No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic*

PURPOSE: We evaluated internal and marginal features of solitary pulmonary nodules on CT to differentiate between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Materials and Uethods:CT findings of 43 cases with solitary pulmonary nodule were reviewed, restrospectively. Independent T-test between benign and malignant nodules was used. RESULTS: Twenty-one cases were proved as benign nodules and 22 cases as malignant. CT air bronchogram was observed more frequently in the malignant lesions(36.4%) than in the benign ones (p=0.01). ,Air bubble shadow was observed in 5 cases of benign nodule, whereas none of the malignant lesions revealed it. Internal homogeneity or central low density was not different between the two groups. Cavitation was observed in 3 cases of tuberculoma and in 1 case of adenocarcinoma. Calcification was observed in 7 cases of benign and in 2 cases of malignant lesions. Differences in these two features were not statistically significant Mean size of malignant nodules was 3.23cm, and was larger than 2.16cm of benign nodules (p=0.002). Margin of benign nodules was more smooth (42.9%) than that of malignant nodules (p=0.01), and malignant nodules showed more Iobulated contour (90.9%) than benign nodules (42.9%) (p=0.00). The incidence of spiculation was not significantly different (benign 85.7% vs malignant 86.4%). Statistically, pleural tail and satellite lesions were not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Lobulated margin and CT air bronchogram are the most suggestive findings of malignant pulmonary noule on chest CT.
Adenocarcinoma ; Incidence ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculoma

The purpose of this study is to present our experience of distraction osteogenesis procedure used to improve the functional and consmetic problems of two patients associated with Pierre-Robin sequence, which is an uncommon congenital disease in combination with micrognathia, glossoptosis, and respiratory obstruction. A female child of 42 months and a male infant of 4 months suffering from pneumonia, difficult breathing, cyanosis and insomnia were admitted. We performed temporary tongue to lip dhesion by modified Routledge method and bilateral mandibular distraction. After the operation, symptoms of insomnia and impaired breathing had improved. We found an extension of the mandibular length. In addition, the posterior airway space and lower face area were expanded in the cephalometric tracing and profilogram. We report that bilateral distraction provedure could be an effective and safe method for improving of impaired breathing and cosmetic problems of patients with Pierre-Robin sequence.
Child ; Cyanosis ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Lip ; Male ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Pneumonia ; Respiration ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Tongue

Sick neonates often require periodic small volume transfusion (10mg/kg) to replace blood draw for laboratory monitoring during their hospital stay. The effect of packed red cel transfudion on the hematocrit, potassium, ionized calcium, acid base status, glucose and indirect bilirubin was investigated in 25 transfusions. Analysis of transfused blood by the age of the red cells, older red cells (more than 5 days old, 13+/-7 days) showed increased potassium (27.2+/-14.1mEq/L vs 11.3+/-4.9mEq/L), decreased bicarbonate (14.4+/-2.6mEq/L) and glucose (130+/-28mg/dl vs 203+/-93mg/dl) compared with newer red cells (less than 5 days)(p<0.05). No significant changes occured in hematocrit and pH. Inspite of these results, the transfusion of the older red cells did not affect the older red cells did not affect the serum potassium, ionized calcium, pH, bicarbonate, glucose and indirect bilirubin level in neonates. The hematocrit of infants increated significantly after transfusion from 29.6%+/-4.3% to 38.3%+/-6.1%(mean+/-SD)(P<0.05). Transfusion of older red cells seemed to be as equally effective as newer ones. The valus of hematocrit obtained immediately after transfusion does not show any differences compared to those obtained 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 24 hours after transfusion. The result in the study indicate that there was no adverse effect after transfusion with packed red cell more than 5 days old and no significant difference in hematocrit observed between 0 to 24 hours following transfusion. Therfore old red cell more than 5 days can be used safely for sick neonatal transfusion and the stored donor blood can be optimzed for repeated blood transfusion.
Bilirubin ; Blood Transfusion ; Calcium ; Glucose ; Hematocrit* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Length of Stay ; Potassium ; Tissue Donors

Echocardiography was done with Ekoline 20 model of Smith Kline Instrument in 91 patients of mitral valvular heart disease, 46 with mitral stenosis, 10 with mitral insufficiency, 38 with mitral stenoinsufficinency and 115 normal controls. The results obtained are as follows. 1. Right ventricular dimension was 13.61+/-5.61 mm/sq m. in normal controls, 16.50+/-5.06mm/sq m. in mitral stenosis, 20.17+/-3.28mm/sq m. in mitral insufficiency, 18.61+/-8.48mm/sq m. in mitral stenoinsufficiency revealing significant increment in all mitral valvular disease groups but there was no significant difference btw. each disease groups. 2. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions was 29.83+/-7.06mm/sq m. in normal controls, 41.57+/-7.77mm/sq m. in mitral insufficinency, 38.48+/-10.22mm/sq m. in mitral stenoinsufficiency revealing significant increment but there was no significant difference btw. mitral stenosis and normal controls. 3. Left atrial dimension was 17.57+/-4.96mm/sq m. in normal controls, 33.22+/-5.32mm/sq m. in mitral stenosis, 35.96+/-7.35mm/sq m. in mitral insufficiency, 35.00+/-8.22 in mitral stenoinsufficiency revealing significnat increment in whole mitral valvular disease. 4. E-F slope was 90.76+/-30.20mm/sec in normal controls 18.08+/-10.3mm/sec in mitral stenosis, 29.52+/-19.3mm/sec in mitral stenoinsufficiency revealing marked decrement. In mitral insufficiency, it was 65.3+/-45.4mm/sec revealing significant decrement but not so severe as previous. 5. There was no significant difference between normal controls and mitral valvular disease in valve excursion. 6. Left atrial dimension to aortic root size was 1.13+/-0.31 in normal controls, 1.77+/-0.63 in mitral stenosis, 1.56+/-0.60 in mitral regurgitation and 1.82+/-0.56 in mitral stenoinsufficinecy revealing significant increment in whole mitral valvular heart disease.
Echocardiography* ; Heart Valve Diseases* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: The EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) is the most frequently used questionnaire in cost-utility studies such as the quality-adjusted life year measure. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the relationship between an individual's visual analogue scale (VAS) score and EQ-5D dimensions. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the EQ-5D and VAS quality of life measures after adjusting for socio-demographic factors in the Korean general population. METHODS: The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a national representative sample, was used to analyze the impact of the EQ-5D dimensions on the VAS. The known-group construct validity of the VAS was assessed by factors that included age, income and comorbidities. The ordinary linear regression models were applied to test for the effect of the EQ-5D dimensions after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: We found that the VAS showed good construct validity. The VAS significantly declined as age increased, and as education and income levels decreased. VAS scores decreased for all EQ-5D dimensions as the response level rose. The explanatory power of the VAS increased from 23.0% in the first model, which included only the EQ-5D dimensions and levels, to 25.0% in the full model, which included socio-demographic and clinical factors. CONCLUSIONS: While the EQ-5D dimensions were significant factors in determining the VAS, they did not, however, explain a sufficient amount of variance in the VAS. Further research is required on adding more dimensions to the EQ-5D preference-based instrument.
Comorbidity ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years

No abstract available.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Vagotomy, Truncal*

Primary carcinoid tumor of the kidney is extremely rare ; only 29 previous reports have been described in the world literature, 3 cases of which were known to arise in horseshoe kidneys. Because of the scarcity of primary renal carcinoid tumor, its clinicopathologic features and prognosis are not well characterized, and its histogenesis is unknown. We present a case of primary carcinoid tumor arising in the horseshoe kidney of a 43-year-old man. The lesion is morphologically identical to those of gastrointestinal or respiratory tracts. In addition, this tumor contains clusters of intestinal epithelium with goblet cells and mature bony trabeculae. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells are immunoreactive for keratin, NSE, and synaptophysin, but are negative with Grimelius and Fontana-Masson stains. Membrane-bound cytoplasmic neurosecretory granules are observed by electron microscopic examination. This is the first case of primary renal carcinoid tumor arising in a horseshoe kidney documented in Korea. We describe the gross features, light and electron microscopic, and immunohistochemical findings of renal carcinoid and review the literature, with speculations on the possible histogenesis of this unusual neoplasm.

No abstract available.
Sinus of Valsalva*