PURPOSE:The natural course of Hashimoto' thyroiditis (HT) is so dynamic that the disease progresses to overt hypothyroid or spontaneous recovery. The authors reviewed the clinical course of this disease and analysed the possible predicting factors regarding remission. METHODS:Thirty nine patients with HT (38 girls and 1 boy) were studied retrospectively. Of these patients, 30 were followed for more than 2 years. The possible remission factors were analyzed at initial diagnosis and during follow-up period. RESULTS:The mean age at the diagnosis was 11.8+/-.1 years. Initial thyroid function was euthyroid in 38.5%, compensated hypothyroid in 35.9%, overt hypothyroid in 23.1%, and hyperthyroid in 2.6% of patients. Antithyroglobulin antibody (ATA) was positive in 94.7%, and antimicrosomal antibody (AMA) was positive in 74.4%. The overall remission rate was 53.3% during the follow-up period (51+/-7 months). Initial goiter size, thyroid function status, and autoantibody titer had no relation to the remission rate statistically. Follow-up autoantibody titers in remission group were marginally lower than those in nonremission group (P<0.1), and follow-up AMA titer was significantly higher than initial titers in nonremission group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: We could not find any predictable remission factors from the initial clinical and autoantibody status. But, during follow-up period, patients with lower autoantibody titers showed slight higher remission, and those with increasing AMA titer showed less remission. Above results suggest that we should monitor antithyroid antibody titer as well as thyroid function regularly.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Goiter ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B Vaccines* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant*

PURPOSE: This study is a descriptive survey research on factors related to fertility intention of nurses who work in general hospitals, by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB). METHOD: The research subjects are 674 nurses at the peak fertility age of 20-39 years old, who work in 4 general hospitals located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. RESULT: The mean score of subjects' fertility intention is 3.69 in 5-point scale. The fertility intention was significantly influenced by perceived behavioral control and subjective norm. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the fertility intention of the nurses in general hospitals was influenced by the TPB variables such as the attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm. Thus, a comprehensive approach strategy is needed considering these factors.
Fertility ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intention ; Research Subjects

A case of myxoma of the breast was reported. A 25-year-old woman showed a lump in the left breast which was suddenly enlarged after the delivery of a baby. A tumor measuring 73.53cm was located in the upper outer quadrant of the breast. Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed scattered benign spindle shaped mesenchymal cells with abundant myxoid material. On excision, the tumor was partly solid, partly cystic and multilocular. Each nodule consisted of an abundant mucoid material with a few spindle or stellate mesenchymal cells. Pleomorphism and mitosis were absent. The mesenchymal cells showed immunoreactivities for S-100 protein, smooth muscle actin, and CD34. The myxoid stroma was positively stained with alcian blue and mucicarmine. These findings suggest that constituent cells derive from totipotential primitive mesenchymal cells.
Actins ; Adult ; Alcian Blue ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Mitosis ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myxoma* ; S100 Proteins

No abstract available.
Breast* ; Jaundice* ; Milk, Human*

Kallmann syndrome is characterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism resulting from insufficient release of GnRH and associated with anosmia or hyposmia. We experienced two cases of Kallmann syndrome with abnormal brain MRI findings(olfactory bulb aplasia) & secondary sexual dysfunction.
Brain ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Hypogonadism ; Kallmann Syndrome* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Olfaction Disorders

Kallmann syndrome is characterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism resulting from insufficient release of GnRH and associated with anosmia or hyposmia. We experienced two cases of Kallmann syndrome with abnormal brain MRI findings(olfactory bulb aplasia) & secondary sexual dysfunction.
Brain ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Hypogonadism ; Kallmann Syndrome* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Olfaction Disorders

PURPOSE: Acute diarrhea in young children is a major problem in pediatric hospitals worldwide. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of orally administered Lactobacillus acidophilus in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children. METHODS: From September 2002 to July 2003 at National Police Hospital 41 children aged 3 months to 5 years with acute diarrhea were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomized to one of two groups to receive either 0.5 x 10(8) colony forming unit (CFU) of L. acidophilus or matching placebo on admission and every 8 hours during hospitalization. RESULTS: The mean duration of diarrhea in all 41 children was decreased (p=0.001) in the L. acidophilus (40.5 hours) group compared to the placebo (56.6 hours) group. Stool frequency was also reduced (p=0.01) on the 3rd day in the L. acidophilus group. Rotavirus was identified in 58% of the patients. The decrease of duration of diarrhea was more significant in rotavirus-negative patients (p=0.002) compared to the rotavirus-positive patients (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: L. acidophilus shows to be an effective therapeutic agent in acute diarrhea in children. Further studies are needed to confirm the present findings.
Child* ; Diarrhea* ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Pediatric ; Humans ; Lactobacillus acidophilus* ; Lactobacillus* ; Police ; Probiotics ; Rotavirus ; Stem Cells

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Artery* ; Takayasu Arteritis*

The purpose of the study was to investigate two areas as a basis for providing an educational program for pulmonary rehabilitation. A) the learning needs about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and B) the perception of nurses of the same learning needs. The subjects consisted of 57 patients, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, at the general hospital in Seoul and 71 nurses, who were working in the medical ward. Data was obtained from a "learning need" questionnaire between October 29 and November 19, '99. Data was analyzed using SAS program for t-test, ANOVA, Scheff test. The result were as follows: 1. The learning needs of the nurses(mean 4.36 +/- .38) were higher than those of the patients (mean 3.56 +/- .83). (t=6.78, P=.001) 2. The highest ranked patient education needs were as follows ; a)"how to control dyspnea", b)"cause for activating dyspnea", and c)"how to minimize the necessity of oxygen in daily living": and nurses' learning needs were ; a)"how to cope with the risk situation", b)"management after discharge", and c)"how to control dyspnea". 3. In the patient group, those who had a college degree or higher education and paid their own hospital expenses were higher in the learning needs. According to the above results, we should consider an educational program which is realistic and effective for patients by evaluating the items the patients really want to learn about and how much they know about the evaluated items.
Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Learning* ; Oxygen ; Patient Education as Topic ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Rehabilitation ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires