PURPOSE: To compare image quality of storage phosphor digital radiography(DR) with film-screen radiography in portable chest imaging, and to assess the minimum X-ray dose that can be applied to DR in adults without image degradation, and also to compare image qualities of low dose and standard dose DR. Materials and Methalos: A geometrical phantom similar to the human thorax was imaged by a portable radiographic unit with fixed kVp and variable m^s in both film-screen and DR systems. Three radiologists scored the images by four grades in four categories of 1) contrast between mediastinum and lung, 2) definition of the nodule in the lung, 3) definition of another nodule through the mediastinal shadow, and 4) grainess(noise : assessed only in DR). Additionally, portable chest images were obtained in 10 patients in a intensive care unit by film-screen, standard dose and half dose DR in consecutive days. The same readers scored the images by four grades in six categories of 1) the lungs and hila, 2) the mediastinum, 3) subphrenic area. 4) musculoskeletal shadow, 5) tubes and lines, and 6) grainess (only in DR). The images with superior quality were assessed by paired t-test. RESULTS: In phantom study, the minimum dose of digital images scored 3 or more by all readers was 39% of the standard dose. In patient study, DR was superior to film-screen radiography in all categories except tube and line. Low dose DR was not inferior to standard dose DR in five categories other than grainess to two readers or more. CONCLUSION: In portable chest imaging, storage phosphor DR image was superior to conventional film-screen radiography and half dose DR was comparable to standard dose DR despite of more noise.
Adult ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Noise ; Radiographic Image Enhancement* ; Radiography ; Thorax*

PURPOSE: To compare image quality of storage phosphor digital radiography(DR) with film-screen radiography in portable chest imaging, and to assess the minimum X-ray dose that can be applied to DR in adults without image degradation, and also to compare image qualities of low dose and standard dose DR. Materials and Methalos: A geometrical phantom similar to the human thorax was imaged by a portable radiographic unit with fixed kVp and variable m^s in both film-screen and DR systems. Three radiologists scored the images by four grades in four categories of 1) contrast between mediastinum and lung, 2) definition of the nodule in the lung, 3) definition of another nodule through the mediastinal shadow, and 4) grainess(noise : assessed only in DR). Additionally, portable chest images were obtained in 10 patients in a intensive care unit by film-screen, standard dose and half dose DR in consecutive days. The same readers scored the images by four grades in six categories of 1) the lungs and hila, 2) the mediastinum, 3) subphrenic area. 4) musculoskeletal shadow, 5) tubes and lines, and 6) grainess (only in DR). The images with superior quality were assessed by paired t-test. RESULTS: In phantom study, the minimum dose of digital images scored 3 or more by all readers was 39% of the standard dose. In patient study, DR was superior to film-screen radiography in all categories except tube and line. Low dose DR was not inferior to standard dose DR in five categories other than grainess to two readers or more. CONCLUSION: In portable chest imaging, storage phosphor DR image was superior to conventional film-screen radiography and half dose DR was comparable to standard dose DR despite of more noise.
Adult ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Noise ; Radiographic Image Enhancement* ; Radiography ; Thorax*

This study tried to search the coping method which provides the best quality of life for the inpatients and to inquire into the phenomenon of the caring through the phenomenological caring experience of the inpatients. The subjects of the study were seven patients who admissed in K hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected from October 1996 to September 1997. The researcher as a caregiver made confidence of them and asked for their agreement on the purpose of the study. The subjects expressed their experience as openheartedly as possible. The researcher described closely the caring experiences with there words themeselves and under the observation of the researcher. A tape-recorder was used under the permission of the subjects to prevents the leakage of the spoken information and communication. The analysis of the data was made through the phenomenological analytic method suggested by Giorgi, which is as follows ; as an unit of description which include the subject's expressions and the researcher's observation, it is examined the theme that express the caring experience with the subject's language (underlining), and the focal meanings are identified in the language of the researcher. After intergrating the focal meaning and make situated structural description as the meaning of the caring experience identified on each subject's point. After intergrating the situated structural description and make the general structural description as the meaning of the caring experience identified on total subject's point then the systemizing of the structure of the caring experienced phenomena and flowing of the consciousness was researched. The conclusions of this study was as follows: The sixteen caring experiences which the subjects experienced were sorted as under ;(1) Mind to hesitate to ask questions: Time lack, Knowledge lack, Excessive task, Inhospitality, Negative impression, Compassion, Embarrassed, Horror of the knowing. (2) Mind to put blame upon environmental situations-Noise, Poor of the hospital institution and negligence of management (3) Mind to be frightened-Surgery, Diagnostic test, Changed environment. (4) Mind to be self-abandonment-Fated situation /Mine fault, Indistinct diagnosis. (5) Mind to be sorrowful-Unkind attitude, Lack of understanding of neighboring. (6) Mind to be impetuous-Delay of diagnostic test. (7) Mind to be worry-Domestic management, Economic burden, Anxiety for prognosis. (8) Mind to endure-Pain, Boring of hospital life, Lethargy. (9) Mind to be compliant-Therapeutic process, Hospitalizational process. (10) Mind to support-Concern of familiar members. (11) Mind to wish-Kind attitude, Meticulous explanations, Good prognosis. (12) Mind to gratitude-Good caring, Kind attitude. (13) Mind to wish to knowing-Explanations illness process, Explanations of testing result. (14) Mind to reidentified the self concept-Retrospect of oneself's life, Positive thought, Self-reliance. (15) Mind to be comfortable-Immediate response, Trust for medical teams. (16) Mind to be dependent-Self addiction (Dream). Finally, in the caring structure the sense of certainty don't always coexist with the sense of uncertainty. When the inpatients try to search for the best quality of life, the senses of certainty and uncertainty make a continual cyclic system in the caring structure.
Anxiety ; Caregivers ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Empathy ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Korea ; Lethargy ; Malpractice ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Seoul ; Uncertainty

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the genotype frequencies of interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene polymorphisms and to investigate their association with the risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm Korean infants. METHODS: Two hundred fourteen preterm infants born at Ewha Womans University Mok Dong Hospital between November 2003 and July 2008 were studied. The cord blood of preterm neonates and the corresponding maternal blood were analyzed by PCR for IL-10 gene (IL-10 -1082A/G, -819T/C, and -592A/C) polymorphisms. The clinical data of patients were collected retrospectively by chart review. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of IL-10 genes in Korean mothers with preterm infants differ from other reports. The prevalence of two promoter SNPs of the IL-10 cytokine gene was similar but none had the IL-10-1082GG homozygote. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated the risk of RDS to be significantly lower in the infants of the mothers with an IL-10-592AC/CC genotype than in those with an AA genotype (P= 0.033). The risk of RDS was significantly lower in the mother with an IL-10-819TC/CC genotype than in those with a TT genotype (P=0.030). However, IL-10 polymorphisms in the cord blood were not significantly different in preterm infants with RDS compared with the preterm infants without RDS. When we compared the incidence of RDS and each IL-10 A-1082G/T-819C/A-592C haplotype, the ACC haplotype had a protective effect on RDS (P=0.007). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the maternal IL-10-592A/C and IL-10-819T/C polymorphisms may have a role in the development of the RDS in preterm infants.
Female ; Fetal Blood ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Interleukin-10 ; Logistic Models ; Mothers ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

We report a rare case of subepithelial hematoma of the renal pelvis (AntopoI-Goldman Lesion). A 55-year-old women visited our hospital because of gross hematuria. Ultrasonogram showed a 4cm well-defined solid mass of the left renal pelvis. Intravenous pyelography revealed compression of the left upper pelvicocalyceal system by the mass with contrast filling within the mass. CT scan revealed Iobulated well defined mass in the left renal pelvis extending into renal parenchyme. A transitional cell carcinoma or renal cell carcinoma was suspected radiologically, and the patient underwent left total nephrectomy. In pathology, the lesion turned out to be a subepithelial hemaroma. In the differential diagnosis of renal malignancy, a subepithelial hematoma of the renal pelvis may be included.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Kidney Pelvis* ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; Pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Urography

PURPOSE: To evaluate characteristic CT features of twisted ovarian tumors and to assess the diagnostic value of the existence of twisted vascular pedicle in torsion of ovarian tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weretrospectively reviewed the clinical and CT findings in eleven patients with ovarian tumor torsion confirmed bysurgery. Pre- and post-contrast CT were available in nine patients and post-contrast CT in two. All twisted ovaries, tubes, and tumors showed hemorrhagic infarction and necrosis. RESULTS: All patients had twisted vascular pedicle of the ovarian tumor evaluated by CT. Eight patients with left ovarian tumor had twisted vascular pedicleon the left side of the tumor, and three patients with right ovarian tumor on the right side of the tumor. Themorphologic characteristics of twisted vascular pedicle were coiled target appearance (4 cases), beak appearance(3 cases), doughnut appearance (3 cases), and mass with irregular margin (1 case). High density on precontrast CT scan was present in the pedicle in four cases and linear contrast enhancement was seen in the peripheral portionof the pedicle in four cases. The shape, density and location of ovarian tumors were inconsistent, however, contrast enhancement was not seen in all patients. Other findings were uterine deviation, loss of fat plane andpelvic fluid. CONCLUSION: Detection of twisted vascular pedicle by CT may be useful for the diagnosis of ovariantumor torsion.
Animals ; Beak ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infarction ; Necrosis

Syphilitic granulomatous pancreatitis is an extremely rare condition,and can occur in the generalized acquired syphilitic patient in tertiary or secondary phase. The most serious problem with granulomatous pancreatic lesion is clinical or radiological misdiagnosis as cancer. We experienced a case of syphilitic granulomatous pancreatitis arising in 54 year old female patient. She was treated for syphilis 20years ago. But she and her husband are still strong positive to VDRL and TPHA. On abdominal computed tomography and endoscopic pancreatico- duodenography, there was an obstructive mass of low density in the distal common bile duct or pancreatic head. Under the preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic head carcinoma, Whipple's operation was done. On gross examination, the pancreas was fibrotic, and the common bile duct was well preserved without tumor mass. Microscopically, numerous intralobular noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas with multinucleated giant cells are identified. They surround thick-walled, small to medium sized arteries and involve vascular wall with luminal narrowing or obliteration, which are characteristic findings of the syphilitic granuloma. The remaining parenchyme shows fibrosis, acinar atrophy or destruction with dense infiltration of lymphohistiocytes, plasma cells with granuloma formation. Although the Warthin-Starry stain reveals no spirochetes, the serologic result and pathologic findings are compatible with syphilitic granulomatous pancreatitis.
Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Fetal Death*

Papillary and solid epithelial neoplasm is a rare pancreatic tumor of low-grade malignancy. We report a case of a 23 year old female having solid and papillary neoplasm of the pancreatic tail with mutiple omental and peritoneal metastases. Microscopically, the main tumor showed typical histologic findings including solid and papillary areas with cystic change. But the metastasizing nodules were largely solid and the tumor cells demonstrated increased nuclear pleomorphism, hyperchromasia and an increased mitotic rate. The tumor cells contained considerable amount of intracellular and extracellular eosinophilic inclusions which were ultrastructually zymogen-like granules. These inclusions were more frequently found in the metastatic nodules. By flow cytometric study, the tumor was hyperdiploid. The DNA index was not significant.
Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma-inhalation on depression, sleep, mood, and smell in stroke patients and their caregivers. METHOD: This study employed one group pretest-posttest repeated design. Data were collected at three time points: baseline(pre-test), 10 days and 20 days after the intervention(post-test1 and post-test2, respectively). The sample included a total of 23 subjects. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 program using repeated measure ANOVA. RESULTS: Depression was not statistically significant difference among pre-test, post-test1 and post-test2. Sleep was improved after intervention: 37.61+/-7.41(pre-test), 41.22+/-8.26 (post-test1), 44.33+/-7.67(post-test2)(F=8.182, p=.001). Mood was significantly improved after intervention: 16.95+/-4.89(pre-test), 14.89+/-6.31 (post-test1), 12.11+/-5.04(post-test2). Smell including smell perception, discomfort due to smell and relation between age and smell was significantly improved after intervention: 2.63+/-1.20(pre-test). 2.00+/-1.16(post-test1), 1.63+/-.96(post-test2)(F=6.176, p=.006) in smell perception, 2.50+/-1.10 (pre-test). 1.81+/-.91(post-test1), 1.19+/-.40(post-test2) (F=12.26, p=.000) in discomfort due to smell and 3.53+/-1.18(pre-test). 2.59+/-1.46(post-test1), 2.53+/-1.33(post-test2)(F=4.148, p=.025) in relation between age and smell. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that aroma-inhalation may have an effect on sleep, mood and smell and can be effective nursing intervention to increase the relaxation in stroke patients and their caregivers.
Aromatherapy* ; Caregivers* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Relaxation ; Smell* ; Stroke*