Peripheral arterial disease(PAD) is a major health problem in the elderly population, so prevalence of PAD is investigated using Edinburgh claudication questionnaire. Subjects were over 65 years old in the kyeongsan county. The prevalence of PAD was 9.0% in total population(8.5% in men, 9.3% in women). definite claudication was 3.9%, atypical claudication was 5.l%. and, grade 1 was 4.4%, grade 2 was 4.6%. The prevalence of PAD was increased with age but not statistically significant. There was no difference of PAD by gender and smoking. PAD was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure positively. But, unexpectedly, PAD was significantly associated with BMl negatively. PAD are important elderly health problem in the our country. so the etiology and preventive methods of PAD will be researched on our country population.
Aged* ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence* ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Rural Population* ; Smoke ; Smoking

Black adenoma is known to be a rare variant of adrenal cortical adenoma containing characteristic abundant lipofuscin pigments in the cytoplasm. Almost all of them are nonfunctioning and only occasionally they are associated with Cushing's syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism. We present two cases of black cortical adenoma of the adrenal gland associated with Cushing's syndrome in a 24-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man. This report dealt with clinical and pathologic presentation including ultrastructural identification of lipofuscin pigment.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adenoma

This study was conducted to investigate the factors related to the poor school performance of the elementary school children. Two schools in Taegu, one in the affluent area and the other in the poor area, were selected and a total of 175 children whose school performance was within low 10 percentile(poor performers) and 97 children whose school performance were within high 5 percentile(good performers) in each class of 2nd, 4th and 6th grades were tested for the physical health, behavioral problem and family background. Each child had gone through a battery of tests including visual and hearing acuity, anthropometry(body weight, height, head circumference), intelligence(Kodae Stanford-Binet test), test anxiety(TAI-K), neurologic examination by a developmental pediatrician and heavy metal content(Pb, Cd, Zn) in hair by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A questionnaire was administered to the mothers for prenatal and perinatal courses of the child, family environment, child's developmental history, and child's behavioral and learning problems. Another questionnaire was administered to the teachers of the children for the child's family background, arithmatic and language abilities and behavioral problem. The poor school performance had a significant correlation with male gender, high birth order, broken home, low educational and occupational levels of parents, visual problem, high test anxiety score, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), poor physical growth(weight, height, head circumference) and low I.Q. score. The factors that had a significant correlation with the poor school performance in multiple logistic regression analysis were child's birth order(odds ratio=2.06), male gender(odds ratio=5.91), broken home(odds ratio=9.29), test anxiety score(odds ratio=1.07), ADHD(odds ratio=9.67), I.Q. score(odds ratio=0.85) and height less than Korean standard mean-1 S. D.(odds ratio=11.12). The heavy metal contents in hair did not show any significant correlation with poor school performance. However the lead and cadmium contents were high in males than in females. The lead content was negatively correlated with child's grade(p<0.05) and zinc was positively correlated with grade(p<0.05). Among the factors that showed a significant correlation with the poor school performance, high birth order, short stature and ADHD may be modified by a good family planning, good feeding practice for infant and child, and early detection and treatment of ADHD. Also, teacher and parents should restrain themselves from inducing excessive test anxiety by forcing the child to study and over-expecting beyond the child's intellectual capability.
Anxiety ; Birth Order ; Cadmium ; Child* ; Daegu ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Hair ; Head ; Hearing ; Humans ; Infant ; Language ; Learning ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mothers ; Neurologic Examination ; Parents ; Parturition ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Zinc

We have studied the dosimetric properties of electron beam using Lyon intraoperative device for intraoperative radiation therapy. The dosimetry data had compiled in such a way that a quick and correct decision regarding the cone shape, energy, and accurate calculations could be made. Using 3 dimensional water phantom, we have got the following data: cone output ratios, surface dose, dmax, dgo, flatness, symmetry, beam profiles, isodose curve, and SSD correction factors. The cone output ratios were measured with straight and bevelled cone, respectively. As the cone size and the energy were reduced, the cone output ratios decreased rapidly. With the flattening filter, the surface dose increased by electron beam to 85.3%, 89.2%, and 93.4%, for 6MeV, 9MeV, and 12MeV, respectively. It is important to increase the surface dose to 90% or more. Inspite of diminishing dose rate and beam penetration, this flattening filter increases the treatment volume significantly. With the combination of the three levels collimation and the flattening filter, we achieved good homogeneity of the beam and better flatness and the diameter of the 90% isodose curve was increased. It is important to increase the area that is included in the 90% isodose level. The value of measured and calculated SSD correction factors did not agree over the clinically important range from 100cm to 110cm .
Silver Sulfadiazine ; Water

Turcot's syndrome is a rare hereditary disease marked by the association of central nervous system neuroepithelial tumor with colonic polyposis. Authors report herein a case of a 15-year-old girl diagnosed as having Turcot's syndrome, otherwise known as brain tumor-polyposis syndrome, combined with sigmoid colon cancer. The patient was carried out craniostomy and brain tumor removal. The tumor was confirmed histologically to be oligodendroglioma. The patient visited the department of internal medicine for bloody diarrhea during 6 months. Colonoscopy and biopsy was done. The patient was diagnosed as having Turcot's syndrome combined with sigmoid colon cancer, and was then transferred to the department of surgery for treatment of sigmoid colon cancer. Total proctocolectomy and IPAA (ileal pouch-anal anastomosis) was carried out. Multiple polyps were found in the colon, two large masses were confirmed histologically to be adenocarcinoma. The remaining polyps were adenomas. This case report describes the characteristic features of Turcot's syndrome presented by this patient.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Adolescent* ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Central Nervous System ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Female* ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial ; Oligodendroglioma ; Polyps ; Sigmoid Neoplasms

The relationship between occupation and risk of lung cancer was analyzed in hospital based case-control study conducted in Taegu on 168 patients with histologicatly confirmed lung cancer and age group (30-39, 40-49, etc) and sex frequency-matched 168 controls admitted into hospitals for other internal medicine problems. A self administered questionnaire was used to obtain occupation, resident environment, smoking histories and specific agent exposure histoy. The conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio for age group and sex frequency matched, after controlling for smoking status (non smoker, exsmoker, current smoker) Significant association was observed for farmer[odds ratio(OR), 1.84 , 95% confidence interval(CI), 1.16-2.94], briquette stove users(OR, 3.0 , 95% CI, 1.06-8.25), agricultural chemicals users[0R, 2.14 , 95% CI, 1.35-3.37], and welding/fume exposures[0R, 10.56 ;95% CI, 1.07~103.90]. Although there were elevated risks associated with production, home industry, transportation/storage/communication, lodgement/food worker and construction, none were statistically significant.The effect of smoking was showed significantly increased risk for exsmoker [0R, 4.50 ,95% CI, 1.99-10.16] and current smoker [OR, 3.98 , 95% Cl, 1.88-8.45] As results, although smoking is important risk of lung cancer, occupation and resident environment are showing association of lung cancer. So further evaluation is necessary for occupation risk and take preventive measures.
Agrochemicals ; Case-Control Studies ; Daegu ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Logistic Models ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: We compared the outcomes of percutaneous transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy (PCNA) of lung masses in cases with and without prior positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) information, and investigated the factors associated with false-negative pathological results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From a total of 291 patients, 161 underwent PCNA without prior PET/CT imaging, while 130 underwent PET/CT before PCNA. Clinical characteristics, procedural variables, pathological results, and diagnostic success rates were compared between the 2 groups. Among patients with initial negative (non-specific benign) PCNA results, the radiological findings of these groups were compared to evaluate the predictors of false-negative lesions. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the clinical characteristics, procedural characteristics, and pathological results of the 2 groups, nor was the diagnostic rate significantly different between them (p = 0.818). Among patients with initial negative PCNA results, radiological characteristics were similar in both the groups. In multivariate analysis, the presence of necrosis (p = 0.005) and ground-glass opacity (GGO) (p = 0.011) were the significant characteristics that indicated an increased probability of initial false-negative results in PCNA. CONCLUSION Routine PET/CT did not have any additional benefit in patients undergoing PCNA of lung masses. The presence of necrosis or GGO could indicate an increased probability of false-negative pathological results.

Esophagea1 achalasia is a disease of unkown etiology characterized by abscenee of peristalsis in the body of the esophagus and failure of the lower esaphageal sphincter to relax in response to swallow. The cause has been suggested by the lack or abscence of ganglion cell in Auerbach's plexus. About 10% of patients with achalasis develop pulmonary complication such as aspiration pnuemonia, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, culosis, bronchiectasis, lung abscess and bronchial asthma. Although aspiration pneumonia is the most common pulmonary complication in patients with achalasia, lung abscess is the extremely rare complication. A 48 years old female, who has experienced dysphagia and regurgitation for several years, is hospitalized because of high fever, cough and sputurn for 2 weeks. Lung abscess in apicoposterior segment of left upper lobe is observed in X-ray and chest CT. The findings of esophagogram, esophagogastroscopy and esophageal manometry are consistent with achalasia. We report a case of lung abscess associated with achalasia.
Asthma ; Bronchiectasis ; Cough ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophageal Achalasia* ; Esophagus ; Female ; Fever ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Manometry ; Middle Aged ; Myenteric Plexus ; Peristalsis ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Cryptococcus albidus, a non-neoformans species of the genus Cryptococcus, is generally regarded as a rare cause of disease. There have been only 14 previously reported cases in which this organism has been isolated as a pathogen, none of which occurred in a renal transplant recipient. A 23-year-old renal transplant recipient taking medication consisting of cyclosporine and prednisolone was admitted with a 10-day history of dry cough, fever and progressive dyspnea. The next day, his respiratory status deteriorated dramatically, and he developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and fulminant septic shock. On the eighth hospital day, tender macules on both his shins coalesced to form erythematous patches. Cryptococcus albidus was isolated by skin biopsy and tissue culture. We report here the first case of disseminated cryptococcosis caused by C. albidus in a renal transplant recipient who had been successfully treated with fluconazole monotherapy.
Adult ; Antifungal Agents/*therapeutic use ; Cryptococcosis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Cyclosporine/adverse effects ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fluconazole/*therapeutic use ; Graft Rejection/prevention & control ; Human ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects ; *Kidney Transplantation ; Lung Diseases, Fungal/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Male ; Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Sweet syndrome is an unusual disease characterized by the sudden onset of fever, leukocytosis, and painful erythematous plaques, and the dermal infiltration of neutrophils at the site of skin lesions. Although Sweet syndrome can also present with extra-cutaneous manifestations, involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is rarely reported. We describe a case of Sweet syndrome involving the CNS in a 46-year-old male with a disturbance of consciousness following fever and erythematous skin plaques in the extremities. Cerebrospinal fluid examination disclosed neutrophilic pleocytosis without decreased glucose and protein levels. HLA typing showed B54, which is frequently seen in Sweet syndrome. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal signal intensity lesions in the left temporal lobe. Skin biopsy revealed a dense dermal infiltration of neutrophils, which is compatible with Sweet syndrome. The confused mentality, fever, and erythematous skin plaques resolved after the administration of systemic corticosteroids.
Biopsy ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Consciousness ; Extremities ; Fever ; Glucose ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; Skin ; Sweet Syndrome ; Temporal Lobe