OBJECTIVE: To devise a new method to measure the amount of soft tissue in pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules, and to compare the use of this method with a previous volumetric measurement method by use of a phantom study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phantom nodules were prepared with material from fixed normal swine lung. Forty nodules, each with a diameter of 10 mm, were made with a variable mean attenuation. The reference-standard amount of soft tissue in the nodules was obtained by dividing the weight by the specific gravity. The imaging data on the phantom nodules were acquired with the use of a 16-channel multidetector CT scanner. The CT-measured amount of soft tissue of the nodules was calculated as follows: soft tissue amount = volume x (1 + mean attenuation value / 1,000). The relative percentage error (RPE) between the CT-measured amount of the soft tissue and the reference-standard amount of the soft tissue was also measured. The RPEs determined with use of the new method were compared with the RPEs determined with the current volumetric measurement method by the use of the paired t test. RESULTS: The CT-measured amount of soft tissue showed a strong correlation with the reference-standard amount of soft tissue (R(2) = 0.996, p < 0.01). The mean RPE of the CT-measured amount of soft tissue in the nodules was -7.79 +/- 1.88%. The mean RPE of the CT-measured volume was 114.78 +/- 51.02%, which was significantly greater than the RPE of the CT-measured amount of soft tissue (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The amount of soft tissue measured by the use of CT reflects the reference-standard amount of soft tissue in the ground-glass opacity nodules much more accurately than does the use of the CT-measured volume.
Animals ; Lung Neoplasms/*radiography ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Reference Standards ; Swine ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is by far the strongest clinical predictor of neurodegenerative disease available. Several potential early diagnostic markers of neurodegenerative disease including autonomic symptoms have been proposed, but they have generally not been tested in presymptomatic neurodegenerative disease. So the authors investigated autonomic symptoms and their associated factors in idiopathic RBD patients. METHODS: 52 idiopathic RBD patients and 52 controls participated in the study. Autonomic symptoms were evaluated by applying the unified multiple system atrophy rating scale (UMSARS) and measuring orthostatic systolic blood pressure drop. RESULTS: Idiopathic RBD patients showed significantly higher UMSARS subscale scores and sharper drop of orthostatic systolic blood pressure than controls. In multiple linear regression analysis, all autonomic symptoms and measured orthostatic systolic blood pressure drop were associated with RBD. In addition, orthostatic symptoms were associated with medication and age, urinary function was associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, and measured orthostatic systolic blood pressure drop was associated with hypertension. CONCLUSION: In this study, idiopathic RBD patients showed more autonomic symptoms than controls. However, other autonomic symptoms-related factors also influenced some autonomic symptoms. Prospective studies should be performed to evaluate autonomic symptoms as a potential predictor of neurodegenerative diseases.
Aged* ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Linear Models ; Multiple System Atrophy ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder* ; Sleep, REM*

Mesenteric pseudocyst has a fibrous cystic wall without an endothelial lining. It can develop from an inflammatory reaction or from trauma. This lesion is difficult to diagnose preoperatively, and it is rarely symptomatic except when it is complicated by bleeding, rupture or infection. A 66-year old male presented with generalized abdominal pain for 3 days. In his past medical history, an appendectomy was done forty years ago. Three months after the operation, a mass was palpated in the left lower quadrant and size of the mass had gradually increased. Physical examination revealed a distended abdomen with diffuse tenderness. The non-tender mass, which was about 10 cm in size, was palpated in the left lower abdomen. A simple abdominal x-ray showed a mechanical obstruction of the small bowel. A CT scan showed a 10x9 cm sized cystic mass with a partially enhancing cystic wall. Surgical exploration revealed the 13 cm sized mass in the distal ileum about 40 cm proximal from the ileocecal valve, and the adjacent ileum was obstructed by this mass. The mass was a thick walled cyst that contained a non-clotting bloody material. Histopathological examination indicated that the cyst wall was composed of fibrosis with neutrophil infiltration, but there was no specific endothelial lining. The final pathological diagnosis was a mesenteric pseudocyst. Mesenteric pseudocyst with obstruction is rare and difficult to diagnosis, but it should be included in the differential diagnosis in the case of intestinal obstruction with mass.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Appendectomy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction* ; Male ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; Physical Examination ; Rupture ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objectives: ：The high lifetime prevalence of depression in Korea is related to problems such as suicide and decreased productivity, as well as the cost of disease due to increased use of medical services, which can cause great socioeconomic loss. Therefore, in this study, the burden of disease of depression and the importance of managing mental health diseases, which are increasing day by day, are suggested to be helpful in determining priorities in health policy establishment. Methods: ：In this study, the socio-economic cost of depression was calculated by dividing it into direct cost and indirect cost. For statistical data, data from the National Health Insurance Service of the public and statistics on diseases of national interest were mainly used. Results: ：As a result, the socio-economic cost of depression in 2019 estimated in this study was calculated to be a total of KRW 4.83 trillion, with direct costs 692.9 billion won and indirect costs 4.13 trillion won. Among them, the cost due to decrease in work performance accounted for the largest portion, accounting for 65.5%. Conclusions ：As the socio-economic burden due to depression is expected to increase in the future, it is necessary to establish a systematic funding plan for the treatment and management of depressed patients in daily life.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to identify frontal lobe dysfunctions of schizophrenic group and to classify into subtypes accordingly. METHODS: Four neuropsychological tests (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Word Fluency Test, Ruff Figural Fluency Test and Grooved Pegboard Test) were administered to 93 schizophrenia or schizophreniform patients diagnosed with the Korean version of SCID. Ten measures (WCST Total Number of Errors, WCST Number of Categories Completed, WCST Conceptual Level Responses, WCST Trials to Complete First Category, WCST Perseverative Responses, GPT Dominant Hand RT, GPT Nondominant Hand RT, Letter Fluency raw score, Category Fluency raw score, RFFT Total Unique Designs) from the four tests were selected by statistical procedure. Latent factors embedded in the frontal lobe function of schizophrenic patients were extracted from the factor analysis, and hierarchical and K-means clustering procedures were used to identify subtypes. To examine the differences among the subtypes, demographic variables, K-WAIS and PANSS were used. RESULTS: (1) The subjects in this study showed significant impairments in the four neuropsychological tests. (2) Through factor analysis, three factors were extracted: Conceptualization, Motor and Fluency. (3) Three cluster solution was considered optimal by cluster analysis. The preserved cluster (n=42) comprised of patients who showed relatively high function in all three factors. This group showed relatively higher function than the other two clusters. However, even the performance of the preserved cluster was 1SD below the norm of the normal people. The conceptualization deficit cluster (n=25) comprised of patients with deficit in conceptualization function. This group was characterized by the clinical symptoms of poor impulse control and active social avoidance suggesting a deficit in the ability to actively organize stimuli utilizing the feedback from the external environment. And finally, the fluency deficit cluster (n=19) showed impairment in fluency. This group was characterized by impairments in the use of abstract-symbolic thinking and the ability to pay attention to relevant stimuli suggesting a severe deficit in the efficiency and flexibility of information withdrawal. These three subtypes didn't differ significantly in age, duration of illness and current dosage of antipsychotics. However, the three groups differed significantly in years of education, IQ and on five items of PANSS. CONCLUSION: This study shows that schizophrenia can be characterized by frontal lobe dysfunctions and divided into three subtypes according to the profile of the frontal lobe dysfunctions. These neurocognitive heterogeneity of schizophrenia, not related to age, duration of illness and dosage of antipsychotic, suggest that different strategies need to be developed in diagnosing and planning rehabilitation programs for schizophrenc patients.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Education ; Frontal Lobe* ; Hand ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Pliability ; Population Characteristics ; Rehabilitation ; Schizophrenia* ; Thinking

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of sleep disturbance in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and its association with disease activity and depression. METHODS: Forty patients with AS and eighty healthy controls were included in this study. Sleep quality was assessed using the Korean version of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Depression was assessed by the Korean version of Beck depression inventory second edition (BDI-2). Ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score-C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) was used to evaluate disease activity. Patients were dichotomized into a good sleeper group (PSQI< or =5) and a poor sleeper group (PSQI>5). RESULTS: The mean total PSQI score of patients with AS was 7.23+/-3.84. It was higher than that of the control subjects. AS patients had higher scores in all of the PSQI components, except for the use of sleep medication. Sixty percent of the AS patients were classified as poor sleepers. The mean BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP, and BDI-2 scores of the poor sleeper group were higher than that of the good sleeper group. Significantly, higher disease activity according to ASDAS-CRP was associated with poor sleep quality and depression. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the duration of morning stiffness and depression were independent risk factors that influenced poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbances are prevalent amongst Korean patients with AS. Lower quality of sleep is significantly associated with higher disease activity and depression. Therefore, optimal management to improve sleep quality in patients with AS is important.
Depression ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing*

BACKGROUND: Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis is a powerful strategy for large-scale molecular population studies examining phylogenetic relationships among bacterial strains. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) can be easily digitized to share data among laboratories. This study applied SNP and MIRU-VNTR analyses for molecular strain typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates collected throughout Korea. METHODS: We studied 102 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates, including 6 paired strains, collected from 11 university hospitals in Korea in 2008 and 2009. SNPs were detected using hairpin primer assays, and then, MIRU-VNTR analysis was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-five SNPs contained polymorphisms that helped differentiate the 96 tested isolates. The isolates were classified into 15 clusters. The Beijing family strains were distributed within closely related clusters in the SNP dendrogram. For MIRU-VNTR analysis, the 96 isolates were divided into 12 groups. The discriminatory index in 8 of these groups (MIRU-10, -23, -26, and -31; ETR-A, -B, -C, and -F) was high (Hunter-Gaston diversity index > 0.6). Unlike the SNP method, MIRU-VNTR analysis did not identify any notable localizations of Beijing or non-Beijing family isolates in specific clusters. CONCLUSIONS: SNP and MIRU-VNTR analyses are surrogate molecular strain-typing methods for M. tuberculosis in Korea where Beijing family isolates are predominant.
Cluster Analysis ; DNA Primers/chemistry ; Interspersed Repetitive Sequences ; *Minisatellite Repeats ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/*classification/genetics/isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: Hepatolithiasis results in septic cholangitis, biliary stricture, hepatic atrophy, hepatic abscess, irreversible liver cirrhosis, and cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatic resection for hepatolithiasis is regarded as a more effective treatment for achieving complete removal of stones and preventing recurrence. The purpose of this study was to determine the surgical outcome of hepatic resections for hepatolithiasis. METHODS: From March 2001 to December 2006, 54 patients underwent hepatic resections for hepatolithiasis at the Department of Surgery, Eulji University Hospital. A retrospective review of the surgical outcome was carried out. RESULTS: The hepatolithiasis was located in the left intrahepatic duct (34 cases), right intrahepatic duct (7 cases) or both (13 cases). The operative procedures were as follows: a left hepatectomy in 34 patients, a left lateral sectionectomy in eight, a right posterior sectionectomy in three, a left trisectionectomy in three, a right hepatectomy in five, and a segmentectomy in 1. The postoperative complications were intraabdominal abscess in 10 patients, wound infection in 4, pleural effusion in 3, internal bleeding in 2, T-tube site leakage in 2, hepatic failure and pneumonia in 1. The factors that affect these complications were analyzed. Preoperative percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and operative hepaticojejunostomy increased the frequency of postoperative complications; these findings were statistically significant (p=0.035, p=0.006, respectively). Two patients were diagnosed with cholagiocarcinoma. Five patients had remaining stones and five patients had recurrent stones. CONCLUSION: Hepatic resection is a safe and effective procedure for treating hepatolithiasis. If possible, bypass procedures such as hepaticoenterostomy should be avoided to reduce postoperative complications.
Abscess ; Atrophy ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangitis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drainage ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Failure ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumonia ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Wound Infection

Reptiles were known to serve as paratenic hosts for Centrorhynchus (Acanthocephala: Centrorhynchidae) in Korea, but the infection course in experimental animals was not elucidated yet. In this study, the tiger keelback snakes (Rhabdophis tigrinus) were collected and digested with artificial pepsin solution, and the larvae of Centrorhynchus were recovered from them. Then, the collected larvae were orally infected to rats for developmental observations. In rats, all the larvae were observed outside the intestine on day 3 post-infection (PI), including the mesentery and abdominal muscles. As for the development in rats, the ovary of Centrorhynchus sp. was observed at day 15 PI, and the cement glands were 3 in number. Based on the morphological characteristics, including the arrangement of proboscis hooks, these larvae proved to be a species of Centrorhynchus, and more studies were needed for species identification.

Fetus in fetu is a poorly understood and rare congenital malfomation. This is a rare form of monozygotic twin that asymmetric twin becomes internalized in the other twin thus acting endoparasitically. Fetus in fetu can be distinguised from teratoma, because of vertebral column, skeletal axis, and well-differentiated internal organs. We present the findings in the two cases of fetus in fetu that were diagnosed with prenatal ultrasonography. After birth, we removed fetus-like structures and confirmed by pathologic examination. Fetus-like structures were consisted of vertebral column, extremities, and other well-developed internal organs.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Extremities ; Fetus* ; Humans ; Parturition ; Spine ; Teratoma ; Twins, Monozygotic ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal*