No abstract available.
Salivary Glands*

PURPOSE: The admission rates for pediatric asthma are increasing annually and are partially responsible for the increased rates of readmission. Selections of children with a high-risk of readmission and aggressive treatments of them may improve treatment outcome and cost- effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risk factors affecting readmission in cases of bronchial asthma in children. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 95 cases under 14 years of age who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Kyung-Hee University, from March 1996 to February 1997 and divided them into readmission and first admission group. RESULTS: Readmission cases were 52 (55%). Age, sex, duration of admission, duration of oxygen therapy, serum IgE concentration, duration of symptoms prior to admission and severity of asthma were not statistically significant compared with those of the control group (t-test) (P>0.05). Use of prophylactic agents, family history of allergic diseases and past history of bronchiolitis were significant (P<0.05), but age under 4 years and sex were not significant (X2-test). Age under 4 years, history of bronchiolitis, and history of previous hospital admission for asthma were significant (P<0.05), but sex, severity of asthma, history of frequent upper respiratory tract infection, family history, and the use of prophylactic agents were not statistically significant (P>0.05) as independent risk factors. CONCLUSION: Age under 4 years, past history of bronchiolitis, and history of previous hospital admission for asthma were significant risk factors for hospital readmission. Further study needs to be done to decrease the readmission rates.
Asthma* ; Bronchiolitis ; Child ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Patient Readmission ; Pediatrics ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Risk Factors* ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Pravastatin, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, has been known to be the most effective drug in patients with hypercholesterolemia. We studied the effectiveness and side effects of this drug. METHODS: We studied twenty four patients(8 males, 16 females), with pravastatin 5mg bid for 8 weeks, whose fasting serum total cholesterol levels were higher than 240mg/dl on the first visit. Lipid profiles were checked at 2 weeks interval for 8 weeks and compared with baseline level individually. RESULTS: Among lipid profiles, pravastatin significantly decreased the total cholesterol from 282.8mg/dL to 224.5mg/dL(reduction rate, 21%), the LDL cholesterol from 197.2mg/dL to 143.8mg/dL(27%), the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio from 6.2 to 4.6(25%), and the LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio from 4.1 to 2.7 (34%). These changes were statistically significant(p<0.05). Triglyceride and HDL cholesterol showed no significant changes compared to baseline levels during treatment. The clinical and laboratory findings after treatment did not show serious abnormalities except two patients who dropped out due to side effect such as constipation and skin eruption. CONCLUSION: Results from the present study show that short-term pravastatin therapy seems to be effective and safe in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Constipation ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Male ; Oxidoreductases ; Pravastatin* ; Skin ; Triglycerides

Marjolin's ulcer seated upon an old cicatrix, especially old burn scar, which may chiefly degenerated into a squamous cell carcinoma with propensity for metastasis. We are experienced two cases of Marjolins ulcer recently. A 54-year-old male who had a Marjolins ulcer(15x40cm) on his left lower extremity. He was experienced burn at the age of eight and rice sized ulcer was developed at the site of burn scar about 21 years ago. The ulcer progressively enlarged in size to reach 15x40cm for 21 years. The pathologic diagnosia was squamous cell carcinoma grade 1, but cancer cells invaded to deep dermie and subcutaneous tissues. Severe skin lesion and irreversible osteoporotic degeneration on knee joint of affected limb were present. So he was treated by high above knee amputation. Another 58-year-old female who had a Marjolins ulcer(10x20cm) on her right lower extremity. She was experienced burn at the age of forty eight and bean sized ulcer was developed at the site of burn scar about 1 year ago. The pathological diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma grade 1 and invasian of cancer cells was limited upper dermis. On lymph node biopsy, the histological diagnosis was within normal limit. So she was treated radical surgical excision with split thickness skin graft(Mesh).
Amputation ; Biopsy ; Burns ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Lower Extremity ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Ulcer*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychopathological influence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in Korean 19-year-old males. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors compared the Korean military multiphasic personal inventory (KMPI) military profiles of 211 CHD cases (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, or combined CHD) with the KMPI profiles of 300 normal controls. The CHD group was also divided according to whether or not the subjects had undergone open cardiac surgery in order to evaluate the psychopathological effects of an operation among the subjects. RESULTS: A decreased result on the faking-good response scale and an increased result on the faking-bad response were observed in the CHD group compared to the control (p<0.01). The neurosis scale results, including anxiety, depression and somatization symptoms, were markedly increased in the CHD group compared to the control (p<0.01). The severity level of personality disorder was also increased in the CHD group (p<0.001). Differences in KMPI scale scores were not related to open cardiac surgery history. CONCLUSION: In this study, young males with CHD tended to report more abnormal results on the multiphasic personal inventory test in comparison to normal subjects, suggesting that CHD may be related to psychopathology in young males in Korea. Therefore, clinicians are recommended to evaluate the psychopathological traits of patients with CHD.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Heart Defects, Congenital/*psychology ; Humans ; Male ; *Personality Inventory ; Young Adult

Choriocarcinoma is a malignant gestational trophoblastic disease that demonstrates high incidence of metastasis. The metastasis is primarily hematogenous, but may be done by lymphatic or direct extension. The frequent sites of the metastasis are lung, vagina and pelvis, but the renal involvement is rare. We report two cases of choriocarcinoma in kidney in two multiparous 29-and 35-year-old women.
Adult ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Female ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney* ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Vagina

Mesoblastic nephroma is an uncommon congenital tumor of infancy that rarely occurs in adults. We report an adult case of mesoblastic nephroma. A 38- year-old man was incidentally found to have a right renal mass by abdominal ultrasonography. Computerized tomography revealed a relatively homogeneous tumor with hypervascularity. Radical nephrectomy was performed. The tumor was an encapsulated whitish- yellow and myxoid solid mass. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of spindle cell proliferation. Atypia and mitosis were not identified. Among the tumor cells, there were tubular arranged epithelial components. Mesoblatic nephroma is benign, so that survival following nephrectomy alone is excellent but local recurrence and metastases have been reported. Regular postoperative follow-up is mandatory.
Adult ; Cell Proliferation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mitosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy ; Nephroma, Mesoblastic* ; Recurrence ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Sepsis*

Sclerosing peritonitis is an unusual fibrosing condition predominantly involving the omentum and simulating carcinoma. The presenting signs and symptoms, imaging examination and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) status in sclerosing peritonitis sometimes resemble those of ovarian cancer. Thus, the possibility of sclerosing peritonitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma. It may occur idiopathically and secondary to chronic peritoneal dialysis, the use of peritoneovenous shunt, practolol therapy, or in association with ovarian tumors such as ovarian teratoma. We report a case of peritonitis initially suspected as ovarian carcinoma but diagnosed as sclerosing peritonitis associated with teratoma.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Omentum ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneovenous Shunt ; Peritonitis ; Practolol ; Teratoma

Acute gastric anisakiasis is occurred when men intake a raw or inadequate cooked anisakis infected fish. The clinical symptoms are severe cramping abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and epigastric fulling sensation. It is well known that the whale is final host and man is opportunistic host. Recently, we experienced three cases of acute gastric anisakiasis. We think that acute gastric anisakiasis is probably rather undetected than rare disease. So through immediate gastrofiberscopy of patients with severe cramping epigstric pain occuring after ingestion of raw fish,we can find more cases of the anisakis larvae. In is adequate to abstract of larvae by biopsy forceps through gastrofiberscopy.
Abdominal Pain ; Anisakiasis ; Anisakis* ; Biopsy ; Eating ; Humans ; Larva ; Male ; Muscle Cramp ; Nausea ; Rare Diseases ; Sensation ; Surgical Instruments ; Vomiting ; Whales