BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyolysis is a relatively rare disease caused by various factors and is characterized by skeletal muscle damage. While crush injury is the most common cause in Korea as well as other countries, overexertion is an important common cause among young men in daily life. Although exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis is already well published among athletes or military persons, there have been few reports in workers. CASE REPORT: We observed a 28-year-old male worker who had elevated liver transaminases during a periodic workers' health checkup. Although he did not exhibit the typical pattern of toxic hepatitis, we had to exclude any possibility of dimethylacetamide-induced hepatitis (DIH) because he had worked in a spandex-producing factory, which already had a history of many DIH cases over several years. We performed careful history taking, several laboratory tests, liver ultrasonography and liver biopsy. We also investigated the results of biological monitoring and air concentrations of dimethylacetamide. The findings from these examinations supported the clinical diagnosis of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis with hepatitis. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates that exercise can induce rhabdomyolysis and hepatitis. This disease must be treated by prompt and appropriate management because it might develop more serious complications such as acute renal failure.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Athletes ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury ; Environmental Monitoring ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Rare Diseases ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Transaminases ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Bupropion ; Sexual Behavior ; Ticlopidine

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is frequently associated with small cortical and subcortical infarcts. However, major intracranial artery occlusion is rare. We report a case of progressive middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction in a patient with TTP. A 76-year-old woman with hypertension was admitted due to right hemiparesis and transcortical motor aphasia. On laboratory findings, she had microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Brain MRI showed left subcortical multiple infarction, and MR angiogram revealed severe stenosis of left MCA main stem. She was treated with heparin and steroid but a few days later, there was neurologic deterioration attributed to progressive occlusive stroke in the left MCA territory. Follow-up brain CT demonstrated left malignant MCA infarction. TTP may be associated with progressive occlusion of large cerebral artery.
Aged ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Aphasia, Broca ; Arteries ; Brain ; Cerebral Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heparin ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Paresis ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic* ; Stroke ; Thrombocytopenia

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was firstly to introduce a Participatory Action-Oriented Training (PAOT) program for the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal diseases (WRMSDs) in Small and Medium sized Enterprises in the Gumi Industrial Zone, and secondly to assess its effect. METHODS: Two PAOT workshops to prevent WRMSDs were conducted with 39 volunteer participants from 10 companies selected (on a first-come, first-served basis) among 200 small- or medium-sized enterprises in Gumi. These companies had been provided with mandatory occupational health management agency services for Small and Medium sized Enterprises by an occupational medicine clinic. Each workshop consisted of 6 technical sessions and one closing ceremony. At the 1st session, the principles of each action checklist item were explained and an on-site checklist exercise was carried out. The 2nd to 5th sessions presented good example pictures on 4 subjects: material storage and handling, working environment, work organization and work-related welfare. Group discussions were carried out by the participants. In the final 6th session on the implementation of improvement, each participant was asked to present 6 action plans, 3 short-term and 3 long-term, for their own workplace improvement. RESULTS: Overall, the participants worked out 47 real action plans, 27 short-term and 20 long-term, for improvement of their own workplaces. Three to 6 months after the workshops, through in-person visits to each company, it was confirmed that more than half of these 47 plans had been completed; 25 plans (53.2%) had been completed as planned, 8 (17.0%) were in processing, and 14 (29.8%) had not yet been put into practice. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings confirmed that the PAOT program holds strong potential as an intervention method to prevent WRMSDs in Small and Medium sized Enterprises, although the final results have not been fully assessed yet.
Checklist ; Education ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Occupational Health ; Occupational Medicine ; Volunteers

We investigated a correlation of serum prostate specific antigen(PSA) and preoperative prostatic volume measured by transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in 66 patients with pathologically con- firmed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as aids in the early detection of prostate cancer and in the improvement of specificity in BPH. The preoperative serum PSA value was also measured in 18 patients with pathologically confirmed prostate cancer and 15 men without prostatic disease as normal control using Tandem-R PSA radioimmunometric assay. There was a highly significant correlation between natural logarithm transformed PSA(In PSA) and non-transformed prostatic volume by linear regression analysis(r=0.6668, p<0.0001). Given above data, we determined a volume adjusted 95th percentile upper confidence limit for n PSA as an appropriate cutoff between normal and abnormal PSA value, according to prostatic volume in BPH. In the patients with BPH and prostate cancer, sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy and positive predictive value were 94%, 72%, 68% and 48%, respectively. A statistical results by the volume-adjusted cutoff for in PSA was similar to that at 10 ng/ml as cutoff for PSA value. Above 40ml in prostatic volume, however, a false positive rate was decreased in inverse proportion to prostatic volume in BPH. In summary, the prostatic volume must be considered in BPH patients with elevated serum PSA value, negative digital rectal examination and negative TRUS of prostate. And when the volume adjusted PSA cutoff is clinically applied to BPH patients for the early detection of prostate cancer, we thought that the false positive rate can be decreased in BPH patients.
Diagnosis* ; Digital Rectal Examination ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

Pseudotumor cerebri is a syndrome of increased intracranial pressure, and may be a rare complication of cyclosporine treatment. We report a 26-year-old woman with pseudotumor cerebri which developed after cyclosporine medication for kidney transplantation. Regular examinations of the fundi are required in patients taking oral cyclosporine, especially when they report headache or blurred vision.
Adult ; Cyclosporine ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Pseudotumor Cerebri

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the fracture toughness of currently available resin cements for zirconia restorations and evaluate the effect of water storage on fracture toughness of those resin cements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-edge notched specimens (3 mm x 6 mm x 25 mm) were prepared from three currently available dual cure resin cements for zirconia restorations (Panavia F 2.0, Clearfil SA luting and Zirconite). Each resin cement was divided into four groups: immersed in distilled water at 37degrees C for 1 (Control group), 30, 90, or 180 days (n=5). Specimens were loaded in three point bending at a cross-head speed of 0.1 mm/s. The maximum load at specimen failure was recorded and the fracture toughness (K(IC)) was calculated. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and multiple comparison Scheffe test (alpha=.05). RESULTS: In control group, the mean KIC was 3.41 +/- 0.64 MN.m(-1.5) for Panavia F, 2.0, 3.07 +/- 0.41 MN.m(-1.5) for Zirconite, 2.58 +/- 0.30 MN.m(-1.5) for Clearfil SA luting respectively, but statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between them. Although a gradual decrease of K(IC) in Panavia F 2.0 and gradual increases of KIC in Clearfil SA luting and Zirconite were observed with storage time, there were no significant differences between immersion time for each cement. CONCLUSION: The resin cements for zirconia restorations exhibit much higher K(IC) values than conventional resin cements. The fracture toughness of resin cement for zirconia restoration would not be affected by water storage.
Immersion ; Resin Cements ; Resins, Synthetic* ; Water*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of nonunion of the surgical neck of the humerus in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients over 60 years of age surgically treated for nonunion of the surgical neck of the humerus with follow- up over 1 year were investigated. Of the three patients with severe osteoporosis, multiple K-wires were used in 1 patient, and Ender nails were used in 2. The other 4 patients with relatively good bone quality were treated with plate and screws. Functional results were evaluated using the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale and statistical significance was tested using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Radiological union was obtained in six patients, and 1 patient had no evidence of union at a postoperative 5 years. Active elevation improved from an average of 73 (range, 20-100) degrees to 139 (range, 110-160) degrees. The UCLA score improved from 10.9(range, 7-16) points to 27.3 (range, 10-33) points on the average. CONCLUSION: Open reduction with internal fixation and bone grafting for nonunion of the surgical neck of the humerus in elderly patients may result in significant functional improvement.
Aged* ; Bone Transplantation ; California ; Humans ; Humerus* ; Neck* ; Osteoporosis ; Shoulder

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of ocular, respiratory and skin symptoms among solderers and to investigate the relationship between symptom prevalence and exposure intensity. METHODS: We analyzed 126 eligible participants out of a population of 146 male solderers who completed the symptom questionnaires. Fourteen symptoms including 'itchy and red eyes', 'itchy or prickly nose', 'sneezing', 'rhinorrhea', 'blocked nose', 'pricklythroat', 'foreign body sensation in throat', 'sudden bouts of coughing', 'exertional breathlessness ', 'wheezing', 'sputum production', 'itchy face or hands', 'acneiform eruptions on the face'and 'red spots on the face or hands'were contained. Blood lead levels of all the 126 participants were tested and the participants'own assessments of the health risk of soldering were collected. RESULTS: Of the 14 investigated symptoms, 'sudden bouts of coughing'was significantly more prevalent in solderers who worked 4 hours or more a day than those who worked less than 4 hours a day, as for the other symptoms, there were no significant differences in the preva1ences related to daily soldering hours. 2.8% of the solderers considered the risk of flux exposure to be serious. The mean blood lead level was 6.05 microgram/dL (maximum 15.50 microgram /dL). CONCLUSIONS: Soldering may increase the risk of respiratory symptoms. Further investigations on the hazards of soldering processes are warranted and solderers should be educated on these hazards.
Asthma, Occupational ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Sensation ; Skin*

OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this study was to find the incidence of the dimethylacetamide (DMAc) induced toxic liver injury among workers who were exposed to DMAc for about 5 years in a synthetic fiber factory. METHODS: In our investigation, total 1,021 workers had been exposed to DMAc from 1st February, 2000 to 30th June, 2004. Among them, 24 workers who had initial abnormal hepatic enzyme level or was viral hepatitis B carrier were excluded. Finally, 997 DMAc exposed workers were followed up for their incidence of toxic liver injury. To find out DMAc induced toxic liver injury case, we carried out regular examinations including liver enzyme tests such as AST and ALT. RESULTS: We followed up 997 workers and among them 72 cases coincided with our case definition. Incidence density method was 6.05 per 100 person-year. and, a cumulative incidence by life table method was 0.0965 within a year. The incidence of the DMAc-induced toxic liver injury peaked at 4 to 5 in weeks after employment. There was no toxic liver injury case within second week after exposure to DMAc. Five new cases developed in 2th to 3th week, 25 cases in 4th to 5th week, 14 cases in 6th to 7th week, 12 cases in 8th to 9th week, 5 cases in 10th to 11th week, 4 cases in 12th to 13th week, 4 cases in 14th to 15th week, 1 case in 16th to 17th week, 1 case in 30th to 31th week, and there was one case in 48th to 49th week. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence rate of toxic liver injury was considerably high during the 1st year after a worker is placed. So it is needed to take careful monitoring of hepatic enzyme level for newly exposed worker.
Employment ; Hepatitis B ; Incidence* ; Life Tables ; Liver*