No abstract available.
Snake Bites* ; Snakes*

No abstract available.
Endoderm* ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor*

Sporotrichosis is an infection of worldwide distribution caused by the fungal organiam sporotrichum schenckii. The disease is usually of the primary cutaneous variety with involvement of regionaI lymphatics, although dissemination may occur. A case of lymphatic type of Syorotrichosis affecting 33 years old, barber, who has been suffering from painless multiple nodules on right hand 4 forearm, is presented. The skin lesions developed about 3months ago, and increased sise and numbers of the lesion insidiously. Diagnosis was confirmed by characterietic clinical, mycological, histopathological studies He was treated with potassium iodide and there was markedly improved.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Potassium Iodide ; Skin ; Sporothrix ; Sporotrichosis*

No abstract available.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Vagotomy*

No abstract available.
Rectal Neoplasms*

We report a case of subclavian artery laceration caused by the removal of a pigtail pleural drainage catheter in a patient with a pneumothorax. The patient was successfully resuscitated through diagnostic angiography with subsequent balloon occlusion and primary repair of the injured subclavian artery. Although pigtail drainage of a pneumothorax is known to be safe and effective, proper insertion and removal techniques should be emphasized to reduce the risk of complications.
Angiography ; Balloon Occlusion ; Catheters* ; Drainage ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Lacerations* ; Pneumothorax* ; Subclavian Artery* ; Thoracostomy

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to verify the correlation between abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness (ASFT) measured by ultrasonography (US) during the first trimester of pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of the second trimester in Korean women and to establish a standard of ASFT for predicting GDM. METHODS: A total of 333 singleton pregnant women participated in this study. Their ASFT was measured by US during the 10+6 to 13+6 weeks of pregnancy; then a GDM confirmatory test (100 g oral glucose tolerance test) was conducted during the 24 to 28 week period of pregnancy. Based on the GDM tests, comparative analyses of the ages of the subjects, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and weight gain during pregnancy were conducted. RESULTS: The ages of the subjects and weight gains during pregnancy were not correlated to the GDM of the second trimester of pregnancy, but the pre-pregnancy BMIs (22±3.3 kg/m²) and the ASFT (1.9±0.5 cm) measurements between the control group and subjects during the first trimester of pregnancy were found to show significant differences (P < 0.001). The cut-off value of the ASFT for predicting GDM was determined to be 2.4 cm (area under the curve=0.90, sensitivity 75.61%, specificity 91.78%, P < 0.001). The odds ratio was 2.91 (95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 7.92; P=0.034), which was higher than the 2.4 cm ASFT. CONCLUSION: It was determined that ASFT as measured by US during the first trimester of pregnancy can be used to predict the risk of developing GDM during the second trimester of pregnancy and for prognosis.
Body Mass Index ; Diabetes, Gestational* ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prognosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal* ; Ultrasonography* ; Weight Gain

BACKGROUND: Modern intensive chemotherapy has dramatically improved the prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. However, quality of life and even survival may be threatened by infection. Immunosuppression is experted due to disease itself or therapy, and sometimes, immunosuppression itself may lead to reactivation of latent viral infections in these patients. Often the viruses involved in the most severe infections suggest that patients suffer from defect in the cellular immunity. The principal defects that predispose leukemia patients to infection are defects of T cell, B cell, stem cell, complement, and macrophage. These contributing factors interact in a complex manner resulting in spectrum of problems. But these may result from a T cell defect and, in this study, 7 cell responsiveness of patients at diagnosis, remission induction, maintenance chemotherapy and after chemotherapy for leukemia has been investigated. Studies of the immune competence of patients undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia is in progress, but results are different from each other. METHOD: Between July 1994 and May 1996, seventy patients with childhood ALL were enrolled in this study. In order to expect frequency and depth of infection and prognosis, we investigated concentrations of immunoglobulins G, A, M, peripheral total lymphocyte count, 7 cell subsets, phytohemmaglutinin responsiveness, interleukln-2(IL-2), gamma-interferon(gamma-INF), and natural killer cell activity. RESULTS: 1) IgA concentrations were often markedly raised at diagnosis, and IgG, IgM concentrations both were within normal limits. During and after chemotherapy, IgA had fallen significantly but IgG, IgM are within normal limits. 2) Total lymphocyte count had fallen during chemotherapy, and returned to normal levels after chemotherapy. CD4+ T cell were markedly decresed at diagnosis, during chemotherapy and returned to normal levels after chemotherapy. 3) In vitro proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to the T cell mitogen phytohenagglutinin were impaired at diagnosis, during chemotherapy but did not returned to normal levels. 4) Interlekin-2, gamma interferon were normal levels at diagnosis, and had fallen in the induction of remission and quickly returned to normal levels with the swish to maintenance chemotherapy. But Interleukin-2 had fallen during and after chemotherapy. Natural killer cell activity had fallen at diagnosis, during chemotherapy and returned to normal levels after chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: It is assumed that evidence of impaired T cell responses is somewhat definite. These observations suggest that proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin, CD4+ T cell, natural killer cell activity defects are due to leukemia itself but others more likely are generalizable defects caused by chemotherapy. Further investigations, however, have suggested a persisting defect in IgA, proliferative reponses to phytohemagglutinin, and interleukln-2. Our observations also show that despite normal immunoglobulin levels, most of these children have nonprotective levels for common childhood bacterial or viral disease. These results support to the praxis to withdraw prophylactic antibiotics after discontinuation of intensive chemotherapy and to start the immunization. It is expect to try to use cytokine on treatment and to improve mortality and morbidity for children of acute leukemia also.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Child* ; Complement System Proteins ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunosuppression ; Interferons ; Interleukin-2 ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Leukemia ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Maintenance Chemotherapy ; Mental Competency ; Mortality ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Remission Induction ; Stem Cells ; Virus Diseases

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is often associated with extrahepatic autoimmune disease, and autoantibodies such as anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) or anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASA). The presence of autoantibodies may make discrimination between chronic hepatitis C with autoimmune features and type 1 autoimmune hepatitis difficult. We studied the prevalence of autoantibodies in patients with chronic HCV infection and their clinical significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ANA, ASA, anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA), anti-microsomal antibody (AmA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL) and lupus anti-coagulant (LA) were tested in 116 patients (80 chronic hepatitis C, 36 liver cirrhosis). Genotypes of HCV were determined in 25 patients by INNO LiPA. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of autoantibody was 65.5%. The most common autoantibody was aCL (34.5%), followed by ANA (25%), RF (18%), LA (15.5%), ASA (6.9%), anti-microsomal antibody (6%) and AMA (1%). The positive rate of either ANA or ASA was 30.2%, but both were positive in 1.7% only. There was no difference in the demographic features, biochemistry, HCV genotypes and disease status between autoantibody-positive and autoantibody-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: Autoantibodies were commonly found in patients with chronic HCV infection. But, the presence of autoantibodies may be a non-specific finding in chronic hepatitis C infection without clinical significance.
Autoantibodies* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Biochemistry ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Liver ; Prevalence* ; Rheumatoid Factor

BACKGROUND: A postoperative pain management has been considered as an important issue in surgery. However, any systematic information or standard method about it has not been so far provided for clinicians in Korea. This study aims to analyze the current practices of in-hospital postoperative pain controls and suggest clinical implications. METHODS: A descriptive statistical analysis was adopted to review a nationwide distribution of postoperative pain control methods for the types of patients, surgery, hospitals, specialties, and analgesia. The data is based on the medical claims database of Health Insurance Review Agency (HIRA), which covers all reimbursement claims from hospitals in Korea. All inpatient surgery cases implemented during one year were included in the analysis. RESULTS: It was reported that 1,539,662 cases out of total 1,891,596 inpatient surgery cases were associated with one or more types of analgesia in 2005. The most frequent type of inpatient surgery was bone surgery (24.4%). In all cases related with analgesia, bone surgery took the highest percentage of 28.6%. It was also revealed that the most frequently used postoperative pain management was oral or external use of NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), which was 75.0% of all analgesia treatments. An epidural PCA (patient controlled analgesia), IV PCA (intra-venous patient controlled analgesia) and epidural opioid bolus were 0.2%, 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively, of all analgesia treatments. CONCLUSIONS: The results would certainly be useful to develop a clinical practice guideline in postoperative pain management to enhance patient outcomes.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Pain, Postoperative ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis