BACKGROUND: Scuba diving has become increasingly popular in Korea. Medical problems are common with dives, especially decompression sickness(DCS). This study was performed to obtain an useful information of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in DCS in Korea. METHOD: We reviewed the 62 cases of Korean divers, who were diagnosed as DCS and received recompression therapy according to U.S. Navy Standard Recompression Treatment Table at Ocean and Underwater Medical Research and Training Center of ROK Navy, for 6 years from Jan. 1993 to Nov. 1998. RESULT: 1) the mean no-decompression limit excess time between type I DCS group(72.7 min.) and type II DCS group(92.8min.) showed significant difference. 2) The rate of symptoms appeared on surfacing and within 10min. after surfacing of type I and type II DCS were 41.4%and 72.7% respectively. 3) The cure late of type I and type II were 75.9%and 42.4% respectively. In type II DCS group, the cure rate of the group within 12 hour-delayed recompression treatment and the group above 12 hour-delayed treatment were 64.3%and time 26.3% respectively, and in type I DCS group, 100% and 66.7% respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the education of safety, the strict observance of the standard decompression table, and the avoidance of excessive repeated diving are important for reducing the risk of diving related disease. And to offer proper management of DCS, there should be more multiplace hyperbaric oxygen chambers, the suitable transport system, and the specialist of diving medicine or hyperbaric medicine in Korea.
Decompression Sickness* ; Decompression* ; Diving ; Education ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation* ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Specialization

Crescentic glomerulonephritis in rheumatoid arthritis is described recently with increasing frequency. It can occur directly as a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis or may be a reaction to drugs such as D-penicillamine and bucillamine. We report a case of crescentic glomerulonephritis in a 46-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years who had been treated intermittently with herb medicine or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Light microscopic examination showed severe focal segmental and global necrotizing glomerulonephritis with crescent formation in 50% of the glomeruli. Immunofluorescent study revealed scanty amount of mesangial granular deposits of IgA, IgM, C3 and fibrinogen in a diffuse pattern.
Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

Tumorlet is a rare lesion of disputed origin that was first described by whitwell in 1955, and about one-third of the reported cases have been associated with underlying lung disease. Patient was a 60-year-old female who was admitted with a histroy of chest discomfort and dyspnea. Right lower lobe was partially resected under the clinical diagnosis of the bronchogenic cyst. Grossly, lung tissue around round cystic lesion appeared brown firm and somewhat fibrotic, and showed several scattered ill-defined whitish gray nodules. Microscopically, lung tissue around bronchogenic cyst was partially obliterated by dense fibrous scar tissue. Within this areas of fibrosis, and in the wall of alveolar ducts and respiratory bronchioles, innumerable microscopic tumorlets were found and argyrophilic granules were also demonstrated in scattered tumorlets with Grimelius stain.
Female ; Humans ; Cysts

Papular elastorrhexis is a connective tissue nevus that occurs in the second decade of life as asymptomatic small white-creamy papules scattered over the chest, shoulder, abdomen, or back Histopathologically, there is a decrease in elastic fibers with focal homogenization of collagen. Recognition of this entity is important to prevent use of unnecessary diagnostic procedures and therapy. We present three cases of papular elastorrhexis. All of them occurred in children under the age 10 years.
Abdomen ; Child ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Elastic Tissue ; Humans ; Nevus ; Shoulder ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Knee* ; Popliteal Artery*

The vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is frequently found among the patients with urinary tract infection (UIT) and some patients with VUR progress to reflux nephropathy. The presence of scarring at UIT is an important determinant in the selection of those at risk of progressive damage. 99m Technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid (99m Tc-DMSA) is a renal scanning agent provides a good quality of renal image as a result of preferential cortical accumulation. 99m Tc-DMSA scan and VCUG were performed in 133 patients diagnosed UTI at pediatric department of Kyung Hee University, College of Medicine from May, 1990 to May, 1992 The results were as follows: 1) VUR was seen in 27 children among 133 patients with UTI. The incidence was 20.3%. Under 1 year of age, male to female ratio was higher incidence of VUR. 2) Incidence of renal scarring was higher in patients with VUR than those of without VUR. 3) Grading of VUR in relation to age, the older the age, the lower the grade. 4) There is no correlation between renal scarring and grades of VUR. 5) In distribution of renal scarring, it was found to have tendency to develop at upper polar area, there was diffuse and multiple in patients with VUR. In conclusion the incidence of renal scarring was related to the age of onset, duration of UTI and the severity of the VUR and 99mTc-DMSA scan is mandatory in patient with UTI even without VUR in order to detect early phase of renal scarring.
Age of Onset ; Child ; Cicatrix* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Succimer ; Technetium ; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to find out what factors affect revisits by elderly patients to the emergency department (ED) with the same symptoms within 72 hours and hospitalization after a revisit. Delineating these factors can reduce unnecessary revisits to the ED and minimize problems with diagnosing and treating, improving the quality of treatment provided and of discharge decisions. METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving 3790 elderly patients who presented initially to a general hospital ED between May 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009. Of these, 176 cases revisited the ED within 72 hours with the same symptoms. Their medical records were reviewed. A comparative analysis was conducted of the early revisit group by classifying them into 'discharge' and 'admission' considering age, gender, insurance status, means of arrival, chief complaint, diagnosis, length of stay, time of arrival, comorbidity disease, time lapse, and day of the week. RESULTS: The factors affecting revisits were age (< or =79 years), insurance status (medical aid), means of arrival (walk-in), and chief complaint (dysuria.flank pain, skin rash). The factors affecting hospitalization after a revisit were age (> or =80 years), means of arrival (by ambulance), increasing length of stay, and high comorbidity index (> or =2). CONCLUSION: The factors affecting revisits to the ED or hospitalization after a revisit were age, insurance status, means of arrival, chief complaint, length of stay, and comorbidity index. Physicians should be more careful when deciding discharge for elderly patients, especially those with the above factors.
Aged ; Comorbidity ; Emergencies ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Insurance Coverage ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy*

Cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction due to Rhus can develop against antigens delivered through the epidermis(allergic contact dermatitis: ACD) or through the blood vessels(systemic contact dermatitis: SCD). Although the role of Langerhans cells(LC) in sensitization and elicitation of ACD(external antigen) has been extensively investigated, there are few studies in cases of SCD(internal antigen). Immunohistochemical differences of Langerhans cells were investigated in cases of two different routes(external antigen vs. internal antigen) of the same antigens. The 7 cases of ACD due to Rhus and the 14 cases of SCD due to ingestion of Rhus were involved in this study. Immunohistochemical staining with anti-CD1a, S-100 protein, HLA-DR, factor XIIIa antibodies were performed. Numbers of CD1a, S-100 protein, and HLA-DR positive cells per linear millimeter of epidermis were counted. The ratio between HLA-DR positive cells and CD1a positive cells(HLA-DR/CD1a) was considered as a possible index of activation of LC. The number of factor XIIIa positive dermal dendritic cells(DDC) per mm2 was evaluated. CD1a positive LC were more significantly numerous in ACD than in SCD(19.6+/-1.95 vs. 9.0+/-0.91 p<0.05). Also, HLA-DR/CD1a in ACD were higher than SCD. Factor XIIIa positive DDC were more numerous in SCD than in ACD(21.6+/-1.57 vs. 16.9+/-2.48), but the differences were not significant statistically. Therefore, the epidermal LC appear to be involved in antigen presentation in ACD (external antigens) as to be well-known. On the other hand, it seems possible that DDC plays some role in immune reactions in SCD (internal antigens).
Antibodies ; Antigen Presentation ; Antigen-Presenting Cells* ; Dermatitis* ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Eating* ; Epidermis ; Factor XIIIa ; Hand ; HLA-DR Antigens ; Hypersensitivity ; Lacquer* ; Langerhans Cells ; Rhus ; S100 Proteins ; Skin* ; Trees*