• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2021

Since Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was introduced in the 1980s, EUS has evolved from a diagnostic tool to a therapeutic modality for patients with pancreatic neoplasms. Traditionally, treatment policy of pancreatic benign neoplasms (PBN) has been a dichotomous approach to observation or surgery. However, EUS guided treatment provides an alternative option with minimally invasiveness for patients with PBN. This review aimed to provide the role of EUS guided treatment for PBN.

• The Korean Journal of Medicine
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• v.99 no.4
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• pp.199-205
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• 2024

Benign small bowel strictures can occur in association with various conditions, including small bowel Crohn's disease, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced enteritis, ischemic enteritis, intestinal tuberculosis, radiation enteritis, postoperative adhesions, and anastomotic strictures. Benign small bowel strictures are classified into two categories, low-grade and high-grade. Low-grade small bowel strictures involve a partial reduction of the internal diameter of the small intestine, causing slight obstruction of the passage of food and digestive fluids without significant bowel obstruction symptoms. By contrast, high-grade small bowel strictures involve a severe narrowing of the intestinal lumen, leading to marked obstruction of the passage of food and digestive fluids and pronounced bowel obstruction symptoms. Small bowel strictures can be diagnosed using various methods, including abdominal plain radiography, abdominal computed tomography, computed tomography enterography, magnetic resonance enterography, balloon-assisted enteroscopy, and abdominal ultrasound. Each diagnostic method has unique advantages and disadvantages as well as differences in diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. Therefore, even if small bowel strictures are not observed using a single imaging technique, their presence cannot be completely excluded. A comprehensive diagnosis that combines clinical information from multiple diagnostic modalities is necessary. Therapeutic approaches for managing small bowel strictures include medical therapy, endoscopic balloon dilation using balloon-assisted enteroscopy, and surgical methods such as strictureplasty and segmental resection. Endoscopic balloon dilation, in particular, can help reduce complications associated with repeated surgeries for strictures.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.108-135
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• 1996

This paper investigates the current feature of management strategy of hospitals in Korea, and examines the relationships between adoption of a particular strategic orientation and the hospitals environmental and organizational characteristics, strategic behaviors and management improvement activities, and financial performance. Data were collected from CEOs of 88 hospitals among 650 hospitals for a 13.5% response rate using the self-administered questionnaire by mail survey. The major findings that obtained are as follows: 1. Only 37.2% of response hospitals carried out strategic planning, Most of these hospitals established the first strategic planning in 1991(81.3%) and renovated strategic planning by 4 or 5 years(56.3%), and modified strategic planning with flexibility(59.4%). Most strategic plans were documented, but informalized(68.8%). And only 29.0% of these hospitals had independent planning division. 2. Hospital services that CEOs assessed rank ordered for their impact on profitability are as follows: i)diagnostic ultrasound facility, computerized tomography scanner, obstetric inpatient unit, therapeutic X-ray, and physical therapy at present. ii)diagnostic ultrasound facility, physical therapy, computerized tomography scanner, emergency department, and health screening at future. And the services rank ordered that CEOs hoped to introduce are as follows: emergency department, physical therapy, health screening, volunteer services, and computerized tomography scanner. 3. Using a typology developed by Miles and Snow(l978), the strategic orientation of response hospitals are shifting significantly from defenders in the past to analyzers in the present, and to prospectors in the future(p<.01). 4. With regard to hospital environmental and organizational characteristics such as ownership, physician training, location, bed size, and hospital management training career and specialty of CEOs, the four strategic orientation archetypes varied not significantly. But, hospitals with a analyser orientation in the present and a reactor orientation in the future perceived competition significantly higher than the other three archetypes(p<.05). 5. The four archetypes rank ordered in terms of appling strategic behaviors and management improvement activities are as follows: prospector, analyzer, reactor, and defender. 6. The four archetypes differed significantly in terms of their financial performance using revenue per bed(p<.05). Reactors and prospectors in terms of total revenue per bed, prospectors in terms of outpatient revenue per bed, and reactors and prospectors in terms of inpatient revenue per bed had the best performance.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.764-772
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• 2020

Objective: Laser ablation is a therapeutic modality used to reduce the volume of large benign thyroid nodules. Unsatisfactory reduction and regrowth are observed in some treated nodules. The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of laser treatment for solid nodules during a 5-year follow-up period, the regrowth rate, and the predictive risk factors of nodule regrowth. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with benign, solid, cold thyroid nodules who underwent laser ablation and were followed-up for 5 years. According to the selection criteria, 104 patients were included (median baseline nodule volume, 12.5 mL [25.0-75.0%, 8-18 mL]; median energy delivered, 481.5 J/mL [25.0-75.0%, 370-620 J/mL]). Nodule volume, thyroid function test results, and ultrasound were evaluated at baseline and then annually after the procedure. Results: Of 104 patients, 31 patients (29.8%) had a 12-month volume reduction ratio (VRR) < 50.0% and 39 (37.5%) experienced nodule regrowth. Of these 39 patients, 17 (43.6%) underwent surgery and 14 (35.9%) underwent a second laser treatment. The rate of nodule regrowth was inversely related to the 12-month VRR, i.e., the lower the 12-month VRR, the higher the risk of regrowth (p < 0.001). The mean time for nodule regrowth was 33.5 ± 16.6 months. The 12-month VRR was directly related to time to regrowth, i.e., the lower the 12-month VRR, the shorter the time to regrowth (p < 0.001; R² = 0.3516). Non-spongiform composition increased the risk of regrowth with an odds ratio of 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-10.2; p < 0.001); 12-month VRR < 50.0% increased the risk of regrowth with an odds ratio of 11.7 (95% CI 4.2-32.2; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The VRR of thyroid nodules subjected to similar amounts of laser energy varies widely and depends on the nodule composition; non-spongiform nodules are reduced to a lesser extent and regrow more frequently than spongiform nodules. A 12-month VRR < 50.0% is a predictive risk factor for regrowth and correlates with the time to regrowth.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of massage, stretching exercise, and scapular stabilization exercise in patients with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Methods: Twenty-three female patients with upper trapezius MPS were randomly allocated to three groups: massage, stretching exercise, and scapular stability exercise groups. Therapeutic intervention for all groups included general therapy such as hot pack, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound. Patients in the massage group (n=8), stretching group (n=7), and stabilization exercise group (n=8) received their respective therapy program after general therapy for 15 minutes. Therapeutic intervention for each group was performed three times per week for six weeks. All groups were tested four times: prior to the test, at three weeks, at six weeks, and at nine weeks. Results: Pain levels decreased significantly in the stretching and stabilization exercise groups over time (p<.05). The rate of change in pain level was significantly different among all groups (p<.01), and the stability exercise group experienced the lowest pain level. Pressure-pain level increased significantly in the stabilization exercise group over time (p<.05). The rate of change in pressure-pain level was significantly different among all groups (p<.01), and the stability exercise group had the highest pressure-pain level. The level of upper-extremity stability increased significantly in the stability exercise group over time (p<.05). The rate of change in the upper-extremity stabilization level was significantly different among all groups (p<.01), and the stability exercise group had the highest upper-extremity stability level. Conclusions: Scapular stabilization exercises proved to be the most effective therapy for MPS patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.353-359
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• 2017

The sonophoresis, a representative low-intensity ultrasonic therapy, is a technique for delivering the drugs into the epidermis, dermis and skin appendages by using physical vibration and heat effects of the ultrasonic waves. Sonophoresis could increases the delivering and absorption efficiency of the drugs usually consisting of hydrophilic molecules and macromolecules. In addition, it has the advantage of being effective in delivering drugs with relatively large molecular sizes such as insulin or lipid. In this study, we proposed a multi-structure ultrasonic transducer assembly with a large-size single piezoelectric element and a drug delivery function at the treatment site for efficient sonophoresis treatment. Futhermore, a transducer assembly structure capable of raising and maintaining the temperature of the treatment site was proposed and evaluated for effectiveness. The transducer assembly proposed in this study is expected to improve the efficiency of sonophoresis by providing a constant amount of drug, and assisting drug delivery through heating the treatment site.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2001

Background: It had been reported by authors that linear polarized infrared light radiation (Superizer: SL) near the stellate ganglion had a similar effect on the change of skin temperature of hand compared with the stellate ganglion block (SGB). We hypothesized that this was due to dilatation of vessels and an increased blood flow. The aim of this study was to measure the velocity of blood flow in peripheral vessels after linear polarized infrared light radiation near the stellate ganglion and to compare the effect of SL with that of SGB using local anesthetics. Methods: Forty patients whose clinical criteria were matched for the symptoms of SGB were selected for study. We radiated the stellate ganglion by linear polarized infrared light radiation and measured the blood flow of radial artery using Ultrasound Doppler blood flow meter before and after 10, 20 and 30 minutes post-radiation. After 3 days, SGB was performed using 8 ml of 1% mepivacaine to the same patient, and the radial artery blood flow was measured in the same manner. Results: The blood flow velocity was increased by 40% and 27% at 10 min and 20 min after SL and by 42% and 41% at 10 min and 20 min after SGB. However, there was no statistically significant difference in blood flow velocity between SGL and SGB. Conclusions: We could conclude that linear polarized radiation is a clinically simple and useful noninvasive therapeutic tool in clinical area.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.298-302
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• 2014

An 8-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat (Case 1) and 3-year-old castrated male Siamese cat (Case 2) was presented with acute paresis of the hindlimbs, constant open-mouth breathing, and hemoptysis. Heart murmur (Case 1) and gallop sound (Case 2) was ausculated on the left heart base. Radiographs revealed alveolar infiltration of the caudodorsal lung lobes with aerophagea in Case 1 and prominent cardiomegaly in Case 2. Marked concentric hypertrophy of the ventricular septum and free wall, and left atrial enlargement was detected through echocardiography in both cats. Based on the examinations including echocardiography, those cats were diagnosed as hypertropic cardiomyopathy. Abdominal ultrasound revealed echogenic material in the aortic trifurcation region, aortic thromboembolism (ATE). Although prognosis of those animals was guarded, interventional therapeutic approach through direct endovascular thrombolytic therapy was attempted. ATE was visualized through angiography; however dissolving the embolus using interventional thrombolytic approach was not successful due to the extensive thrombus.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.301-308
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to compare core muscle activity and thickness in the abdomen (internal Oblique, IO; External Oblique, EO; Transverse Abdominis, TrA) according to walking training methods. Tests were performed on 20 healthy men who randomly assigned to two groups, divided by Nordic walking (n=10) or Power walking group (n=10). They were performed Nordic walking or Power walking training for 2 weeks that is consistent with each of the assigned groups. Results demonstrated that Nordic walking was more effective than Power walking in improving IO and EO activities. Nordic walking is believed to be useful method for a variety of therapeutic exercise as a stable balance with the stick in addition to normal gait and trunk stability.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 1984

The renewed interest in the use of hyperthermia in cancer therapy is bases on radiobiological and clinical evidence indicated that there may be a significant therapeutic advantage with the use of heat alone or combined with radiation or chemotherapy, There are many methods for generating heat for localized tumor as like radiofrequency, microwave, electromagnetic induction and ultrasound. But it is very difficult to be even thermal dose distribution and stable output of power and then the detection of temperature in tumor is difficult to be precise with thermocouples and semiconductor sensors. We designed the microwave heating generator, dipole antenna applicators and autometic temperature controlled thermocouples for localized hyperthermia on skin and in cavities. 1. The microwave generator with 120 W, 2,450MHz magnetron could be heating up to $40^{\circ}C\~50^{\circ}C\;for\;1\~2$ hours in living tissues. 2. The thermal dose distribution in tissue with microwave was described $42^{\circ}C\~44^{\circ}C$ with in 3 cm depth and $2\~6cm$ diameter area. 3. Skin surface heating applicator with spiral 3 times wave length antenna radiated high Power of microwave. 4, Intracavitary heating applicator with dipole antenna with autometic control temperature sensor kept up continuously constant temperature in tissue. 5. For constant thermal distribution, applied two steps power with 10W microwave after $17\~20W$ during first 10 minutes. 6. The cooling rate by blood flew in living tissue was rised as $10\%$ then meats.