COVID-19 Mortality and Severity in Cancer Patients and Cancer Survivors

Background@#We aimed to investigate mortality, severity, and risk of hospitalization in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cancer. @*Methods@#Data of all patients aged 40–79 years from the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency-COVID19-National Health Insurance Service who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2022, in Korea were included. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 397,050 patients with cancer and 397,050 patients without cancer were enrolled in the main analysis. A cancer survivor was defined as a patient who had survived 5 or more years since the diagnosis of cancer. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the risk of COVID-19 according to the diagnosis of cancer and time since diagnosis. @*Results@#Cancer, old age, male sex, incomplete vaccination against COVID-19, lower economic status, and a higher Charlson comorbidity index were associated with an increased risk of hospitalization, hospitalization with severe state, and death. Compared to patients without cancer, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hospitalization, hospitalization with severe state, and death in patients with cancer were 1.09 (1.08–1.11), 1.17 (1.11–1.24), and 1.94 (1.84–2.05), respectively. Compared to patients without cancer, the ORs (95% CIs) for hospitalization in cancer survivors, patients with cancer diagnosed 2–5 years, 1–2 years, and < 1 year ago were 0.96 (0.94–0.98), 1.10 (1.07–1.13), 1.30 (1.25–1.34), and 1.82 (1.77–1.87), respectively; the ORs (95% CIs) for hospitalization for severe disease among these patients were 0.90 (0.85–0.97), 1.22 (1.12–1.32), 1.60 (1.43–1.79), and 2.29 (2.09–2.50), respectively. @*Conclusion@#The risks of death, severe state, and hospitalization due to COVID-19 were higher in patients with cancer than in those without; the more recent the diagnosis, the higher the aforementioned risks. Cancer survivors had a lower risk of hospitalization and hospitalization with severe disease than those without cancer.

Klippel-Feil Syndrome: Clinical Presentation and Management.

¼: Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS) is a rare multisystem constellation of findings with congenital cervical fusion as the hallmark. The etiology is not fully understood. ¼: Recent studies have indicated that KFS is more prevalent than previously described. ¼: Hypermobility in the nonfused segments may lead to adjacent segment disease and potential disc herniation and myelopathy after minor trauma. ¼: Most patients with KFS are asymptomatic and can be managed nonoperatively. Surgical treatment is reserved for patients presenting with pain refractory to medical management, instability, myelopathy or radiculopathy, or severe adjacent segment disease. ¼: Patients with craniocervical abnormalities and upper cervical instability should avoid contact sports as they are at increased risk for spinal cord injury after minor trauma.

Management of Chordoma of the Sacrum and Mobile Spine.

➢: Chordomas account for 1% to 4% of primary tumors of the spine and sacrum. ➢: En bloc resection is the preferred surgical treatment for the management of chordomas. ➢: Proton beam radiation is increasingly being used as a postoperative radiation modality for the treatment of chordomas.

Association between Relative Handgrip Strength and Insulin Resistance in Korean Elderly Men without Diabetes: Findings of the 2015 Korea National Health Nutrition Examination Survey / 가정의학회지

Background@#Evidence regarding the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and insulin resistance in a non-diabetic population is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the association between relative HGS and insulin resistance in older men without diabetes, using a representative sample of the Korean male population. @*Methods@#The study population comprised 206 participants aged 65–80 years, selected from the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Insulin resistance was defined as the upper tertile of the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for insulin resistance were assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses after adjusting for confounding variables. @*Results@#The prevalence of insulin resistance decreased with increasing relative HGS. The prevalence in the T1, T2, and T3 groups was 46.0%, 32.2%, and 26.4%, respectively. Compared with the individuals in the highest tertile of relative HGS, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for insulin resistance in individuals in the lowest quartile was 2.82 (1.10–7.21) after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, residential area, household income, and education level. @*Conclusion@#Lower relative HGS was inversely associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance in older Korean men without diabetes. In clinical practice, relative HGS, which is a simple and inexpensive tool, could be a useful measure for identifying older men with insulin resistance. Moreover, these findings suggest that muscle strengthening exercises should be considered to reduce insulin resistance and increase insulin sensitivity.

The effect of nucleos(t)ide analogues on clinical outcomes of patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims@#Because hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication has been known to play animportant role in cancer recurrence after curative treatment of HBV-related hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC), we examined whether treatment based on nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs)might decrease the recurrence rate and improve patient survival. @*Methods@#The retrospective cohort study enrolled 73 patients with chronic hepatitis B whowere treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA)with curative intent for HCC. Among those, 30 and 43 patients were treated with tenofovirdisoproxil fumarate (TDF) and entecavir (ETV), respectively. @*Results@#Of the 73 patients, 51 experienced HCC recurrence, and 14 patients were deadduring a follow-up of 73±34 months. Multivariate analyses showed that tumor size (hazardratio [HR], 1.590; 95% confidence-interval [CI], 1.106-2.285; P=0.012) and Child-Pugh class B(vs. class Aon cirrhosis; HR, 5.794; 95% CI, 2.311-14.523; P=0.001) was significantly associatedwith HCC recurrence, and Child-Pugh class B (HR, 7.357; 95% CI, 2.100-25.777; P=0.002) was anindependent unfavorable prognostic factor for survival. During NAs therapy, TDF was superiorto ETV for complete viral response at 1 year after the date of combination of TACE and RFA(P=0.016). However, the risks of HCC recurrence and survival were not significantly differentbetween those treated with TDF versus ETV. @*Conclusions@#TDF was superior to ETV for achieving complete viral response. However, therecurrence and mortality after TACE and RFA for HBV-related HCC were not significantlydifferent between patients treated with TDF versus ETV.

The effect of nucleos(t)ide analogues on clinical outcomes of patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims@#Because hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication has been known to play animportant role in cancer recurrence after curative treatment of HBV-related hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC), we examined whether treatment based on nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs)might decrease the recurrence rate and improve patient survival. @*Methods@#The retrospective cohort study enrolled 73 patients with chronic hepatitis B whowere treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA)with curative intent for HCC. Among those, 30 and 43 patients were treated with tenofovirdisoproxil fumarate (TDF) and entecavir (ETV), respectively. @*Results@#Of the 73 patients, 51 experienced HCC recurrence, and 14 patients were deadduring a follow-up of 73±34 months. Multivariate analyses showed that tumor size (hazardratio [HR], 1.590; 95% confidence-interval [CI], 1.106-2.285; P=0.012) and Child-Pugh class B(vs. class Aon cirrhosis; HR, 5.794; 95% CI, 2.311-14.523; P=0.001) was significantly associatedwith HCC recurrence, and Child-Pugh class B (HR, 7.357; 95% CI, 2.100-25.777; P=0.002) was anindependent unfavorable prognostic factor for survival. During NAs therapy, TDF was superiorto ETV for complete viral response at 1 year after the date of combination of TACE and RFA(P=0.016). However, the risks of HCC recurrence and survival were not significantly differentbetween those treated with TDF versus ETV. @*Conclusions@#TDF was superior to ETV for achieving complete viral response. However, therecurrence and mortality after TACE and RFA for HBV-related HCC were not significantlydifferent between patients treated with TDF versus ETV.

Prognosis of Seronegative Subjects with a Helicobacter pylori-infected Spouse

Background/Aims@#Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can disseminate between couples. The present study compared the findings of gastric cancer screening between seronegative subjects according to the presence of an infected spouse. @*Materials and Methods@#Follow-up data of seronegative subjects were analyzed among married couples who underwent gastric cancer screening via gastroscopy, serum pepsinogen, and anti-H. pylori IgG assays between January 2010 and May 2016. New detection rates of H. pylori infection and gastric neoplasm at the follow-up screening were compared between seronegative subjects according to the H. pylori-infected status of spouse. @*Results@#Among 246 seronegative subjects with an H. pylori-infected spouse, 92 underwent follow-up tests (case group). Among 278 seronegative subjects with seronegative spouse, 94 underwent follow-up tests (control group). The past infection rate was higher in the case group than in the control group (52/92 vs. 34/94; P=0.005). New H. pylori infection was diagnosed in three of the 92 cases and two of the 94 controls (3.2% vs. 2.1%; P=0.681). During the mean follow-up of 67.9±36.0 months, three adenocarcinomas and two adenomas (5/184) were newly detected among the cases and their spouses, whereas none (0/188) were detected among the controls and their spouses (2.7% vs. 0%; P=0.029). @*Conclusions@#Gastric neoplasm occurred more frequently in couples with an H. pylori-infected spouse. Because the past infection rate is higher among seronegative subjects with an infected spouse, gastric cancer screening is recommended in both partners when the spouse is infected.

Clinical Practice Guideline for Care in the Last Days of Life / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

A clinical practice guideline for patients in the dying process in general wards and their families, developed through an evidence-based process, is presented herein. The purpose of this guideline is to enable a peaceful death based on an understanding of suitable management of patients’ physical and mental symptoms, psychological support, appropriate deci-sion-making, family care, and clearly-defined team roles. Although there are limits to the available evidence regarding medical issues in patients facing death, the final recommendations were determined from expert advice and feedback, considering values and preferences related to medical treatment, benefits and harms, and applicability in the real world. This guideline should be applied in a way that takes into account specific health care environments, including the resources of medical staff and differences in the available resources of each institution. This guideline can be used by all medical institutions in South Korea.

Applicability of the 48/6 Model of Care as a Health Screening Tool, and its Association with Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

BACKGROUND: The 48/6 Model of Care is an integrative care initiative for improving the health outcomes of hospitalized older patients; however, its applicability in community-dwelling older adults as a health screening tool has not been investigated. The present study aimed to examine the applicability of this model, prevalence of dysfunction in 6 care areas, and its relationship with self-reported mobility in community-dwelling older adults.METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey study of community-dwelling adults aged 65 or older. Participants were screened for problems using 9 items corresponding to the 6 care areas of the 48/6 Model of Care (cognitive functioning, functional mobility, pain management, nutrition and hydration, bladder and bowel management, and medication management). Mobility was assessed via the Life-Space Assessment (LSA). We examined the correlation between each screening item and the LSA.RESULTS: A total of 444 older adults (260 women, 58.6%) participated. The mean number of health problems was 2.3 ± 2.1, with the most common being pain, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. These problems and LSA scores were significantly different by age groups. A multiple regression analysis showed that polypharmacy (β = −10.567, P < 0.001), dysphagia (β = −9.610, P = 0.021), and pain (β = −7.369, P = 0.004) were significantly associated with life-space mobility after controlling for age.CONCLUSION: The 48/6 Model of Care is applicable to community-dwelling older adults, who show high prevalence of dysfunction in the 6 care areas. This study supports the role of the model in screening for the health status of older adults living in the community, and in estimating mobility.

Applicability of the 48/6 Model of Care as a Health Screening Tool, and its Association with Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

BACKGROUND@#The 48/6 Model of Care is an integrative care initiative for improving the health outcomes of hospitalized older patients; however, its applicability in community-dwelling older adults as a health screening tool has not been investigated. The present study aimed to examine the applicability of this model, prevalence of dysfunction in 6 care areas, and its relationship with self-reported mobility in community-dwelling older adults.@*METHODS@#This was a cross-sectional survey study of community-dwelling adults aged 65 or older. Participants were screened for problems using 9 items corresponding to the 6 care areas of the 48/6 Model of Care (cognitive functioning, functional mobility, pain management, nutrition and hydration, bladder and bowel management, and medication management). Mobility was assessed via the Life-Space Assessment (LSA). We examined the correlation between each screening item and the LSA.@*RESULTS@#A total of 444 older adults (260 women, 58.6%) participated. The mean number of health problems was 2.3 ± 2.1, with the most common being pain, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. These problems and LSA scores were significantly different by age groups. A multiple regression analysis showed that polypharmacy (β = −10.567, P < 0.001), dysphagia (β = −9.610, P = 0.021), and pain (β = −7.369, P = 0.004) were significantly associated with life-space mobility after controlling for age.@*CONCLUSION@#The 48/6 Model of Care is applicable to community-dwelling older adults, who show high prevalence of dysfunction in the 6 care areas. This study supports the role of the model in screening for the health status of older adults living in the community, and in estimating mobility.

Applicability of the 48/6 Model of Care as a Health Screening Tool, and its Association with Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

BACKGROUND@#The 48/6 Model of Care is an integrative care initiative for improving the health outcomes of hospitalized older patients; however, its applicability in community-dwelling older adults as a health screening tool has not been investigated. The present study aimed to examine the applicability of this model, prevalence of dysfunction in 6 care areas, and its relationship with self-reported mobility in community-dwelling older adults.@*METHODS@#This was a cross-sectional survey study of community-dwelling adults aged 65 or older. Participants were screened for problems using 9 items corresponding to the 6 care areas of the 48/6 Model of Care (cognitive functioning, functional mobility, pain management, nutrition and hydration, bladder and bowel management, and medication management). Mobility was assessed via the Life-Space Assessment (LSA). We examined the correlation between each screening item and the LSA.@*RESULTS@#A total of 444 older adults (260 women, 58.6%) participated. The mean number of health problems was 2.3 ± 2.1, with the most common being pain, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. These problems and LSA scores were significantly different by age groups. A multiple regression analysis showed that polypharmacy (β = −10.567, P < 0.001), dysphagia (β = −9.610, P = 0.021), and pain (β = −7.369, P = 0.004) were significantly associated with life-space mobility after controlling for age.@*CONCLUSION@#The 48/6 Model of Care is applicable to community-dwelling older adults, who show high prevalence of dysfunction in the 6 care areas. This study supports the role of the model in screening for the health status of older adults living in the community, and in estimating mobility.

Association of Geriatric Syndromes with Urinary Incontinence according to Sex and Urinary-Incontinence-Related Quality of Life in Older Inpatients: A Cross-Sectional Study of an Acute Care Hospital / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Geriatric syndromes are associated with morbidity and poor quality of life (QOL). Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most prevalent geriatric syndromes. However, there is little research on the association of UI and UI-related QOL with other geriatric syndromes. We investigated the relationship between geriatric syndromes and UI according to gender and UI-related QOL among older inpatients. METHODS: This study was conducted among 444 older inpatients (aged 65 years and older) between October 2016 and July 2017. We examined geriatric syndromes and related factors involving cognitive impairment, delirium, depression, mobility decline, polypharmacy, undernutrition, pain, and fecal incontinence. UI-related QOL was assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate these associations. RESULTS: Geriatric syndromes and related factors were associated with UI. Mobility decline (odds ratio [OR], 4.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.29–7.56), polypharmacy (OR, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.89–5.92), and pain (OR, 6.80; 95% CI, 3.53–13.09) were related to UI in both genders. Especially, delirium (OR, 7.55; 95% CI, 1.61–35.44) and fecal incontinence (OR, 10.15; 95% CI, 2.50–41.17) were associated with UI in men, while cognitive impairment (OR, 4.19; 95% CI, 1.14–15.44) was significantly associated with UI in women. Patients with depression were more likely to have poor UI-related QOL (OR, 8.54; 95% CI, 1.43–51.15). CONCLUSION: UI was associated with different geriatric syndromes and related factors according to gender. Care for patients with depression, related to poor UI-related QOL, should be considered in primary care to improve the UIrelated QOL of these individuals.

Mobile Text Messaging Interventions for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Smoking is one of the most serious health problems worldwide. The aim of this systematic review was to demonstrate the effect of text messaging-based interventions on smoking cessation.METHODS: Electronic databases were searched using specific key terms. The inclusion criteria were (1) articles that employed a randomized controlled trial and (2) articles that examined the effect of text messaging interventions on smoking cessation. However, studies employing multimedia messaging service and smartphone apps were excluded.RESULTS: In total, six randomized controlled trial studies with seven interventions were included in this systematic review. Of these six studies, almost all concluded that text-messaging interventions had no significant effect on smoking cessation. However, one study conducted in England revealed that text messaging intervention groups had a higher rate of six-month prolonged abstinence from smoking than did the control group.CONCLUSION: Text messaging interventions could be effective for those who want to quit smoking. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of using text messaging interventions for smoking cessation. However, there were only six studies that employed randomized controlled trials to determine such effectiveness. More studies on the effect of text messaging interventions for smoking cessation using subjects from various age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds are needed in the future.

Association of High-Risk Drinking with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Elderly Korean Men: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2012 / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have examined the association between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults, but studies in the elderly are lacking. We examined the relationship between high-risk alcohol consumption and MetS in elderly Korean men using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire from the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: Among 25,534 subjects, 2,807 were men >60 years of age; after exclusions, we included 2,088 men in the final analysis. We categorized the study participants into three groups according to AUDIT score: low risk (0–7), intermediate risk (8–14), and high risk (≥15 points). RESULTS: Among the study population, 17.0% of the men were high-risk drinkers, who had the highest mean waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglyceride (TG) levels. The overall prevalence of MetS was 41.9% in the elderly men, and it was significantly higher in the group with high (48.3%) versus low (31.9%) AUDIT scores. The prevalence of MetS components (elevated BP, high FPG, high TG, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) was associated with a high AUDIT score. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of the high-risk group for MetS, elevated BP, and high TG were 1.40 (1.03–1.89), 1.82 (1.28–2.60), and 1.77 (1.30–2.41) after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: AUDIT score was correlated with most MetS components in elderly Korean men.

Serum Ferritin Is Differentially Associated with Anti-oxidative Status and Insulin Resistance in Healthy Obese and Non-obese Women / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Ferritin is known to be associated with insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress; however, recent studies have shown that there is an association between ferritin and anti-oxidative status. To date, the biphasic response of ferritin to oxidative stress has not been fully evaluated. Thus, we investigated the association between ferritin and IR and anti-oxidative status in obese and non-obese women. METHODS: We evaluated the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and total anti-oxidant status (TAS) in a total of 111 healthy women between the ages of 32 and 68 years. RESULTS: In all of the study subjects, ferritin levels were positively correlated with age (r = 0.38, P < 0.001), body mass index (r = 0.24, P = 0.01), TAS (r = 0.38, P < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.20, P = 0.04). In the subgroup analysis, ferritin levels were correlated with age (r = 0.39, P < 0.001) and TAS (r = 0.43, P < 0.001) in the non-obese group and with insulin (r = 0.50, P = 0.02) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.52, P = 0.01) levels in the obese group. On stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, ferritin was found to be independently associated with TAS (B = 177.16, P < 0.0001) in the non-obese group and independently associated with HOMA-IR (B = 30.36, P = 0.01) in the obese group. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest ferritin is associated with IR in obese women and with anti-oxidative status in non-obese women. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the precise role of ferritin in obesity.

The Effect of a Bypass Operation for Atherosclerotic Arterial Obstructive Disease at the Lower Extremity / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: There are various treatment modalities for atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease at the lower limbs, for example, conservative physical therapy, medication, operation etc. Yet it has been established that an arterial bypass operation is the most effective treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of arterial bypass operation within our experience and to determine the indicators of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Ninety six patients received arterial bypass operation for atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease from June 2002 to April 2006. We evaluated the feasibility of arterial bypass operation based on the improvement of symptoms and the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the surgical outcomes, as based on the complications, the amputation rates and the patency rates. We also assessed the possible risk factors such as gender, age, a smoking history, co-morbidities, the anastomotic sites, the graft size and the graft type. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients. The total mean follow-up period was 29.4+/-13.1 months. RESULT: The mean age was 65.95+/-9.61 and there were 88 male patients. The most common clinical manifestation was ischemic resting pain in the lower extremities. The underlying combined diseases were hypertension (61%), diabetes (43%), cardiac problems (35%) and smoking (91.7%). The most frequent site of arterial obstruction was the superficial femoral artery (44 cases, 40%). A femoropopliteal artery bypass operation with a Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) synthetic graft was done in 44 cases (40%) and the great saphenous vein graft was used in 11 cases. The postoperative ABI increased significantly from 0.30+/-0.11 preoperatively to 0.63+/-0.11 (p < 0.001) postoperatively. In 8 cases, amputations above the ankle level were necessary. The graft patency rates were 86.4% and 68.0% after 1 and 3 years, respectively. There were 29 cases (30.21%) of patency failure; the male gender, smokers and hypertension were significantly more frequent in the failure group. Of these, hypertension was the most powerful risk factor (p=0.042). CONCLUSION: The arterial bypass operation is an effective treatment modality for controlling the symptoms such as pain and claudication, and for preventing major amputations for the patients with atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease. This study suggests quitting smoking, strict blood pressure control, selection of an appropriate graft, regular outpatient follow up and proper medication would offer higher patency rates and more favorable outcomes.

Comparison of RAPD, AFLP, and EF-1alpha Sequences for the Phylogenetic Analysis of Fusarium oxysporum and Its formae speciales in Korea

Although Fursarium oxysporum causes diseases in economically important plant hosts, identification of F. oxysporum formae speciales has been difficult due to confusing phenotypic classification systems. To resolve these complexity, we evaluated genetic relationship of nine formae speciales of F. oxysporum with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1alpha) gene. In addition, the correlation between mycotoxin content of fusaric acid and isolates based on molecular marker data was evaluated using the modified Mantel's test. According to these result, these fusaric acid-producing strains could not identify clearly, and independent of geographic locations and host specificities. However, in the identification of F. oxysporum formae speciales, especially, AFLP analysis showed a higher discriminatory power than that of a the RAPD and EF-1alpha analyses, all three techniques were able to detect genetic variability among F. oxysporum formae speciales in this study.

Acute Aortic Injury after Nuss Bar Removal: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Nuss operation as a method for correction of pectus excavatum is safe and satisfactory, but its complication presents pneumothorax, displaced bar, wound infection, pericarditis, pleural effusion, hemothorax, cardiac injury etc. We report a rare case of acute ascending aortic rupture after displaced and adhered Nuss bar removal. The patient was a 30-years old man who received Nuss operation 3 years ago. Nuss bar was removed without resistance but massively bled at both operation wound, so immediately femoro-femoral CPB and median sternotomy was done and repaired proximal aortic arch under deep hypothermic total circulatory arrest. The patient was discharged without complication at postoperative 13 day.

Development of Species-specific Primers for Rapid Detection of Phellinus linteus and P. baumii

Genus Phellinus taxonomically belongs to Aphyllophorales and some species of this genus have been used as a medicinal ingredients and Indian folk medicines. Especially, P. linteus and morphological-related species are well-known medicinal fungi that have various biological activities such as humoral and cell-mediated, anti-mutagenic, and anti-cancer activities. However, little is known about the rapid detection for complex Phellinus species. Therefore, this study was carried out to develop specific primers for the rapid detection of P. linteus and other related species. Designing the species-specific primers was done based on internal transcribed spacer sequence data. Each primer set detected specifically P. linteus (PL2/PL5R) and P. baumii (PB1/PB4R). These primer sets could be useful for the rapid detection of specific-species among unidentified Phellinus species. Moreover, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the ITS region with HaeIII was also useful for clarifying the relationship between each 5 Phellinus species.

Surgical Treatment of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in the Rib: Two cases report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) involves disorders previously referred as "histiocytosis X" (including eosinophilic granuloma, Letterer-Siwe, and Hand-Schuller syndrome). Its clinical patterns are various and it is a basically benign tumoral condition but with a strong tendency toward dissemination and destruction. Its natural history is unpredictable. But, in solitary bone lesion, wide resection with tumor-free margin is required in order to provide the best chance for a cure. In the majority of patients LCH is a osteolytic lesion with a predilection for calvarium and is rarely seen in the skull base and the femur. LCH of rib, especially if solitary, is relatively rare. We report two rare cases of solitary LCH developed in the rib, which were successfully treated by surgical resection.