Age-specific Reference Ranges and Cutoff Point of Prostate Specific Antigen in Normal Korean Men / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Nevertheless, the lack of sensitivity and specificity in the detection of prostate cancer, the serum prostate specific antigen(PSA) is one of the commonly used diagnostic modality for detecting prostate cancer. But using PSA cutoff point greater than 4.0ng/ml and the normal age-specific reference ranges established by Oesterling and associates(age 40 to 49 years, 0 to 2.5ng/ml, age 50 to 59, 0 to 3.5ng/ml; age 60 to 69, 0 to 4.5ng/ml; age 70 to 79, 0 to 6.5ng/ml) is not certain whether it is preferable to Korean men. We measured the serum PSA in order to know the normal age-specific reference ranges and the cutoff point of PSA in 2,098 health Korean men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data were analysed retrospectively in 2,098 men (range of age 40-79) who visited our hospital health care center without voiding-related symptoms between November 1995 to December 1997. Serum PSA was measured by chemiluminescent immunometric assay. RESULTS: Using 95th percentile of PSA, the normal age-specific reference ranges are: age 40 to 49 years, 0 to 2.2ng/ml; age 50 to 59, 0 to 2.5ng/ml; age 60 to 69,0 to 3.5ng/ml; age 70 to 79,0 to 6.0ng/ml. Cutoff point of PSA is 2.6ng/ml(95th percentile of PSA). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that the age-specific reference ranges and cutoff point of PSA in normal Korean men are lower than white men.

We Anesthetized a Patient with Unexpected Pheochromocytoma, Diagnosed during Operation: 1 case report / 대한마취과학회지

Pheochromocytoma is a tumor which secretes catecholamine and produces remarkable hemodynamic changes during the perioperative period. It is reported that in cases where a patient with undiagnosed pheochromocytoma is operated on, the mortality rate can reach 25% to 50%. The subject in this study was a 55-year-old female patient who was diagnosed having a retroperitoneal mass which looked like a neurogenic tumor. During the manipulation, serious hypertension and tachycardia were developed. The authors at that time suspected a pheochromocytoma, interrupted the operation, and after insertion of arterial line and sodium nitroprusside infusion, the rest of the operation was restarted. After the extirpation of the tumor, as the patient suffered serious hypotension, the concentration of the inhalation agent was reduced, ephedrine was injected, the proper amount of fluid and blood were administered, and, as a result, the operation was carried out safely, and postoperative course was unremarkable.

A Case of Retroperitoneal Neurilemmoma Arising from Adjacent to Kidney / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Neurilemmoma, also refired to as Schwannoma, neurinoma and perineural fibroblastoma, is well capsulated solitary tumor of Schwann cell origin. The most common sites for benign solitary neurilemmoma are the extremities or the head and neck region. In the retroperitoneum, they are commonly seen in the presacral region. It is incidentally detected and confirmed by pathologic findings. We report a case of retroperitoneal neurilemmoma arising from adjacent to kidney, in 49 years old man.