OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer and to identify demographic variables and clinical characteristics impact on depressive symptoms and health related quality of life in patients with breast cancer in a university hospital. METHODS: Fourty-one patients with breast cancer were selected, who had visited the department of General surgery of the Wonkwang University hospital with a diagnosis of breast cancer regularly during the period November, 2010-May, 2011. All of subjects were evaluated for the depression, anxiety and the health related quality of life with Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), anxiety subscale of Personality Assessment Inventory(PAI) and Short-Form 36 Health Survey-Korean version(SF-36-K). Patients were divided into depressive symptoms and non-depressive symptoms group according to the BDI score. We compared SF-36-K between two groups, and analized multiple regression with depression and health related quality of life as criterion variables and demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression in patients with breast cancer in a University hospital was 36.4%. Compared to the non-depression, depressed patients with breast cancer appeared significantly lower mean scores on six subscales in SF-36-K : Physical function(p<.01), Role-physical(p<.001), General health(p<.05), Social function(p<.001), Role-emotional(p<.001) and Mental health(p<.001). But there was no significant difference between two groups in Vitality and Bodily pain. Anxiety, level of education and presence of enforcement of chemotherapy(63.6%) were significant explanation variables for depressive symptoms. And type of surgery and age (55.8%) were significant explanation variables for health related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer in a University hospital was 36%. The depressive symptoms had not only negative impact on the health related quality of life but also important explanation variable for health related quality of life. These results suggest that depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer should be evaluated and treated for improving patient's health related quality of life.
Anxiety ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Humans ; Personality Assessment ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life

'I'he adult form of myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of anti-acetylcholine receptor immunoglobulin G antibodies (anti-ACHRIgG) which blocks the formation of acetylcholine at the motor end plate and causes anatomic deterioration of this structure. 'I'he end result is defective neuromuscular transmission manifested by progressive skeletal muscle weakness. We have experienced a full term pregnancy complicated with the myasthenia gravis. We experienced a case of myathenia gravis associated with pregnancy who underwent cesarean section. The case is presented here with a brief review of literatures concerned.
Acetylcholine ; Adult ; Antibodies ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Motor Endplate ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Pregnancy*

Human uniparental gestations such as androgenetic hydatidiform moles provide a model to evaluate the integrity of parent-specific gene expression,-i.e, genomic imprinting,- in the absence of a complementary parental genetic contribution. Several imprinted genes are characterized so far including the insulin-like growth factor-2 gene (IGF2) coding for a fetal growth factor and the Hl9 gene whose normal function is unknown but which is likely to act as an untranslated mRNA for its tumor-suppressing function. IGF2 is expressed exclusively from the paternal allele while Hl9 from the maternal allele. Such an alternate expression is quite interesting because both Hl9 and IGF2 genes are located close to each other on chromosome 11p15.5. An in situ hybridization analysis has shown strong expression of Hl9 and IGF2 alleles in nine hydatidiform moles. Especially, a prominent expression of Hl9 and IGF2 was detected in cytotrophoblast and the cellular localization was almost paralleled in Hl9 and IGF2 transcripts . Hl9 and IGF2 genes could be expressed either biallelically or monoallelically in the moles. However, IGF2 biallelic expression did not affect allele-specificity of Hl9 expression.. These results suggest that both H19 and IGF2 transcripts are expressed in the same cells and that the functional imprinting of H19 and IGF2 genes in hydatidiform moles can be controlled individually and independently of each other.
Alleles ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Clinical Coding ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Genomic Imprinting* ; Humans* ; Hydatidiform Mole* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II* ; Parents ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; Trophoblasts

The National Forensic Hospital is the only forensic psychiatric hospital in Korea. As of January 2016, the average number of patients assigned to each psychiatrist is more than 120. In this situation, the role of psychopharmacologic treatment becomes very important. To investigate the prescription patterns of major psychotropic medications (i.e., antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants), we reviewed the medical records of the patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder who were admitted in January 2016. The data from 418 patients (403 with schizophrenia and 15 with schizoaffective disorder) were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The average number of major psychotropic medications prescribed for each patient during hospitalization was as follows: antipsychotics, 3.5±1.8; mood stabilizers, 0.5±0.7; and antidepressants, 0.5±0.8. The three most frequently prescribed antipsychotics were risperidone (21.7%), olanzapine (15.5%), and quetiapine (14.4%). More than half of the patients (233, 55.9%) were prescribed an antipsychotic polypharmacy regimen. This study found that patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in forensic psychiatric hospital tend to be prescribed many psychotropic medications.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Polypharmacy ; Prescriptions ; Psychiatry ; Psychopharmacology ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Quetiapine Fumarate ; Retrospective Studies ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia*

There are many reports about the snapping syndrome in the hip, shoulder, ankle, but the snapping knee has rarely been reported. In general, the symptom of this disease was relatively tolerable for that seldom requires operative treatment. We experienced one case of snapping knee, for which the pain, easy fatigability and feeling of instability on both knee joint were main complaints. During an exploratory operation, we confirmed the gracilis and semitendinosus tendon passing over the medial tibial condyle. The clinical, radiologic and operative findings were reviewed.
Ankle ; Hip ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Shoulder ; Tendons

Naltrexone is a competitive antagonist of μ, δ, and κ opioid receptors. Naltrexone has been investigated for use an as anti-obesity agent in both the general population and in patients with severe mental illness, including schizophrenia. In patients with schizophrenia, however, potential psychotic symptoms due to adverse effects of naltrexone have not been investigated. Our case study, a relevant case report, and some related articles suggest that naltrexone might be associated with the emergence of visual hallucinations, which clinicians should be aware of.
Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Naltrexone ; Narcotic Antagonists ; Receptors, Opioid ; Schizophrenia

No abstract available.
Adenylyl Cyclases* ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland*

No abstract available.
Fetal Macrosomia*

The possible causes of Brown-Sequard Syndrome (BSS) have been frequently observed with spinal trauma and extramedullary spinal tumors, but the cervical disc herniation to cause BSS is rare. The authors present five cases of patients who were diagnosed with BSS resulting from cervical disc herniation, and the results of the literature in view of their distinctive symptoms and clinical outcomes. Postoperatively, the patients showed complete or almost complete recovery from their motor and sensory deficits. On the basis of our cases, it is important to diagnose it early by cervical magnetic resonance imaging, especially in the absence of the typical symptoms of cervical disc herniation or other obvious etiology of extremity numbness. Immediate surgical treatment is also essential for a favorable functional neurological recovery.
Brown-Sequard Syndrome ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

We reviewed 9 cases of pyogenic spondylodiscitis following percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD). Microbiologic cultures revealed 6 causative organisms. Five patients were managed conservatively and four were treated surgically. The mean follow-up period was 20.6 months and the average length of hospitalization was 24 days. Radiological evidence of spinal fusion was noted and infection was resolved in all patients. Although PELD is a safe and effective procedure, the possibility of pyogenic spondylodiscitis should always be considered.
Discitis ; Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Spinal Fusion