BACKGROUND: The length of postoperative drug therapy remains controversial in pulmonary tuberculosis. We analyzed our experiences to determine the postoperative duration of chemotherapy after resection. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed in 66 of 95 patients that underwent pulmonary resection for pulmonary tuberculosis between January 1993 and December 1998. We compared the relapse rates according to the length of postoperative chemotherapy in each group, classified by the results of sputum AFB culture before the surgery, the number of resistant durgs, the number of prior treatment and the division of anti-TB drugs used postoperatively. RESULTS: Fifty three of 66(80.3%) were men and 13(19.7%) were women with a median age of 33.5 years(range, 16 to 63). The mean lengths of the pre-and post-operative chemotherapies were 4.9 months, and 12.9 months respectively. Five of 66 patients(7.6%) relapsed during the mean period of follow up(39.7 months). In the group less than three times of the prior treatment, there were two relapses(20%) in Ed-the highlight above-rephrase 10 patients that were medicated for 6 months or less, and one relapse in 43 patients(2.3%) that took medicine for more than 6 months(p=0.03). In the group using second-line drugs postoperatively, there was one relapse(25%) in four patients that were medicated for 12 months or less. No patient in a total of 17 that received medicine for more than 12 months relapsed(p=0.03). CONCLUSION: We recommend that patients with the prior treatment less than three times should be treated for more than 6 months after resection and patients using the second-line drugs postoperatively should be medicated for more than 12 months.
Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

We observed a case of tuberculosis cutis orificialis, which occurred in 50 year-old man. He had been suffered from single markedly inflamed, erythematous painful ulcer, covered by dirty brown pseudomembranous material, around anus for 3 months. The laboratory findings (CBC, routine urinalysis, stool ova and parasite with occult blood) are within normal limits except elevated ESR (52mm/hr.). Staphyloeoccus aureus and proteus are observed on wound culture, and many AFB are seen on scrapings of wound but not on sputum for 3 times. Unfortunately culture was not done. Tuberculin skin test revealed strong reaction (36mm/hr.). Chest PA and small bowel series showed far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis and intestinal tuberculosis on ileocecal area. But the findings of upper gastro-intestinal series and barium enema are within normal limits. Histopathologic findings of skin lesion showed tuberculous and tuberculoid granuloma in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. We observed a case of tuberculosis cutis orificialis, which occurred in 50 year-old man. He had been suffered from single markedly inflamed, erythematoas painful ulcer, covered by dirty brown pseudomembranous material, around anus for 3 months. The laboratory findings (CBC, routine urinalysis, stool ova and parasite with occult blood) are within normal limits except elevated ESR (52mm/hr.). Staphyloeoccus aureus and proteus are'observed on wound culture, and many AFB are seen on scrapings of wound but not on sputum for 3 times. Unfortunately culture was not done. Tuberculin skin test revealed strong reaction (36mm/hr.). Chest PA and small bowel series showed far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis and intestinal tuberculosis on ileocecal area. But the findings of upper gastro-intestinal series and barium enema are within normal limits. Histopathologic findings of skin lesion showed tuberculous and tuberculoid granuloma in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Treatment with INH, myambutol and rifampin resulted in some improvment on the chest and considerable improvement on the skin and intestine within 6 months.
Anal Canal ; Barium ; Dermis ; Enema ; Ethambutol ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Intestines ; Middle Aged ; Ovum ; Parasites ; Proteus ; Rifampin ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Sputum ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Thorax ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Ulcer ; Urinalysis ; Wounds and Injuries

Vulva syringomas are rare in reviewing literature. In our case, a 29-year-old had multiple papular lesions involving both sides of the vulva. Microscopically the lesion showed dilated cystic sweat ducts some of which have small comma like tails resembling tadpoles. It is the purpose of this report to present a rare case of syringoma which was limited to the vulva without involvement of other sites.
Adult ; Humans ; Larva ; Sweat ; Syringoma* ; Vulva*

An endodermal sinus tumor is a malignant germ cell tumor that usually arises in the gonads, but on rare occasion occurs in extragonadal locations. Our case was that of a 3 year old girl who complained of a rapid growing orbital mass. On histologic examination it revealed the typical picture of an endodermal sinus tumor and it also disclosed a positive reaction for alphafetoprotein using an immunoperoxidase technique. An orbital exenteration was performed followed by chemotheraphy, but the patient died 5 months after the onset of the disease.

No abstract available.
Angiocardiography* ; Contrast Media* ; Electrolytes* ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Plasma* ; Renin*

In recent years, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has become an important worldwide public health issue. Children are particularly vulnerable to ETS because they are still developing. ETS exposure causes a wide range of adverse health effects on childhood asthma. There is convincing evidence that ETS exposure is causally associated with an increased prevalence of asthma, increased severity of asthma and worsening asthma control in children who already have the disease, even though a causal relationship with asthma onset is not yet established for asthma incidence. Mechanisms underlying these adverse effects of ETS are not clearly elucidated but e studies on this issue suggest that genetic susceptibility, impaired lung function, and augmented airway inflammation and remodeling may be involved. Children with asthma are just as likely to be exposed to ETS as children in general and there is no risk-free level of exposure. Therefore, providing a smoke-free environment may be of particular importance to the asthmatic children exposed to ETS who have adverse asthma outcomes, as well as to children with genetic susceptibility who are at increased risk of developing asthma upon exposure to ETS in early childhood.
Asthma ; Child ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Smoke ; Tobacco

BACKGROUND: Whole body 131I scan is routinely performed in the postoperative evaluation of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma to detect recurrence and functioning metastasis. Previous reports suggested that posttreatment whole body scan had higher rate of detecting metastatic lesions that were not visualized by pretreatment images. We observed the frequency of discordance of the two scans and analysed the clinical significances. METHODS: Forty-one patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma underwent radioactive iodine-131 whole body scans after administration of diagnostic dose (4 mCi) and then therapeutic dose (100~200 mCi of iodine-131). The median age of the patients was 46.9 +/- 15.7 years (range, 17~76). RESULTS: In 16 of the 41 patients (39.0%), pretreatment scan showed additional uptakes that were not seen in the pretreatment scan. Serum thyroglobulin was elevated in 13 of the 16 patients. Of the 22 patients who had been received radioactive iodine therapy previously, eight patients showed new additional lesions in the therapeutic scans but there was no significance according to the history of radioactive iodine therapy, Addisional uptakes after therapeutic dose were noted in neck area in 9 cases, lung in 2 cases, bone in 4 cases and mediastinum in one case. Diffuse hepatic uptake was definitely seen in 7 cases and there were 2 cases whose scans showed liver uptake without any thyroid uptake. CONCLUSION: Posttreatment whole body scan is more sensitive to detect residual tissues and metastasis compared to the usual pretreatment diagnostic whole body scan, and it is suggested that posttreatment whole body scan should be routinely performed after 'I therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma for exact evaluation.
Humans ; Iodine ; Liver ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Whole Body Imaging

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulins* ; Tetanus Toxoid* ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination*

Ketotifen, a benzocycloheptathiophene, has an orally effective antiallergic as well as antihistaminic properties. In pervious studies, Ketotifen has shown encouraging results on patient with allergic rhinitis, either perennial or seasonal. 39 patients with allergic rhinitis had been treated with Ketotifen 1 mg twice daily for 8 weeks. And we obtained following results. 1) The efficacy rate in sneezing attack was 73.5%, in nasal discharge 71%, in nasal obstruction 58%. 2) Some improvements in at least one of three-major symptoms were noted within 1 week in 30.7%, within 2 weeks in 55.8%, within 3 weeks in 66.7%, within 8 weeks in 87.2%. 3) Physical findings such as colour, swelling of turbinate, character of rhinorrhea were not improved significantly. 4) Side effect was observed only in one patient with abdominal pain and diarrhea, which was subsided after interruption of administration. These results suggested that Ketotifen was effective in treatment of allergic rhinitis.
Abdominal Pain ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Ketotifen* ; Nasal Obstruction ; Rhinitis, Allergic* ; Seasons ; Sneezing ; Turbinates

Turner's syndrome results from complete or partial monosomy of the X chromosome and is characterized by hypogonadism or related other congenital anomalies in phenotypic females. In these patients, there are failure to develop normal secondary sex characteristics, amenorrhea, or short stature at puberty and the ovaries are reduced to atrophic fibrous strands devoid of ova and follicles(streak gonads). Individuals with this condition are particularly prone to the development of gonadoblastoma. For this reason, the gonads should be early removed and supplemental estrogen therapy given. We experienced a case of Turner's syndrome, 45, XO/46, XY karyotype in a 20-year-old phenotypic female complained an amenorrhea. On the exploratory laparotomy, the right gonadal mass is sevearly adhered to the adjacent organs and measures 8 x 5 x 5 cm in dimension and 75gm in weight and shows multiple foci of hemorrhage with necrosis. The left streak gonad measures 3.5 x 2 x 1.5 cm in dimension and shows multiple foci of calcification. Microscopically, the right gonadal mass reveals malignant mixed germ cell tumor, composed of endodermal sinus tumor, composed of endodermal sinus tumor with dysgerminoma and gonadoblastoma. The left streak gonad consists of mainly dense fibrous connective tissue and shows some foci of calcification associated with gonadoblastoma. On immunohistochemical and special stainings, the cytoplasm and hyalin droplets of the endodermal sinus tumor component reveal strong positivity to the a-fetoprotein and PAS. After removal of both gonads, the serum level of the a-fetoprotein is markedly down from 1742ng/ml to 2.6 ng/ml.
Female ; Humans