The age of puberty represents a very critical time in the life history of every young woman. The menarche stands as primary indicator of the onset of sexual maturation in females. According to several studies, menarcheal age in Korean girls has dropped from about 15 years of age in 1960s to 13.5 years of age in 1980s. This findings show a pronounced secular trend to earlier maturation. The purpose of this study is to determine (1) the average age at menarche in Korea in present time, (2) the secular trend of menarcheal age, and (3) the geographic regional influence on menarche. The data sampling was obtained from the physical examination cards of women students in Yonsei University who entered from 1983 to 1991. The data which was obtained from the number of 7761 was analysed by dBase III plus and SAS program. The results are as follows: 1) The mean menarcheal age of the subjects was 13.7+/-1.2 years. 2) Age at menarche has been getting earlier by some 7.4 months during the period of recent II years. 3) Comparing to the decreasing secular trend of menarcheal age, the height and weight showed increasing trend. 4) There were significant differences in menarcheal age, height, weight among geographic regions. We conclude that the results indicate an accelerating secular trend in age of menarche in Korea.
Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Menarche ; Physical Examination ; Puberty ; Sexual Maturation

No abstract available.
Thromboangiitis Obliterans*

Spontaneous perirenal hematoma can occur during the course of a varied group of diseases. It is not a rare disease. The diagnosis is based on either the sudden or insidious onset of abdominal or flank pain, abdominal distention, the symptoms and signs of internal bleeding, and the appearance of a mass in either upper quadrant. The picture of the acute surgical condition of the abdomen is often seen. The treatment is surgery and prognosis depends upon the underlying disease, the degree of hemorrhage and the promptness of treatment. We experienced one case of spontaneous perirenal hematoma due to metastatic choriocarcinoma only to the perirenal fat, not renal parenchyme.
Abdomen ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases

The authors present a case in which an organized chronic subdural hematoma(CSDH) was incidentally found in a 9-year-old boy with no significant medical history after a pedestrian traffic accident. Preoperative magnetic resonance(MR) imaging showed calcification on the inner membrane and an irregular heterogeneous structure in the hematoma cavity. The findings from the preoperative brain computed tomogram(CT) and MR image were very useful for making the preoperative diagnosis and surgical decision. In choosing the proper surgical strategy for removing the organized CSDH, it was thought that burr hole trephination would present unnecessary difficulties. Thus, craniotomy was selected and the organized CSDH was successfully removed with no complications.
Accidents, Traffic ; Brain ; Child* ; Craniotomy ; Diagnosis ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Membranes ; Trephining

BACKGROUND: Diverticulosis of the cecum and ascending colon is a rare disease in Western countries, it is more common in the Orient. Making the diagnosis preoperatively could be difficult, and the intraoperative assessment and decision of optimal treatments are difficult. METHODS: Therefore, we reviewed the patient's charts of diverticulosis of the cecum and ascending colon at our hospital from 1992 to 1997. RESULTS: During the past 5 years, a total of 53 cases of diverticulosis of the cecum and ascending colon had been treated at this hospital. Mean age was 41.8 years (range 20-70). The male to female ratio was 1.8 : 1. Frequent complaints were abdominal pain (46 cases, 86.8%), followed by diarrhea (5 cases, 9.3%), indigestion (4 cases, 7.5%), and bowel habits change (2 cases, 3.8%). Mean duration of illness was 3.5 days(range 24 hours~15 days). In non-surgical cases, diagnoses were established with barium enema, CT scan, or ultrasonography. The accuracy of these methods was 91%, 75%, and 25%. In surgical cases, the preoperative diagnoses were appendicitis(13 cases, 50.1%), diverticulitis (7 cases, 31.8%), and abscess (2 cases, 9.1%). Treatments of the cecum and ascending colon diverticulitis were conservative management (3 teases,58.5%) and surgical treatment (22 cases,41.5%). The operative procedures were right hemicolectomies (2 cases), ileocecal resections (2 cases), diverticulectomies (6 cases) and appendectomies only (11 cases). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that correct diagnosis of the diverticulitis of the cecum and ascending colon made before treatment is very important because correct assessment of diverticulitis intraoperatively is difacut. Liberal use of diagnostic modalities could facilitate to make correct diagnosis to set a proper plan for treatment.
Abdominal Pain ; Abscess ; Appendectomy ; Barium ; Cecum* ; Colon, Ascending* ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Diverticulitis ; Diverticulum* ; Dyspepsia ; Enema ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

One hundred and seven patients with alopecia areata were studied in regard to the character of personality, emotional stress during their military life, socioeconomic status and their possible role in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata by ready-made chart and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (M.M.P.I,) While only 55. 4% of out patients were enlisted men, 73. 0% of alopecia areata patients were soldiers suggesting that soldiers are more prone to develop alopecia areata. This trend was more apparent among soldiers who were less than 6 months in the service. In clinical scale, abnormal MMPI profiles were noted in 65 patients (60. 7%). Among abnormal MMPI profiles, hysteria scale is most common (23. 1%) and followed by hypochondriasis scale 18. 5%, psychiasthenia scale 16. 9%, and paranoia scale 12. 3%. The alopecia areata group showed significant difference in psychopathic deviate, schizophrenia, and paranoia which is high in person having psychotic symptoms and psychopathic personality. The neurotic triad or anxiety index is not significantly elevated.
Alopecia Areata ; Alopecia* ; Antisocial Personality Disorder ; Anxiety ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Male ; Military Personnel ; MMPI ; Outpatients ; Paranoid Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Social Class ; Stress, Psychological

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Coxiella burnetii* ; Coxiella* ; Prevalence*

No abstract available.
Biliary Tract* ; Cholelithiasis*

No abstract available.
Graft Survival* ; Humans ; Living Donors* ; Risk Factors* ; Transplants*

The development of immunosuprressants has had a significant contribution to inhibition of acute allograft rejection. However, long-term graft survival has not been realized by immunosuppressants, probably because of their nonspecific suppression of T cell activity and nonimmune side effects. The ideal way to overcome the limitations of current immunosuppressants is to induce allograft-specific immune tolerance. Transplant immunologists are exerting their efforts in achieving transplantation tolerance using three different approaches; mixed hematopoietic chimerism, costimulatory blockade, and regulation by regulatory T cells. It is expected that transplantation tolerance will soon be established as a standard immunosuppressive regimen with little side effects in preventing and reversing allograft rejection.
Allografts* ; Chimerism ; Graft Survival ; Immune Tolerance* ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Transplantation Tolerance