Gastroplasty for Esophageal Perforation after Endoscopic Balloon Dilatation for Achalasia: Two Cases

Esophageal perforation after endoscopic forceful pneumatic dilatation for achalasia is a devastating complication and surgical treatment is necessary. A 65-yr-old man and a 54-yr-old woman referred for esophageal perforation two hours after pneumatic dilatation and during the procedure, respectively. Gastroplasties through thoracotomy were performed in both cases and their recoveries were uneventful. The esophagogram with gastrografin on the post-operative 8th day did not show any passage disturbance or leakage at the anastomosis site. On the follow-up endoscopy 4 to 6 months after operation revealed that reflux esophagitis of LA classification A were noted in the both patients. They did not complain any reflux symptom or dysphagia for 9 to 13 months after operation. Instead of the most widely used procedure; primary repair of perforation site, wrapping with intercostal muscle flap and esophagomyotomy, gastroplasty was performed in two cases of iatrogenic esophageal perforation in achalasia and experienced good results.

Influence of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Cryopreserved Tracheal Allografts in Rabbits

BACKGROUND: Ischemic injury and the rejection process are the main reasons for graft failure in tracheal transplantation models. To enhance the acceptance, we investigated the influence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on tracheal allografts. METHODS: Extracted tracheal grafts from New Zealand white rabbits were cryopreserved for 4 weeks and orthotopically transplanted (control group A, n=8). In group B (n=8), cyclosporin A (CsA, 10 mg/kg) was injected daily into the peritoneal cavity. In group C (n=8), MSCs (1.0x10(7) cells/kg) from the same donor of the tracheal allograft, which had been pre-cultured for 4 weeks, were infused intravenously after transplantation. In group D (n=8), MSCs were infused and CsA was injected daily. Four weeks after transplantation, gross and histomorphological assessments were conducted for graft necrosis, measuring the cross-sectional area of the allograft, determining the degree of epithelization, lymphocytic infiltration, and vascular regeneration. RESULTS: The morphologic integrity of the trachea was retained completely in all cases. The cross-sectional areas were decreased significantly in group A (p=0.018) and B (p=0.045). The degree of epithelization was enhanced (p=0.012) and the lymphocytic infiltration was decreased (p=0.048) significantly in group D compared to group A. The degree of vascular regeneration did not differ significantly in any of the groups. There were no significant correlations among epithelization, lymphocytic infiltration, and vascular regeneration. CONCLUSION: The administration of MSCs with concurrent injections of CsA enhanced and promoted epithelization and prevented lymphocytic infiltration in tracheal allografts, allowing for better acceptance of the allograft.

A multi-center study of repairing articular cartilage defects of the knee using cultured autologous chondrocytes / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The regeneration ability of articular cartilage is limited.However,the emerging of tissue regeneration based on the use of autologous cells appears to offer great promise in repairing articular cartilage defects.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the short-term effectiveness and safety of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI).DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A prospective study was performed at the eighty university hospitals and general hospitals in Korea from March 2001 to April 2006.PARTICIPANTS:Two hundred and sixty-one patients with articular cartilage injury of the knee were selected,including 169 males,92 females,with the mean age of 36.47 years (ranged:15-70 yeats old),and the mean size of chondral defect was 4.91 cm2 (ranged:2.0-20.0 cm2).Totally 215 cases were femoral condyle injury,30 cases with trochlear,25 cases with patellar,and 2 cases with tibia defects.METHODS:A total of 200-300 mg of cartilage tissue was obtained from a non-weight-bearing portion of the knee,followed by in society score after ACI was evaluated by Knee Society Score-A (KSS-A)and Knee Society Score-B (KSS-B)system.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:KSS-A and KSS-B score of defected areas after ACI.RESULTS:All patients Received: followed-up without any loss.The KSS-A was 63.55±18.47 and 88.74±11.47 prior to and at 6 months after implantation,the difference had significance (P＜0.05).The KSS-B was 59.56±24.92 and 85.13±14.67 respectively prior to and at 6 months after implantation,which had obviously difference (P＜0.05).The joint pain,activity,stability,flexion contracture,locomotor activity and stair climbing were obviously improved.The effective rate was 97.3% and excellent and good rate was 89.3%.CONCLUSION:ACI can achieve a good result in treating knee articular cartilage defects,which can encourage the recover of knee function.

Bilateral Elastofibroma Dorsi in the Infrascapular Region: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

An 81-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with bilateral chest wall mass in the infrascapular region. Considering the possible diagnosis of a malignant chest wall tumor at such location, we performed excision and biopsy. Both masses were histologically diagnosed as elastofibroma. We experienced this rare disease, bilateral elastofibroma, so we report this case with a bibliography.

Analysis of Risk Factors in Poststernotomy Sternal Wound Infection and Mediastinitis after Open-heart Surgery / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: With the purpose of identifying significant risk factors in poststernotomy sternal wound infection and mediastinitis, we underwent a retrospective analysis of the whole patients operated on at the our department of cardiovascular surgery for the two years. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From March 2001 to March 2003 at the department of cardiovascular surgery, medical school of Soonchunhyang University, major sternal wound infections had been developed in 12 (9.76%) of 123 consecutive patients. These patients underwent open-heart procedure through a midline sternotomy and survived long enough for infection to appear. For this group of patients, we evaluated possible risk factors such as age, sex, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, interval between hospital admission and operation, type of surgical procedure, elective or emergency surgical procedure, reoperation, duration of surgical procedures, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, amount of blood transfused, postoperative blood loss, chest reexploration, rewiring of a sterile sternal dehiscence, duration of mechanical ventilation, and days of stay in the intensive care unit and analyzed these factors. RESULT: Analysis represented that age, sex, diabetes mellitus, type and mode of surgical procedure, reoperation, duration of operation, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, and interval between hospital admission and operation were not significantly associated with wound infection. For all other predisposing factors, p-values of less than .05 were demonstrated. Eight emerged as significant: early chest reexploration (p=0.001), sternal rewiring (p<0.0001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p<0.0001), blood transfusions (p<0.05), postoperative bleeding (p=0.008), days of stay in the intensive care unit (p<0.0001), duration of mechanical ventilation (p=0.001), and obesity (p=.003). CONCLUSION: Contamination of patients may occur before, during, and after the operation, and any kind of reintervention may predispose the patient to wound infection.

The Activity of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNKb) in Patients with UIP / 결핵

BACKGROUND: TNF-alpha is related to the generation of lung fibrosis in patients with UIP. The precise mechanism leading to lung fibrosis by TNF-alpha is unknown. However, the activation of a transcription factor like AP-1(down stream of c-jun N-terminal kinase, JNK) by TNF-alpha may be related to the induction of fibrogenic cytokines like PDGF or IGF-I. Furthermore, JNK was reported to be activated in the radiation-in-duced lung fibrosis model. This study examined JNK activity in patients with UIP. METHODS: The expression of phosphorous JNK(p-JNK), macrophage/moncoyte specific markers, CD68, and cytokeratin was evaluated by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of lung tissues from patients with UIP and lung cancer. An in vitro kinase assay was performed with alveolar macrophages obtained by a bronchollung cancer. An in vitro kinase assay was performed with alvolar macrophages obrtained by a bronchol avleolar lavage from patients with UIP and healthy persons as the control. RESULTS: The IHC stain showed that p-JNK is expressed in the almost all of the alveolar macrophages and smooth muscle cells in patients with UIP. In case of the normal areas of the lung from patients with lung cancer, the alveolar macrophages showed little p-JNK expression. Interestingly, increased JNK activity was not found in the in vitro kinase assay of the alveolar macrophages obtained from both patients with UIP and healthy persons as the control. Furthermore, 10 ng/ml of TNF-alpha failed to increase the JNK activity of the alveolar macrophages in both patients with UIP and healthy people. CONCLUSION: The JNK was activated constitutionally in patients with UIP. However, the role of JNK in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis needs to be clarified.

Surgical Experience of Aortic Root Replacement / 대한흉부외과학회지

Between April 1981 and June 1996, 65 patients had aortic root replacement at our institution. Disease entities were pure aortic annuloectasia in 31 patients(47.7%), Stanford type A aortic dissection with annuloectasia in 28(43.1%), atherosclerotic aneurysm with aortic regurgitation in 4(6.2%), and paravalvular leakage after aortic valve replacement in 2(3.1%). 34 patients(52.3%) had the clinical stigmata of the Marfan syndrome. The operative procedures were Bentall operation in 61 patients(93.8%); 3 of conventional procedure and 58 of Cabrol's modification, aortic valve-sparing operation in 2(3.1%), and root replacement with homograft in 2(3.1%). Hospital deaths occurred in 3 patients(4.8%) because of uncontrolled bleeding(1) and bypass weaning failure due to low cardiac output(2), and all had emergency operation with Cabrol's procedure. Postoperative complications developed in 19(29.2%) patients and most of them were transient. Surviving 62 patients have been followed up to cumulative total 315.0 patient-years(mean 60.2+/-42.4 months). Late deaths occurred in 7 patients(11.3%), aneurysmal changes of remaining aorta were detected in 12 patients(19.4%). Actuarial survival rate at 10 years was 72.0+/-9.7%, and the subsequent aortic operation-free rate at 10 years was 68.0+/-8.9%. In a multivariate analysis, Marfan syndrome, emergency operation, preoperative dissection, combined arch replacement, and total circulatory arrest emerged as significant risk factors for hospital death or subsequent aortic operation. Over 60 years of age was the only risk factor for late death. Our 16 years' cummulative experience shows that aortic root replacement, mainly by means of Cabrol's procedure, can be applied successfully to variety of aortic root disease. However, long-term follow up will be needed to determine the late result of aortic valve-saving operation and root replacement with homograft. When dissection is present or the distal native aorta is diseased in Marfan patients, close follow-up is necessary because of the subsequent aneurysmal change of remaining aorta.