BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal diseases are relatively important in Korea. There are various studies on upper gastrointestinal diseases, especially relationships with Helicobacter pylori, but studies on young adults are relatively fewer. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to know the prevalence of various upper gastrointestinal diseases and the association with Helicobacter pylori among young policemen. METHODS: Diagnosis and classification of upper gastrointestinal diseases were made 260 policemen, who visited the outpatient department of family medicine at one general hospital in Seoul from March 2, 2001 to December 31, 2002. RESULTS: The frequencies of upper gastrointestinal diseases were gastritis (62.2%), duodenal ulcer (14.4%), gastric ulcer (7.5%), duodenitis (6.9%), and no active lesion (9.0%). The frequency of multiple upper gastrointestinal disease was chronic superficial gastritis and duodenal ulcer (37%), chronic superficial gastritis and duodenitis (21.9%), and acute gastritis and duodenal ulcer (16.4%), and these groups comprised the most with 75.3%. The location of the lesion was found at antrum (62.2%) and duodenum (21.6%). Ulcer stages in gastric and duodenal ulcer were mostly in active stage. Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric and duodenal ulcer were 36% and 85.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most symptomatic patients had lesions which were found at antrum and duodenum as in other studies. Ulcer diseases in duodenum were much more frequent than those in stomach, which probably be associated with Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, suitable examination and treatment are necessary.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Duodenitis ; Duodenum ; Gastritis ; Gastrointestinal Diseases* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Peptic Ulcer ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer ; Ulcer ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Brain metastasis is infrequent in colorectal cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics including the survival, type of treatment, and metastatic patterns of brain metastasis in colorectal cancer. METHODS: Between January 1993 and September 2002, we analyzed 2,019 surgical patients with colorectal carcinoma operated at Korea Cancer Center Hospital. Among these patients, 13 patients were identified with metastatic colorectal cancer to the brain. The medical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively and survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: During the study period, the incidence of brain metastasis of colorectal cancer was 0.6%. Male-to-female ratio was 1:1.6. Mean age was 55.2+/-9.7 years and median age was 56 years (34~67years). The most frequent primary tumor site was the rectum (11 cases, 84.6%). and the most frequent symptom of brain metastasis was headache. According to the TNM staging system, there were 1 case in stage II, 8 cases in stage III, and 4 cases in stage IV at the time of initial diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Brain metastases were often occurred concurrently with lung metastases (9 cases, 69.2%), otherwise solitary brain metastasis was found in 4 cases. Between the diagnosis of primary cancer and the diagnosis of brain metastasis, the mean interval was 25.9+/-6.9 months and the median interval was 16 months (5~97) in stage II and III patients. The mean survival time after the diagnosis of brain metastasis was 18.5 months for patients who underwent surgery and 3.3 months for patients who received non-surgical therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Brain metastasis of colorectal cancer is relatively uncommon and the incidence is significantly low, commonly more or less than 1%. It is often accompanied by pulmonary metastasis. The results of this study show that surgical resection may increase the survival of these patients. Though inability to the awareness of the possibility and early diagnosis of brain metastasis in colorectal cancer could affect the poor prognosis, aggressive treatment in suitable cases might enhance the survival for this group of patients.
Brain* ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Rectum ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Legionella species are abundant in the built environment and are increasingly recognized as a cause of Legionnaires' disease (LD). As the number of cases of Legionnaires' disease acquired by local communities in the Seoul metropolitan area in Korea has been increased, there was concern that changes in environmental factors could affect disease outbreaks. We described the association between climatic variables and occurrence of legionellosis in Korea and Legionella detection rate in Seoul area. A total of 418 cases of legionellosis were reported between 2014 and 2017. There was a seasonal peak in summer. LD continuously occurred from early spring to winter every year and rapidly increased in summer. In the regression analysis, the primary variables of interest- PM2.5 (µg/m³), NO₂ (ppb), and a number of the date of issue O₃ warning were not significant except for average temperature (R²=0.8075). The Legionella detection rate in Seoul, Korea showed a trend similar to precipitation (P=0.708, ANOVA). A relatively high proportion of Legionella detection rate was shown, especially cooling tower (17.7%) and public bath (19.3%). This finding is in line with current understanding of the ecological profile of this pathogen and supports the assertion that legionellosis occurs through contamination of water sources.
Baths ; Disease Outbreaks ; Epidemiology ; Korea ; Legionella ; Legionellosis ; Legionnaires' Disease ; Regression Analysis ; Seasons ; Seoul ; Water