In Korean, there has been an increasing concern on rickettsiosis as a possile common cause of unknown febrile illness since Tsutsugamushi fever among koreans was reported first in 1986. We experienced 10 cases of Tsutsugamushi fever ocurring in the Mokpo area during the period of 3 months (Oct, to Dcc.) in 1990, which were diagnosed clinically and serologically by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. The following results were obtained. The most frequent symptoms were fever (100%), headache (90%), chill (60%), conjunctival injection, and lymphadenopathy. Common laboratory findings were leukopenia (WBC<5000/mm3 30%), elevated ESR (>20mm/hr, 30%), positive CRP (60%), and elevated Alt/AST. Antibody titers against R. tsutsugamushi ranged from 1:80 to 1:1,280, but they showed no antibody reaction to Hantaan virus and leptospira. All patients showed good response to antibiotic therapy with chloramphenicol.
Chloramphenicol ; Fever ; Hantaan virus ; Headache ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Leptospira ; Leukopenia ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Scrub Typhus*

The surgical outcomes of Arnold-Chiari malformation associated with syringomyelia have been reported with respect to improvement in symptoms and signs. But there are only a few studies about the changes of size in syrinx cavity after the era of magnetic resonance image. The authors employed two different surgical modalities and compared the difference in outcomes. Between 1988 and 1994, 17 patients suffering from Arnold-Chiari malformation associated with syringomyelia were treated by foramen magnum decompression(FMD), with or without shunt. Their ages ranged from 3 to 62 (median, 42) years; four were males and 13 were females. Eight were treated by FMD with syringosubarachnoid shunt (FMD with shunt group) and 9 by FMD only(FMD group). Changes in the extent of syrinx and clinical improvements were retrospectively compared between the two groups; the median follow-up period was 22(range 5-79) months. Changes in the extent of syrinx were analyzed by pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance images; improvements in symptoms or signs were classified by lower cranial nerves, the cerebellum and the spinal cord. The size of syrinx was decreased in 7/8 patients of FMD with shunt group(88%) and in 7/9 patients of FMD group (78%) and there was no significant difference in ratio statistically(p=0.54). Shrinkage of syrinx cavity was occurred regardless of its preoperative extent. In FMD with shunt group, 5/8 patients(63%) were improved in symptoms or signs and in FMD group, 6/9 patients(67%)(p=0.21). In all 3 cases which showed no collapse of syrinx cavity, the clinical improvements were not found. There was correlation between collapse of syringomyelia and improvement of clinical findings(p=0.035).
Arnold-Chiari Malformation* ; Cerebellum ; Cranial Nerves ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foramen Magnum ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Syringomyelia*

No abstract available.
Danazol* ; Panniculitis*

There have been accumulating evidences that dyslipidemia is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improvement in lipid profile can reduce the incidence of CVD. Guidelines for management of dyslipidemia have been developed by major organizations in several contries including the United States. In Korea, a guideline was also published by the Korean Society of Lipidology and Atherosclerosis. However, This guideline was not based on evidences in Korea, but was made by a consensus of experts using a pre-developed guideline as a reference. For clinical application for Korean of guidelines developed in different nations, the disease epidemiology and medical environment in Korea should be considered. In this article, we reviewed whether guidelines for management of dyslipidemia are applicable in Korean context.
Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Consensus ; Dyslipidemias ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Incidence ; Korea ; Risk Factors ; United States

BACKGROUND: Recently in Korea, the rate of addictive drug abuse is rapidly increasing in men on salary, housewives, and even in adolescents, who have been considered to be free from drugs, which presents a serious problem to the society. Especially, the habituation to gateway drug, such as cigarettes and alcohol, before 15 years old, would lead to the increased possibility of other drug abuse, including illicit drugs. Thereupon in this study, we intended toreview the effect of adolescents smoking an the drug abuse and deviated behaviors. METHODS: On September, 1997, randomly selected were 12 classes, an the basis of 2 classes per grade, from the two schools which was located each in Seoul and Buchean. And survey was dane on 610 students with non non-nominl, self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: The rate of adolescent smoking was 28.1% in male students and had increasing tendency of "the higher the grades, the higher the smoking rate"(17.0% in the 1st gade, 31.5% in the 2nd grade, 35.9% in the 3rd grade). The smoking rate of female students was 12.3%. From the 2nd grade of middle school to the 2nd grade of high school was the critical period when the smoking habit was initiated in almost 90% of the students. The experiencing rates of drug abuse in studied subjects were as follows : drinking(79.0%), stimulants(4.8%), sedatives(4.1%), hypnotics(3.1%), glue sniffing(1.5%), butane gas(0.7%), marijuana/hemp(0.2%). They were higher in the smoking group than in the nansMoking group, showing statistical significances in most items except hypnotics and marijuana/hemp. Also simihr results were shown in deviated behaviors between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: With the concerted efforts of family, school, society and natian, we as family physicians should make efforts to delay and prevent adolescent's smoking, which is a gateway to drug abuse and deviated behaviors, and to increase people's recognition of health risks caused by smoking, and to provide proper program for adolescents to stop smoking.
Adhesives ; Adolescent ; Critical Period (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Korea ; Male ; Physicians, Family ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Seoul ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Street Drugs ; Substance-Related Disorders* ; Tobacco Products ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatoses*

BACKGROUND: Data regarding the incidence rates of skin diseases that are held by general hospitals provide readily available sources of information that may be representative of the provinces they serve. The population of Goyang city has increased rapidly. Hence, a statistical study of the latest data is necessary. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rates of common dermatoses in Goyang city and to compare these with previous findings. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 21,693 outpatients who visited the Department of Dermatology at Myongji Hospital from 2009 to 2013, and we statistically analyzed the findings. RESULTS: Of the 21,693 outpatients' records reviewed, 9,939 (45.8%) were male patients and 11,754 (54.2%) were female patients. Patients most frequently presented with dermatoses in the fourth decade of life (16.0%), followed by the first (15.2%), fifth (15.0%), and third (13.1%) decades of life, and these four age groups comprised 59.3% of the total number of outpatients. The 15 most common dermatoses were dermatophytoses, alopecia, other eczematous conditions, urticaria, herpes zoster infections, viral warts, atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, acne, irritant contact dermatitis, benign epidermal tumors, melanocytic nevi, molluscum contagiosum, and pruritus. Diseases that occurred frequently during the summer were dermatophytoses, urticaria, irritant contact dermatitis, herpes zoster infections, and molluscum contagiosum. Diseases that occurred frequently during the winter were other eczematous conditions, atopic dermatitis, and melanocytic nevi. Viral warts and acne occurred frequently in summer and winter. Seborrheic dermatitis, dermatophytoses, molluscum contagiosum, viral warts, alopecia, and benign epidermal tumors showed higher frequencies in males than in females, whereas allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, herpes zoster infections, melanocytic nevi, urticaria, pruritus, acne, and other eczematous conditions showed higher frequencies in females than in males. CONCLUSION: Compared with previous studies, the current population of Goyang city showed higher levels of herpes zoster infections and viral warts.
Acne Vulgaris ; Alopecia ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Dermatology ; Female ; Herpes Zoster ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Molluscum Contagiosum ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Skin Diseases* ; Statistics as Topic* ; Tinea ; Urticaria ; Warts

No abstract available.
Mucinoses*

BACKGROUND: Diverticulosis of the cecum and ascending colon is a rare disease in Western countries, it is more common in the Orient. Making the diagnosis preoperatively could be difficult, and the intraoperative assessment and decision of optimal treatments are difficult. METHODS: Therefore, we reviewed the patient's charts of diverticulosis of the cecum and ascending colon at our hospital from 1992 to 1997. RESULTS: During the past 5 years, a total of 53 cases of diverticulosis of the cecum and ascending colon had been treated at this hospital. Mean age was 41.8 years (range 20-70). The male to female ratio was 1.8 : 1. Frequent complaints were abdominal pain (46 cases, 86.8%), followed by diarrhea (5 cases, 9.3%), indigestion (4 cases, 7.5%), and bowel habits change (2 cases, 3.8%). Mean duration of illness was 3.5 days(range 24 hours~15 days). In non-surgical cases, diagnoses were established with barium enema, CT scan, or ultrasonography. The accuracy of these methods was 91%, 75%, and 25%. In surgical cases, the preoperative diagnoses were appendicitis(13 cases, 50.1%), diverticulitis (7 cases, 31.8%), and abscess (2 cases, 9.1%). Treatments of the cecum and ascending colon diverticulitis were conservative management (3 teases,58.5%) and surgical treatment (22 cases,41.5%). The operative procedures were right hemicolectomies (2 cases), ileocecal resections (2 cases), diverticulectomies (6 cases) and appendectomies only (11 cases). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that correct diagnosis of the diverticulitis of the cecum and ascending colon made before treatment is very important because correct assessment of diverticulitis intraoperatively is difacut. Liberal use of diagnostic modalities could facilitate to make correct diagnosis to set a proper plan for treatment.
Abdominal Pain ; Abscess ; Appendectomy ; Barium ; Cecum* ; Colon, Ascending* ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulum* ; Dyspepsia ; Enema ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Chlorpromazine* ; Hyperpigmentation ; Pigmentation*