BACKGROUND: We can diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis with sputum AFB smear and culture, but sputum AFB smear has low sensitivity and culture needs long period, and they are not available in the patients who can not expectorate effectively. Recently developed, PCR is a fast diagnostic tool in tuberculosis, but false positive and false negative are important problems. So, we studied the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR through the bronchoscopy. METHODS: The 67 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 43 non-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were analyzed with their sputum specimen AFB smear and culture. Also, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage were done, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture and PCR were done. RESULTS: 1) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of sputum AFB smear and culture were 32.8% and 57.4%, respectively. And the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture were 47.8% and 80.6%. respectively. 2) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 80.6% and 81.5%, respectively. 3) In the cases of sputum AFB smear-negative and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR, and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 23.1%, 100%, 88.5%, and 82.4%, respectively. 4) The specificity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR was 77.0%. 5) The median number of days between obtaining a specimen and starting therapy was 5 days for sputum AFB smear, 9 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, 26 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR, 32 days for sputum culture, 56 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture are higher than sputum AFB smear and culture. So, the bronchoscopy must be considered for evaluating suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients from whom smears of expectorated sputum do not reveal mycobacteria or from whom no sputum can be obtained. Especially, combined with PCR, it is expected that pulmonary tuberculosis can be diagnosed more rapidly and more accurately, so bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and PCR can be helpful in the early treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage* ; Bronchoscopy ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

PURPOSE: To determine the MR and CT imaging findings of inflammatory pseudotumor of the extraorbital head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the MR (n=10) and CT (n=9) imaging studies of 11 patients with this condition (M:F=5:6, age range: 35-75 years), analysing each case in terms of location, occupying space, signal intensity, intracranial involvement, degree of contrast enhancement and adjacent bone change. Follow-up images were obtained in nine cases, and the response of each patient to steroid treatment was reviewed. RESULTS: Lesions involved the masticator space (n=8), the buccal space (n=6), the nasopharynx (n=5), the paranasal sinus (n=4), the parapharyngeal space (n=3), the prevertebral space (n=2), the orbit (n=2), the carotid space (n=2), the paravertebral space (n=1), parotid space (n=1), and the oral cavity (n=1). In ten of eleven cases, there was adjacent bone change. In three cases, the cavernous sinus was involved, and in two, the dura. One case involved both of them. At T2-weighted imaging, the lesions showed hypointensity in nine of ten cases; in four of nine, signal intensity was markedly low, and in no case was it diffusely high. In five of nine cases, the mass decreased in size after steroid therapy. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory pseudotumor showed iso-to hypointensity at T2-weighted imaging. Lymphadenopathy was not apparent.
Cavernous Sinus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Head* ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mouth ; Nasopharynx ; Neck* ; Orbit

Recently the change in medical informatics enabled us to use medical information whenever we want and wherever we are. There are many homepages on the web, which provide hospital information, medical counseling. Our multimedia center began its service as a internet Hospital in MIDAS Dongailbo, one of the major daily newspaper in Korea, on March 25th, 1997. The aim of this study is to examine the content and purpose of medical counseling on the web. The subjects consisted of 1,000 counsellings which were called 'Dongailbo Internet Hospital' for March, 25th, 1997 through October 30th, 1997. Many questioners wanted to know treatment principles, to make a diagnosis, and to know specific medical knowledges. The most common questions are as follows: general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, skin, digestive, respiratory, neurological problems.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Diagnosis ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Multimedia ; Periodicals* ; Skin

Recently the change in medical informatics enabled us to use medical information whenever we want and wherever we are. There are many homepages on the web, which provide hospital information, medical counseling. Our multimedia center began its service as a internet Hospital in MIDAS Dongailbo, one of the major daily newspaper in Korea, on March 25th, 1997. The aim of this study is to examine the content and purpose of medical counseling on the web. The subjects consisted of 1,000 counsellings which were called 'Dongailbo Internet Hospital' for March, 25th, 1997 through October 30th, 1997. Many questioners wanted to know treatment principles, to make a diagnosis, and to know specific medical knowledges. The most common questions are as follows: general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, skin, digestive, respiratory, neurological problems.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Diagnosis ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Multimedia ; Periodicals* ; Skin

Tumor of the ureter is malignant and rare, but recently the incidence rate was progressively increased due to developed methods of diagnostic procedures. Here, we report two cases of ureteral cancer combined with urinary stones in the department of urology, Seoul Red Cross Hospital, with some literatures.
Incidence ; Red Cross ; Seoul ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Neoplasms ; Urinary Calculi ; Urology

No abstract available.
DNA*

Two cases of ureteral reconstructive surgery experienced recently are presented : left complete ureteral duplication associated with ureterocele and vesicoureteral reflex and left ureteral stricture due to urinary tract tuberculosis. In the first case, left ureterocelectomy was performed with ureteroureterostomy and ureteroneocystostomy. In the second case, portion of the left ureteral stricture was excised followed by end-to-end anastomosis of the same ureter with good result.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Reflex ; Tuberculosis ; Ureter ; Ureterocele ; Urinary Tract

Statistical observation was made on in-patients in the Department of Urology. Presbyterian Medical Center, Taegu, Korea, during the period from August 1. 1970 through July 31, 1978. 1. Among 1.987 cases of in-patients, 1,505 cases were male and 481 cases were female with a ratio of 3.1: 1. Most common diseases were ureter stones (14.88%), renal tbc. (7. 74%) , bladder tumors ( 7.18%), and B. P. H. (5.7 %) in order. 2. Of 1.987 in-patients, operation was done in 1.532 cases ( 76. 3 %).3. Of 1.532 operation cases, T. U. R. ( 15. 27%) was the most common operation : nephrectomy (11.49%), ureterolithotomy (10.31%) and hydrocelectomy (6.72 %) were performed.
Daegu ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Protestantism ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urology*

BACKGROUND: Our study group established "3H care" in 2002. The meaning of "3H care" attain and maintain adequate controls over hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic patients. This study evaluated the achievement of target goals after one year or more of "3H care" by specialists in our diabetic clinic. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 200 type 2 diabetic patients who received "3H care" for one year or more in our diabetic clinic. We evaluated achievement of target goals for metabolic controls as suggested by the American Diabetes Association. RESULTS: Overall, 200 type 2 diabetes patients were enrolled, of whom 106 were males (53%) and 94 were females (47%). After one year of "3H care," the mean HbA1c was 7.2+/-1.5% and the percentage of patients achieving glycemic control (HbA1c <7%) was 51.8%. However only 32.2% of hypertensive patients achieved the recommended target. After one year of "3H care," the percentages of those who achieved the target value for dyslipidemia were 80.0% for total cholesterol, 66.3% for low density lipoprotein cholesterol, 57.9% for triglyceride, and 51.8% for high density lipoprotein cholesterol. The percentage that achieved all three targets level was only 4.4% after one year and 14.8% after two years. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that only a minor proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes achieved the recommended goals despite the implementation of "3H care." It is our suggestion that better treatment strategies and methods should be used to control hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia.
Achievement ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Disease Management ; Dyslipidemias ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Specialization ; Treatment Outcome

A study was carried out to figure the cases and to observe the endemic status of clonorchiasis and metagonimiasis in endemic areas in Korea. Total 13,373 inhabitants living in 40 villages along 7 main rivers and 9 small streams were subjected to stool examination. They were selected randomly among the riverside population. Their specimens were examined both by cellphane thick smear method and Stoll's egg countung technique. This study was performed during the period from May 1979 to April 1980. The results obtained are as follows: The egg positive rate of any kind of helminths was 58.7% out of 13,373 examned cases, and the egg positive rates by each helminth were; Clonorchis sinensis 21.5%, Metagonimus yokogaqai 4.8%, large type Metagonimus eggs 0.4%, Ascaris lumbricoides 22.9%, Trichuris trichiura 35.2%, hookworm 0.2%, Taenia sp. 0.5%, Hymenolepis nana 0.07%, Paragonimus westermani 2 cases, Fasciola sp. 4 cases, Echinostoma sp. 1 case and Hymenolepis diminuta 1 case respectively. Many endemic foci of clonorchiasis were revealed along the 7 major rivers. The egg positive rates of each river basin differed from each other significantly; Nagdonggang 40.2%, Yeongsangang 30.8%, Seomjingang 17.3%, Hangang 15.7%, Tamjingang 15.9%, Geumgang 12.0% and Mangyeonggang 8.0%. The cases of clonorchiasis were estimated in range 830,000 to 890,000 in riverside areas of the 7 rivers. By grading the infection intensity, 64.7% was in Grade I(EPG 0-900), 28.6% in Grade II (EPG 1000-9,900), 5.5% in Grade III (EPG 10,000-29,900) and 1.3% in Grade IV (EPG over 30,000). The proportion of the cases in Grade III and IV was 6.8% among positive cases. Therefore 60,000 cases at least were regarded to suffer from it clinically. Males of 30-60 years of age showed higher positive rate and heavier burden of infection. This makes clonorchiasis more important socially because the patients lose their social productivity. A few endemic foci of metagonimiasis were detected newly by egg detection; Samcheong 28.5% egg positive rate, Uljin 21.3%, Yeuongdeog 46.3%, Milyang 6.7%, Yeongil 9.2% and Geoje 18.2%. The mean EPG values were in range of 320-7, 120 by the focus. The egg positive rate and proportion of EPG Grade varied greatly by the area, and mean proportion of the positive cases were 69.7% in Grade I, 24.1% in Grade II, 5.0% in Grade III and 1.2% in Grade IV. Males of 30-60 years were infected in higher rate also. The large sized eggs of Metagonimus were found also in upper basin of Hangang and Geumgang mainly. They were regarded as eggs of M. takahashii which is mediated by the cyprinid fishes. Its significance should be studied further. Clonorchiasis and metagonimiasis should be realized as important public health problems in Korea by their wide distribution, high prevalence rate and heavy infection intensity. Comprehensive measures against them are needed urgently.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; clonorchiasis ; metagonimiasis ; Clonorchisis sinensis ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; epidemiology