ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This clinical study was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of tumor markers for recurrence and the clinical significance of false positive findings after curative gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred ninety patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy with curative intent were evaluated retrospectively. We analyzed the correlations between changes in tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9, AFP, and CA-125) and clinicopathologic data, and basis for changes in tumor markers without recurrence during the follow-up period. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of tumor markers for recurrence were 75.0%, 64.6%, 23.1%, 94.8%, and 65.9% respectively. Among 36 patients with recurrences, 10 patients (27.8%) had elevated tumor markers prior to positive findings on imaging studies, while 13 patients (36.1%) had concomitant elevation in tumor markers. At least 1 of the 4 tumor markers increased in 90 of 290 patients during the follow-up period; however, there was no evidence of tumor recurrence. Twenty patients had persistently elevated tumor markers, while the tumor marker levels in 70 patients returned to normal level within 9.08+/-7.2 months. The patients with pulmonary disease, hepatobiliary disease, diabetes, hypertension, or herbal medication users had elevated tumor markers more frequently than patients without disease (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Although detecting recurrence of gastric cancer with tumor markers may be useful, false positive findings of tumor markers are common, so surgeons should consider other chronic benign diseases and medical conditions when tumor markers increase without evidence of recurrence.
Subject(s)
Humans , Follow-Up Studies , Gastrectomy , Hypertension , Lung Diseases , Recurrence , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , Stomach Neoplasms , Biomarkers, TumorABSTRACT
Congenital atrichia is an anomaly characterized by congenital absence of hair in varying degrees as well as the ypopigmentation & poor development of the abnormal residual hair on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes & body. Two cases of congenital atrichia in siblings were reviewed. The first case was associated with congenital megacolon and skin biopsy of scalp (esp. parietal region) was non-specific. The second case was associated with bilateral inguinal hernia. Congenital atrichia is inherited by autosomal dominant or recessive. Acording to the limited pedigree data, our cases were X-linked recessive inheritance We report these cases with a review of related literatures.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biopsy , Eyebrows , Eyelashes , Hair , Hernia, Inguinal , Hirschsprung Disease , Pedigree , Rabeprazole , Scalp , Siblings , Skin , WillsABSTRACT
Congenital atrichia is an anomaly characterized by congenital absence of hair in varying degrees as well as the ypopigmentation & poor development of the abnormal residual hair on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes & body. Two cases of congenital atrichia in siblings were reviewed. The first case was associated with congenital megacolon and skin biopsy of scalp (esp. parietal region) was non-specific. The second case was associated with bilateral inguinal hernia. Congenital atrichia is inherited by autosomal dominant or recessive. Acording to the limited pedigree data, our cases were X-linked recessive inheritance We report these cases with a review of related literatures.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biopsy , Eyebrows , Eyelashes , Hair , Hernia, Inguinal , Hirschsprung Disease , Pedigree , Rabeprazole , Scalp , Siblings , Skin , WillsABSTRACT
Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis, an uncommon chronic inflammatory renal disorder of middle-aged women, is rarely seen in childhood. A 10 year-old boy with focal type of this disease in upper and lower pole was experienced. Patient had a intermittent fever and right flank pain without palpable mass. The blood analysis only revealed ESR increase but no anemia, no leukocytosis. There was no history or signs of urinary tract infection or calculi. The urine analysis and culture showed nothing abnormal. An intravenous pyelogram, ultrasonogram, abdominal CT and selective renal arteriography only demonstrated a non functioning upper pole of right kidney. During operation, a gross finding and frozen section strongly showed xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and diagnosis was made on histological examination, After nephrectomy, there had been no evidence of disease recurrence during 2 years follow-up period.
Subject(s)
Child , Female , Humans , Male , Anemia , Angiography , Calculi , Diagnosis , Fever , Flank Pain , Follow-Up Studies , Frozen Sections , Kidney , Leukocytosis , Nephrectomy , Pyelonephritis, Xanthogranulomatous , Recurrence , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Ultrasonography , Urinary Tract InfectionsABSTRACT
To evaluate the atlantoaxial instability in children with Down syndrome, the authors analyzed the 97 children with Down syndrome attending to 2 schools for handicaped children in Pusan. The rsults of study were as follows; 1)The incidence of atlantoaxial instability in 97 individuals with Down syndrome was 8(8.3%) in neutral position and in 10(10.3%) in flexion, respectively. 2) The mean atlantoaxial gap was significantly higher in patients with Down syndrome than in the control group(P<0.05). 3) The mean atlantoaxial gaps in patients with Down stydrome according neck position was significantly higher in flexion(3.27 +/-1.08mm)than in neutral(2.63 +/-1.18)(p<0.05). 4) When mean atlantoaxial gaps of patients with Down syndrome were analyzed according to age groups, young age groups were statistically higher than old age groups in flexion position(p<0.05) but no statistically signigican differences were in neutral position. 5) The mean atlantoaxial gap of obese group was slightly higher than those of non-obese group but no statistically significant difference was noted(p<0.05).
