No abstract available.
Cholelithiasis* ; Korea*

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality involving the use of a photosensitizer, oxygen and a light source to induce selective targeted cell death. It is used for various skin conditions, including actinic keratosis (AK). Both 5-aminolevulinic acid and methyl aminolevulinic acid (MAL) are currently available as photosensitizers. Although there are several studies on the treatment of AK using 5-aminolevulinic acid-PDT in Korea, there are few studies on using MAL-PDT for the treatment of AK. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MAL-PDT for the treatment of AK. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study and reviewed 64 AK lesions from 28 patients who were treated by MAL-PDT between January 2008 and April 2010. The data was collected through the medical records, the clinical photographs and the biopsy specimens. RESULTS: The patients were treated with either a single treatment or double treatments 1 week apart. The treatment results were assessed after 12 weeks. Overall, complete remission was achieved in 42/64 lesions (65.6%). Although a single treatment was effective for thin lesions, the complete response rates were significantly lower for the moderately thick and severely thick lesions (100% vs 71.3% vs 22.2%, respectively). Repeated treatment tended to improve the complete response rate of the severely thick lesions. A favorable cosmetic outcome was achieved and only tolerable local side effects were reported after MAL-PDT. The patients were followed up for an average period of 6 months and 4 lesions recurred. CONCLUSION: MAL-PDT is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for thin and moderately thick AK. However, further study is required for determining the optimal regimen for thicker lesions and the long-term treatment results of MAL-PDT.
Actins ; Aminolevulinic Acid ; Biopsy ; Cell Death ; Cosmetics ; Humans ; Keratosis, Actinic ; Korea ; Light ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Photochemotherapy ; Photosensitizing Agents ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Aorta*

Three patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the uterine cervix are reported and the literature is reviewed. All the three patients in the current study presented with vaginal bleeding. They were found to have diffuse large cleaved cell lymphoma, one of which was multilobated variant with marked sclerosis. Histologically, differential diagnsis from undifferentiated small cell carcinoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma & other sarcomas was difficult and requires special stains including immunobistochemical study. Vaginal pap smears were diagnosed as 'class V; malignant lymphoma' in only one patient. Immunologically, two cases were beta-cell lineage and one case was T-cell lineage. All the patients were treated with chemotherapy only and showed good responses.

PURPOSE: An in vivo study compared the effect of oral antibiotic ingestion to that of intraprostatic antibiotic injection in a rat model of chronic bacterial prostatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: oral phosphate buffered saline (PBS) ingestion group (Op group), oral antibiotic ingestion group (Oa group), intraprostatic PBS injection group (Ip group) and intraprostatic antibiotic injection group (Ia group). Escherichia coli Z17 (O2:K1:H ) was inoculated to the prostatic urethra of the 4 experimental groups to develop the chronic bacterial prostatitis rat model. To confirm the chronic bacterial prostatitis, urine bacterial culture, tissue bacterial culture and histopathologic examinations were conducted 4 weeks after inoculation of E. coli. PBS and oral ciprofloxacin were administered orally twice a day for 1 week to the Op and Oa groups, respectively, and were injected into the prostate in the Ip and Ia groups, respectively. Urine bacterial culture, tissue bacterial culture and histopathologic examinations were conducted with specimens obtained 5 weeks after inoculation of E. coli. RESULTS: Microbiological culture of urine demonstrated that there was no significant difference among any of the four experimental groups (p>0.05). Microbiological culture of the prostate demonstrated that the mean Log10cfu/g of the Ia group was significantly lower than that of the other three experimental groups (p<0.05). The histopathology showed resolving prostatitis in the intraprostatic antibiotic injected groups compared with the other experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the effect of intraprostatic antibiotic injection for chronic bacterial prostatitis was more positive than oral antibiotic ingestion. This result suggests that intraprostatic antibiotic injection would be a treatment modality to overcome the difficulty of passage of antibiotics across blood-prostate barrier into the prostatic tissue.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Eating* ; Escherichia coli ; Models, Animal* ; Prostate ; Prostatitis* ; Rats* ; Rats, Wistar ; Urethra

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), which in Korea is used chiefly for CO poisoning, can be used in many disorders in orthopaedic field through the action of increasing oxygen tension of peripheral tissue, Since June 1986, when the multiplace hyperbaric chamber was built in our hospital, we have experienced 197 cases of HBO in orthopaedic field and we are to analyze the result of treatment and suggest reasonable indications. The outline of results are as follows ;1. Crushing injuries and wounds caused or accompanied by circulatory disturbance were most frequent among the 197 cases we've experienced, and received 17.5 times of HBO on average. 2. Discernible effectiveness was found in split thickness skin graft, diabetic ulcer and Buerger's disease as compared to the control group. 3. Otalgia was the most common side effect, but not severe. 4. From the above results, it is thought that HBO has fair range of indications in orthopaedic field and is worth using as an adjuvant means to surgery.
Earache ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Poisoning ; Skin ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans ; Transplants ; Ulcer ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Excessive iodine intake increases the occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disorders by enhancing immunogenecity of iodine-rich thyroglobulin, In Korea, most of postpartum women take a large amount of iodine-rich seaweed. Although the excessive iodine intake may affect the thyroid function, only a few reports were available concering iodine intake, especially on postpartum period. METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken in 146 of normal delivered postpartum women. Dietary intake and urinary excretion of iodine, serum T3, T4, TSH, anti-TPO Ab and anti-Tg Ab were measured before and 1, 6, 12 and 24 weeks after delivery. Iodine intake was analyzed by one-to-one interview using 24hr recall and food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: 1. PPT was occurred in 6 (10.3%) postparturn women, It presented as hypothyroidism alone in 1 (16.7%), transient thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidisrn in 3 (50.0%), and thyrotoxicosis alone in 2 (33.3%) of the follwed-up patients. 2. During pregnancy, no difference was found in age, serum T3, T4 and TSH between PPT and normal thyroid function group. 3. In PPT group, anti-TPO and anti-Tg Ab were significantly higher than those of normal thyroid function group during pregnancy, and their sensitivity for PPT was 40% and 33%, respectively. But there was no correlation between dietary iodine intake and the titer of thyroid auto-antibodies. 4. There was no correlation between pre and post-partum dietary iodine intake and occurrence of PPT. CONCLUSION: In Korea, the incidence of PPT was slightly higher than other nations. The sensitivity of thyroid auto-antibodies was too low to use for prediction of PPT. Pre and post-partum iodine intake had no effect on the occurrence of PPT and post-partum thyroid function.
Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Incidence ; Iodine ; Korea ; Postpartum Period ; Postpartum Thyroiditis* ; Pregnancy ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seaweed ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotoxicosis

No abstract available.
Humans ; Paraquat* ; Poisoning*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to figure out the correlation of hypertension and atherogenic dyslipidemia in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of consecutive 380 postmenopausal women (age> or =50, FSH>40IU/L and triglyceride[TG]<400 mg/dl) visiting health promotion center at Samsung Cheil Hospital from March 1997 to July 1998. We measured blood pressure by automatic sphygmomanometer (A & Dco.LTD.TM-2654) and divided them into four groups by blood pressure (Group I:systolic blood pressure[SBP]< 120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure[DBP]<80 mmHg, n=87. Group II:SBP 120-139 mmHg or DBP 80-89 mmHg, n=109. Group III: SBP 140-159 mmHg or DBP 90-99 mmHg, n=127. Group IV: SBP> or =160 mmHg or DBP> or =100 mmHg, n=57). We measured thier body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR). We also measured their levels of glucose, total cholesterol and TG by automatic biochemical analyzer (Hitachi 7150) and HDL cholesterol by direct method using AutoDAIICHI reagent. We calculated LDL cholesterol levels by Friedewald formula. RESULTS: MI, WHR and glucose level of group IV were significantly higher than those of group I. But there were no significant differences among the groups in the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. HDL cholesterol level of group I was statistically higher than that of group IV. TG level and LDL cholesterol/apo B ratio of group IV were significantly higher and lower than those of other groups respectively. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women who had moderate or severe hypertension show the trend toward abdominal obesity and atherogenic dyslipidemia. We might have to pay attention to these metabolic abnormalities in postmenopausal women with hypertension.
Apolipoproteins ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Dyslipidemias* ; Female ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Menopause ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Sphygmomanometers ; Waist-Hip Ratio

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the comparability and accuracy of body temperatures measured at three different sites: rectum, axilla and between skin and mattress in the newborn infants. METHODS: 168 term and preterm infants admitted to NICU at Kyungpook University Hospital were enrolled in the study. Glass and digital thermometers were used for the simultaneous measurement of rectal, axilla and skin-to-mattress temperatures. RESULTS: Among three different body temperatures measured by glass thermometer, the rectal temperatures recorded the highest in the bassinet, while no differences were found in the incubator. Rectal temperature by glass thermometer agreed most closely with axillary temperature by digital thermometer. The digital thermometers took significantly less time to measure temperatures from rectum and axilla than glass thermometer. Phototherapy did not influence body temperature measured in the incubator. CONCLUSION: In the bassinet, axilla temperature measured by a digital thermometer was as reliable as rectal temperature measured by a glass thermometer. Skin-to-mattress temperature provides an accurate, safe and easily accessible alternative site while infants are in the incubator.
Axilla ; Body Temperature ; Glass ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Incubators ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Phototherapy ; Rectum ; Skin ; Thermometers