A Nationwide health care utilization survey was conducted from March 11 to September 19, 1985 to assess the level of illness and the magnitude of medical care utilization. A probability sample of 15,427 persons was taken from 180 Enumerated Districts designated by the Economic Planning Board. Of those 4,500 housewives were proxy respondents. A interview was conducted with pre-tested questionnaire schedule which was recorded by well trained interviewers. Age and sex compositions of the study population were similar to those of general population structure in 1985. The major findings of this survey are as follows: 1) A total of 64.5% of the study population lived in city area and 35.5% lived in county area. 2) While no difference was observed in interview rate between city and county area, it showed statistically significant difference in the medical security program coverage rate between the two areas(44.7% and 37.1%, respectively). 3) Morbidity rate was 79 per 1,000 persons during the two week periods. There was difference in age and sex adjusted morbidity rates between city and county area. Furthermore morbidity rates by the status of the program were significantly difference between the two areas. 4) Average ambulatory care utilization rate was 7.2 visits per person per year and average admission rate was 1.8 per 100 persons per year. There was significant difference in average ambulatory care utilization rate by the program. but no significant difference in medical utilization rate between city and county area. 5) The major symptoms of the perceived illness was the respiratory system(44.1%). 6) A total of 50.4% of the perceived illness among the covered group by the program were treated at the hospital and clinics, but those who are not covered used primarily drug stores(61.3%).
Ambulatory Care ; Appointments and Schedules ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Proxy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sampling Studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are no reported studies of olfactory function of Korean children, and the existing tests of olfactory function for Korean adults may not be suitable for very young children. This study assessed the applicability of the Butanol Threshold Test (BTT) and Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test (CC-SIT) to children. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 79 children were included in the study: they were between 6-12 years of age, and had visited University Hospital Health Care Center between January 2012 and December 2013. All children were administered the BTT and CC-SIT. RESULTS: Using BTT, 69.62% of the sample was classified as moderate hyposmia. On the other hand, when CC-SIT was used, 45.57% of the sample was classified as moderate and 43.04% as mild hyposmia. CC-SIT and BTT scores were not correlated. Although gender and age were not taken into account in the test results, the CC-SIT could measure age-specific olfactory development. CONCLUSION: Our study provides fundamental data on the clinical use of the CC-SIT and BTT in healthy Korean children.
Adult ; Child* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Hand ; Humans ; Smell*

Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is a very rare tumor of the liver and primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma with Behcet's disease has not been reported previously. Behcet's disease is a multisystem disorder presenting with recurrent oral and genital ulcerations as well as ocular lesions; it has rarely been reported in association with malignant disease. We report a case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma with intrahepatic and abdominal subcutaneous metastasis in a patient with Behcet's disease; this is the first report of these findings in Korea.
Abdominal Neoplasms/diagnosis/*secondary ; *Abdominal Wall ; Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma/*complications/diagnosis/*secondary ; Liver Neoplasms/*complications/diagnosis/*secondary ; *Subcutaneous Tissue

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In spite of increasing interests about nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), there are few reports about the ultrastructure of hepatocyte in this disease. The aim of this study was to clarify abnormal electron microscopic (EM) findings and related factors in NASH. METHODS: Total of fourteen patients who underwent liver biopsy due to steatohepatitis were included. Precise personal history was taken and variable blood tests such as liver function test, lipid profile, and serum iron study were done. Pathologic examination with light and electron microscopy was done by single pathologist. RESULTS: Eleven men and three women were included and mean age was 33.7+/-12.8 years. Nine patients drinking less than 40 g/week was grouped as "NASH group" and other 5 patients drinking more than 40 g/week and body mass index less than 25 was grouped as "ASH (Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) group". Polymorphism of mitochondria such as megamitochondria or loss of cristae was major abnormal EM findings and was more common in "NASH group" than "ASH group" (p=0.027). There was no significant clinical or pathological factors related with the presence of these abnormal EM findings. CONCLUSIONS: Polymorphism of mitochondria is major abnormal EM finding of steatohepatitis and is more common in NASH than ASH. And there is no significant clinical or pathological factors which could predict the presence of these abnormal EM findings.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Fatty Liver/*pathology ; Female ; Hepatocytes/*ultrastructure ; Humans ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic/*pathology ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondria, Liver/ultrastructure

Hepatic tuberculosis (TB) is usually associated with pulmonary or miliary TB, but primary hepatic TB is rare less than 1% of all cases of TB. Because hepatic TB lacks typical clinical manifestations as well as typical imaging findings, it is difficult to differentiate TB from the malignancies such as hepatic metastasis, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. A 76-year-old woman was presented with single liver mass detected on routine examination. She was clinically diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and underwent surgical excision of the lesion. However, histologic examination revealed caseous necrotizing granuloma and the PCR test for Myco-bacterium tuberculosis was positive. The final diagnosis was primary hepatic TB. Here we report the case with primary hepatic TB who was initially misdiagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and underwent surgical excision.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Granuloma ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Hepatic*

Inflammatory pseudotumor is an uncommon mass which develops most frequently in the lung of young adults. It is characterized by localized fibrous proliferations with chronic inflammatory cell infiltration. Due to its rarity and similarity in radiologic appearance with malignant hepatic tumors, hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor (HIPT) is often misdiagnosed and resected accidentally. We report a case of HIPT which was unnecessarily resected due to synchronous small peripheral cholangiocarcinoma located on the other segment of liver.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; *Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiocarcinoma/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Fatal Outcome ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer is prevalent in Korea, therefore the purpose of this study was to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics, 5-year survival rate, and prognostic factors for gastric patients who underwent gastrectomy by a single surgeon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,435 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy in the Department of Korean Gastric Cancer Center at Seoul Paik Hospital between September 1998 and August 2003, and the gender, age, location and size of the tumor, visual and histologic analysis, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, invasion (perineural, venous, and lymphatic), and surgical method were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: The ratio between males and females was 2.29:1, and the average age was 56.7 years. Based on the UICC TNM classification, the patients were distributed as follows: IA 35.4%, IB 14.1%, II 12.6%, IIIA 12.3%, IIIB 8.3% and IV 17.3%. The 5-year survival rate was 69.6%. The results of univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the survival rate by age, location and size of tumor, Borrmann type, level of differentiation, Lauren's classification, depth of invasion, metastasis in lymph nodes, UICC TNM stage, invasion (perineural, venous, and lymphatic), and surgical method. Based on multivariate analysis, only the depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Although various clinicopathologic characteristics affect the prognostic factors of the patients with gastric cancer, the results of this study showed that the stage of disease, such as depth of invasion and metastasis in lymph nodes, are the most critical factors. There is a need to establish the diagnosis of gastric cancer early and to study and develop various treatment methods based on the diagnostic factors in order to improve the survival of patients with gastric cancer.
Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inflammatory pseudotumor rarely occurs in the liver. However, it is important to discriminate it from malignant hepatic tumor in order to avoid unnecessary surgery. We aimed to elucidate the characteristic features of this disease entity by analyzing our experiences and by reviewing the related literatures. METHODS: Fifteen patients were enrolled during a recent three-year period. The patients were pathologically diagnosed with inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver, and their clinical and imaging findings were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Our study population was composed of ten men and five women, and their mean age was 60.3+/-9.2 years. Their initial diagnoses were inflammatory pseudotumor (n=8), malignant tumors (n=3) and abscess (n=4). Twelve of 15 patients were associated with biliary diseases such as biliary stone, gallbladder cancer, empyema or cholangiocarcinoma. The most common symptom was abdominal pain. The most common CT and MR findings could be summarized as a delayed hyperattenuating mass with an internal hypoattenuating component. The tumors were solitary in 13 patients and multiple in two patients. The lesions regressed spontaneously in seven patients. Four patients were treated by antibiotics and 3 patients by surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver seems to have relatively common clinical and imaging features, as described above. However, these features are not disease-specific; thus, preoperative histologic confirmation is necessary to avoid unnecessary surgery.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell/*diagnosis/radiography ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/*diagnosis/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasma Cells ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P < 0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P < 0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P < 0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.
Animals ; Cattle* ; Erythrocytes ; Hematocrit ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Seasons ; Theileria* ; Tick-Borne Diseases

PURPOSE: A prostate cancer prevention trial has demonstrated a higher incidence of high-grade prostate cancers(HGPC, Gleason pattern 4 or greater) among men randomized to receive treatment with finasteride. One of the hypotheses was finasteride causes a detection bias with regards to HGPC by reducing the prostate volume. We investigated the relationship between prostate volume and HGPC in prostate biopsy specimens and prostatectomy specimens(RP) from the same patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 173 consecutive patients that underwent a radical prostatectomy. We identified risk factors for HGPC on 12 core needle biopsies and then on RP specimens using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. In transrectal ultrasound(TRUS) volume quartiles, the relationship of HGPC and prostate volume was analyzed between the lowest and the highest quartile. RESULTS: By multivariate analysis, risk factors of HGPC were age and prostate-specific antigen(PSA), but TRUS volume was not associated with HGPC in both biopsy and RP specimens. In TRUS volume quartiles, the relationship of HGPC and prostate volume was not significant. In addition, in a comparison of the lowest and the highest quartile, the relationship of HGPC and prostate volume was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate volume may not be significantly associated with the grade of prostate cancers diagnosed at 12 core(or more) needle biopsies and at a radical prostatectomy.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle ; Biopsy, Needle ; Cohort Studies ; Finasteride ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Needles ; Prostate* ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors