Is cholecystectomy a reasonable treatment option for simple gallbladder polyps larger than 10 mm?

Aim: To determine the relevance of the 10-mm size criterion of the generally accepted surgical indication for gallbladder polyps (GBPs).

Methods: We collected data of patients who were confirmed to have GBPs through cholecystectomy at Samsung Medical Center between January 1997 and December 2012. Among the patients who underwent cholecystectomy for GBP, those with a definite evidence for malignancy such as adjacent organ invasion, metastasis on preoperative imaging studies, polyp larger than 20 mm, absence of preoperative imaging study results, and patients having gallstones were excluded.

Isolation of mesenchymal stem cells from the mandibular marrow aspirates.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could be obtained from mandible marrow aspirates.

Study Design: In 5 patients, 10 mL marrow aspirates were obtained from both the mandible and the iliac crest. Second passage MSCs were characterized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis using MSC-specific cell surface marker, and fifth-passage cells were differentiated into 3 mesenchymal tissues in vitro.

Routine screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm during clinical transthoracic echocardiography in a Korean population.

Background: An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is potentially fatal when ruptured. Whereas the transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) protocol does not routinely include examination of the infrarenal abdominal aorta, the protocol is performed quickly and easily for AAA screening.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the protocol for AAA screening during TTE in a Korean population referred for clinical TTE.

[Four patients with hepatitis A presenting with fulminant hepatitis and acute renal failure and who underwent liver transplantation].

Hepatitis A is generally known as a mild, self-limiting disease of the liver, but in rare instances it can progress to fulminant hepatitis, which may require liver transplantation for recovery. Such cases are known to be related to old age and underlying liver disease. We report four cases of hepatitis A in which patients presented with fulminant hepatitis and acute renal failure and underwent liver transplantation.