PURPOSE: Piccolo et al. advocated the usefulness of Tc-99m-MDP breast scan in differential diagnosis of breast mass with high accuracy. But there are little or no follow-up studies about it as we know. We studied Tc-99m-MDP uptake pattern and lesions/background ratio in patients complaining palpable breast lesions to evaluate the clinical usefulness of Tc-99m-MDP scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 34 patients were studied with physical examination, mammogram and Tc-99m-MDP scan prospectively. Anteroposterior and both lateral view of breast were obtained 5 minutes after iv injection of 740 MBq Tc-99m-MDP. Breast uptake pattern of Tc-99m-MDP was analyzed by a grade system: 0=no uptake, grade 1=bilateral diffuse uptake, grade 2=asymmetric faint uptake, grade 3=focal hot uptake. 20 cases were pathologically confirmed by excision biopsy or aspiration biopsy. 14 cases were normal in physical examination and mammo-grain. RESULTS: Pathologic results showed 7 carcinomas, 6 benign solid tumors, and 7 fibrocystic changes. Grade 3 pattern of Tc-99m-MDP uptake was noted in 4/7 carcinomas, 3/6 benign solid tumors, and 1/7 fibrocystic changes. Grade 2 pattern was 2/7, 0/7, 3/7 respectively. The average L/B ratio was 1.66 in carcinomas, 1.68 in benign solid masses, 1.20 in fibrocystic diseases, 1.05 in normal patients. L/B ratio was higher in carcinoma and benign mass groups than in fibrocystic change and normal control groups(p=0.005). But there was no statistical difference between L/B ratio of malignant mass group and benign mass group. CONCLUSION: Tc-99m-MDP scan is not suitable to routine clinical use for breast mass diagnosis. It might be used in limited conditions when whole body bone scan is planned.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mammography ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Coronary artery anomalies are associated often with myocardial ischemia or sudden cardiac death. A 19-year-old woman who participated in an exertive game lost consciousness upon one such exertion. She was taken to a hospital where she died on the same day. An autopsy revealed that she had bifurcated coronary arteries, which arose from one coronary ostium in the left sinus of Valsalva. The right coronary artery arose from the left sinus and traveled between the aorta and the pulmonary trunk. The heart as well as the cardiac conduction system depended exclusively on the single coronary artery ostium for oxygenated blood supply, and the unbalanced blood distribution on her exertion probably led to sudden cardiac death. The case highlights the medicolegal importance of unexpected sudden cardiac death related to an anomalous origin of the coronary arteries.
Autopsy ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies/*complications/pathology ; Coronary Vessels/pathology ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/*etiology/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Exertion ; Sinus of Valsalva/abnormalities ; Young Adult

In the RNA-based study, it is important to extract high-quality RNA. However, RNA extraction from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is problematic due to its thick, waxy cell wall rich in mycolic acid, which renders the cells resistant to lysis. Using TRIzol reagent and several powerful bead-beating steps, a high quantity of RNA was obtained.
Cell Wall ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Mycolic Acids ; RNA*

The purpose of this article is to outline a variety of wound coverage methods, so that general practitioners can modify their approach to wound healing and possibly incorporate this relevant information into their practice. The article starts with an update on the role of dressing materials in wound healing. It provides a balanced view of what is currently available in Korea. The use of dermal templates has helped in the coverage of wounds that in the past would have required complex surgical solutions. Growth factors and cell therapy provide many of the missing ingredients to jumpstart the wound so that it can go on to heal successfully. The negative pressure therapy, the hydrostatic pressure and/or ultrasonic therapy, and the hyperbaric oxygen therapy also help in healing wounds. Many of these products were introduced recently, and our understanding of how to use them with greater effectiveness has grown. According to the development of bioengineering techniques, advanced dressing materials, growth factors, cell therapy, etc has been introduced for clinical use. Using those materials, the wound coverage can more effective with better results.
Bandages ; Bioengineering ; General Practitioners ; Humans ; Hydrostatic Pressure ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Korea ; Tissue Therapy ; Ultrasonic Therapy ; Wound Healing

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the prevalence of obesity, eating habits and life styles of children. This survey was carried out anthropometry and questionnaires in 180 male and 141 female students of fifth-grade at Dongmak elementary school. The results are summarized as follows : 1)18.2% of the male and 19.3% of female students were obese. Underweight group was 10.5% of the male and 15.0% of the female students. 2) Average height of male and female students were 142.0 cm, 144.0 cm and weight of those were 35.8 kg and 37.1 kg respectively. The height and skinfold thickness of the triceps in female students were significantly higher than those of male students and body fat content in female students was significantly lower than that of male students. There was no difference in BMI, RW and RI between male and female students. The average BMI, RW, RI were 17.7, 25.4, 124.0, respectively. 3) The student's height was positively related to parent's height and moth's weight. There were significantly positive correlation between mother's and subject's weight. BMI, RW and RI were positively related to parent's BMI. 4) 78.3% of male and 51.8% of female students had prejudice for special food, and 45.5% of male and 34.5% of female students had an overeating habit. Male students had significanthy higher rate than female in both cases. Average eating time per meal was 18.9 minutes for male and 21.0 minutes for female students. Experience for taking nutrient supplement in male student was more than that in female. Obese group had prejudice for special food, overeating habit and rapid eating rate more than any other groups. The prevalence of obesity among the children is gradually increasing. Therefore, in order to prevent progress into adulthood obesity, nutrition education including the right perception for obesity and eating behavior modification was needed.
Adipose Tissue ; Anthropometry ; Child ; Eating* ; Education ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Incheon* ; Life Style* ; Male ; Meals ; Obesity* ; Prejudice ; Prevalence* ; Skinfold Thickness ; Thinness ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Bowen's disease is an intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma. Although an invasive squamous cell carcinoma occasionally develops from Bowen's disease, the development of sebaceous carcinoma from Bowen's disease is very rare. We report a case of sebaceous carcinoma arising from Bowen's disease occurring on the cheek in a 72-year-old female. She presented with a crust and erythematous scaly papule on the face. Histopathologic examination of the crusted lesion showed atypical tumor cells with large, hyperchromatic nuclei and frequent mitoses in the epidermis suggesting of Bowen's disease. However, the scaly papule showed tumor lobule composed of clear cells with foamy cytoplasm and atypical undifferentiated cells suggesting of sebaceous carcinoma. CK7 staining was positive only for the tumors cells of the specimen from the scaly papule. The positive staining of CK7 may help distinguish sebaceous carcinoma from clear cell squamous cell carcinoma when that distinction can not be clearly made by light microscopy alone.
Aged ; Bowen's Disease* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cheek ; Cytoplasm ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Mitosis

PURPOSE: To evaluate interim results in terms of failure, cosmetic results and survival after breast conserving operation and radiation therapy in early breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1992 through December 1997, seventy two patients with early stage 0, I and II breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery plus radiotherapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Age distribution was 25 to 77 years old with median age of 43. According to TNM stage, five patients had stage 0, thirty three were stage I, twenty five were IIa, and nine were IIb. Most patients underwent excision of all gross tumor and ipsilateral axillary dissection. Breast was irradiated through medial and lateral tangential fields of 6 MV photons to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks. We delivered a boost irradiation dose of 10 to 16 Gy in 1 to 2 weeks to excision site. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in forty one patients with CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) regimens of 6 cycles concurrently or before radiation. Cosmetic results were assessed by questionnaire to patients grading of excellent, good, fair, poor. Follow-up periods were 22 to 91 months with median 40 months. RESULTS: Five year disease free survival rate (5YDFS) was 95.8%. According to stage, 5YDFS was 100%, 96.9%, 96% and 88.9% in stage 0, I, IIa and IIb, respectively. Two patients had distant metastasis and one had local and distant failure. One patient with distant failure had bone and liver metastasis at 14 months after treatment and the other had lung and both supraclavicular metastasis at 21 months after treatment. Patient with local and distant failure had local recurrence on other quadrant in same breast and then salvaged with total mastectomy and chemotherapy but she died due to brain metastasis at 55 months. Complications were radiation pneumonitis in five patients (four patients of asymptomatic, one patients of symptomatic) and hand or arm edema(4 patients). Fifty nine patients answered our cosmetic result questionnaire and cosmetic results were good to excellent in fifty one patients (86%). CONCLUSION: We considered that conservative surgery and radiation for the treatment of early stage invasive breast cancer was safe and had excellent survival and cosmetic results. We need to assess about prognostic factors with longer follow up and with large number of patients.
Age Distribution ; Aged ; Arm ; Brain ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Mastectomy, Simple ; Methotrexate ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Photons ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to develop and apply the critical pathway to the orbital wall fracture patients and to elucidate its effect. METHODS: Critical pathway(CP) sheet and questionnaire were developed by a team approach. Critical pathway was applied to 7 orbital wall fracture patients (CP group) from April 2006 to September 2006. Length of hospitalization and cost for hospitalization of CP group were compared to those of the 10 patients who had same disease entities and treated by conventional regimen(control group). RESULTS: Length of hospitalization in the CP group (7.20 day) were insignificantly shorter than that of control group(8.71 day). Mean cost for hospitalization of the CP group(776,398 won) were insignificantly lower than that of control group(1,028,531 won). The patients satisfaction for the explanation regarding operation procedure, therapeutic operation fee, length of hospitalization and medical personnel were all affirmative. CONCLUSION: Critical pathway that we developed for orbital wall fracture definitely improved the quality of treatment. Furthermore, other critical pathways should be developed for another facial trauma patients.
Critical Pathways* ; Fees and Charges ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Orbit* ; Orbital Fractures ; Surveys and Questionnaires