PURPOSE: In determining image quality of mammography,many factors are related. Selection of film and screen is one of them. Authors took phantom images of nine film-screen combinations under properly controlled conditions and compared them to evaluate their image qualities. In addition, KVp, mAs and surface dose were evaluated at each combination to deterrhine proper exposure conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using phantom,images of nine film-screen combinations composed of Fuji MI-NC, UM-MA, UM-MH films and Fuji Fine,Medium, Kodak Min-R screeens were taken. Phantom(Ackermann Mammochip Phantom) was composed of simulations for microcalcifications, fibers, nodules, lymph nodes, breast tissue and breast cancer masses. For phantom of 4.5 cm compressed breast equivalent, 28 KVp was used. For 1.5 and 3.0 cm equivalant phantoms, 24 KVp and 26 KVp was used. At each KVp, mammographic images were taken at various mAs. Among images taken by this process, best images were selected and then, according to scoring method, comparison of image quality for each combination was done. With dosimation strip, surface doses for various conditions were evaluated. RESULTS: Combination of Fuji UM-MA film and Fuji Fine screen showed best image quality regardless of KVp or phantom thickness. For the best image, 10 mAs with 26 KVp was most ideal while mAs with 24 KVp was optimal for equivalent phantom of 3.0 cm thickness breast. At this condition, surface dose was less than other combinations when combinations involving UM-MH films were used. On the other hand,when combinations involving MI-NC films were used, surface dose was higher than others. CONCLUSION: Using phantom, image quality of film-screen combinations could be evaluated and compared. Such process can contribute to best quality image with decreased exposure and can play a role in quality asurance program.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes ; Research Design

No abstract available.
Paragonimiasis*

No abstract available.

New onset diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis have been reported with administering atypical antipsychotics. Whereas clozapine and olanzapine are associated with a relatively high incidence of new onset diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis, there are few case reports that have has been documented implicating quetiapine as the contributor to causing diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis. I report here on a case of diabetic ketoacidosis that developed in a patient who was associated with quetiapine therapy. A 32-year-old woman with schizophrenia was transferred to the emergency room with diabetic ketoacidosis and vaginal bleeding. Seventeen months before this episode, she was hospitalized in an inpatient psychiatric institution and treated with quetiapine 1200mg, haloperidol 3mg, diazepam 5mg and benztropine 3mg with normal blood glucose levels. She had no personal and familial history of diabetes mellitus. She had no risk factors for diabetes mellitus and she also had no precipitating factor for diabetic ketoacidosis except for taking the atypical antipsychotic quetiapine. I believe that this case is the first case report of quetiapine associated diabetic ketoacidosis in Korea. Considering the unpredictability of hyperglycemia associated with quetiapine, monitoring the blood glucose should be part of the routine care when administering quetiapine.
Adult ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Benzodiazepines ; Benztropine ; Blood Glucose ; Clozapine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Diazepam ; Dibenzothiazepines ; Emergencies ; Female ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Precipitating Factors ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Quetiapine Fumarate

A 46-year-old male patient developed jaundice after 23 days' treatment of propylthiouracil (PTU) for Graves' disease. Serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated markedly with moderate increase in serum aminotransferase, and the peak level of total bilirubin was 7.3 mg/dL. After withdrawal of PTU, serum aminotransferase and bilirubin began to decrease simultaneously, and completely normalized. One week after the discharge from hospital, he received radioiodine treatment for Graves' disease, but he showed aggravation of hyperthyroidism and ophthalmopathy. So we prescribed methimazole inevitably 16 days' after the radiodiodine treatment. He developed jaundice again after 69 days' treatment of methimazole, but the pattern of hepatotoxicity was slightly different from that of the previous PTU-nduced hepatotoxicity. Serum aminotransferase increased slightly and quickly normalized after discontinuance of methimazole, but serum total bilirubin increased continuously and reached to 24.6 mg/dL. Eosinophilia was prominent and the result of liver biopsy was compatible with cholestatic jaundice. The patient was treated with prednisolone and recovered from jaundice rapidly.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bilirubin ; Biopsy ; Eosinophilia ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Liver ; Male ; Methimazole* ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Propylthiouracil*

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Female* ; Humans

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance angiography is helpful noninvasive evaluation of intracranial arteries and, in some patients, may spare invasive angiography which has potentially serious complication. However, it's diagnostic value in vertebrobasilar artery disease has not yet been evaluated. METHODS: MRA and axial brain MRI of 47 patients with acute cerebellar and/or brainstem ischemia, 26 patients with middle cerebral artery territory infarction, and 40 age matched normal controls were reviewed. Patients wit potential risks of cardiac embolization were excluded. MR Angiography was performed by three dimensional time-of-flight gradient-echo technique. Th diagnosis of vessel stenosis was made only when the lumen diameter was reduced by less than 50% on 3-D images to avoid overestimation of MR angiography. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients had cerebellar and/or brainstem infarction: with signal hyperintensities in T2-weighted MRI sequences. Pons was the most common infarcted site(28/47), followed by medulla (17/47), and cerebellum (11/47). The sensitivity of MR angiography in detecting vascular occlusive lesions of vertebrobasilar artery was 57.5% (28/47) in cerebellar and/or brainstem infarction patients, while 7 of 26 (26.9%) in middle cerebral artery territory infarction, and 2 of 40 (5%) in age matched control subjects showed occlusion or stenosis. MR angiography detected vascular occlusive lesions more frequently on vertebral arteries (25/47, 53.2%) than basilar artery (13/47, 27.7%). And occlusive or stenotic lesions of vertebral arteries were ipsilateral to ischemic lesion sites in 12 of 17 patients(70.6%), There was no difference between deep small lacunar stroke and perforator occlusion in pons. Absence of flow void on axial T2W imaging was seen only in 9 of 47 patients (19.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The results in this present study suggest that MR angiography is moderately sensitive diagnostic tool in vertebrobasilar occlusive disease although it has limitation in detection of smaller branches occlusion. Except vertebral arteries occlusion, absence of flow void in axial MR imaging is not a reliable findings.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Basilar Artery ; Brain ; Brain Stem Infarctions* ; Brain Stem* ; Cerebellum ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Pons ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Vertebral Artery

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is one of the common diseases which family physicians encounter to manage. Various research proved that appropriate aerobic exercise had effect on lowering blood pressure efficiently. This study was to find out the status of exercise, the change of exercise according to time and its predicting factors in hypertensive patients. METHODS: A total of 193 of the followed-up hypertensive patients of family physicians in Seoul and kyoungkido from May 11, 2001 to June 10, 2001 were interviewed by doctor according to the previously designed structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Eighty two patients (42.57) were male and mean and was 57.4 +/- 9.9 fears. Using Kaplan-Meier's method, 8% of non-exercise group (N= 115) in diagnosing hypertension started exercise after 1 fear and 40%, after 5 years. Otherwise, 5% of exercise group(N=78) stopped exercise after 1 year and 30%, after 5 years. The characteristics of 5 exercise groups according to sex, age, level of education and adequacy of exercise showed significant difference. In average blood pressure, lately started group showed the lowest (137/84 mmHg) and non-exercise group, the highest (146/91 mmHg) In the degree of recommendation. sporadic group showed the highest and non-exercise group, the lowest which showed significant difference (p =0.0024) . CONCLUSION: I conclude that lately started group among non-exercise group and continuous exercise group were mainly affected by recommendation to exercise of physician. As well as exercise, other nonpharmacologic treatment should be promoted by physician as an important strategy for treatment of hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Education ; Exercise ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Physicians, Family* ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of cultural competence and its influencing factors among 530 dental hygiene students. The analysis was performed using PASW Statistics ver. 18.0, and the following conclusions were drawn. Cultural knowledge levels showed a significant difference according to general characteristics in four components of cultural competence levels. Cultural competence and its four components were higher in subjects who have a religion (p<0.05). The differences in cultural competence levels according to culture-related characteristics are as follows. In individuals with experience of taking foreign culture-related classes, intention to work overseas, or fluency in a foreign language, cultural competence levels and its four components such as cultural comfort, knowledge, awareness, and behavior intent were higher (p<0.05). Intention of overseas employment was the factor most strongly influencing the level of cultural competence of the subjects. The more intention the subjects have to work overseas, the more they have experienced foreign culture-related lessons, the more fluently they speak a foreign language, and the higher level of cultural competency they reached (p<0.05). As the research results show, it is necessary to establish a continuing plan to understand and communicate with individuals of other cultures through foreign language and foreign culture classes in schools in order to improve the level of cultural competence. This education would reduce the fear and stress that subjects might make a mistake in meeting with people from other cultures, and it could be a preparatory process to actively carry out dental hygiene practice with foreigners.
Cultural Competency* ; Education ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Employment ; Humans ; Intention ; Oral Hygiene*

We had experience of 464 cases of anesthesia for repair of cleft lip and cleft palate under 10 years of age. The analyzed results are as follows: 1) The 464 cases were divided into 5 age groups and 165 cases(35.6%) were in the under 2 years age group. Sex distribution was 291 males(66.2%) and 173 females(37.3%) 2) 377 cases(81.3%) were under 20kg of body weight. 3) There were 229 cleft lip cases (29.3%), 233 cleft palate cases, and 1 case each of (50.2%), of naso-ocular fistular correction and oro-ocular correction. 4) There were 386 cases elective surgery and 2 were emergency cases. 5) All cases had general anesthesia by means of endotracheal intubation 377 cases(81.3%) with a non-rebreathing system and 87 cases(18.8%) had a semi-closed absorption system. 6) The main anesthetic was halothane in 462 cases(99.6%) and Valium-Demerol and ether was 1 case each. 7) The mean blood loss in palatoplastry was 10ml/kg of body weight but it was 13.7ml/kg in the 5~10kg of body weight group, 11.6ml/kg in the 10kg~20kg of body weight group and 7.5ml/kg in the 20~30kg of body weight group. 8) Incidence of cleft lip combined with cleft palate was 211 cases(45.5%) among 464 cases and 149 cases(51.2%) were males and 62 cases(35.8%) were females. 9) The most common type of cleft lip was left incomplete lip(30.1%) and of cleft palate it was left complete palate(30.5%). 10) Familial history was found in 56 cases(12%).
Absorption ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Body Weight ; Child* ; Cleft Lip ; Cleft Palate ; Emergencies ; Ether ; Female ; Halothane ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Male ; Sex Distribution