A case of pineoblastoma in a 28-year-old male is reported. A computerized tomography showed hydrocephalus and a mass in the pineal region. Histologically, the tumor is composed of regular, patternless aggregates of small round undifferentiated cells, resembling medulloblastoma-retinoblastoma group. Immunohistochemical reactivity of the neoplastic cells for neuron specific enolase and synaptophysin demonstrates neuronal differentiation. The patient underwent partial resection of the mass followed by radiotherapy. The patient had no cerebrospinal dissemination at 8 month follow-up. The pineoblastoma is a highly malignant neoplasm, one of the class of primitive neuroectodermnal tumors. The tumor is a very rare pineal parenchymal meoplasms, representing an incidence of less than 0.1% of intracranial tumors. This is the first case of pineoblastoma reported in Korea. In this report the divergent differentiation of the tumor is discussed, along with review of literatures.
Male ; Humans ; Incidence

A case of pineoblastoma in a 28-year-old male is reported. A computerized tomography showed hydrocephalus and a mass in the pineal region. Histologically, the tumor is composed of regular, patternless aggregates of small round undifferentiated cells, resembling medulloblastoma-retinoblastoma group. Immunohistochemical reactivity of the neoplastic cells for neuron specific enolase and synaptophysin demonstrates neuronal differentiation. The patient underwent partial resection of the mass followed by radiotherapy. The patient had no cerebrospinal dissemination at 8 month follow-up. The pineoblastoma is a highly malignant neoplasm, one of the class of primitive neuroectodermnal tumors. The tumor is a very rare pineal parenchymal meoplasms, representing an incidence of less than 0.1% of intracranial tumors. This is the first case of pineoblastoma reported in Korea. In this report the divergent differentiation of the tumor is discussed, along with review of literatures.
Male ; Humans ; Incidence

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the frequency and clinical characteristics of premenstrual syndrome(PMS)/premenstrual dysphoric disorder(PMDD) in high school students, and determine the correlates of PMS/PMDD in association with comorbid depression and anxiety. METHODS: A total of 1688 students were recruited from 5 high schools in Seoul, Korea. Subjects completed the questionnaire composed of scales to measure premenstrual symptoms, depression, and anxiety, as well as sociodemographic and reproductive variables. Subjects were categorized into 3 groups by using the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool(PSST) to determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of PMS/PMDD. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the correlates of PMS/PMDD. RESULTS: The frequency of moderate to severe PMS and PMDD was 20.1% and 6.4%, respectively. Irritability (78.8%), fatigue(76.4%), and emotional sensitivity(69.8%) were common premenstrual symptoms, and functional impairment in academic performance(67.1%) was dominant. Dysmenorrhea[odd ratio(OR)=3.68, 95% confidence interval(CI) 2.45-5.55], family history of PMS(OR=1.91, 95% CI 1.35-2.71), and use of oral contraceptive (OR=1.85, 95% CI 1.16-2.94) were associated with the increased risk of PMS/PMDD after adjustment for depression and anxiety. Negative attitude to menses(OR=15.60, 95% CI 3.61-67.42) was associated with the increased risk of PMS/PMDD, particularly in subjects without depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: PMS was common, as the frequency of PMS more than moderate severity including PMDD exceeded 25%, and disrupted daily functioning in adolescents. PMS is associated with various sociodemographic and menstrual characteristics, and these associations are affected by comorbid depression and anxiety.
Adolescent ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Premenstrual Syndrome ; Questionnaires ; Weights and Measures

In 10 cases with intracranial arterivenous malformation (AVMs) diagnosed by MR spin echo images, MR angiography was evaluated and compared with conventional angiography in regard to depiction of nidus, arterial feeders, and draining veins. Spin echo images demonstrated the nidus of the AVM in all cases, but displayed the feeding vassels inadequately. These vessels were directly visualized with 3 dimensional STAGE(small tip angle gradient echo) MR angiography using rephasing/dephasing pulse sequences. In 5 cases MR angiography and conventional angiography showed the same results. However, in the others, MR angiography showed lower resolution than conventional angiography. MR angiography is useful in preangiographic evaluation of intracranial AVM but improvement in image resolution, which is dependent on MR hard ware and pulse sequence, is still to be desired.
Angiography* ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Veins

Extraperitoneal inguinal endometriosis often presents as an inguinal mass in women of reproductive age, Approximately 40 cases of inguinal endometriosis have been documented in the sutgical and gynecological literature. The overall incidence is in the range of 0.4% of patients with endometriosis. The right side is much more commonly involved than the left (almost 90% of the time in one series of 23 patients), and rarely is the condition bilateral. The most frequent complaint of patients with inguinal endometriosis is an inguinal mass, followed by pain and enlargement of the mass near menstruation. Authors have experienced two cases of endometriosis of the extraperitoneal portion of the round ligament of uterus and report with a brief literature review.
Endometriosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Menstruation ; Round Ligament of Uterus* ; Uterus

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of handwashing improving program and MRSA carrier detection program on MRSA(methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infection rate in a intensive care unit. METHOD: The intervention was Nosocomial Infection(NI) control program consisted of hand washing improving program and identification and treatment of MRSA carrier. Data on the NI and MRSA infections were collected by an infection control nurse based on the definition of CDC. MRSA infection rates were calculated by the number of MRSA infection per 100 admissions or 1,000 patients-days. The difference of MRSA infection rates between pre and post intervention was tested by Chi-square at =.05. RESULT: MRSA infection rates 3.0% or 3.2 per 1,000 patient-days at the pre, 4.6% or 3.7 per 1,000 patient-days at the post, and the differences were not statistically significant (p=.411, p=.769 respectively). CONCLUSION: The handwashing improving program and MRSA carrier detection program was not effective in reducing the Nosocomial Infection(NI) or MRSA infection rates. It is recommended further studies with a longer intervention and follow-up period.

Although prenatal and neonatal intensive care in recent years improved survival of infants, the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in infants with perinatal asphyxia persisted. Screening criteria for risk factors of cerebral palsy and delayed development (DD) in term infants with perinatal asphyxia are required so that early diagnosis and rehabilitation and physical therapy could decrease the neurologic complications and maximize quality of life. To identify the risk factors of CP and DD in infants with perinatal asphyxia, we undertook a case-control study of 25 infants with perinatal asphyxia (5 min Apgar score below 6). At one year follow-up, 12 infants developed CP and DD and 13 control infants showed normal development. Risk factors associated with an increased risk of CP and DD were the number of abortion (p=0. 031), history of neonatal seizure (p=0.021), hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (p=0.046), and poor response to resuscitation immediately after birth (p=0.017). In term infants with perinatal asphyxia, the risk factors of CP and DD were increased number of abortion, history of neonatal seizure, and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and poor response to resuscutation. Thus infants with these risk factors should be carefully followed up after hospital discharge and further extensive and prospective study in term infants with perinatal asphyxia could elucidate possible mechanisms related to cerebral palsy and delayed development.
Apgar Score ; Asphyxia* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Mass Screening ; Parturition ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation ; Resuscitation ; Risk Factors* ; Seizures

Authors purposed to observe activities of occupational health nurses and it's related factors, and to suggest the way that induct better occupational health nurses' activities with questionnaire to 87 occupational health nurses who individually work as health manager in the plant. The questionnaire included type of plant and number of workers, general characteristics, work conditions, activities, etc. Major findings are as follows. 1. 82.8% of occupational health nurses were third decade 93.1% graduated junior college or college. And 82.8% were not married. 2. General work conditions: 40.2% were belonged to safety-health section, 98.85% were mere clerks. 60.9% worked less than weekly 44 hours, and an annual salary of 50.6% was between 10million and 14 million won. 3. work condition related to health manager work: there was separated health care room in 94. 3%, working period as health manager(occupational health nurse) was less than 5 years in 70.1%, 49.4% had the out-of-health manager work. In 87.4%, occupational physician was appointed, only 6.9% of them were full time, 52.9% of them worked little in the plants The problems related to workers' health were discussed with industrial nurses in 88.5%. 4. Attitude for their work: 88.5% were thought that their work is important for workers' health care, 57.5% satisfied to work as health manager. In 51.7%, motive to being industrial nurse were the appropriate aptitude. 5. Activities: General medical care in 100 % were carried out, in 97 7% works related to general health examination, in l00% works related to special health examination were carried. But works related to use of protective apparatus were carried out in 20.8%. 6. Factors related to level of activities: In cases who solved the health related problems by themselves, the level of activities was significantly higher than in others. In cases there w ere full time occupational physician, the level of activities was significantly lower. 7. Occupational health nurse's needs: 100% wanted regular education, 89.7% wanted the qualifying examination. As the results, author suggests that the right of self-control is given to occupational health nurses and the work of occupational physician is clearly defined for the induction of the better activities of occupational health nurses.
Aptitude ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Gyeongsangnam-do* ; Occupational Health* ; Plants ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits

PURPOSE: The growth, progression, and metastasis of malignant neoplasms are influenced by the environment of the tumor and by proliferation of the tumor itself. Angiogenesis of a malignant neoplasm is a very important environmental factor of tumor growth and metastasis. Also, it is a prognostic factor for malignant neoplasms. The mechanism of angiogenesis, such as the effects of cytokines and angiogenesis-promoting factors, is incompletely understood. METHODS: This study was designed to define the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in angiogenesis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and thalidomide (anticytokine drug) in CT26 murine colon cancer transplanted to BALB/c mice. RESULTS: The tumor size in the LPS-treated group (n=3, 2.1+/-0.26 cm) was larger than it was in the LPS thalidomide-treated group (n=4, 1.95+/-0.19 cm) and in the control group (n=3, 1.6+/-0.20 cm) (P<0.05). The microvessel density determined by CD31 immunostaining was lowest for the control group and highest for the LPS- treated group, but the differences were not statistically significant. An immunohistochemical study showed that the expressions of TNF-alpha (P<0.01) and VEGF (P<0.05) were higher in the experimental groups than they were in the control group. Also, the LPS thalidomide-treated group had lower expressions of TNF-alpha (P<0.01) and VEGF (P<0.05) than the LPS-treated group. Western blots revealed that the TNF-alpha and the VEGF levels semiquantitatively increased from the control group to the LPS thalidomide-treated group to the LPS-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that low doses of LPS stimulated angiogenesis through increased expression of TNF-alpha and VEGF. Thalidomide decreased angiogenesis, probably through suppression of TNF-alpha with a decreased expression of VEGF. We conclude that TNF-alpha, suppressed by thalidomide, in the model of transplanted colon cancer may inhibit angiogenesis through coincident decrease in the expression of VEGF.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cytokines ; Mice* ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thalidomide* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

The purposes of this research were to assess dietary fatty acid patterns and to elucidate the relationship between the serum cholesterol levels and dietary fatty acid patterns, plasma fatty acid compositions, BMI (body mass index), and other lipid profile. The subjects were 151 adults aged 23 to 80 years, selected from the Outpatient Clinic and Cardiovascular Department of the Seoul Municipal Hospital. Dietary data were obtained using three day food records. Sixteen dietary fatty acids were analyzed using Korean and US nutrient databases. The subjects were divided into three serum cholesterol levels: desirable (< 200 mg/dl, N = 44), borderline-risk (> or = 200 - < 240 mg/dl, N = 35), and high-risk (> or = 240 mg/dl, N = 72) groups. The high-risk group had higher BMI, waist, and waist to hip ratio (WHR) than the desirable and borderline-risk groups. Serum concentrations of triglyceride, LDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio were significantly higher in the high-risk group as compared to those in the other two groups. The serum cholesterol levels were highly correlated with BMI (r = 0.435), triglyceride (r = 0.425) and LDL/HDL cholesterol (r = 0.870) ratio. The highest fatty acid intake was from oleic acid (33 - 34% of total fatty acid intakes), which was followed by linoleic acid (27%), palmitic acid (19%), and stearic acid (7%). There was no correlation between the serum cholesterol levels and the dietary fatty acid intakes, polyunsaturated/monounsaturated/saturated fatty acids (P/M/S) and omega6/omega3 ratios. The correlation between plasma fatty acids such as myristic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid and serum cholesterol levels was also weak.
Adult* ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Cholesterol* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Fatty Acids* ; Hospitals, Municipal ; Humans ; Linoleic Acid ; Myristic Acid ; Oleic Acid ; Palmitic Acid ; Plasma* ; Seoul ; Triglycerides ; Waist-Hip Ratio