Techniques for performing laparoscopic liver resection in various hepatic locations

Many studies have recently reported on laparoscopic liver resection, although its development has been slow compared to laparoscopy in other fields. The indications for the location of laparoscopic liver resection have previously been limited to easily accessible lesions. Performing laparoscopic liver resection in the posterior and superior parts of the liver has been considered difficult due to inadequate exposure, the poor operative field and the difficulty with parenchymal dissection. Flexible endoscopy, high definition imaging and various kinds of equipment for parenchymal transection have been introduced for clinical use. In addition, much experience with this procedure has been accumulated at many centers. Accordingly, there are an increasing number of reports on laparoscopic liver resection in difficult locations. At our institution, the location of the tumor is no longer a limitation to laparoscopic liver resection. However, for safer laparoscopic liver resection, the patient positioning and trocar placement should be individualized according to the tumor location. The type of resection also may depend on the remaining liver’s functional capacity. We describe here the technical considerations for performing laparoscopic liver resection, including the technical considerations for performing laparoscopic liver resection for lesions located in the postero-superior segments of the liver.     

A study of a method for distribution analysis of skin color

Background/aims: The objective and quantitative assessment of the skin is important in medical and cosmeceutical research. Assessment of color is an important element for analyzing the surface of the skin, which is usually determined subjectively by a doctor or using color analysis devices. These devices, however, cannot provide correct color information because color is construed from the mean value of the observation region, and analysis of color distribution is impossible. The purpose of this paper is to develop an objective analysis method to permit skin color measurement of each pixel unit of an image and analyze the distribution of skin surface color. Methods: The Skin Color Distribution Analyzer (SCDA) is an analysis method newly developed at the Research Institute for Skin Image at Korea University. The SCDA system presented in this paper performed a novel form of quantitative and objective analysis of skin color distribution using each pixel color model parameter found in image wavelength information. In this paper, distribution analysis was conducted on normal skin and skin lesions and skin affected by artificially induced irritant contact dermatitis and pigmented nevous. The method selected a grade using a color model parameter. Twenty healthy Korean males participated in this study. A comparative study of the eight anatomical areas was performed, including the exposure and non‐exposure parts and the medial aspect and the lateral aspect of the forearm. A reliability test for the SCDA system was also conducted with a spectrometer (SPEC) using the color analysis method. Results: Each skin lesion was precisely segmented by grade and each parameter hada different statistical significance for results of analysis of distribution in pigmented nevous and the artificially induced irritant contact dermatitis. Parameters L^*, b^*, a^*, and EI showed salient traits. Showed resemble measured result in the SCDA system and the SPEC of normal skin. The exposed site, in comparison with the non‐exposed site, showed a notable difference in the L^* parameter and a significant statistical difference in the x and z parameters, except b^*. The comparison of the medial and lateral aspects of the forearm showed a notable difference in the L^* parameter and a significant statistical difference in the parameters except y and b^*. In the reliability test result using the SCDA system and the SPEC, the SCDA system was highly reliabile in terms of the CV value in all color model parameters. Conclusions: The color distribution analysis method using the SCDA system has revealed an aspect that the existent method of medical research has not shown, and is considered to be more reliable than other methods. This method can provide better study findings because it can be applied to other fields in addition to the medical science field and the ripple effect is thought to be bigger in other science field too.     

Increased lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptor density in progressive multiple sclerosis is specific for the CD8+, CD28- suppressor cell.

Beta-adrenergic receptor density on T cells from healthy humans is greatest on suppressor cells (CD8+, CD28-) and the effect of catecholamines, secreted by the sympathetic nervous system, predominates on this subset. The sympathetic skin response, a measure of sympathetic nervous system function, is absent in most patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). We measured beta-adrenergic receptor density on suppressor cells, cytotoxic cells, and monocytes from patients with chronic progressive MS and healthy control subjects. Control receptor density on suppressor cells was 2.8 +/- 0.3 fmol/10(6) cells versus a density of 5.1 +/- 0.7 fmol/10(6) cells for patients. Cytotoxic cell (CD8+, CD28+) receptor density was 1.4 +/- 0.4 fmol/10(6) cells in control subjects and 0.9 +/- 0.3 fmol/10(6) cells in the patients. Monocytes displayed beta-adrenergic receptor densities of 2.6 +/- 0.4 fmol/10(6) cells in normal individuals and 2.7 +/- 0.4 fmol/10(6) cells in the patient group. CD8 lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptor densities in patients with relapsing-remitting and those with stable MS were not different from control values, yet were significantly less than the values for patients with chronic progressive MS. We find that mononuclear cells from healthy control subjects and patients with chronic progressive MS proliferate in response to 200 units/ml of recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) similarly. However, IL-2 treatment increased beta-adrenergic receptor density on normal mononuclear cells, but failed to increase it on mononuclear cells from patients with chronic progressive MS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Are ADDH and ADHD the same or different?

To assess the relationship between the DSM-III criteria for attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH) and the DSM-III-R criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), children from an inner city parochial school were evaluated using a 30-item teacher questionnaire consisting of the DMS-III and DSM-III-R criteria for these disorders, the revised Conners Parent and Teacher Questionnaires, and a continuous performance test. Diagnostic groups were established based on teacher ratings of the DSM items and evaluated in relation to the rating scale data and continuous performance test. While children who were identified by teachers as having ADDH almost always satisfied the criteria for ADHD, a new group of children who were hyperactive and impulsive but less clearly inattentive also met the criteria for ADHD. Implications of the change in diagnostic criteria are discussed.     

腭裂修复术腭咽肌肉重建与否的鼻咽内窥镜的比较观察

目的通过是否进行腭咽肌肉重建的两组腭裂修复术后患者鼻咽内窥镜的比较观察,了解腭咽部肌肉重建术后腭咽闭合状况的改变。方法将41例腭裂术后患者,按照在腭裂修复时是否进行腭咽肌肉重建分为重建组(22例)和非重建组(19例),以鼻咽纤维内窥镜记录静态和发音时腭咽闭合运动状况,对两组患者腭咽闭合运动类型和状况进行比较。结果重建组静态腭咽腔形态较非重建组明显缩小,各壁光滑丰满,未见软腭鼻腔面V型缺损畸形;动态时以环状闭合为主。非重建组静态腭咽腔形态较大,可见软腭鼻腔面V型缺损畸形;动态时以冠状闭合为主。经比较重建组腭咽闭合良好率(90.91%)明显优于非重建组(37.31%)。结论鼻咽内窥镜观察证实腭咽肌肉重建腭裂修复术后腭咽闭合功能恢复明显优于非重建组。腭裂修复术时重建腭咽肌肉有助于缩小腭咽腔和更易于达到良好的腭咽闭合状态。     

血管内栓塞结合显微手术治疗颅内动脉瘤临床研究

目的应用显微手术夹闭、血管内栓塞和栓塞后手术夹闭3种治疗方法，探讨治疗颅内破裂动脉瘤的安全有效方案。方法显微手术瘤颈夹闭30个动脉瘤，栓塞34个动脉瘤，栓塞后夹闭15个动脉瘤。结果夹闭组30个完全夹闭，无复发，死亡率6％（2／30）。栓塞组完全闭塞率70．6％（24／34），复发率17．6％（6／34），死亡率11．8％（4／34）。栓塞后手术组15个完全夹闭，无复发，死亡率6．7％（1／15）。治疗结束用GOS评价，1个月后3组良好率分别为80．0％、79．4％和80．0％；半年后良好率分别为90．0％、88．2％和86．7％。结论显微手术瘤颈夹闭术仍然是治疗破裂动脉瘤的有效方法，具有1次治疗彻底和复发率低的优势，并可作为栓塞失败的补救手段。