• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.792-798
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• 2002

Although there is a controversy on the optimal timing for active infective endocarditis(IE), recently good results of early surgical intervention have been published. Herein, we analyzed the results of surgery for active IE according to the duration of preoperative antibiotic treatment. Material and Method : Retrospectively, we analyzed 51 patients who underwent operation for active IE at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery of Samsung medical center from Mar. 1995 to Oct. 2001. Male to female ratio was 39:12, mean age of the patients was 44.5$\pm$17.8 years(range : 13~74). Infected valves were mitral valve in 17(33.3%), aortic valve in 15(29.4%), mitral and aortic valve in 12(23.5), and tricuspid valve in 5(9.8%) cases. Among them, prosthetic valve endocarditis was present in 10(19.6%) cases. Infecting organism was Staphylococcus in 19(37.3%), Streptococcus in 17(33.3%), Enterococcus in 3(5.9%), fungus in 3(5.9%), and other bacteria in 5(9.8%) cases. Organism was not isolated in 6(11.8%) cases, and two organisms were isolated in 4(7.8%) cases. Dividing these patients into two groups according to the duration of preoperative antibiotic treatment(A: less than 7 days, B: more than 8 days), we compared the surgical results between the two groups. Result : There were 16 cases in group A and 35 in group B. Annular reconstruction was performed in 10(62.5%) cases in group A and 10(28.6%) cases in group B, which has statistically significance(p＜0.05). There was one early death in group B. Forty nine patients(96.1%) except two were followed up with mean follow-up duration of 28.7 $\pm$ 23.6 months. Endocarditis was recurred in one in group A, and two in group B. Three late deaths occurred in group B. Recurrence rate and survival were not statistically different between the two groups. Conclusion : Early surgery for active IE showed good results as the result of that which was performed after prolonged antibiotic treatment; therefore, we believe that early surgery for active If could effectively eradicate the infection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.1019-1023
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• 2003

Purpose : To determine the differences in clinical characteristics, blood chemistry and coronary artery complications between patients with Kawasaki disease who received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) within the fourth day of illness and after the fifth day of illness. Methods : A retrospective chart review was conducted of all children with Kawasaki disease who were admitted to Ewha Mokdong Hospital between January 2001 and June 2002. The early treatment group received IVIG within the fourth day of illness(n=34) and the control group received IVIG after the fifth day of illness(n=53). Clinical manifestations, fever duration, hospitalization days, CBC, blood chemistry and coronary artery complications were compared between two groups. Results : No demographic differences were noted between the two groups(P>0.05). Total duration of fever was significantly shorter in the early treatment group than the control group($4.8{\pm}2.5days$ vs $7.4{\pm}3.0days$, P<0.05), but there were no differences in fever duration after IVIG treatment and hospitalization days between two groups(P>0.05). No significant differences were noted in the level of hemoglobin, WBC, ESR, CRP, AST, ALT and albumin between two groups(P>0.05). No significant differences in the incidence of IVIG retreatment were noted between the two groups(11.8% vs 5.7%, P>0.05). No significant differences in the incidence of coronary artery complications were noted between the two groups(11.7% vs 18.9%, P>0.05). No significant differences in the recurrence rate were noted between the two groups(3% vs 2%, P>0.05). Conclusion : Early IVIG treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease reduces the total fever duration. Coronary artery complications were not increased in patients with early IVIG treatment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2001

Purpose : To evaluate interim results in terms of failure, cosmetic results and survival after breast conserving operation and radiation therapy in early breast cancer. Material and Methods : From January 1992 through December 1997, seventy two patients with early stage 0, I and II breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery plus radiotherapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Age distribution was 25 to 77 years old with median age of 43. According to TNM stage, five patients had stage 0, thirty three were stage I, twenty five were IIa, and nine were IIb. Most patients underwent excision of all gross tumor and ipsilateral axillary dissection. Breast was irradiated through medial and lateral tangential fields of 6 MV photons to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks. We delivered a boost irradiation dose of 10 to 16 Gy in 1 to 2 weeks to excision site. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in forty one patients with CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) regimens of 6 cycles concurrently or before radiation. Cosmetic results were assessed by questionnaire to patients grading of excellent, good, fair, poor. Follow-up periods were 22 to 91 months with median 40 months. Results : Five year disease free survival rate (5YDFS) was $95.8\%$. According to stage, 5YDFS was $100\%,\;96.9\%,\;96\%\;and\;88.9\%$ in stage 0, I, IIa and IIb, respectively. Two patients had distant metastasis and one had local and distant failure. One patient with distant failure had bone and liver metastasis at 14 months after treatment and the other had lung and both supraclavicular metastasis at 21 months after treatment. Patient with local and distant failure had local recurrence on other quadrant in same breast and then salvaged with total mastectomy and chemotherapy but she died due to brain metastasis at 55 months. Complications were radiation pneumonitis in five patients (four patients of asymptomatic, one patients of symptomatic) and hand or arm edema(4 patients). Fifty nine patients answered our cosmetic result questionnaire and cosmetic results were good to excellent in fifty one patients $(86\%)$. Conclusion : We considered that conservative surgery and radiation for the treatment of early stage invasive breast cancer was safe and had excellent survival and cosmetic results. We need to assess about prognostic factors with longer follow up and with large number of patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.79-82
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• 1993

From October 1989 to March 1992, ten patients diagnosed as primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma were treated with radiation therapy at Asan Medical Center. To obtain pathologic diagnosis, five patients had stereotactic biopsy and the others underwent craniotomy & tumor removal. According to the classification by International Working Formulation, seven of 10 patients showed diffuse large cell types and the remaining 3 had diffuse mixed cell types. Computed tomographic scans of the brain disclosed solitary (6 cases) or multiple (4 cases) intracranial lesions. All patients received 4000 cGy/20 fx to the whole brain followed by an additional 2000 cGy/10 fx boost to the primary lesion. Six patients with initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF involvement were treated with whole brain irradiation and intrathecal Methotrexate (IT-MTX) chemotherapy. One of them received an additional spinal irradiation after 3 cycles of IT-MTX chemotherapy because of MTX induced arachnoiditis. One patient received 3 cycles of systemic chemotherapy prior to rodiation therapy and one received 5 cycles of salvage chemotherapy for recurrence. With a median follow up time of 8 months, all patients were followed from 7 to 26 months. Radiologically seven patients showed complete remission and the remaining three showed partial remission at one month after radiotherapy. The 1 and 2 year survival rate was $86{\%}\;and\;69{\%}$ respectively. Until now, two patients expired at 7 and 14 months. These patients developed extensive CSF seeding followed by local failure. Considering initial good response to radiation therapy and low incidence of extraneural dissemination in primary CNS lymphoma, we propose to increase total tumor dose to the primary lesion by hyperfractionated radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery. For the patients with CSF involvement at diagnosis, we propose craniospinal irradiation with IT MTX chemotherapy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 1996

Purpose : Respiratory symptoms related with malignant airway disease have been the main causes of lowered qualify of life and also sometimes may be life-threatening if not properly managed. The authors report the short-term experiences of endobronchial brachytherapy for symptomatic malignant airway obstruction using high dose rate after-loading brachytherapy unit. Materials and Methdos : Twenty-five Patients with symptomatic malignant airway obstruction were treated with endobronchial brachytherapy between the period of December 1994 and March 1996 at Department of Radiation Oncology of Samsung Medical Center Twenty-one ($84\%$) were patients with non-small cell lung cancer, three with tracheal malignancies, and one with recurrence of esophageal cancer. Twenty Patients were given elective external beam radiation therapy, while six were given endobronchial laser evaporation therapy on emergency bases in addition to endobronchial brachytherapy. Three procedures for each patient were planned and total of 70 procedures were completed. Results : Improvement rates of major respiratory symptoms after endobronchial brachytherapy procedures were $88\%$(22/25). $96\%$(22/23), $100\%$ (15/15), and $100\%$(9/9) for cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis and obstructive pneumonia, respectively. ECOG performance scores were improved in $56\%$ of total patients group, while there was no case with worsened ECOG score. Fifteen patients died and the median interval from the start of treatment to death was 4 months (range: $1\~17$ months), while that of ten survivors was 9 months (range $5\~19$ months). There were five patients with controlled intrathoracic disease, who have survived over one rear. All deaths were associated with uncontrolled local and/or distant disease. Four Patients died of massive fatal hemoptysis, three of who received emergency endobronchial laser evaporation therapy before the start of endobronchial brachytherapy. Conclusion : Endobronchial brachytherapy has been confirmed as an excellent palliative treatment modality improving respiratory symptoms as well as patients' general performance status. Based on the current observations, use of endobronchial brachytherapy in curative setting as a boost technique may be warranted.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2007

Purpose: To analyze retrospectively the outcome of postoperative radiation therapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy for curatively resected stage II pancreatic cancer with T3 or N1 disease. Materials and Methods: Between January 1996 and December 2005, twenty-eight patients completed adjuvant radiation therapy at Ajou University Hospital. The patients had either pathologic T3 stage or N1 stage. The radiation target volume encompassed the initial tumor bed identified preoperatively, resection margin area and celiac nodal area. In the case of N1 patients, the radiation field extended to the lower margin of the L3 vertebra for covering both para-aortic lymph nodes bearing area. The median total radiation dose was 50 Gy. Ten patients received concurrent chemotherapy. Results: Thirteen patients (46%) showed loco-regional recurrences. The celiac axis nodal area was the most frequent site (4 patients). Five patients showed both loco-regional recurrence and a distant metastasis. Patients with positive lymph nodes had a relatively high probability of a distant metastasis (57.1%). Patients that had a positive resection margin showed a relatively high local failure rate (57.1%). The median disease-free survival period of all patients was 6 months and the 1-and 2-year disease free survival rates were 27.4% and 8.2%, respectively. The median overall survival period was 9 months. The 2-and 3-year overall survival rates were 31.6% and 15.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The pancreatic cancer patients with stage II had a high risk of local failure and a high risk of a distant metastasis. We suggest the concurrent use of an effective radiation-sensitizing chemotherapeutic drug and adjuvant chemotherapy after postoperative radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with stage II pancreatic cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2008

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and prognostic factors of treatment-related pneumonitis in non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT). Materials and Methods: One-hundred-five patients with NSCLC treated with IMRT between 1 August 2004 and 30 November 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age of patients was 62.9 years, and squamous carcinomas were confirmed in 81 patients(77%). Sixty-six patients(62.9%) were classified as stage III, and 59 patients had lesions in the right lung. Twenty-seven patients were treated with a dose of 3,060 cGy preoperatively, and 10 patients were given a dose of 5,040 cGy postoperatively. Sixty-eight patients received a dose of 7,020 cGy for curative intent. Sixty-eight patients were treated with the use of the CORVUS planning system and 37 patients were treated with the use of the ECLIPSE planning system. Results: Of 105 patients, 21 patients(20%) had abnormal radiological findings, but only seven patients(6.7%) required treatment for radiation pneumonitis. Six of the seven patients had other serious lesions, including a bronchioesophageal fistula(one patient), recurrence in the treatment field(two patients), brain metastasis(one patient) and lung-to-lung metastasis(two patients); all of these patients died within 19 months after radiation treatment. Sixteen patients(23.5%) that received planning with the CORVUS system had abnormal lung findings. Five patients(13.5%) had abnormal lung findings with the use of the ECLIPSE planning system. Other prognostic factors such as perioperative radiation therapy, a volume over 10% of the V20 volume in the right lung, were also statistically significant. Conclusion: This retrospective analysis suggests that IMRT could be a beneficial treatment modality for the reduction of radiation pneumonitis in NSCLC patients. However, the higher incidence of abnormal radiological findings in perioperative patients treated with relatively lower doses($3,060{\sim}5,040$ cGy) suggest the need for judicious treatment planning in preoperative or postoperative treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.346-355
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• 1997

To evaluate the utility of I-131, T1-201 scintigraphy, and serum thyroglobulin(Tg) in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer, we compared retrospectively the data from 33 patients who underwent total or subtotal thyroidectomy. I-131 scintigraphy was performed after optimal endogenous TSH stimulation ($TSH>50{\mu}U/ml$). Total 41 cases of I-131 and T1-201 scintigraphy pairs were examined. Concomitant serum thyroglobulin levels were measured for 41 pairs of scan. Tg-off levels(that measured after discontinuation of the thyroid hormone) higher than 40ng/m1 were considered positive, and Tg-on levels(that measured during the thyroid hormone replacement) higher than 5ng/ml were considered positive. The concordance rates between I-131 therapeutic scintigraphy and T1-201 scintigraphy was 48% in the 38 case of total scan pairs(59% in the 17 cases of postoperative preablation group, and 38% in the 21 cases of postoperative postablation group). Of 17 studies before the I-131 ablation therapy(preablation group), 7 showed positive I-131 therapeutic scintigraphy despite of negative T1-201 scintigraphy. Among patients with negative I-131 therapeutic scintigraphy, no patients had abnormal T1-201 uptake. However, of 21 studies which were done after radioiodine therapy(postablation group) 6 had abnormal uptake on T1-201 scintigraphy which were not seen on I-131 therapeutic scintigraphy, and Tg-off levels also elevated in this 4 of 6 cases. As a result, I-131 therapeutic scintigraphy showed highest positive rate at postoperative preablation follow-up study in differentiated thyroid cancer patients. T1-201 scintigraphy may be useful in postablation studies, and the use of the combined modalities(T1-201 and Tg levels) provides a higher diagnostic yield.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.22-44
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• 1994

Clinical observations were done on 67 cases with Diabetes Mellitus in CVA patients who were confirmed by CT scan and observed for over 1 week, admitted to the Dept. of Internal Medicine in Oriental Medical Hospital of Dongguk University from January 1992 to December 1993. The results were as follows; 1. 86 patients (15.3%) with Diabetes Mellitus were found in 561 CVA patients, the 6th decade of age was 40.2%, the ratio of male to female was 0.72:1. 2. The local distribution of CVA was similar to common CVA, and occlusive CVD was 83.6%, cerebral hemorrhage was 16.4% in this study. 3. The association between blood glucose and years were not significant. The largest ratio of fasting blood glucose were 140-199 mg/dl (44.6%) in admission, below 139 mg/dl (51.8%) in discharge in case of occlusive CVD. In cerebral hemorrhage, that were 140-199 mg/dl(45.5%) in dmission, below 139 mg/dl (45.5%) in discharge. The largest ratio of pp2hrs blood glucose were 200-299mg/dl in admission and discharge both occlusive CVD and cerebral hemorrhage. 4. The total sensitivity of urine glucose was 71.6%, and sensitivity of urine glucose in cerebral hemorrhage (81.8%) was more higher than that of occlusive CVD (69.6%). 5. Below 4 years had the highest prevalence(44.8%) in duration of diabetes mellitus. Patients usually used oral hypoglycemic agents(41.8%), insulin injection(23.9%) treatment and non-therapeutic was 17.9% in this study. 6. Predisposing factors and symptoms in admissin were similar to common CVA. The conscious disturbance on attacck was 41.1% in occlusive CVD, and that was 63.7% in cerebral hemorrhage. 7. The most common ratio of the season's attack was spring (44.8%), 8. The frequency of post history was as follows, hypertension (44.8%), heart disease (10.4%), and they were in below 199 mg/dl (83.3%) of fasting blood glucose. 9. The family history of CVA was 46.3%, and they was higher than nondiabetic patients. 10. The recurrence rate of CVA was 28.4%, and that of occlusive CVD(28.6%) was higer than cerebral hemorrhage's (18.2%). 11. The smoker was 52.2%, the drinker was 38.9%. 12. The complications was occured in 10 cases (14.9%) after admission, and they frequently occured than common CVA. 13. In admission, the ratio of systolic blood pressure in over l60mmHg was 42.9%, that of diastolic blood pressure in over l00mmHg was 12.5% in occlusive CVD. In cerebral hemorrhage, the ratio of systolic blood pressure in over l60mmHg was 54.5%, that of diastolic blood pressure in over l00mmHg was 27.3%. 14. The average beginned time of physical theraphy was, generally lated, 8.3 days in occlusive CVD, 11.2 days in cerebral hemorrhage. Average admitted period was longer than common CVA, and was 29.2 days in occlusive CVD, 11.2 days in cerebral hemorrhage. 15. The degree of recovery were 82.1% in occlusive CVD, 72.7% in cerebral hemorrhage. 16. The herb medications were various Sunghyanggeonggisans, Sopungtang, Ganghwalyupungtang, Yanggyuksan etc. were used most frequently, and Yukmijihwangtang, Gamidaebotang, Mangeumtang etc. were used as discharge.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.216-222
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• 2008

Background: Prosthetic annuloplasty rings are used for the reconstruction of the mitral valve annulus. However, there is controversy over the best ring to use for reconstruction. In this study, we evaluated the long term result of using a Teflon felt strip as an alternative to commercial rings. Material and Method: From 1996 to 2007, we enrolled 47 patients with pure mitral regurgitation greater than grade III. All patients had an ejection fraction of 40% or more. Patients with congenital heart disease or other valvular heart disease were excluded from this study. They were divided into two groups; the commercial ring group (Group CR) and the Teflon felt ring group (Group TF). Result: There was no mortality. The postoperative echocardiography showed no significant change in the overall ejection fraction (from $58.0{\pm}11.2%\;to\;42.8{\pm}8.4%$). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to morbidity, the reoperation rate and recurrence of mitral regurgitation greater than grade II. Conclusion: The long term results from this study showed that posterior mitral annuloplasty using Teflon felt had similar results compared to annuloplasty using commercial rings.