• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2011

Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has been performed with increasing frequency over the last decade. However, there is still controversy as to its indications, safety, and feasibility. Especially regarding lung cancer surgery, it is not certain whether it can reduce local recurrences and improve overall survival. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1,067 cases of VATS lobectomy performed between 2003 and 2009, including the indications, postoperative morbidity, mortality, recurrence, and survival rate. Results: One thousand and sixty seven patients underwent VATS lobectomy for the following indications: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n=832), carcinoid tumors (n=12), metastatic lung cancer (n=48), and benign or other diseases (n=175). There were 63 cases (5.9%) of conversion to open thoracotomy during VATS lobectomy. One hundred thirty one (15.7%) of the 832 NSCLC patients experienced pathologic upstaging postoperatively. The hospital mortality rate was 0.84% (9 patients), and all of them died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. One hundred forty-nine patients (14.0%) experienced postoperative complications. The median follow-up was 22.9 months for patients with NSCLC. During follow-up, 120 patients had a recurrence and 55 patients died. For patients with pathologic stage I, the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate at 3 years was $92.2{\pm}1.5%$ and $86.2{\pm}1.9%$, respectively. For patients with pathologic stage II disease, the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate at 3 years was $79.2{\pm}6.5%$ and $61.9{\pm}6.6%$, respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggest that VATS lobectomy is a technically feasible and safe operation, which can be applied to various lung diseases. In patients with early-stage lung cancer, excellent survival can be also achieved.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.176-183
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• 2011

Introduction: Very high aggressiveness and recurrence are important clinical characteristics of ameloblastoma compared to the other benign tumors. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan is important. This study examined the association of the clinical findings and recurrence based on the radiological findings of ameloblastoma. In recurrent cases, these results are expected to help in the diagnosis and treatment of ameloblastoma to examine the relevance with the clinical characteristics and radiological features. Materials and Methods: For a clinical (gender, age) and radiological (location, internal pattern, size, perforation, border pattern, impacted tooth, root resorption) evaluation, this study examined 156 cases of 147 patients diagnosed with ameloblastoma, who had been treated and in most cases regularly checked at the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Kyungpook National University Hospital, between January 1993 and December 2009. For a recurrent rate evaluation, a more than 3 years follow-up period is needed. Accordingly, 116 patients diagnosed with ameloblastoma between January 1994 and December 2007 were investigated. Results: The recurrence rate in all cases was 6.1% but was 7.8% in cases with follow-up periods more than 3 years. The male-to-female ratio was 3:2, showing a slight male predilection. Ameloblastoma had a peak occurrence in the second decade of life followed by the fourth decade of life. The mandibular angle area is the most frequent site of ameloblastoma (50.8%) in the jaws. Six cases of unilocular (7.8%) and 3 cases of multilocular (7.7%) ameloblastomas recurred. Seven cases of smooth (10%) and 2 cases of irregular (4.3%) ameloblastomas recurred. No cases of ameloblastomas without perforation of the cortical bone (0%) and 9 cases with a perforation of cortical bone (11.1%) recurred. Four cases of the ameloblastomas with impacted teeth (11.4%) and 5 cases of ameloblastomas without impacted tooth (6.2%) recurred. Seven cases of ameloblastomas with root resorption (10.9%) and 2 cases of ameloblastomas without root resorption (3.8%) recurred. Conclusion: A multiple smooth margin, unilocular ameloblastoma with an impacted tooth, root resorption tends to recur more easily. Therefore, they need to be treated more carefully and require a a longer follow-up.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.313-317
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• 2008

Lipoma is a common neoplasm in soft tissues. However, an intrapulmonary lipoma is a rare benign tumor. Patients with a bronchial lipoma might have a malignant potential related to their smoking history due to the case reports of lung cancer accompanied with lipoma. Endobronchial lipoma can cause irreversible parenchymal lung damage if not diagnosed and treated early. Therefore, it should initially be treated by fiberoptic bronchoscopy or surgery depending on the status of distal parenchymal lung damage. Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a pathological syndrome that is defined by the presence of buds of granulation tissue consisting of fibroblasts and collagen within the lumen of the distal air spaces. BOOP is caused by drug intoxication, connective tissue disease, infection, obstructive pneumonia, tumors, or an unknown etiology. We encountered a 58 year-old male patient with endobronchial lipoma, causing the collapse of the right middle and lower lobes, and BOOP due to obstructive pneumonia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2010

Objective: Abnormalities of the bone are frequently encountered in patients with meningioma, and hyperostosis and endostosis are common bone alterations in these tumors. Extensive bony destruction is very unusual in patients with meningioma. We report six cases of intracranial meningioma associated with an osteolytic lesion of the skull and discuss the underlying mechanisms that may be responsible for bone destruction in patients with meningioma. Methods: Six patients were classified into three groups, severe, moderate and mild, according to the degree of osteolytic bony destruction. The tumor was classified as intracranial or extracranial, depending on its location. We investigated the potential role of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) in meningioma-associated osteolysis. The levels of MMP expression were determined by gelatin zymography, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Complete surgical removal of the lesion was performed in each patient. Histological examination revealed benign meningioma in four cases, and two cases of atypical meningioma. Patients did not have a poor prognosis except one case of recurred atypical meningioma. Gelatin zymography and RT-PCR detected high levels of MMP-2 in almost all extracranial masses in comparison with the intracranial masses and MMP9 in two. There was no difference in the severity of bone destruction. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed MMP-2 expression in the vicinity of the bone destruction, and a few MMP-9-positive stainings were observed. Conclusion: Osteolysis of the skull in patients with meningiomas might not be indicative of malignant pathological features and poor prognosis. Invasion to the extracranial portion and osteolysis might be associated with MMP-2 expression in meningioma.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.186-195
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• 1994

Fibromatosis is benign fibroblastic proliferative lesion with abundant collagenous neo-formation located principally in the abdominal wall and in the upper and lower extremities (Masson & Soule, 1966). Wilkins and Waldron, in 1975, suggested that the title aggressive fibromatosis was a more appropriate term, reflecting the invasive characteristics of the disease. Synonyms listed were extra-abdominal desmoid, juvenile fibromatosis, aggressive infantile fibromatosis and congenital fibrosarcoma. A total of 12% of all fibromatosis arise in head and neck. Fibromatosis of the oral cavity is uncommon and is even more rare when in involve the mandibule. It is a locally aggressive fibrous tissue tumor, generally does not metastasize, but may cause considerable morbility and even death due to local infiltration. The degree of microscopic cellularity is variable, not only from tumor to tumor but also from area to area in the same tumor. Some tumors present with proliferation of mature fibroblasts and a dominating collagenous component : others may show a lack of the tumor in both types. The common histologic denominator appears to be cellular interlacing bundles of elongated fibroblasts, showing little or no mitotic activity and no pleomorphism. Mitosis are not a consistent index of malignancy when found in younger age groups. Fibromatosis still posses difficult problems of diagnosis and treatment. It is frequently recurrent and infliltrates neighbouring tissues. These lesion infliltrate widely and replace muscle, fat, and even bone with fibrous tissue of varying cellularity. Lesion representing fibromatosis in the oral cavity must be carefully evaulated by both surgeon and pathologists to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment planning. When these lesions involve bone, surgeon must be aware of the lesion's potential to perforate the cortex and expand while remaining hidden from the surgeon's view. Careful and precise clinical correlation with histologic appearance is essential to preclude misdiagnosis of fibrosarcoma yet provide surgical treatment plan that provides adequate local excision and long-term follow up. As regards cause, little is known. It is attributed to trauma or alteration in the sex hormone(Carlos, et al, 1986). Clinially, the lesion is reported to be not painful in most cases, but capable of rapid growth. The treatment is essentially surgical excision with wide margin of adjacent uninvolved tissue. Radiotherapy, hormone treatment or chemotherapy are of no use (WIkins et al, 1975 ; Majumudar and Winiarkl, 1978). We report a case of aggressive fibromatosis of 15-year-old with a lesion in the soft tissue of the parotid area that invaded the underlying bone of the mandibular body.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 1991

We reviewed 15 cases of mesothelioma of the pleura, of which three cases were localized benign form and 12 cases were malignant diffuse form. The tumors were distributed equally in both sexes, and occured most commonly in fifth to seventh decades. The history of exposure to asbestos was present in only one case. The chief complaints were mainly chest pain and dyspnea. Associated symptoms were cough, sputum, hemoptysis, weight loss, anorexia, chill. On physical examination, unilateral, decreased breathing sound was main feature. The simple chest radiograph showed masses in all localized mesotheliomas (100%) and in 2 diffuse mesotheliomas (17%). 8 cases of diffuse mesotheliomas (67%) showed unilateral pleural effusions. Pleural effusions were mainly bloody (67%), and almost all were exudates. In all localized mesotheliomas, final diagnosis was made by open thoracotomy. In diffuse mesotheliomas, final diagnosis was made by open thoracotomy in 7 cases, chest wall mass biopsy in 2 cases, thoracoscopic biopsy in 1 case, pleural biopsy in 1 case, and pleural biopsy combined with axillary lymph node biopsy in 1 case. Localized mesotheliomas were treated by simple excision with good prognosis. In diffuse mesotheliomas, surgical treatment (pleuropneumonectomy, pleurectomy), chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, alone or in combination, were used with dismal prognosis. The prognostic factors were not found due to the small number of cases, incomplete follow up, and early drop out.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2003

Background : Lymphangioma of the mediastinum is an uncommon benign tumor of lymphatic origin that is most often seen in children, is very rare in adults and is frequently discovered incidentally on chest x-ray exams. While radiology (CT and MRI) may suggest the diagnosis and allow an assessment of the operative difficulties, the histology of the surgical specimen is required for precise diagnosis. Complete resection is the only treatment; however, in some patients resection was incomplete because of the infiltrating character of these tumors, leading to recurrence. We report three cases of mediastinal lymphangioma with a review of the literature.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2001

Purpose: Urinary cytology and cystoscopic exam are effective methods for diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma(TCC). But the former shows drawbacks such as the need for a well-trained examiner, and wide imprecision related to the variability of microscopic exam; the latter is an invasive method. $UBC^{TM}$ test detects the epitope on specific cytokeratin fragments released from epithelium of bladder cancer by immunoradiometric assay. We compared $UBC^{TM}$ test with urinary cytology for diagnosis of TCC to evaluate the utility of $UBC^{TM}$ test. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four patients with hematuria were included in our study. $UBC^{TM}$ tests (IDL Biotech, Sweden) were assayed in mid-stream urine according to the ordinary assay protocol. Nineteen patients were confirmed as TCC by cystoscopic examination and underwent transurethral resection (Group A). Other patients had various benign urinary tract conditions (Group B). Samples were considered positive as the $UBC^{TM}$ concentration was greater than $12{\mu}g/L$. Results: $UBC^{TM}$ levels were significantly different between group A ($95.9{\pm}166.4\;{\mu}g/L$) and group B ($19.2{\pm}85.6{\mu}g/L$) (P<0.001). Sensitivity for diagnosis of TCC was 89.5% (17/19) in UBC test and 47.4% (9/19) in cytology (p<0.05). Specificity for diagnosis of TCC was 81.5% (53/65) in $UBC^{TM}$ test and 100% (65/65) in cytology. $UBC^{TM}$ test was significantly more sensitive in stage Ta, $T_1$ tumors (84.6 vs 38.5%, p<0.05) and in grade I (83.3% vs 16.7%, p<0.05) than cytology. $UBC^{TM}$ test showed a tendency to be more sensitive as the grade was higher (83.3% in Grade I, 90% in Grade II and 100% in Grade III). Conclusion: $UBC^{TM}$ test could be a useful method in distinguishing TCC from other benign genitourinary diseases. Moreover, $UBC^{TM}$ test could be an especially valuable marker for diagnosis of TCC in patients with early TCC of low grade TCC compared to urinary cytology. Therefore, mbined use of $UBC^{TM}$ test in association with cytology is helpful to overcome the limited sensitivity of cytology.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2006

Purpose : Palpable lymph nodes are common in the pediatric population, and most of them are either inflammatory or congenital. As the diagnostic evaluation, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is known to be more convenient and economical than tissue biopsy. We evaluated the usefulness of FNAC in children and adolescents. Methods : Four hundred and thirteen FNAC samples(M : F=1 : 1.15) were retrospectively analyzed in patients who were brought to Inha University Hospital, from August 1999 to August 2004. Results : The most common age group was 16-20 years of age(N=148, 35.8 percent). The cervical area was the most frequently involved site(N=310, 75 percent). Non-specific lymphadenitis was the most common(N=227, 54.9 percent), followed by the benign neoplasm(N=59, 14.2 percent). Malignant tumors were 18 cases(4.3 percent), and congenital diseases were found in 10 cases(2.4 percent). In inflammatory lesions, tuberculous lymphadenitis(N=22, 5.3 percent) was the most common with a histologic sensitivity of 90.9 percent. The peripheral blood and serologic studies were non-specific. Fifty nine percent(N=244) of lymphadenitis improved without specific management. Antibiotics were prescribed in 15.2 percent of lymphadenitis and lymphadenectomy was performed in 12.6 percent. Conclusion : Most of the enlarged lymph nodes in children and adolescents were benign. These results show FNAC is a safe, rapid and reliable diagnostic procedure for the appropriate differential diagnosis of enlarged lymph nodes in children and adolescents.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.799-805
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• 1999

Background: Leakage, stricture formation, and tumor recurrence at the anastomotic site are serious problems after esophagectomy for cancer of the esophagus or cardia. The prevalence of these postoperative complications may be affected by whether an anastomosis is made in the neck or in the chest, therefore a comparison was made between anastomoses made at these two sites. Material and Method: Between 1987 and 1998, 36 patients with cancer of the esophagus underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with cervical(NA, n=20) or thoracic anastomosis(CA, n=16). The tumors were staged postoperatively(stage IIA, n=13; s tage IIB, n=7; stage III, n=16) and were located in the middle thoracic(n=22) or lower thoracic esophagus and cardia(n=14). Result: The overall operative mortality was 8.3%(5% for NA group, 12.5% for CA group). The anastomotic leak rate for the NA group was 15.0% and 12.5% for the CA group. The anastomotic leak rate differed according to the manual(27.3%) or stapled(8.0%) techniques(p < 0.05). The median proximal resection margins in the NA and CA groups were 9.6 cm and 5.8 cm, and the corresponding rates of anastomotic tumor recurrence were 5.3% and 28.6%(p < 0.05). The prevalence of benign stricture formation (defined as moderate/severe dysphagia) was higher in the NA group(36.8%) than in the CA group(21.4%). When an anastomosis was made by the stapled technique, smaller size of the staple increased the prevalence of stricture formation - 41.7% with 25-mm staple and 9.1% with 28-mm staple(p < 0.05). Conclusion: Wider resection margin could decrease the anastomotic tumor recurrence, and the stapled technique could decrease the anastomotic leak. The prevalence of benign stricture was higher in the cervical anastomosis but the anastomotic leak and smaller size(25-mm) of the staple should be considered as risk factors.