Congenital Absence of the Horizontal Segment of the Left Portal Vein

As living-donor liver transplant techniques develop, variations in the portal vein are seen in approximately 20% of the population. However, congenital absence of the horizontal segment of the left portal vein is very rare and has not been reported in Korea. We present a case with a congenital absence of the horizontal segment of the left portal vein that was detected during an evaluation for a living donor liver transplantation, with a review of the relevant literature.

Femoral Vessels Compression Caused by Iliopsoas Bursitis

The iliopsoas bursa is a normal anatomical structure that lies deep to the iliopsoas tendon in the region of the hip joint. Iliopsoas bursitis is a relatively rare condition, so it is often overlooked as a cause of signs and symptoms involving the inguinal area and lower extremity. The clinical manifestation related to iliopsoas bursitis can vary due to compression of the adjacent structures such as the common and superficial femoral vessels, nerve, and bladder. We report here on rare cases of iliopsoas bursitis with compression of the superficial femoral artery and common femoral vein.

Femoral Vessels Compression Caused by Iliopsoas Bursitis

The iliopsoas bursa is a normal anatomical structure that lies deep to the iliopsoas tendon in the region of the hip joint. Iliopsoas bursitis is a relatively rare condition, so it is often overlooked as a cause of signs and symptoms involving the inguinal area and lower extremity. The clinical manifestation related to iliopsoas bursitis can vary due to compression of the adjacent structures such as the common and superficial femoral vessels, nerve, and bladder. We report here on rare cases of iliopsoas bursitis with compression of the superficial femoral artery and common femoral vein.

Effectiveness of Silk-glove Test in the Contralateral Exploration of Inguinal Hernia in Children

Inguinal hernia is one of the most common surgical diseases in pediatric patients. But the management of the side opposite the clinically apparent inguinal hernia, the "silent side" is controversial. Four hundred fifty-eight cases of pediatric inguinal hernias, operated by one pediatric surgeon at the Divisionof Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital from January 1998 to December 2002, were reviewed retrospectively to determine the characteristics and significances of the silk-glove test on the side opposite the clinically apparent inguinal hernia. Males were preponderant as 2.8:1. Allhernias were of the indirect type and were repaired by high ligation of the sac. There were 238 (52.0%) right sided hernias, 160 (35.0%) were on the left and 60 (13.0%) were bilateral. The number of patients with a positive silk-glove sign on the contralateral side was 158(39.7%), and 133 of these had a contralateral patent processus vaginalis. Positive predictive value of Silk-glove test was 84.2% (133/158). The silk-glove test is a simple, safe, and relatively accurate method for contralateral exploration in the unilateral inguinal hernias in children.

Effectiveness of Silk-glove Test in the Contralateral Exploration of Inguinal Hernia in Children

Inguinal hernia is one of the most common surgical diseases in pediatric patients. But the management of the side opposite the clinically apparent inguinal hernia, the "silent side" is controversial. Four hundred fifty-eight cases of pediatric inguinal hernias, operated by one pediatric surgeon at the Divisionof Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital from January 1998 to December 2002, were reviewed retrospectively to determine the characteristics and significances of the silk-glove test on the side opposite the clinically apparent inguinal hernia. Males were preponderant as 2.8:1. Allhernias were of the indirect type and were repaired by high ligation of the sac. There were 238 (52.0%) right sided hernias, 160 (35.0%) were on the left and 60 (13.0%) were bilateral. The number of patients with a positive silk-glove sign on the contralateral side was 158(39.7%), and 133 of these had a contralateral patent processus vaginalis. Positive predictive value of Silk-glove test was 84.2% (133/158). The silk-glove test is a simple, safe, and relatively accurate method for contralateral exploration in the unilateral inguinal hernias in children.

A Case of Cytomegalovirus Colitis after Liver Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is potentially the most important pathogen affecting organ transplant recipients. The overall incidence of documented CMV infection after liver transplantation ranges from 23% to 85%. Approximately 15~40% of infected patients develop CMV disease such as pneumonia, hepatitis, gastrointestinal involvement, central nervous system involvement, retinitis, or nephritis. The gastrointestinal tract is one of the least common sites of CMV disease and usually presents as fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. We report a case of a 45-year-old man with end-stage liver disease who developed CMV colitis 6 weeks after deceased donor whole liver transplantation with a review of the relevant literature.

Expression of Tumor Markers and its Clinical Impacts in Resectable Gastric Cancer

PUPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the serum tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, and CA 72-4 in monitoring the recurrence of gastric cancer and in its preoperative assessment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred fifty-five patients who underwent potentially curative surgery during period from January 1995 to December 2000 at the Department of Surgery were assessed. Serum samples were obtained preoperatively, 2 weeks after the surgery, and at 6-month intervals. The cut-off levels were established as 5 ng/ml for CEA, 36 U/ml for CA 19-9, and 4 U/ml for CA 72-4. The tumor stage was described according to the 5th edition of the Union Internationale Contra la Cancer (UICC) TNM classification in 1997. RESULTS: The preoperative positivities were 10.5% for CEA, 9.7% for CA 19-9, and 12.4% for CA 72-4. The serum levels of the three tumor markers decreased after curative surgery. The preoperative serum levels of the three tumor markers were significantly related to the depth of invasion, the tumor size, lymph-node metastasis, the pathologic stage, and recurrence, except that CEA was not associated with tumor size. The marker sensitivities in recurrent cases were 43.3% for CEA, 41.8% for CA 19-9, and 50.0% for CA 72-4, and the marker specificities were 85.1% for CEA, 96.8% for CA 19-9, and 87.8% for CA 72-4. CONCLUSION: The preoperative serum levels of CEA, CA 19-9, and CA 72-4 are not useful for the initial diagnosis of gastric cancer because of their low positivity. However, we should consider their relationship with depth of invasion, lymph-node metastasis, tumor size, pathologic stage, and recurrence. Also, the follow-up levels of the three markers have a statistical relationship with recurrence of gastric cancer even though their sensitivities are low.

Study on the status of helminthic infections in Koreans

This study was undertaken to evaluate the present status of intestinal helminthic infections in Koreans, from April 1967 through May 1969. The nationwidely collected stool specimens and scotch-tape anal swabs from primary schoolchildren, middle school students, draftees to army recruitment camp, soldiers and inhabitants of various parts of Korea were examined. The methods employed were Kato's cellophane thick smear technique and formalin-ether sedimentation technique in 40,581 for the prevalence rate of various intestinal helminths, scotch-tape anal swab technique in 8,585 for the prevalence rate of Enterobius vermicularis and by Stoll's dilution egg counting technique in 1,174 for the evaluation of the worm burden of some helminths. The results are as follows. Result of stool examination: The positive rate of intesinal helminthes of any kind was 90.5% among 40,581. In rural people, it was 92.3% in average in contrast to 85.0% in Seoul inhabitants. The infection rate of A. lumbricoides in 40,581 was 58.2%. It was higher in rural people 62.9% than in Seoul inhabitants and highest in 5-9 year-old group by age. The infection of Trichocephalus trichiurus showed the highest prevalence rate in Koreans and it was 74.5%. No remarkable difference was observed between Seoul inhabitants(72.2%) and rural people(75.2%). The tendency of higher prevalence rate with the older age group was observed. The infection rates of hookworm and Trichostrongylus orientalis in 40,581 examinations by cellophane thick smear were 5.1% and 5.8% respectively. But in 4,949 examinations for which refined cellophane thick smear technique and formalin-ether sedimentation technique were employed, the infection rates were turned out 17.6% in hookworm and 15.9% in T. orientalis. Although rural people showed higher infection rate of hookworm(18.8%) than Seoul inhabitants(13.8%), the reverse was true in T. orientalis infection rate(14.5% : 20.3%). Both kinds of infections were tend to be higher with the increase of age. The infection rates of Clonorchis sinensis and Metagonimus yokogawai were 4.7% and 0.4% respectively. In both kinds of infections male showed higher infection rates than female and the tendencies of higher infection rate in the older age group were observed. The provinces which showed the higher infection rate of C. sinensis were South and North Kyongsang Do and North Cholla Do, all of which are provinces of southern part of Korea. Some endemic foci of M. yokogawai were noticed in South Kyongsang Do and South Cholla Do. The infection rate of Taenia spp. by applying only the stool examination was 0.7% throughout the survey. No sex difference in infection rate of Taenia spp. was noticed, but in older age group it was increased. Cheju Do, the island of extreme southern part of Korea seemed the most endemic area and South and North Cholla Do were next in ranking of Taenia infection rate. The ova of Hymenolepis nana were observed in 0.2% and all of them were under the age of 20 except only one caes. The infection rate seemed higher in female (0.3%: 0.1%). No geographical difference was noticed except 1.1% of schoolchilderen and students of Cheju Do. Result of Scotch-tape anal swab technique for E. vermicularis infection. The infection rate of E. vermicularis in 8,585 urban and rural schoolchildren and rural inhabitants was 46.6%. Female (57.9%) had definitely higher infection rate than male (41.4%). The infection rate was significantly higher in rural people than Seoul schoolchildren. The exteme example was 79.7% in schoolchildren of South Cholla Do. Result of worm burden examination by Stoll's dilution egg-counting technique: Among 1,174 examinations, countable(E.P.G.> 100) cases of A. lumbricoides were 745(63.5%) and the mean E.P.G. was 9,723. The mean E.P.G. in Seoul inhabitants was 5,835 in contrast to 10,820 in rural people. The age group of 5-9 showed the heaviest mean E.P.G., 11,337. 70.6% of 745 cases were less than 10,000 in E.P.G. which means light infection. Countable cases by Stoll's technique for T. trichiurus ova were 63.5% and mean E.P.G. was 649. No difference between Seoul and rural inhabitants was observed. Grade I and II in which E.P.G. is less than 5,000 involve 99.3% of positive cases. 91 cases (7.9%) in 1,174 were positive for hookworm ova by Stoll's technique and mean E.P.G. was 501. All cases were in Grade I and II which were less than 5,000 in E.P.G. Trichostrongylus orientalis was positive only in 25 cases (2.1%) by Stoll's technique and mean E.P.G. was 340. No cases were found to have more than 5,000 in T. orientalis E.P.G. The mean E.P.G. of Clonorchis sinensis among the referred cases of clonorchiasis to Department of Parasitology, Seoul National University, was 9,416. On the other hand mean E.P.G. of C. sinensis was 21,376 among cases in the hyperendemic area of Kimhae, South Kyongsang Do, and 3,073 in cases from other various localities. Among referred clonorchiasis cases to our Department, 21.6% were turned out to have the E.P.G. more than 10,000. The cases who have the E.P.G. more than 10,000 in hyperendemic area, Kimhae were 40.7% and in other various localities were 9.1%

The anthelminthic effect of phenylene-diisothiocyanate-(1,4) (=Jonit) on Ancylostoma duodenale (dubin, 1843) creplin, 1845

The anthelminthic effect of phenylene-diisothiocyanate-(1,4)(=Jonit) was studied on the eighty three cases infected with Ancylostoma duodenale. For the evalution, the number of eggs per gram of feces on all these cases was calculated before treatment. The follow-up for the egg reduction was carried out over a period of four weeks. The sixty-seven cases were treated in dosage schedule of 3 x 100 mg every 12 hours. The cure rates - the rate of negative conversion of eggs - was 74.6 percent and the total egg reduction rate of 94.2% was obtained. The ten out of 14 cases treated in the dosage schedule of 2 x 100 mg every 12 hours showed 100% egg reduction and the cure rate was 71.4%. In this group. the total egg reduction rate of 78.6% was noted. In the dosage schedule of 2 x 50 mg every 12 hours the remainder, two out of total 83 cases showed 100% egg reduction. Side effects were observed as being mild, 51 cases (56.6%) were free of side reactions and the most frequently noted side effects were vertigo and diarrhea. From the above results, it is concluded that Jonit is an effective antheminthic against Ancylostoma duodenale and its effectiveness is quite equivalent to that of a known recommended anti-hookworm products.

Studies on the parasitic helminths of Korea III. Nematodes and cestodes of rodents

A survey for nematode and cestode parasites of rodents in Korea has been carried out at the areas of Chulwon, Kumwha, Pochon, Paju and Chungpyong, Kyunggi-Do. A total of 300 rodents of seven species was examined, comprising of 219 A. agrarius, 33 R. norvegicus, 8 R. alexandrinus, 14 Mus musculus yamashinai, Microtus fortis pellceus, 21 Crocidura russula and a Cricetulus trition nester. The following fifteen species belonging to thirteen genera were identified: NEMATODA: Heterakis spumosa, Syphacia obvelata, Nippostrongylus muris, Protospirura muris, Capillaria hepatica, Capillaria sp., Heligmosomum sp., Heligmosomoides sp., Rictularia sp. and Gongylonema sp. CESTODA: Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta, Raillietina coreensis, Paranoplocephala sp. and Cysticercus fasciolaris(the larva of Taenia taeniaeformis).