No abstract available.
Humans

Splenic epidermoid cyst is a rare disease affecting the spleen. We report a 24-year-old male who presented with acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a huge cystic lesion of the spleen. At laparotomy, a huge cyst was found arising from the low pole of the spleen. It was removed by splenectomy. Histopathological findings were consistent with splenic epidermoid cyst.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Epidermal Cyst ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Young Adult

Splenic epidermoid cyst is a rare disease affecting the spleen. We report a 24-year-old male who presented with acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a huge cystic lesion of the spleen. At laparotomy, a huge cyst was found arising from the low pole of the spleen. It was removed by splenectomy. Histopathological findings were consistent with splenic epidermoid cyst.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Epidermal Cyst ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Young Adult

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) cause neurologic dysfunction by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channels located in all of the peripheral nerves and muscles. We experienced two patients presenting with generalized motor weakness after ingestion of pufferfish. The nerve conduction study showed diffuse slowing of motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity, prolonged motor terminal latency and decreased sensory nerve action potentials without temporal dispersion or conduction block. Abnormal findings of nerve conduction study improved rapidly without any deterioration. Clinical symptoms and signs ameliorated in accordance with findings of nerve conduction study without any neurologic sequelae. These imply that tetrodotoxication is reversible and functional neurologic disorder. We suggest that nerve conduction studies can be available in serial monitoring of tetrodotoxication as an objective means.
Action Potentials ; Eating ; Humans ; Muscles ; Nervous System Diseases ; Neural Conduction ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Peripheral Nerves* ; Tetraodontiformes ; Tetrodotoxin ; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy with bimodal onset age distribution. The age of onset is between 5-18 yr in juvenile DM and 45-64 yr in adult DM. DM has a distinct clinical manifestation characterized by proximal muscle weakness, skin rash, extramuscular manifestations (joint contracture, dysphagia, cardiac disturbances, pulmonary symptoms, subcutaneous calcifications), and associated disorders (connective tissue disease, systemic autoimmune diseases, malignancy). The pathogenesis of juvenile and adult DM is presumably similar but there are important differences in some of the clinical manifestations, associated disorders, and outcomes. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 16 patients with juvenile DM and 48 with adult DM. This study recognizes distinctive characteristics of juvenile DM such as higher frequency of neck muscle involvement, subcutaneous calcifications, and better outcomes.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Calcification, Physiologic ; Dermatomyositis/*diagnosis/mortality/therapy ; Exanthema/diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Weakness/diagnosis ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Prognosis ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVES: Catecholamine metabolism has been thought to be related to the pathophysiology of panic disorder. There are two human COMT alleles, coding for a low activity enzyme, COMT L(L), and a high activity enzyme, COMT H(H), respectively. We examined the distribution of COMT genotypes and the relationship between COMT genetic polymorphism and some clinical characteristics in patients with panic disorder. METHOD: We recruited 51 patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder, and 45 normal control subjects who had neither medical nor psychiatric illnesses. Genetic polymorphism of COMT was identified in all subjects using PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) analysis. We assessed some clinical variables including treatment responses in panic patients and measured anxiety and depression levels in normal control subjects using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULT: The frequency of the homozygous LL genotype was higher in panic patients than that in control subjects (19.6% vs. 2.2%). We found that panic disorder was significantly associated with L allele (x2=8.66, p=0.003) and LL genotype(x2=8.45, p=0.015). Panic patients with LL genotype showed poorer treatment response than those with other genotypes (F=4.98, p=0.011). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LL genotype of the COMT gene may be related to the pathophysiology and clinical courses in some patients with panic disorder.
Alleles ; Anxiety ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase* ; Clinical Coding ; Depression ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Genotype ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic* ; Pilot Projects* ; Polymorphism, Genetic*

BACKGROUND: There have been numerous methods to treat androgenetic alopecia but few methods to treat it effectively and permanently. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate bundle hair grafting as an effective treatment for patients with androgenetic alopecia. METHODS: Bundle hair grafiing was performed on 52 patients with androgenetic alopecia who had visited the department of dermatology, Kyungpook National University Hospital and Fatima Hospital. Questionaires regarding cosmetic satisfaction, side effects and general efficacy were recorded by patients themselves one year after hair grafting. RESULTS: The results are as follows : 1. The loss of transplanted hair was most common during the third week(48.1%) after hair grafting. 2. The regrowth of the hair on the recipient site was most common during the 4th month(59.6 %) after the hair graft. 3. Bundle grafting afforded excellent cosmetic satisfaction even after one session in the alopecic area, 4. Facial edema, temporary sensory loss on the donor site, folliculitis and small pitted scarring were seen 19.2%, 5.8%, 1.9% and 3.8% of patients, respectively. 5. The disadvantages were the time necessary to carry out the procedure and the need for an experienced operator and assistants. CONCLUSION: We concluded that bundle hair grafting was an effective and safe therapeutic method for patients with androgenetic alopecia.
Alopecia* ; Cicatrix ; Dermatology ; Edema ; Folliculitis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hair* ; Humans ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

PURPOSE: We investigated the effects of restricted fluid in the first 7 days of life on the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. METHODS: Eighty three VLBW infants who lived more than 28 days were selected. The amount of daily maintenance fluid was determined by calculation of insensible water loss (IWL) and urine output (UO). Seventy to 80 percent of calculated amount was given to the ventilated infants. Subjects were grouped into low (<25th%), moderate (25-75th%), and high (>75th%) fluid groups for the first 24 hours, 3 days and 7 days. Chi square tests analyzed proportions of subjects with or without morbidities across fluid groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of fluid intake on BPD or PDA, controlling for factors that are significantly associated with BPD or PDA by univariate analysis. RESULTS: Rates of BPD and PDA were not significantly associated with fluid groups on each time period. The result was the same after controlling for factors that are significantly associated with BPD or PDA by univariate analysis. For the first 3 and 7 days, fluid intakes were positively related with maximal weight loss, urine output and mechanical ventilation duration. CONCLUSION: In VLBW infants, when given based on needs reflected from IWL and UO versus intake, relatively low fluid intakes in the first week of life do not decrease the risk of BPD or PDA, and vice versa. We suggest that calculation of daily fluid based on IWL and UO is appropriate for VLBW infants.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent* ; Fluid Therapy ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Logistic Models ; Respiration, Artificial ; Water Loss, Insensible ; Weight Loss

Nail-patella syndrome is a relatively rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by dysplastic nail, hypoplastic or absent patella, and dislocation of radial head and iliac horns. In addition, renal abnormalities have been reported. The usual clinical signs of the renal involvement are asymptomatic proteinuria, microscopic hematuria, and in some cases progression to end stage renal disease. We present the case of adult with nail-patella syndrome, who developed proteinuria. Electron microscopy revealed irregular thickening of the glomerular basement membrane with areas of rarefaction, giving rise to a pathognomonic "moth-eaten" appearance.
Adult ; Animals ; Dislocations ; Glomerular Basement Membrane ; Head ; Hematuria ; Horns ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Microscopy, Electron ; Nail-Patella Syndrome* ; Patella ; Proteinuria

BACKGROUND: Causative bacterial agents of infectious diarrheal disease were traditionally diagnosed by stool cultures. Stool culture, however, has a problem because of relatively low sensitivity and long turnaround time. In this study, we evaluated multiplex PCR applied on stool specimens directly to diagnose enteropathogenic bacteria. METHODS: From June to September 2009, 173 diarrheal stools submitted for stool cultures were tested by Seeplex(R) Diarrhea ACE Detection kit (Seegene, Korea) to detect 10 enteropathogenic bacteria. Specimens were cultured for Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia. Late 50 specimens were also cultured for Campylobacter. The specimens positive for verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) were further subcultured for detecting enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. Electronic medical records were reviewed for clinical and laboratory findings. RESULTS: Of 173 specimens, multiplex PCR and cultures identified enteropathogens in 36 (20.8%) and 8 specimens (4.6%), respectively. While multiplex PCR detected 5 Salmonella, 15 Campylobacter, 1 Vibrio, 4 Clostridium difficiles toxin B, 5 Clostridium perfringens, 1 Yersinia enterocolitica, 5 Aeromonas, and 2 VTEC, cultures detected 5 Salmonella, 1 Vibrio, 1 Y. enterocolitica, 1 Aeromonas, and 2 E. coli O157:H7. CONCLUSION: Multiplex PCR would be useful to detect Campylobacter, VTEC and C. perfringens, as well as have equivalent sensitivity to conventional culture for ordinary enteropathogens such as Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, Y. enterocolitica. Direct application of multiplex PCR combined with conventional cultures on stool warrants remarkable improvement of sensitivity to diagnose enteropathogenic bacteria.
Aeromonas ; Bacteria ; Campylobacter ; Clostridium ; Clostridium perfringens ; Diarrhea ; Dysentery ; Electronic Health Records ; Escherichia coli ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Salmonella ; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli ; Shigella ; Vibrio ; Yersinia ; Yersinia enterocolitica