Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and CEA is associated with poor prognosis in patients with synchronous colorectal cancer liver metastasis

PURPOSE: Recently, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inflammatory response marker, has been reported to be associated with the prognosis in patients with various type of cancer. However, there have been no studies until now that have explored the prognostic role of combined detection of NLR and CEA in patients with synchronous liver-limited colorectal metastases (sCRLM). METHODS: Eighty-three patients who histologically diagnosed as sCRLM were selected. Their laboratory and clinical data were collected retrospectively. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cutoff value of NLR was calculated based on which patients were assigned to a high NLR (more than 1.94) group and low NLR (less than 1.94) group. A cutoff value of 100 ng/mL for serum CEA level was used in light of the previous literature. RESULTS: CEA level and Poorly differentiated histology of colon cancer was significantly correlated with high NLR (P = 0.005 and P = 0.048, respectively). The multivariate analysis identified the high NLR as independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS in all patients (P = 0.010 and P = 0.006, respectively). Patients with both low levels of NLR and CEA had a significantly longer OS and DFS (P = 0.026 and P = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, elevated preoperative NLR is strongly correlated with both survival and recurrence in patients who have been diagnosed with resectable sCRLM. The combination of NLR and CEA level could be a more powerful prognostic marker than NLR alone.

Overexpression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies. Recently, the overexpression of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis in many cancers. However, the expression of PD-L1 or PD-1 ligand 2 (PD-L2) and clinical outcomes have not been fully investigated in HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples were obtained from 85 patients with HCC who underwent surgery. The expression of PD-Ls (PD-L1, PD-L2) was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The proportion of high expression groups of PD-L1 and PD-L2 was 27.1% and 23.5%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size (p < 0.001), histological differentiation (p=0.010), PD-L1 expression (p < 0.001), and PD-L2 expression (p=0.039) were significant prognostic factors of overall survival in patients with HCC. Multivariate analysis revealed that overall tumor size (hazard ratio [HR], 4.131; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.233 to 7.643; p < 0.001 and HR, 3.455; 95% CI, 1.967 to 6.067; p < 0.001) and PD-L1 expression (HR, 5.172; 95% CI, 2.661 to 10.054; p < 0.001 and HR, 3.730; 95% CI, 1.453 to 9.574; p=0.006) were independent prognostic values for overall and disease-free survival. Patients with high expression of PD-Ls had a significantly poorer survival than those with low expression (p < 0.001, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: The overexpression of PD-Ls in HCC patients is correlated with survival and tumor recurrence. Further evaluation of PD-1 and PD-Ls as therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers for HCC is warranted.

Long-term results of oncoplastic breast surgery with latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction: a pilot study of the objective cosmetic results and patient reported outcome

PURPOSE: The goal of oncoplastic breast surgery is to restore the appearance of the breast and improve patient satisfaction. Thus, the assessment of cosmetic results and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) using appropriately constructed and validated instruments is essential. The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term objective cosmetic results and corresponding PROs after oncoplastic breast surgery. METHODS: Cosmetic results were assessed by the patients, a medical panel, and a computer program (BCCT.core). PROs were assessed using BREAST-Q, a questionnaire that measures the perception of patients having breast surgery. The cosmetic results and PROs were analyzed in patients who underwent quadrantectomy and partial breast reconstruction utilizing the latissimus dorsi flap. RESULTS: The mean duration of the follow-up period was 91.6 months (range, 33.3-171.0 months), and mean age of the patients was 51 years old (range, 33-72 years). The mean tumor size was 2.1 cm (range, 0.9-5.5 cm). There was fair agreement between the medical panel and BCCT.core score (K = 0.32, P < 0.001), and a statistically significant correlation between the BCCT.core score and medical panel cosmetic results was identified (r = 0.606, P < 0.001). A better BCCT.core result was related to a higher PRO of each BREAST-Q domain-satisfaction with breasts (R2 = 0.070, P = 0.039), satisfaction with outcome (R2 = 0.087, P = 0.021), psychosocial well-being (R2 = 0.085, P = 0.023), sexual well-being (R2 = 0.082, P = 0.029), and satisfaction with information (R2 = 0.064, P = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Our long-term results of oncoplastic surgery achieved a high level of patient satisfaction with good cosmetic results. The medical panel and BCCT.core results correlated well with the PROs of the patients using valid, reliable, and procedure-specific measures.

Dacryoscintigraphic Findings in the Children with Tearing

PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic effectiveness of dacryoscintigraphy in children with tearing; to evaluate tear clearance rate as a diagnostic factor of dacryoscintigraphy in children with tearing; and to analyze the results of treatment according to dacryoscintigraphic findings in children with tearing. METHODS: Between January 2010 and April 2014, 176 eyes of 88 children with tearing (49 boys and 39 girls; mean age, 23.81 ±14.67 months; range, 12 to 72 months) were studied retrospectively. Of these, 37 of 88 children with tearing were bilateral cases, and 51 were unilateral cases. None of the patients had a history of craniofacial disorder or trauma. The chief complaint of tearing with or without eye discharge and delivery mode, past history of neonatal conjunctivitis, syringing, or probing were collected from parents, grandparents, or previous hospital data. The drainage pattern of the nasolacrimal duct was analyzed, and the clearance rate of 50 microCi 99m technetium pertechnetate was measured by dacryoscintigraphy. RESULTS: According to the dacryoscintigraphy results, 98 of 125 eyes (78.4%) with tearing showed nasolacrimal obstruction and 29 of 51 eyes (56.9%) without tearing showed patency. There was a significant difference between tearing eyes and normal eyes (p = 0.001). The clearance rate difference after 3 and 30 minutes was 16.41 ± 15.37% in tearing eyes and 23.57 ±14.15% in normal eyes. There was a significant difference between epiphoric eyes and normal eyes (p = 0.05). Based on the dacryoscintigraphic findings, nasolacrimal-duct obstruction was treated with probing or silicone-tube intubation. The majority of patients showed symptom improvement (75.2%) during the two months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Dacryoscintigraphy is a non-invasive method of qualitatively and quantitatively diagnosing nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children with tearing.

Evaluation of Malnutrition Risk after Liver Transplantation Using the Nutritional Screening Tools

Malnutrition is a common problem in patients with end-stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status by using nutritional screening tools [Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) 2002, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA)] in patients before and after liver transplantation. We analyzed medical record, blood test, nutrient intake and malnutrition rate just before transplantation and at discharge, and at 3, 6, 12 months after transplantation respectively. Initially 33 patients enrolled as study subjects and finally 28 patients completed the study. Nutrients intake such as energy, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and folate were insufficient at 12 months after transplantation. The rates of malnutrition before transplantation were very high, reported at 81.8% for the NRS 2002, 87.9% for the MUST, and 84.8% for the SGA. By 12 months after operation, malnutrition rates reported at NRS, MUST and SGA had decreased to 6.1%, 10.7%, and 10.7%, respectively. Sensitivity was 87.1% for the NRS 2002, 82.0% for the MUST, and 92.0% for the SGA. Of these screening tools the SGA was the highest sensitive tool that predict the risk of mortality in malnutrition patients who received transplantation. Further studies on nutritional status of patients and proper tools for nutrition intervention are needed to provide adequate nutritional care for patients.

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma: an independent prognostic factor

PURPOSE: Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) plays important roles in tumorigenesis such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance. We examined the expression of AEG-1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Eighty-five samples were collected from patients with HCC who underwent surgery and were histopathologically confirmed to have HCC. Two independent pathologists, experienced in evaluating immunohistochemistry and blinded to the clinical outcomes of the patients, reviewed all samples. They determined AEG-1 expression semiquantitatively by assessing the percentage of positively stained immunoreactive cells and staining intensity. Clinicopathological data were analyzed in association with prognosis. RESULTS: The association was estimated by univariate and multivariate analyses with Cox regression. Tumor size (hazard ratio [HR], 2.285; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.175-4.447; P = 0.015), microvascular invasion (HR, 6.754; 95% CI, 1.631-27.965; P = 0.008), and AEG-1 expression (HR, 4.756; 95% CI, 1.697-13.329; P = 0.003) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Those for disease-free survival rate were tumor size (HR, 2.245; 95% CI, 1.282-3.933; P = 0.005) and AEG-1 expression (HR, 1.916; 95% CI, 1.035-3.545; P = 0.038). The cumulative 5-year survival and recurrence rates were 89.2% and 50.0% in the low-expressing group and 24.5% and 82.4% in the high-expressing group, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that AEG-1 overexpression could serve as a valuable prognostic marker in patients with HCC.

Factors Predicting Hypocalcemia after Total Thyroidectomy with Central Lymph Node Dissection in Papillary Thyroid Cancer / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection (CLND) is a treatment modality of choice for thyroid cancer. Hypocalcemia is the most common complication after total thyroidectomy. The aim of the current study was to determine the association between surgery-related clinical factors and postoperative hypocalcemia. METHODS: A prospective analysis was performed for 101 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with CLND for papillary cancer from June 2013 to June 2014. Correlation between clinicopathologic factors and postoperative hypocalcemia was analyzed. RESULTS: Based on the postoperative day-2 calcium, 56 patients (55%) developed hypocalcemia and 45 patients (45%) were normal. No significant differences in histopathologic (tumor size, tumor focality, histologic type, number of retrieved lymph nodes, metastatic lymph node, thyroiditis, retrieved parathyroid gland) findings were observed between the hypocalcemia group and normal calcium group. Mean value of the postoperative day-0 parathyroid hormone (PTH) was significantly lower in the hypocalcemia group (hypoca1cemia group: 14.3+/-9.4 pg/mL; normal group: 25.0+/-16.4 pg/mL; P<0.001). In logistic regression analysis, postoperative PTH was a factor significantly affecting postoperative hypocalcemia (OR 0.93; CI: 0.90-0.97; P<0.001). In ROC analysis, the cut-off value of PTH was 19.965 (sensitivity 79%, specificity 58%), and area under the curve (AUC) was 0.709 (95% CI: 0.607-0.811). CONCLUSION: Postoperative PTH was a factor predicting hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy with CLND. Use of postoperative PTH as a screening tool for prediction of postoperative hypocalcemia would be useful in management of patients with hypocalcemia.

A Case of Intramuscular Muller Muscle Hemangioma of Upper Eyelid Mimicking Sarcoidosis

PURPOSE: We report a case of Muller muscle intramuscular hemangioma in the upper eyelid mimicking dacryoadenitis. CASE SUMMARY: A 21-year-old male patient presented with a 2-year history of upper eyelid swelling in his right eye and no symptom relief with oral corticosteroid. Increased angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) was noted in the laboratory findings. However, lid inflammation was not improved and the patient underwent incisional biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Microscopically, the lesion was composed of proliferating vessels of various sizes between the individual smooth muscle fibers. Intramuscular hemangioma rarely presenting as a benign tumor in the head and neck region can present as diffuse swelling mimicking sarcoidosis or dacryoadenitis.

Perigastric Lymph Node Metastasis from Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Patient with Early Gastric Cancer: The First Case Report

Distant metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), particularly from papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, is rare. We present a case of perigastric lymph node metastasis from PTC in a patient with early gastric cancer and breast cancer. During post-surgical follow-up for breast cancer, a 56-year-old woman was diagnosed incidentally with early gastric cancer and synchronous left thyroid cancer. Therefore, laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection and left thyroidectomy were performed. On the basis of the pathologic findings of the surgical specimens, the patient was diagnosed to have papillary thyroid microcarcinoma with perigastric lymph node metastasis and early gastric cancer with mucosal invasion. Finally, on the basis of immunohistochemical staining with galectin-3, the diagnosis of perigastric lymph node metastasis from PTC was made. When a patient has multiple primary malignancies with lymph node metastasis, careful pathologic examination of the surgical specimen is necessary; immunohistochemical staining may be helpful in determining the primary origin of lymph node metastasis.

Feasibility and outcomes of laparoscopic enucleation for pancreatic neoplasms

PURPOSE: With the advancement of laparoscopic techniques and instruments, laparoscopic approach for pancreatic lesions has become an increasingly used procedure. But, there are few and limited studies about laparoscopic enuleation (LE) for pancreatic lesions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to present our experience and to evaluate the clinical outcome of LE for pancreatic benign or borderline malignant tumors. METHODS: Between May 2005 and December 2011, 11 patients who underwent LE were analyzed. Candidates for LE met the following criteria: benign or borderline malignant pancreatic tumor, no involvement of main pancreatic duct, and outwardly growing tumor with small tumor bed. RESULTS: All 11 patients (10 women and 1 man with a mean age of 43.1 +/- 11.9 years) who underwent LE were completed laparoscopically without conversion. The mean diameter of tumor was 4.0 +/- 3.3 cm and all cases had benign tumors at the final pathologic diagnosis. One patient (9%) developed pancreatic fistula and mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.5 +/- 1.7 days. During follow-up period (mean, 44.3 +/- 23.9 months), all patients were alive with no recurrence or new onset of diabetes. CONCLUSION: LE is a safe and effective procedure, and should be considered as a treatment option for pancreatic lesions that do not involve the main pancratic duct and have an outgrowing aspect with small tumor bed.

Induction of ER Stress-Mediated Apoptosis by alpha-Lipoic Acid in A549 Cell Lines

BACKGROUND: alpha-Lipoic acid (alpha-LA) has been studied as an anticancer agent as well as a therapeutic agent for diabetes and obesity. We performed this study to evaluate the anticancer effects and mechanisms of alpha-LA in a lung cancer cell line, A549. MATERIALS AND METHODS: alpha-LA-induced apoptosis of A549 cells was detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis and a DNA fragmentation assay. Expression of apoptosis-related genes was analyzed by western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses. RESULTS: alpha-LA induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation in A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. alpha-LA increased caspase activity and the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. It induced expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related genes, such as glucose-regulated protein 78, C/EBP-homologous protein, and the short form of X-box binding protein-1, and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was induced by alpha-LA, and the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine decreased the alpha-LA-induced increase in expression of apoptosis and ER stress-related proteins. CONCLUSION: alpha-LA induced ER stress-mediated apoptosis in A549 cells via ROS. alpha-LA may therefore be clinically useful for treating lung cancer.

Current Status of Laparoscopic Liver Resection in Korea

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.

Segmental duodenectomy with duodenojejunostomy of gastrointestinal stromal tumor involving the duodenum / 대한외과학회지

Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are uncommon and a relatively small subset of GISTs whose optimal surgical procedure has not been well defined. Because submucosal spread and local lymph node involvement is infrequent in GISTs, wide margins with routine lymph node dissection may not be required. Various techniques of limited resection for duodenal GISTs have been described depending on the site and the size of the tumors. In this study, we report two cases of GIST involving the third and fourth portion of the duodenum successfully treated by segmental duodenectomy with end-to-end duodenojejunostomy. This technique should be considered as a treatment option for GIST located at the third and fourth portion of the duodenum.

Conventional Linear versus Purse-string Skin Closure after Loop Ileostomy Reversal: Comparison of Wound Infection Rates and Operative Outcomes

PURPOSE: Wound infection after an ileostomy reversal is a common problem. To reduce wound-related complications, purse-string skin closure was introduced as an alternative to conventional linear skin closure. This study is designed to compare wound infection rates and operative outcomes between linear and purse-string skin closure after a loop ileostomy reversal. METHODS: Between December 2002 and October 2010, a total of 48 consecutive patients undergoing a loop ileostomy reversal were enrolled. Outcomes were compared between linear skin closure (group L, n = 30) and purse string closure (group P, n = 18). The operative technique for linear skin closure consisted of an elliptical incision around the stoma, with mobilization, and anastomosis of the ileum. The rectus fascia was repaired with interrupted sutures. Skin closure was performed with vertical mattress interrupted sutures. Purse-string skin closure consisted of a circumstomal incision around the ileostomy using the same procedures as used for the ileum. Fascial closure was identical to linear closure, but the circumstomal skin incision was approximated using a purse-string subcuticular suture (2-0 Polysorb). RESULTS: Between group L and P, there were no differences of age, gender, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores. Original indication for ileostomy was 23 cases of malignancy (76.7%) in group L, and 13 cases of malignancy (77.2%) in group P. The median time duration from ileostomy to reversal was 4.0 months (range, 0.6 to 55.7 months) in group L and 4.1 months (range, 2.2 to 43.9 months) in group P. The median operative time was 103 minutes (range, 45 to 260 minutes) in group L and 100 minutes (range, 30 to 185 minutes) in group P. The median hospital stay was 11 days (range, 5 to 4 days) in group L and 7 days (range, 4 to 14 days) in group P (P < 0.001). Wound infection was found in 5 cases (16.7%) in group L and in one case (5.6%) in group L (P = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Based on this study, purse-string skin closure after a loop ileostomy reversal showed comparable outcomes, in terms of wound infection rates, to those of linear skin closure. Thus, purse-string skin closure could be a good alternative to the conventional linear closure.

Transvaginal Endoscopic Appendectomy

Since Kalloo and colleagues first reported the feasibility and safety of a peroral transgastric approach in the porcine model in 2004, various groups have reported more complex natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures, such as the cholecystectomy, splenectomy and liver biopsy, in the porcine model. Natural orifice access to the abdominal cavity, such as transgastric, transvesical, transcolonic, and transvaginal, has been described. Although a novel, minimally invasive approach to the abdominal cavity is a peroral endoscopic transgastric approach, there are still some challenging issues, such as the risk of infection and leakage, and the method of gastric closure. Hybrid-NOTES is an ideal first step in humans. Human hybrid transvaginal access has been used for years by many surgeons for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Here, we report a transvaginal flexible endoscopic appendectomy, with a 5-mm umbilical port using ultrasonic scissors in a 74-year-old woman with acute appendicitis.

Laparoscopic versus Open Appendectomy in Pregnancy / 대한내시경복강경외과학회지

PURPOSE: Although laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe and effective procedure for the management of acute appendicitis, laparoscopic appendectomy in pregnancy has not been considered the preferred procedure until recently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) during pregnancy as compared with the control group that underwent open appendectomy (OA) during pregnancy. METHODS: The clinical data of all the patients who underwent appendectomy during pregnancy at our hospital between 2006 and 2009 was collected and retrospectively analyzed. Nineteen patients underwent LA and 11 patients underwent OA. The general features of the cases, the outcomes and the fetal status were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the length of the procedure, the hospital stay and the complication rate between the LA and OA groups. All the laparoscopic procedures were completed without conversion to an open operation. There were no significant differences between the two groups for premature delivery, the delivery type and the birth weight. There were no fetal losses or abortions. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that LA was not inferior to OA in terms of the operative outcomes, the complication and both the fetal and maternal safety during 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy. LA could be safely performed even in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy using careful patient selection, safe operative techniques and the appropriate application of instruments.

Steatotic Graft for Liver Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

It is common practice to reject potential grafts with fatty change over 30%. We report a case of successful liver transplant using a graft with 70% fatty liver. The patient was a 53 year old male with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who had received endoscopic varix ligation (EVL) for esophageal varix bleeding 4 months ago. He presented with esophageal varix bleeding and drowsy mentality, and was admitted to the ICU via the emergency room. He received EVL again. Preoperative total bilirubin was 11.4 mg/dl, prothrombin time was 40%. The donor was a 50 year old male with diabetes. Liver biopsy showed 70% fatty liver. The operation took 10 hours, and there was no intraoperative complication. Sixteen days after the operation, liver enzymes were normal but total bilirubin was elevated up to 10.26 mg/dl. Liver biopsy was done. Biopsy showed almost no fatty liver but it showed moderate rejection, so steroid recycling was done. Total bilirubin decreased steadily. But 38 days after the operation, ascites increased, and follow-up liver biopsy again showed almost no fatty change but showed severe rejection. Steroid pulse therapy was done, and after pulse therapy the amount of ascites decreased, and the patient was discharged 56 days after the transplantation in tolerable condition. Brain death donor liver grafts with severe fatty liver increase the risk of post transplant complications such as renal failure. But since severe fatty liver does not always cause primary nonfunction, it may be considered as transplant grafts in selected cases.

Usefulness of Reoperation after Recurrence of Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Radical gastrectomy and lymph node dissection is the treatment of choice for gastric cancer but the efficacy of surgical treatment of recurrent gastric cancer has been debated. We evaluated the efficacy of surgical treatment for recurrent gastric cancer. METHODS: We collected the data on 108 recurrent gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy and lymph node dissection for gastric cancer and analyzed the clinicopathologic data, the patterns of recurrence of gastric cancer, and the strategies of treatment for recurrent gastric cancer. RESULTS: The patterns of recurrence were 32 locoregional, 26 hematogenous, 24 peritoneal, and 26 mixed recurrences. The strategies of treatment for recurrent gastric cancer were the combination of surgical treatment and chemotherapy in 31 cases (28.7%), chemotherapy alone in 49 cases (45.4%), and conservative treatment in 28 cases (25.9%). The morbidity and mortality in reoperation group were 35.5% and 9.7%, respectively. The mean survival after recurrence was 25.4, 12.7, and 4.9 months in reoperation group, chemotherapy group and conservative treatment group, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the differentiation of primary tumor, patterns of recurrence, and the strategies of treatment for recurrent gastric cancer were related with survival after recurrence of gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that the more aggressive and intensive treatment such as surgical treatment could improve the survival rate for recurrent gastric cancer. Therefore, if the patients' conditions are tolerable and there is resectability, surgical treatment may be an applicable strategy for recurrent gastric cancer in terms of long-term survival.

Factors Associated with Operation Time of Laparoscopic Wedge Resection for Gastric Submucosal Tumors / 대한내시경복강경외과학회지

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic gastric wedge resection (LWR) is being increasingly performed as a safe and effective treatment for gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs). However, there are few studies on the factors associated with operation time of LWR for gastric SMTs. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with the operation time of LWR for gastric SMTs. METHODS: Between June 2001 and December 2008, 58 patients with gastric SMTs underwent LWR. We analyzed the clinicopathologic data, perioperative parameters and outcomes, and surgeon's experience retrospectively. We also analyzed the factors associated with the operation time of LWR for gastric SMTs. RESULTS: Among 58 patients that underwent LWR, exogastric wedge resection (n=48) was mainly performed. Transgastric wedge resection (n=8) took the longest amount of time. Intraoperative GFS (n=7) was frequently performed for smaller tumors. When the tumor was located at the cardia and fundus, more time was needed for LWR of the SMTs. There was no correlation of the operation time with the clinicopathologic data and surgeon's experience; however, the tumor location (axis) and the approach used for the resection of the stomach were statistically correlated with the operation time. CONCLUSION: The operation time of LWR for gastric SMTs was related to the tumor location (according to gastric axis) and the approach used for the resection of the stomach. If the tumor location was identified precisely and the proper approach for resection of the stomach was determined preoperatively, the operation time of LWR for gastric SMTs might be reduced.

Surgical Treatment for Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis

PURPOSE: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is a rare benign inflammatory breast disease of an unknown etiology and the optimal treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of surgically complete excision in patients with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. METHODS: Between March 2005 and November 2008, we treated 14 cases that were diagnosed with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Prospectively, we treated the cases with complete surgical excision with or without steroid therapy in all patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 36 years (range 30 to 53 years). All cases performed were complete excision with or without steroid therapy. The median follow up period was 26 months (range 5 to 50 months) and all cases had no recurrence. 13 patients out of the 14 were satisfied with the cosmesis of the treated breast. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the treatment of choice for idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is surgically complete excision.