Revascularization of occlusive arterial disease in the lower extremity with the transluminal endarterectomy catheter(TEC)

Revascularizations of 14 occlusive arterial diseases in the lower extremities with the Transluminal Endarterectomy Catheter was done successfully. The causes of occlusions were atherosclerosis in 9 cases and cardiogenic thromboembolism in 5 cases. The site of lesions were at the common femoral artery in 1 case, the superficial femoral artery in 6 cases and the popliteal artery in 7 cases. The length of the lesion were below 5cm(n=3), 5-10cm(n=2), 11-20cm(n=6) and 21-30cm(n=3). Complications were distal embolism(n=1) and hematoma at the puncture site(n=1). No symptoms recurred in any cases during 2 months -15 months followup. Endarterectomy with Transluminal Endarterectomy Catheter was found to be an effective method for revasculizations of occlusive arterial disease in the lower extremity, especially in long segmental occlusion.

Percutaneous abdominal abscess drainage

Conventional radiologic methods had given the limited informations about itraabdominal abscesses. Today,however, CT and ultrasongraphy provide detailed anatomic location, number and dimension of intraabdominal abscessand also permit percutaneous placement of catheter large enough to effect drainage. Percutaneous catheter drainageof intraabdominal abscess now offers an alternative to surgery. This simple method of mechanical drainage, whenemployed with systemic antibiotics, can be successful in treating the majority of intraabdominal abscesses.Authors analysed 24 cases of percutaneous abdominal abscess drainage performed at chonnam Natinal UniverstiyHospital from May 1985 to June 1986. The results were as follows: 1. The sites of abscesses; liver in 14cases(58.3%), psoas muscle in 3 cases(12.5%), subphrenic space in 3 cases (12.5%), pelvic cavity in 2 cases(8.3%),perirenal space in 2 cases(8.3%). 2. Complications during or after procedures were minor in the majority of cases.3. Average duration of drainage was as follows: 7.8days in liver abscess, 15.3 days in psoas abscess, 6 days inpelvic abscess, 7 days in subphrenic abscess.

Ultrasonographic findings of pediatric abdominal masses

Ultrasonography is a very useul diagnostic modality for the evaluation of clinically suspicious abdominalmasses in infants and children, especially in assessing their existence, size,location, origin and internalconsistency. Authors analyzed and present ultrasonographic findings of 92 pathologically and/or clinically provenpediatric abdominal masses that were studied and treated in Chonnam University Hospital during recent 4 years. Theresults were as follows: 1. The most common originating site was kidney(26 cases: 28.3%), followed bygastrointestinal tract (21 cases: 22.8%), genital organ(17 cases: 18.5%), non-renal retroperitoneum (13cases:18.5%), hepatobilary tract (12 cases:13.0%), and anterior abdominal wall (3 cases: 3.3%) in ordre offrequency. 2. The most common mass was hydonephrosis(18 cases: 19.6%). Neuroblastoma(7 cases:7.6%),hepatoblastoma, ovarian teratoma, periappendiceal abscess and abdominal tuberculosis(6 cases: 6.5%, respectively),Wilms tumor(5 cases: 5.4%) were next in order of frequency. 3. The sex distribution is rather similar, that is ,male 42(45.7%) and female 50(54.3%), but characteristically choledochal cyst(2 cases) and genital mass(17 cases)were found only in females. Considering age distribution, 78 cases(84.8%) were found within the range of one to 15years of age. The rest, 14 cases(15.2%), were under the age of one year. 4. With ultrasonography, the diagnosis ofhydronephrosis could be made easily in every case and we could evaluate its severity and level of obstruction withhigh accuracy. 5. All Wilms tumor were large, round or oval, sharply marginated and relatively homogenous solidmasses. 6. All neuroblastomas were irregular shaped, poorly defined, heterogeneous solid masses. Tumorcalcification and extension across the midline were noted in 6 cases(85.7%) and 5 cases(71.4%), respectively. 7.All periappendiceal abscesses had irregular thickened wall and posterior acoustic enhancement: 4 cases (66.7%)among them were mixed echo pattern and 2 cases(33.3%) ehco free. 8. Among the 6 abdominal tuberculoses, 2 wereseen as irregularly defined solid masses, 1 as conglomeration of multiple hypoechoic nodulles and 3 as mixedpatterns. 9. All hepatoblastomas were seen to be poorly marginated solid masses with more echogenicity thanadjacent normal hepatic echo in 5 cases except one. 10. Among the 6 ovarian teraomas, 4 cases were cystic and 2cases solid. Acoutic shadowing was seen in 3 cases. 11. Choledochal cyst (2 cases), hydrops of gallbladder(1cases) and cyst of pancreas head(1 cases) had similar ultrasonic appearance as a large elliptical systic mass,but, it was important in differential diagnosis to ascertain the existence of gallblader and the connectionbetween the cyst and bile duct.