• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2011

Lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor in cervical cancer patients. We report THz imaging for detecting micro-metastatic foci in the lymph nodes of early-stage uterine cervical cancer patients. Five paraffin-embedded metastatic lymph nodes from two cervical cancer patients were imaged using a THz time-domain spectroscopy system in the reflection mode. The size and shape of the tumor regions were compared with those from histopathologic examinations. The metastatic portions of lymph nodes as small as 3 mm were well delineated by THz imaging. The reflected peak amplitudes were lower in metastatic portions than in the normal portions of lymph nodes, and the difference in their peak-to-peak amplitudes was ~5%.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.149-159
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• 1999

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cervical lymph node metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients by MRI film and neural network system. Materials and Methods: The oral squamous cell carcinoma patients(21 patients. 59 lymph nodes) who have visited SNU hospital and been taken by MRI. were included in this study. Neck dissection operations were done and all of the cervical lymph nodes were confirmed with biopsy. In MR images. each lymph node were evaluated by using 6 MR imaging criteria(size. roundness. heterogeneity. rim enhancement. central necrosis, grouping) respectively. Positive predictive value. negative predictive value. and accuracy of each MR imaging criteria were calculated. At neural network system. the layers of neural network system consisted of 10 input layer units. 10 hidden layer units and 1 output layer unit. 6 MR imaging criteria previously described and 4 MR imaging criteria (site I-node level II and submandibular area. site II-other node level. shape I-oval. shape II-bean) were included for input layer units. The training files were made of 39 lymph nodes(24 metastatic lymph nodes. 10 non-metastatic lymph nodes) and the testing files were made of other 20 lymph nodes(10 metastatic lymph nodes. 10 non-metastatic lymph nodes). The neural network system was trained with training files and the output level (metastatic index) of testing files were acquired. Diagnosis was decided according to 4 different standard metastatic index-68. 78. 88. 98 respectively and positive predictive values. negative predictive values and accuracy of each standard metastatic index were calculated. Results: In the diagnosis of using single MR imaging criteria. the rim enhancement criteria had highest positive predictive value (0.95) and the size criteria had highest negative predictive value (0.77). In the diagnosis of using single MR imaging criteria. the highest accurate criteria was heterogeneity (accuracy: 0.81) and the lowest one was central necrosis (accuracy: 0.59). In the diagnosis of using neural network systems. the highest accurate standard metastatic index was 78. and that time. the accuracy was 0.90. Neural network system was more accurate than any other single MR imaging criteria in evaluating cervical lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: Neural network system has been shown to be more useful than any other single MR imaging criteria. In future. Neural network system will be powerful aiding tool in evaluating cervical node metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5505-5510
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study is to analyze the clinical and pathological factors related to the prognosis of Chinese patients with stage Ib to IIb cervical cancer. Methods and Results: 13 clinical pathological factors in 255 patients with stage Ib to IIb cervical cancer undergoing radical hysterectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy were analyzed to screen for factors related to prognosis. The cumulative 5-year survival of the 255 patients was 75.7%. The result of the univariate analysis suggested that clinical stage, cell differentiation, depth of cervical stromal invasion, parametrial tissue involvement, and lymph node metastasis were prognostic factors for patients with stage Ib to IIb cervical cancer (P<0.05). Compared with cases with involvement of iliac nodes, obturator nodes, or inguinal lymph nodes, cases with metastasis to the common iliac lymph nodes had a poorer prognosis (P<0.05). Cases with involvement of four or more lymph nodes had a poorer prognosis than those with involvement of three or fewer lymph nodes (P<0.05). Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards model regression analysis, non-squamous histological type, poor differentiation, parametrial tissue involvement, and outer 1/3 stromal invasion were found to be independently related to patients poor prognosis (P<0.05). Conclusion: Non-squamous histological type, poor cell differentiation, parametrial tissue involvement, and outer 1/3 stromal invasion are the independent poor prognostic factors for patients with stage Ib to IIb cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2081-2085
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• 2012

Background: To investigate the value of ultrasound elastography (UE) in the differentiation between benign and malignant enlarged cervical lymph nodes (LNs). Methods: B-mode ultrasound, power Doppler imaging and UE were examined to determine LN characteristics. Two kinds of methods, 4 scores of elastographic classification and a strain ratio (SR) were used to evaluate the ultrasound elastograms. Results: The cutoff point of SR had high utility in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant of cervical lymph nodes, with good sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Conclusion: UE is an important aid in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant cervical LNs.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2001

Objectives: The clinical efficacy of the color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound with spectral waveform analysis for differentiation of malignant from benign cervical lymphadenopathy was prospectively evaluated in cervical lymphadenopathy. Materials and Methods: Color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound examination was prospectively performed in 32 cervical lymph nodes in 28 patients. These 10 nodes from 10 patients were malignant and 22 nodes from 18 patients were benign, proved by operation, biopsy, and follow-up examination. Another 12 lymph nodes from 12 normal volunteers were evaluated as control group. The peak systolic velocity (PSV), minimal diastolic velocity (MDV) , and resistive indexes (RI) of arterial flows within the 32 lymph nodes were assessed to differentiate the malignant from benign nodes with pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. The results were qualitified with one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni method of multiple comparison. Results: The mean values of PSV of malignant, benign, and control nodes were 38.2(10.1-134)cm/sec, 23.3(9-38.5) cm/sec and 11.8(6.7-18.1) cm/sec, respectively. The mean values of MDV of them were 0.9(-7.5-10.7)cm/sec, 9.7(2.9-18.6)cm/sec and 6.5(3.7-9.3)cm/sec, respectively. However, there was no statistical significance in differentiation of malignant from benign nodes with PSV and MDV. The mean values of RI of malignant, benign, and control nodes were 0.99(0.80-1.30), 0.59(0.46-0.77) and 0.45(0.38-0.50), respectively. RI value of 0.8 is suggestive value for discrimination of malignant from benign lymphadenopathy during examination of color Doppler ultrasound of cervical lymphadenopathy. Conclusion: Color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound examination with spectral waveform analysis may be quite helpful in the differentiation between benign and malignant alterations of cervical lymph nodes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.954-962
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• 1995

Extended lymph node dissection, which includes dissection of the cervical and superior mediastinal nodes[three-field dissection , has been performed to improve the long-term survival since 1982 in Japan. Recently, the 5-year survival rate after three-field dissection has been reported to be better than 40%. During the period, from April to June, 1995, 4 patients among 7 operable esophageal cancer patients underwent subtotal esophagectomy with systematic dissection of regional lymph nodes including superior mediastinal and cervical lymph nodes at St. Mary`s Hospital. The esophagogastric anastomoses were made in the neck and the ascending routes of gastric tube were posterior mediastinal route. The cancer stage of them were stage IIA & IIB and it was possible to operate on a curability II & III basis. The numbers of resected lymph nodes with the three field dissection were 40-55. Postoperative complications were transient recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and atelectasis in 2 patients respectively but there was no anastomotic leak nor stenosis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 1995

The poor survival rates of patients with carcinoma of a tongue, despite of modern therapy, is well recognized. One of the most important prognostic factors is status of the cervical lymph nodes. There have been a long-standing debate about the treatment of cervical lymph nodes in early-stage tongue cancer. There are two major treatment opinion. The one is surgical excision of primary tumor with prophylactic neck dissection, simultaneously, and the other is to delay the cervical therapy until cervical lymph node is palpable. Recently we have experienced the early cervical metastasis in three patients who had been diagnosed as a carcinoma of the tongue. They were T1, T2 lesion and no palpable node was found. But histopathologic examination showed the occult metastasis or delayed cervical metastasis was occured. By the review of literature and clinical experience, we could conclude the prophylactic neck dissection offers a better chance for success than therapeutic neck dissection of palpable lymph nodes, in case of oral tongue cancer.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.183-186
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• 2010

Purpose : Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is known for malignant tumor which has a favorable prognosis and long-term survival. Although the prognosis for patients with PTC is generally good, PTC tends to have highly metastatic property. The purpose of this study was to analyze the central compartment lymph node in papillary thyroid cancer with no lymph node metastasis clinically and to assess the significance of prophylactic node dissection. Methods : A retrospective review was carried out in 394 patients with PTC who underwent surgery for the period from January 2004 to December 2006. The positive rate of the lymph node metastasis was analyzed. The relations between the central compartment lymph nodes and the patients' age, gender, tumor size, exrathyroidal extension(ETE), multifocality, and bilaterality were comparatively analyzed in PTC patients with preoperative no lymph node metastasis. Results : The enrolled patients were 40 male and 354 female cases. The 118 cases of them were found to have cervical lymph node metastasis. The mean age was 46 years(range, 15-77years). Tumor size(p=0.000), ETE(p=0.001), multifocality(p=0.014), and bilaterality(p=0.001) were significantly related factors for cervical lymph node metastasis clinically in papillary thyroid cancer. However, age and gender were not significantly related with lymph node metastasis. Conclusion : Although no lymph node metastasis clinically, prophylactic neck node dissection can be performed to avoid risks of local recurrence and reoperation in the light of PTC nature. The pathological status and high positive rate of central compartment lymph node relate to tumor size and extrathyroidal extension. Close surveillance for nodal status is required in follow-up.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1225-1233
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• 1997

Background : Cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis(CTL) is one of the most common extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Recently overall incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis has decreased, but the incidence of tuberculous lymphadenitis has not decreased. Its duration of treatment is still controversial and the pathogenesis, prognosis and relationship with other site tuberculous are poorly published. So we did a retrograde study of 120 cases of confirmed CTL about its clinical manifestations. Method : All patients were applied fine needle aspiration(FNA) of palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes and 114 patients were examined for AFB smear and 34 patients for TB culture with aspirated fluid. 57 patients were examined Mantoux test(5TU with PPD-S). With above methods, a total of 120 patients was diagnosed as having CTL. Results : 1) CTL is most prevalent in young women between the age of 20~30 years and the incidence of CTL in female is 2.5 times higher than that of male. It is located most commonly in the posterior cervical area. The most common presenting symptom is painless palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes. 2) With FNA of enlarged cervical lymph nodes, the percentage of histopathological positivity is 82.3%. The percentage of AFB smear positivity is 38.6%, and that of TB culture positivity is 17.6%(p<0.001). 3) Pulmonary tuberculosis is noted in 79 cases(65.8%). And 42 cases(53.5%) of them had minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. In 14 cases(11.7%), other extrapulmonary tuberculosis coexsisted and pleural tuberculosis was most Common in the order. 4) CTL was treated with anti-tuberculous medication(first line drug) and median treatment duration was 18.5months. During treatment, the size of involved lymph nodes decreased gradually in 62 cases(75.8%), newly developed lymph nodes were found in 25 cases(30.4%), fluctuation formation in 22 cases(26.8%) and fistula formation in 14 cases(17.0%). Conclusion : CTL is prevalent in women between the age of 20~40 years and it involves posterior cervical area most commonly. CTL is treated with long-term anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. We think it is one manifestation of systemic disease and frequently coexisting with pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite anti-tuberculous chemotherapy, the size of involved lymph nodes was increased, new lymph nodes were developed or fluctuation and fistula formed in involved lymph nodes. After sufficient medication, when the patient felt pressure discomfort from enlarged lymph node or fistula was formed, we recommended total excision of involved lymph nodes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7291-7294
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• 2015

Purpsoe: To investigate the diagnostic value of quantitative analysis of a tissue diffusion and virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) technique with acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for assessing enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six enlarged cervical lymph nodes confirmed by pathologic diagnoses were covered in the study. According to the results of pathologic diagnosis, patients were classified into benign and malignant groups. All the patients were examined by both conventional ultrasonography and elastography. AREA% and shear wave velocity (SWV) in ROI of different groups were calculated and compared using ROC curves. Cut-off points of AREA% and SWV were determined with receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Final histopathological results revealed 21 cases of benign and 35 cases of malignant lymph nodes. The mean values of AREA% and SWV in benign and malignant groups were $45.0{\pm}17.9%$ and $2.32{\pm}0.57m/s$, and $61.3{\pm}21.29%$ and $4.36{\pm}1.25$)m/s, respectively. For the parameters of elastography, "AREA%" and SWV demonstrated significant differences between groups (p=0.002). AREA% was positively correlated with SWV with a correlation coefficient of 0.809 (P<0.001). Conclusions: Stiffness of different lymph node diseases in patients may differ. Elastography can evaluate changes sensitively and provide valuable information to doctors. The study proved that the VTIQ elastography technique can play an important role in differential diagnosis of lymph nodes.