A total of 33 patients with infective endocarditis were observed in the Guro and Hye Hwa Hospitals of Korea University Between September, 1981 and Feb, 1987. Among thses patients four patients presented with heart murmur and heart failure and had vegetation like findings observed on the two dimensional echocardiography. But these patients did not have any fever or leukocytosis in the peripheral blood and the repeated blood cultures were negative. They showed the immunologic phenomena of infective endocarditis such as microscopic hematuria in 4 patients, rheumatoid factor in 3 patients, false positive VDRL in one patient. The serum complement was decreased in 2 patients in whom it was checked. We report these 4 patients because we think these patients might be in the clinical stage in which the infecting organism is spontaneously cleared but the immunologic sequelae are remained.
Complement System Proteins ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Fever ; Heart Failure ; Heart Murmurs ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukocytosis ; Rheumatoid Factor

PURPOSE: Thallous-201 chloride produced at Korea Cancer Center Hospital(KCCH) is used in detecting cardiovascular disease and cancer. Thallium impurity can cause emesis, catharsis and nausea, so the presence of thallium and other metal impurities should be determined. According to USP and KP, their amounts must be less than 2 ppm in thallium and 5 ppm in total. In this study, the detection method of trace amounts of metal impurities in [201Tl]TlCl injection with polarography was optimized without environmental contamination. MATERALS AND METHODS: For the detection of metal impurities, Osteryoung Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry method was used in Bio-Analytical System (BAS) 50W polarograph. The voltammetry was composed of Dropping Mercury Electrode (DME) as a working electrode, Ag/AgCl as a reference electrode and Pt wire as a counter electrode. Square wave stripping method, which makes use of formation and deformation of amalgam, was adopted to determine the metal impurities, and pH 7 phosphate buffer was used as supporting electrolyte. RESULTS: T1, Cu and Pb in thallous-201 chloride solution were detected by scanning from 300 mV to -800 mV. Calibration curves were made by using TlNO3, CuSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 as standard solutions. Tl was confirmed at -450 mV peak potential and Cu at -50 mV. Less than 2 ppm of Tl and Cu was detected and Pb was not detected in KCCH-produced thallous-201 chloride injection. CONCLUSION: Detection limit of thallium and copper is approximately 50 ppb with this method. As a result of this experiment, thallium and other metal impurities in thallous-201 chloride injection, produced at Korea Cancer Center Hospital, are in the regulation of USP and KP. Polarograph could be applied for the determination of metal impurities in the quality control of radiopharmaceuticals conveniently without environmental contamination.
Calibration ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Catharsis ; Copper ; Electrodes ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Metals, Heavy* ; Nausea ; Polarography* ; Quality Control ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Thallium ; Vomiting

We report a 43-year-old male who suffered cognitive dysfunction after an electric injury. He underwent evaluation for cognitive dysfunction and cerebral glucose hypometabolism at 1 week and 6 months. In contrast to the progressive decline of frontal lobe functions and visuospatial functions, memory and depressive mood were improved. SPM99 showed hypometabolic areas in the frontal and occipital lobes which were widened. Moreover new cingulate lesions appeared. This illustrates that the progression of derangement of cerebral glucose metabolism is correlated with neuropsychological impairment.
Adult ; Electric Injuries* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Frontal Lobe ; Glucose ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; Metabolism ; Neuropsychology ; Occipital Lobe ; Positron-Emission Tomography

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide and in Korea as well. Dyslipidemia is considered as a major and modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease. In Korea, the prevalence of dyslipidemia in people aged 30 years or older was 47.8% in 2013, with prevalence increasing as age increases. Men had higher prevalence of dyslipidemia than women (men, 57.6%; women, 38.3%). However, the prevalence of dyslipidemia in women increased rapidly after menopause. Furthermore, dyslipidemia is also rising in childhood and adolescents. The prevalence of hypo-HDL cholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were higher than hyper-LDL cholesterolemia. However, hyper-LDL cholesterolemia also has been increasing due to the westernized diet and other lifestyle changes. Atherogenic dyslipidemia, which is the combination of these lipoprotein abnormalities, seems to be increasing. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was higher in obese people, and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, which included dyslipidemia as a component of abnormalities, also increased in accordance with dyslipidemia. Also, dyslipidemia in patients with diabetes increased from 27.8% in 2006 to 49.5% in 2013. The awareness and treatment rate of dyslipidemia were lower in comparison with other chronic diseases. By providing information about the risk of dyslipidemia, primary prevention such as weight loss, dietary treatment, and quit smoking and secondary prevention such as early detection and drug treatment are required for reducing the development of cardiovascular disease.
Adolescent ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Diet ; Dyslipidemias* ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Menopause ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Primary Prevention ; Risk Factors ; Secondary Prevention ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Choline*

The upper and lower lateral cartilages provide the key to the lower cartilaginous portion of the nose. Lifting the cartilages is essential procedure for correction of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity. After correction of cleft lip nose deformity, authors used acoustic rhinometry (AR) to compare the lower nasal cavity of cleft side with non-cleft side. AR is a well known new, non-invasive diagnostic technique in which nasal geometry is assessed by means of acoustic reflection. From June 1996 to January 2004, we performed acoustic rhinometric analysis after correction of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity. This study involved 40 children of age ranged from 3 months to 8 years. Subjects were divided into the group of incomplete unilateral cleft lip nose deformity(20 subjects), and the group of complete unilateral cleft lip nose deformity(20 subjects). Results show that lower nasal cavity volume between non-cleft side and cleft side has no difference, and better results were obtained when nasal molding prong was applied at cleft side nostril. The results between incomplete type and complete type have no significant difference. In conclusion, AR is an effective method to calibrate cross sectional area and nasal cavity volume of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity, and furthermore effective in comparing the volume of cleft side with non-cleft side after unilateral cleft lip nose deformity correction with lifting the lower lateral cartilages to the upper lateral cartilages.
Acoustics* ; Cartilage ; Child ; Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Lifting ; Nasal Cavity ; Nose* ; Rhinometry, Acoustic

In patient with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, it is difficult to localize gastrinoma because the tumor is frequently small and multiple. However, accurate localization of the tumor is important for the treatment. Among various imaging modalities, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) has been recognized to be the most sensitive tool for the detection of neuroendocrine tumors such as gastrinomas based on the presence of high-affinity binding sites for somatostatin. Recently, we experienced a case of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome caused by gastrinomas which was localized by SRS. This is the first case report of gastrinoma detected by SRS in Korea. SRS can facilitate tumor detection in patient with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and should be considered as the first-line diagnostic method in the early course of the disease.
Binding Sites ; Gastrinoma* ; Humans ; Korea ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Receptors, Somatostatin ; Somatostatin ; Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome*

Cutaneous mucinous eccrine carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor that is presumably of an eccrine gland origin. We observed a 53-year-old man with an erythematous nodule on his left infraorbital area. A large mucinous pool and characteristic tumor cells were shown on H&E stain, and further specific immunohistochemical stains confirmed the diagnosis. We report here on a case of mucinous eccrine carcinoma and we review the relevant literature.
Coloring Agents ; Eccrine Glands ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucins

Cephalic tetanus is defined as a combination of trismus and paralysis of one or more cranial nerves. Cranial nerves III, IV, VI, VII, and XII may be affected, but the facial nerve is most frequently implicated. A 64-year-old female visited hospital for left ptosis followed by facial palsy after a left forehead abrasion in a car accident. At nine days post injury, left ptosis developed, left facial palsy developed twelve days post injury, and at fifteen days post injury, trismus and dysphagia developed. The following day, there was progression of symptoms to generalized tetanus, such as dyspnea and generalized rigidity. Videofluoroscopic swallow study showed penetration and aspiration. We report a case of cephalic tetanus with ptosis, facial palsy, and dysphagia, which progressed to generalized tetanus.
Cranial Nerves ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspnea ; Facial Nerve ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Paralysis ; Tetanus ; Trismus