.004) compared to the OP approach. There were no differences in tumor size, operation time, and postoperative complications between laparoscopic adrenalectomies and open adrenalectomies. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic adrenalectomy is superior to the open adrenalectomy when performed by appropriately trained and skilled surgeons.

Long-term Follow Up Results of Nonoperative Treatment for Critical Lower Extremity Ischemia

PURPOSE: Immediate revascularization is required for patients with critical lower extremity ischemia, but sometimes only nonoperative treatments are performed due to multilevel arterial occlusive lesions, poor outflow tracts, deteriorated general conditions, and severe associated diseases. We undertook this study to detrmine the long-term results of nonoperative treatments for patients with critical lower extremity ischemia. METHOD: From January 1992 to July 2002, among the patients with lower extremity arterial disease who visited the Department of Surgery at Kyung Hee Medical Center, 72 patients with critical lower extremity ischemia who had been treated with only conservative managements were chosen. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively and telephone interviews were performed. We assessed the functional outcome of the salvaged limb according to the recommended scale for gauging changes in clinical status, the 1997 revised version. RESULT: There were 63 men and 9 women (M : F=7 : 1), and mean age was 70.1 years. At median follow-up of 64.7 months, amputation rate was 27.8%, limb salvage rate was 71.9%, and the mortality rate was 20.8%. Cerebrovascular attacks (40%) and ischemic heart disease (27%) were the major causes of death. Underlying disease were diabetes (65.3%), hypertension (54.2%), ischemic heart disease (11.1%), and previous cerebrovascular attacks (13.9%). Clinical categories of involved patients were grade II (ischemic rest pain) in 80.5%, and grade III (tissue loss) in 19.5%. In survivors with limb salvage, functional outcomes were +3 in 12.5%, +2 in 26.8%, +1 in 35.7%, 0 in 23.2%, and -1 in 1.8%. CONCLUSION: The long-term results of this study suggest that nonoperative treatments for patients with critical lower extremity ischemia can achieve a higher limb salvage rate and significant improvements in the functional outcomes of salvaged limbs.

A Retrospective Analysis on Reasons for Allograft Nephrectomy after Kidney Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

PURPOSE: Allograft nephrectomy has been done in considerable proportion due to many reasons after kidney transplantation. This study was undertaken to determine the incidence, causes, and time of allograft nephrectomy after kidney transplantation. METHODS: A total 141 kidney transplantations were performed between 1993 and 2003 Kyung Hee University Hospital. We found 22 cases of allograft nephrectomy in the same period and a retrospective analysis was conducted on 22 allograft nephrectomy. The patients records were reviewed for age, causes, and time of allograft nephrectomy after kidney transplantation. RESULTS: The pathological causes of allograft nephrectomy were chronic rejection in 18 cases (81.8%), acute rejection in 3 cases (13.6%), accelerated rejection in 2 cases (9.1%) and allograft infection, renal vessel thrombosis, cyclosporin toxicity, GVHD in each one case (4.5%). Of 18 cases with chronic rejection, acute rejection episode was occurred in 12 cases (66.7%). The interval from kidney transplantation to allograft nephrectomy was more than 5 years in most patients (63.6%). CONCLUSION: In our studies, allograft nephrectomy was performed in 22 cases, chronic rejection was major cause of allograft nephrectomy, and acute rejection episide was occurred in most chronic rejection. We suggested that early detection and aggressive treatment of acute rejection might be considered to lower the incidence of allograft nephrectomy after kidney transplantation.

Crawford Type III and IV Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm: 4 Cases Report

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm is rare but potentially lethal, and its repair continues to present a surgical challenge because of obligate intraoperative visceral, renal, and spinal cord ischemia. In the past, the authors have experienced 4 cases of Crawford Type III and IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm which were treated by a direct surgical approach. The diagnosis was made by CT scan, and aortogram. We repaired the thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms with Knitted Dacron graft by a single inclusion button that encompasses the origins of the celiac, superior mesenteric, and right renal artery and left renal artery reconstruction with a separate side arm PTFE graft. the visceral ischemia time was less than 45 minutes in 3 operable cases and no paraplegia occurred after thoracoabdominal aortic reconstruction. two cases of Type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with emergent presentation were fatal but elective surgical repairs of Type III and IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm were survived. Appropriate patient selection and prevention of visceral or spinal cord ischemia may be helpful in the repair of Type III and IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.