Quality of life of patients with nasal bone fracture after closed reduction

Background@#Closed reduction is the standard treatment for nasal bone fractures, which are the most common type of facial bone fractures. We investigated the effect of closed reduction on quality of life. @*Methods@#The 15-dimensional health-related quality of life survey was administered to 120 patients who underwent closed reduction under general anesthesia for nasal bone fractures from February 2018 to December 2019, on both the day after surgery and 3 months after surgery. Three months postoperatively, the presence or absence of five nasal symptoms (nose obstruction, snoring, pain, nasal secretions, and aesthetic dissatisfaction) was also evaluated. @*Results@#The quality of life items that showed significant changes between immediately after surgery and 3 months postoperatively were breathing, sleeping, speech, excretion, and discomfort. Low scores were found at 3 months for breathing, sleeping, and distress. There were 31 patients (25.83%) with nose obstruction, 25 (20.83%) with snoring, 12 (10.00%), with pain, 11 (9.17%) with nasal secretions, and 29 (24.17%) with aesthetic dissatisfaction. @*Conclusion@#Closed reduction affected patients’ quality of life, although most aspects improved significantly after 3 months. However, it was not possible to rule out deterioration of quality of life due to complications and dissatisfaction after surgery.

A retrospective study of changes in skin cancercharacteristics over 11 years

Background@#The incidence of skin cancer, which is primarily caused by exposure to ultravioletradiation, has steadily increased in recent years. The authors of the present study sought to investigatechanges in the epidemiology of skin cancer by conducting a retrospective review of patientsdiagnosed with skin cancer who received related care at a single medical institution. @*Methods@#The present study included patients who were diagnosed with skin cancer and receivedtreatment at Gyeongsang National University Hospital from 2008 to 2018. The site andtype of skin cancer, the number of patients with skin cancer each year, the sex and sex ratio of thepatients, and changes in patients’ age at first diagnosis were examined through retrospectivechart reviews. @*Results@#The number of patients with skin cancer significantly increased, but statistically significantchanges were not found in patients’ sex, skin cancer sites, or the types of skin cancer. However,patients’ age at the first diagnosis of skin cancer showed a statistically significant decreasestarting in 2015. @*Conclusion@#In this study, the number of patients with skin cancer increased over time. However,patients’ age at first diagnosis has decreased since 2015. Therefore, younger patients should takecare to prevent skin cancer, and further research on the causes of skin cancer in younger patientsis needed.

The clinical usefulness of closed reduction of nasal bone using only a periosteal elevator with a rubber band

BACKGROUND: Closed reduction of nasal fracture with various instrument is performed to treat nasal fracture. Depending on the type of nasal fracture and the situation in which it is being operated, the surgeon will determine the surgical tool. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a periosteal elevator (PE) was a proper device to perform closed reduction for patients with simple nasal fractures. METHODS: From March 2018 to December 2018, 50 cases of simple nasal bone fracture underwent closed reduction performed by a single surgeon. These patients were divided into two groups randomly: nasal bone reduction was performed using only PE (freer) and nasal bone reduction was performed using Walsham, Asch forcep, and Boies elevator (non-freer, non-PE). RESULTS: The paranasal sinus computed tomography was performed on patients before and after operation to carry out an accurate measurement of reduction distance at the same level. According to the results, the interaction between instruments and fracture types had a significant influence on reduction distance (p = 0.021). To be specific, reduction distance was significantly (p= 0.004) increased by 2.157 mm when PE was used to treat patients with partial displacement compared to that when non-PEs were used. CONCLUSION: Closed reduction using PE and other elevator is generally an effective treatment for nasal fracture. In partial-displacement type of simple nasal fracture, closed reduction using PE can have considerable success in comparison with using classic instruments.

Immediate regraft of the remnant skin on the donor site in split-thickness skin grafting

BACKGROUND: Skin defects of head and neck need reconstruction using various local flaps. In some cases, surgeons should consider skin graft for large skin defect. It is important to heal skin graft and donor sites. The authors investigated wound healing mechanisms at the donor sites with split-thick-ness skin graft (STSG). In this study, the authors compared two types of immediate regraft including sheets and islands for the donor site after facial skin graft using remnant skin. METHODS: The author reviewed 10 patients who underwent STSG, from March 2015 to May 2017, for skin defects in the craniofacial area. The donor site was immediately covered with the two types using remnant skin after harvesting skin onto the recipient site. Depending on the size of the remnant skin, we conducted regraft with the single sheet (n= 5) and island types (n= 5). RESULTS: On postoperative day 1 and 3 months, the scar formation was evaluated using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). Total POSAS and VSS scores for the island type were lower than in single sheet group after 3 months postoperatively. There was significant difference in specific categories of POSAS and VSS. CONCLUSION: This study showed a reduction in scar formation following immediate regrafting of the remnant skin at the donor site after STSG surgery. Particularly, the island type is useful for clinical application to facilitate healing of donor sites with STSG.

Reconstruction of nasal ala and tip following skin cancer resection

BACKGROUND: Defects of the nasal ala and tip have a complex three-dimensional structure that makes them challenging to reconstruct. Many reconstructive options have been described for nasal ala and tip defects, ranging from primary closure to local flaps and skin grafts. However, it is difficult to determine which method will yield the best cosmetic results in each individual case. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine which surgical procedures for reconstructing defects of the nasal ala and tip have better cosmetic results.METHODS: From 2008 to 2018, 111 patients underwent surgery to reconstruct skin defects after resection of skin cancer in the nasal ala or tip. Their charts were reviewed to obtain data on age, sex, surgical location, size of the defect, surgical method, and cosmetic results using a visual analog scale (VAS).RESULTS: For nasal ala reconstruction, the most commonly used surgical technique was the nasolabial flap (n= 42). This method also had the highest VAS score (7/10). The most commonly selected surgical method for nasal tip reconstruction was the bilobed flap (n= 13), and bilobed flaps and primary closure had the highest VAS score (7/10).CONCLUSION: Nasolabial flaps showed excellent cosmetic results for the reconstruction of nasal ala defects, while primary closure and bilobed flaps yielded excellent cosmetic results for the reconstruction of nasal tip defects.

The Anatomical Variations of DIEA (Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery) in Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction: Clinical Report

Autologous breast reconstruction after mastectomy in breast cancer patient is now increasing. The deep inferior epigastric artery (DIEA) free flap is well known as an ideal donor site for the microsurgical breast reconstruction. The branching pattern of the DIEA was well described in the literature. In that study, DIEA has three branching patterns near the arcuate line. We describe a case in which branching variation of the DIEA before entering the posterior surface of the rectus abdominis muscle. In three cases, DIEA originated from the external iliac artery ascended as a double trunk at 1cm, 2cm, and 4cm above the originating point, respectively. In one case, DIEA ascended as a single trunk along the linea alba toward to the umbilicus until it supply overlying subcutaneous tissue. Preoperative 3D computed tomographic angiography to identify the anomaly is recommended and meticulous dissection to the originating point of DIEA is needed.

Preoperative Thyroid-stimulating Hormone Levels as a Predictor of Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting malignancy-associated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and benign thyroid nodules. METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2007, 346 patients underwent thyroid surgery at one hospital. Their records were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent (237 of 346) of the patients had DTC. The mean preoperative TSH level was higher than in the malignant group (5 uIU/ml vs 0.4 uIU/ml). The rate of malignancy was the 71% in patients with TSH levels >5 uIU/ml. The TSH level of DTC with metastasis of the lymph node was higher than that with non-metastasis (3.08 uIU/ml vs 2.09 uIU/ml, P<0.01) CONCLUSION: The likelihood of DTC increases with higher serum TSH concentration. Serum TSH level might be useful in predicting malignant nodular thyroid lesion.

Cancer Vaccines Targeting HER2/neu for Early Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

Recent studies of immune responses to pathogens have identified pathogen-associated molecular patterns recognized by the innate immune system through specialized receptors called toll-like receptors (TLRs). Signaling through these receptors initiates robust immune responses. By exploiting TLR signaling pathways, immunity to tumor-associated antigens may be generated. Many tumor-associated antigens are involved in the regulation of tumor phenotype or carcinogenesis. Immune targeting of these antigens may either alter the tumor phenotype, yielding a more treatable tumor, or eradicate early tumor stem cells preventing tumor formation. The oncoprotein HER2/neu, which is often overexpressed in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), may provide such a target. Immune responses directed against HER2/neu may eliminate the disease, make tumors more amenable to anti-estrogen therapy, or prevent escape of hormone-resistant tumor phenotypes. Effective breast cancer prevention in preclinical studies utilizing murine HER2/neu transgenic models has stimulated interest in, and optimism regarding, protective breast cancer vaccines in humans. Induction of anti-HER2 neu T cell (CD4+ and CD8+) and B cell responses has been demonstrated in an ongoing clinical study targeting HER2/neu using a TLR agonist-primed dendritic cell vaccine. Moreover, these vaccinations lead to reductions in both HER2/neu expression and extent of DCIS. HER2/neu expression and aromatase activity have recently been linked through the intermediary cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). This convergence between growth factor and hormone mediated pathways provides additional support for the notion that a significant number of breast cancers may be prevented through effective immune targeting of HER2/neu. As progress is made towards the development of vaccines for breast cancer prevention, the contributions of immune-mediated effecter and inhibitory mechanisms to the pathogenesis of HER2/neu overexpressing breast cancer will need to be better understood.

Immunologic Response to Mistletoe Extract (Viscum album L.) after Conventional Treatment in Patients with Operable Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: To reduce the side effects and improve the effectiveness of standard chemoradiation therapy, many complementary or alternative medicines have been tried. However, little is known about its immunologic effects in breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to assess the immunologic effects of mistletoe extract (Viscum album L., VAE) in patients with early breast cancer after surgery followed by standard adjuvant chemoradiation therapy. METHODS: A total 20 patients with early breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery followed conventional chemoradiation therapy. Ten of these patients received subcutaneous injections of VAE for 7 weeks. IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma levels in serum samples were measured in all patients. RESULTS: The concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-beta were not significantly changed between before and after VAE treatment in both test and control group. The concentration of IL-6 in the test group was increased from 8.19+/-1.75 pg/mL to 9.86+/-1.46 pg/mL after treatment (p=0.013). The concentration of IFN-gamma in the test group was remarkably increased from 91.76+/-17.16 pg/mL to 167.42+/-66.61 pg/mL after treatment (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Significant increases in the concentration of IL-6 and IFN-gamma were observed after VAE treatment. These results suggest that VAE treatment can stimulate immune responses, especially cell-mediated immunity in immune-compromised patients received the chemoradiation for breast cancer.

Acquired Omental Cystic Lymphangioma after Subtotal Gastrectomy: A Case Report

We herein describe a case of cystic lymphangioma in the greater omentum of the remnant stomach, which is thought it to be related with subtotal gastrectomy 10 yr ago for early gastric cancer. A 76-yr-old man was admitted to our department with postprandial abdominal discomfort and bowel habit change. Intraabdominal multilocular cystic mass was detected by ultrasonography and computed tomography. We performed a complete En-bloc tumor resection including spleen and distal pancreas, and histological examination confirmed cystic lymphangioma originated from the greater omentum of the remnant stomach. Although the etiology of omental lymphangioma remains largely unclear, these findings suggested strongly that obstruction of the lymphatic vessels after gastric resection for gastric carcinoma might be the most plausible cause. The surgical extirpation with resection of organs involved appears to be a treatment of choice for such unusual case.

The Clinical Significance of Minimal Extrathyroid Extension in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: The prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma is determined by such risk factors as old age, male gender, a large tumor size and extrathyroid extension. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of extrathyroid extension for the recurrence of papillary microcarcinoma and its association with the risk factors for papillary thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 167 patients with papillary microcarcinoma and who underwent thyroidectomy from Feb. 2003 to Dec. 2008. Papillary microcarcinoma (PTMC) was defined as a tumor smaller than 1 cm and an extrathyroid extension was identified by the pathological findings. Age, gender, extrathyroid extensions, the operative methods, lymph node metastasis and the MACIS score were analyzed by the appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: Patients with PTMC showed a lower MACIS score, fewer lymph node metastasis and less extrathyroid extension, as compared to the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Total thyroidectomy and selective lymph node dissection were less frequently done in the patients suffering with PTMC. Analysis of the risk factors showed that PTMC had a close relationship with lymph node metastasis, the extent of surgery and multifocal cancer. The disease free survival rate of the patients with PTMC was statistically related with lymph node metastasis, but not with an extrathyroid extension (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: The patients with PTMC showed less lymph node metastasis and extrathyroid extension as compared to the patients with PTC. Lymph node metastasis of PTMC is an independent factor for disease free survival, but minimal extrathyroid extension is not related with recurrence. PTMC with lymph node metastasis should be regarded as an aggressive large tumor and lymph node dissection should be done.

The Clinical Significance of a Minimal Extra-thyroidal Extension of Papillary Thyroid Cancer for the Recurrence of Regional Cervical Lymph Nodes

PURPOSE: Extra-thyroidal extension has been recognized as a poor prognostic factor for increased regional recurrence risk in papillary thyroid carcinoma, and is known to require treatment that is more aggressive. In the recent UICC TNM 6th Classification, an extra-thyroidal extension was divided into a minimal extra-thyroidal extension (T3) and a massive extra-thyroidal extension (T4). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of a minimal extra-thyroidal extension of a papillary carcinoma for the recurrence of regional cervical lymph nodes. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 154 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma where a thyroidectomy was performed from Feb. 2003 to May. 2006 at the Department of Surgery, with the exclusion of 6 patients with a massive extra-thyroidal extension. We divided the cases into a no extra-thyroidal extension group and a minimal extra-thyroidal extension group according to the grading of the extra-thyroidal extension. The grading of the extra-thyroidal extension was based on both pathological findings and intraoperative surgical findings. Clinicopathological factors associated with each group were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. We divided the cases into two groups according to age ( or =45 yrs) and lymph node status (positive, negative), and compared each group with regards to disease free survival according to the grading of the extra-thyroidal extension. RESULTS: By univariate analysis, a minimal extra-thyroidal extension was related to lymph node metastasis, tumor size, mutifocality (P0.05). CONCLUSION: We need to downstage to less than T3 for a minimal extra-thyroidal extension because there is no significant difference in disease free survival according to the grading of an extra-thyroidal extension in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

The Survival Analysis of Immunohistochmically Defined Basal and Luminal Subtype of Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: DNA microarray studies of breast cancer have identified distinct subtypes showing different survivals. The results of DNA microarray revealed the HER2 negative and estrogen receptor (ER) negative subtypes, which were designated as basal or basal-like subtype. The basal subtype can not be manipulated by trastuzumab or the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), but DNA microarrays are not perform in clinical practice. We classified invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) into the luminal, HER2, basal and negative groups using an immunohistochemical method and evaluated the usefulness of the method in clinical practice. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the medical records of 295 patients, diagnosed with IDC of the breast, who subsequently underwent a mastectomy between January 1992 and September 2004. A tissue microarray was constructed and immunohistochemical studies performed for HER2, ER, HER1, c-kit and CK5/6. The breast cancers were divided into four subtypes, which included the HER2 positive, luminal, basal and negative subtypes. The basal subtype was characterized by HER2 negative, ER negative and positive for one of HER1, c-kit or CK5/6. Only the ER positive subtype was designated as a luminal subtype. The survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan Meier methods. RESULTS: The 5 year survival rates of the HER2 positive, luminal and basal subtypes were 80.4, 86.8 and 73.8%, respectively (P=0.1274). The basal subtype was predominant among the patients with poorly differentiated carcinomas (P=0.000). The 5 year overall survival of the basal subtype was lower than that of luminal (P=0.049); the prognosis was also poor in those with an age less than 35 years old, premenopausal and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: The basal subtype was associated with a high histologic grade, and also showed significantly worse prognosis then the luminal subtype, especially in those patients with an age less than 35, premenopausal and lymph node metastasis. The immunohistochemical assay for the basal subtype was helpful in detecting patients with a poor prognostic.

The Clinicopathologic Significance of a p63 Expression in Invasive Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: p63 is a recently described as p53 homologue. Despite their structural homologies, they have different activities. p63 is a specific myoepithelial cell marker in normal breast tissue and it is expressed in a minority of breast cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the p63 expression in breast cancer. METHODS: The expression of p63 in breast cancer was determined by performing immunohistochemistry on 350 patients who underwent mastectomy at the Department of Surgery at Korea University Medical Center between January 1992 and September 2004. A retrospective analysis was conducted using the medical records. A tissue microarray was constructed, and immunohistochemical analysis for p63 was performed according to the usual methods. RESULTS: Among 350 patients, 40 (11.4%) showed a p63 expression. There was a significant correlation between p63 and the histologic grade. There were significant correlations of p63 with p53 and HER2/neu, respectively. In the basal type of breast cancer, the p63 expression was significantly higher than in the luminal type of breast cancer. The 5 year disease free survival rates were 69% in the patients with a p63 expression and 76% in the patients without a p63 expression, but there was no statistical difference. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that a p63 expression is associated with a high grade tumor, a p53 expression and a HER2/neu expression in breast cancer, which are the known poor prognostic factors of breast cancer. Immunohistochemical subtyping shows that the p63 expression is a useful predictor for the basal type of breast cancer. In addition, this study suggests that the p63 expression in the basal type of breast cancer is associated with a poor prognosis.

Prognostic Factors for Advanced Gastric Cancer: Stage- stratified Analysis of Patients who Underwent Curative Resection / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Advanced gastric cancer patients have a poorer prognosis as compared to the patients with early gastric cancer. This study was conducted to define the prognostic factors for advanced gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 606 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent curative gastric resection at our hospital were retrospectively examined. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 was comprised of patients with a survival time or = 5 years. We compared clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups by performing univariate and multivariate analysis. We also investigated the prognostic factors according to the stage. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, 7 factors (age, tumor size, Borrmann type, resection type, distal resection margin, depth of invasion and lymph node status) were found to be different, and multivariate analysis revealed that patient age, depth of invasion and lymph node metas tasis were the only significantly differences between the two groups. On the other hand, age and the Borrmann type for stage I b patients, age and the number of retrieved lymph nodes for stage II patients, tumor size for stage III patients, and the type of resection for stage IV patients were found to be the independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: The age of patients had prognostic value in the early stages of advanced gastric cancers such as stage I b or II. The number greater than 20 retrieved lymph nodes affected the survival, particularly for the patients with stage II disease, and the tumor size was a significant prognostic factor for patients with stage III disease. Therefore, physicians are advised to pay special attention to lymph node dissection for those patients with stage II or III disease.

Expression of p53 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Gastric Cancer; Usefullness as Clinical Significance

PURPOSE: Recent studies have indicated that the p53 tumor suppressor gene and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play an important role in the angiogenic process of tumors. In this study, the correlation of the expressions of p53 and VEGF and the clinical features in gastric cancer were investigated. METHODS: The expressions of p53 and VEGF in gastric cancer were determined using immunohistochemistry on 98 randomly selected gastric cancer patients that had received curative resection. RESULTS: The expression of p53 and VEGF were observed in 51% and 50% of tumors, respectively. A significant correlation was found between p53 expression and the tumor histological type (P=0.045). The higher the TNM stage, the higher the observed level of p53 expression. The p53 and VEGF expression stati coincided in 70.4% of tumors, with a significant correlation found between the p53 and VEGF stati. Significantly worse survival rates were found in p53-positive and VEGF-positive patients than in those that were p53-negative and VEGF-negative. CONCLUSION: The present results indicated that p53 and VEGF expressions are useful in predicting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.