A cross sectional study was performed to evaluate the neurobehavioral effects of chronic exposure of complex organic solvents, using NCTB(Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery) recommended by WHO(World Health organization). Forty female shoe factory workers and twenty-two controls matched with age were participated. The tests were performed in the morning before start of work, to exclude the effects of acute exposure. Workers were exposed mainly to toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, n-hexane, cyclo-hexane, dichloroethylene, trichloroethylene, benzene, xylenes etc. The ranges of present solvent exposure of hygienic effect were 0.46~0.71 in the process using adhesives indirectly, and 1.83-2.39 in the process using it directly. We reclassified the subjects, according to cumulative exposure. It showed significantly poorer performances in high exposed group on Santa Ana Dexterity and Benton visual Retention, compared with control group. After controlling confounder, the significances were still remained. But, further cohort studies, having the information of personal exposure dose from entering a factory, are required to clarify the effects of chronic exposure of complex organic solvents in relation to dose and duration of exposure.
Adhesives ; Benzene ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Shoes ; Solvents* ; Toluene ; Trichloroethylene ; Xylenes

The association between blood lead children and Intelligent Quotient(IQ) was investigated in a sample of l00 boys and girls aged 6-8 years from one primary school within an industrial area of Pusan. The trained undergraduates in school of public health administered an I.Q. test one by one. Parents answered a questionnaire on demographic, perinatal and socioeconomic variables. Atomic Absorbtion spectrophotometer was used to determine blood lead levels. The geometric mean of blood lead value was 7.99 microgram/dl. In total children, there was no significant relationship between blood lead level and I.Q. But in the children who were born of gestational age of less than 38 weeks, children with higher levels of blood lead performed more poorly on I.Q. test with correlation coefficient from -0.68 to -0.71. But, the children who were born of gestational age of 38 weeks and more were same as total children. These results suggest that exposure to low levels of lead in the children who were born premature probably may result in impaired intelligent development. But, we think that more profound study should be performed with sufficient numbers of subjects.
Busan ; Child* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Intelligence* ; Parents ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To evaluate the functional outcomes of the severely comminuted intra-articular calcaneal fractures that were selectively treated with primary subtalar arthrodesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is based on the 9 patients, 10 feet of intra-articular severely comminuted calcaneal fractures that were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with primary subtalar arthrodesis due to inability to reconstruct the subtalar articular surface with follow-up of more than 1 year. Postoperative clinical evaluation was performed with AOFAS Hindfoot functional scores. The patient satisfaction, returning to previous occupation and complications were also investigated. RESULTS: Follow-up period was average 20.3 months. Overall AOFAS functional score at final follow-up was average 71.8 points and VAS pain score was 3.9. Fifty percent of the patients were satisfied with the surgery and 80% of the patients were able to return to their previous occupations at average 8.4 months after trauma. Post-operative complications were 2 cases of sural nerve injuries and 1 hindfoot valgus malunion. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the primary subtalar arthrodesis is a viable surgical option for severely comminuted calcaneal fractures with favorable functional result and early returning of most patients to their previous occupations.
Arthrodesis* ; Calcaneus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Fractures, Comminuted* ; Humans ; Occupations ; Patient Satisfaction ; Sural Nerve

Subcutaneous panniculitic T-cell lymphoma is one of very rare diseases in children, which is presumably derived from various immunocompetent T-cell system components. It is a distinctive clinicopathologic entity, different from other lymphoma group. We report a case of subcutaneous panniculitic T-cell lymphoma in a 14-year-old boy with the complaints of fever and multiple subcutaneous nodule. A brief review of related literatures was also made.
Adolescent ; Child ; Fever ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, T-Cell* ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; T-Lymphocytes*

Ureteral transitional cell papilloma is an uncommon tumor acting similar to malignant tumor. A small percentage of patients with von Recklinghaeusen's syndrome have pheochromocytomas simultaneously. A case of ureteral transitional cell papilloma with protrusion into the bladder in nonfunctioning pheochromocytoma patient associated with von Recklinghaeusen's syndrome developed in a 40 years old is with brief review of literature.
Adult ; Humans ; Papilloma* ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Ureter* ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: To evaluate the MR findings of gestational trophoblastic tumor(GTT) in correlation with pathological results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine patients who confirmed the diagnosis (four choriocarcinomas and five invasive moles) constituted the basis of our study. Pathologic specimens were taken from the tumors corresponding to the regions of interest on MR images. The MR images were analyzed in respect of the morphology and signal intensity of the tumors, uterine and adnexal vascularity, and the adnexal lesion. RESULTS: The MR findings of four choriocarcinomas were well-defined, hemorrhagic masses with central necrosis;the masses were hyperintense on Tl-weighted images. In contrast, the five invasive moles showed irregular and permeative masses with densely enhanced solid components and tiny cystic lesions. The trophoblastic proliferation, coagulation necrosis, and molar villi had variable signal intensities on Tl-and T2-weighted images. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that MR imaging is a promising tool for noninvasive morphologic analysis of GTTS.
Choriocarcinoma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole, Invasive ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Molar ; Necrosis ; Pregnancy ; Trophoblastic Neoplasms* ; Trophoblasts*

Coronary artery anomalies are diagnosed in 0.6 to 1.5% of patients who undergo coronary angiography (CAG). They may present with life threatening conditions but are generally asymptomatic. Recognition and adequate visualization of the anomaly is essential for correct management of the condition. However, in some cases the exact orifice and course of an anomalous coronary vessel cannot be selectively identified by CAG. In this report, a 54-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with acute inferior myocardial infarction and had an anomalous origin of the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) from the first diagonal branch (D1). In CAG, the right CAG showed no significant stenosis and fortunately we found an anomalous origin of the LCX from the D1. The course of LCX was precisely established by 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction

PURPOSE: The clinical significance of the lateral resection margin for rectal cancer has been widely investigated. The ascending and the descending colon do not have a peritoneal covering posteriorly. Therefore, colon cancers located on their posterior side can penetrate the entire bowel wall, which is similar to mesorectal invasion in rectal cancer. However, the prognostic significance of the retroperitoneal resection margin involvement is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of the lateral resection margin in ascending and descending colon cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed and involved 92 patients who had undergone a curative resection for right or left colon cancer with TNM stage II and III. The patients were assigned to either a lateral margin negative group (LMNG, n=73) or a lateral margin positive group (LMPG, n=19) according to the presence of a tumor or a metastatic lymph node within 1 mm of the lateral resection margin. The oncological outcomes of the LMPG were compared with those of the LMNG. RESULTS: The LMPG was younger and had higher incidences of tumors positive vascular or neural invasion and advanced T and N stages. The overall recurrence rate of the LMPG was higher than that of the LMNG (36.8% versus 16.4%) and the cumulative survival rate of the LMPG was significantly lower than that of the LMNG (35.0% versus 76.2%). High preoperative CEA, lymphatic invasion, lateral margin involvement of the tumor, N2 in nodal status were significant factors in the univariate analysis for evaluation of the prognosis, but lateral margin involvement was not a significant factor in the multivariate analysis. In the lymph-node-positive group and the CEA non-elevation group, lateral margin involvement of the tumor was revealed as a prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: Lateral margin involvement of ascending and descending colon cancer affects tumor recurrence and overall survival, but it is not a significant prognostic factor.
Colon* ; Colon, Descending ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Hydranencephaly is a rare condition in which the brain's cerebral hemispheres are absent and replaced by sacs filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The prognosis for children with hydranencephaly is generally poor, so many children with this disorder die before the age of 1 year. We experienced a patient with hydranencephaly who showed prolonged survival until age of 22 years. To our limited knowledge, this case may be the longest survival of a patient with hydranencephaly in the world.
Adult* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Cerebrum ; Child ; Humans ; Hydranencephaly* ; Prognosis

This study was performed to see whether neurobehavioral tests was affected by the exposure-free time in the workers chronically exposed to organic solvents. Thirty-four female workers were participated and four items among neurobehavioral core test battery of World Health Organization, including digit span, Santa Ana Dexterity, digit symbol, Benton Visual Retention, were administered to the workers. Test was conducted three times-preshift on Monday, preshift on Weekday and during shift on Weekday-per person and the interval of tests was 2 weeks. Digit span forward, Santa Ana Dexterity, digit symbol, and Benton Visual Retention showed significant decrements by performing time, especially during shift on Weekday versus preshift on Monday and preshift on Weekday. In addition, the score at preshift on Weekday was significantly lower than preshift on Monday, in preferred Santa Ana Dexterity and digit symbol. Generally, those who were exposed to high concentration, over 50 years and under 6 years of education showed marked decrease of score at during shift. So, it would be desirable that neurobehavioral test is conducted at preshift on Monday and items related to short term memory could be considerable to be done at preshift on Weekday.
Education ; Female ; Humans ; Memory ; Solvents* ; World Health Organization