• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.334-341
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• 2001

Objective : We have currently changed treatment strategies to methotrexate(MTX)-based preirradiation chemotherapy with subsequent planned radiation for the initial therapy of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of treating PCNSL with chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (CRT) or radiotherapy(RT) alone. Method and Material : This study involved 10 females and 3 males patients with a mean age of 54.2 years. All patients underwent surgery, open(8 cases) or stereotactic biopsy(5 cases) for histological diagnosis. Eleven tumors were diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Tumor volume change in the follow-up images and survival time were evaluated in patients treated with CRT and RT alone. In the beginning, two patients received ProMACE-Cytabom chemotherapeutic regimen, but did not complete the course and died of progressive tumor 8 and 9 months after diagnosis, respectively. One patient died at 6 months before chemotherapy. These three were excluded from the survival analysis. Five patients(RT group) completed full courses of cranial irradiation with or without boost. For the current combined modality treatment, high-dose MTXbased chemotherapy(systemic and intrathecal MTX, IV vincristine, and oral procarbazine) followed by whole brain irrdiation to 45Gy to tumor was introduced in 5 patients of CRT group. Result : A complete response was achieved in three of five who received RT only and in all of five who received CRT. All patients in CRT groups are in disease free status at a mean 23 months following therapy. The RT group patients refused any additional salvage therapy at tumor relapse and survived at mean 20 months from diagnosis. The Karnofsky performance status improved in eight of ten patients with treatment. The treatment toxicity included leukoencephalopathy in RT group and severe leukopenia, transient hepatitis, avascular necrosis of femoral head, hearing loss, and amenorrhea in CRT group, respectively. Conclusion : The combined modality therapy of MTX-based chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for PCNSL may enhance tumor response and improve patient survival. The patients who received CRT should be carefully followed up because of the higher risk of treatment-induced late neurotoxicity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 1999

Background: Since 1992, we developed the technique for video endoscopic sympathectomy to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. It was soon proven to be a simple and effective therapy for essential hyperhidrosis. Compensatory hyperhidrosis, however, is the main cause of patient dissatisfaction after video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy. According to many authors, initial satisfaction rate was high(94-98%), but it was declined with time (66%) due to mainly to embarrassing side effects. Material and Method: From January 1992 to February 1998, the thoracoscopic T2 sympathicotomy, T2 sympathectomy and T2-4 sympathectomy were performed in 315 patients suffering from Essential hyperhidrosis in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the Respiratory Center of Yongdong Severance Hospital Seoul, Korea. Eighty-nine patients underwent T2 sympathicotomy, and Eighty-eight patients underwent division T2 sympathectomy. Result: All of the treated patients obtained satisfactory alleviation of essential hyperhidrosis. The global rate of compensatory sweating were ; 64.0% in T2 sympathicotomy, 73.8% in T2 sympathectomy and 87.8% in T2-4 sympathectomy. The rate of embarrassing or disabling compensatory sweating was significantly higher in T2 sympathicotomy 15.7%(14/89) and in T2 sympathectomy 32.8%(28/88) than in T2-4 sympathectomy 58.0%(80/138) with significancy in statistic analysis(p<0.05). Video- assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy is an effective minimally invasive and effective procedure. Conclusion: We suggest that the incidence and degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis was closely related to the extent of thoracic sympathectomy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.125-131
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• 2006

Purpose: Free cancer cells exfoliated from cancer-invaded serosa contribute to peritoneal dissemination, the most frequent pattern of recurrence in patients with gastric cancer. To detect free cancer cells, CEA and CA19-9 were introduced as the markers of gastric cancer, and many methods, such as cytology, immunoassay, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), exist for detecting them. The aim of this study is to define the clinical significance of using immunoassay to measure the levels of CEA and CA19-9 in the peritoneal washings in patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: The peritoneal washing fluids were obtained from 130 patients with gastric cancer who received a curative gastrectomy, palliative gastrectomy or open and closure. The pCEA and pCA19-9 levels were measured by using immunoassay and cytology. The results were compared with the clinicopathological data. Results: The pCEA and pCA19-9 levels were correlated with tumor invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and stage (P<0.05). Conclusion: A correlation was found between elevated pCEA and pCA19-9 levels measured by immunoassay and the TNM stage. Therefore, a combined pCEA and pCA19-9 assay could be a sensitive detector of peritoneal dissemination, as well as a predictor of postoperative prognosis. pCEA and pCA19-9 may also determine the adjuvant management strategy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 2008

It is difficult to distinguish a lung cancer from a pulmonary tuberculoma or other benign nodule. It is even more difficult to identify the type of lesion if the mass shows no change in size or demonstrates slow growth. Only a pathological confirmation can possibly reveal the nature of the lesion. A 61-year-old-woman was referred for a solitary pulmonary nodule. The nodule showed no change in size for the first two years and continued to grow slowly. Pathological and immunological analyses were conducted for confirmation of the nodule. The nodule was identified as a well-differentiated primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma. An LULobectomy was performed, and the post surgical stage of the nodule was IIIA (T2N2M0). Even though there are few risk factors, there is still the possibility of a malignancy in cases of non-growing or slow growing solitary pulmonary nodules. Therefore, pathological confirmation is encouraged to obtain a firm diagnosis.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.100-104
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• 2005

Osteosarcoma is the most common tumor in malignant bone tumors. The peak age incidence in osteosarcoma is between 10 to 14 years of age. This tumor rarely develops under 6 years of age and the youngest patient in the previous literature was a 13 months old girl who had an osteosarcoma involving the second metacarpal bone. We report a case of an 8 month old male infant, who had an osteosarcoma involving the right proximal tibia. This patient was treated by wide excision with transepiphyseal resection and reconstruction with allograft. At 20 months after operation, the varus deformity was developed at the proximal junctional site of allograft. Thereafter, the revision was performed with correction of deformity and augmentation with the proximal fibula transfer. At 51 months after operation, he has been remained as free of disease, and he has recovered the knee motion ranged from 15 degree to 75 degree. The osteosarcoma in infant is very rare but it should be considered the osteosarcoma in the differential diagnosis of any bone lesion. Instead of amputation, the limb sparing operation and the solutions for limb length inequility in growing period should be carefully considered in the infantile osteosarcoma.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 1993

To analyze biochemical changes of liver function following combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia, we reviewed retrospectively 37 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with radiotherapy and hyperthermia between July 1988 and December 1990 at Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine. Mean age was 52.7 years and male to female ratio was 11:1. The patients were classified as follows; to A and B group by Child's classification, to M and L group by irradiated volume, and subclassified into BM, BL, AM and AL group according to the combination of Child's classification and irradiated volume. Radiation dose to the primary tumor was 3060 cGy with daily 180 cGy, 5 fraction per week using 10 MV or 4 MV linear accelerator. Hyperthermia (Thermotron RF-8) was performed more than 4 times in all patients. Biochemical parameters including albumin (Alb), total bilirubin (T. Bil), aspartate aminotransferase (AST or SGOT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were regularly followed from 1 week before the treatment to 3 months after the treatment. The results are summerized as follows; 1) In all the patient, mean ALP level peaked at 1 month, decreased at 2 months, slightly increased at 3 months after the treatment. Mean SGOT and SGPT levels peaked at 1 month after the treatment. Mean T. Bil level increased continuously and highest at 3 months after the treatment. Mean Alb level did not show significant changes.; 2) Mean ALP level retured to normal level at 3 month after the treatment in A but increased in B group and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.01). Mean SGOT and SGPT levels peaked 1 month in A and 2 months after the treatment in B group. All the biochemical parameters did not show significant difference between M and L group. Mean ALP level increased at 3 months after the treatment in BM and BL groups and decreased in AM and AL groups. Mean SGOT level increased at 3 months after the treatment in BL groups.; 3) Hepatic failure occurred within 3 months after the treatment in 4 patients, all of whom were in BL group. It is suggested that pre-treatment liver function and irradiated volume influence biochemical changes of liver in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia, and this treatment modality appears generally to be safe but might cause hepatic failure particularly in patient with poor liver function and large treatment volume.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.455-465
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• 1999

Background: Even though lung cancer has become a major cancer in Korea, national survey for lung cancer has not been available except several reports from individual hospitals. Methods: Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases retrospectively investigated the characteristics of lung cancer diagnosed from January 1997 to December 1997 at general hospitals over 400 beds. Results: Among 3,794 patients, 76.8% are smokers and 89.8% of male patients are smokers. Squamous cell carcinoma is the leading type of lung cancer(44.7%) followed by adenocarcinoma(27.9%). Smoking rate in adenocarcinoma was significantly lower than in squamous cell carcinoma and small cell cancer. Cough is the most common symptom, however, 7.2% are asymptomatic. Bronchoscopic biopsy has a main role in the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma and small cell cancer but percutaneous needle biopsy has more important role in adenocarcinoma. Two-thirds of NSCLC patients were found in unresectable advanced stages. Conclusion: In contrast to other countries, squamous cell carcinoma is still the most frequent type of lung cancer. High proportions of smoker and advanced, unresectable lung cancer urge us to develop the program for cessation of smoking and early detection.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2006

Female phenotype of a 46,XY male may originates from male pseudohermaphroditism due to $17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency. Lack of cortisol increases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and mineralocorticoid production, leading to low renin hypertention and hypokalemia. A 41-year-old phenotypic female presented primary amenorrhea and hypertension. In the hormonal profile, the levels of serum estradiol, testosterone, rennin, and cortisol were decreased and ACTH and deoxycorticosterone were increased. Laparoscopic bilateral gonadectomy was performed, and corticosteroid, antihypertensive drugs, and estrogen were administered. We report this case with a brief review of the literatures.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.894-902
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• 1996

Background : Tumor angiogenesis is the growth of new vessels toward and within tumor. It has been demonstrated that the growth of tumor beyond a certain size requires angiogenesis and it is closely involved in tumor progression and metastasis. The finding that intensity of neovascularization correlates independently with metastasis may lead to identification of patients in whom radical surgery should be supplemented by systemic treatment. Method : We have collected paraffin blocks of bronchoscopic biopsy of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. We highlighted the vessel by staining endothelial cell with JC70 monoclonal antibody(to CD31) immunohistochemically and counted microvessels under 200 X field using light microscopy. Results : 1) The mean microvessel count was $32.7{\pm}20.8$ (9-96) in total 29 cases. 2) There were no correlations between microvessel counts and pathologic cell type, T staging, node melastasis(N) and hematogenous metastasis(M) (p>0.05). 3) The median follow-up duration was 15 months(2-46) and there was no correlation between the microvessel counts and survival rate of lung cancer patients (p>0.05). Conclusion : Tumor angiogenesis seems to be an important prognostic factor suggesting the probability of metastasis. But the microvessel count in the bronchoscopic biopsy specimen was inadequate and very limited. There has been no data about angiogenesis of lung cancer in korea yet So the study of tumor angiogenesis using resected lung tumor specimen would be demanded.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.236-242
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• 1996

Intracranial tuberculoma results from hematogenous spread of pulmonary, intestinal or urogenital tuberculosis. However, it might be caused by pulmonary tuberculosis, mainly. Clinically, symptoms of intracranial tuberculoma are headache and seizure, its symptoms are simillar to intracranial tumor. A 25-year-old-unmarried shopgirl was visited to this hospital because of headache, dizziness and visual disturbance for couple weeks in Sep. 1995. She had been treated with anti-tuberculosis agents of miliary tuberculosis during past nine months period. Brain MRI revealed intracranial tuberculoma and brain edema but not involved optic nerve. Ophthalmic examination revealed severe papilledema and splinter hemorrhage with bitemporal hemianopsis and central scotoma. This finding was strongly suggested of optic disc tuberculoma. Her symptoms became much better following repeated retrobulbar steroid injection with continuous anti-tuberculosis agents. We report a interesting case with intracranial tuberculoma and optic disc tuberculoma associated by miliary tuberculosis during anti-tuberculous treatment.