Serologic tests for syphilis including VDRLand FTA-ABS tests have been carried out in 2,753 VISA applicants for emigration, 8, 501 blood donors and 2, 588 pregnant women from January to December 1981. We have also been observing biologic false positive rate in 759 VDRL-reactive persons among those tested for STS in Severance Hospital in the year 1981, All the above subjects were twenty years old or over. The results are summarized as follows: l. I 2, 753 VISA applicants, VDRL test showed postive in 42 applicants (l. 5 %). Of these 42 applicants, 37(1. 3%) had a rmotie FTA ABS test. 2. In 8,501 blood donors, the reactive rate for the VLRL test was 1.0pk. 3. ln 2, 588 pregnent women, the VDRL test showed gositive in 20 women (0.8%). Of these 20 women, l8(0.7%) had a reactive FTA-ABS test. 4. The cuantitative test of VL'RL resulted in low titer below 1: 4 in 97. 6% of VDRL-reactive VISA applicants and in 85. 0% of VLRL-reactive pregnant women, 5. The overall biologic false positive rate was 8. 7/o in 759 VDRL-reactive persons amorg those tested for STS in Severance Hospital in time year l98l, using the FTA-ABS test as the standard. In particular, it was higher, namely l7. 0/a, in 32 persons who were wezkly reactive to the VDRL test. From the results it is clear that the prevalence of syphilis is gradually decreasing recently compared to the mid 1970 s.
Blood Donors ; Emigration and Immigration ; Female ; Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption Test ; Humans ; Korea* ; Pregnant Women ; Prevalence* ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis*

Nonparasitic true splenic cyst is a rare disease and the epidermoid cyst accounts for the majority of the cases. And the epidermoid cyst producing CA19-9 is extremely rare. We present a case of true splenic cyst with high cystic fluid CA19-9 level. A 26-year-old woman complained left upper quadrant abdominal pain. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT depicted a 17 x 13 cm sized cystic lesion in the left upper abdomen. The aspirated cystic fluid showed high concentration of CA19-9, but serum CA19-9 level was normal. Spleen with huge unilocular cyst was removed surgically. The cyst was lined with single layered cuboidal epithelial cells and negative for immunohistochemical staining with anti-CA19-9 antibody.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Epidermal Cyst ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Rare Diseases ; Spleen* ; Splenic Diseases ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: LV chamber obliteration(COB) during dobutamine stress echocardiography indicates a vigorous inotropic response to dobutamine stress. This may suggest the absence of coronary artery disease, but a small LV cavity may also preclude recognition of wall motion abnormalities. METHODS: Chamber obliteration was defined by contact of the opposite walls in the apical 4 chamber views during dobutamine stress echocardiography. To detect of chamber obliteration and coronary artery disease, dobutamine stress echocardiography was performed in 132 patients with chest pain. To confirm of coronary artery disease, coronary angiography was performed in 64 patients among 132 patients. RESULTS: 1) Chamber obliteration during dobutamine stress echocardiography occurred in 37 patients(28%) among 132 patients. 2) Chamber obliteration during dobutamine stress echocardiography was more common in patients with hypertension(p<0.05) and left ventricular hypertrophy during baseline echocardiography(p<0.005). 3) Coronary angiography was performed in 64 patients(48 patients without chamber obliteration, 16 patients with chamber obliteration). The sensitivity of dobutamine stress echocardiography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was 88% in patients without chamber obliteration, 71% in patients with chamber obliteration. But, the difference of sensitivity of both groups was not significant. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that chamber obliteration during dobutamine stress echocardiography will not affect results of the sensitivity of dobutamine stress echocardiography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diagnosis ; Dobutamine* ; Echocardiography, Stress* ; Heart Ventricles* ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular

Direct arterial pressure(DAP) and heart rate were observed in normal patients during and after intravenous injection of d-Tc at varying rates of administration. The injection of d-Tc was preceeded by antihistmine(hydroxysine) in group ll. The results were as follows: 1) Alteration of pulse rate was minimal following varied administration of d-Tc in all groups. 2) DAP showed maximal change following a bolus injection of d-Tc, and a minimal change at the end of 180 seconds of d-Tc administration. 3) DAP showed minimal change following the premediction with antihistamine in comparison to a bolus administration. 4) Manifestation of flushing and tachycardia due to histmine release were not observed in group l and group ll.
Blood Pressure* ; Flushing ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Premedication* ; Tachycardia

Hemobilia is a hemorrhage into the biliary tract that may follow trauma (including surgical and percutaneous techniques in hepatobiliary system), aneurysms of the hepatic artery (and its branch), tumors of the biliary tract, hepatoma, inflammation, liver abscess, and gallstone disease. But, a case has not been reported involving of hemobilia associated with gallbladder hemorrhage without obvious predisposing factors or causes. A 62-year-old woman was admitted to Kyunghee Medical Center due to intermittent nausea, and right upper quadrant pain for 2 days before admission. She had no history of abdominal trauma. On the second and third day of her stay, she experienced melena of which the amount was about 300 ml. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a gallbladder with a 8 mm sized cystic lesion attached to the fundus. Computed tomographic (CT) evaluation of the abdomen demonstrated a highly enhanced 7~8 mm sized nodular mass in the lumen of the gallbladder. The gallbladder, cystic duct, and CBD were dilated due to the filling of blood clots or sludge material. An ERCP was performed and bleeding from the papilla of Vater was confirmed. Subsequently, emergent laparoscopic cholecystectomy was conducted. Pathologic evaluation revealed a grayish-red gallbladder that had a ruptured vessel. The ruptured vessel showed a severe hypertrophic state but there was no evidence of vasculitis, aneurysm, arterio-venous malformation, or malignancy. The case is here in reported of hemobilia associated with spontaneous gallbladder hemorrhage.
Abdomen ; Aneurysm ; Biliary Tract ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Causality ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cystic Duct ; Female ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Hemobilia* ; Hemorrhage* ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Liver Abscess ; Melena ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Sewage ; Ultrasonography ; Vasculitis

Biphenotypic acute leukemia (BAL) is a rare type of leukemia, comprises 4% of all acute leukemias. It is more common in adults and the clinical features, as related to marrow dysfunction, are similar to those found in other patients with acute leukemia. BAL commonly shows a dimorphic blast population with, one resembling lymphoblasts and the other resembling myeloblasts. The majority of BAL patients express B-lymphoid and myeloid markers. BAL can be diagnosed by morphologic studies and by a comprehensive panel of immunological markers, as well as cytogenetic/molecular studies, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, its prognosis is relatively poor. We present here a 27 year-old female patient who showed lymphoblasts and myeloblasts on her marrow studies and these cells were positive for myeloid and B-lymphoid markers on the immunophenotypic studies. Chromosome analysis revealed 46,XX,t(6;19)(p23;p13.1),t(9;22)(q34;q11.2). A major (b3a2) type of BCR-ABL1 mRNA transcript was detected by RT-PCR, and a 5'ABL1 deletion was identified by FISH.
Adult ; Bone Marrow ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Granulocyte Precursor Cells ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: To estimate bowel patterns in the Korean, we surveyed routine check-up subjects about their bowel habits, using self-reported questionnaire. METHODS: We analyzed 2939 subjects (male 1430, female 1509; age range 25 - 65 years) who had visited health promotion center for routine check-up. Subjects were given a validated self-report questionnaire, which measured the defecation frequency; stool consistency; self-report of constipation; straining to defecate; and levels of laxative use. RESULTS: Of the whole subjects 96.4% had defecation frequency between three per week and three per day. The prevalence of two or less bowel movements per week (4.1% compared to 0.6%), straining to defecate (20.8% compared to 13.0%) and hard stool (18.0% compared to 9.3%) was higher in women than men (p<0.01). The prevalence of self-reported constipation was higher in women than men (9.0% compared to 2.9%, p<0.01). Women were more likely to use laxatives than men (5.5% compared to 0.6%, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Defecation frequency in most of routine check-up subjects is between three per week to three per day. Bowel dysfunction is a greater problem in women.
Constipation ; Defecation ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Laxatives ; Male ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography in the mitral inflow is used widely for the assessment of LV diastolic function. The echocardiographic index of LV diastolic function is known to be affected by several factors, such as the loading condition. In the Doppler tissue image (DTI), the mitral annulus velocity is known to be unaffected by the loading condition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the preload reduction on the mitral annulus velocity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We examined the transmitral and pulmonary venous flows, and the mitral annulus velocity in 30 patients with chronic renal failure, but a normal LV systolic function, by echocardiography, both before and after hemodialysis. The study patients were divided into two groups; Group I (preload reduction < or = 2.0 kg, N=10) and Group II (preload reduction>2.0 kg, N=20). RESULTS: In the transmitral flow; the E velocity was changed, both before and after hemodialysis, in Group II. < Group I from 97+/-12 cm/s to 86+/-11 cm/s (NS), Group II from 85+/-5 cm/s to 63+/-5 cm/s (p=0.0001)<. The A velocity was also changed in Group II. In the mitral septal annulus velocity by DTI; The E' velocity was changed in both groups, but the A' velocity was only changed in Group II. In the mitral lateral annulus velocity by DTI; all indices remained unchanged in both groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that a vigorous preload reduction might change the echocardiographic indices, and either the transmitral flow pattern or the mitral septal annulus velocity. The mitral lateral annulus velocity indices, which are useful for the evaluation of the LV diastolic function, were unchanged by the preload reduction. The preload condition needs to be accounted for when evaluating the LV diastolic function with a Doppler echocardiography.
Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Mitral Valve ; Renal Dialysis

BACKGROUND: Liver cirrhosis may be considered one of the most common cause of acquired immunodeficiency. Alcohol abuse may be predisposing factor to infections in patients with liver cirrhosis, so we compared the rate of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and other bacterial infections in alcoholic and viral liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We studied 188 patients who had been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis from January 1995 to June 2000 and evaluated the frequency of bacterial infections (SBP, pneumonia, urinary track infection, bacteremia, infectious colitis) retrospectively according to cause and degree of cirrhosis. RESULTS: Among 188 patients (alcoholic 76, viral 112), 64 patients (34%) presented with bacterial infection at hospitalization, 33 (43%;33/76) of 64 subjects were alcoholic and 31 (28%;31/112) of 64 subjects were viral liver cirrhosis. The rate of bacterial infections was higher in alcoholic liver cirrhosis than viral cirrhosis (p<0.05). The rate of SBP and other bacterial infections were more frequent in patients of Child-Pugh class C than in those of Child-Pugh class A and B (p<0.01, p<0.05) respectively. Patients of alcoholic liver cirrhosis were more susceptible to bacterial infection than those of viral liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh class A/B (p<0.05), but no difference was noted in patients of Child-Pugh class C (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This results suggest that the rate of bacterial infections are more common in alcoholic than viral liver cirrhosis in relatively early stage and it may be influence the prognosis of liver cirrhosis.
Alcoholics* ; Alcoholism ; Bacteremia ; Bacterial Infections* ; Causality ; Fibrosis* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic ; Peritonitis ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an uncommon disorder of stomach, small bowel and colon characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia, eosinophilic infiltration of the gut wall, and variable clinical symptoms. This disease was first described by Kaijser in 1937, and its cause was poorly understood. It may be related to allergy, which combines allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy and elevated IgE. The clinical symptoms and signs are variable according to the extents and depths of the eosinophilic infiltration. Endoscopic findings may show normal, nodular, ulcerative, or hemorrhagic mucosal changes, and biopsy findings reveal eosinophilic infiltration of mucosal and muscular layer. We diagnosed and treated a case of diffuse serosal eosinophilic gastroenteritis associated with ascites in a patient with allergic asthma who had severe abdominal pain, distention and watery diarrhea, and she dramatically responded to corticosteroid therapy.
Abdominal Pain ; Ascites* ; Asthma ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Diarrhea ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Gastroenteritis* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Rhinitis ; Stomach ; Ulcer