Fournier's gangrene is a fulminating gangrene of the male genitalia. It is associated with severe systemic toxic effect and a high motality rate, and it requires early diagnosis and intensive care with surgical intervention. We report a case of Fournier's gangrene in 33-year-old man, who showed marked swelling and necrosis of the scrotum, and extending cellulitis on the right flank and chest. With prompt excision of all the gangrenous scrotal skin and drainage incisions made on the flank and chest, the healing was successful.
Adult ; Cellulitis ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Fournier Gangrene* ; Gangrene ; Genitalia, Male ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Male ; Necrosis ; Scrotum ; Skin ; Thorax

Plexiform neurofibroma is considered to be pathognomic of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Herein we report a solitary plexiform neurofibroma which is not associated with NF1. A 61-year-old man presented with asymptomatic skin colored nodules on the medial side of his left great toe. No other abnormalities were found in his personal or family history. Clinically, the tumor was simulating the appearance of mucous cysts. Microscopically,it was a plexiform neurofibroma located in the dermis which seemed to originate from small superficial nerves. This case would seem to confirm that the superficial form of plexiform neurofibroma involving small nerves in the dermis or subcutis is not necessarily pathognomic for NF1.
Dermis ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Skin ; Toes

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, False*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of low intensity exercise program with telephone coaching on the physical fitness of elderly people who are receiving home visiting nursing care. METHOD: This study was conducted using a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 61 elders. Elders (34) in the experimental group performed low intensity exercise and of these 16 received telephone coaching. The low intensity exercise program consisted of stretching, muscle strengthening with an elastic band, massage, and ball exercise, five days a week, for sixteen weeks. Data were collected from July 2007 to December 2007. chi-square-test, ANCOVA with SPSS WIN 11.0 program were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: There were statistical differences in the right grasping power in the right hand (p=0.021), Raising behind of right arm (p=0.006), Raising behind of left arm (p=0.007). CONCLUSION: These results indicate, that a low intensity exercise program with telephone coaching can help improve physical fitness in elders receiving served home visiting nursing care.
Aged ; Arm ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; House Calls ; Humans ; Massage ; Muscles ; Nursing Care ; Physical Fitness ; Telephone

BACKGROUND: Alternative medicines may be defined as forms of therapy or examination that have no scientific basis and where no effect or diagnostic reliability have been demonstrated by scientific methods. Many patients with atopic dermatitis try various forms of alternative medicine, and several studies about the use of alternative medicine in the patients of atopic dermatitis were performed in western countries but not in Korea. OBJECT: This study was performed to evaluate the use of alternative medicine in atopic dermatitis patients. METHODS: 188 patients of atopic dermatitis attending our outpatient clinic responded to questionnaires on the use of alternative medicine and the past history of atopic dermatitis. RESULTS: 136 of 188 patients(72%) reported previous or current use of one or more forms of alternative medicine. Herbal remedies(32.4%) were used most frequently, and health food preparations, spa therapy, and diet changes were also commonly used. The most common motif of using alternative medicine was "just want to try every possible treatment"(48.6%) and main information sources were people without same skin disease(relatives and friends)(50.0%). The majority(75.2%) reported they do not use the alternative medicine now because of the poor result. The use of the alternative medicine was related to the disease duration, and the cost of the atopic dermatitis treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The use of alternative medicine in atopic dermatitis is commonplace and should be of concern to dermatologists.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Complementary Therapies ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diet ; Food, Organic ; Humans ; Korea ; Skin ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A 51 year-old male was admitted to our hospital complaining of right lower abdominal mass. Physical examination revealed nonpalpable right testicle in the scrotum. Echogram and CT scan of abdomen revealed a well defined round mass in the right lower abdomen. Exploration was performed under the suspicion of abdominal cryptorchid testicular tumor, and the mass was resected completely. The mass was 9X7X4cm in size and l90gm in weight, and cut surface of it showed yellowish-white spherical tumor nodules. Histological examination revealed seminoma. Postoperative right pelvic and retroperitoneal irradiation was performed under the diagnosis of seminoma of stage I. Here we report a case of seminoma developed in abdominal cryptorchid testis.
Abdomen ; Cryptorchidism ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Scrotum ; Seminoma* ; Testis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was (1) to determine whether amniotic fluid concentrations of interleukin-6 are of value in the diagnosis of histologic chorioamnionitis of preterm placenta and in the prediction of significant perinatal morbidity and mortality in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes and (2) to compare the diagnostic performance of amniotic fluid interleukin-6 with that of amniotic fluid microbial culture for these outcome variables. METHOD: The relation among placental histologic finding, perinatal outcome, amniotic fluid culture, and amniotic fluid interleukin-6 concentrations were examined in 65 patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes who delivered preterm neonates within 72 hours after transabdominal amniocentesis. Interleukin-6 level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Receiver-operator characteristic curve, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis. RESULTS: 1) Patients with acute histologic chorioamnionitis had significantly higher median amniotic fluid interleukin-6 concentrations than those without histologic chorioamnionitis (median 12.6 ng/ml, range 0.03 to 142.2 ng/ml vs median 0.5 ng/ml, range 0.03 to 16 ng/ml; P < 0.0001). 2) Amniotic fluid having interleukin-6 concentrations higher than 3.2 ng/ml had a sensitivity of 78% (35/45) and specificity of 95% (19/20) in the diagnosis of acute histologic chorioamnionitis and sensitivity of 74% (25/34) and specificity of 65% (20/31) in the prediction of significant neonatal morbidity and mortality. 3) These sensitivities were significantly higher than those of amniotic fluid culture, but there were no significant difference in specificities between amniotic fluid interleukin-6 and culture (histologic chorioamnionitis: 78% vs 51%, p<0.01; significant neonatal morbidity and mortality: 74% vs 47%, p<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Test of amniotic fluid interleukin-6 is of value and more sensitive than amniotic fluid culture for the antenatal diagnosis of histologic chorioamnionitis and for the prediction of perinatal outcome in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes.
Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Chorioamnionitis ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-6* ; Membranes* ; Mortality ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Rupture* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objectives: ：The authors examined the association of sleep quality and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in schizophrenic patients using actigraphy. Methods: ：A total of 101 schizophrenic patients were included in this study. Fifty-four (53.4%) patients met the criteria of MetS. Self-assessment of subjective sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, physical activities were measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), respectively. Objective sleep quality and physical activity were measured by Actigraph (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT). Results: ：Total time in bed (TIB) (p=0.032), sleep latency (SL) (p=0.001), wake after sleep onset (WASO) (p<0.001) and average awakening (p=0.015) were significantly longer in patients with MetS than those of non-MetS. Results of multiple logistic regression showed that long sleep latency (OR 7.876, 95% CI 1.519, p=0.014) and low sleep efficiency (OR 9.902, 95% CI 1.111, p=0.040) were high risk factors for MetS. Conclusion ：This was the first study to find the correlations of sleep quality and MetS in schizophrenic patients by objective sleep measurements. Although long sleep latency and low sleep efficiency were associated with MetS in patients with schizophrenia, more extensive and complicated designed studies may be needed to the association of MetS and sleep problems in schizophrenic patients.

Objectives: ：The authors examined the association of sleep quality and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in schizophrenic patients using actigraphy. Methods: ：A total of 101 schizophrenic patients were included in this study. Fifty-four (53.4%) patients met the criteria of MetS. Self-assessment of subjective sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, physical activities were measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), respectively. Objective sleep quality and physical activity were measured by Actigraph (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT). Results: ：Total time in bed (TIB) (p=0.032), sleep latency (SL) (p=0.001), wake after sleep onset (WASO) (p<0.001) and average awakening (p=0.015) were significantly longer in patients with MetS than those of non-MetS. Results of multiple logistic regression showed that long sleep latency (OR 7.876, 95% CI 1.519, p=0.014) and low sleep efficiency (OR 9.902, 95% CI 1.111, p=0.040) were high risk factors for MetS. Conclusion ：This was the first study to find the correlations of sleep quality and MetS in schizophrenic patients by objective sleep measurements. Although long sleep latency and low sleep efficiency were associated with MetS in patients with schizophrenia, more extensive and complicated designed studies may be needed to the association of MetS and sleep problems in schizophrenic patients.

Many interventional cardiologists rely upon percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES), but DES may provoke serious complications, such as stent thrombosis and delayed restenosis. Previous studies of bare metal stent placement showed regression of neointimal proliferation after 6 months. Here, we report the case of a 50-year-old man demonstrating spontaneous regression of neointimal hyperplasia after undergoing PCI with a bare metal stent to treat a middle left anterior descending (LAD) artery lesion. Coronary angiography showed 90% diffuse restenosis at 6 months after stent placement, but the patient refused PCI due to monetary concerns. After 29 months, follow-up angiography revealed spontaneous regression of restenosis in the middle LAD.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Restenosis ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Stents ; Thrombosis