Infectious disease consultation contributes to optimal antibiotic use as well as improved treatment outcomes in many infectious diseases, especially severe infections like bacteremia. However, communication and language matter in consultations between clinicians. Communication barriers are even more complex among professionals who speak Korean, since there are significant challenges for practicing medicine while relying on language translations. This review aims to address some of the components that should be included in infectious diseases consultations for Korean-speaking specialists.
Bacteremia ; Communicable Diseases* ; Communication Barriers ; Consultants* ; Humans ; Referral and Consultation ; Specialization ; Translations

BACKGROUND: The CD34(human progenitor cell antigen) is a monomeric, 115 kD glycoprotein which is expressed on hemitopoietic progenitor cells. It is also now known as an immunohistochemical marker of endothelial cell like UEA-I and factor VIII R Ag and its function is thought to be related to endot.helial adhesion, migration, and angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to investigate the patterns of CD34 expression during the early and late stages of vascular formation in pyogenic granuloma. METHOD: We performed immuinoperoxidase staining(ABC technique) by using a monoclonal anti-CD34 antibody(QBEND10, IgG1) on the formalin fixed, paraffin embedded sections of 19 cases of pyogenic granulomas. Result : 1. In all cases of pyogenic grinulomas, CD34 was strongly expressed in the endothelial cells of normal vessels in the perilobular stroma and in the endothelial cells of the mature vessels within the lobules of hemangioma. 2. In the foci of immature vessels, most of the endothelial cells located near the small vascular lumina and endothelial cells with intracellular lumen formations expressed CD34, while the endothelial cells far from the vascular lumina and endothelial cells without intracellular lumen formations mostly did not express CD:4. CONCLUSION: The above result. suggested that the expression of CD34 of the endothelial cells vary with the stage of maturation of the vessels.
Endothelial Cells ; Factor VIII ; Formaldehyde ; Glycoproteins ; Granuloma, Pyogenic* ; Hemangioma ; Paraffin ; Stem Cells

Trichoadenoma is a rare tumor with differentiation towards the infundibular portion of the pilosebaceous canal. Clinically, it is a nodular growth, usually on the face and buttock. Histologically, it is characterized by numerous horn cysts lined with squamous epithelium in the dermis. In this report, we describe a 44-year-old man who developed trichoadenoma on his right shin. Anti-CD34 antibody stained spindle-shaped cells in the stroma just adjacent to the peripheral layers of keratinous cysts and solid masses of squamous epithelial cells. To our knowledge, this is the first description of an occurrence of trichoadenoma in the lower leg and the first to use immunohistochemical staining to know the CD34 staining pattern.
Adult ; Animals ; Buttocks ; Dermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Horns ; Humans ; Leg

Fibrofolliculoma is a benign follicular neoplasm which usually occurs in multiple and rarely solitarily. We have found only seven cases of previous reports of solitary fibrofolliculomas worldwide and only two in Korean literature. Herein we report on a 40-year-old female patient with a solitary flesh-colored bean sized mass on the scalp which histopathologically proved to be a fibrofolliculoma.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Scalp

Cutaneous metastasis from visceral malignancies shows diverse manifestations. Very rarely, cutaneous metastasis mimicks benign mesenchymal tumors. We describe a case in which metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma mimicked fibrohistiocytic tumors. The diagnosis of cutaneous metastasis was confirmed by the presence of atypical cells and signet-ring cells, positive staining for mucin and positive immunohistochemical stainings for keratins, carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), and lysozyme within the tumor cells infiltrated in the irregular, intertwining bundles of collagen in the reticular dermis.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Mucins ; Muramidase ; Neoplasm Metastasis

BACKGROUND: Norwegian scabies is a highly infectious disease characterized by crust formation, different from ordinary scabies, and is caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. After the patient in our case was diagnosed with Norwegian scabies, active measures were taken to prevent its transmission within the hospital. Methods: A 66-year-old female patient was admitted to the general ward of a university hospital on January 23rd, 2008 and 6 days later, she was found to have been infected with Norwegian scabies all over the body. For epidemiological investigation, those who had been in contact with the patient were identified and interviewed. The patient was advised to follow the contact precaution, and linen the patient used was cleaned thoroughly. The surrounding environment was decontaminated by applying surface disinfectant. Preventive cream against the Norwegian scabies was distributed to staff members and patients who had been exposed to the patient, and appointed a dermatologist to educate them on how to use of medicine, what the mechanism of the disease is, what cautions must be taken, and how to write an ex post facto report. RESULTS: After the confirmation of the 1st case, no additional cases have been reported in the hospital during the ensuing 2 months. Therefore, prompt prevention and infection control activities against Norwegian scabies can be thought to have been successful. CONCLUSION: Whena patient with an uncertain skin disease is admitted, pertinent measures must be taken from the moment the patient is admitted and contact precaution should be applied both to the patients and the staff members. When a scabies patient is detected in an institution, the medical staff must enforce as much active preventive measures as possible, and by doing so, there will be a better chance to prevent the outbreak of scabies in the hospital.
Aged ; Bedding and Linens ; Communicable Diseases ; Cross Infection ; Female ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Medical Staff ; Patients' Rooms ; Sarcoptes scabiei ; Scabies ; Skin Diseases

Intussusception can develop at any age but about 95% of patients are children under 2 years-old. Adult intussusception is a rare condition. Unlike children, nearly all adults with intussusception have a lead point such as benign or malignant small bowel tumors, intestinal tuberculosis, or Meckel's diverticulum. First case is a 48-year-old male who was admitted with 2 days of diffuse abdominal cramping pain and no other associated gastrointestinal symptoms. Barium enema revealed ileocolic intussusception with a round cecal mass after barium reduction. An ileocecectomy was performed electively. The pathologic report was cecal cyst, which was an intraluminal structure with an epithelial lining of colonic mucosa. The second case, a 53-year-old male, was admitted with 1 week of diffuse abdominal cramping pain and watery diarrhea. Barium enema revealed ileocecal intussusception. Emergency surgery (ileocecectomy), revealed a polypoid small bowel mass. The pathologic report was lipoma. Recently, we experienced two cases of adult intussusception and report these cases with a brief review of the literature.
Adult* ; Barium ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colic ; Colon ; Diarrhea ; Emergencies ; Enema ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Lipoma ; Male ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to estimate the incidence rate, and to identify the risk factors for the occupational low back pain among shipyard workers. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 9,784 workers who were employed in a ship-building industry(excluded workers who had a history of low pack pain before 1995 or did not take periodic health examination in 1995). The cases were 220 people who experienced back pain from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998. To assess risk factors for occupational low back pain, Cox propotional hazard model was used. RESULTS: During the recent three years from 1996 to 1998, the incidence rate per 1,000 persons was 7. 8 in 1996, 8. 8 in 1997, and 3. 1 in 1998. The main causes of work-related low back pain were sprain, strain and disc herniation. Lifting was the most common cause of back pain(35. 3%), and carrying(10.2%) and pulling(8.0%) were followed. In Cox proportional harzard model, independent risk factors for back pain were body mass index(R.R.; 1.54, 959o C.I.: 1.06-2.25), shift work(R.R.; 1.65, 95% C.I.: 1.19-2.28), and lifting heavy material(R.R. ; 3.95, 95% C.I: 2.29-6.82). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the risk factors of back pain in shipyard workers were body mass index, shift work and lifting.
Back Pain ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Lifting ; Low Back Pain* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors* ; Sprains and Strains

5-fluorouracil(5-FU) and its derivatives have been prescribed preoperatively in Korea for oral administration to patients with gastric cancer as an adjuvant therapy. Since the conditions of the patients after gastrectomy may be different and thereby influence the absorption of 5-fluorouracil, we were interested in the pharmacokinetic changes of 5-fluorouracil absorption after gastric resection. Fourteen of 40 gastric cancer patients, who underwent radical subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphnode dissection for gastric cancer, were selected at Ewha Womans University Mok-Dong Hospital from May 1996 to December 1996. The plasma concentrations of 5-fluorouracil were determined before oral administration of 5-FU(500 mg/M2) at 15-min intervals for two hours, and then at 30-min intervals for two hours after oral administration during the pre- and the post-operative periods. High pressure liquid chromatography was used to determine the plasma concentrations of 5-FU. The pharmacokinetic indices included the area under the curve (AUC), the peak concentration (Cmax), and the time to peak concentration (Tmax). The mean postoperative AUC for 5-FU was 25.8+/-14.8% of the mean preoperative AUC, which was a significant decrease in the amount of 5-FU absorption postoperatively. The mean postoperative Cmax was 33.4+/-30.2% of the mean preoperative Cmax, which also meant a significant decrease of the peak concentration postoperatively. The Tmax of most patients were delayed postoperatively, but there was no significant change statistically. In conclusion, we found that the amount of absorbed 5-FU, as calculated by the AUC and the Cmax, significantly decreased after a subtotal gastrectomy by as much as 75 percent compared to the preoperation. Hence, it may be necessary to increase the dose of 5-FU after a subtotal gastrectomy by more than 75% of the preoperative dose. The subtotal gastrectomy did not have a significant effect on the absorptive velocity of 5-FU.
Absorption* ; Administration, Oral ; Area Under Curve ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Female ; Fluorouracil* ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Korea ; Pharmacokinetics ; Plasma ; Stomach Neoplasms

5-fluorouracil(5-FU) and its derivatives have been prescribed preoperatively in Korea for oral administration to patients with gastric cancer as an adjuvant therapy. Since the conditions of the patients after gastrectomy may be different and thereby influence the absorption of 5-fluorouracil, we were interested in the pharmacokinetic changes of 5-fluorouracil absorption after gastric resection. Fourteen of 40 gastric cancer patients, who underwent radical subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphnode dissection for gastric cancer, were selected at Ewha Womans University Mok-Dong Hospital from May 1996 to December 1996. The plasma concentrations of 5-fluorouracil were determined before oral administration of 5-FU(500 mg/M2) at 15-min intervals for two hours, and then at 30-min intervals for two hours after oral administration during the pre- and the post-operative periods. High pressure liquid chromatography was used to determine the plasma concentrations of 5-FU. The pharmacokinetic indices included the area under the curve (AUC), the peak concentration (Cmax), and the time to peak concentration (Tmax). The mean postoperative AUC for 5-FU was 25.8+/-14.8% of the mean preoperative AUC, which was a significant decrease in the amount of 5-FU absorption postoperatively. The mean postoperative Cmax was 33.4+/-30.2% of the mean preoperative Cmax, which also meant a significant decrease of the peak concentration postoperatively. The Tmax of most patients were delayed postoperatively, but there was no significant change statistically. In conclusion, we found that the amount of absorbed 5-FU, as calculated by the AUC and the Cmax, significantly decreased after a subtotal gastrectomy by as much as 75 percent compared to the preoperation. Hence, it may be necessary to increase the dose of 5-FU after a subtotal gastrectomy by more than 75% of the preoperative dose. The subtotal gastrectomy did not have a significant effect on the absorptive velocity of 5-FU.
Absorption* ; Administration, Oral ; Area Under Curve ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Female ; Fluorouracil* ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Korea ; Pharmacokinetics ; Plasma ; Stomach Neoplasms